Milestones and More

Wow, life has been so exciting in our home!
There have been many new developments in our lives recently.

Here's what happened in August...
(I know its September but hang with me,
I think you'll find its worth the read)

Micaiah : Every day new words come out of his mouth! He attempts to ride his tricycle but his legs aren't quite long enough to reach the peddles. He finally got his two upper "fang" teeth (still waiting for the bottom ones) AND at 22 months old, he weighed in at 20 pounds 7 ounces!!!! YEAH! We knew he could do it. He's over twenty pounds now, but still in the zero percentile so we still have to watch his weight. He likes to jump A LOT.
Here's one of his many new funny faces he makes.

Anna : What can I say about Anna?! She is just getting so big. Her latest milestones are: brushing her own hair, swinging herself by pumping her legs, crossing the monkey bars on her own, treading water, writing her name, and drawing people. She is really looking forward to riding her bike and going to the pumpkin patch this fall. Oh, and she got her first 'slap' bracelet--yes, those slap bracelet things that bend when you slap them on your wrist. (they were a big hit when I was in middle school...yes, it kinda made me think I'm old but at least I don't feel it YET) She likes wearing the slap bracelet and calls it her 'watch'.
Here she is being a monkey.

Brian : I am so happy for Brian because he is studying to become a certified personal trainer. This is something that he has wanted to do since high school. He really enjoys learning all these long medical terms that make no sense AND he is just so excited to help and encourage others to have a healthy and active lifestyle.
He studies a lot when he isn't working and his goal is to be certified by Jan 2011.
Of course, I think its going to be rather nice to have my own personal trainer too. ;)

Mama Rich : So, maybe I am a bit of a simpleton. Its funny how the littlest things bring me such great joy! Like reading the Little House on the Prairie book series to my daughter. I bet you didn't see that one coming. :) Yes, I used to read these as a child and I still enjoy reading them. The added bonus is that they are real life, wholesome, family-oriented stories that are bursting with history and fun. The books are so interesting to read about a different kind of culture and way of life. I am looking forward to blogging more about our homeschooling journey. In my own personal reading time, I've been reading Amy Carmichael's biography written by Elizabeth Elliot titled, "A Chance to Die." It is a book that I borrowed from a friend and I am so glad that I did. I hope to blog about the book more later too. For the second part of our fifth wedding anniversary celebration, Brian took me to Worlds of Fun to ride roller coasters together! It has been five years since I've ridden one. It was scary at first, but I really enjoyed surrendering to the fun of it all. Well, something new that is going on for me is that I've decided to become a certified zumba instructor. I'll be certified in October and looking forward to instructing classes. I'm very excited!!! If you're wondering what zumba is, its a low impact cardio workout that is based on a variety of dance steps that makes it fun to work out. It is so much fun!
I'll share more about that later too.

So that pretty much sums up August for us.
This summer was so refreshing and as we head into fall,
we are looking forward to all that God is going to do.
We will miss the swimming pools and the long hot days as they are replaced with cooler nights with jeans and hoodies. Yet this change in season is but a reminder of the seasons yet to come.

"Be strong and courageous.
Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed,
for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:9)

"For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope.
For who hopes for what he sees?
But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience."
(Romans 8:24-25)

(PHEW!)
September here we come!!!