Mary Video

A wonderful explanation of devotion to Mary!

Happy St Nicholas Day!

All powerful God,
you made St. Nicholas a bishop and leader of the church
to inspire your people with his teaching and example.
May we give fitting honor to his memory
and always have the assistance of his prayers.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever—and ever. Amen.


The kids and I are celebrating the day with hot cocoa, speculaas cookies, special books, and the Veggie Tales story of the saint.  When they wake up from naps later, daddy will be home and there will be special treats tucked in their stockings!

Our Jesse Tree - Revisited

Things have been really busy here lately (hence the absence of posts,) but I did manage to put together a new plan for our Jesse Tree this year.

Last year we simply used our regular sized tree, strung it with purple lights, and hung our ornaments on it each night.  It was simple... in theory.  In actuality, the kids took down the ornaments over, and over, and over.  Every day.  I also noticed that since all the ornaments were the same size and shape with the same background color, they were too similar for any of them to be eye catching.  So my plans for this year were to address those two problems. 

I started by making a tree out of stiffened felt, using hot glue to attach the pieces together.  It's approximately 3 feet tall and will be hung on our oversized bulliten board in the playroom ... out of reach of tiny hands.

Next came the ornaments.  I couldn't use the same ones as last year so I set about looking for a new (printable) set.  I found some gorgeous printouts at Catholic Artworks, (though they don't seem to be offering free downloads anymore, you can still purchase a full set.)  I was able to download about 14 ornaments from their site, each with a front and back image and brief description.  I still had several days to fill in so I made some of my own ornaments simply using pictures from Google images and adding the reading at the bottom.  I also knew I wanted to have ornaments for the O Antiphons, but since I couldn't find anything ready to print, I designed some dual sided ones using these beautiful images.

I printed all the ornaments in color, laminated them, and used a hole punch at the top to be able to hang them.  (I will use rounded push pins on the felt tree but could easily pull some ribbon through if I wanted to hang them on a real tree.)

I snapped this image as I was making sure all of the ornaments would fit, making last minute adjustments to the tree pieces before gluing anything.  It's from my phone's camera so the quality isn't very good, but you can get the idea.  The star on top has the Chi Rho symbol in it, making it the final ornament hung on Christmas Day. 

I love that this layout will allow for easier viewing of all the ornaments.

JESSE TREE SCRIPTURES AND ORNAMENTS

December 1 ~ Creation: Gen. 1:1-31; 2:1-4 Symbol: earth
December 2 ~ Adam and Eve: Gen. 2:7-9, 18-24
December 3 ~ Fall of Man: Gen. 3:1-7 and 23-24 Symbol: apple
December 4 ~ Noah: Gen. 6:5-8, 13-22; 7:17, 23, 24; 8:1, 6-22
December 5 ~ Abraham: Gen. 12:1-3
December 6 ~ Isaac: Gen. 22:1-14
December 7 ~ Jacob: Gen. 25:1-34; 28:10-15
December 8 ~ Joseph: Gen. 37:23-28; 45:3-15
December 9 ~ Moses: Ex. 2:1-10
December 10 ~ Samuel: 1 Sam. 3:1-18 Symbol: lamp
December 11~ Jesse: 1 Sam. 16:1-13
December 12 ~ David: 1 Sam. 17:12-51
December 13 ~ Solomon: 1 Kings 3:5-14, 16-28 Symbol: scales of justice
December 14 ~ Joseph: Matt. 1:18-25
December 15 ~ Mary: Matt. 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-38
December 16 ~ John the Baptist: Mark 1:1-8 Symbol: shell with water
December 17 ~ O Sapientia : O Wisdom
December 18 ~ O Adonai : O Lord
December 19 ~ O Radix Jesse : O Root of Jesse
December 20 ~ O Clavis David : O Key of David
December 21 ~ O Oriens : O Rising Dawn
December 22 ~ O Rex Gentium : O King of Nations
December 23 ~ O Emmanuel : O God-With-Us
December 24 ~ The Birth of Jesus (infant Jesus)…Luke 2:1-20
December 25 ~ Christ Our Lord (Chi Rho star)…John 1:1-18

This Day God Gives Me

A beautiful way to begin our day! (lyrics below)


This day God gives me strength of high heaven,
sun and moon shining, flame in my hearth,
flashing of lightning, wind in its swiftness,
deeps of the ocean, firmness of earth.

