Tough to Swallow

I came up with the perfect weight-loss plan.

Well, actually, Susanna came up with it.  Now I just have to convince her to abandon the plan in favor of a weight-gain plan. 

Susanna loves to stuff food in her mouth.  Her sticky fingers snatch food off her tray so eagerly that I can barely cut up the food fast enough.  She wedges food so adeptly into her already-full cheeks that I think I’m going have her pack my suitcase on our next trip; the girl knows how to cram. 

She enjoys the food, sucks the life out of the food.  Sometimes she takes it out, inspects it, and the re-inserts the food into her mouth.

She stuffs and chews, chews and stuffs…but I never see her swallow

Theoretically, she must swallow the food at some point.  Yet I have my suspicions that she actually just pockets it away in her cheeks until it dissolves.  That must be how she maintains her petite figure – perhaps all the calories just give up and die while they’re waiting in limbo to be consumed.

Not that I’m advocating this weight-loss plan.  Not in her case, anyway.  I would much rather she bulk up like a bear prior to hibernation.  I just need to convince her of the benefits of food consumption, not just food tasting. 

Well, you’ll have to excuse me. I’m going to go emulate Susanna’s mouth-stuffing techniques on the donuts Jim brought home from work.  We’ll see if I can make them disintegrate before the calories reach my hips. 

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Picnic at the Park

On Tuesday, I had the privilege of meeting up with my friends Carrie and Sarah for a picnic at a beautiful park.  Wouldn’t you know, the day ended up being one of the hottest this summer.  But we kept cool in the shade, and took advantage of all the park had to offer. 

We swung on the swings…

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We played in the sand…

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…And we enjoyed the company of good friends!

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Cousin Love

Dear Alli (or as we like to call you, Ah-da),

We can’t thank you enough for spending this past month with us.  We did so many fun things together!  Thanks for playing with us, pushing us in our stroller, carrying us, dressing us, singing to us, cuddling with us, teaching us, photographing us, traveling with us, entertaining us, and just being the best big cousin we could ever ask for!  We love you so much and can’t wait until we can come out to see you in Arizona.  We may even be able to take walks with you by then!  Mom says she’s going to miss you even more than us, but we don’t think that’s possible – we miss you already!

Love your cousins,

Becky & Susie

P.S. Here are lots of pictures to help you remember all the fun stuff we did together this summer! 

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(We may be upset in this last picture, but it’s just because we’re about to say goodbye.  We miss our Ah-da!)

July 28, 12:02 a.m.

What a difference a year makes…

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…at one day old, you were resting in your daddy’s arms…

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…at one year old, you are swinging in the breeze.

 

Susanna Joy, we are so thankful for the laughter you have brought to our lives this past year.  We thank the Lord for blessing us with your smiles and wiles.  We look forward to this next year with you! 

July 27, 11:57p.m.

What a difference a year makes…

…at one day old, you were sleeping in my arms…

 

…at one year old, you are grinning with the sun on your face. 

 

Rebecca Faith, we’re so thankful for the bliss you have brought to our lives this past year.  We thank the Lord for entrusting you to our arms.  We can’t wait to see what this next year will bring!

Party Girls

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Susie didn’t think the birthday girl should have to hold the cups

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Susie waves to her adoring public from her Bubba’s lap

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Alli shows the boys how to ride the Great Big Mable

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Becky wonders if she’ll ever be a big girl like Maura

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Susie cools off in the shade with Holly

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Annemarie and Becky bond over their mutual love of Malibu boats

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Susie and Jim keep an eye on the food

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Gordon and Laura hang out with Becky beneath our festive decorations

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Becky dips her toes in the lake

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The girls pose by the fish-shaped cakes created by Alli and me

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The girls enjoyed their first pieces of cake – EVER!  Here’s a little video clip:

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Becky ate her cake like a lady

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Susie preferred to squish the cake between her fingers

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Becky loved her first baby doll

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The girls thought that opening gifts was a blast! 

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What an exciting first birthday party – how will we ever top it next year?!

Bookworms

What a day!  We had a birthday party for the girls on the boat, and we all came home happy and exhausted.  I’ll post party pictures soon. 

In the meantime, here are a few pictures of the girls in their “reading corner.”  If I leave the girls alone in the living room, they usually migrate to this corner, where they happily start pulling the books off the shelf. 

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Susie: “I like to read one book at a time.”

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Becky: “I prefer to pull all the books out and look at each for two seconds.”

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Becky: “Hey! You got any more books around here?”

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Susie: “Ha!  This book cracks me up.”

What a Girl Wants

What did Jim decide to give the girls for an early birthday present?  Go ahead, guess…

 

No…it’s not a car or an ATV, although I’m sure he considered it.

 

You’re on the right track…what would Jim think every little girl needs…

 

…why, of course!

 

Her very own…

 

…Blackberry!

 

I’m not kidding.  Jim found an old Blackberry he’s no longer using and presented it to the girls with a flourish.  And they loved it.  They can be just like their Daddy!

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Becky: “Hey Dad, it looks just like yours!  Can you show me how to use it?”

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Becky: “Okay, I think I’m getting the hang of it.”

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Becky: “I’m calling Grammie and Grampa!”

Gettysburg Address

We took in the historical sites: 

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We took in the beautiful scenery:

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We took in the excellent food:

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And we took a nap:

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All in all, a perfect vacation!

Lawn Mowing

I haven’t gotten around to sorting through the dozens of vacation pictures yet, so I thought I’d post a video of Susie practicing her lawn mowing skills.  Due to her precocious display of mowing muscle, Jim is anticipating an early retirement from lawn care.

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