Rest of July-Grant turns 6 months!

I am so behind, but I wanted to make sure to record all of the things that have been keeping us busy-including Grant turning 6 months!

Key points about July:

• THE DRUG HOUSE: We have looked some at purchasing a house or townhouse, but decided that we are not in a place where we really could. James still likes to look for fun. He saw a foreclosure property that was going up for auction. These auctions start at $1,000 and go up from how people bid on them. We started thinking that if the bidding stayed low, that we could possibly get this townhouse and a loan for home improvement. We primarily thought it would be a great property to turn around and sell in a few years and make a profit on, which would set us up great financially. We checked out the property and it didn't seem in too bad of shape. We did a lot of research on the process of getting loans and associated costs that we would incur. We nicknamed it the "drug house" because it looked like the person who lived there before was probably growing marijuana in the garage. They had sealed off the garage door and there were long fluorescent lights hung from the ceiling. There was also a hole cut in the side of the garage where it looks like police may have come and raided the place, and taken the "evidence" out. We prayed about it a lot and really felt like this would be a good decision and we felt a lot of peace about it. But on the day of the auction, the bidding went up much too high for our comfort and we did not win the auction. We still do not know why we felt so strongly about pursuing this townhouse and then not get it in the end. But if nothing else, we have learned a lot about the process of purchasing a house, loans, home improvement costs, and things like that which will hopefully help us in the future. So, adios our little drug house!


• I STARTED A WORKOUT PLAN: Thanks to one of my friends & neighbors, I was able to start a regular workout schedule. We leave at 6am 3-4 times per week and go walking in a nearby neighborhood. It is still hot and muggy in the morning but way better than any other time of day. I am so thankful for her support and it has motivated me to keep working out every week. I still have some baby weight to lose. At this point, I haven't lost any weight, but I feel my muscles getting stronger and my strength and endurance are increasing. Pregnancy can really do a number on your body! I am feeling really great!


• JAMES PASSED THE CALCULUS CLEP TEST! After a LONG series of events and challenges, James made the decision to take the Calculus clep test. That set off a chain reaction which enabled him to be able to graduate this December! I learned a big lesson from this experience. I know that the hand of the Lord was in this. First, I learned a lot of patience. I learned that things may not always go my way but that I have to be willing to accept changes and realize that in the grand scheme of things, a few months will not matter so much. I also learned that if we are really meant to do something, Heavenly Father will prepare the way for us. Even if we can't see the way out, He can bring us there. He can make up the difference for where we lack. I am so grateful for that merciful concept.
  
  
• GRANT TURNED 6 MONTHS OLD! At his checkup, he was 26 inches long (50th percentile) and 16 pounds (25th percentile). He is long and lean. He is slim but he is growing well--he used to be in the 10th percentile for weight! It was hard to see my poor baby get his shots, to see that scared look in his eyes, but he was such a trooper!
  

Things Grant does at 6 months:

Loves to grab and CHEW on EVERYTHING!




Loves to eat!


Sometimes it's easy, like when he's eating Oatmeal (which he loves)...


And sometimes it's not! But the one thing that is for sure is that we are always having adventures.


Grant was right on the verge of crawling at 6 months and is moving everywhere! He loves to smile and make coughing noises (his laugh)!

We had a great July, hope ya'll did, too!