Birthday party and the beach!

 This little amazing person turned 2!! I cannot believe it! Really truly I cannot believe it. Ben and I both look at each other often and ask each other how she got so big so fast. We both really love this little one so much and feel so blessed she is our daughter.

 Her birthday was on a Thursday this year so we decided to have her party on the following Saturday. But that doesn't mean that we don't do anything on her actual birthday!! We spent the day doing some of her favorite things including baking in the kitchen. Later after dinner she got to blow out her birthday cupcake.

Then we took her so get some frozen yogurt. She loved it!

As for the birthday party.... Warning, I LOVE to do this kind of stuff and while I am not in school or have a job, this went as far as I could take it. It was an under the sea theme to match her love of fish. The following pictures are a few from the party. I was all over the place once it started so I didn't get any of the party once it started, but hopefully my sister will share some of the ones she took.

I'm bummed I didn't get any of the cupcakes or the decorations. They were super cute.

After the party we spent the night at Grandma and Grandpa Aeby's. The next day Ben had to go to Vegas for the week for work, but us Aeby (and Hight) girls headed to the beach for the week. We stayed at a time share in Lincoln city and it was soooo much fun. I got to go to yoga or Pilate's every day with Rachel and it was incredibly relaxing.

One day we drove down to the Newport aquarium and Payton just loved it.

Huge crab!!

There were Jelly fish!

This is a replica of the jaw of a Megaladon shark, which was a huge prehistoric shark that was the size of a bus.

They had a cool shark tunnel. A leopard shark swam by right as I took the picture.  

They had fun tide pools to touch and explore.

And to end the day we went to check out the sea lions on the dock. Of course we had to stop by the candy shoppe and pick up a lollipop!

It rained a lot and was cloudy most days. Typical Oregon coast... but there was one day of sunshine so we made the best of it. Still windy on the beach though so we had to be bundled up. Payton loves the beach and the sand and the waves. She kept standing where the waves would reach her toes and screaming, "they're comin' to get 'cha!"

They had a heated outdoor pool. Payton still started shivering pretty fast so we didn't last too long.

They also had a tiny slide so we played at that.

 

Pretty much she is the coolest thing in the world and we love her an incredible amount. So grateful that she is in our lives and we know she is going to make the best big sister one day. (No this is not a baby announcement!) But lately as Ben and I have been talking and planning for the next one I can't help but get a little sentimental over the time I really get to watch her grow. As I do I get to see her gentle and sweet demeanor I just can't help but be so excited for her as an incredible member of our family throughout all the stages of her life. For now, we are enjoying this stage of just us three and savor the moments because as we now realize, they go so fast!