OUR GIRLS - 9

Naomi ...!!!

What would we have done without you? You came at the right time - Thank you!

Thank you for doing the best you could - for tent making and funny face making and sand-boxing for hours on end - for all the stories & reading of books, walks, and dining room chats and for introducing us to hot pink and black & white :)

We're glad you're doing better & recovering well back home! All the best with school, and friends and choices! Choose the good - and it will go well ALWAYS & FOREVER!

God bless you, Naomi!

OUR GIRLS - 8

Dear Teresa,

What would we do w/o you?

Like Mark said the other day, "she does make really good cakes" & then another time, "she's just a big kid. She looks like a grown up but actually she just is a BIG KID...!! Some people are like that - they look like grown ups but they're not, they're big kids!"

I don't think I could've put it better myself!

Thank you for all the fun stuff you do with my boys - from pickles @ Brunstad to cake making, doughnut making, baking of all sorts, tons of short-term notice baby sitting to offering to be here for us when I suddenly got put on bedrest for as long as we needed you...., - walks, sandbox time, tons of baby-sitting AGAIN & your latest venture - Junior Activity Club! The boys just love it - makes them feel so special & they have SO MUCH fun!!!

Thank you for all good chats & impromptu visits and caring texts - we love you so much dear friend & wish you only the very very best in ALL you put your hand to.

God bless you mate! Happy sailing!

OUR GIRLS - 7 - AKA "Do you know the Muffin-Man"

Last summer, our house was "invaded" by a ......CANADIAN!!!

I don't believe history holds any record of a more-loved-invader - She baked, and shopped, and chilled, and baked, and took pictures, and "sun-bathed" (not sure how enjoyable that was in DE Indian Summers!! - but the boys insisted & Amy acquiesced), and loved the boys to bits, and baked some more!!
Till date, James says, "Now, AMY could bake! What was that she baked again?"
Umm, I dunno, lemon poppy seed loaf? muffins - blueberry, non-blueberry, every kind of berry & non-berry? chocolate chip cookies? May sound like I'm exaggerating, but hey, just scroll down!!! The proof is in the eating :D

Have one!

Pick me!!!
HERE YOU GO!!!
Hey, That's mine!!!

OK!!!!!!!!


Is it as good as the other one you ate.....?

Here, you try it again!!

2 sweethearts...!

And 2 more...

"And remember that cake she baked & brought to Victory in her mom's pan (which she wasn't supposed to :)".....???!!

Yes, WE DO!!!

We love you Amy! We're glad you could come! (and we wished the other 2 mosquitoes, umm I mean "musketeers" could've come too - Katie? Natty?? Anyone home???)

Thank you for all the late night chats, and the open conversations, your forthrightness, your sense of humor, your love for "proper grammar" (:), your picture editing skills, ALL the baking, AND most of all for your longing to do the good.

So glad that it worked out for you to go back to VBS for a whole year!
And when you do come back, you know where we live, right??!!!

Take care little girl! We love you bunches!!

OUR GIRLS - 6

2 Summers ago a "LITTLE" Princess walked into our lives, captured our hearts and has been a part of us since... ; Little you are not any more (not that you were then), but Princess you certainly are - NOT JUST in name, but of the royal kind, of the highest order to walk the earth - both on the inside and the out!

Thank you for teaching the boys etiquette and table manners :) and how to color with chalk.. and finger painting..., for reading books, and teaching Mark about Lion King:) and for winning their hearts so overwhelmingly, and ours too!! Thank you for treating us like family - and for all your unconditional love and trust you showed us and have shown us since - for being our friend and babysitter and FAMILY! We love you LIZ.

We love your openness and sincerity, zeal, enthusiasm for life, for the way you stand up for what you believe, for your kindness and warmth and care, especially for our boys, for not being afraid of being you, for piano lessons, and non-piano lessons, and for times after piano lessons :) and for the amazing pianist you are becoming (I'm so proud of you!!!), for your sensitivity and your longing to do the good and right, for the person you are and for who you are growing up to be - someone we can count on and we trust AND ROOT FOR with all our hearts.

Stay faithful "little" princess- your reward is ETERNAL.

We love you so much and are SOOOOO LOOKING FORWARD to having you be with us again this summer!!!

















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2 Su

OUR GIRLS - 5

Angelina Ballerina! Annie! Ajjie! Aggie! Ange! Best-est baby-sitter! Even better massage/physical therapist! And the bestest-of-all 19 year old Angies in THE whole wide world! We love you Angelina! With all our hearts!

When we need some Ange-therapy, we call Ange. Yes, we. Not just me.

Jude has stood up in his crib at all hours of the night/morning yelling, "I need AJJIE, NOW!". Mark cries himself to sleep, almost, until he can call Angie and ask, "When you coming back Angie?" And even James and I, text Angie every now and again (and more), "Think you can come over, we miss you...".

Yes, we also text her, when we can't put Jude to bed :S Some parents, we are... But hey, what's a fella supposed to do? Especially when Angie is around... Thank you for spoiling us rotten Angelina! We love you to bits!

There's no doubt about it, Angie is one of us on the inside :) If you don't believe me, well, ask her :)

Thank you Angie for all you do for us & all you mean to us.

For numerous impromptu visits, and for all the planned visits, for the way you've loved your way into our boys' hearts, for your good way with them, for all the fun together, for HW nights and non HW nights, for fibromyalgia conversations, and pre-calculus conversations, for bringing your friends over (thank you so much!!! We love you Autumn!), for long chats and even longer massages, for numerous car-trips/van-trips together (No, Joe, you don't get to steal her everytime, but we'll share - for a small fee...), for feeling @ home in every possible way, and for making us feel at home with you, for Sunday School chats, and choir chats, for "girl" talks, and non-girl talks, for encouraging texts and "I-love-you-more" texts (!!!), and for sometimes just coming and hanging out and falling asleep, for winning your way into our hearts and for staying there, no matter what. WE LOVE YOU ANGE WITH ALL OUR HEARTS.

(And one day, we will go to where those palm trees are calling... u know where :)... just you and me... and maybe James (?)... o yes, we will :) I know we will.)

Tomorrow, you graduate.
I wish I could be there.
I probably won't.
But, I'll be thinking of you the entire time - and be proud as a mamma eagle-hen whose fledgling-chick has learned to fly!
And, on Friday, I'll see you again!

"Oooooooh, it's a jolly holiday
With Angie
Angie makes your 'eart so light
When the day is gray
And ordinary
Angie makes the sun shine bright! (butterflies flitter by)
Oh 'appiness is bloomin'
All around 'er
The daffoldils are smilin'
At the dove
When Angie 'olds your 'and
You feel so grand
Your 'eart starts beatin'
Like a big brass band (boom-boom-boom)
Oh, it's a jolly holiday with Angie
No wonder that it's Angie that we love!"