The March of Birthdays...

  

I am so blessed. I have TWO delightful daughters both born in March. 

Often we combine their parties into one...this year, it was a wee bit different.

For Anneli's birthday, we took the whole family to CHICAGO!!!

We rode the train in from Wheaton...an experience that Oliver is STILL talking about! What fun! And we sat up on the top level! Yippie!

Choo choo!

                          












First stop...the AMERICAN GIRL store! :) (A long time dream of hers to go there!) She was delighted to find out that her grandparents had called ahead and prepared gift cards to the store! She looked carefully and decided to buy Kanani, the new Hawaiian girl of the year!

Next stop, Gino's East Pizzeria!
Time for these kids to have some genuine Chicago style deep dish!! We were so lucky, we avoided all lines and just walked in! Still had the HOUR to wait while they cooked our pizza...



So everyone found things to do!

Reading her new book about her Kanani doll

Oliver and Daddy and DQ had gone to the Lego store while the older girls and I were playing at the AG store. This gave Olly something to play with while we waited for PIZZA!

We're so cute!

           And then...

THE PIZZA CAME! 

Anneli got to a booth before another diner did!

And one of the best parts about
 Gino's East is being able to
 leave your mark!!

Jensi found a place on a support beam to leave her name.

I don't think he is left-handed...but maybe only for graffiti!

And finally I did this for ALL of us:

We visited a few more places...but the longer the day wore on, the fussier sweet little Darrah Kate got.

At the Bean in Millennium Park...in the wind and snow. Love Anneli's stoic pose. And Oliver's new Disney friend.

The next day, we went to my alma mater, Wheaton College!

And then discovered the Billy Graham Museum was OPEN! We HAD to take the kids there...

Standing at Billy Graham's preaching podium!

Jensi and my college friend's daughter pose with Billy

The heart of Billy's message etched in a big stone wall and lit up!

All the kids together!

And this is too cute to not show you:

Darrah Kate and Lillian...both kinda sorta 2 years old :)

Cake time!

A gymnast cake for my girl who spends most of her life upside down!

Her candle has bites out of it. Yes, Darrah Kate struck again!





And Jensi's ipod cake:

ELEVEN candles...oh my!

Surprise and excitement over Matthew West concert tickets for NEXT WEEK! :)

ipod cake with her favorite artist and song!


Birthdays in March...a fun time for everyone! Happy birthday to two of my favorite people on the planet!