9 months

We took Ella for her 9 months well-baby checkup yesterday. She weighed in at 18 lbs 4 oz and measured 28 in long! She wasn't a happy camper while we waited though. I guess she could sense my anxiousness as we waited yet again (for the umpteenth day in a row) on doctors and nurses. The nurse practitioner understood our frustration and granted us a speedy, yet thorough checkup. We love her. :) Unfortunely for Ella, we did have to do one shot at this visit because we were behind with one set of shots (due to a recall). We also updated our teeth count--2 bottom, 3 upper.


When we visited Cathy last week, she sent us home with Ella's newest climbing aparatus. She loves to open the door and crawl through. And then close the door. Then open the door. Then...well you get the idea. I have to turn the sound off occasionally to save my sanity. She doesn't seem to mind... I took this picture the day I brought it home.

Ella's other new toy stays at Grandma's. I'm not sure if it was really for Ella, or if Mom was just excited to find a red Bug...

Either way, she loved the swing, and we can't wait to go see Grandma again so we can play with it!

Laughter

Amy--I don't have your email, but Britt told me of your conversation today. I always watch that video when I need to laugh too! It has saved many a tear.

If anyone else needs some laughs, please check out this link: Happy Girl

Papaw Barnett always said (or at least Mom always said that Papaw always said...) that everyone needs at least one good belly laugh a day.

I totally agree.

The fourth

I caught a movie on tv last week called "Seven Thing to Do Before I'm 30". It wasn't a good movie by any means (it was on Lifetime, if that tells you anything), but I saw some parallels to my own life. The main character had been plagued by half-finished projects her entire life. I realized how many things I've wanted to do, and haven't. Or things I had started, but only half-heartedly, only to abandon it halfway through.

One thing I've wanted to do is keep up with this darn blog. I know of a handful of people that are keeping up with this (or claim to!). I love you all, but I really started this for me. And for Ella. Mostly because I can't remember anything! I want to have a record of our lives together.

So in the spirit of keeping up with the blog and not leaving things unfinished or abandoned...

Our 4th of July, in slide show form :)

Que Sera, Sera!

You can't always get what you want. Thankfully, you can't always get what you DON'T want, either. My interview went well, although it wasn't enough to land the job. After I learned what grade it was for, I spent two days trying to talk myself into wanting the job. Umm...red flag?? The hiring commitee asked a lot of grade-specific answers which pretty well blew my chances. Bummed? Incredibly. End of the world? No. Whatever will be, will be.

Last Sunday our preacher spoke on discouragement. I sat there thinking, "Ahh, this one's for me!" I marked the verses in my bible and began listening to the sermon. Then I realized the sermon wasn't for me. It just wasn't what I was looking for that day. I wanted to be lifted and renewed and I felt nearly the opposite when I left. I left discouraged (ironic...).

I looked back over those verses today and realized that it was meant for me. Just not that day. Sometimes the Lord knows how to bring us back, again and again. Back to Him, back to Earth, back to reality...whatever he wants to bring us back to. The verse I marked that Sunday (about two weeks before I needed it) was Joshua 1:9--

Have I not commanded you?

Be strong and courageous.

Do not be terrified;

do not be discouraged,

for the LORD your God

will be with you

wherever you go."

Well I don't mean to get all...preachy...I just wanted to share.

And since this is not supposed to be about me...here are some pictures of my and Ella's trip to Grayson Lake today.

What happens when Mom takes to seconds to turn the camera on...we discover leaves and grass!

If I had known she would have so much fun with the stroller, we would've just stayed home!!

Thumb: best teething aid ever.