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.