February 24

I turned 33 today (it feels really weird to type that...), so Chris took the day off work and we celebrated as a family. Chris did a great job making sure I got my birthday wishes: a nap, and no cooking.

In the morning, we had a family adventure to the Arch. It's been on my to-do list for a while, and today was the perfect day for it! I made the conscious decision to leave my big camera at home; for one, it's big, and for another, I just don't want to use it as much without my good lens. Luckily, the repair place received my lens today and should begin repairing it tomorrow. Hooray!

At the Arch, ready to get in our tram car. We were assigned #4, which made Caleb pretty happy.

I love Lily's sweet little eyes, peeking out from the Ergo and her hood.

Dark, but cute. I love my little darlings!

In our tram car. I love their faces. Caleb is suspicious, and Daisy is excited.

I couldn't  fit the whole family in the shot, so I took one of just my handsome husbando and me. He planned our whole outing, and I was surprised and delighted by it!

He wore Lily the whole time, which was nice. I'm still feeling a little bit iffy after that stomach bug hit Friday night. And Lily's crusty nose should be a dead giveaway that she's not feeling so hot, either!

At the top! Daisy was so excited to lay on her belly and get up close for a look out the window. Caleb wasn't so sure, and preferred to look with his feet planted on the ground.

Top of the Arch selfie!

And another top of the Arch selfie. (Did you notice his red scarf? I finished knitting it last night during Downton Abbey's season finale. He was so excited that it was finally finished! Now, to make him a matching hat...)

Goodness. I realize this is a ridiculous picture: Daisy's red-eyed and saying, "Cheese!", and Caleb is so nervous about the fact that he's solely in charge of holding Lily. But Lily looks cute, and it's my three babies together, so I call this picture a keeper.

Chris took Lily out so she could get a look, and she was really interested in looking out the window!

Caleb only allowed himself to be put up on his belly like this if I had my body over his, holding him in place. I confess: I didn't mind the snuggle.

Happy birthday to me!

When we got back down to the bottom, Caleb and Daisy did a BINGO scavenger hunt in the attached museum. They each earned a "Junior Ranger" badge for their efforts. Can you tell Daisy was excited about it?

We were up there!

It really was a beautiful day, but boy it was cold!

And there's our cute little family: Caleb looking at the Arch, Chris with Lily buttoned inside his coat, and Daisy scooting down the steps on her bottom.

We returned home, where Chris prepared lunch for everyone, and all three children went down for naps. I gave Chris a much-needed haircut, then headed off to the gym to burn some calories so that I could enjoy a guilt-free piece of birthday cake tonight. After the gym, I took an uninterrupted shower (oh, the luxury!) and then a nap. I woke up to feed Lily, and Chris began making dinner. After dinner, a visit from Chris' family, and now Chris is cleaning up the day's dishes. 

All in all, a great birthday!