Love and Hugs for Lily: lovey update and smiles

We never did find Lily's lovey, but.......I was able to locate an exact replacement lovey on a Craigslist in Ohio. The seller was SO nice. When I contacted her and explained why I needed it, she sent it via fedex so we would have it the next day. Lily was visibly relieved when she saw it. I don't think she is 100% sold on it, but almost. It looks the same and I have washed it several times, but I know it doesn't "feel" quite right to her. At one point after she was loving on it, she looked at me and said that it was "a little bit broken". It made me so sad! But it is so much better then no lovey at all. She is carrying it with her most of the day, and snuggling with it at bedtime. And the best news is that she is sleeping peacefully again. Thank God! That was a really really rough week, she was truly heartbroken, and I feel horribly that she had to go through that. I have said it before, but she is the bravest little person that I have ever known.

The weather has changed and fall has arrived. One day last week we woke up to a light dusting of snow. At this house that can only mean talk of one thing....skiing. Mike really wants to see how Lily does on skies this season, but I'm not convinced. This mama bear gets the final say on that :) Lily is loving all of the fall decorations. Pumpkins and apple picking are really exciting to her. It rained today, and she had fun playing outside with her umbrella ("umgella", as she says). Preschool continues to be a huge success. She absolutely loves it. Every morning, she will ask me, "Is my school open today?" She is facinated with school busses. She really thinks she wants to ride in one. I told her she has to be much bigger before she can ride a bus to school. Her answer...."I be big in four more days"....so funny!

Peter and Will had their homecoming dance tonight .It is starting to hit me that they are seniors in high school and these are the "last time" for some things! I can't tell you how fast 4 years of highschool has gone by. Lily loved seeing the girls dressed up for the dance. When she saw her big brothers dressed in their coats and ties, she said "why you guys look like daddy"? so funny! During pictures at our house, she had to be right in the thick of things. I think she would have gone with the big kids if we would have let her :)

Enjoy the pictures. She was having so much fun, I couldn't stop snapping :)