I know it’s been a while since my last update. I really have not been on the computer hardly at all the last few weeks and I think this post will help explain why.
Last Sunday (the 16th) was Josiah’s birthday and we had five days of celebration for that. I’m not kidding! It was a busy and full weekend but so fun to spend tons of time with lots of family. Thank goodness the kids are good travelers!
We are also in the middle of some construction at our house. This project started off with us making a wheel-chair accessible entrance to our house (it is likely that Josiah will need to use a wheel-chair eventually) and as it is with all projects…it grew. Thanks to some VERY generous people we now have a new entrance to the back of our house,
a window where the old entrance used to be,
a hole in our living room wall (on purpose of course),
and a brand new HUGE and wonderful deck (sorry, no pictures..yet)! I will spare you the detailed changes that had to take place for all of that. We are loving the changes so much…just looking forward to the project being done and the mess gone 🙂 There have been several days/evenings when work was being done at the house when two inquisitive children were not needed underfoot, so we’ve done some fun stuff together.
(breakfast picnic at the park)
But, that also means that I have not been home to get things done like…update my blog 🙂 Plus, due to the construction in the house everything is not where it should be and it is quite the obstacle course around here. But everything is moving fast and will soon be done and all this will be a distant memory. We are so thankful to be able to do this!
And just in case we didn’t have enough going on…check out Josiah’s birthday present:
Meet Cruz (pronounced like cruise)
Yes, we added a puppy to the madness. Are we nuts? Yes. I would say…certifiable. But, Josiah has always really wanted a dog and while I am not an animal lover, I always thought we would get a dog when the kids were a little older and able to take some responsibility for it. Well…time isn’t really on our side and several things fell into place for this to happen…sooo we now have a dog. She is fun and cute and a ton of work. But I love seeing my husband and kids play with her and it will be good for the kids to grow up with her.
Plus, it gives Josiah a project right now while he’s feeling good 🙂
Speaking of Josiah. We have decided not to do any more chemo right now. There are a number of reasons for this that I won’t go into right now. It was not an easy decision, but we feel like it is the right one. God has lead us this far and we are trusting him to continue to show us His plan. We do still appreciate your prayers as we decide what the next step will be.
Whew…I think we’re caught up!
Lincoln is just growing up so much lately. He is 8 months old already…how did that happen? About a month ago he learned how to sit unassisted, and as of July 21st, he is officially crawling, and, at about the same time, he learned to get into a sitting position by himself. You may remember 
We now have to keep the bathroom door shut as that is his new favorite place to be! He still just has the two bottom teeth, but he’ll probably have a couple more soon. Yay. He’s been pretty cranky at night but is still mostly his happy little self during the day. He is LOVING his new mobility and is so determined to get into everything. Ava is learning what she can not leave on the floor anymore. He is starting to reach out to us when he wants to be picked up, which I love! He knows how to play “where’s Lincoln” and thinks that’s pretty great. He has a couple of very ticklish spots. He still loves to jump and we put him in his exer-saucer and johnny-jump-up so he can jump without us breaking our arms trying to hold him. I thought he said “Ma-Ma” the other day, but he hasn’t said it since, so I think it was just wishful thinking. He tries to bite everything and I understand now where the term “ankle-biter” comes from 🙂 He is still loving his baby food and I have been making homemade stuff and we are both enjoying that.
He’s been wanting to be rocked more lately, which is pretty unusual for him, but I have been just trying to enjoy it while it lasts. He got his first haircut last night…what a wiggle worm!
He still loves the water and has enjoyed swimming this summer. He loves to pinch and scratch…we are working on gentleness and it does not come naturally to him. He’s still our smiley guy and he still adores his sister. I love that!
Your giggle makes me giggle. Your blue eyes are so full of life and fun and mischief.
Thank you for showing me how to smile and laugh every day. You have stretched me more than I thought possible…and I’m thankful for that (most of the time). I pray that God will use your determined nature for good and that you will grow to be a strong and gentle man. You are my sweet love-bug and I thank God for you every day. He knew you would be a perfect fit for our family.
Beautiful Things 