Wonderful Week

We have had such a Wonderful Week! First of all, I just have to say, I love this weather! I love everything about it. I love the Green, the sounds, the smells, the Food!!! I love that we can wake up in the morning to the sunshine and walk out in the back yard and take a ride on the "flower express" (that is what we call the wagon) several times around the back yard. Livie loves it too. She has been a totally different person in the mornings lately, and now that I think about it, maybe it is because of the wonderful sunshiny weather!
Wednesday morning we decided to do some finger painting. It was a beautiful morning, the sun was out, but not too hot, perfect for a little art project outside. We had so much fun. Our neighbors, Bill, Wendy, Kyleen and Jessie, who are wonderful, gave us a little picnic table for Livie, which is perfect for outdoor projects that are too messy for indoors. Livie is quite the painter. I should say, however, I think she would prefer a brush, so I will have to get some for next time. She kept saying, "hands, hands", when they would get too full of paint. But we had so much fun! She was getting a bit tired of me and my camera. I am trying to do shots with close ups of Livie, where everything behind her is blurry, but it was not working out the way I wanted.

Later that afternoon, Livie and I had a "pickick" in the front yard. I think however, we sat on an ant hill. I was waiting for our fried chicken to start walking off.

Anyway, Livie is so funny. We are really blessed to live where we do. We have wonderful neighbors and lots of kids on the street and Olivia just loves it. Every time we get out of the car, or for that matter go to the car or are just outside in general, she starts this little ritual. "Kids" she says in a pretty loud voice. "KIDS" she shouts again, this time louder, and on and on it goes, each time with more reverence and volume. Her little hands make a fist in frustration, and she keeps going and going. I do have to say, she is quite the persistent one. She also does this when she sees a particular person. When she sees the kids come home, she yells, "Leen" or Chessy" or "Wendy", "hiiiii..., Hiiii....., HIIII!", over, and over, and over. Even if they say "hi" back to her, she is not satisfied. No, no, not until they stop what they are doing and come over for a visit, which then she runs off to hide her face in my leg as if she is suddenly shy. Our front door, we leave open often because we have a glass storm door, which Livie loves to look out. However, now she is able to open it and get out, so now we lock it. But, she was opening the door and screaming out to the neighbors. It really is a little crazy.

Okay, sorry I digressed, back to the picnic. I mentioned all of that because that was our picnic. Livie hollering for the kids. Finally, "Leen" Livie's BFF, came over and hollering stoped.

Livie was getting a bit annoyed with my picture taking during our picnic too. I think I am finally getting it, the blurry thing, however, it does not always seem to work.

Here are Livie and "Leen". They have been close for a very long time. Since Livie has been around 8 or so months. It is neat, she will go to her in a minute and cuddle right in her arms. They have a very special relationship and Livie thinks she is so "Big" when she is around "Leen".

Well, that is one day out of a Wonderful Week. I just have to say how wonderful our life is. Things are hard, sure, and uncertain, but Wonderful. I can Thank God for that, no one else. He has given me a wonderful peace about things lately, that I have struggled to have my whole life. I love being a mother! It is the best thing I do, and have ever done. Every time I look at Livie and even my life now, with Rich, in this house with everything going on, I think to myself "You're gonna miss this!" We are lucky! We have So Much! We have amazing friends and family, who take care of us. I mentioned the wagon we ride in every morning, Wendy and the girls gave it to us. It is so nice to have, what a wonderful, thing, and we enjoy it every morning!

We were sharing a car seat forever, and it was getting frustrating because sometimes one of us would forget to switch it out and the other would be stranded, (which would really be a bumber), so Jami gave us one she was not using, pretty much new. I cannot tell you how big of a blessing that car seat has been to us. We no longer have to worry that the other one will be stranded with a list of things to do. Then there is my family, and Rich's family, and I could go on and on and on!!! We are blessed!

I just finished reading an email from Rich's brother who has gone through so much in the past few months and how thankful he is that God is leading his life even during the hard times and how important it is to trust in him, and all I have to say is "Amen."

I feel right now, that God is letting me see ALL the good, and it is really difficult to see the bad or the hard times right now. I know things are tight and uncertain, and that can drive me crazy, and usually does, but this week, well it just does not exist. So, Thank you God, for answering my prayers and for being in charge of my life. Life is so much better when the sun is out and Shining!

A Long Awaited Reunion

Okay, I know this is silly, but it finally came today, what I have been hawking on ebay for the past 6 months and finally got at a good price. A 1975 Baby Dreams Doll by Ideal! This was my favorite doll when I was a girl and the only thing I can remember being attached to as a child. When Livie became "baby crazy" I remember thinking how she would love my childhood doll, but I did not know how to find it. Well, our wonderful across the street neighbors happen to have the exact doll, it was Wendy's when she was a girl, so I was able to look at the tag to look it up on ebay.
I was so heart broken when I saw one NIB for over $300.00, and others in good condition going for very high prices. The ones that were reasonable in price were so beat up I wouldn't let Livie play with them. So I finally found one in good condition and I won it for a very reasonable price, $15.00. I cannot tell you how happy I am. When I opened the box today, I could so fondly remember how I loved this fuzzy little baby. I know Livie is going to love this doll as much as I did. I cannot wait until she wakes up!
I know, goofy, but that is my day!