This day God sends me strength as my guardian,
might to uphold me, wisdom as guide.
Your eyes are watchful, Your ears are listening,
Your lips are speaking, friend at my side.

God’s way is my way, God’s shield is round me,
God’s host defends me, saving from ill.
Angels of heaven, drive from me always
all that would harm me, stand by me still.

Rising, I thank Thee, mighty and strong One,
King of creation, Giver of rest.
Firmly confessing God in three Persons,
Oneness of Godhead, Trinity blest.

Firmly confessing God in three Persons,
Oneness of Godhead, Trinity blest.

Seven Quick Takes

1.  Halloween went by quickly this year and without a working camera we weren't able to get many pictures.  But the kids had a great time (minus a minor meltdown before bedtime) and collected a serious amount of candy.  Addie (a Candy Corn Witch) was fearless, excitedly troting up to each house and saying Trick or Treat before the door was even opened.  Gabe (Thomas the Tank Engine) was more cautious, only venturing up when the bowl of goodies came out and all dogs were properly restrained. Juliana (a ladybug) came out for a bit with Gran, riding in the stroller for a while then tottering up to the houses to be awwed over.

2.  We are all finally kicking off the last shackles of illness.  I think it was 3 solid weeks of fevers, colds, coughs, and croupe.  We're ready to get back to visiting family and friends!

3. Every morning we end our Circle Time with a blessing for each of the kids. It took Gabe a few days to learn the proper response of, Amen. It used to be
Me: "May God bless you and your angel watch over you today."
Gabe: "Yeeeah"

4. Some of our best friends are going sky diving on Sunday.  Needless to say, we turned down the invitation.  (I barely like going flying as it is.  You couldn't pay me to jump out of a perfectly good airplane.)  But we will be going out to watch the jump and cheer them on.  It should be a memorable afternoon!

5. Gabe sat down at the latptop the other day and looked at the logo.  He then pointed to each letter in turn and said, quickly and confidently, "T-O-S-H-I-B-A." He is always surprising me with how quickly he's learning.

6. I have seriously fallen behind in some things around here, namely yoga (I did it for 2 solid weeks and felt wonderful! Then we all got sick and that went right out the window) and meal planning.  I've gotten better about figuring out dinner earlier in the day to avoid last minute panic, but I need to get back to pre-planning a whole week.  It takes away so much hassel.

7. We have been receiving wonderful feedback at our restaurant and are getting closer and closer to the break even point.  Quite a feat since we've only been open 5 months.  We change some of our menu seasonaly and are exicted to be introducing soups and hot pastas soon!  Ahhh, the ability to have an idea and implement it with no obstacles...  priceless!

*this posted linked to Conversion Diary*

Chicken Pot Pie

This is actually an adaptation of my Chicken Pasty recipe; simple and yet so effective.  In a crockpot combine:
 2 cups cubed red potatoes
1 med. sweet onion, chopped
3 med. carrots, chopped
2 tsp mushroom base mixed into 2 cups hot water
1 packet chicken gravy mix
roughly 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken, cut in 1 inch cubes
oregano, basil, garlic salt, and pepper to taste
Cook on high for 2.5 hours.

While that is cooking go ahead and make the pie dough.

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 cup  unsalted butter
6 Tbsp ice water

In a medium bowl wisk together flour, salt, and sugar.  Cut in butter until it resembles cornmeal (small, pea-sized bits.)  Using a wooden spoon, stir in the ice water, 2 Tbsp at a time, until the dough starts pulling together.  You just want it to be able to squish together and stay together, not crumble apart.  Add more water if needed.  DO NOT OVERKNEAD!  I push and pat the dough just enough to make the whole thing come together and form it into a ball. (You want to leave those big pats of butter right where they are... they are what will make your cust flaky and wonderful. :)  Wrap it in saran wrap and stick it in the fridge for at least an hour. 

Look at me.  Now to the crock pot... now back to me.  It's the filling, it's done and it's wonderful.  Drain the vegetables, reserving the cooking liquid, and stir in some frozen peas.  Transfer liquid to a small sauce pan and stir in 4 oz sour cream and 2 tsp worcester sauce.  Wisk in 2-3 tsp cornstarch (mixed into ~1 tsp cold water) to help it thicken over med-low heat. This is the filling your filling could taste like.

