bits and pieces

i first want to give a shout out to my mom and patrick's dad who both celebrated birthdays this weekend. we wish we could have been there to make you feel special. we love you lots!

as usual, just sharing a random assortment of what we've been up to. some not so anonymous donors thought hannah would enjoy the pool and patrick and i would enjoy being able to exercise in air conditioning for the summer (especially being more and more pregnant every day and pushing a sweating, screaming toddler in a stroller.) they were right! so we joined the gym again for the summer. the outdoor pool isn't open yet, but the indoor is pretty fancy, with slide and a river. hannah has done great. she keeps asking us to put her down, in the big pool, so she doesn't quite get the picture yet. but that's ok. sorry these pictures aren't very good.

patrick hard at work in his newly reorganized home office.

so, it's begun to happen. pen all over my bible. black eyeliner all over our white chair. crayons all over the windows, which should at least wash off. it's our fault for leaving stuff within reach, i know. but that only makes me more mad! she is learning how to apologize, and she definitely knows when she's done something wrong because of our tone of voice. she tries not to cry, but she always runs over to you and sometimes her lip is just trembling and she says, sowwy mommy. it makes me me cry!

our little tomato plant is really growing. we love tomatoes, all 3 of us, so we are excited.

the tomato plant isn't the only thing growing. when i look at this picture, i think surely i had something stuffed under my shirt, but no. i remember why i didn't like being pregnant. i'm not nearly as uncomfortable with people pointing it out and stuff as i was last time, but the whole discomfort part is back in full swing! i feel like i have half a watermelon strapped to me. and i have a LONG ways to go. i am struggling to do up my shoes, wash hannah in the bathtub, get her, or especially her matress, out of the crib, pick up toys from the floor. pick up anything from the floor. i just can't bend at the waist, because of this giant watermelon baby. i know i thought this last time too, but if he feels this much in the way now, when he only weighs 2 lbs, what's he going to feel like at 8 lbs?

my little baby got her first pair of heels the other day. they're still too big, but she likes wearing them. and no, i didn't search out heels on purpose. we just needed brown sandals and this is what target had. but i happen to think they're super cute!

patrick hard at work on his new model. a messerschmidt, i think? not sure.

patrick packed us supper and took us to a beautiful park the other night. they have the biggest play structure we've seen yet here. also a walking trail, and a lake, and little outdoor amphitheatres. and best of all, lots of open space. surrounded by trees, so you can't see many houses. i can't wait to go back.

the work i've had going on at churches is done for the summer, so i am glad to share that we have definite plans for another little one to come hang out with us some over the summer. Gavin will be coming 2 days a week, and I know it will be good for Hannah. I feel better now that I have something planned. We also have vbs in a few weeks, and I will be helping with recreation. thankfully it's only June, not august. because of the baby, and the heat. this will be hannah's first vbs. even though she won't remember it, she does learn things.

if there's one thing to post about hannah news, it's definitely the singing. she loves to sing. she has quite the repertoire now. it's obviously not perfect, but we can recognize when she sings the abcs, jesus loves me, itsy spider, wheels on the bus, patty cake, hokey pokey, ring around the rosie, twinkle star, and deep and wide. those last two she always requests before bed. over and over again!

we are headed to kansas tomorrow, so we'll have some good family pictures.