They Make Me Laugh!

These girls really are priceless. I most certainly have days when I want to pull my hair out and have a meltdown just like Addie does when things aren't going her way...but the days like that are soon followed with moments of pure joy when I think about these two little blessings.

Addie's personality continues to amaze us as she grows. It almost makes me sad to report that "bantaskick" has become "fantastic" now and several other words that she has mispronounced have recently transformed into the real words. She seems to be picking up on lots of different vocabulary lately, whether it's from us or Little Bear. She says "not quite" when we ask her if she's ready for something. She has been really into using directional words, such as "nearby" and "I'm running after you" (as she runs in front of us-oh well). She tries so hard to use "yesterday" and "this morning" correctly when talking about things that happened in the past...but she usually mixes them up and says things that happened a long time ago happened "this morning" and things that really happened this morning happened "yesterday" or sometimes even "yesteryear."

She thinks outside the box most of the time, which just astounds us sometimes. She sees things in a totally different way than I do and I love that about her! We have started doing more and more school type activities recently and the way I do things and the way she sees them are usually completely different. She will definitely be my "challenger," but I am excited to try to stay one step ahead of her, if I can :)

Addie's newest obsessions....seeing how many American Flags she can spot when we are driving in the car AND finding the letter "A for Addie" or "L for Lydia" everywhere we go and in anything we read.

I've mentioned before that she is "sing-songy" so I thought I'd share a little example of one of her most recent debuts. Of course she does this several times a day so I had many opportunities to catch her in the act. Pay close attention when she tells me who wrote the song :) Here's my princess:

Little Tiny is just growing way too fast. It's so hard to believe she'll be 1 in a little over 2 months!!! She had a check up last week and she weighs just under 20 pounds and is 30 inches tall! Off the charts for her height...I think we're going to end up with 2 very tall ladies in our household and they didn't get that from me ;)

I have this feeling Lydia's going to be our more adventurous child...she's a little less cautious than Addie has ever been. She's at the "play hard, fall hard" stage where she goes after everything and she will come out with battle wounds if that's what it takes to get what she wants! Her new favorite game is Peek-a-boo, and she will try to hide her face behind just about anything if it gets you to say "where's Lydia?" and "Peek-a-boo!" She's also been quite into imitating whatever we say and do lately. Her newest talent is making animal noises. She's always been highly skilled at making a very good monster noise, but recently she's trying some new sounds. We LOVE hearing her laugh and act like the rest of us (like a goofball!).

See, I told you she was very good at the growling/monster noise!

Big Girl in the Making

I say this ALL the time, but I just can't believe how fast our little baby is turning into a big girl! She is changing every day and I feel so blessed to be able to witness every single bit of it...

The fact that God makes siblings SO different from one another just amazes me! I am in awe of how different our two girls can be at times. Although some of their differences don't make me happy (I'm not going to talk about Lydia's sleep habits!), we are rolling with the punches and trying to focus on all of the "fun" differences :) Here are a few of my favorite pictures from the last few weeks......

Standing with her sister at the back door...Addie says to me, "Mama, I like how Lydia can stand like me!" I do too :)

One of her favorite new faces...isn't she silly!?

This girl is into EVERYTHING! This particular day, she entertained herself for quite a while tearing apart one of my Hancock's catalogs (fabric magazine...that a girl!)

Adorable little toesies

This was her favorite pose last week...she got bored with it and just goes around pulling up on EVERYTHING this week! Ah, how fast they change!

Those little hands are moving so fast you can hardly see them! She learned to clap a few weeks ago and it's the cutest thing ever! She's enjoying Pat-a-cake to the fullest!

It's bittersweet as they grow.....but we can't stop it so we'll just rejoice in every change that allows her to become a BIG GIRL!

So THIS is 2 AND a half....

