Artsy

Disclaimer: All crayons used during this artsy moment were non-toxic, and though they were heavily slobbered on, none were harmed during the creation of this work. 

Dinner last night..

... tasted even better than it looks. God bless Jamie Oliver. 

Last night..

We played with Daddy on our red chair. 

Hunting

I have heard that some of you readers out there don't like to read my posts when there are no pictures. Just don't have a picture to go with this one.

We are church hunting. When we first moved to Raleigh, we joined a church family. We have since decided that, though we love our friends there very much, it just is not the right fit for our family. Thus.. the search is on for a new church home. We have narrowed the list down to 4 different places to visit. We are looking for something that is in our neighborhood (downtown) so that really rules out places that are beyond a 15 minute drive. A church with sound doctrine, that has a strong children's ministry, well established.... this is sort of embarrassing to admit but we don't really have a very long list. Bottom line is that we are trying to find a church where we feel the Lord leading us to be.

That being said, today we decided to visit Vintage 21. We were so excited on the drive over there. People have been telling us we should visit this place since we moved here. Now we understand why. Aesthetically, this place is right up our alley. It is a converted warehouse or bar or something. We looked around and saw "our kind of people" all around us. Everyone was super friendly, particularly those in the children's ministry. The girls were immediately at home. You can't judge a church on one experience alone and Vintage 21 asks that you give them six weeks to really show you what they are about. We really enjoyed our visit. The worship was awesome, the message was convicting. I am ready to go back next Sunday. We particularly liked the way they handle communion. After the message, they have more worship songs and during that time you are encouaged to take communion in your own time from one of two communion stations set up on either side of the seating area. I like that intimate feeling of being able to take communion in my own moment with the Lord.

Purposefully searching for a church is not an easy task. It is something we are spending a lot of time praying about.

Just in case you've been hanging out under a rock and haven't seen this yet..

...I have been humming this song all day. It makes me grin. For some reason it really makes me think of my friends MKD and L ... This should have been you guys :)

And the answer is..

.....Ada on the left and Margot on the right!!!!! Thanks to those who were brave enough to venture a guess :)

Happy Day!!!

Translation: Happy Birthday Grammy Mary!!!!!!!!!!!

Grammy is still in Uganda and in honor of her birthday we have a little birthday quiz for everyone. For the second time in their lives, the girls are dressed alike. Can you tell which baby is Margot and which is Ada? Please leave your guess as a comment below. I will reveal the identities in the next post. 

I love you, Grammy!!!!! 

I love you, Grammy!!!! Watch me ride my new car!!!! Vroooooooom!!!!

To celebrate Grammy's big day, the girls are wearing their special onesies from T-Bonz and BK, who sent these quite some time ago but they just now fit. The picture on the front is of our subway stop in Brooklyn. These are going to be one of those outfits that we keep for the girls forever. Thanks you guys. 

To Grammy from Ada and Margot:

Happy Birthday!!!! We had such a fun time playing at your house while we were visiting. We especially loved going swimming with you at Great Grandma's and Mrs. Warren's house. Thank you for spending so much time with us and for our new toy shelf and all the fun books we got to bring home. We love you so much and can't wait to see you again!!

Big hugs and slobbery kisses, 

Ada and Margot

To Grammy from Mommy and Daddy:

Happy B-Day Mary!! Since we have seen what your special African birthday treat is going to be it is a bit easier for us to imagine just how much fun you will have there. Thank you for loving us and for supporting us through the years. Thank you for loving our girls and making us feel so at home in your home. You are blessing in our lives and we feel so privileged to be a part of your family. We love you more than we can say. Looking forward to the next visit so much!

Hug an elephant for us :) 

Sarah and Stephen

To Grammy from Oliver:

Wooo wooooooo!! Rfffff!!! Grrrrrr!! (lick lick) (jump) (wag wag wag)

Thankful Thursday

Just one of the many Plan/Melissa and Doug toys that I got for next to nothing today at the Kids Exchange, thanks to Ellen and her generous gift of a seller's pass!!! I would love to post pictures of the rest but since they are a surprise for the girls birthday/Christmas it doesn't seem fair that they be the last to see them for the first time. 

As I was waiting in line to check out, for TWO HOURS, I pretended that I was on my home from Trader Joe's on the N train and that it had broken down and I was just having to wait for it to get fixed to get home. This distracted me from the searing pain in my shoulders from lugging my 50 lbs of wooden toys through the checkout line. So thankful for that life experience that has made me an extra patient person in such circumstances. 

The man behind me in line was the rudest husband I have ever had the misfortune to be near. He did nothing but complain and make snide comments to his wife while she held/nursed their 9 day old baby standing right beside him for 2 hours in line. I have never been more thankful for my Stephen and wished he had been there to show that loser how a real man should behave. 

I found Stephen's lost iPod in the car!!!!!!! It has been lost for almost a year now!!! It has been a real struggle to function around here with only one iPod (sarcasm alert). 

We have a pantry and fridge full of wonderful food stuffs. That always makes me feel happy. 

Assorted

Margot is obsessed with putting things in a container and then taking them out again. Here she is putting her blocks back in her green block box. 

