Will was on vacation this past month which was wonderful. We didn't do much relaxing as we are still adjusting to life with three kids on earth, but it was nice to have a teammate as I went through my day caring for our girls. Here Will is below braiding Emma's hair while holding Violet, as well as helping Lucy with her new-to-her rock tumbler that she is using to polish the rocks she found on our vacation.
As soon as we got back from vacation, we had a fun morning of journaling about our trip. It was interesting to hear our vacation through Lucy and Emma's perspectives and we all enjoyed documenting our memories. Since we've been home Lucy and Emma have been playing so well together too. In the bottom pictures are the girls playing house together. Lucy has made the realization that it is more fun to play with Emma than it is to fight with her. They were playing outside one day when Emma decided to go inside. After a couple of minutes Lucy came over and told me, "Mom, it isn't as fun when Emma isn't here." What a break through! Now I remind her of this each time I feel a fight escalating between them and this usually prompts a compromise so that both are still happy.
We spent a lot of time in the kitchen this month, harvesting produce from our garden and cooking in bulk to fill our freezer for when Will goes back to work. Below are pictures of bowls and bowls of berries for black raspberry jam. We also made cherry syrup, dozens of zucchini muffins and jars and jars of fermented dill pickles.
Will installed a built in shelf in our office that we designed to fill another void we found in our walls. We bought the custom built in from the same Amish carpenter who built the dresser Will installed in our bedroom last summer. Fortunately for us, Will's aunt and uncle were making a trip to the Amish community four hours away and picked up the book shelf for us - getting us out of a guaranteed scream fest from Violet all the way there and back. Once Violet outgrows her dislike of car rides, we are hoping to make a trip to pick up our next built in because of course we have plenty more ideas and places to put them!
When we weren't in the kitchen or installing a built in, we could usually be found on our front porch this past month. This is the first summer since we've bought the house that our kids are old enough to be able to safely enjoy our porch. Prior to this year, it was too nerve wracking as we worried they would fall down the flight of concrete steps or break an arm on the porch swing. I know that next summer we will be back to worrying about the hazards of the front porch with Violet, but for this summer, we are definitely enjoying what has turned into an outdoor living and dining room.
Our porch feels very private and has a great, natural view. It gets a good breeze and Violet loves to be rocked to sleep on the porch swing. The girls play house, put on shows and collect and analyze bugs on the porch. One afternoon while the girls were playing on the porch they heard the familiar tune of the ice cream truck. The last time it went by Grandma and Grandpa T. were over and felt bad for the girls when we told them it wasn't a good time for ice cream. Grandpa T. gave the girls cash for the next time it went by and sure enough, within the week the girls were able to have a treat on Grandma and Grandpa T. The bottom right hand picture is of the girls enjoying another ice cream treat at the local Dairy Queen - this time sponsored by the Summer Reading Program at our library.
The girls are growing up so fast. Emma had her first dentist appointment this past month and Lucy has her first lose tooth.
Emma also learned how to pump all by herself on the swing. They have spent the summer so far experiencing the sweet freedom of swinging, the fun of the slip and slide and the joys of frog collecting and splashing in the creek across the street from our house.
I discovered a new trick on Pinterest for feeding our chickens. Not only is it healthier for them, but it is also extremely cost effective for us. We have been sprouting wheat berries on a five day rotation in mason jars. This has been a great addition to their diet and our pocket book and it is amazing how much 2/3 cups of wheat berries after rinsing twice a day for five days grows into. Lucy has also assumed the job of egg collecting and is very proud to be old enough to be in charge of this.
Will and I are officially on a diet and have been trying to get exercise in every day. This is no small feat, as we barely have enough time to feed and clothe our family of five on earth. Some days it is so difficult to just get shoes on everyone that I feel like throwing the towel in. It doesn't help that this is the first summer that Lucy no longer fits in the stroller. We haven't had a cry-free walk yet and I am shaking my fist at the s'mores and Philly cheesesteaks I craved while pregnant with Violet. Here we are below, exercising as a family despite whining or crying!
We've incorporated daily errands and geo caching into our walks and have even taken breaks to build fairy houses and have picnics. Speaking of fairy houses, we went to a fairy garden workshop this past month and had so much fun.
Grandma T. even brought over materials to our house to build fairy gardens too. The girls also enjoyed doing chalk art with Grandma and Grandpa T. as well as playing with Grandma and Grandpa Hines this past month.
We enjoyed our weekly outdoor story time at the library with friends and enjoyed playing and picnicking in the park next to the library afterwards.
Lucy: "Stop pushing my buttons Emma!" Lucy has also picked up a habitual phrase of saying: "Wanna know what?" and "Want me to tell you why?" before telling us anything.
Me to Emma: "Stop spitting." Emma: "I'm not spitting, my mouth is just farting." Emma has also developed a habitual saying. Anytime something interesting happens she says, "Wha-a-ut?!?" She also has become the fashion consultant of the family and her favorite focus is Will. "Dad, you are wearing pink and purple - TOGETHER???" Or, "Dad, you are wearing black with BLUE?!?"
Who knew on our wedding day the journey we were embarking on, and how we would endure both sickness and health, amazing happiness and unimaginable sadness. Through it all, we have emerged with a new depth in our perception of life and an appreciation of simple joys. With an hour left to our anniversary, Violet finally fell asleep. Will and I were then able to get our photo albums out and reminisce about one of the best days of our life while playing the song from our first dance on my iPhone. Probably the biggest thought that occurred to us that night is just how much we have learned over the past ten years. Yes, Will has gotten a master's degree since we got married and is now almost finished with a stressful one year program to obtain an administrators certificate, but the type of learning we have realized had nothing to do with formal education. From changing our diets to consist mostly of whole, real and organic foods that helped Will recover from severe ulcerative colitis, to gardening, chickens, bees, entrepreneurship and most importantly, parenting, we have learned so many skills not taught in the years of school we have attended. It is amazing how much we have grown as individuals and as a couple. We have held hands through the deaths of grandparents and our own son, have watched in awe as our family on earth has grown and have cultivated many of our dreams into reality. When we look to the next ten years I have to admit that I feel exhausted and nervous. It is our hope that the next ten years go easy on us. I feel so grateful to have spent the last ten years with my best friend and I know that together we will be able to handle the inevitable changes of the next ten years with the gained maturity from the grace and faith of the last ten years.
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