While your sauce thickens, roll out your pie dough into 2 10 inch circles.  (It may need to sit at room temp for a few minutes to become more pliable.)  Place one crust in a greased and floured deep dish pie pan. Add enough filling to cover the bottom of the pie and pour some gravy over top.  Repeat layers, finishing with all remaining gravy poured on top.  Place on the second pie crust, trim and crimp edges. Cut slits in the center.  Bake at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes.  (You may need to cover the edges of the crust with tin foil to prevent burning, just remove them 10 minutes prior to the end of bake time.)
 
**This recipe recommeded by Gabe.  "Mmahm mahm.  Dis GOOD."
***Check out lots of other great food ideas at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam's Tasty Tuesday Blog Carnival!

Sustainable Communities

For the past several years, Steve and I have discussed how we long to live in a close, rural community;  Neighbors helping eachother, bartering services and goods.  I found a fantastic post about this at Down To Earth.   Some of our friends and family have expressed similiar interest in the idea, making even the possibility of having something like this be a reality, a bit exciting. 

OBX Wedding

We spent Saturday on the coast celebrating the wedding of a family friend.  (The in-laws in-laws to be more precise.  Or to confuse you more... take your pick.)  Addie and Gabe stayed home and had a wonderful time with Uncle John and Aunt Julie (and Aunt Mellanie!)  Juliana did very well with us, though she became a little fragile as the evening wore on.  (Hence the neon green pacy in most of the pictures.) But she was like a little magnet, attracting the attention of everyone around her.  I've never seen so many big-manly-biker-men get so googly over a baby.

**Thank you, Meg, for the wrap.  It was perfect!

Nick Vujicic: Life Without Limbs

This is truly inspiring. You may need to keep the tissues handy.

The New HP Movie

Oh yes, we will be seeing this in the theaters.  Oh yes.

Wordless Wednesday

Brunch

At the restaurant on Sunday afternoon.

Zoo!

Everyone had a great time, though it was a lot of walking.  We brought the double stroller so the twins could ride if they tired (and a carrier for Ana) but only Addie took advantage.  Gabe walked the entire time, minus the tram rides and lunch. 

We Believe

In One God!  This was our craft for the number 1.

The kids loved having their hands traced (though we ended up using larger ones of my hand), gluing the nails on and the fingers down, and picking their shape and colors.

Lazy Days

We have been taking full advantage of the cooling weather, spending much of our days playing and lounging outside.  A thick blanket makes a wonderfully soft (bug free) spot for us to lay back and sky-watch.  Today there wasn't a cloud to be seen, but that didn't stop us.  Laying head to head in the shade with a cool breeze bringing the smell of freshly cut grass, we watched dragonflies dart about, birds circle and airplanes pass high above.  Such special moments, I soak them in... and know that I would rather be here than anywhere else.

All About Thomas

Well, hello... what's this?

What could be hiding inside?

 It's Thomas!!!!   I completed a few Tot Books I've been working on for the kids, the first of which is all about Thomas The Tank Engine... a very popular guy in this house.  I found the idea and several of the templates over at 1+1+1=1.  What a gold mine of ideas!  The shape cards (which I printed 2 sets of to make a matching and memory game,) the Thomas and Friends book and the counting booklet all came from her website. 

I found the puzzle and the coloring pages at the Thomas and Friends website. The color game I made myself.

I also added in the kids names and pictures in the Thomas and Friends book.  They love to flip through it and find themselves at the end!

A lot of cutting and laminating, but very worth it.  Next up... Veggie Tales and The Very Hungry Caterpillar!

Time to Pray

Steve is currently out of town visiting his father in the hospital.  He recently suffered a stroke but had remained in stable, though serious, condition.  Last night however he took a turn for the worse experiencing organ failure and sepsis.  His condition is precarious and uncertain.  One thing we know for sure, we must pray. 

I had taken the kids outside this afternoon and was pushing them in their swings when I reminded them that we should pray for their grandfather again.  "Do you remember how I told you that Papa Randy is very sick?  We should say some prayers for him, he may be going to see Jesus soon."  They responded with shrieks of glee and clapping, catching me off guard though only for a moment.  Truly the response we should have at the thought of meeting our Lord.

I began to pray the Our Father, slowly so that they could repeat me, and they followed right along.  We followed it up with a Hail Mary, which they asked to repeat 2 more times. At this point I remembered that I had heard a song based on the Divine Mercy prayers.  It had a good rhythm to it that matched well with the tempo of their swinging so we started praying with song, singing our way through an entire decade.  The kids really enjoyed it, and it was so wonderful to have them be focused, attentive and engaged for the prayers we offered for their grandfather.  I think God may have a soft spot for prayers from such small, innocent children... I know I do.

