June 2012

The last day of school flew by! Samantha had a friend stay over and Sofie had a neighbor come to play. After playing with the hose, we settled in to watch a movie and stayed up REALLY late (for them). The next morning they were ready for more!

We got to see our friend Naamah ride her unicycle in a parade and spend the day with our friends. I took the opportunity to finally donate blood, which is something that I’ve always wanted to do and will continue to do. Everyone had fun and it was a great family day.

Papa took the girls fishing and both girls said IT WAS SOOOO FUN! Papa found a spot where the fish bite so the everyone got the thrill of the hunt (and release). According to Nana, Papa has been waiting years to do this so it was good for everyone!

Samantha and I are enjoying our piano lessons… it’s going well and I’m glad that I’m doing it. Samantha is very inquisitive and doesn't mind practicing, especially when I begin practicing.

We headed out to a nearby Family Festival at a Farmer’s Market for some fun. Antie She met us and we got cupcakes, our favorite jerky and plenty of fruit and vegetables. The girls danced and played and Sofia clapped watching the fire truck lower their ladder. The heat took a lot out of us, but it was really fun! Check out the free picture of the girls… the “stars aligned” on the first attempt and I love it!

My First Friday with the girls

I finally got a day to engage and explore with my girls... it’s been far too long and I appreciated the time so much! It was a long work week leaving the house before they woke up, but today did make it worth it!

We started off with a leisurely morning, going about at our own pace. I took them to the library to get some new books (Samantha checked out 12 chapter books… we love that she’s a reader!), ran a couple of errands and set out for some fun at my favorite park. We rented a canoe to go portaging and really had no expectations. We crossed the first lake (read: big pond), hiked about a mile to the second lake where we saw turtles and fish and blooming water flowers. It was quiet excepting the birds singing and truly a magical moment. We stopped at a shelter to eat our lunch and the girls wandered a bit. I taught them about why it’s important not to eat berries from a bush unless you’re sure what it is and watched Sofie stand in the water trying to catch a fish. Samantha commented on the birds and how strange it was that no one was around. After lunch, the girls wanted to swim at the beach so we portaged back to return the canoe and they swam. Then we stopped for ice cream on the way home which both girls said thank you for. They said they had fun and glowed telling their dad about our day. It really was an awesome day and I am so grateful!

Our First Time with All the Kids

On Saturday we had all the grand kids to ourselves: Samantha, Sofia, Jordan and Dylan. Wow, it was an adventure. Due to distance and competing schedules we don’t get much time with our niece and nephew, so it was a treat for us. Of course our girls were tired, but they were a great help. Bedtime was late, but everyone slept well and there wasn’t too much separation anxiety for the twins.

Our New Nanny

Lindsay is our new summer nanny and we couldn’t ask for things to be going better! She is fun, always willing to play games and the girls have been out and about enjoying their time with her. Lindsay is loving the time too and says she is learning a lot! My hope is that we will stay in contact with her after she returns to college because she’s a delight! We got right into a new routine with Lindsay starting last week. She is enthusiastic and the week went very well. Lindsay showed the girls her house, chaffeured the kids to and from their activities, made multiple trips to the library (Samantha is a voracious reader) and went to the beach. Yesterday Sofia had a friend over too and since it was a rainy day, they made cookies and decorated them.

They love her and it gives us peace of mind. We are grateful for Lindsay!

Father's Day 2012

Daddy was genuinely surprised by his gift, but I was lucky enough to get the last one at the store for him.  We love him and appreciate all he does for us.  Hopefully all the back scratching we do shows him how much we care!

Happy Father's Day Daddy... we love you so much!

All the dads with their kids at Nana and Papa's house later in the day.

End of School Year Events (On the same day!)

Samantha's teacher is retiring, so some of the parents got together to give her some gifts and throw a party. Her teacher has had a long career and said she could not have asked for a better last class. We wish her well!

By the way, Samantha's last 1st grade report card was stellar. She has a thirst for learning, loves the social aspects of school and is extraordinarily kind. Daddy and I are so proud!

Sofia's spring program was tonight, so all the grandparents came with us to watch Sofia perform. She sang, danced and knew all her moves. Afterwards, we ate and the kids ran around like maniacs. It was entertaining to watch! Unfortunately the video of that performance is too long, but you can see one of her home exhibitions, this one to Kelly Clarkson's "Stronger".