Butterflies and Frogs

The past few weeks have been full of fun, surprises, and lots of RAIN. I have to say that Anna Grace and Madalyn have become more creative in their play since they have been limited to the playroom and each other. I am so excited to see their budding relationship!! They will one second be hugging and kissing each other and the next squealing with laughter. They do occasionally argue! Did I say "OCCASIONALLY"? I meant to say,"FREQUENTLY"!! I am eager to see how their friendship changes as they grow up together. This is all new to me. I have two brothers.


We have been blessed by a friend at church who has shown lots of love to Anna Grace and Madalyn! The girls absolutely adore her and look for her every time they are there. One day a few weeks ago Amy brought them a few caterpillars in a jar filled with parsley. We took them home and then saw that the little critters had eaten ALL of their food (parsley). I gathered every kind of leaf I could from our yard. Those little caterpillars were not fond of anything. Picky eaters. Well, long story short... I thought they might be dead, but I held out hope. One day last week we came home to a butterfly in the jar! What a great learning experience. The girls were amazed. We have made butterflies out of playdoh, Wikki Stix, colored pictures of them, read books about them, and they have probably dreamt about them.

The other exciting news, at least for me, is that I am learning how to sew clothes for the girls. I remember as a child that my mom would sew clothes for me quite often. She is a great seamstress, but I always wanted to get my clothes from the store. I decided that I never wanted to sew. Well, my mom is laughing now. I call her all the time getting instruction from her. I wish that I would have had the foresight when I was younger. It is a little difficult learning to sew when your instructor is in Alaska and I am in South Carolina. So far I have made a top and bloomers for Maddy and a dress and a pants outfit for Gracie. They are far from perfect, but it was lots of fun. I hope the girls don't turn their noses up like I did!

Back to the Lake

So we spent another great weekend at the lake! Every time we go Anna Grace becomes a little braver. This time she decided to try out the "tube" with a little encouragement from Daddy. Of course Pop was great and didn't go too fast. It was precious to watch Anna Grace and Robert having a conversation the whole time they were moving. She definitely is a daddy's girl.

Madalyn loves riding in the boat. She loves Tulie, too!
Anna Grace has become very comfortable on the dock. She can now go up and down the ladder to get in and out of the water. It does make me a little nervous. Pop made the mistake of showing Anna Grace how to spray people with the water hose. Beware of Anna Grace!!! She will get you when you least expect it.
Madalyn continues to become more comfortable in the water. This was the first time she was content to float in the inner tube and not be held. Sunday afternoon we went to Lone Star in Santee. It's a great small town restaurant. They have a great buffet with fried chicken and BBQ. But, I have to say the best part is the dessert. Maddy's favorite is the banana pudding.

That's my girl!!! She loves to shop and dress up! She found these nifty accessories at an antique store also in Santee. Maybe we can dress her up like a little old lady for Halloween.

Seattle

I am finally getting around to posting about my trip to Seattle. This was my prize for winning "The McCants Family Biggest Loser"! What a great prize.
I met my mom in Seattle Thursday the 10th. We stayed at the Westin downtown and had a great view of the city. I loved how everyone walks everywhere there! We shopped all afternoon Thursday. I loved the Anthropologie store out there. It was HUGE. We ate sushi that night. I really prefer the rolls here. Friday, Mom and I went to Pike's Market. I couldn't believe all of the fresh food and flowers! As soon as you enter the market you can smell the fresh food! The fruit has the brightest colors I have ever seen. I was actually tempted to taste the peaches. If you know me, you know I don't really care for them. The flowers were fresh and cheap! I found a huge arrangement for $13. I think they would have cost $25-30 here and here their not as fresh! We saw the men throwing fish or at leats the place where they do it. I saw the biggest porawns (almost the size of my forearm).We met Gregg that day for lunch at Place Pigalle. I didn't think I would be that emotional about seeing him after 10 plus years, but I was wrong. After a few tears and lots of hugs, we got to catch up! He looks exactly the same to me. We had a great time and then went separate ways for the evening. Mom and I did some more shopping and then had a great dinner at Brooklyn's. They are known for their steaks. We sat at the chefs bar and loved watching and interacting with the chefs and servers.





