Ten - more - Things

1. R and I are playing in a volleyball league again this year. We've learned that I'm more talkative and aggressive when I'm not the coach/captain....and one of us had to take an aleve the day after our first game.

2. Early this week my FaceBook newsfeed and news sites that I visit were focused on the VMA's (which I think stands for Video Music Awards) and a dance move....on the same week that Hagel is in the news (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-23847839). However a person feels about either news (and I use that term loosely when talking about the VMA's), shouldn't we be discussing one (a lot) more than the other? I read this (http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/28/world/meast/syria-how-did-we-get-here/index.html?hpt=hp_inthenews) to make myself feel more like a high school graduate.

3. Oh yes. We met with our birth mother and birth father last week! She is super friendly and he is very supportive. We got to spend around two hours getting to know each other. R and I were encouraged by the meeting and are looking forward to baby boy's birth.

4. Violin lessons have recommenced! The dogs are not happy about this.

5. I made a pumpkin pie today. I thought it would never set. And part of it is in the bottom of my oven.

6. I attended a mom's group at church this morning and heard a talk on the Proverbs 31 woman. Then I came home....to an air conditioner that was having problems cooling the house, dogs barking at clouds, the Squirms deciding to have an unusually short nap, spilling pie in my oven, and, well, I won't describe the scene when I went in to get my angel out of her crib, let's just say she went straight from the crib to the bath (thankfully the pie didn't burn because I ended up cooking it twice as long as the recipe suggested....it actually took that long to set). Good thing our speaker pointed out that Jesus is what makes a "Proverbs 31" woman, not what I can accomplish in one day.

7. I am having a good hair day though. I made my youngest sister look at my hair during FaceTime tonight. I don't know why she never answers my phone calls.

8. R and I are really enjoying our Life Group at church. Squirms and I even stayed for the informal after-party tonight (this involves all the kids running around the room while the adults attempt conversation). Squirms is learning how to share by making other kids share....that's a nice way to say that she likes to go through other kids' backpacks and take their snacks.

9. My dad and my middle sister both called my cell phone tonight within minutes of each other. Both calls were actually for Squirms.

10. Football games start this week!

Ten Things with Too Many Pictures

1. I'll apologize now. I just couldn't narrow it down further - she's too cute. I took a lot of pictures of the Squirms last week during our gulf coast beach trip. We spent a week with my parents, Auntie L, and my grandparents.  

She practiced her climbing skills....

We had lovely views....

And she claimed Auntie H's beach chair.

2. Squirms loved waving at planes and boats. She also learned to say "beach"and "boat". And of course, since grandpa was around, she got lots of practice saying "out" and pointing outside.

A boat!

I just love this expression. And the belly.

I love playing in the sand!

3. It also rained a lot. Rain at the beach means Krispy Kreme donuts and ice cream.

Please Please Please.

A book!?!

We had a great view of all the storms coming in.

4. And of course there were birds.

Birds!

There are a lot of birds....

Why can't I have any of those bread crumbs?

Oh! A cigarette butt!

Lots of laughing.

5. My dad, the grandpa a.k.a. Squirm's partner in crime. Each morning she asked grandpa "up" and then looked at me and said "bye bye".

Please note the expressions and hands.

And here.

And here. I think they may have practiced this look.

6. Too adorable.

Sunglasses she can bite while protecting her eyes.

7. She tried her skills at climbing stairs, walking in sand, standing in waves, and beachcombing.

Beach baby. She's now a pro at walking in sand.

And she's a professional beachcomber now.

She's especially fond of trash.

8. On Saturday afternoon we also got to see Squirm's other grandparents and Auntie C. This little girl got hugs and kisses from great grandparents, both sets of grandparents, and two aunties - makes my heart happy.

More birds!

More cigarettes!

9. While I was bummed about driving for eight hours to vacation at a beach - a beach north of us! - seeing how happy Squirms and my parents were for this week was worth listening to some - some - crying in the car.

Oh, I like glasses.

Example A of why we drove to a different beach.

Example B.

10. And this is a pretty good picture of what our house looks like this week.

I call this one, Shoe in Peace Lily.

18 Months, Beach Vacation....I live a charmed life....

And now we're at the beach. We drove north to enjoy warm water and white sand - yes, that's a crazy sentence. And of course, to enjoy Auntie L, grandparents, and great grandparents.

Squirms has grown quite fond of the sand. More fond than her mother is comfortable about, but thankfully other family members don't mind getting sand everywhere.

We do miss Auntie H.

Favorite quote of the week is from L, 

you have the upper arm strength of a Lemur.

I'll keep trying to get L to do a guest blog post. 

Oh, and Squirms is now 18 months old!!

6 PM on Friday

We called our parents. We called our sisters. We called Grandma and Grandpa, and Granny. We told our college roommates. 

We think it's safe to post that we got the Match Call this evening. Baby boy, due October. We're excited. 

God is Good. All the time. 

Pictures, Family Visit, and We Ate Cake

New room, family visit, and R's birthday. The week before last was busy! And a lot of fun. The Squirms loves her new room and her new chair. I felt frivolous buying a tiny arm chair - but she LOVES it - I now feel it's one of the best things I've bought for her. The transition to the new room went better than expected: she napped and slept overnight without issue; she has easy access to all her books; and she's been choosing to play in her room over spending time in the living room.  

Looking at newborn pictures of herself. In her chair.

R worked hard painting, hanging shelves, and moving furniture. And then he trapped himself in the crib while putting it back together....I'm sorry I don't have the photo of him vaulting over the front to escape.

C (aka Auntie C) took the bar exam last week and then came to visit, bringing Senior R, Mrs. MHJ, and her friend. And R turned 31! 

Wearing Papa's shoe.

Sorry future 16 year old Squirms, but I had to post this expression.

Presenting Dad with his birthday card. She picked it out - and chose a lion one over the barbie ones I kept offering.

Yummy! Red Velvet from our favorite bakery.

Happy Birthday R!

We love having visitors! And appreciate they were willing to use the air mattress since the guest room disappeared!
Now....my computer battery is about to die....