Addie, a.k.a. Rufus, Ruthelton, Addie-Waddie Doodle all the Day, Sissaroo, and Addica, turned 2 1/2 on June 27th. This girl has always been a "character," but let me tell you that 2 1/2 is much different than just plain old 2. I thought I'd make a little list of why we are loving 2 1/2 around here.

*Her curiosity about things hasn't changed, it's just easier to explain things to her now that we know she has a MUCH better understanding. You can't really get much past her anymore!

*She's what I call "sing-songy," meaning she likes to sing, but also enjoys making up songs about the most random things. She also combines songs like Jesus Loves Me and Row, Row, Row Your Boat. It goes like this, "Jesus Loves Me, this I know, Merrily, merrily, merrily, life is but a dream (only she says something else here that I cannot quite understand).

*She prays for all her friends and family.....AND the silverware. Every night. I'm not kidding.

*Her love of using describing words continues to grow. Her new favorite: bantaskick (fantastic) and she uses it A LOT, especially to describe how she looks :)

*She LOVES to dress herself. In dresses. And that's all. I'm not sure why I bought her shorts and t-shirts for summer because she ONLY wears dresses.

*Along with dresses, she MUST accessorize!!! She's usually wearing something on her head, some sort of jewelry (mine) and princess shoes (also mine).

*She IS most definitely a PRINCESS. She has princess panties, princess pajamas, a princess baseball set, a princess fishing pole, and recently has started quite the collection of princess crowns and Barbie princesses (thanks to her Granny--not me).

*She refers to me as "Mom" more than "Mommy." Which I DON'T like so I've asked her to call me "Momma" if she doesn't want to call me "Mommy." I LOVE being called "Momma."

*She talks about getting married.....and collects flowers (clovers) from the yard for her wedding bouquet. She's going to marry her Daddy.....and her Mommy, so she says.

*Her memory astounds me. She remembers relatives who she's only met a couple times, along with their spouses and anyone else who "belongs" with them.

*If she doesn't want to do something we're doing, she says "I have an idea" and tells us what SHE wants to do instead. I like this method better than a tantrum.

*Tantrums, or meltdowns as we like to call them, DO occur in our house. Probably at least one per day. These mostly consist of crying and stomping, but sometimes include throwing her whole self on the floor. You just have to have a few of these now and then when you're 2 1/2.

*She's really good at telling directions to do something, such as a front flip. She says, "You put your hands down, then put your head down, then flip!" It's really cute listening to her explain HOW to do things....I can imagine she'll be quite the "leader" when it comes to being the big sister in our family ;)

*Her manners are GREAT...we hear a lot of "Please" and "Thank you SO much" around here lately. Just recently she has started thanking me for our meals when we sit down to eat. Melts my heart every time!

*She still can't say "breakfast" correctly and I can't even begin to think about how I would type it as she says it (it's different every day!). She usually says we're eating lunch no matter what meal it actually is.

*She is SO much like her daddy, yet I see myself in her every day. Especially when she's explaining something or talking to Lydia. It's mostly her body language and expressions. I find myself thinking, "do I really do that?" and the answer is always YES.

I could go on and on and on about my sweet girl forever. She is certainly a blessing in our lives and I look forward to watching her grow and change in the years to come. It's already going too fast...so we're trying to cherish each and every day, including both the good and not so good moments of 2 1/2!

Her outfit of choice on the HOTTEST day of the year!

My Princess, complete with "glass slippers"

Summer Fun

We are LOVING summer around here, so I thought I'd share a few of the fun things we've done in the last couple weeks. The heat wave came mid-June this year, rather than waiting until July (as I sit here on July 5th, the thermometer says 70!). One really HOT day back in June, I whipped out the sprinkler and Addie and I ran through it while Lydia was napping. Addie had such a blast and I thoroughly enjoyed getting many action shots of her with the camera. I got a lot of really cool pictures so these are just a few of my favorites. I LOVE her expressions and flailing arms....just a reminder that we all need to let loose and run through the water sometimes :)

The day after running through the sprinkler, Chris got the inflatable pool out of the shed and we filled it up. We spent that entire weekend lounging and playing in the pool as a family. The next weekend, we had a few friends join us in some backyard fun. Check out these cuties in the pool!