Jumping In

I just finished my last lesson plan for our first taste of homeschooling. I've printed, prepped, and planned for the first 5 weeks, not wanting to commit to more before I know how this will work. We will be taking things slowly and open to changing plans, beginning our journey with the preparatory curriculum at Brightly Beaming. 
We will be following their base lesson plan though we have made some changes and additions.  We'll also be looking to places like Catholic Icing for alphabet and number based crafts and activities.

So... yea.  I'm excited.  Nervous. Anxious.  All that.  But still, trying not to put a lot of pressure on myself.

Taking a Hike

Thankfully the trail was mostly shaded and it was cool enough that we could actually enjoy ourselves.  Though the kids did get tired after a while.  At one point, Addie sat down in the middle of the path and said she couldn't walk anymore.  But, energy was regained... right about the time we passed through the playground on the way to the car.

Play Time!

*Click on the slide show to watch at Picasa and view the videos.

Baby Love

Ana has made a new best friend... a soft, white teddy bear from Gran! She loves how soft he is and giggles uncontrollably when playing with him.  She also gives him huge hugs, tackling him over onto the floor and burying her head in his fur.  Now we just have to decide what to name him....

Best Buddies

She walks!

Ana decided to skip right over cruising the furniture. One minute, she was bopping up and down holding on to the couch, and the next, she crawled over to the wagon, pulled herself up and off she went!

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

The Wonder Twins

A. Those blue eyes are piercing.  Goodness.

B.  When did they get this big?

Crossing New Bridges

I have long had a phobia of crossing bridges that are over water.  Usually, just in a car.  Something about the idea of being trapped in the car if the bridge collapsed into water made it more terrifying to me.  I have made real progress in dealing with this fear though, and have progressed to the point where I can drive over and look out over smaller bridges.  You will not find me heading to Key West or checking out the Golden Gate Bridge though.  But I have assumed that this fear of bridges was simply about driving over them.  I hadn't figured on being afraid to walk across some.

This past weekend we found a state park in our area that has lots of wonderful hiking trails down by a river.  We took the kids out for a little hike and came to a suspension bridge.  Steve wore Ana in the carrier and walked out with Gabe as I followed shortly after holding Addie's hand.  I got as far as seeing the water below the bridge when I stopped.  Had to stop.  A wave of anxiety hit me and I told Steve I had to turn around.  I apologized to the people behind us, who were very polite, and came off the bridge.  Steve wanted to help me conquer this fear and encouraged me to try again.  I asked to go first, so that I wouldn't see the bridge swaying as he walked, grabbed Addie's hand and started out again.

At first, I told myself, "Just look at the bridge, just look at the bridge."
 But as the bridge swayed and dipped with every step I soon found myself saying, "anywhere but the bridge.  anywhere but the bridge!"
My eyes shot out to the trees beside us and I tried to focus on them, but even they were swaying in the wind.  I finally focused my eyes on the unmoving bridge anchors at the end and, taking very small steps and deep breaths, made it all the way across.  I sat down on a bench, feeling slightly dizzy, my body buzzing from adrenaline or fear, and on the verge of tears.  The feeling passed quickly though as we continued our hike. Of course we had to cross the bridge again to get back out, but I did better that time.

The rest of the day I felt good.  Really good.  Empowered, even. I hadn't expected to conquer a fear that day, especially one I didn't even know I had.  A small accomplishment, but having that knowledge that you can do something you thought you couldn't... priceless.

Good ol' Boy

We have recently noticed that Gabe seems to be developing a southern accent.  Steve and I do have accents ourselves, though I wouldn't say they're terribly pronounced.  Unlike this child who seems to have been steeped in some strong, southern style tea.
Toys : "toe-ways"
wind mill : "win-mee-ow."

You know it's been a long day when...

You walk into the playroom and see your children riding a toppled over basketball goal like a slide and see the baby chewing on a piece of chalk, and your only response is to turn and walk out of the room.

Small Successes

1. We are making progress at getting the nursery cleared out for Ana.  We moved her into the room earlier than we had anticipated (we had also been considering rooming her with the twins.  Yeah, big fat no to that.)   There is still a lot to be done, but at least her co-sleeper (got to get that kid a crib) is not still stuffed in a corner surround by huge boxes and bins.  heh.

