So many new things!!

First, here are a few more vacation photos. Enjoy. :)


Learning to swim!


Tan line!


Awe, I love my boy!



Last year this time he was on the inside...

I love this one.



Hum, this sand is pretty tasty!


My siblings Jacob and Ragon.

I don't even know where to begin! Here we are, only 2 days from Elijah's first Birthday and I have so much to report on him!! Just over the past 5 days he has learned tons of new tricks! This is truly the most fun he's ever been. He changes practically over night. He is really learning and developing now in ways we can see, which makes even the simple daily things pretty fun.

• He now says LION all the time! It comes out like "Laahl". Just about every living thing is a lion to him. So he's going through a little confusion about who is who right now. :) The other day Manny was showing him his big frog, saying "Elijah, can you say FROG". To which Elijah replied "Laahl". Same thing with the cows, our cats, our dog Annie, etc.
• As I said last week (July 29th) he learned to "crawl", which is more of an army crawl or a scoot on his elbows and knees. But moving in a forward direction, as opposed to rolling sideways, is new. Yippee!
• This new mobility gives me so much more to do! He's into EVERYTHING! Especially electrical cords, outlets, power strips, phone cords, trash cans, and drawers. Pretty much just the really dangerous stuff!
• Yesterday he found the pots and pans under the table (I have in the kitchen for storage/work space) and discovered what fun it is to bang them around. Nice.
• I have big Jungle animal stickers on his walls next to his bed, so when he wakes up from his naps he lays there and talks to them for a while. It's so sweet when I hear him in his little high-pitched sing-song voice saying "Laahl Laahl Laahl... baa baa maa maa daa..." etc. I love to hear it!
• Last week Manny was feeding him supper and Elijah said "na-na" when he got a bite of banana. He did it again yesterday too. I was in the kitchen walking back and forth. He spotted the bananas on the counter and was repeating "na-na" until I stopped and got him one. I sat him in his chair w/the banana on the table while I went to get the spoon and plate. When I returned he was eating the whole thing - peel and all. He was HUNGRY!
• Yesterday he ate his very first peanut butter sandwich. And no, it was NOT organic. :) hee hee. I can't afford to be one of those moms.
• He's been drinking out of his sippy cup by himself a lot more lately... and he's so proud about it!
• Yesterday morning we shared a plum for breakfast. (He is crazy about plums!) After the first bite, which he devoured and said "ummm" while chewing, he looked at me and clear as can be said "ummm, good". Just like that!

And in non-Elijah related news...

• Josh and Laurie came to visit us from Indy this weekend. It was so nice to see them and relax at home. We played some heated rounds of Dutch Blitz (our new favorite card game), enjoyed root beer floats, and tried the new barbecue place down the road. Umm. good times.
• We got a refrigerator. I don't know if I said this before, but ours only stayed at 50 degrees, which is about 12 degrees too warm. So, it's OK for drinks and non-perishables like pickles and fruit, but it's no good for dairy and meat. [I had been wondering why the milk would spoil so quickly!] We knew we could not afford to buy a new one and were discussing it with Josh and Laurie, and came upon a great idea. They needed a washer/dryer and we needed a fridge. We each had what the other needed so we traded. What a blessing. It's not pretty, but it keeps food cold!
• And now, for the big announcement we've all been waiting for... I am now officially a mostly stay-at-home Mom! Awesome, right?!! By mostly, I mean that I still work 2.5 days per week. But that's just a little more than working a weekend, so I'm thrilled about it! My schedule will now be to work Wednesday afternoons, all day Thursdays, all day Fridays. The other night my Dad said he wanted to make me a deal and it turns out this is a deal I could not refuse! I'll be working 20 hours but he's still paying me salary as if I were working 32 hours per week. Praise the Lord for that! :)

Spending more time with Elijah has been so much fun so far! Friday we spent the day shopping with Aunt Libby. I got him 2 new outfits for his birthday party and photos. We also got him a birthday prince hat from Babies R Us. He looks so regal in it!

A funny Manny Antic dote: Elijah sneezed last night. I said bless you. Manny said, "Elijah you don't need that blessing. You've already been blessed with every blessing in the heavenly places." (quoting Ephesians chapter 1) I love my silly husband!

I guess I've said enough for today.