teenager.

carrot pants

Summer, Summer, Summerin'

 

 i love this kid.  Here's some of what we've been up to now that my semester is over and Lily and Jeremy's school year is finally winding down....

 breakfast is one of the sweetest times with Lily.... 

 This is Lily listening to a mourning dove singing on top of our neighbor's house.

 This is the new tool Lily invented for doctors - it's called a "standup base"  :)

 

 

ridin' home from Asheville...

 

talking to Lisa on the phone

Mother's day pancakes....

waste

found these items stored in the fridge. I'd say teaching Lily to not waste is going well.

ketchup

Here are some random pics from the last few weeks. Lily and Jeremy just got back from their spring break trip to IL to visit Grandma and Grandpa!
Lily's cucumber face
New outfit from Lisa!

Lily admiring her own artwork :)

one night Jeremy and I heard LOTS of pitter-pattering of little feet upstairs; when we went to check on Lily, we found this configuration of stuffed animals. So cute.
Lily eating her favorite food: bread.

2 Little Girls on a Warm Spring Day

I love taking pictures of Anna and Lily, in case you haven't noticed. Anna's mom (Michelle) and I have worked out a babysitting swap system, so these two get to see a lot of each other. Their interactions are SO funny, most of the time, though sometimes sisterly (ie fighting). Anyways, I just love to see Lily interact within her first friendships. She's learning lessons that she will use throughout her life in community. I'm just trying to document a little of it :)

A Picture Speaks a Thousand Words:

Great weekend - we are so blessed!

First Garden "Fruits"

We are SOOO excited about our little garden! Jeremy has done a GREAT job taking care of it! Nevermind that broccoli is really hard to grow, we got one delicious head to eat for dinner. I have never seen such green broccoli - it tasted amazing too! By now, we've had plenty of cucumbers and green beans are almost ready! WOOOHOOO!

BREAKING NEWS!!!!!!

Something amazing happened last night. At about 10 PM, Jeremy and I heard Lily's door open. When we went upstairs, there was poopoo in the potty!!! She was SO excited - especially because of all the promises we had to make good. She slept in her Cinderella dress and Cinderella underwear and...had ICE CREAM for breakfast! This evening, a few friends will be coming over for a "poopoo party". Never been to one? Well, you are missing out. There will be (more) ice cream, party hats, and lots of talk about poopoo, for starters :) We are making a huge deal out of this since she has been refusing for a YEAR to go on the potty! I hope it becomes a habit....

(above, telling me all about what happened: "well, I just got up and sat on the potty and the poopoo came out...")

gratitude

Jeremy and I are so grateful for the life we have here in East TN. When we moved back in 2006, we had no idea how our lives would take shape - we have been blessed beyond our imagination.

The above picture illustrates how small, but important our daily lives are. Our friends Katie and Stephen, who attend our beloved Hopwood with us, have been good friends for several years now. Soon they will be embarking on a new adventure as Stephen pursues his PhD.

Our tradition with the Waers is to cook a good meal together (Stephen is an excellent cook, much like Jeremy!), eat, and then sit around the table for hours afterward and share in our lives. Katie is so great with Lily (see them "flying" in above picture) and loves to get down on the floor with her and play!

It's the simple things that we value so much: good friends, good food, and a table around which we gather.

We are so grateful, for all these things. and more.

Imagination

"Look Mama, I made a boat with people on it!"