Is It Really Almost July? That Means It's Been 6 Months Home!

I can hardly believe how fast the days have flown around here! I know, I've read other families' blogs and heard them say - it goes by so fast - but when you've been waiting for SO long for this, you secretly just don't believe them. Now, I do! It does fly by! I find myself missing the little girl who didn't understand quite so much English and we acted out whatever it was that we needed to say. I miss the girl who was mesmerized by The Wonder Pets, not asking to watch Hannah Montana! And I miss the days of eating chicken wings and raamen noodles for lunch!

But not really! :)

Joy has grown SO much in the last month, it is just incredible. In every way possible! Not only is her hair longer and she's over 2 inches taller, but her comprehension and ability to say what she means has just bloomed! She's really very clear about how she feels, what she wants, and what she wants you to do as well. We've had the most amazing conversations! I'm just in awe of her wit and her intelligence.

One of the most surprising things is her humor. Now that she can say what she means, it turns out that she's funny! She can make puns now in English, and jokes. She loves to catch me using a word that has 2 meanings and then ask me, with a sly smile, why I said it wrong. She knows it's right - she just likes to show me she's smarter than I am! It's so funny sometimes!

She has so much energy! When she hasn't moved enough during her day full of dance, gymnastics and swimming, she will ask to "run with Katrina". That means, take Katrina's throw toy outside to the golf course and race her back to me or Daddy. She's getting faster everyday! Then, all of a sudden, she'll sit down in the grass and announce, "I'm tired now." And then she'll ask me to carry her upstairs to bed. Ha!

We spent some time in Galveston with family from New Orleans and North Carolina. Joy was SO funny - the first day, she acted like she couldn't speak much at all, and generally stood around with her mouth open, listening and watching these strange people. By the time we left, she was talking up a storm! As one of my cousins said, if she wanted to get a word in edgewise with this group, she was going to have to start talking. And she did!

There's so much more - I know I'm leaving out important milestones here, but I want to get this posted. Here are some pictures:

Joy loves musicals and she's seen almost our entire video library, including "West Side Story". She loves the song, "I want to be in America", which she would sing at random moments for a while. When we were in Steamboat, she started saying, "I belong to America." I couldn't resist getting a picture of her with Ben smiling at her. She does indeed belong here!


Watergun Fight with Dad!! It must be summertime!


Showing off her Gymnastics medal with big sister Courtney



Not too sure about the red tutu at her dance recital.


With Daddy and Baby Garrett, my cousin's adorable little boy. Joy heard my cousin call him "Master Garrett" (she's from New Orleans - she can't help it!) and now when she sees a picture of him, she says, "That's Master Garrett!"



"Mama, carry me!"