Photo Catch Up: July part one

Just because we've been rather inactive here, does not mean we haven't been active. In fact, that's the reason we've been inactive... so much going on. In an effort to get all caught up, here's some pictures (& descriptions) from the month of July!

First, we celebrated the Fourth of July! We had friends coming in town on the 3rd, so we had a Third of July party - filled with red, white, & blue, and lots of American food, and country music.

Then we co-hosted a team from Olive Baptist. They worked with our friends at Arbre de Vie hosting a sports camp & Bible school. The last day they helped to host an eye clinic in two villages surrounding - both of which God is opening doors for new churches.

Chandler Renee - 11 months

11 months. 11 MONTHS. ELEVEN. Are you kidding me?! Seriously, she's 11 months today. This past month has been a blast with her. It was like all of the sudden she decided to do a bazillion new "tricks." She hasn't perfected them yet, but she's working on them. She's started trying to dance. Any time she hears music she will bend her little knees or shake her little bum. Seriously, so cute. We have a dance party every morning. She's also working on clapping. Her right hand does better than her left hand, so it's not perfect yet either. But if you say, "Yayyyyyyy," you better believe she'll be hitting her little hands together. She continues to pretend like everything is a cell phone and you must say hello if she puts something to her ear. She does a great job walking all around our living room from couch to table to chair, etc. And sometimes she gets the courage to walk from the couch all the way to the dining room table... and for her little legs, that's a good distance! Some times she tries to repeat what you say. Really, she's probably just making random noises, but it happens to sound like "bye-bye" or "tout à l'heure." Or we really do have an overachieving bilingual child and I'm ok with that.

This month she got settled back into her home and bedroom in Benin. She loves to play with the toys in her bedroom! I think she knows it's her space. We spent a week alone without Trey. It was like a slumber party every night - even the night we didn't have power for 5+ hours and had to help the guard refill the generator with gas at 2 a.m. :) She hasn't done much world traveling this month, but did make a trip to the Togo border. It should have only taken 4 hours total and took over 6 hours! She did great on the trip. She's started to wear shoes! I know, they aren't supposed to wear shoes while learning to walk, and most days she doesn't put a pair on. But when we're going out and she might walk in a dirty place, she wears shoes. She's getting better at walking in them.

I'm going to do my best to cherish this next month before we have a 1 YEAR OLD child! I'm sad that this month is so short. It will fly by faster than usual. But alas, here's to the last month of Chandler's first year!

Chandler Renee - 10 months

Finally, caught up. 10 months. This happened so quickly. Watching a child grow is truly an amazing thing. I thank God daily for allowing us to be a part of Chandler's life. I am also amazed at how He has designed us to grow. Seriously.

Most of this month was spent in America. She celebrated her first Christmas and New Year's! She got to see so many family and friends that she had not seen in months. And she did great with all of it. In Africa, she never meets a stranger. I was afraid, though, after so much travel and lack of sleep and transition she wouldn't do well in America. After an 8 hour car ride, 6 hour plane ride, 8 hour layover, 9 hour plane ride, and another 5 hour car ride we arrived at Trey's parents house. One of my biggest fears was that she would cry when she saw them because of exhaustion. She proved us wrong and jumped right in, at midnight, and started playing with them! It took a few days to adjust to the time difference, but her grandparents and great grandparents didn't mind getting up with her at 5 a.m. and letting us sleep :) We spent the first few days in Panama City, then drove to Pensacola for a week, and back to Panama City for a wedding in Dothan. Then Trey headed to California for the National Championship game and me & Chandler went back to Pensacola. Every car ride she did great! Like I said last month... she's so flexible. Since we got back to Benin, it only took a day or two to adjust to the time difference. We are SO thankful!

Rigo was right. She was saving her second tooth for America! Within a few days of arriving, her second tooth cut through. And we could see her top teeth start moving in. She cut her first top tooth the day she turned 10 months old! This month was much like the first time she rolled over. Chandler took her first steps on Christmas Eve!! And then didn't take anymore. Once we got back to Benin, she got her courage back and began taking more steps. She's showed off for everyone here. We wanted her to get as much baby socialization as possible so she went to Mother's Day Out and the nursery every chance she could. She also loved playing with her cousin, Owen, even though sometimes he wasn't too fond of her taking his toys :) Along, with her first steps she got her first real runny nose from the cold weather and a bought with RSV at the very end of our trip. She kicked it quickly, thankfully, and got a clear check up from the doctor just before we left.

We took her for her 9 month well baby check up when we first got there. She weighed 17 pounds 7 ounces, 26.25 inches long, and her head is 18 inches around. She's thinned out since she started crawling and seems to be a shorty. Not sure where she gets that from! But we do love our petite little girl.