Favorite Photo Friday ~ Hand in Hand

We went for a walk last weekend, one of our favorite things to do.  I guess like everyone else we're trying to soak in as much outside time as we can while the weather is gorgeous. (ps~ it snowed in CT tonight!)

I don't know why this is the first time I really noticed this, but Anna is an Abigail hog, and Abigail is an Anna hog.  I kept trying to interact with my girls and hold hands with them but they weren't really interested.  They held hands the whole time, thought of their own little games, threw rocks together, and skipped.

I wonder how far they'd walk along without us.  And of course it made me feel sad that they're growing up and didn't need me to show them how to pick up a rock and "bloop" it (as Abigail calls it) into the water.  They didn't need me to point out the birds or ducks.  At one point Anna even noticed it was getting warm and took off Abigail's jacket and tied it around her waist.  Ahh, sweet sister love.

But yes, at the same time I feel oh so happy that they're best friends; always together finding joy together where ever we are.  And so happy that they have each other. 

An afternoon realizing this makes me savor my alone one-on-one time with each of my girls.  Their little voices, the cute and funny things they say even just playing in our playroom.  I'm so happy to be their mom.  I suppose they'll be more things I "notice" about growing up along the way.  Take baby steps with that girls, baby steps...

The Adpoted Child ~ A Fable (and random pictures)

"Imagine that you were given the opportunity to adopt a child.  It was not a child of poverty or an orphan or a a child needing help because she came from a dangerous or dysfunctional home.  Just the contrary.  This child is the daughter of a king.  He wants her adopted because he wants her to experience "real life" in a real home where she will experience all kinds of good things and bad things, all of the challenges and choices that will test her and cause her to progress and grow.  In the king's own home, things are too easy and she did not face the opposition or the struggles that would help her prove herself and discover the deeper parts of herself. 

And you are chosen to be the adoptive parent.  You are overwhelmed by the honor and humbled by the responsibility.

You view the child as your first priority, you work at making her life full and real, you love her deeply and unconditionally, and you speak often to the king as you seek to know her better and to give her what the king would want her to have.

Do you see elements of truth in this fable?  Can we remember that our children are actually the children of the king?"

(from 5 Spiritual Solutions for Everyday Parenting Challenges)

Abigail Loves...

Abigail loves....

her pink bunny slippers, her pink turtleneck, and most of all her purple star vest that she can zip herself.




Abigail loves... finding a sunny spot on the dining room to spread out.



Abigail loves using her hands to do little things...




Abigail loves taking her time...


Abigail loves.... paper dolls



and TIME with mommy



more than anything, I do too!

The Pumpkin Patch ~ A Fall Favorite

This year our pumpkin patch was part of our Corn/Fall Fest visit. What a nice surprise! The girls loved it as they always do. This is Abigail looking up at her Grandpa.



"This one might be too big for me Mommy!"





Thanks for helping Abigail!





I used MCP Actions (free download) for these. I'm not sure I care for actions that much. I'm more of a traditional girl.

Halloween Crafts, A Pumpkin Recipe, and coloring

Since my card won't load this morning (from all of my weekend shots) I peeked back to Friday.  I only have some random things....

Abigail has been bringing home the cutest Halloween crafts from preshcool.  I love having them in my kitchen.  Kid-made decorations are the best, aren't they?  So much cuter than anything I can pick up at a store.  I plan on packing these away in my October bin so that I can bring them out year after year instead of by 'abigail preschool' bin.  Someday in High School she'll be so embarrassed to see her pumpkin candle in the kitchen!



Here's another one so cute!



Not a good picture at all but I have to put it in to remember what Abigail loves to do these days... color! She loves those preschool activity books from walmart. She calls them her 'homework' and does the pages when Anna is busy doing homework. Her favorite these days are color the shapes in the picture using the colored key.



And last but not least, a recipe: Chocolaty Chip Pumpkin Bread. I've made them all, seriously, every pumpkin bread recipe I've ever found and this is the BEST!!! (from  Gooseberry Patch, Autumn in the Country)  With one batch I was able to make 12 large muffins and a regular sized bread. The bread freezes well when it's sliced and wrapped individually. Great for after school snacks!



3 c. all-purpose flour
1 t baking soda
1 t salt
2 t cinnamon
4 eggs
2 c. sugar
15 oz can pumpkin
1 1/4 c. oil
1 1/2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Combine flour, baking soda, sat and cinnamon in a large bowl; set aside. Beat together eggs, sugar, pumpkin and oil in a large bowl; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in chocolate chips; pour into two, greased loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 60 to 70 minutes, or until a toothpick tests clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing to wire racks to finish cooling. Makes 2 loaves.

