July and August :)

Again.....sorry for the long gap between updates, I'll try to be better! Life around here is going well for everyone. Abigail started walking a couple of weeks ago and is getting better everyday. Joshua is adding new words to his vocabulary daily and is growing up WAY to fast. Tommy just started his LAST semester of school before graduating with his masters in Public Administration in December, and I'm trying not to lose my mind before then :) We got back yesterday from spending the weekend at the batch, and for the first time the kids actually enjoyed it! We went to the aquarium to see the fish and played in the sand on the beach. Joshua really enjoyed running up and down the beach trying not to let the water get his feet then squealing and laughing when it did :) Abigail liked getting buried in the sand and watcing the bird show at the aquarium.
Abigail had a check up last week and is officially 18 lbs. 4 oz. and 29 inches tall.......in other words, tiny :) She is no longer even on the growth chart, she's 3% below it but the doctor is not concerned, so neither am I. She thinks it's great because her "perscription" was to have special things added to her milk, lots of full fat cheese and ice cream, etc. She is happy and healthy and entering the terrible two's a bit early :) She already throws better fits than Joshua ever dreamed of having, but she snaps out of it pretty quickly and is the sweetest little girl I know. We are counting down until she starts nursery, I can't believe I'll actually be able to listen at church for the first time in almost 3 years!
Joshua is my helper these days. He loves to hold Abigail's hand and walk around with her, show her pictures in books, and get snacks for both of them :) We went to nursery to pick him up a couple of weeks ago and he ran to Abigail and walked her over to the toys so she could play too, then he stood guard to make sure no one bothered her! We are still meeting with a speech therapist once a week and he is steadily adding words and phrases. I asked him why he did something the other day and he sighed, held his arms up in the air and said '"I don't know!!". He thinks it's really funny when Abigail says a word or tells him what the animals in their books say, so he tries to get her to do it all the time :)
Tommy is busy, like always. He is in his last semeser of school and working hard to get finished. Between school, work, the property and his new calling (Executive Secretary) at church, we don't see much of him.......but we know it will be over soon! We heard back about the Foreign Service today and it turns out that they had WAY more applicants than they have positions available, so it looks like we will be staying in Texas after all. He has started looking for management positions that he is qualified for and has applied for a couple. Your prayers to help us find the right place for our family would be appreciated.
Not much is going on with me. I'm just trying to get through this last semester and explain to Joshua why Daddy isn't home......this was WAY easier before the kids were big enough to know that he was missing. We are doing well though and reminding ourselves often that in two and a half months it will be over and it will all be worth it.