We had such a great time visiting family and friends. I was a bit worried about how Johnny would do on such a long trip but he didn't seem to have any issues and thrived while we were away. He instantly took to our families and got to meet Uncle Justi, Uncle Tim and Auntie Lindsey, and Uncle Nick for the first time along with his cousins Luke, Jack and Hannah (he had already met Hailey). Emma is a seasoned traveler so I wasn't worried about her. When we left to come home, she said "but I want to stay here forever and forever". I think we all felt somewhat like that.
We got to see friends, have three days away just John and I while my parents watched the kids, travel to Boise, ID, go to Lake Roosevelt, and spent some time just hanging out in our home town Wenatchee. The only thing we didn't get to do was make it back to Bellingham where some good friends remain. With the kids we decided to stay put and let friends come to us. We will make it up there again some day friends! We miss you all!
So now that you know where we have been, I thought I would write a bit about how we are....
The Pells family is doing GREAT!! John turned in his revised draft to his dissertation the day we left for Washington and I got my sweet, funny, energetic, fun husband back. Life is good. Emma and Johnny are both in fun stages and we are looking forward to a relaxed coming year. I have turned in my notice at work and will be staying home full time starting August 31st. I will miss everyone at work but really look forward to being home full time. This past year has been way too stressful for our family with us both working, taking turns being home with the kids and John in school. Money will be tight but life is short and we look forward to having lots of family time.
Emma has blossomed into a sweet, playful, loving and sometimes wild three year old. She loves her brother with all of her heart and has taken on the role of mother with him and pretty much every toy she has. All of Johnny's truck have mommy trucks, daddy trucks and baby trucks and can not be disturbed when they are sleeping. She is well into the world of pretend and is daily chased by tigers which she sometimes runs from and sometimes realizes are just sad baby tigers missing their mommies. I really can't get enough of her. Yes, she throws tantrums and tests us but on the whole is a people pleaser and a joy to be with. She now talks from the moment she wakes up to the moment she goes to sleep. She tells stories, sings songs, talks to her babies if we are occupied, loves water of any kind, is a sissy if she gets hurt, loves to read books, still snuggles with us on a regular basis, knows all her letters and sounds, is starting to write her name, and is learning new things every day.
Johnny has grown into a laid back, jolly, funny, active toddler. He is the fastest crawler I have seen and is now taking six steps at a time. He is overjoyed when Daddy enters the room and squeals with delight (he still squeals when he is upset....we are working on that). He is comfortable in pretty much any environment and can giggle on command. He is an eater and has had no problem downing solid food and the lack of teeth (he only has his two lower teeth) doesn't seem to bother him. He is still very curious and loves to figure out how toys work and put things in containers. When we find a random item in a random place you can almost guarantee that Johnny has put it there. Like a shoe in the laundry, or toys put through the cat door into the basement, or toys shoved into the cracks in the couch. Peek a boo is one of his favorite games. He loves being around people and would much prefer to play with you on the floor than play by himself. He is starting to get a mind of his own and wants to play with whatever Emma is playing with. When she takes one of his toys he how screams at her and looks at me like "aren't you going to fix this injustice?". He loves to climb and claps for himself and his accomplishments on a regular basis.
I am loving being a mom of two. These last six months have been full of ups and downs and I am so happy to have come out on the other side with two beautiful kids, a husband that is my true life partner, and a life that is fulfilling and full of joy.
More to come on our trip......
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