My 24th Birthday!

As I had mentioned earlier, we went on one of our late night 'adventures'(i.e. a walk, drive,etc) with the kids all jammied and bundled up on Friday night. As we were driving home from our walk, we heard a loud boom, and saw a flash of light. We looked to our right, and lo and behold there was a major (for Moscow) fireworks display going on! Hobbes was really excited, and kept saying "boom-boom, boom-boom!" It was so fun-we parked by the side of the road and watched the show for about a half an hour. Bray said it was to begin my birthday celebration, but it was really for Vandals homecoming. Still-lots of fun, and it made the evening more special.

Trying to get a picture of the fireworks from the car...Hobbes staring out the window at the booms.

Madeline trying to sit up and see the fireworks, Hobbes, Mommy, and of course-the camera.
On Saturday, we had a crazy busy day,as both Bray and I had to work some, but we managed to do fun things in between. My mom took my sisters and I out to lunch at West of Paris (a fantastttic French restaurant in Moscow), while my wonderful friend Helen watched the kiddos, and then Bray and I took the kids for a walk in the arboretum- a gorgeous park on UI campus. The leaves are all changing color, so it is absolutely amazing there right now! Here's a picture of the little girl and I in front of it.
That evening, Mike and Kathryn took Hobbes to the championship volleyball game of the Logos tournament, and my mom watched Madeline. Bray and I went out to dinner at Lefty's, a good ol' burger joint in Moscow, that has fabulous milkshakes (note below) and then we just wandered around, window shopped in the mall, got coffee, looked at movies and books, and just kind of did nothing. We haven't done 'nothing' since before we were married! It was relaxing, and the perfect end to my birthday.
Sharing the milkshake-I love my husband!