Normal, quiet, everyday things...

Things haven't been too stressful or busy around here. It has actually been pretty quiet. I know that is going to change next week, but it has been nice while it lasted (and even got a little boring). Despite the quietness, Ari has been growing and changing so much. 
She has lost her shyness...she goes up to strangers and gives them smiles, hugs, and toys. She will play with anyone who will look at her kindly, but she isn't impulsive. I think this is a really good combination. I can always stop her before she gets into trouble because I can see her thinking about it first. 
Her speech is really improving. I have a hard time capturing it on video because as soon a she sees the camera she wants to hold it. But putting her in the swing helped with that a bit...

Ari is becoming a Daddy's girl. She has games that she plays only with him, and she can't wait for him to get home from work...

So in the past I have posted videos of Ari reading...she is still doing it, but now she mixes in real words. I wasn't able to capture that on video, but it is really amazing...

Also, I am in love with Ari's hair. I pulled it all back into a single pony tail, and it curled in a ringlet...

She is growing up so fast!

The Little Things in Life...

Things have been crazy lately. Ari has been sleeping through the night (yay!), but has been having more difficult days. She has been saying "teeth" a lot, so maybe her molars are bothering her? It has also been hard because it has rained every day for last 2 weeks...No exaggeration, we have had 5 inches of rain in the past 7 days...some places have gotten that in a day. 
Ari loves to play outside and we had gotten to the point where we would go to the park almost every day, but the rain has changed that. The other day she woke up and went out into our breezeway and saw that it was raining, again. She said "no, rain, no, rain..." in the most pitiful voice I have ever heard. 
So, Ari has been walking around the house bemoaning her situation...and wanting mommy to fix it. How do you explain to a 19 month old that even though you can make light in the darkness, make it rain inside, and create sustenance out of thin air, you cannot make it stop raining...
So, we have turned to inside activities, indoor pools (which she loves and asks to go every hour or so), story time at the library, shopping, and coloring :) These have been good activities but they aren't a subsitite for a good hard run outside. 

Last night, I needed to get house work done and having a whinny toddler did not help the situation. Ben was home and I asked him to take her for a walk. (The clouds had parted for who knows how long...) They came back just as I was finishing the dishes and this is what I saw looking out my window:

It hit me.
That was the most beautiful sight I have ever seen. 
This is what I have prayed for: this little family.
I was filled with joy. It didn't matter that it was hard being a mother...It didn't matter that my house didn't look the way I wanted it to, or that I didn't look the way I wanted to...I was a mom. I have a husband who loves me and my daughter. What more could I ask for. 
I finished up the dishes and joined my family outside enjoying the delisious cool air and feeling the hearty grass between my toes. It was a beautiful night becuase of the rain...It helped to humble me and remind me to thank the Lord for what I had around me.