I can't remember exactly.  It was either the last of July or the first of August we had a wonderful visit from part of Russ's sister's family.  Jenny, Grace, Seth, and his girlfriend Anna Kate came for a few days to visit.  Russ and I love having company!  And we love that it gives us even better excuses to get out and explore the fun parts of St. Louis.  Or revisit our favorite spots.

First on Grace's list was the American Girl store near our home.  I knew Millie Janalee would be over the moon if we went back, so we got up and going in time to arrive close to opening.  Russ had to work sadly, so we missed him during all our daytime activities.  Jenny bought Grace a new American Girl doll and matching pajamas.  Seth and Anna Kate did their fair share of playing with the display dolls.  Ha!  And Aunt Jenny surprised Millie Janalee with some Bitty Baby accessories for her belated birthday gifts!  You can see how Millie Janalee felt about leaving in the picture below.

Always a scene.  Always.

After our stop for the little girls, we did some shopping at the nearby outlet mall.  I would say that was Jenny's favorite spot.  Then I drove the group over to the Arch.  Because no one should visit St. Louis without at least seeing it.  This was Anna Kate and Seth's request for the trip.  And I always love doing St. Louis things.  None of them had ever been to St. Louis, much less been to the top of the Arch.  So, I insisted Jenny join us to the top!

Millie Janalee wasn't with Russ and I when we experienced this for the first time, so I was excited to take her up.  She was simply thrilled that her cousins and aunt were with her.  She and Grace had fun in the exhibits and displays while we waited in line.

All six of us crammed in a pod that was made for five, and we rode to the top...630 feet.  It was quite crowded, but we made our way to some windows.  This is when I plopped Millie Janalee up next to a window for a photo shoot, and I learned she was also afraid of heights perhaps.  Like mother like daughter!

Once we landed on the ground, we walked through part of the museum of the Westward Expansion.  Millie Janalee's favorite part was the "Innyans".

It was a very fun day spent with our family!  And Millie Janalee was so happy to have them here with  us.  So was I.

We grilled out, watched movies, and stayed up late talking.  We did some more shopping at the mall and outlet malls before the crew started their long journey home.  Fun memories for sure.  Maybe they will be able to make it up for another trip or two.  There is so much more to show them!

St. Louis Zoo

We have had SO MUCH GOING ON since Millie Janalee's birthday...which is the last event I posted about prior to telling you about her glasses.  Wow!  I have pictures uploaded to blog.  But I have just gotten out of the habit!  Augh.  I've got to get back with it.  It is not because it takes too much time.  Blogging has never taken much time for me.  I spend more time on photos than blogging.  I just get distracted and forget.

So I'll do the best I can to document these super fun days this year in St. Louis.  One very, very HOT Saturday afternoon, Russ and I took Millie Janalee to the St. Louis zoo.  We had heard about how wonderful it was, so we were equally excited.  The zoo is actually free.  Although, you do have to pay to park on the grounds.  There are a few exhibitions and rides that you must pay to do inside the zoo.  The only one we cared about doing was the train.  They also offer family passes if you are a regular so that you can get discounts on those things.

Millie Janalee is familiar with the zoo, since we took her fairly often in Memphis.  But she is now at a fun age where she is really into the animals.  She enjoys making the animal noises and talking or waving to them all.  So fun to do these things through her eyes!

We made several rest stops.  Did I mention how HOT it was?!  Most of the rest stops were for me.  Ha!  And for snacks and juice.  We ate lunch at the cafe on the grounds.  This zoo is much larger than the Memphis zoo.  We will have to go back during the fall, and then I can figure out the comparisons better.  I think things are more spread out...which is nice because you never feel crowded.  Lots of strolling.  The displays are so nice too.  I really enjoyed the day.

During the later half of our day, Millie Janalee spotted the train at the crossing.  It was over.  That was that.  She begged, pleaded, and cried to ride the "choo choo tchwain."  I finally talked Russ into giving in.  And we bought tickets and stood in line.  Then every time a train came and went before we made it to the front of the line, her world fell apart.  I'm not sure how to teach a 2 year old about how lines work other than a real life experience.  In front of everyone.  Ha!  The lady in front of us was kind enough to help us explain that we would indeed try to catch the next one.  Unless there wasn't enough room, of course.  Ha!

We stayed on the train through all four stops until we came back to where we started.  And we had to get off.  That part is never fun.

I think my favorite part was the hippo exhibit.  We were able to watch up close as the hippos swam around the water with the fish. And the fish were equally as entertaining for Millie Janalee.

We arrived home around 3:00 that afternoon exhausted and ready for a change of dry clothes and a nap.  This is when I let Millie Janalee nap without her shorts on and I woke up to a surprise.  She learned how to take her diaper off.  Yep.  So we changed bedding too!

