2 months old

Elizabeth, Hannah, & Noah on the 4th of July

We just got back from Noah's 2-month checkup at the doctor. He's doing just fine, except that he's had some congestion the last 6-7 days. The doctor said that he probably has a cold, but luckily his ears and lungs are clear. He weighs 12 lbs, 13 oz (75th percentile) and is 23.5 inches (50th percentile). Our next two goals are to get him on a better sleeping schedule during the day and to get him to take an occasional bottle.

In other news, Don is done with two of his three summer classes and earned an A in both of them. He'll finish his last class tomorrow. He's studying hard today for tomorrow's exam!

Also, after babying it along for several years, our 1997 Dodge sedan is finally on its last legs (wheels?). We have decided to purchase a larger vehicle and it's looking like it will be a 2003 GMC Yukon. Friends in Minnesota are getting rid of theirs and have generously offered to sell it to us for about half of what it's worth. What a blessing! We know that it will be tough to park in some situations and doesn't get great gas mileage, but there are many many other positive reasons for us to buy this car. If all goes as planned, Don will be flying up to Minnesota around Labor Day to drive it home. Hopefully the Dodge will limp along until then!

Hannah starts kindergarten in less than 3 weeks! I can't believe how the summer (not to mention the last 5 years of her life) has flown by. She'll attend Captain Elementary school, which is a public school in one of the nation's best districts. It's also immediately adjacent to the seminary campus and we know lots of other sem kids who will attend kindergarten or first grade there, so we'll instantly feel like we're part of the school community.

We were also very excited this past month as our 3-bedroom apartment grew to 4 bedrooms! The seminary apartments are built so that two bedrooms on each floor can either belong to the apartment on the left or the one on the right. Our next door neighbors moved out and we were able to "take over" their 3rd bedroom, which became our 4th. (If this is confusing, click here to see the seminary's housing page and then click on "The Woods Apts." under Floor Plans on the left. You can also check out the virtual tour if you want to see photos of the apartments.) This awesome acquisition allowed us to create a playroom for the kids. All their toys as well as a desk for Hannah's art projects, Hannah's dresser, and all her clothes and shoes are now in there. That gave us enough room to move a twin-size day bed for Hannah into the girls' bedroom. Just in time - she had outgrown her toddler bed! Their bedroom is now peaceful and (almost) always clean. So nice for resting and reading together in the evening. And Hannah can play alone or with friends in the playroom when Bethie is napping in the afternoon. The rest of the house is now a little neater because all the toys and art supplies have a home. We are so happy with the change and feel very blessed. Here's a picture of the girls having fun in the playroom on the first day we got it:

And here's Miss Hannah - so excited to have a big-girl bed!


Finally, please keep my Nana (Patsy) in your prayers. She had a hip replacement yesterday and we continue to pray for a full and complete recovery. She is so dear to our hearts and we know that being stuck in bed is really hard for her. Please pray for patience for her while her body heals and for her to be able to return to her regular activities soon. Thanks.

My quiet time to do a blog post is probably about over - Elizabeth and Noah are napping, but either one could wake up any minute. Hannah has been playing with a friend, so I had a (temporarily) quiet house! Blessings to you all and thanks for checking in!