Two Happy Girls

Well, we're very happy. Daddy is coming home! Every day I ask Lily, "Do you want Dada to come home?" And she answers, "Home! Home!"

I don't have any new pictures to share. WE've been busy-busy-busy getting ready for Daddy to come home, planning for our move back to the US in a few months, buying a car, keeping up with my church calling, and spending lots of time reading with and teaching Lily.

Gosh, this kid is smart! She now recognizes every letter of the alphabet (primarily uppercase), and she is learning her numbers 1-10 now. While reading today, she noticed the page numbers for the first time and got upset if I tried to turn the page without "reading" the numbers, too. She loves the number 8 a lot, but my favorite is 7, which she pronounces "feffy."

Lily has started attending nursery at church, and she has a great time. She doesn't give me much of a good-bye when I drop her off, so I pretend that when she's scampering down the hall yelling, "Toys! Toys!" it's just her way of saying, "Don't worry, Mom. I'll be fine. I love you and I'll see you later." Her teachers (a mother and daughter) tell me every week how well-behaved, helpful, cooperative, and smart she is. She is always excited to show me the picture she colored and point out Jesus. Lily continues charming everyone she meets, and has grown-up friends, as well as kids her own age.

Our neighbors and friends, Mike and Rachel, are not just excellent sitters and playmates, but an extra set of parents. It has been wonderful having them around, especially with Daddy away. Mike is an excellent stand-in dad, and Rachel is a kind and nurturing second mother. They both have a great sense of humor, which is perfect, because Lily just happens to be hilarious. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that somehow I will be able to smuggle both of them in my luggage when we move this fall. Lily and I love them so much.

Well, here's hoping it doesn't take me a month to post something again. With Daddy home, we should be going on lots of adventures, and we will have pictures to prove it.