Jones Update.

So, after a year in Colorado Springs, a lot has happened.

Obviously, Andrew has celebrated his one year anniversary at the Citadel and we celebrated Lima Bean's one year birthday. Two big accomplishments in my book.

In regards to Andrew, he is doing well. He really enjoys his job and the store numbers have only increased since he took over (I'm allowed to brag, right?). God has truly blessed him. Granted, of course there are cons that come along with the pros of owning your own business. For instance, he can never get away from work (i.e. even when he's away from the store, he gets the occasional phone call with someone needing help) and there's the constant influx of team members leaving and new people being hired. Overall, however, Andrew is happy and he is certainly fortunate to have such a successful store as his first.

Moving on to other news, Lima Bean has blossomed into quite the toddler. She walks (quickly) everywhere and she gets into everything. Our house is a constant disaster with toys and random kitchen utensils and bathroom toiletries scattered here and there... and everywhere. Oh the joy of a toddler! :) In all seriousness though, LB is such a delightful little child. She isn't very talkative, but the little noises she makes are soft and sweet. Certain times of day, she gets really cuddly and loves to squeeze your neck and give kisses... and she is quite the kisser. Every morning when Andrew leaves for work, he pulls through the garage and exits out our back driveway. Lima Bean and I wait anxiously for him to drive through so we can wave good-bye and blow kisses from our back porch. Generally she waves and blows kisses... after he's out of site. Haha! She truly has a huge heart and loves food life.

Just for fun, I prepared a list of different Lima Bean facts. Please enjoy.
- At her one year doctor's appointment, we learned that she weighs 21.2 lbs and is 31 inches long. That puts her in the 50(ish)% for weight and 95(ish)% for height. Clearly she does not take after her 5'2" mama.
- She currently has eight teeth.
- She will eat pretty much anything you put in front of her... some of her favorite foods include avocado, pear, goat cheese, toasted cinnamon raisin rice bread, fried eggs (off of her mama's plate), green beans, and white cheddar cheetos. But trust me, she will eat anything.
- She thoroughly enjoys having a sippy cup of water accessible throughout the day.
- Reading has become one of her favorite pastimes.
- Her version of dancing generally just involves a lot of squatting up and down. It's pretty comical.
- We've been exploring the outdoors more now that she can walk (we have no grass so crawling in our yard has never been much of an option). One of her favorite things to do is walk the length of our front driveway and, on our return trip, attempt to pick up every rock she sees.
- She is infatuated with pushing the trash can and the barstools around the kitchen. Good thing we have a lock option on the trash can!
- Sadly, she has officially fallen off of our bed, her changing table, and down part of our stairs. Let me tell you she's unstoppable so please don't report me. Accidents happen, right?
- She plays really well by herself (but not in a sad way).
- Her vocabulary consists of four words... hello (hey), daddy, mama, and ruff ruff.
- As we walk out of her room when she's just gotten up from a nap, she points at pretty much anything (like pictures, lamps, fans, etc) and says, "ooooh."
- She likes to "talk on the phone." Pretty much anything will become a phone. Tonight, she held the pepper shaker to her ear like she was talking to someone.
- She likes to watch Veggie Tales and "Baby Signing Time."
- She can sign "more"when she wants another bite of food.
- I can't keep shoes on her feet or a clip in her hair. She takes off any accessories possible.
- When we are singing at church on Sundays, she likes to bounce up and down and move her arms to the music like she's directing.
- She loves to play with the dogs. She is very gentle with them and loves to snuggle on the floor.
- Sometimes she will do this really cheesy smile when she's being silly. It always makes me laugh. Please see below.

Well I think that's about all I can think of at the moment. Hopefully that gives you a better idea of what Lima Bean is like right now. Like I said, she is a delight to be around and, although very, very busy, I love her vivacious personality.

Happy Wednesday, folks! And HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDUDE! :)