Big Girl Bed!

This picture was taken after Lydia's first night in her "big girl bed" (a little toddler bed)... Lydia did a great job and seemed really excited! She didn't seemed bothered one bit by the change, while Mommy, on the other hand, was a little sad... It's true what they say about how fast they grow up!

Happy 4th of July ~ 2009

Lydia dancing with her cousin, Karolina, while waiting for the fireworks....
getting tired...

As we celebrate this holiday, I am thankful for the blessings God has bestowed on our country and for those who have sacrificed to make the opportunities we enjoy in this country possible.

Vacation 2009

Soho Falls

Lydia and Daddy enjoying the pool!

Strolling in downtown Asheville

One of the old churches in Asheville

Hanging out by the stream in Cherokee, NC

Too windy to look up, but showing off the rocks she found in the stream...

Mountain Stream

Enjoying God's Creation...

The Mommy Bird sitting on her "mess" as Lydia would say...
Baby Birds...

Lydia really enjoyed watching these birds every day on our porch...

the Mommy Bird did not like it as much.... :)

this guy just wandered into our yard one day...

She acted like she does this all the time...

You must wrinkle your nose to see how good the flowers smell...

another bird...

Lydia ~ 20 Months

Peek - A - Boo!
Cheese!


She has been winking for over six months - just not usually with a snack in her mouth... :)

First thing one morning...

Playing in the yard can be done just as well in church attire...

Loving the outdoors!

It just does not seem possible that our little girl's second birthday is just a few months away! In some ways, it seems like we just brought her home from the hospital and in other ways, it seems like I cannot imagine life without her. Lydia is continuing to grow and learn and surprises us often with the concepts she grasps so quickly. Among her favorite activities at this stage are: coloring on paper and on the sidewalk with chalk, books, playing outside (we are still warming up to the kiddie pool, but it sure is fun to stand beside of it and splash!), walking to and inspecting the small garden Daddy planted and discovering different aspects of God's creation including a bird who built a nest (or, as Lydia calls it, a "mess") on our porch, a turtle who walked through our yard one day, and all kinds of trees, flowers, rocks, etc. Lydia also enjoys music a lot, and has learned several words to some of her favorite songs including: "Jesus Loves Me", "This Little Light of Mine" (complete with a tiny finger waving in the air), "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star", and many others.

Daddy was happy to celebrate another Father's Day with Lydia this month! She is such a special blessing to both of us! A "first" for this month was Lydia's first overnight stay without Mommy and Daddy AND away from home! Daddy took part in a formal wedding in Raleigh, NC, and so Lydia hung out with her uncle, aunt and cousin for the weekend! Apparently, she worried much less than we did! :) We look forward to sharing about an very busy month coming up, which will include vacation, time with family and VBS!

Happy Father's Day!!

What a special day for all the Daddys out there to be especially thankful for the gift of being chosen to be a special someone's father! Here are a couple of pictures of Daddy and his little girl ...

Lydia ~ 19 Months

With each passing day, it definitely seems that our baby girl is transforming into a little lady ... but definitely a well-balanced little lady who loves hairbows, dolls and purses, but also rocks and sticks! As expected, Lydia remained off the chart for height at her check-up this month, and the doctor was very impressed with her vocabulary which now includes several short sentences, colors and recognition of a few alphabet letters! As we haven't had another child to compare her development to, we didn't realize that this wasn't "normal" for a toddler. We feel very blessed to have been given such a sweet and smart little girl!

Lydia's daily activities include "drawing" and writing (and she will quickly remind herself that she must only color on paper!), going outside to play at any given opportunity (this includes picking up a multitude of rocks, acorns, sticks, and flowers, of course), being a little mommy to her dolls and stuffed animals (feeding and rocking them, etc.), helping Mommy unload the dishwasher, "cleaning" anything within reach with a hand towel or paper towel (or any other cloth-like item), and occasionally enjoying a short time with Mickey Mouse, Dora or Veggie Tales! She has really become quite a bit more independent and really enjoys hanging out in her room while Mommy and Daddy get some work done - as long as she knows we are close by and can come "check on us" from time to time. One of her new favorite past times is "talking" on Mommy's old cell phone to her grandparents, and some of her aunts, uncles and cousins whom she calls by name.

Mommy was very thankful to celebrate another Mother's Day with her special little girl and her Daddy this month also! We continually thank the Lord for blessing us with Lydia, and endeavor to enjoy these moments which fade so quickly (including and maybe especially those walks around the yard where it seems every rock, flower, and even some blades of grass are pointed out!). It's such an awesome privilege to witness our little girl growing and learning!

Check out the grip! Her Daddy is definitely hoping this sport is in her future!

Just hanging out in her room!