On The Road Again

Not sure if "on the road again" really gets any easier with each new business trip I make or if the part about "I just can't wait to get on the road again" will ever be true for me, but here I am, spending yet another couple of days away from my girls and their amazing daddy again.  Daddy Daycare is in full force back home as Chris is taking care of the girls with no help this time! He is such an amazing husband and father. My heart is warmed every time I hear that they walk through the house saying "Mama?  Mama?"  Chris says they do this every time they wake up and throughout the day.  When I have left them for business trips in the past, they weren't really walking around saying "Mama?" but now that they've hit that 18 month mark (which, by the way, I have a post about but am having technical problems posting it!!), their comprehension skills have taken off.  They take direction from us, they understand us, and they know - and express that they know - when things are different...such as when mama isn't around like she usually is.  

Today Chris sent me a video of the girls at meal time.  They were kicking their feet - looked like one was about to throw down the tantrum before he had a chance to even begin feeding them...until Chris said "Let's pray to Jesus!" and immediately they both stopped and folded their hands and bowed their little heads (looking over at each other).  The routines, the "sameness", the comprehension skills are paying off - especially when we continue keeping God a constant in their lives.

Wednesday morning they will wake up to seeing their mama standing over their cribs and all will be normal in their world again.  In the meantime, before and after a loooong day of non-stop going going going, I'm enjoying my morning view of a place near and dear to my heart when I wake up and my evening view before I go to bed....

But even in the beauty of one of my favorite places, there's still nothing in this world like waking up to this view just down the hall at home...

Love these precious, precious baby girls and can't wait to get back home to them and daddy soon!

18 Months Old

Well girls, on June 18 you officially hit the 18 month mark!  One and a half years old! Such big girls you are...and such proud parents we are of you!  With each new day, new discoveries are made and new skills are learned.  The girls have now learned to actually say "More?" when they want more of something rather than "uh! uh! uh!" when they want more of something.  They are mimicking just about every word we ask them to say, only they don't always sound the way they are supposed to, but their voice inflection is mirrored to ours.  It's too cute!  On Monday we went to the pediatrician's office for their 18-month appointment and our doctor could not have been more pleased.  There is nothing more beautiful to a parents ear than to hear "they are really smart!" and "they can't sit still in church?  That's NORMAL at this age!" and "they don't sit still to watch a kid's show on TV?  That's GREAT!!!"  She was so pleased with how energetic and on the move these girls are, which was music to my ears!  

The most beautiful, sweet surprise that they have learned just in the last week or so is the ability to kiss and hug not only us, but each other.  They have been blowing kisses for a couple of months now, but the latest is actually walking up to us and giving us a kiss, and hugging and kissing each other.  It might be the sweetest thing I've ever seen.  At the end of a loooong day, when all I've done is referee these two, we say our prayers before bedtime and then I tell them to give each other a hug and they do!  They will hold onto each other for such a long time, just saying "Aaaawwww..." and then go night night.  I started this tradition when I started seeing how much they "fight" during the day!  When one has a toy, the other wants it.  When one is playing with something, the other moves in and takes over.  We've had some real knock down drag out fights between these two!  But then they can turn right around and love on each other which is the most heart warming thing a mother can see.  These girls truly do have a sister bond that will last a lifetime.

Happy 18 Month Birthday, girls!  We're half way to the big #2!!

Cohutta Springs Camp Part 2

Our week is going really well.  The girls have not yet mastered "camp time"...and it's Thursday, so we have given up on that.  Camp time is really Central Time, which would be fantastic for Chris and I to get an extra hour of sleep in the morning, but our girls have actually lost an additional hour of sleep.  So wake up time for them has been in the 5:00 camp time range....ugh! However, it has given us ample time to take them out for a run in the early morning and enjoy the beauty that God has in store for each new day out here.  

A first for the girls has occurred this week!  They actually have let us dunk them under the water in the pool and back up, and they love it!  Madeline will even close her eyes on cue just before she goes under the water and back out!  I have yet to find anything that these girls are afraid of.  Well, except for vacuum cleaners.  And cars on the road (which is a good thing to be afraid of!).

Listening to daddy's morning talk to the kids

It was really, really hot...even in the shade! 98 degrees!

Meal time in the cafeteria with 300 other kids!

Playin' ball with the boys

Pool time!

Helping to clean the cafeteria!

They love swimming!

Savannah is just too cool

Madeline picking flowers

Not a happy camper.

Now a happy camper!

Mommy and Madeline waaaay out in the distance!

How many rings can I hold?

How do we get out of here?

Horses!  The horsemanship class going by the pool.

"CHARGE!"

"CHARGE!"

