There was this song when I was in college called "Summer Time Girls," or something of that nature. It was really one of the stupidest songs I've ever heard, but it was catchy. That turned out to be an amazing summer for me and a couple of girlfriends, Veeda and Grace. So as I sat down to write this post, that stupid catchy song came to my mind. But now, over ten years later, my summer time girls are my Ella and Amelia.
This has turned out to be a summer of waiting. A closing date of June 26th has been postponed three different times and now we are looking at a closing date of August 19th (the very day school starts) due to some lovely kitchen cabinets that have not yet come in. But you know, in many ways I am grateful! It's giving us time for many things. We've been able to plan and prepare more financially. We've been able to research and figure out things we really want for the new home and thoughtfully considered other items we prefer to wait to get. And more than anything, it's given me time to just enjoy being home with my girls. We're on a nice little schedule, and it makes me sad to think in just two short weeks I'll be back to work full time. On the other hand, however, I am truly grateful to have the kind of job that allows me to have most of my summer home with my children. We've been going to the gym almost every day, on Mondays and Thursdays we usually go to the pool, on Tuesdays there are dollar movies we can go to, and on Wednesdays is library story time in town. My girls are super excited that we will live walking distance from the library when we move. To tell you the truth, I might be more excited than them. I've already read 4 books this summer, and considering I'm not the avid reader some are, that's quite an accomplishment in and of itself. I think my problem has been that I've never known where to start as far as references. Pinterest has been a big help as I've looked for good reads from reliable sources, and found a book series I'm really enjoying. Now I just have to figure out when I'm going to get to all the books on my growing list.
The girls are a lot of fun! They have gotten so big, and in many ways they are independent. They play together all of the time but argue constantly. They're quite the swimmers and are turning out to be little fish. Maybe they'll turn out to be like their cousin, Lacy, who just won first place in the state of Texas for the 50 meter freestyle for girls 8 and under. We are very proud of her:)
We are trying to prepare the girls for the move and we talk about the "new house" constantly. I know there will be a lot of adjustments with school starting and moving all at the same time. I was hoping we could be in just a couple of weeks sooner to help with that, but we will make the best of it!
I marvel at how big and mature my girls are. Amelia turns three in just a few short weeks (the day before we are supposed to move). I've been wanting to write just a few of the fun things she's been saying and doing. She calls a bicycle her "Bikelcycle" and the other day when we went to the movies she said, "We are going to the movie vader to watch Paspicalbe Me." Ella tried to correct her pronunciation but said it the exact same way. It was so funny to hear their conversation. We go through about five outfits a day, ranging from princess dresses to ballerinas to various other concoctions they cook up, and then there's the one outfit I will choose when we go out in public. They are both so articulate and sometimes Amelia will just throw out such a big sentence I take a step back in shock. For as much as I love that little stinker, I have to see her "terrible two's" are definitely starting to manifest. She can be very stubborn and has been having tantrums regularly. She has outgrown her naps for the most part, and that makes the 4-6pm time a bear for everyone in the house, but bedtime goes a lot smoother. She refuses to sleep in her bed; however, and wants to fall asleep on the couch where Shaun and I are. I'll be reading a book and she will come over with her blanket and zonk out within seconds it seems. It's cute but I'm concerned we've started a bad habit. She is darling, but devilish lately. I really think the terrible two's are more like the terrible threes, but maybe it just depends on the child. So very often she looks at me with her big blue eyes, and there's always a twinkle in them, and I just melt, even if I am angry or exhausted. Ella can be just as charming, but she has to be in the right mood. She smiles and laughs and it is such a sweet thing to see her face when she's laughing. She really lights up. She can also be quite crabby, but most of the time she's a lot of fun. Most mornings they come in and wake me up between 7 and 7:30, and I realize I'm getting to be a little spoiled. This little schedule we are on is quite nice. We don't have diapers anymore (Amelia is now fully potty trained and has been for the last two months), we barely need sippy cups, we can just pick up and go whenever. And that gets me to thinking... Shaun and I have talked a lot, and I mean, A LOT, about when we might want to have a third, and at times whether or not we can even have a third. There was a time when I was thinking that being done was a possibility. But we feel like the Lord has another special spirit to send to our home, so we will see what the future holds. As soon as we get into a nice and comfortable groove of course the baby bug bites!
I'm also really proud of Shaun who's been working so hard this summer. He's been putting in a lot of hours at work so that he can earn overtime and bring home extra for all of the things a new home will require. We are also trying to have a nice comfortable cushion in savings, but that has meant a lot of extra hours for him. He's working today and it's been a LOONG Saturday without him here. Usually we will let each other take a nap or get a break on a Saturday, and I'm missing him terribly. But I am grateful for the opportunity he has to work and make more money. He has been approved for an even higher level clearance and has been nominated to be a manager at his current company. He's looking into that as well as other job opportunities that he's finding through networking. We have faith that the Lord has opened a window for us to get into our new home, and he will continue to lead the way for us as we exercise faith in him and move forward, one step at a time. More than anything, I'm just grateful for what we do have. There's so much that I want for our new home, for our future, for traveling, and, you name it, I probably want it, but I am also very aware of the need to be content with what we have. We are truly blessed. Ella and Amelia are healthy, smart, and beautiful! I love seeing their individual personalities grow and flourish. Having lived so long in the basement has made Shaun and I especially appreciative of our new house. We look forward to having this new and beautiful home more than anything.
Okay, so this turned out to be a much longer post than I had anticipated. I hardly doubt it will be read by anyone, but as this tends to be our family journal, that's okay with me. So we continue to enjoy our summer days, taking one day at a time. The gym, the library, the pool, and our new home are all favorite destinations (we drive by our new home at least every other day, and since it's conveniently located right in town it's always on the way to wherever we are going:). I promise to post pics of the home soon, and I am hoping to start a separate blog about our adventures in decorating and making it ours. So until later, Happy Summer!