Addie, Conner, and Rene (Lydia was napping!)

All the kiddos together (can you tell Lydia JUST woke up?)

On the Friday before the 4th of July, we went to Harmonie State Park in New Harmony with our good friends. We hiked, had a wonderful picnic lunch, played on the playground for a bit, then headed to the pool for some cooling off. The weather was beautiful and the girls all had a blast! We LOVE New Harmony and are so thankful it's not too far of a drive from home!

Chris with the girls on the trail

Addie LOVED going down the slide with Daddy

Lydia with her swimming buddy, Rene

Cheese!

We were for sure that both girls would nap on the way home from New Harmony and Lydia proved us right....Addie however....kept herself wide awake and entertained by putting sunscreen on herself! She was quiet for a few minutes and I hadn't looked back at her for a while, then she says, "Momma, I need a paper towel." When I looked back at her, I saw this:

I burst out laughing and I'm surprised I didn't wake Lydia up I was laughing so hard! We got her all cleaned up and needless to say, she didn't get to play with the sunscreen bottle the rest of the trip home :)

On 4th of July-eve, I was trying to explain to Addie that the next day we would be celebrating "America's birthday" in a way. I told her that we were going to a party and that we would see fireworks later in the day...all to celebrate America's birthday. So in the morning on the 4th, she says to me in the sweetest voice, "Momma, I don't know who America is...does America have eyelashes?" She was going around singing the Happy Birthday song too, still not quite grasping the concept that America is not a person. I did some further explaining and she figured out that America was a place. So on the way to my aunt's house, she asked us if aunt Sheree lived in America and told us that our house was in America....ah, I think she *sort of* got it. As soon as we got there, she asked for some cake so she could celebrate the birthday! I absolutely LOVE this age and the things that come out of her mouth!

After doing lots of celebrating indoors during the day due to rain, we were actually able to go see the fireworks later that evening. We put the girls in their pajamas, made a stop for a special ice cream treat, and then headed to Chris's work to watch the fireworks! Addie enjoyed watching (mostly as she ran around our chairs, probably trying to keep herself awake), but Lydia LOVED them! At first I thought she might sleep through them, but she was alert and kept her eyes on the show the whole time. We had a great time and can't wait to see it again next year!

Lydia LOVING it!

Addie waiting for the show to start

Enjoying the night

8 Months Old Already?

Our sweet baby girl turns 8 months old TODAY! Although sometimes it feels like she's been with us forever, I can't believe Lydia has been a part of our lives for 8 whole months! I guess once babies pass the halfway mark, it just keeps going faster and faster as they approach the giant age of 1 :) I keep trying to remind myself how FAST these little ones grow, but I also can't help it that I'm looking forward to her first birthday already! I see the love my girls have for each other now, I just can't imagine the amount of joy we'll be experiencing when they can run around together and talk to each other (in a language we can understand)!!! Here's a little clip of them being sisters, "bouncing" on the bed together...Lydia's little laugh just cracks us up!

One of the things I love the most about having two girls is the fact that they are SO different! Although they are beginning to look more and more alike physically, I can't help but think about all of the things that are different about their personalities. Lydia is definitely more of a snuggler than Addie ever was as an infant. I knew this about her when she was still in the womb...isn't it funny how mother's can tell things about babies before they are even born!?! Pretty amazing. Another big difference is their sleep habits ;( Which I might add, Addie totally takes the cake in that department! I am starting to think that God made Addie to be able to sleep through a war because He knew who she'd be sharing a room with one day ;) I know I don't have it as bad as some, but that doesn't make pacing the floor in the middle of the night any easier on my eyelids!

Teething has been rather rough for this little girl...and we're only on tooth #2! She's definitely not one to keep quiet about getting a new tooth :) I don't remember Addie handling it this hard, but who knows...I may have chosen to forget.