Just another fun day of our Missouri adventure!

Hiccups...all part of His perfect plan!

This week, Millie Janalee and I ventured out to St. Louis Children's Hospital for her very first eye doctor visit.  What I planned to be a couple hours out of the house turned into an all day event - 8 hours to be exact. Soon after we moved, I started noticing that Millie Janalee's left eye (primarily) would wander inward when she was focusing on things, looking at me, or playing with her toys.  I mentioned it to Russ, and we both began noticing it more and more.  After a couple calls to our sweet medical friends - a pediatrician and an optometrist, we had a general idea of what it could be.  So I did some research and made an appointment with a pediatric ophthalmologist just to get her sweet baby blues checked out.  The soonest they could see us was a month later.

And here we are.

I've got to say...she was the absolute cutest thing at her checkup!  The staff just loved watching her walk in, wave, and say "Hey!" to everyone she passed.  She jumped up in the exam chair with excitement and began taking her "test."  I was very interested to see exactly how you check the eyesight of a two year old.  First, she looked at a group of black and white pictures on paper and told the lady what each of them were: a tree, a house, a car, a horse, and a "cate."  Then, the same pictures rotated through on a television screen across the room, and she did the same.  It was after that part, that Elmo came on!  Ha!  Perfect way to get a toddler to focus across the room so they could shine a light in her eyes and give them a good look.  The final part of this section of the exam involved dilating her eyes.  The eye drops did sting a little, so there were tears shed.  It would take 30 minutes for the drops to work, so we were sent out to stroll and get a snack in the cafeteria.

We returned 30 minutes later, and we went back again for another slew of exams.  It was so interesting to me.  Since Millie Janalee can't look in a lens and tell us which one gives a clearer view, they look into her eyes with a light and hold different lenses in front of her eye.  They can see which lens allows her eyes to focus best.  Isn't that neat?!  After the results were verified by a second person, we were sent back out to the waiting room again until the doctor was ready to see us.  By this time it was nearly 12.  Our appointment was at 9:30.

We were called out one last time to see Millie Janalee's doctor.  She went over the results with me and gave Millie Janalee a final look over wearing questionable headgear.  Millie Janalee wasn't too sure, but she did great!  Never whining after 3 hours of sitting in a doctor's office!  [Except for the one time she tripped on the stroller and busted her lip on the ground.  Really.  There was blood.  And it was kinda my fault since I was the one pushing the stroller.]

She's an amazing girl!

And God has a great plan for her little life!  A plan that began playing out before she was even born.  Her little life has touched countless lives and made an incredible impact on this world.  It still boggles my mind how two years of life can do so much for others.  She is an answered prayer who God used for His glory...and He will continue to use her story for His glory!  What an honor to parent her.

We have a hiccup.

As I waited in the waiting room the final time, tears began to fill my eyes as the truth of what was about to happen sunk in.  What my daughter may face in her sweet future.  What all I can't control.  Then I looked around.  Have you ever been in a pediatric ophthalmologist office (or probably any pediatric specialty's office)?  I took one look around and realized that we don't have a problem.  We are indeed blessed.

God's plan for our little angel includes precious tiny glasses.  Just another fashion accessory for our diva.  I mean, seriously.  Take a look at just SOME of the options I had to choose from...

Millie Janalee and I left the office with her little prescription, and headed home for lunch.  After a few calls about insurance and inquiring about a recommended optic shop at another hospital, we were off for our next venture of the day.  I spent the next hour probably texting pictures to my mom and sister trying to make the decision on colors, shapes, and sizes of these sweet spectacles.

And finally, the decisions were made.  Because one color just wouldn't do for this princess.

And y'all.  She's never looked more precious to me in her life!

When her little glasses come in, you will notice something a little different.  And I worry.  Worry about how others will react.  Worry that she will be labeled as handicap.  Then, I take a step back and realize...it IS just glasses.  And people will stare...because she's cute as a button.  And those eyes that everyone is so in love with will be even more special.  We are blessed.

Because Millie Janalee is precious in His sight!  I couldn't love her more.

Party Time for "Minnie" Janalee!

I hope to eventually get back into the habit of regularly updating the blog.  But I'm sure you are tired of hearing my apologies and excuses.  So I will no longer put my disclaimer at the beginning of a post.  Just know I'm sorry for leaving you hanging.  All five readers!

After our fun and full day at Grant's Farm with the family, we came back home and rested a bit.  Millie Janalee took a good nap as we prepared for the final celebration.  A birthday party!  When she woke up, she was able to dress the part thanks to Pawpaw and Susu's birthday present.  While Russ and the guys had already begun the supper preparations, Millie Janalee came out for her party debut!  She was the star of the show after all.

