Homeless no more

So big news!  We finally found a house and close on Tuesday, the 30th.  YEAAAAAHHHH!  I'll tell you one thing, this house will not be underappreciated.  It was almost 9 months of looking, over 50 houses being visited, and two "almosts" before God showed us the right one.  And as usual, He knows what he's doing because the house is so much better than those were.  I don't have very good pictures of it yet, but will be sure to post them once I do.  

And since I'm sure that with the painting and moving, it will be forever before I have time to sit down and so this again, I'll catch you up.  At 3 years, 7 months, and almost 11 months, Grace and Lily are both getting huge.  About 3 weeks ago, Lily decided that she was done being a baby, and is exclusively walking/running/climbing now.  I have not seen her crawl, period, in I don't know how long.  That means that she was full-blown walking right at 10 months.  While she is still very laid-back and "easy", she is really coming into her own personality-wise.  She is talking, and her favorite and most frequent word is "more" as in more Cheerios, more music, more playing, etc.  She is also tattling on her sister already, running to me and making complaining noises if Grace is bothering her.  Still not sleeping through the night.  sigh.

Grace started with preschool here a few weeks ago and loves it.  She is so independent and capable, and loves being with her friends, even though she never remembers any of their names.  Her class goes on field trips to the library, etc., and last week they drove to the park in "the big blue bus, Mommy!"  (said with much awe and glee).  "I can do it by myself" and "I'm such a big girl" and "I'm  a good helper" are her favorite phrases.  She is definitely going in spurts with annoying behavior:  obedient and compliant for  a week or two at a time, followed my non-stop whining, arguing, and the like for a few weeks.  Guess which weeks I'm more stressed out? ;)  She is regularly trying to read and accurately identifying letters and some letter sounds in the environment.

As for catching up on pictures, here you go . . .

First day of preschool for Grace.  Doesn't she look so big?  sniff.  3 years, 7 months.

Splashing in the puddles after a big rain

Buster, my bovine 3rd baby, that gets fed a bottle 3 times a day

Chasing a rainbow after a big storm

Kisses for Daddy while he's home for lunch

I was trying, hard, to finish up a jar of meat that I had left over for Lily.  (she stopped eating off of a spoon weeks ago).  Well of course, she wouldn't do it and Grace asked to try.  AND SHE ATE EVERY BIT OF IT.  Grace was so proud.  Why do kids do things for people as long as the "people" is not Mommy?

Last Sunday on Father's Day, some of our relatives on Lee's side came by.  This is Grace's Great-Great Aunt Patsy

And this is Uncle Jimmy and Great-Great Uncle J.R., whom Grace adores.  Here she is putting play lipstick on him, and if you knew him, you would know how much he adores Grace back to tolerate that!

Sunday night we all got in the pool, and that was Lily's first time swimming.  She liked it, but didn't, because she doesn't want to do anything anymore where she can't walk around/move on her own power.

Last Tuesday, we came to visit Aunt Katie and Julia.  Here's the best shot.  (trust me, it's a challenge with these three).  Julia is 13 months.

While we were gone, Lee found ANOTHER hummingbird nest.  What are the odds?  This one is even tinier than the last one; you could set a quarter flat into the bottom of the bowl shape.
Looking at the tiny eggs