2. We've had two great homemade dinners in a row this week.  Which is somewhat surprising since I haven't made a meal plan in ages and these were both by-the-seat-of-my-pants dinners.  The first was chicken pasty... without the pasty.  Essentially, it's a filling of ground chicken, red potatoes, onion, carrot, and corn.  Topped with a brown gravy and served over biscuits, it was excellent!  The second dinner (last night) I breaded chicken pieces and zucchini slices in panko, parmesan, and ranch mix.  They were baked at 400 for a while, then finished up under the broiler.  I also made some risotto to go with it.  Yum. 

3. Steve and I cleared out all the toys from under the couches and entertainment center.  We put them with the other jumble of toys in the playroom (that was taking over everything) and re-sorted and stored them.  All.  It makes me so happy and the kids are getting better at putting one activity away before getting out another.  Win-win!

Pretend Play

In the past few days the twins and I have come up with some fun games for them to play that use their imaginations and have them sharing and taking turns.  (Hoorah!)

The first game I came up with on the spot because Gabe was carrying his fishing pole around, obviously wanting to use it, banging it on the floors and walls.  Not wanting him to break his precious pole I decided to make him a fishing game.  I cut about 15 different sized fish out of colored construction paper and drew eyes, smiles, and scales on them, then put on a small piece of double stick tape.  I grabbed his pole and wound more double stick tape around the end and he was ready to go!  I turned over an activity mat and we used that for the water, spreading out all the fish on it.  Then he went to town, picking out his fish, lowering his rod, tapping the fish gently, reeling a little and then lifting up his prize.  He was so excited.  I think we played for a solid hour the first day.  When Addie came home she was excited, too so we set up her pole the same way.  We've played this game every day since.  Not only do they have to take turns in this game, but we name the colors of the fish as they're caught, count them when we're done, and fish for them by size ("Catch the smallest fish!")

In the second game they get to pretend to be garbage truck drivers!  First, we used bristle blocks to build the garbage trucks.  Then we rounded up six small containers to use as garbage cans and filled them up with crumpled up bits of construction paper.  We set the cans out, 3 per street, and got each kid a truck to start their route! Driving down the street, one house at a time, they carefully lift each can and dump its contents in to the back of the truck. After they've emptied all the cans they drive to the dumps and unload their trash.  Then we fill the cans back up, set them out on the streets again and switch routes!  They're having a great time, making sound effects and taking turns.

Being Artsy

And some random pictures around the house...
Thanks to the aunts for the awesome easel and art supplies!!!
(watch at the picasa site to see a few videos, too)

The Lord is my strength

My Doctor confirmed this afternoon that we lost our baby.  I am scheduled to have a D&E tomorrow morning.  I ask for your prayers for our family during this difficult time.

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you.   -  Jeremiah 1:5

"The child lives.  Instead of the wind he hears the sound of angels singing before Gods throne.  Instead of the beauty that passes he sees everlasting Beauty, he sees Gods face.  He was created and lived a short time so that the image of his parents imprinted on his face may stand before The Lord as their personal intercessor.  He knows secrets of heaven unknown to men on earth.  He laughs with a special joy that only the innocent possess.  Gods ways are not the ways of man.  He creates for His Kingdom and each creature fills a place in that Kingdom that could not be filled by another.  He was created for Gods joy and his parents merits.  He has never seen pain or sin.  He has never felt hunger or pain.  The Lord breathed a soul into a seed, made it grow, and called it forth." - Mother M. Angelica

Small Successes

1. I have been able to get a handle on my nausea.  Hooray!  I've been eating small meals and snacks every 1.5-2 hours and, at the recommendation of a pharmacist, am taking a daily dose of the B6 vitamin.  It's not an instant cure, but taken daily has really helped to quell the queasies.

2. The kids went back to gymnastics today after a 2 week absence.  I was worried that the time away would make them forget how the class progressed and things like paying attention and sitting when asked to.  (Not so simple for a 3 year old.)  But their teachers (one of whom is a close friend from early childhood) said that they were fantastic, 98% improvement from their last classes!  They each have 2 make-up classes to take and I have signed them up for separate classes.  Addie will have 2 weeks of ballet/tap (squee!  leotards and slippers, hooray!) and Gabe will have 2 weeks of sports introduction (golf, baseball, soccer, football, and hockey, oh my!)