The next day we went to Bainbridge Island and met Gregg again for brunch. We met at Cafe' Lola and then did some shopping around town. We spent that night with Gregg and Deb. She fed us a great dinner of steak, shrimp, and an amazing dessert with homemade ice cream and strawberries! That night Gregg and I said our good byes and Mom and I took the ferry back to Seattle. The next morning we were at the airport to start our trips at about 5:00. I was bumped from my flight and didn't get home until almost 10:00 that night. It was so great to see my mom and Gregg. After the whole weekend, I didn't get 1 picture of Gregg. Robert has still not met him and teases me that he really doesn't exist! I do think we will ALL meet up again next year sometime for Stuart's wedding (my younger brother)! I'll get lot's of pictures then.

Fantastic 4th

So, it's been a couple of days since we returned from our exciting weekend at the lake house in Santee. We are so blessed with an amazing family. We spent 3 days with the whole McCants family. Robert's brothers are fantastic with Anna Grace and Madalyn. Gracie loves catching bugs with Uncle Thomas and Uncle John Michael. There were plenty of may flies for everyone to catch. Uncle Walter loves to tickle and play chase. Aunt Brooke is "super aunt". She always steps in and helps when there are no free hands or even when their are. Maddy has a special bond with her. We watched her chase Brooke in the house (without Brooke knowing) and then stand at the door and cry until someone let her in to see her aunt.



God continues to bless us with Pop and Tulie! They love our children so much! I love watching how the girls gravitate toward Tulie while she's working in the kitchen. Maybe they'll pick up some cooking tips. Tulie is so patient with them. She always has a snack and juice for the girls to enjoy. Pop, on the other hand, has a louder personality and loves to tease the girls. Gracie is definitely "Pop's Girl"! We keep trying to convince Pop that Anna Grace REALLY wants a pool at their house. Maddy also has a special bond with Pop. She runs right to him for kisses every time she sees him.



Back to the lake: We had a lot of fun this past weekend. We spent a lot of time swimming, eating, playing "Corn Hole", riding in the boat, and visiting with extended family.







My family (the Williams family) is all over the country. I wish my children could know my amazing brothers like they know Robert's.



This is why I feel so especially blessed to be so close to Robert's family. Simply put,"They are amazing". I pray that Anna Grace and Madalyn will be as close to their husbands' families. I pray that they are as wonderful as the McCants!

Catching May Flies!

Relaxing with Daddy!

Safety First

By all appearances one may think that our family likes to bike and swim! We'll I hate to say it, but Gracie's tire is flat on her bike and Maddy just found her life vest in her closet! They both like to wear their safety gear around the house. Robert and I have had a lot of laughs lately at the dinner table!

Summer Fun with Anna Grace and Madalyn

Anna Grace has made such great progress with staying in bed and not having nightmares that we had to reward her! The first goal was to make it 7 nights without getting in bed with Mommy and Daddy. She did this in 9 days! Last Friday we got ice cream and went to the "Big Toy" at the Palmetto Islands County Park. The girl's had a blast! The next challenge for Anna Grace was 7 night in a row in her own bed! Well, she did that in 7 days! Next week we will have a play date at the pool with her friends Anna and Will!

No More Old Peddler Woman!

Sweet little Gracie! She has such a tender heart!

I'm not sure if she is like other children or if she is the only one who can't read "Snow White" without having nightmares. For some reason the old peddler woman has now been one of the main topics of Anna Grace's conversation for the last year or so. As a result of her infatuation with the character, she has been having nightmares very often! When she has these nightmares it is usually an all night event. She wakes up screaming every 30 minutes to 1 hour. I compare it to an awful night with a newborn. One good thing is that Madalyn isn't phased by the screaming!

Well... Robert and I have now outlawed the old peddler woman. Anna Grace is no longer allowed to speak about her, pretend to be her, or even read the original book. I think it has actually helped. She has now slept through the night two weeks in a row!!

This is also an answered prayer. I have been praying tirelessly that she would get past this ordeal!