Well, I finished the school year and have been on summer break for a month, and this is the first time I’ve gotten around to writing a post. We have been so busy and we’ve had so much fun!

Today is the anniversary of a very important day for us. We met Grace two years ago today! Can you believe it? Two years! I remember every detail. I try to tell Grace all about it. I know she doesn’t understand, but I’ll keep telling her about how she made our lives complete. Here is one of the first pictures we took of Grace two years ago.

I’ll go back over the last couple of months the best that I can to catch up!

We had a wonderful Memorial Day. My family all came over for the local parade. Here is my favorite picture of Grace watching the parade. Isn’t she beautiful!!!

Then more of my family and Greg’s family joined us at our house for a barbeque. It was great to have everyone together.

For the Fourth of July we went to my parents for our annual take-the-old-truck in the parade. We have a 1911 Model T. Yes, it really is 99 years old! Grace was so excited. It is all she talked about for the week before and the week after! My cousins were home from North Dakota, so they rode in the parade with us. It was a beautiful, very warm (in the 90’s) day! The next photo is Grace pretending to drive the truck.

We visited some friends who live on a lake and Grace saw her first fireworks show. She wasn’t scared at all. Although she asked several times, “What’s that?” and “What’s happening?” She also frequently exclaimed “Louuuud”.

Grace talks all the time. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had people say to me, ‘Boy, she’s a talker!’ She’s quite shy at first, but once she gets warmed up, watch out! She has to know what everything is and why it is so. I bet she asks ‘why?’ a hundred times a day. She has gained a great vocabulary. We went shopping and bought her some new shoes. When Greg came home that evening, I told Grace she should show her Daddy her new shoes. She got all excited! Grabbed Greg’s hand and pulled him over to her new shoes. As she’s opening up the box, she says, ‘Daddy, they are kinda awesome!’ Where did she learn that?

She loves music! Almost everyday, we have to put on the music (usually Beach Boys). She hands out instruments to everyone who may be in the room. And away we go with our own band. She is usually on the drum. We have to dance, march, and move around while the song is playing. She loves to sing. Some of her favorites to sing are ABC’s, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Rain Rain Go Away, Hokey Pokey, Barbara Ann, Ring Around the Rosie, If You’re Happy and You Know It, and Wheels on the Bus.

She is starting to get interested in letters. She’s beginning to understand that there is some kind of connection between letters and words. She’ll point to a letter on a paper and say ‘is that an ‘a’?’ Usually it’s not, but she’s very interested. When she has a pencil and paper, she’ll ask me ‘Want a G?’ Then she’ll write something on the paper. It’s not a G, but she thinks it is. She knows that her name starts with a G, Daddy starts with a D, and Mommy starts with an M.

We have been working hard on colors. I think she’s got most of them. However, when I want her to name a color, she will say the wrong color and then giggle. But I’ll hear her while she’s playing and she’s naming the colors perfectly!

Everyday is something new and special. I just love the Two’s. Don’t get me wrong, we do have some stubborn moments. Sometimes she wants to test us to find out what she can get away with. She can be the biggest staller around, especially at bedtime or anytime when I’m in a hurry. I just know these are all part of being two and learning her own independence and it’s amazing to watch! There are times when I have to remind myself of this!

There isn’t a day that goes by when we don’t say how blessed we are to have our beautiful family of three! Grace is a true blessing!