Birthday Girl (um, I mean princess)

Ryann's Birthday is April 4, same day as Easter this year...which made the day super duper special. We love our little 3 year old so very much. She is such a creative little lady, who wants to be called a different princess name every day. One day she is Cinderella, the next Snow White, etc. True,this gets very very old...However, Mark is always "Prince Charming" and I am usually, "Your Highness" (which never gets old) We cherish our little princess so very much and are enjoying seeing her grow up before our eyes...way. too. fast. She has a tender heart and an amazing memory. She has committed several Scripture Verses to memory and I cannot wait for her to "get" what a lot of these verses mean. She is truly a gift.
Hard to believe that this teeny tiny baby...

...Is now this Little 3 year old GIRL

Here are some pictures from our fun-filled day:
I started a new tradition this year. I hid all of the wrapped presents,decorations/balloons from Ryann. After she was asleep on her birthday eve, I decorated our little one room kitchen/living space. Her face when she entered the room the next morning was so precious. She actually did a dramatic gasp and said, "For, me!?" So cute. Think I will do that every year now.





After a great Easter service,(side note: this small, sweet church we are visiting here really has the warmest people we have EVER encountered, has taught/convicted me a ton on how to treat visitors...will blog about this later)we boarded an East bound train to downtown.
Once we got there, we had her Birthday lunch at Giordano's Pizza
Ryann, trying really really hard to hold up 3 fingers





After our pizza lunch, we walked the long walk to the aquarium, taking in all the city sites along the way.BEAUTIFUL day.





The Shedd Aquarium was really unbelievable. It had beluga whales, sea lions, tons of sharks, penguins, etc. However, we had a hard time tearing Ryann away from this one:


Ryann loved her Birthday Easter cookies



A foreshadowing of Ryann as a thirteen year old


Ryann enjoyed opening all her gifts


Tired Princess Mommy


Finally,Princess Mark got to open his present from my parents

Thank you

My family(minus Sara and Jason, who were missed terribly)came to see us this past weekend.It was the perfect weekend to come because it was Easter and Ryann's Birthday. We had such a great time and we are so thankful for them making the long trek up here. I needed the visit from loved ones, thanks so much for the fun time and for your loving encouragement.


Thank You, Tiko


Thank You, Lulu


Thank You, Pappy

Saturday in the Park

These are pictures of Ryann playing at Grant Park. We are so incredibly thankful for our little girl. Her adaptability and acceptance of Change has blessed us beyond belief.God has given us such a special gift. Hard to believe she will be 3 years old one week from today!

Frontera

This is Rick Bayless. We love him. We loved him on Bravo's Top Chef Masters and on his PBS show, Once upon a plate in Mexico (We do realize that we are nerds). When we found out we were coming to Chicago, one of my first thoughts was..."I get to eat at Rick Bayless' restaurant,Frontera!" ...which we did on Saturday, thanks to a gift card from the Drs. Fuentes:) Our meal was so very delicious.

The Lamb Family's Day Off

Yesterday, we felt adventurous and took a train into downtown. We had such a great time and didn't get lost, which was a feat in itself. We enjoyed walking around Millenium Park, Grant Park, and eating at Frontera. We felt very urban...despite the big North Face backpack,stroller, camera around the neck, and map in hand.Chicago, we are beginning to love you.
Here are some pictures taken of the city.










These are the steps (we think) where the people danced while Ferris sang on the parade float....we think. Either way, it warranted a picture.

Oscars Party 2010

Words are hard to describe my mother's Academy Awards Party. She really goes all out and it gets bigger and bigger every year. It really is one of our favorite nights of the year. It is HILARIOUS and SUCH FUN. The rule is...You have to dress as any movie character from 2009
Which results in the following:
Cast of THE SQUEAKUEL

Cast of THE BLIND SIDE

Max from Where the Wild Things Are, Princess Tiana from Princess and the Frog, and a castmember from Whip It

The party planner herself, AMELIA EARHART

Julie and Julia and Up in the Air

The Cast of The Tooth Fairy (an Oscar snub, for sure)

The Cast of WHIP IT, AVATAR, and AN EDUCATION

The Cast of THIS IS IT and INVICTUS

The Cast of JULIE and JULIA

The Cast of UP



The DECOR:

The MENU: With 10 pictures in the Best Picture Category, my mom had her work cut out for her..but her Martha Stewart self prevailed. She made a dish for every single Best Picture Nominee.
1. Blue Corn Chips/Guacamole with Tree of Life: Avatar
2. English Tea/Scones: An Education
3. Humvee Hummus Wraps: Hurt Locker
4. Potato Latkes: A Serious Man
5. Tuohy's Taco Bell Tacos:Blind Side
6. KFC Bucket of Chicken: Precious
7. Apple Strudel: Inglorious _____ can't bring myself to finish that title;)
8. Assorted Soft Drinks/Peanuts/Warm towels: Up in The Air
9. Balloon molded bowls of chocolate filled with berries, etc: UP
10. 9 layered salad with a side of prawns: District 9
Here are some pics of just some of the dishes: