Saturday mornings in August

The past two Saturday mornings, Bert, Temperance and I have been going to the local farmer's market.  We've been buying local produce and just enjoying the atmosphere and entertainment.  As we are leaving I always think how much I love Lexington.  As most all of you know, I am a Georgia girl through and through!!  When my daughter gets old enough I'm going to teach her that she lives in KY but she is from GEORGIA!  With that said though, I have fallen in love with Lexington.  It is a big city, with lots to do, but manages to keep a small town feel to it.  If we were to ever leave, there are so very many things I would miss about this town.  The excellent farmer's market and focus on local businesses/produce would be one of them.  Actually most everything I would miss about Lexington are the local things, my favorite bookstore, Joseph-Beth, the many great local restaurants, etc.
Well, this morning, after going to the farmer's market we went to the library.  It was only a block away and I needed to return some things.  We all went and Tempie and I both got some books.  I got some Andrew Greeley novels, and she got some Sandra Boynton books (our favorite children's author).  It was such a wonderful family affair!  I hope we do this every Saturday. Here's a pic of Temperance enjoying the farmer's market as well.
Hope you all have a wonderful Saturday.  Enjoy some local produce and read a good book!

Tempie's favorite pastimes...

My little Temperance LOVES to swing!  Here is a picture of her swinging back in April.  There is a small park area across the street from my work where this was taken.  Masha takes her swinging usually twice a week.  I try to take her after work at least once a week.  She knows the path there and is always excited anticipating the fun of the swing.  She almost always will cry too when we take her out of the swing.  She just loves it.  

Here's another highlight of her day...waiting for daddy to get home!!  (Or just watching all the cars go by.)  

She loves to watch the world outside.  She'll sit there and squeal at who knows what and just enjoy herself to no end.  It is very helpful when we are cooking dinner!  

These are just a few of Tempie's favorite pastimes.

Let the races begin!

Temperance's favorite activity for a long time has been walking circles around our house while holding our hands. She has now taken her first steps unassisted. Here's a video of her practicing her new skills. I'm so proud of her!! I'm not sure what this means for our evenings now. Will she walk circles around our house with out us? Can we sit on the couch once again? Who am I kidding? Now we will be chasing after her keeping her out of where she doesn't belong I'm sure. Oh well.

Long awaited update

Temperance has been so busy since I last updated. She is ten months old tomorrow. I am in total amazement. She is clapping, waving, babbling, crawling, cruising and even trying to walk! She took three unassisted steps this past Monday. She was going from me to Bert. I was so happy! I was always so petrified that one of us would miss that moment. But we didn't! We didn't even see it coming. Well, we knew it would be soon. All she ever wants to do is walk around the house holding our hands, but she's very nervous about letting go of us. So we were both surprised when she did it. I don't really think she even realized what she did. She hasn't done it since. But I'm sure her days of upright mobility are just around the corner.

She was in her first wedding last weekend. Her uncle Josh married a wonderful girl named Brittany. All three of us were in the wedding. It was beautiful, and Temperance loves her new Aunt Brittany.

We will of course be videoing her all the time now looking for more independent steps. As soon as we get something I'll post it. Love you all!

Masha

At the first of the year, I was becoming overwhelmed by taking care of Temperance and working at the same time. I was in serious need of help. One Monday night I was praying with two girls and they asked how they can pray for me and I mentioned that I am seeking a nanny, but very very nervous about the whole thing. We prayed and after we were done praying, one of the girls told me that she is looking for work, that she loves babies and that she would love to take care of Temperance. Her name is Masha. She is from Russia and has been in Kentucky for two years. Her husband is a graduate student at UK.
I was very nervous about the idea of a nanny at the beginning, and Temperance was not doing well going to other people. I felt like God had sent Masha to us, but I wanted to be sure. I invited Masha to come spend some time with Temperance one afternoon. I wanted to see how Tempie would react. I knew that if she went straight to her, then it was most certainly God. She did! Not only that, but one of my students came in to the office and asked to hold her while Masha was holding her. Masha handed her over, and she immediately started crying! Masha took her back and calmed her down. Up to that point, almost no one but Bert or I could do that! I knew it was from God. She has been keeping Temperance at my office two days a week since that time. And it has been truly wonderful. She has been such a huge blessing to ME these past few months. I could never have asked for someone with a more genuine sweet spirit. I prayed when looking for a nanny for someone who would pray over Temperance and love her as a spiritual being as well. Masha certainly does this. Often while Tempie is playing, Masha will be reading the Bible to her (in Russian). Temperance LOVES her Masha!!!
It is such a blessing to trust God. He alone can give more than we can ask or imagine!
We love you Masha!!

Character Suspicions

It's so much fun to see Tempie's personality come out every day! For example, we have learned that she is a straight faced clown. Early on I had worried that she wasn't a very happy baby. She would splash around in the tub, which we thought was funny, but she wouldn't even crack a smile. She did all the things that most babies do and laugh about, but she didn't laugh. We have since learned that she just enjoys making us laugh. She will do something that makes us laugh, (like right now the joke is for her to put something in her mouth and then shake her head) and she will keep doing it, keeping a straight face. She will occasionally give a little smirk that lets you know she knows what she is doing and she is enjoying your laughter. It is a funny sense of humor, probably very similar to mine!
Another early prediction came from her great grandma Carswell. Temperance seems so serious sometimes. She will study everything around her. I wanted to think that she is a wise, observant, studious baby. Grandma Carswell had other thoughts. She thinks that during these times Tempie is cooking up a mischievous plan. She says it's something in her eyes. I never saw it, until we took this picture...


Well, Grandma Carswell, you may be right. I guess time will tell. It will be fun to see what happens to all my predictions once she can talk. Then we will have a better idea of what is going on inside that pretty little head. That is if she will tell us!!

Tempie loves to dance!

Here's a video of Tempie and I dancing to Sandra McCracken. She seems to love her music as much as I do!!