Best Part of Having a Veronica:

Veronica's facebook status yesterday: "I fit 45 shirts, 27 tank tops, 3 pairs of leggings, 2 bathing suits, a plethora of undergarments, 3 dresses, 3 skirts, 6 pairs of jeans, 2 sweatpants, 13 pairs if shorts, 8 pairs of shoes, 2 towels, 2 belts, all the toiletries I need, and a straightened into 2 military duffel bags."

How impressive is this girl?

I put this status up because I think it sorta "explains" Veronica quite a bit. She's a very cool gal. She is low maintenance. She goes with the flow. Right now, she is just trying to get through jet lag which can take 1-2 weeks depending on you and how well you manage things. I was very proud of her yesterday. She decided to come with me in the morning as we ran a few errands and went to a park play date so that she would be forced to stay awake. I bought her an espresso, and instantly realized why this extra set of hands would be valuable. In the course of our three hour outing, both boys had an accident in their pants (the not-so-nice-kind) which I was able to focus on because I had someone else with me to watch the other kiddo.

(It was the first time we had ventured away from the house during potty training and I now know why poor Isaac was asking to "please go home" at the park over and over again. Navigating a public restroom for more than #1 was more than he was capable of at this stage of the game.)

But she was there to help AND she managed to stay awake all day yesterday and avoid a nap. THAT is some willpower in the midst of some stinky eight hour jet lag.

Of course Veronica won't be going everywhere with me. The idea is that she will be here to help me, but she'll also be free to babysit for other people to earn spending money or to meet people and participate in trips and activities on Base. We want her to experience this new culture and new world -- all the while providing some extra sanity to a house currently in a state of "holy cow -- are we crazy?!" mode.

The other fantastic thing about Veronica? She loves to take pictures. The pictures in this post are all courtesy of Veronica. I'm sure you can tell from her snaps that she doesn't just like to take pictures, but she likes to take those artistic angled pictures that look so nice but I don't have a clue how to take. JB likes taking pictures including ones of the artistic angle variety. But he just doesn't often have the extra set of hands necessary to bother with the camera as of late. (Go figure!)

So it could be that everyone who reads my blog benefits from Veronica being here for a year in the photography we get to witness -- especially those of you who love my boys as much as we do and really want to see more pictures of them but don't want to stress me out by asking me to take more pictures even though you really want to see them.

Anyways, she's here. I am thrilled. JB is thrilled. The boys seem thrilled and already taken with her. Scrubs has allowed her into our pack with relative ease. It'll be different adding another person to our house, but we truly feel that her presence is a miracle. We feel that it is God sending what you need when you need it at a moment when you were wondering if God knew the feelings of inadequacy you possessed. I think it no accident that Veronica facebooked me on the exact same DAY we found out we were expecting #3 playfully asking if I had considered a nanny.

I think it is way beyond an accident.

I think life is so much less of a coincidence than we as human beings often attribute it to. Veronica is proof of that.