See ya later Mom

And they're off with the campers

Daddy speaking to the kids at Camp Council

Thanks, Daddy for being a good example to all of these kids and helping lead them to Jesus! And for letting us come with you to camp for our second year in a row!!!

Cohutta Springs Camp

For the second time in our little girls' lives, their daddy is camp pastor for a week at what will be their favorite summer camp...Cohutta Springs.  It blows my mind that it has already been a year since we brought them here as tiny babies for their first week at camp...and wow are things different from last year to this with these two!!

When we first arrived, the girls ran from the front door of our place to the back deck saying "ahhh"!  Not screaming, just kind of making noises of calm excitement "aahhh"....they were hysterical. They love the back deck...Savannah found her sunglasses and had us put them on her because it was so bright outside.  The girls completely crack me up.  

After supper, we came back to the chalet and I got the girls ready for their bath.  They were in such happy moods, running all over the place and just laughing!  Finally got them in the bathtub and they were splishing and splashing away when all of a sudden I noticed Madeline's facial expression had changed.  I knew that face.  I looked closely at that face.  We locked eyes.  I said "No...No...Noooo Madeline. No." And she just locked eyes with me until I saw it.  

I grabbed Savannah, grabbed Madeline, pulled them both out of the tub immediately, standing dripping wet on the bathroom floor. Chris was outside on a phone call when thankfully I heard the door open.  "CHRIS!  Come quick!!" He came, he laughed, he buckled down and went to work, grabbing towels and trying to grab little girls.  I didn't want the presents Madeline left to head towards the drain so I was trying to stop that from happening while holding Savannah back when I heard Chris say "Bridge!  Madeline is peeing!"  and sure enough, she pee'd....just as Savannah was walking her way, and you got it.  Savannah's left foot when flying forward, right foot following until BAM, she landed flat on her tail in a puddle.  She didn't cry, she didn't scream, she just said, "ooh!"  

Chris had already left with Madeline to get a diaper on her ASAP, so now I'm left with a wet Savannah who's just saying "Ooh!" and giggling away.  I sit her on the sink, still waiting for the bathwater to drain, just as I see a happy little Madeline come strolling towards us with just a diaper on.  "CHRIS!  Please get Madeline!  Don't let her step in her puddle!!!"  He's trying to get there as fast as he can....I turn to attend to the tub and Chris says "Savannah is eating soap!!"  While sitting on the sink, the only place I could think to put her, she grabbed a bar of soup and starts gnawing away.  

Chris grabs the bar, grabs Savannah and washes her feet.  I remind him that she actually fell in the puddle, so with the shower now on, I grab Savannah and hold her horizontally into the shower, feet first, just washing her from the waist down with her little head and laughing face pointing out of the shower.  She's laughing and smiling the whole time.  Madeline?  Well Chris is keeping her from the puddle while trying to clean the puddle at the same time.  

We finally get the girls all cleaned up and in their PJ's, and tuck them into bed.  They are in their pack 'n plays, side by side.  After laying them down, all I could hear was giggling and cackling coming out of their room.  I finally peeked in to find Savannah standing up just looking over at Madeline and Madeline playing a hide and seek with her, dropping down to a sitting position and just laughing, then standing back up.  They did this for about 10 minutes, then silence.  They literally laughed themselves to sleep.

What a way to start our week at camp!  

New Discoveries

The girls have discovered the window sills....standing up on their tip toes and peeking out the windows to see what new discoveries they can find outside.  

Raisin Toes

Could there be anything cuter than raisin toes?

Yes.  When those raisin toes are attached to one of two of the cutest babies in the world, peeping out her window watching daddy mow the grass, squealing "Da da!  Da da! Da da?? Da da!!!!"

Maddie sure does love her Da da!

Happy Memorial Day

This Memorial Day we spent the day watching America's Favorite Past time - a great baseball game at Turner Field.  The Braves clinched the #1 position in the division while I girls watched and squirmed and laughed and "cheered" through the whole game.  This is their 4th MLB game watching the Braves play, and every time they've attended a game, the Braves have won.  I guess this now makes them official Braves fans!  

We didn't go alone to the game!  Grammy and Papa Bob came with us as Papa Bob proudly stood at the special Memorial Day service when they honored all of those who had served our country.  Thank you Bob for serving our country across seas in the Vietnam War.  We are thankful to God for his service and safely bringing him home.

After the game, the Beach Boys gave a free concert on the field.  The girls were troopers.  Thankful for seats under cover away from the sun, and thankful for an entertaining concert to top off their attention spans, they did great.  And we managed to survive another fun outing with our girls.

Happy Memorial Day and thank you to all who have and also those who are continuing to serve our country to give us the freedom to live in this free country and do things such as lounge all day at a baseball game without fear.