Waiting...

We've been striving to keep busy and productive while we wait for any news of things to come. Among family it has been pretty fun. Dean and Riley have been learning and growing, so much, so fast. 

Dean is definitely in his terrible twos a bit ahead of schedule. He's having a rough time with all the new no-no's and to top it off has decided to ditch normal routines of sleeping, and lost his pacifier in the process of getting up in the pitch dark of morning and being put back to bed several times. (Which was creepy, by the way!) Finally no more pacifier!! That hurdle is being conquered slowly, but surely. One more month until we were going to do it anyway so it is just as well. Especially since it really wasn't doing the trick anymore of keeping him in bed morning, or night. He sure is a cute kid though, and so smart. He can open doors now! We even tried putting some of those door-knob protectors on to prevent this and he figured out how to get them off (first try), came out, and handed it to us. Lil' stinker! He loves to make everyone laugh, be a helper, and tell everyone what their names are. He has also been enjoying playing peek-a-boo with Riley and hearing her giggle. He has grown so much in the past few weeks too. We finally had to buy him new PJs, and the 3Ts fit him perfectly snug. It's crazy how tall our kiddos are.

 (Our techy son)

 (In his little man chair)

 (kiddie-pool!)

 (helping Gma K mix the eggs for lunch-yum!)

 (Daddy and Dean on a tractor ride with Gpa A)

Little miss Riley Mae sure is huge too! 17 pounds plus, and at least 25 inches long. She has already outgrown most of her 6-9 month outfits and has been sporting a few of her 12 month ones recently. We sure do love dressing her up in all the adorable clothes we received from Janine and all our other family. Having a girl is so fun! She has gotten really good at rolling from her back to her tummy, and has learned a few other tricks also. She definitely has her own personality. Each time someone tries to change her diaper now she will turn toward her diaper package, grab it, and throw it off the dresser. Then after she's accomplished this, she will push with her legs and launch her whole body upward bit by bit until she almost falls off the dresser too, all the while smiling and giggling. She sure is a squealer too. We always know when she isn't getting what she wants. Hahaha. But her smiles and excitement the rest of the time sure make us all melt. She is also getting a few teeth (up top) trying to cut through, which has made her a bit more tired, cranky, drooly. Everything makes it into her mouth (and sometimes her nose!) and she sure is enjoying her new discoveries. 

 (Our classy girl...teehee!)

 (her unhappy face)

 

(head-band turned sleep-mask)

 (she loved the kiddie-pool!!)

James turned 27 this month! We had a small gathering of family and a Snicker's Bar cake to celebrate. It was so fun actually having others over to celebrate after a few years! He is trying to bide his time before his internship starts (still not sure when quite yet, but soon!) going to In-N-Out, spending his birthday money, and playing with the kiddos and his family. He has really enjoyed playing in the kiddie-pool with Dean and Riley and planking with his brothers-in-law for some good fun. Visiting his family, VBA projects, and doing some yard-work has also been keeping him occupied. 

 (James getting in the ready position...haha.)

 (He got some nice gifts!)

(Dean was glad Dad had a birthday so he could party too!)

 (James planking...)

 (Levi planking...)

 (Westly planking...)

Brittany has really been enjoying being with family too.  Being around her sisters and brothers-in-law and nieces and nephews has been great; chatting, letting the kids socialize, Christina taking pictures, and Janine providing more hand-me-downs to keep a Riley Mae clothed are just a few things she's loved. Shopping and talking with her mom and working on organizing and creative projects has been such a fun thing for her also. Her most recent project was creating a Family Home Evening chart to be hung on the wall in the Family Room for assignments and themes. It turned out pretty cool--pictures to come soon! She also enjoyed planning James' birthday and has been gathering ideas and supplies for Dean's upcoming Fish birthday to celebrate his 2nd year! 

We're really thankful for the time we have here to spend time with those we love so much, even though we miss some people who are still far away. We hope the waiting will prove worthwhile shortly and that things will be in motion toward the next goals we have as a family. Summer is winding down and we're determined to enjoy it while it lasts!

Love,

The James Anderson Family