Here she is after she has taken most of her toys out of our lovely toy shelf from Grammy, and once again going for the block box. 

My new milk glass bowl and vase from Angie. Flowers and peaches from Mom. Those peaches have recently transformed into a cobbler. 

The girls got to play with one of their friends this afternoon while we ran a quick errand. Here is a picture she took of Margot cheering for Cheerios. 

She took this picture of Ada peeking over the chair. She looks deep in thought. 

Listening to Mr. President talk about his push for nationalized health care. Stephen just said he wished he was Hermione Granger. I have to agree. I am just not smart enough to figure out what to think about this. Yes, I would love to stop paying $600 a month for family coverage.. but would government healthcare be up to par? Would we get the same care ? I don't even know what questions to ask.. I feel really stupid on this issue. I hate feeling stupid. I hate feeling like I don't know who to listen too. Frustrating. 

Staring off into space..

I took a letter to the mailbox at twilight this evening. The air was cool and still and I was struck by the silence of our neighborhood. 

Sometimes I think about what it means to live in a place. This is where we live. This is the building that we reside in. This is where we eat our food and sleep in our beds. This is where we have our stuff. Somehow I can't get past the feeling that even if we were the owners of our home, it would still feel a bit like camping. There is an impermanence that I can't seem to shake. 

This is where you can find us on the planet. 

This is where you can find Margot when she has finished with her dinner. 

I feel like I could get lost in my own insignificance sometimes. The idea that I am so small, so duplicative. Just another female human, caring for her young.  These thoughts lead me to stare off into space and ponder myself in relation to my dog, the fly that he is chasing, President Obama. I enjoy getting lost in such thoughts. I am humbled. I remember that despite my own self indulgence Jesus died for me. Me. He knows where to find me on the planet. 

Thoughts of Uganda

Snap shot for those photo lovers out there. My ladies get into everything. Such fun to watch. 

"Well hello there sister!!!" [giggles]

Well Grammy Mary and Grandpa Larry should be in Uganda by now.. I think. We have been praying for a safe, easy, non-claustrophobic trip for our sweet parents. They have such a wonderfully exciting trip planned and we can't wait to hear all about it. You can go here to read all about the folks they are headed to visit there. 

In other news, I am trying desperately to re-adjust to being at home. I love my house. I have never been happier to be at home, in my home. It is currently a disaster zone. I was so exhausted when we got home that I thought I would give myself a couple of days to get re-adjusted... and apparently I am still adjusting. Sigh. The girls have been fully weaned now for 4 weeks. Therein lies my problem. My hormones are so out of whack that just getting through the day is a challenge. I feel like there is a roller coaster inside my chest as my heart soars and crashes multiple times a day. In two words - this sucks. Some days are better than others but I am really looking forward to things leveling out at last so I can attempt to put my life back together. Right now I just feel like a depressed blob of emotional mess. I have always struggled with depression so this is nothing new in my world.. but to go from being crazy hyper to so down that I can hardly walk across the living room in such manic fashion is exhausting. The blessing is that I am able to keep it all in check while the girls are awake so even though I may not have had a shower - I am able to give them my full and focused attention. So please, if you comment on this post - keep any statements that might imply that I am not being a good mother to yourself. Don't make me sorry for my openness on this blog. 

I know this too shall pass :) So glad the weather is so fantastic today - can't wait to get outdoors. 

The Beach

On the way home from Florida, we decided to stop in a spend a few days with my parents at Emerald Isle in NC. The weather was incredible and the girls really enjoyed their first experience on the beach! Once again.. they .. loved.. the water. Salt water in the eyes.. no problem.











The obligatory shot of the babies' first experience with sand..



They ate it. That's right... ate.. it. Everyone who said they wouldn't do that.. you were incorrect.



Here Margot watches how Ada takes to her sandy snack.



And though it looks as though she is only munching her hat strap.. I assure there was a chunk of sand in that chubby little hand.



This is my favorite shot of Margot and me from the trip. They can wave now :)



This is my favorite shot of Ada and me. Nana and Papa took us to the aquarium on the one rainy morning we were there.



It was magical.






When I think about the fact that one day soon I won't be able to snuggled Ada in the Ergo and kiss her hair .. it makes me cry. So I snuggle my girls every chance I get.



Nana helps Margot to see the rays and skates in the petting pool.

It has been a wonderful 3 weeks. Getting to spend the last few days by the coast with Mom and Dad was certainly the icing on the cake. Thanks guys.

Florida Fun

We have been away from home for 3 weeks. Now we are back. We had a wonderful time visiting family and friends in Florida. Here are a few jumbled shots from our adventures there.








Fun with Grandpa and the famous fridge barn music maker.



Ada pushing Margot in our new toy from Ms. Katie.



We LOVE the water.






Yay for Grammy!







Hi Ollie :)



Great Grandma Elsie and all the cousins that we got to visit with during our stay in Palm Harbor. We always have a fantastic time there but it was even more fun to watch the babies playing with the cousins - what a sweet family we have.



Ada and Great Grandma snuggling.









The boys.