Summer Fun

We LOVE visitors! Claire really gets excited about getting the air mattresses out. Each layer that goes on the bed (i.e sheets, blankets, etc.) she jumps on and just laughs.

 

 

We were lucky enough to have Shaun's sister, Beth, and her family come visit us for several days. We packed the days with church history stuff, Amish attractions, and even outlet shopping. Missy was enjoying leaning cooking techniques from Shaun and I was LOVING having Shaun cook again. Claire was her sweet self and really loved playing with her cousins.

 

 The Crandall family

 

A week before they came Shaun decided that he needed to start re-building the deck. Our deck was not up to code (Claire could fit her head inbetween the slats) and had lots of rotten wood. When we try to sell our house in a year or so it will have to be fixed...I will post more about this when it's finished but Brian was nice enough to help Shaun do some demolition work. :)  

 

Claire was trying on Brian's hat for size... 

 

  

Meet Claire's new friend, Mr. Turtle. I just love her smile in this picture!

 

This is the first time I have painted Claire's toe nails. The first day she could not stop starring at her feet. It was really cute and she loves them painted! She will point down at her toes and say, Pink. :)

 

 Shaun's garden has starting producing great stuff. We fed the Crandall family tons of spinach and lettuce. Claire has discovered the strawberry patch. Shaun was worried about animals eating his strawberries but really he should've been worried about his daughter. Haha. She will eat them right off the vine and can't get enough. Funny, though, if I bring the strawberries in and wash them she will hardly eat any of it. Silly girl.

After Beth's family left Claire insisted that she sit at the table to eat with us. We usually have her high chair right next to the table but she wanted to be scooted in and next to us. Which brings us to our transition of going Gluten-Free for dinners. Before we could get away with side dishes and even some complete meals (like pizza) with wheat because she was not at all interested in our food. So now I am having to strike the balance of food she can eat and might be willing to try with incorporating things she will eat so she gets her calories in and not wake up in the middle of the night starving. It is a process but I think we will get there. For now we will be eating lots of repeat meals.

 

It was been beautiful weather here! Claire loves to be outside and blow bubbles and draw with chalk. When you ask her what a bubble says, she replies, "pop." We spend lost of our afternoons outside!

 

Claire's language has really started blooming! She was repeating a lot of my words before but now she will spontaneously say things when she sees them, like bus, cheese, flush (the toilet handle). Often when we sit down to dinner she will look at Shaun and say, "daddy" then look and me and say, "mom." very sweet. Her favorite songs are Twinkle Twinkle little star, I love to see the temple, Row Row Row Your Boat, and a clock rhyme that we learned from story time. When I put her to bed at night she will often say: "twinkle, row row row, temple, clock," like she is giving me her request list.

 

The other fun thing Claire has picked up is her love for longer books. I have been checking out the little critter books and froggy books from the library. Most the time we don't read every word but she loves to "read" the stories back to herself. I think my favorite is when she says, "baagggie" instead of " Froggy." such a cutie.

 

Lastly, Claire loves nursery at church and gets to excited to go. This makes our lives so much easier since Shaun and I are kept pretty busy with callings. I just got released from the primary chorister. I'm grateful because my other three callings keep me busy enough. :)

More summer fun posts coming soon!