Since summer is drawing to a close and everyone around here is back in school, I thought I'd do a recap of the summer for our kiddos. They are both growing and changing so much!
But, first, a couple of updates...
- Clara is feeling much better, but the rest of us caught some version of her virus and Andy, me and Benji are still recovering from a sinus infection. (As a side note, you would almost think we're in the thick of winter here due to our sniffling & coughing and staying inside all the time! We do play outside some everyday, but the heat and humidity aren't what any of us can handle for very long!)
- Our trusty van (of 5 years and 170,000 miles) bit the dust over the weekend. It blew a head gasket as we were traveling to Arkansas on Friday. By God's grace, everything worked out very smoothly and we already have a new van! It is an older Toyota Sienna, but is paid for (!!) and in good condition.
And now, back to the summer recap...
Benji has made great strides this summer! In the spring, we were wondering when he would talk so that everyone could understand him. Now he talks all the time! His "r's" and "l's" aren't always clear, but we (and other people) can always understand him. What is hilarious to us are the "added words" that he likes to throw into his sentences like: accidentally, actually, cuz (because), I guess, really really really, so bad, etc. And, even though we've heard him say "Clara" almost perfectly, he still likes to call her "Ca Ca!" We're wondering if that one is going to stick...Also he's almost completely potty trained!!! And, he made his first "real" friend. I mentioned in a previous post that our church hired a youth intern for the summer. He brought his wife and one and a half year old son. As soon as they moved here, Benji referred to him as "my friend." Gradually, it became "my friend Peter" and that's the only way Benji talked about him--never, just "Peter." They had fun playing together over the summer and now Peter and his family are back in Indiana. Here's a picture of them sharing popcorn at one of Clara's tee ball games:
It seems like everyone who has known Clara for some length of time has commented to us this summer about how much she is changing physically. She is taller and has chosen a new hairstyle for herself--no bangs! Also, a few weeks ago, she asked me to cut off several inches of her hair. Afterwards, I took this picture:
We are really proud of her for trying so many new things this summer and most of them have to do with animals! She rode her friend Abbi's pony, has petted a fiesty neighbor dog, adopted Rosebush (the kitten), and even petted fish at the Georgia Aquarium! She also had lots of fun at tee ball, swimming lessons and a week long dance class (part of a art festival in our town). And, of course, big highlights for all of us were the KY Lake and Atlanta trips!
3 comments:
"The Van" the Halsey's beloved 2002 Chevy Venture served us well from May of 04 until last Friday. Clara was just 6 months old when we brought her home from the dealership in Crystal Springs, Mississippi. She had my eyes (the headlights kept going out) and Gracie's good looks and athletic prowess (running several marathons between Mississippi and Indiana and, most recently, to Atlanta, Georgia and logging 110,000 miles in the 5 years she lived with us). In fact, everything but the engine was still in such good shape one of the mechanics decided to put a new engine in it and give it to his daughter.
The Van will be missed by us all but, I trust, she is in a better place (Marion, Arkansas).
It's great to hear the kids' updates! I feel like we talk often but never cover everything. Glad to hear you've already got a new vehicle, too. Love the van eulogy, ALH!
When Clara turns into a veterinarian and Ben becomes a public speaker, we'll look back at this summer as the turning point. =)
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