Miss Lydia has just started to do the army crawl in the last week or so. She especially LOVES going after things she is NOT supposed to have...which I find funny. I love the curiosity of babies! My favorite pose of hers is this one:

Push-up position and spitting all at once :)

She LOVES books...and there's no shortage of those around here!

My favorite part of this little darling is her sensitivity...yes, her sensitivity. Addie has always been Miss Independent and does things pretty much on her own time (she is rather sensitive at times too). I have a feeling that Lydia is going to be the opposite, always needing that extra reassurance before entering a new phase of life. She is SO sweet and sensitive and I can just see that trait when I look into her eyes. I love you, my little Lydia Mae!

A Fish Story

Thankfully, both of our girls enjoy being outdoors as much as Chris and I do. Last fall, before Lydia was born, Chris and Addie built a swing set in the back yard. It has gotten a LOT of use so far this spring by both girls. Lydia LOVES to swing and sometimes she gets upset with me when I take her out! Addie has learned to share the "baby" swing and she uses the big girl swing most of the time now. She's working very hard on pumping her legs forward and back so she can swing herself. As you can see from both girls, it is all about getting the tongue just right! :)

Addie also LOVES to play in the dirt and help out with the yard work in any way. She recently got her own pink shovel and she helped Chris plant his tomato plants. She definitely doesn't mind getting a little dirty ;)

Saving the best for last, here is the "Fish Story!" Addie has been asking for a princess fishing pole for several weeks now. I caved and bought her one at Wal-mart yesterday. She knows how much her daddy enjoys fishing and she has also learned a lot about fishing by watching episodes of Little Bear (whose father is a fisherman). So last night, despite the horrible heat and humidity, we ventured over to Papaw's lake so Addie could try her hand at fishing.

And of course, my camera lens was fogged up for the first catch (which happened right when they casted, practically). Lucky for me, the lens cleared up just in time to capture her with her 2nd fish. Yes, she actually reeled them both in, with the help of Daddy of course! She was SOOOO excited, to say the least...talking to the fish and everything. She really wanted to hold it, but we didn't think that would go over well for any of the parties involved ;)

Little Sister watching from the sidelines

Waiting for a bite

Touching the "little tiny baby fish"

So happy!

Saying bye to the fish in her sweetest voice :)

11 States in 11 Days!

That's right....Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma, Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota, and Wisconsin...all in 11 days! Our "Wedding Adventures and More" trip began last Friday at 2:45 a.m. when we jumped in the van and headed west. Our first destination was Altus, Oklahoma to attend my cousin Michal's wedding and visit with family. Some of you may remember reading this blog from last year's trip out to OK for Rebecca's wedding. This time, we decided to leave in the middle of the night with hopes that the girls would sleep a good while and we could get several hours in without stopping. Our plan worked and Chris and I enjoyed watching the sunrise (behind the clouds) and talking while Addie and Lydia remained in dreamland. I think we arrived in Altus around 5 p.m. and the trip was basically uneventful, which is always a good thing.

The wedding and reception on Saturday were beautiful and it was so nice to spend some true quality time with our Oklahoma family. The weather was HOT...around 95 degrees on Saturday and Sunday, but no humidity like we have here at home so that was nice. We stuck around for another night and hung out with the family again on Sunday all day. Addie enjoyed playing with Grace and Abraham (the younger of the 6 cousins). Thanks so much to the "Oklahomas" for welcoming us into your home and feeding us :) We had a GREAT time!!!

We got an early start on Monday morning, preparing for the 7 hour trip to Kansas City, Kansas. Our next destination was the Great Wolf Lodge, which is a resort-like hotel with a huge indoor waterpark. We had heard from friends that this was a great place so we wanted to see for ourselves. There are 12 locations around the US and you can learn more about the Great Wolf Lodge here. Addie wasn't sure about the waterpark at first, but she ended up going down both of the kiddie waterslides (only once each though) and even went on one of the BIG waterslides with Daddy (only once also). She loved the lazy river...which we enjoyed as a family, just floating along without any cares in the world! Lydia even fell asleep one time while we were on it :) We stayed two nights and spent half the day on Wednesday in the waterpark after checking out. This was such a fun "treat" for our family and I'm glad we were able to experience it!

