Home

We're home. Through some sickness, delayed closings and unexpected complications we are now mortgage holders! We are loving the house, the 80 degree weather, the wonderful welcoming people. More to come later, I've got to unpack some boxes :)

Sunny days

We took a break yesterday to enjoy the sun, sandbox, and the ducks who have returned to the pond. The ducks get braver every year, and yesterday morning the male duck was waiting on the deck for some food. This afternoon, we did comply :) (no, we were not the ones to start feeding them - the condo's across the street have a pond and a waterfall and lots of food... we were just giving them incentive to stay :)

I love these little girls! And they love each other very, very much. They sat watching the ducks and chatting for 15 minutes, until I grabbed the camera.

They also take such good care of Jessie. Jessie had a pediatrician appointment yesterday, so I made arrangements to drop the girls off at a friends. When they found out, they started to cry, "But Jessie wants us... Jessie NEEDS us! She's gonna get poked, and who will sing to her?" Very sweet, so yes, I took them, and yes, they sang to her. I am so blessed!

Boxes

This has sort of been our life for the past few days and weeks. Tapes and labels, sharpies and boxes. Thankfully, the girls have been wonderful about seeing their stuff packed away, reminding me to label it, and make sure that it says 'girls room' on it :) They have been in charge of a few boxes too, scribbling lots of notes all over it! I don't want to forget this time, these days of transitioning, closing down. It's so easy to just focus on the boxes, the setting up of all sorts of things. But I don't want to forget this time either. This is time for the now, time for the past. Next week we'll work on the future, but for now, these are precious days, times of remembering with thanksgiving, days of praise for God's provision. 5 1/2 years of life. 3 babies born. 96 chickens. Almost sent back to Canada x3 (or so I thought :) Times of exile waiting for green cards. Missing home and family. Learning where my Home is. Gaining more aunts and uncles and nieces and nephews than I ever thought possible. Miles and miles driven. Many people welcomed and waved off. An NCLEX written. A marriage started and built. Friends made. God has been good. God is still good. Praise God.

oh dear

This little one is so like me in so many ways. Well, on the plus side, our sandbox has a cover and is off the ground :)

2 weeks and a GI bug

Here's my little mini-me :) Jessie, despite being sick all week, is bound and determined to keep making progress, and has gotten very bold about standing without holding on to anything!

So, we'll be packing up the moving truck two weeks from today. Writing that feels so surreal. Reality is setting in, since I'm currently surrounded by boxes. In many ways, however, my reality is just like normal - doing laundry, attending vet appointments, doctor appointments, going to the library and picking up glasses. And cleaning up projectiles from both ends. Sigh. So far, every member of our family has been hit by a bug of some sort this week. So the laundry and the baths and the motrin have been flowing freely :) We're thankful if this is the worst health situation we've got, however, and thankful that our kids have immune systems that can fight this. Here's some pics of us goofing off with the camera tonight!

Best. Birthday. Ever.

So, Francis bought me a house for my birthday.... I wonder what next year will bring? :)

Yes, God in his perfect timing has provided us with a house! Despite odds of it ending in a bidding war (which we knew would be an answer either way) and two weeks of uncertainty, God has revealed that barring any crazy, weird circumstances, this will be the home we are moving into. Woohoo! Now I'm off to pack some more boxes :)

Cruisin' right along

Jessie has started to move, and isn't stopping anytime soon! She started crawling two weeks ago, and ever since has had a hard time sitting still or sleeping, because she's ready to take on the world!

This morning she had an assessment, and she's testing solidly in the 10-13 month range!!! Considering the fact that she was testing at 4-5 months as far as gross motor goes at her 1 year appointment, this is tremendous! By leaps and bounds, she's growing and gaining confidence and strength. While she still has a ways to go, the therapist thought she might be testing at or above standard by the time we move to Maryland. We continue to do weekly therapy sessions with her, and I'll be getting her assessed when we get there, but her in-home assessment was amazing. The therapist said that rarely does she get to see an infant making this kind of process, where from the point of referral (2 months ago) until now, she's gained many milestones. As far as speech, fine motor and problem solving abilities go, she's doing great. Now we're armed with new exercises and activities to do with her, and we'll see how she does. Huge praises!! Just thought I'd share the joy :)