Birthday at our House

Here are pictures of Livie's party at our house. She had so much fun and had a cake that was edible! Here are the "kids" affectionately known as "Leen" and "Chessi" -Kyleen and Jessie.

They are her across the street neighbors and Best Friends! And of course, Wendy, their mom, whom Livie adores. They came over to celebrate Livie's birthday and she had so much fun. She received a swimsuit and coverup and a little people zoo, which she loves. They have really been a blessing, I do not know what we would do without our neighbors!

This is Sarah. Her sitter whom Livie loves Very Much! It is funny how Livie never forgot her, and they are always very close. Sarah, Dave and Noah gave Livie Bubbles for her birthday. The kids played with them in the house and had a great time.

This is NoAh, Sarah and Dave's little boy, poor guy, Livie loves him so much, she is always kissing on him!

This is a Video

Livie's Birthday

Here are some pictures of Livie's Birthday Party at uncle Davie's. She had so much fun, that weekend Wore her Out!!! She loves everyone so much when she is around you all, her little light shines. She did not even care that her cake was AWFUL!!
I wish I had a picture on here of Livie falling asleep on Grandpa's shoulder while they were dancing. Grandpa danced her right to sleep. I do not think she would have gone down any other way.

Catch up

Okay, this is my first attempt at blogging.

I have been so bad at journaling when it comes to Livie and I really wanted to get back to doing so, so this is my forum. I thought this would be nice, because those of you interested in what is going on in our lives and particularly with Live Grace can check in from time to time to see her progress. HOwever, I need to play a bit of catch up from the past few weeks, so please bear with me. Hopefully, I can get to the place where I am blogging a few times a week. Please feel free to add comments. I will try to post pictures and possibly videos as well. I am excited about this site. I hope it goes as well as planned.

She is just amazing and such a little girl. No more baby! I would say right after Easter she started repeating in two words. Like now if I say to her, "would you like to wear a pretty dress? She says "petty dess." Before she would just say "dess". Mom, Grandma Doris said last weekend she said "Grandma, my shoes are wet!" - She wanted Grandma to carry her through the wet grass. Also, she is understanding so much more. I also asked her last week why she took her baby's shirt off and she said "Grandma did it." and she did.

It is just that she is changing so much. Before she had such baby responses. Now she can communicate back and hold a semi - conversation. It really is amazing how their little brains work.

Livie loves to read and now instead of us asking her what things are, as soon as we open a book she says " shat" or "siss", for whats that and whats this, even to things she knows what they are. It gets a little annoying because it becomes difficult to read. We have to turn it around her and ask her to tell us. It becomes quite the game.

Sunday when I came home from work, she and daddy were outside in the back yard and daddy was working on cleaning the pool. Livie ran up to me and said "Frog"and then she said "touch it" I asked her if she touched a frog and she said "yes". Daddy quickly corrected her just as he was just rescuing the frog from the pool. Livie and I went over and she got to touch the frog as she squealed in delight and was so amazed whenever he would hop. She followed him through the yard for 5 or so minutes, quite determined as she would reach out to touch him and he would hop away. It was very cute.

Livie loves her dolls, she steals my dish towels often so her babies have a "bankie". She sits them all up and feeds them, puts them to bed, she is quite the little mommy. When she wakes up in the mornings, the first thing she does is grab her baby when we take her out of her crib. That is another thing she is doing. She names her babies. She has blue baby, pink baby and clown baby. Those seem to be the most important. But I did not give them the names, she chose them. Her little yellow doll, I told her she was dressed like a little clown and she started calling her clown baby. I thought she was saying cold baby, I was not making the correlation, until daddy corrected me.

Another thing she is doing is singing on her own. She loves her worship songs, pretty much all she listens to. The other day, Rich, Livie and I were in the car, I think on our way to Indy for her birthday and she started singing "Ho-ey, Ho-ey, Ho-ey" over and over. Now she can sing "Ho-ey, Ho-ey, Ho-ey, Lort Alll Al mity." For those of you not versed in Livie Language, she is singing, "Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty"
She is getting so big! It is very sweet. She knows to ask for certain songs during worship like "World" for He's got the whole world in his hand, and daddy sings "Jesus loves all the little Babies" instead of Children so she always asks for "babies" She is very good at singing that song. She also asks for "Drops" for the Rain drops fall with a pitter pitter pat song.
When she was a very little baby, an infant, I made up a "Mommy loves Livie Grace song, I would sing to her in the car so she would stop crying. When she was 9 or so months old, she no longer wanted me to sing that song. So, a few months back, I asked her if she remembered the song and started to sing it. She said "Wendy, Wendy" so I sang Wendy loves Livie Grace and she preceded to name everyone she knows while I was singing, so I sang through the entire list of people, and of course animals too. Now, she wants this every time I put her to bed. I think of Uncle Jay's story of waking up at 4am to a screaming child because he forgot to say something specific during bedtime and I think, "What am I getting myself into?" I am a sucker I know and she smiles and sings along with me. She loves all of her friends and family. She really is a loving little girl. So, I am sure I am making it hard on me, but she loves to hear that everyone loves her. We always finish the song with Jesus loves Livie Grace and then we go to bed. Quite the routine, huh?
Well, I am sure there is much much more to say, but I do not want to overdo it, so I will stop here for now. I will add more shortly, I am sure. Oh, I forgot to add, she puts her dirty dishes and cups in the sink, has been for a couple of months now! Now that one is very nice!