Mylah is 4!

We had a nice relaxing week while Matt was away for training in Atlanta. The girls did great, didn't cry in sadness over missing him. They missed him, but they did great. Ivey moved into her big girl bed and Elyanah FINALLY moved into her crib, which we still have in our room for now. I need to get her on her sleeping schedule at night and for naps. She's doing great at night, goes down by herself...but her afternoon nap is only an hour. So I have to work on her staying down longer in the afternoon. Just a little tweeking here and there, and she'll be ready to go into the room with her big sissy.

We picked Matt up on Friday of that week, we left the house at 9:30 pm to pick him up at 10:30 pm in Buffalo. It was a good drive, talked to my mom the whole way while the girls slept. And we dodged accidents all night. When I got off the toll booth in Buf. there was someone in my lane driving right at me! So I hit the brakes and honked and he realized he was in the wrong lane. It certainly got my heart racing! So we picked up Matt and got on the road to Albany...and four hours later arrived. We stayed at the Marriot on Wolf Rd...such a nice hotel...for free b/c of my hotel discount. We were wiped out, and slept in til 9 am. I took the big girls swimming for about 15 minutes and then started getting ready for the day. As I was bathing the girls, I told Mylah that we were getting ready for her birthday party. She got so excited...it was so fun telling her! We got to grandma's for the pizza party ...then went to Goold's Orchards to go apple picking, then back to grandma's for cake/ice cream & presents. It was a really fun time, she had a blast with all her cousins and got some great gifts. She's now into Barbies which is so fun to watch her dolls interact w/ eachother, how she makes them characters and makes up stories. Most of the characters and stories are from movies or tv shows, and sometimes just from her head. I can't believe she's 4. She's such a big girl, it's been amazing so far to watch her grow and become such a great big sister and just a lovely girl.

Then that Sunday, my in-laws renewed their vows and had a banquet. It was so nice! They've been married for 35 years...what a legacy!!! Both mine and Matt's parents have been married 35 years, our grandparents married 'til death' or still are, their parents...etc.....we have a legacy of marriage in our family, and I thank God for it! What an example we have in our families of commitment to marriage. And we saw extended family that we only see at weddings and funerals. It was nice to see them at a celebration! And the girls got to meet cousins they'd never met. It was just a day filled with joy...and Matt's parents beamed like it was their wedding day all over again...too cute!

The next day was Mylah's 'real' b-day and we saw my mom and my grandfather (who mom is caring for) my sister & nieces & nephew. Mom went to Puerto Rico to get him a few weeks ago. It was nice to see him, and have Matt and the girls meet him for the first time. And to have all his great grandchildren in one spot...that was really neat. (Well, not all, Zoe is still in Melissa's belly...but she'll meet him soon, I'm sure) We got home way too late and had Mylah's slumber party in the living room, her and Ivey on the air mattress and Matt and I on the couch for Beauty and the Beast. They stayed up the whole time...til after midnight...Matt and I fell asleep...then we moved the air mattress to our room and had our sleepover. It was great...my first born is 4! Wow...time has flown by and next year is Kindergarten (sniff sniff) I'm so proud of her. Her name means 'merciful maiden'....and it's so her. She is just such a forgiving little girl who sees the best in people and loves unconditionally. I just LOVE HER!!!