August 2009 update

We've been doing well lately, living out of boxes in Troy's parents house. We've been working to get the landscaping done on our new house, having meals as a family, helping Troy's dad with his website, and his brother-in-law with his new start up business, having pool parties, watching plenty of Glenn Beck, and having fun. We miss our old neighbors so much. It is pretty far now, but it will be much closer soon. We want you to know that we don't have any friends and probably never will have such good friends and neighbors again (I'm not trying to get the sympathy vote-it's true). Thank you so much and please keep in touch! I broke the camera in the diaper bag the other day, so there may not be many pictures until we figure that out...

Sophy's been driving us crazy with love (and other things) lately. She's broken 2 dishes of LeAnn's, autographed all over Duane's "History of Joseph Smith," ripped up a singing card given to LeAnn to see how it works ("You are my Sunshine" she loves it and says "happy" every time that the card says it), climbs on everything (even climbed up and sat on the tall bar stool-chairs here!), tears the fake grass out of LeAnn's indoor decorative trees multiple times during the day (strewing the grass all over the house), and ate a bug (Troy I forgot to tell you that one). She has also hurt herself several times (though I can't remember where or what she was doing), and refuses to eat in the high chair and has to have her own place at the table which she gets up and down from about 30 million times not eating any of hers but some of mine/Troy's and smearing it everywhere. I'll be glad when it's only our house that she gets messy!

She seems to be a 2 year old in many ways already-a curse for the moms of gifted children (not all peaches and cream). She is very stern with me when I take her binky away and tell her it's only for "night night" and she tells me--"My BINKY!" and reasons with me that I can't take it away from her ever because it belongs to her. She's talking up a storm and has phone conversations with real and imaginary people saying "Hello...playing with the cat (what she's doing)...eating food(what I'm doing)...at work (what daddy's doing)...ok...yeah...buh-bye! and hangs up the phone. I've recently given her a purse (because she's been obsessed with mine)to carry around and feel that is very convenient as I put a diaper and her snacks and milk in it and I can go back to a purse myself. She puts an old cell phone in it and walks around all day putting things in and out of it and feeding herself her snacks and milk. Very independant. She can reach up and open the lever door handles at Troy's parent's house and now I can never shower or go to the bathroom while she's awake unless I put a chair infront of the door.

She is very sweet and has been VERY loving giving hugs and kisses (and trying to steal Trisha's boyfriend. That's been interesting! Look out world!). She's been getting used to the pool herself and the other day finally started LOVING it enough to walk off into the deep (with her lifejacket-suit on and us holding her) several times loving the "bobbing" feeling and also when down the slide into the pool where I caught her several times laughing hysterically. A HUGE change from not wanting to be in a "bathtub" she knew had WAY too much water to be safe. She is such a joy and I am loving the sweet (and SASSY) loving girl she is. I could NEVER replace her and I love her with all my heart.