Eighteen Months and Still So Cute

Our big girl running through the leaves.

I am writing you from the Holiday Inn in Asheville while Abby and Steve take their afternoon naps. The job is going well. We have secured an apartment that is close to where we need to be and are starting to get acclimated to the area. However, we still miss home greatly and the people even more. We will keep you posted on how we are doing.

Now, more importantly. . . Abby is officially 18 months old today. We celebrated with a visit from Aunt TeeTee and Ben. What a treat! Abby was so excited to see them here when she woke from her nap that she shook and about leaped off the bed. We have had a rough week/month/summer; however, Abby is doing wonderfully well! I have stopped putting words on her list on the side because I can't keep up. At last count, she is saying over 35 words that we can understand. We are very proud of how she says "please" and "thank you" although it sounds like "peees" and "dinku." Her new nickname is "Miss Independent" because she is so anxious to do things on her own. It is bittersweet for us, as many of you know. She is turning into a child rather than a baby. (Don't worry, she still loves to snuggle while falling asleep so all is not gone from the "baby days.")

I do not have my camera cord to upload pictures, so I thought you would like pictures from last Saturday's leaf raking efforts. Please continue to remember us in your prayers as we are going to be trying to get our "stuff" over the mountain over the next few weeks. Thank you for your prayers thus far, they have definitely been felt.

Abby loved getting to help Daddy. Her
favorite part was running out of the pile of leaves.


"Daddy! I found grass! It's still there."

Ben even gave her a hand at supervising the clean up.


"Oh, Mommy! Put the camera down and
let me work, will ya?!?"