red monster dreams

For Lily, life doesn't get much better...falling asleep to mElmo, with mElmo.

girl's best friend

our little Eve...it is HOT lately, and Lily is in her hippo pool all throughout the day.



This girl is just NUTS about her dog...

and NOT nuts when Shay leaves her...

and is ALWAYS trying to boss her around. "Shay, COME!"
"SHAY! COME!"

kisses...

Whackin' Shay with her baseball bat
favorite time with Daddy, "color" ing

and chillin' with the guys at the days end

Uncle Don's Haitian Creation...

Uncle Don spent the day building Lily a playground out of old PVC pipe, canvas bags and tarp. It looks FANTASTIC, and she LOVES her new little house...

her first look...

peeking out on her kingdom...

checkin' out Don's handiwork...
...having some trouble understanding the concept of a ladder...

What a blessing for Lily and I both...instead of always saying, "Lily, don't climb that!" I can now say, "Lily, go climb your house!" Ah, we praise the Lord for Uncle Don!!!

"ocks"

She will most definitely be unhappy I posted these in a few years, but Lily's new obsession with "ocks" is just too darn cute. This poor child has lived in a tropical climate so much of her life that she doesn't even own a pair of socks, much less wear them. So when she finds Daddy's "ocks", she puts them on, hikes them up, and runs wild...especially after performing her newest trick: diaper removal.

Uncle Don has quickly become a favorite in Lily's life...she helps him paint...he helps her color.

not your average princess

This girl is one SERIOUS dirt magnet. If she's not drugding through puddles, she's sticking her fingers up Shay's nose. If she's not rubbing oatmeal into her belly button, she's chewing on crunchy bugs. When it's time for bath (which often happens several times a day) there is mud under her nails, between her toes, and creased into her neck.

She also denies that it is EVER her fault :)

BUT, she sleeps good, she eats good, and she brings us SO MUCH JOY. She is talking up a storm, learning new words constantly, and understanding and speaking an equal amount of Creole and English. "Pita!" she waves when we leave someone, meaning "(see you) later!" and is learning lots of names, now adding "Gertha", "Abel" and "Micheline" to her vocabulary.

Every evening, after bath and story time, she climbs off my lap, walks over to her crib, and says, "UP"...and in the morning, we hear her calling, "OUT! OUT!" We've been working hard on "please"...

Despite all her love of dirt and "guckie" things, she is still our princess, adoring herself in my apron, and loves wearing mom's shoes and chapstick.

But the best? "Kiss". She puckers up her lips and gives good kisses, complete with a big "smack".

the apple of her eye...

this week, is BOAT... She just learned the word, is picking boats out in books and on the ocean, and was totally enamored when Dad and Uncle John borrowed Jarod's boat, which is now planted in the front yard as her first official playground. Every 20 minutes she is staring out at her "Boat! Boat!" and the moment she can escape, has crawled in again and is sailing the open seas of grass.

I love this sweet little curl that always loops at Lily's neck and that gets twisted by sticky fingers throughout the day...
"Naked Lily" is still her favorite outfit...

Apples are VERY hard to come by, so she and I took full advantage of this one...

...AND, Debbie. Lily has been having a blast with Debbie, the mom of our good friend Elisa (who was just here) and who is here teaching with her husband Craig. Debbie is ridiculously patient, gentle and loving, and Lily has naturally drawn into her. I'm so thankful God sent Deb at the same time beloved Josephine left to help Lily with her newfound loneliness. It's also beautiful to see the Lord supply for her needs by sending this short-term grandma figure for her in the absence of extended family!

Today, Deb taught her to paint with water colors, played in her boat with her, brought her a new praise DVD she just loves, and talked to her about how "cookie" is not the same as "cookie now." Debbie will turn 60 next week with us, and Lily and I hope to make her a special dessert!