Clearly a lot has happened since those sunny pictures of Summer '10! We made the move to the Columbus-area in October, and just recently moved into a rental house in Delaware, Ohio. (Many thanks to Sheryl for putting up with us as "houseguests" for an extended four-month stay!) We've settled in and are enjoying our time with friends and family in the area. And since there is just too much to share, I'll share just a quick update on what matters most to us - our joyous little boy.
Drew will be 2 (yes! 2!) next week. He LOVES his new daycare and has grown tremendously in just about every way. He can count to 15, and often in the correct order. He recognizes all of the major colors, can sing most of the alphabet (that darned L, M, N, O and P sequence gets us every time!), and speaks in full sentences. Drew remembers every line from every book we read - usually after just one or two readings. (We can no longer skip a page, or even a word!) He still loves cars and trucks, and his appreciation for fire trucks and choo-choo trains is comparable to his mother's appreciation for chocolate. Oh - and he discovered that, too. Turns out, the kid loves a good piece of Hershey's! Mom is proud.
Jeff is even more proud of his future Blue Devil, who recognizes the Duke logo and can read the word itself. Drew chants, "Go Duke! Go Duke!" often - giving Jeff reason to smile, and a glimmer of hope that our kid will carry on the family tradition of rooting for Coach K's team. Of course, now that we're in Columbus, extended family and friends have taught him "Go Bucks" as well. It was bound to happen. (Sigh.)
We sing, we dance, we color, we build towers with blocks, we watch Mickey Mouse & Handy Manny, we run, we chase the dogs, and we have a wonderful time together!
Admittedly, we miss so much about Chicago. We miss our Chicago-area family (Drew misses his cousin Melanie a lot!), our friends, neighbors, church family, and the spirit that comes with being near a big city. But we're making a home here for ourselves, and we still feel that this is where God wants us to be.
We'll gather this weekend to celebrate the life of Jeff's grandfather - Ed Langner - and we're grateful to be here and have spent some time with him in the recent months.
It's amazing to realize that Drew has met 6 great grandparents. And Jeff and I are so happy to see their many wonderful qualities carried on in Drew - joy in his eyes, warmth in his heart, a sense of adventure, and already a great sense of humor. He has many generations of family members to thank, and we look forward to sharing moments with - and stories of - these special people as he grows up.
Here's just a quick look at some updated pictures of our almost-two-year-old Drew:
