Tire swing

The tire swing has become a daily occurrence. These girls love the tire swing "from Canada... and Grandpa's truck" and will tell anyone who walks past the story. It has led to hours of fun!

Daddy

This would be Francis, teaching the girls how to carefully place a cookie on a spatula...

Then, get ready! Put your thumb down, wind up and....

flip it up, and try to catch it in your mouth!

The girls were torn between protecting their head and trying to catch the cookie.

Overheard

"What panties should we wear?"

"No, not those ones. They don't match."

"What about this ones?"

"Yes! We match now! "

These two little girls, both twins and friends. What a special relationship they have. They are having wonderful conversations, and negotiating everything with each other. So close, and yet so different. Sami likes peach jam and meat. Emma is a veggie girl, and prefers strawberry jam. Both love making cupcakes! Although Sammi is a touch more serious about her job, and Emma about the camera!

8 months

Current stats:

1 tooth!!!

15lbs, 8oz

26.25 inches in length

Smiling and giggling, but no longer sleeping through the night because of her teeth...

Chattering all the time, loving her sisters more and more (who are trying to teach her 'children obey your parents in the LORD, for this is RIGHT') hilarious lessons!

Smoothies

I love summer, smoothies and farmers markets. Apparently, so do the girls!

Grandpa

We had a lovely visit with mom and dad last weekend... here are a couple of snapshots of our time. They came, set up a tire swing, ate pizza, read books and headed home. We had a wonderful time, and the girls have talked all about grandma and grandpa all week long. Sometimes 5 hrs away seems just too far :)

(mom was behind her camera most of the time... thus, no pictures :( Next time!

In an instant

Sunday afternoon. Around 4pm. 4 minutes of high winds. And then it was over. There wasn't time to sound the tornado sirens, or grab the girls, or realize what was happening. I ran to the office to shut the windows because the rain was coming, and by the time I got to the other side of the house, the tree was already on the house, resting on top of the room where all three girls were sleeping. While the attic was pierced, there was no structural damage, no branches through the windows, and Emma slept on. In 4 minutes, around 30 trees across the street were uprooted from Palmer Park, a garage roof was thrown into the neighbours house, and almost 100 trees in the area are torn down.

I was reminded again that God is the Father and Protector of my girls, and while they are entrusted to me, they are not mine. God can take them home whenever He chooses. I praise God that we were protected from harm. My prayer is that, like Emma, I can rest in peace, despite the storms of this world, trusting that God will guard and protect our lives. And so, we sleep, trusting that he who does not slumber nor sleep, will watch over those who do.