Miracles do happen!

Today, I (with the kids in tow) was pricing diapers in Target. When Lydia spotted a package of Pull-Up training pants, she desperately wanted me to be them, because she wanted to wear undies like the girl in the picture on the package. I told her that we weren't going to buy those, BUT that she had undies at home that she could wear. For the rest of the afternoon, Lydia talked about going home, getting her undies, and sitting on the potty! Wow - I guess when a child is ready, he/she will potty train themselves!
Once we got home, Lennon and I put her on the new portable potty that we bought today, just for the occasion. After sitting on it for a while (with no apparent success), we let her play by the potty, while we sat by & watched her closely. One time while I wasn't watching her, I heard her grunt (her telltale sign for poopy). Jumping to action, I stripped her of undies & plopped her on the potty, despite her protests that she didn't want to sit on the potty. A moment later, we heard the wonderful sound of "plop" in the potty. (Sorry to all of you reading this who aren't parents. Someday, when you're a parent you'll understand!)
After much praise & the celebratory flush of the poopy down the toilet, Lennon took Lydia to the "Sticker Store" (WalMart) to pick out her long-awaited reward - gummie worms!
This whole potty-training has been a long, not-so-fun ordeal, with several hopeful starts and an equal number of disappointing stops. Now, I hope that Lydia will be proud of herself for being a "Big Girl" and doing her business on the "Big Girl Potty".

Here's what's new

So, what's new with us?
Jackson is now rolling over, though only in one direction. He rolls across the living room floor, getting stuck under a chair or next to a box. After hearing his distressed cries for help, I turn him around so he can roll the other way across the floor, before getting stuck again!
Jax is also cutting two teeth - the bottom front two. One is beginning to poke through; the other is just visible below the gum.

Lydia is enjoying being Mommy's big helper - she gets a clean diaper & wipes when I am changing the baby; she loves to get Jackson some toys (even though she takes them back to play with herself). She and I even made pumpkin bread and chocolate-peanut-butter-chip cookies the other day, and she helped make the batter, and 'helped' me clean up, by washing the beaters with her tongue. Too cute!

We found a church home - Freedom Vineyard Church at the Warehouse, about 10 minute drive from our apt. The church (also just known as The Warehouse) seems to support the "Out of the Box, Into our World" kind of thinking, which is what has been on our heart as of late. (I'll write more about that another time.) Lydia loves Veggie Patch - the kids program featuring VeggieTales. Through class, she has made a good friend, named Isaac (who is 4 yrs. old) and his sister, Emery (who is 18 mos. old). We also have become friends with their parents, and have hung out together with them several times - once, we played Settlers together!

It is starting to feel like home in our apt. The only places that we still have boxes are in the 2 bedroom closets. There are pictures on the walls. Though we could use some new ones of people (HINT, HINT!). However, in regards to people & friends, it still doesn't feel like home. We miss family and friends. People here are nice, but we haven't found them to be terribly outgoing or welcoming - neither in our apt. complex or at church. That's kinda hard, since we only have so much energy (after moving, getting settled, working & raising 2 kids) to take the 1st few steps to 'break into' a group of people & get to know them. I think we will be hosting an open house in November and one in December, inviting all of our neighbors in our building to drop in and get to know us (and each other). I just wish some people would reach out a bit more ...

To everyone 'back home', know that we love and miss you. And we love to hear from you, whether through a phone call, letter or e-mail. Much love to you all!