Birthdays, brides and botanicals...

Dear Maya,

It has been an eventful week and a half since the last post and mommy is ready to get some sleep so here's the short version:

*Mommy's birthday was last Saturday. Daddy, you and I went out to dinner at a yummy Mexican place. You were so well-behaved, mostly because you were busy eating an entire children's chicken quesadilla, quite a bit of mommy's Mexican rice and drinking tons of water from the special cup they gave you.

The next day Grandma and Papa Stan arrived from North Carolina. They brought you a fun new chair and handmade pillow, bath toys, a book that you already love, and a toy tea set. That night we had a birthday party with the whole family and mommy got some gifts, too. It was wonderful to have everyone all together!

Chocolate peanut butter pie with pretzel crust--Yum!

*Monday we went wedding dress shopping for Aunt Kelsie! It's hard for mommy to imagine her little sister so grown up. It's also hard chasing a toddler around an enormous store while trying to look at dresses. Although everything looked gorgeous on her, in the end she chose one that really suited her beautifully!

no, this isn't the one she chose!

*On Tuesday, you and grandma and mommy went to the Berkshire Botanical Gardens. It was a very hot and humid day but that didn't slow you down at all. You enjoyed the children's garden, the bunnies and goats, the sights and sounds, and smelling the flowers, but most of all you loved the space to just run!

Well, it's time for mommy to get ready for bed. You've been sleeping later in the mornings, thankfully, but you still tire us out every day. It's so worth it, though. We love you!