(I like to make 12 muffins and 1 loaf... for the muffins start checking with a toothpick at 25 minutes)

Favorite Photo Friday ~ My Mom

It's hard to come up with words for this post.  Since October is Breast Cancer Awareness month I knew that I wanted one of my 'favorite photo friday' posts to be of my Mom.  She battled Breast Cancer 9 years ago and won!  I never doubted that she would.  It truly never, ever entered my mind that my Mom would not survive cancer. 

I remember her tests leading up to her diagnosis and feeling worried for her.  And I remember the devastating call when my Dad told me that yes she had cancer.  I was sad for her and what she'd have to go through.  But it didn't surprise me how strong she was, how optimistic she continued to be, and how she just kept on being my Mom.  She never missed a beat.

She didn't walk around with pink clothes, or special breast cancer jewelry.  I don't think she joined a support group.  She just did what she did best.  Day in and day out she continued to be a wife and our mother.  I'm sure she had her moments of pain and heartache.  I can remember the day of her surgery; it was the only time I saw her sad.  But pain and heartache she does not have time for.  She has a family that needs her.  She has a never ending to do list  and she simply didn't let self pity take hold of her.  I can even remember her in the crowd at a marathon my Dad and I ran the month of her surgery.  She stood in the pouring rain to cheer us on.  Damp and freezing cold that day was.  She was there. 

So, this October, this pink awareness month I begged my Mom to let me take some portraits of her.  She hates the camera more than anyone I know but she agreed just this once.  So today I celebrate life and celebrate women everywhere who face breast cancer.  Today I celebrate my Mom.  I love you Mom.

Fun at the Fall Festival ~ part 2

May they always stay young enough to get so excited when they see "face painting"!  Simple as it was they loved it.  "It tickles," says Abigail!



When they were done I took a picture so they could see their faces.



Abigail spent the rest of the day meowing.

Anna said, "I need my hat back on to hold my hair back." I love this picture of her face; she looks young.



Walking through the corn maze with Grandpa.





This was cute. They had a little "race track" with toddler go-cart type bikes. As you can see, Abigail needed a bit of help going up hill.

Fun at the Fall Festival ~ part 1

This was our first chilly fall event.  I loved taking out the jackets and really needing them.  We took the girls to a local fall festival with their Grandma and Grandpa.  It was so much more than we expected!


It started with a hay ride and two little girls who were so very excited!







Then Abigail discovered a mini hay maze. She's really into mazes (on paper) so to actually walk through one was so much fun for her.



A surprise to us all was the corn pit. They couldn't contain their joy! I'd never seen anything like it. Picture a huge ball pit that kids love to "swim" through but instead of balls it was tons and tons of corn. (and tons and tons of fun)



Playing "Ariel" from The Little Mermaid and swimming through the corn.


Jumping fun!



Once she got brave enough Anna took a few jumps herself.



It was a bit too high for Abigail to feel comfortable jumping herself so Anna convinced her to jump in her arms.







What fun to watch them!

Weekend

It was a super fun, busy, family and friends weekend. On Saturday we went to the Hartford Marathon. Our wonderful friend ran the half (13.1 miles) and we were so happy for him; we just had to go and cheer him on!



With his wife and my dear friend...



And we also went because Scott raises money with his school by doing the whole marathon. Their gym teacher ran the whole 26.2 miles and each participating child ran a mile with the teacher. Scott had fun running the first seven to kick it off.
Here his is with Anna waiting for his school to finish!



Abigail was there too!



It really is so exciting to watch the runners come close to the finish of 26 miles. Such energy in the crowd... it's fun to be on that side!



The arch... the finish!!!  I get so excited for these runners because I've done it.  I know the feeling of seeing the finish just steps away.  The pain is almost gone!  We didn't get to see him but my Dad and brother biked the marathon as volunteers to help out any of the runners.  I've got a thing for marathons, and lots of memories being the crowd as a little girl waiting for my dad to finish! 



When we were done watching we did Abigail's favorite thing in the whole world!

Favorite Photo Friday ~ An Apple Kitchen

We've had apple pie, apple crisp, apple muffins, apple Carmel bread, but my favorite apple of all is my little kitchen helper "apple Abigail".  I've been calling her that since she loves her apple shirt so much and loves to help me with the apple peeler/corer.  Too bad she only ate one apple a few weeks ago when Grandpa was visiting.  Funny, she ate it just like a "normal" eating 4 year old and we got all excited.  Not one since then!  Oh well...





And because books have to be in baskets all over our house (that match the theme for the month...)