Date Nights

We had two special occasions this past week -- our 8th dating anniversary and the Forbush JROTC Military Ball. Initially, Boomer thought it was silly to celebrate our dating anniversary -- "we have a wedding anniversary, why do we need to celebrate our dating anniversary??" Pssh silly guy! Girls like to celebrate everything! He changed his tune when I suggested that we always return to the place of our very first date. So on Tuesday night (February 28th), we went back to where our story began! Eight years ago, we went out to dinner at Mellow Mushroom in Winston-Salem and then had our first kiss later that night. It was that evening that we mark as the start of our dating relationship. There were a few coffee dates before that and one late night dinner at McDonald's after an intramural game, but it was the night at Mellow Mushroom that seemed most significant. So here we are again, ordering the same pepperoni and bacon pizza, but this time as a party of 3. 

Completely candid <3

 Then, on Saturday, we had another date night, but this time as the original Kennedy Party of 2. Grammy come over to babysit (yes, after already watching Em all week!), and Boomer and I went to his school's JROTC Military Ball. It was a very formal event, with all of the cadets dressed in their uniforms and their dates in gowns. There was a plated meal, a guest speaker, and special recognitions for the graduating seniors. Being in the room with the cadets reminded me again of the freedoms we have in our country and the young men and women who fight to protect those freedoms. It was an honor to be invited and be among this next generation of heroes. After the program portion ended, the dancing began. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get Boomer on the dance floor, but I will try again next month when we go to Forbush's Prom!

Em continues to surprise us with new tricks each week! This week, Grammy tried out the Bumbo, and Em was strong enough to sit up on her own. She slumps just a bit, but overall she seems to enjoy this new contraption. As she gets even stronger, it will be great to have an alternative to laying her down under the rainforest or putting her in the monkey chair.

Em is growing fast! I'm looking forward to next week's 4-month appointment to see what her new weight and length are. Just based off of her clothes, I know that she is getting bigger. Her 0-3 month onesies were starting to pull at the neck and the sleepers were making it hard for her to stretch out her legs! My project yesterday was once again packing up the smaller clothes and swapping them for the next size. Didn't I just do this?? Gosh, the time is flying by!

Here are a few other snapshots from the week: napping after church, breaking out in a smile, cousin-bonding with Adelynn while at Trivett and Kessley's birthday party, hanging out with Uncle Goosie, and just generally looking cute!