We hope you all had a great 4th of July! We celebrated this country's heritage and thanked all the men and women who keep us safe at home and overseas. We proudly put up a flag on our home here in Tennessee and it's a constant reminder to us how fragile freedom is and how thankful we are for the work that our soldiers do every day.
We spent 4th of July at the Fuller Homeplace near Chapel Hill, TN, and had a great time. Petey doesn't so much care for fireworks, but Virginia Anne slept right through them all. Maybe next year she'll be up late enough to see some of them.
Speaking of Virginia Anne, I know you're all dying to know how she's doing these days. She's such a little girl now and those baby days are behind us. She prefers to drink from a cup with a straw rather than those baby cups with a spout. She can say "no," "yeah," "this," "bowl," and makes the corresponding cow, sheep, dog, bird, and train noises on demand. She's walking so well now that you can't even hear her coming up behind you or walking away. Very light on her feet, running isn't too far away. A recent growth spurt has made her look so tall and thin and her hair is coming in more with each passing day.
She is very independent, but also loves to cuddle and give big hugs. She cares for her baby dolls very sweetly, and pets Petey gently on his belly. Petey loves getting the extra attention but looks up at us with a questionable expression on his face. She loves to eat fruit, whole wheat pasta and eggs, especially hard boiled ones (she gets this from her mother). She knows the way to her friend's house down the street and will direct Melanie in the appropriate direction when they're out walking or cry if a different route is taken.
An amazing sense of humor has blossomed and she'll tell jokes to herself or mimic whatever we're doing to get a laugh out of us. She loves to color with crayons and sidewalk chalk or spend a long afternoon at one of the four nearby playgrounds on the slide. For the most part, she is great about sharing with others (so far) and loves meeting new kids. We've been to the pool a couple of times this summer and she seems to really enjoy being in the water.
Her comprehension just amazes us. While we're reading books, she can point to whatever you ask her to point to. She knows colors, animals, household objects, clothing, body parts, just pretty much everything but just can't say the words yet. It's astounding to watch her learn more every day and we are so thankful that God blessed us with this happy, healthy little girl.