"Well, Uncie Buck.  Tell me what you think..."

"It's my party and I'll dance if I want to!"

We enjoyed visiting outside to the aroma of bug spray and citronella torches.  Have I mentioned that we have a mosquito problem.  Actually more like a mosquito invasion.  However, now that I think about it, they haven't been hanging around as much lately.  Maybe it's the cooler temps keeping them at bay?

I digress.

Russ prepared some delicious sish kabobs (I had to Google that to make sure it was an actual word.) for supper.  We decided to eat light since we had literally eaten lunch shortly before.  The only other food we had was amazing sausage marinated in yummy sauce Dustin and Russ picked out at the General's Store at Grant's Farm.  And cake of course.  It was more than enough!

The chef at work

Lee and Hughes with their own personal Off clip

Visiting and relaxing on a summer evening

I was so happily surprised to see that Hughes dressed for the occasion!  Millie Janalee...being used to the limelight may not have been quite as enthused...

In all seriousness, she loves her baby cousin.  She has adjusted well and loves to talk to him, kiss him, hug him, and share his paci.  She doesn't mind that he takes some attention.  She has just learned to make sure she's near so that we are all still looking at her too.  Haha!

Kissing cousins!

The beginning of lots of trouble I'm sure

If you have been around Millie Janalee any amount of time, you know that she is constantly talking.  Or singing.  Never quiet.  Everywhere we go here, people comment on how talkative she is.  And how cute her bow is of course.  [Side note: Hairbows are most certainly a southern thing.  We are treated like celebrities around here all because of the big bows.]  Back to the talking...which I love.  But I have also learned to tune it out.  Oops.  So Millie Janalee was carrying on and I realized she was just repeating the same thing over and over, and I looked over at her.  "TWO!  TWO!" as she held up two fingers.  I had been trying to help her do this for a while with no luck.  She was just waiting for her second birthday party to break out the skills.  Yes, you are TWO my darling!  Yes you are!

When Russ finished grilling, we all enjoyed our dinner with the birthday girl and prepared for gifts and cake.  Because that's what kids care about at birthdays, right?

My sweet family!

Millie Janalee was the epitome of the proper birthday girl in her big birthday chair.  She smiled politely as we passed the gifts to her.  With excitement and surprise in her eyes, she opened each gift with a gasp.  And an "ooooh" or "aaahhh!"  Then passed it off so that the next gift could be presented. Ha!

She was blessed with so many fun things this year.  Friends and family who mailed sweet gifts to our new home and family who brought the fun in person.  She loved it all!  And, to my surprise, never cried to open the packaging before all the gifts had been opened.  In true Smith fashion, the adults were as into the toys as Millie Janalee was.  We are reliving our childhood though her I think.

When the gifts were opened and displayed nicely on the table, it was time to make a wish!  I lit the TWO candles on her Minnie Mouse cake and we sang "Happy Birthday" to our sweet girl.  And as the song ended, she leaned over and blew out the candles like she has been doing it all her life.  She performs well for an audience.  Ha!

Making her wish and blowing her candles

She folded her little hands after blowing out her candles waiting for a piece of cake.  I'm serious.  She did all these proper things, and I want to make sure I document them so I will always remember.  It was the cutest little thing.  Thankfully Russ actually got a picture of her little folded hands...

I turned my back to get a knife for the cake, and this happened...

Hahahaha!  Hilarious!  Proper and polite no more.  It was her birthday and her cake, so I did what every mother would do.  I let her take a few more bites before cutting a piece for everyone else.  I love those little bite marks!

I served the birthday girl her cake first, and she was ready to dig in.  As if we didn't already know that!

For the encore, Millie Janalee, Kristin, and Dustin wanted to watch "Froyez" (Frozen).  Russ and I gave Millie Janalee her own Elsa gown for her birthday, so she dressed the part as we played the "moooyee".   She only took her eyes off to dance like Else or sing and twirl like Anna.  The rest of us pretty much just watched her watch the movie.  And we videoed her watching the movie.  That's how we roll.

It's like watching a bonfire.

But it's way more entertaining than a bonfire, don't you think?!

Sunday after brunch, the family got ready for the road trip home.  Millie Janalee and Hughes got some quality time in before they left.  She patted his head and hugged him and kissed him...as we tried to keep her from suffocating him.

After a tearful goodbye (more from the grown-ups than the babies), we decided to blow bubbles outside.  Bubbles cheer anyone up.

It was a happy happy weekend!  Celebrating a happy happy birthday!  And a happy happy girl!  I love this little two year old of mine.  God has blessed us.  May he always bless her.