The Big TWO!

 So here I sit this morning, at the kitchen table and looking out at the sunrise which is greeting the day of my daughters birth.  The shades of orange and purple melt across the horizon and seem to be almost frosted by the coolness of the gray foggy mist settled just above the tops of the soybean fields.  It is hard for me to believe that she has been in my life for two whole years already.  I never thought I would say it, but I look forward to her little smile each morning and just can't wait to see what we will experience today.  On a side note, I started a job this week and will miss spending the day with my treasure.  She will, however, be making people smile as she travels around with Grandma today and celebrates her special day. 

I hear they will be traveling to a special firehouse where Grandma has a friend who will be letting her sit in the fire truck!  It will be a highlight for sure.  I can almost see her eyes lighting up when they pull in the parking lot!  I think they will probably go to the playground and then have some  "ice" (ice cream) at some point.  Grandma will make it a special day whatever they do.  I am so sad not to spend the day with her. My husband asked me why I looked so upset and I tearfully tried to relay to him what all was in my heart and did so unsuccessfully.  In his own frustration at my emotions he plainly stated, "This is what people do every day.  Shuffle their kids off to wherever and go to work."  As is par for the course, I don't want to be part of the norm (whatever that is)!

Hannah is growing so tall.  Her eyes are so smart and she has the cutest little blonde curls around her face.  She likes to dress up and she likes to play in puddles.  She'll serve you a wonderful cup of tea with a fancy hat or bring you the most fearless presentation of a bug you have ever seen.  She loves to dig with a shovel and is hands on with everything we allow her to be.  She even climbed the extension ladder so high I could only reach to her knees.  She loves tractors, school buses, and big trucks.  She gets excited when there are motorcycles and 4-wheelers on the road.  She loves horses, cows, sheep, kitty cats and dogs and has 2 goldfish in her bedroom.  She is well behaved, adaptable, funny, smart and talented. I don't know why but she colors less now and we have been out of paints for awhile so she hasn't been painting anymore even though she loves to.  She loves fruit and is begining to be a great eater.  Her teeth are all coming in very well and despite the trips and tumbles we've had the past few months, is no worse for the wear.  She is fearless in  alot of ways and loves to be swung and thrown on the couch.  She balances herself on the edges of things and is begining to really climb now.  She has a great love for books and will sit on the potty and tap the floor in front of her telling you  "sit! sit!" so you will sit and read while she is concentrating.  Her language skills are developing nicely and her words are becoming more clear every day.  Like a typical 2 year old, she is haveing some fits when she doesn't understand why she can't do it her way but that is not really anything new.  Now that she is spending more days at the babysitter, she is spending some time with some other children and she is enjoying to go there.  Our sitter and friend has several children of her own and is a good Christian home so we have  no worries about those types of influences.  I thank God for that.  She is growing up fast, just like they all do, but at least I know I have tried hard to be sure she is getting to be a child and to let her know how much I love her each and every day. 

I hope you enjoy this short rhetoric and will stay in touch with us to see how she grows.