We absolutely LOVED the drive through Kansas...you know most people think it's SO boring because there's just a whole lot of nothing, but this was by far our favorite part of the drive. It's true, it is a whole lot of nothingness, but it's GORGEOUS nothingness and here's why:

After lunch on Wednesday, we piled back into the van and headed north for the Omaha, Nebraska area. Our 3 hour, non-stop drive seemed SOOOOO quick compared to the previous drives. We actually stayed at a hotel in Council Bluffs, Iowa, but it was minutes away from Omaha. Thursday morning, we went to the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha and it was FANTASTIC! We got in for a GREAT price because we're zoo members here in Evansville so it was practically the cheapest and best part of the trip (besides the priceless time spent with family of course!). We couldn't have asked for more perfect weather...it was mid-seventies and sunny and breezy.

I think Addie's favorite part of the whole zoo was being able to pet a goat in the petting zoo part. My absolute favorite part, hands down, was the butterfly exhibit! It was AMAZING to say the least. Addie and I went in by ourselves because we couldn't bring the stoller and Lydia needed a rest anyway. I WISH WISH WISH I would have taken my camera in with me, but I'm glad I was able to enjoy these magnificent creatures with Addie and I will always remember how cool it was. When we came out of the exhibit, they actually had a window where you could stand and watch butterflies actually hatching out of their cacoons! I got to do a little teaching too because there was a foreign man who just had no idea how all of this worked...so that kind of made my day to be able to explain one of God's miracles to him ;) We were all SO tired after our walk around the zoo, but it was so worth every ounce of energy. I would highly recommend this zoo!!!

Friday morning, we hit the road early to make our way to Grand Forks, North Dakota for my cousin Cole's wedding. This was another 7 hour drive, but probably ended up taking us about 9 hours. Let's just get something straight right now...South Dakota is full of even more nothingness than Kansas. And there aren't any places to stop! We managed to find lunch and luckily had enough gas to get us to our destination so that was a blessing. The temperature dropped almost 20 degrees as we headed north so I began worrying about my little ones who were in tank dresses (since it was warm when we left Iowa!). Lucky for us, our hotel was right across the street from Old Navy, Kohl's, and Super Target (which we visited all 3 immediately upon arrival to hunt for warm clothes!).

Cole's wedding and reception was also very nice, although much colder than the wedding we attended only a week prior ;) We all had a great time catching up with family and dancing at the reception. For those of you who don't know me well, I used to spend my summers in Minnesota with my mom's brother Jeff and his family so I got to be pretty close to his in-laws too. It was so wonderful to be able to spend time with everyone. Sunday, we traveled south to Minnesota (doesn't that seem funny to say!?) to Jeff and Jennie's house, where we spent the next two nights before making the long trek home on Tuesday. We are so thankful to the "Minnesotas" for welcoming us into their home and bringing back some of the old memories and making new ones ;) Oh, I almost forgot to mention how COLD it was in Minnesota also. Addie had to borrow a sweatshirt from an in-law cousin (if that makes any sense) so be sure to notice her wonderful outfit in the pictures below!

We didn't get a really early start on Tuesday morning for our 12 hour drive home, but we were really in no hurry to end our vacation. It took us about 14 hours total including stops and both girls were angels. We both feel so blessed to have such good little travelers and making it through this trip with only minor meltdowns here and there just confirmed that we can take them anywhere! Thankfully, Lydia's first tooth is peeking through today (causing major grouchiness) so I'm sure glad that was saved until we got home ;) Now, here we are...trying to get back into routine in the warmth and rain. Until the next trip.....

...we'll be catching up on rest ;)