Legally our Daughter

 Yesterday was a big day for our family. It was the day Eva Kate legally became our daughter, and her last name was changed to our last name.  Our hearing was scheduled for 9 AM, and we gave ourselves an hour to get to the court house. It only takes 30 minutes to get there, but you have to go through security once you arrive and there was still a lot of snow on the roads. We needed every bit of that hour. The parking lot at the court house was a snowy mess, so James let us out at the entrance. He had to park quite a way off in a parking garage.  Samuel put on a loving show of his affection during the hearing. I was sitting holding Eva, and James was holding Samuel right beside me. Samuel leaned over to Eva, and they touched noses. It was precious. He loves his sister! We are so thankful for these two kids.

For her big day, Eva Kate wore a dress from James' mom and a hat that my mom made for her. Very cute! Thank you, Mawmaw & Nana!

We both took the day off work so we could spend the day celebrating with the kids.  First up, a visit to The Magic House for the first time. James had been as child, but the rest of us had never been. The kids had fun.

 This water room was their favorite place to play.

 This bench played music when you sat on it. Each seat played music from a different instrument.

 For lunch, we ate at one of our favorite barbecue places - Pappy's Smokehouse. Their food is great. So good in fact, that I am glad that it is a 45 minute drive from my house. If it weren't we would be eating this far too often. Samuel had some of the ribs, and he liked it very much. He and Eva both ate some applesauce and a sweet potato fry or two.

They sell cute shirts for kids that say "Who's your Pappy" on the back. Samuel has a blue one, so we got Eva Kate a pink one to match.

After nap time, we went to The Painted Pot to make a keepsake for Eva. We did the same for Samuel on his finalization day. I really like this pottery studio. The staff there are so helpful. The girls helped me with Eva' hand prints, which was a tricky task.

For dessert, we had some delicious Jilly's Cupcakes. These are the best cupcakes I've ever had. I got a chocolate one for the kids to share, German Chocolate for James, and a Bee Sting for me. The Bee Sting is honey-lemon, filled with lemon curd. So good!

I took them to the laundry room right after they finished and promptly washed their clothes. They both got a bath right away.

Our parents are coming to celebrate Eva's finalization and my birthday with us next weekend!