Janae is 18!

It's hard to believe this little girl...

just turned 18!

She had a chemistry test during the day, but after school we celebrated with dinner at one of her favorite restaurants and then with a strawberry cake at home.

On Friday, she celebrated with her friends. They dressed up like some of her favorite anime and book characters and went out for dinner--then to our place for ice cream sundaes and lots of laughs.

Here are some of my favorite pictures of Janae over the past few months:

painting (most of her wall is covered with art she's created),

sewing (she's doing alterations on her friends' prom dresses and also designing/sewing costumes for her school play),

and holding her very long cat.

Janae also sang "The Wizard and I" from Wicked at her school's coffee house tonight, as well as two other songs with friends (Janae singing "The Wizard and I").

 Since she'll be graduating in a few months (and studying biology at university), we won't get to see very many more of these types of performances--and I'll really miss them!

I am so proud of her and so very grateful to be her mom.

February Love

In our house, February is all about heart-shaped pizzas, chocolate and finding something fun to do on Family Day (usually bowling!).

 

This year we had a couple of extras, too....

We had a big snowfall on February 2, which resulted in a day off school for the kids and about a week off of work for Jason.

 Then, Alaina’s dream came true with a bunny of her own! We got the okay from our landlord on Feb. 18, and Alaina brought Rosie home on February 20. Alaina had been visiting her at the pet store for weeks and was so happy.

 

We also got to attend the high school’s annual student-choreographed dance show, where Janae sang live this year for her friends’ performance—a first in this show’s history! Several of her teachers were in tears within the first few lines of the song, and her music teacher later emailed me saying that Janae's "voice, singing techniques and expressions were just so beautiful and melted [their] hearts" (Here's the video). 

So, lots of love all around this February💗