Princesses

I still have not yet taken the time to learn to edit photos, so I'm sure there are real gems hidden in here, but I know there's a few people who like to see photos of the girls when I have a chance. The other day they brought down their princess dresses, (even one for Katy), and asked us to take pictures of them. They then put on a short recital wherein they all sang different songs louder than each other.
Isabella stopped to pose.

There was some wrestling going on, (typical while one is dressed like a lady),and Nick had to prove to the girls he really is stronger than them.

Brooklyn took a break to take care of her baby and check in with the office.

Katy was just absolutely giddy to be playing with the big girls.

Two

While my computer was out of commission Brooklyn turned two and it's not an occasion I want to let slip me by. Brooklyn is growing into such a quirky person. It took a little while for her personality to begin to shine, but now it's so bright it would blind you. Brooklyn is like the colour blue, a zillion shades and hues to her but none of them offend the eye.

She is our 'scratch and dent model', as one friend kindly put it. I've been waiting all month for her bruises to clear up so we can get some professional pictures taken. She just takes life at full speed, no fear, it doesn't matter what she crashes into. Her sister's head, the edge of the dinner table, the pavement. Hopefully she'll take some time to slow down as she matures, or become a UFC fighter. :)

She is curious. Even though the majority of the world happens over her head she wants to know what is going on all the time. Obstructed views will not deter her, they are merely obstacles to climb over. One of her most favourite places as of late is the zoo. She could watch monkeys, gorillas and orangutans forever.

She's a ham. I thought no one could get funnier than Isabella, Brooklyn is giving her a run for her money.
She is kind, gentle and sweet. She actually sits with her legs crossed on a regular basis. She never goes anywhere without that Teddy, (initially, we're trying to keep him homebound to prevent issues in the future). She will play mommy to anything from Katy to the remote control wrapped up in a kitchen towel. She loves to sing; 'rock a bye baby, tree top, fall', over and over and over.

She is doing so many big girl things. She's been potty trained for a few weeks now, drinks out of a regular cup and tries to sneak into the older kids Sunday School class so she can make the crafts.
She loves the outdoors. Would play out there forever, that is if you tell her she can't. As soon as you let her go outside she just wants to come back in, (why is that?). She is very adept at jungle gyms and slides and loves to swing.

She's rough and tumble, almost always prefers noises over words, can make noises with her body that rival her father's, and like to smash anything. In her heart of hearts she's a princess. Loving dress up and just begging her hair to grow long enough for a ponytail.

It's been an amazing year of watching Brooklyn grow, I can hardly catch my breath when I consider this year coming up as she continues to expand her vocabulary and her experiences; that she will get to share them with me and I will get to see them through her eyes.

A Happy Thought

I am most thankful for photos on those days when no one is obeying and all you can do is toss up your hands and say; 'Does anyone want pizza for dinner?'.

Re-Treat-Ed

Last weekend I went away for a few days on the ladies retreat at our church. Initially I was looking forward to the retreat as a time to connect with women, relax and sleep; I came home realizing that there are way to many women to connect with, relaxing is hard when you're away from home and sleep is overated.

A lovely speaker spoke to us, her messages were amazing and her voice was soothing. Yay for the English. The whole weekend was focused on Matthew 11:28; "Come to me all who are weary....and I will give you rest for your souls."

There were four main sessions focusing on different aspects of the verse; come, learn, trust and abide. I plan to be doing different posts on each one over the next month, as a reminder to myself of what I learned and was challenged by.

I was really challenged by recalling how many times I go away for these weekends and come home with my head full of knowledge that I don't look at again. This time it will be different. The sessions were like lectures, only she talked to us in completely relational terms and with a friendly attitude. It felt like each message was tailored to me, until I turned to the person sitting next to me and she said the same thing and the lady beside her said the same thing.....

It was so nice to be retreat-ed to the love of God. To hear it from an academic point of view and have it touch my heart. I came home looking forward to each day between this retreat and the next one, instead of already looking forward to the next one.

It was so nice that when I came home I just giggled. The sink had some dishes in it with a bit of water, the vaccuum cleaner was out and plugged in, the trash was somewhat gathered and everyone was asleep in the girl's room. I giggled because over all of these things the smell of pancakes filled the air. It is our sunday routine that I get to get myself ready while Nick makes pancakes for the girls and takes care of breakfast. He tried to be a bit of mom while I was gone, but he didn't get so caught up in trying that he forgot to be dad, and that made me smile and giggle.