hi.

That's Loralai's favorite word these days, "hi." And the way she says it is so sweet. She'll see someone she doesn't know and lean around me to greet them and smile really big and say, "hi-eeeee". If she sees a little friend, or a stranger, or one of the dogs - it's all about telling them hi. And when we leave, it's bye. I know you're thinking 'duhhh, that's english.' But it's just so amazing hearing it come out of your 12month old and knowing that she's getting it. She's learning.

Her little heart, her little brain...she's a sponge. She takes in everything around her. She copies sounds she hears - and she's putting together little things like, "hi daddy." She understands so much. I'm amazed at the capacity that a little babe has for love and communicating. She kisses her baby dolls and leans in to give me hugs...just because. Maybe just because she's seen me kiss her baby dolls to show her what it is to love on a baby and because I give hugs, she gives hugs. I don't know. I just know that our little baby is growing up.

And walking. She started walking on her birthday. She'd been practicing, but that day we went to our neighborhood park and lo and behold, there she went. She just needed a little motivation and apparently a swing, a bark covered ground and a slide were motivation enough to get those chubby little legs moving. Todd says that she looks like Fred Sanford. She sort of does, or did. Because in the span of four days, she's gotten good at walking. How is that? I wish I could pick up a sport and, within four days, be awesome at it.

So we had a little get together for her birthday over the weekend. Both sides of our family came in town and some friends with kids. It was wonderful. I mean it. It was just the best to see all these little kiddies running around in our yard and blowing bubbles and playing with play dough and all of loralai's toys. It made me secretly wish for a house full of children. Or maybe I just want to live in a commune with my closest friends and their families and we can play all day and have chickens and grow a garden together and our kids can run around and be silly...that just seems wonderful.

But until then, we'll just enjoy the house and yard God's given us and have fun when friends and family come to visit.

oh yea. forgot to mention. loralai was a little bit, a lot, overwhelmed by the crowd of people at our house. so she clammed up and clung to her mama. and the yummy little birthday cupcake that i thought she'd delight in...she just stared at.

but hey, she got a little red wagon out of the whole deal...and she was super happy about that!