3. Ana has taken her first (assisted) steps!  For quite a while now she has pulled herself to a standing position and just stood there or bopped up and down gently.  But today, she grabbed hold of my fingers and proceeded to walk a good 4 feet across the kitchen!  She still has a ways to go to get the coordination figured out, currently it's more of

Raise left leg up and SLAP it down 5 inches in front of herself.
Tiny step with right leg.
Bop up and down.
Tiny shuffle of right leg to even up with left.
Repeat.

Cupcake Carnage

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

When did this happen?

Our baby girl is one!  (Look at the picture, "I'm one" she says!) Her birthday was actually yesterday, but the cupcake smashing is happening today!!  Will post pictures soon.

Nana Love

Feeling Good by Getting Dirty Part II

Feeling Good by Getting Dirty

I have several pictures like the one in this great post over at Simple Mom. Set my twins out in our garden bed (we gave up on trying to grow anything this year) with a shovel and some construction vehicles (or race cars, school buses... anything can be a dump truck) and their in hog heaven. It's a good day when they're covered in dirt, sweat, and smiles.

Surprise, Surprise!

We're having a baby! Again! Heh. Though this pregnancy was definitely a surprise, we are excited to meet this newest butterbean. The prospect of having four children under four is certainly daunting, but we trust in the Lord to guide us as we know He doesn't give you more than you can handle.

The reactions from family and friends have been positive. We're so blessed to have such wonderful people around us who not only understand but also respect and support our faith and life choices. (I did have one friend compare me to the Duggar family. Hmm, 4 kids to 19. That's a bit of a stretch, don't you think?) But in the sense that we leave the ultimate decisions of children to God, she is correct. (Though, I don't know if the Duggars practice NFP as we do.)

It is still very early in the first trimester, around 6 weeks, so I am deep in the throes of all-day-sickness ("morning" sickness is a joke) and exhaustion. I'm managing fairly well with sleep, going to bed early and trying to nap and rest when the kids are sleeping. I am really struggling with the nausea, though. I have found some tea that seems to be helping, Get Maternal, but it can only do so much. I am trying to snack every two hours or so, but I am finding it increasingly difficult to find foods I am able to eat.

I have suffered from moderate to severe IBS for over a decade now, though I have found ways to manage my symptoms very effectively. Unfortunately, many of the things I have given up eating are the very things recommended for pregnant mothers. I cannot eat ANY type of dairy (cheese, milk, yogurt, etc) or high fat foods (anything fried obviously, but things like egg yolks and avocados, too.) I know my stomach can handle things like crackers and pretzels but, funny enough, their lack of flavor can actually aggravate my nausea. One of the only things I can consistently get down is a toasted bagel with Toffuti Brand Cream Cheese. It's a great snack because it has a decent amount of protein and carbs. Ideally, all my snacks should include those two. I'm having serious problems thinking of other things to eat though! (I would normally say hummus, but the smell and taste are too much for me right now.) Anyone have any ideas?

Voyage of the Dawn Treader Trailer

I am looking forward to seeing this installment in the Narnia series. I do hope that the plot is stuck to more than with Prince Caspian, though. These stories don't need embellishing.

Keeping Cool

We visited Steve's brother, Shane, and our nephews, Jacob and Michael, today. We all headed to the pool and spent a few hours splashing, playing catch, cooling off, and having a great time. The kids are anxious to go back, I'm hoping to start teaching them to swim this summer.

**If you view this album at Picasa online (follow the link of the album title) pictures number 24 and 52 are actually videos.**

Cuteness Overload

Taking hands to say grace over dinner, Addie gives Gabe her hand and he says, "Sankyou mery much!" then they lean over their clasped hands to kiss. GAH!!!

(yes, some of you may recognize this as my facebook status. I just had to share... and this blog is the closest thing I have to a memory book. heh.)

An English Tea

Mom, Gigi, Mary and I went out for tea this afternoon and it was lovely.  The tea room was simple but beautiful, decorated with tiny tea cups, flowers and other Victorian inspired touches.  While sipping delicious teas like Peach Oolong, Jasmine and Christmas we sampled cheesecake, fresh fruit and truffles.  Cucumber sandwiches, quiches and turkey rolls.  Savory shortbread cookies and scones with lemon curd and Devonshire cream.  And chocolate dipped strawberries.  Of course. The owner (a pastry chef) and her husband run the tea room together and were very friendly and accommodating.  All in all a wonderful way to end this visit with family.  

Pinky out!

Play time!

Cuties