Joy is Learning to Count

Joy surprised us last night by saying the numbers two and three while we were stacking blocks. Danny, of course, grabbed the camera. I think it is safe to say she isn't actually counting but saying the numbers is a start! Enjoy!

Joy Says 'Hi' to Dad!

Joy has just started to say some two syllable words and say some two word phrases. Her favorite thing to say/do, when dad is home working on the addition, is to run to the doors and say 'hi da'. Below is a video sample of how excited she gets about it. The addition is nearing completion. Danny is putting the stone up around the fire place in this video. All that is left is trim and carpet and we can move in. :)

Joy Knows Our Facial Features

Hi. Well, here is the latest with Joy. She has been curious about our faces lately, so dad and I started labeling our facial features about two weeks ago. Now she can point to different things that we label. She can also say 'eyes' perfectly now since we took this video. She is a very curious little girl. She is learning and growing at such a rapid rate. She is also walking everywhere now with fewer falls than in her previous video. Her favorite thing to do is go 'sigh' or more understandably, outside. She walks around the yard with a rock in her hand, swings on the 'wee', and picks flowers and leaves.



I had a VERY scary thing happen to Joy and I this past week. We returned home after having a frustrating morning at the shop with the Danny's car. After I parked, I dropped the keys in the diaper bag, got out, hit the lock as I always do in my car (manual locks), and shut the door. As I walked around the car, my brain re-entered my head, and I remembered Danny's car has automatic locks, which means I just locked Joy, keys, phone, etc in the car. Thank God we have retired neighbors who I ran to for help immediately. He called Danny at work while I waited by the car with Joy. Danny arrived with his key about 15 minutes later. Joy did great the first 10 minutes and then got more irritated with the situation the last 5 minutes, which felt like 10 years. We are all fine now, but Joy got a lot of extra love the rest of that day because mom felt, and still feels, really guilty.

Danny continues to work hard on our addition. The wood is finally installed on the walls. We are both going to work on staining trim and the windows over the next couple days. We are thankful for this stretch of warm weather we are having. But once the staining is finished, then it can get cold so we can start talking about the golf course closing for the season. Because we would love to have more time with Dad! Danny will start tiling the floor and putting up the stone on the fireplace over the next couple weeks. We hope to have that done before the assessor comes for our refinancing deal in about two weeks.

Life is busy! But we are all happy and healthy. We are very thankful for all we have been blessed with!

Joy has started golfing

Joy got her first lesson from her dad a few days ago. She's been busy golfing around the house ever since. Here is some video footage of her practicing.

Joy Walks Around the House

Hi. I thought I'd share a little bit of what Joy has been up to the last few days. It is so fun to watch her learn and grow. She started walking from room to room and around the loop in our house one day. Then the next day we showed her how to stand up a few times and by the end of the day, she is walking independently around the house. And now she doesn't stop. It is fun and exhausting at the same time. Enjoy!

Joy's Birthday Celebrations

Joy started celebrating her birthday at the Krafve farm on Saturday, 9/4. Grandpa, Grandma, and all the aunt and uncles were there to watch and help Joy eat her first piece of cake.

Then on Saturday morning, 9/11, Grandma and Grandpa Krafve went with Joy and mama to a car show at a local VFW here in Madison. Joy enjoyed all the cars and said 'wee' when she saw a golf cart driving around. She is her father's daughter! Joy also insists on walking half the time, with some assistance still. Here are a couple pictures of the fun.


Joy's first birthday party was held on Saturday afternoon in the gym at Mt Olive Lutheran Church in Madison. Joy had about 13 little friends there, along with their parents, to play with. We had a lot toys, music, and balloons, which, after a few loud pops and tears initially, turned out to be great fun. The gym was the perfect setting for Joy since she still mostly crawls to get around.
I'm sad that my baby is now becoming an independent toddler, but am thankful at the same time. We all had a great time and are so thankful for all of our family and friends!!

Here is Joy kicking the balloons with some support from mom and dad.

Here is Joy playing with the balloons with dad and Aunt Sarah before her friends arrived.

Finally, on Sunday, 9/12, the actual day of Joy's birthday, we stayed at home and had company most of the day. Aunt Jenni and Uncle Aaron, along with Grandma and Grandpa Krafve, were here in the morning. Then Grandpa and Grandma Rainbow visited during the Packer game. Note: We had the party on Saturday so it wouldn't interfere with the Packer game on Sunday - guess who made that request? :) Joy had more cake and opened a few more gifts. She got her first Cheese Head but isn't too excited about wearing it yet. Needless to say that night, Joy was a little overtired from the weekend festivities. Below are a few pictures from Sunday.

What a year it has been! I look forward to making many more memories with our dear daughter, our pride and JOY. If any of you figure out how to bottle any of this for a lifetime, please let me know. May God richly bless you and your family!!

Joy's Birthday Party

What a weekend!! Joy had a fun-filled weekend with family visiting and a party on Saturday. She got lots of attention! We threw a party for her at Mt Olive Lutheran Church in Madison. It was a great location and I think all of Joy's friends had a good time. There is some video of the celebration below. Thanks so much to all of our friends and family who helped us celebrate and for all of your birthday wishes. We all feel very blessed!!





I have a lot more video and pictures to share with you. I'll get more up as soon as I can.