My Faith and Joy

I think (that is, I hope) most all parents think their kids are cute.  So cute that they should be featured in magazines or books.  And while I have no intentions of taking my girls to any modeling agencies, it’s nice to know that some book publisher thinks I have a cute kid.  Or at least, that someone somewhere has a cute kid who looks just like my cute kid. 

Because doesn’t the picture Becky is gazing at below look a lot like a smiling Susie? 

At least Becky thinks so – every time she turns to that page in the book, she exclaims “Suey!  Suey!” (that’s her pet name for her sister…or maybe she’s calling her sister a pig, who knows).

There’s nothing like a little after-dinner conversation with your dad.

I was recently putting away the groceries that I had purchased that afternoon while running errands with the girls, when I found something unexpected.  At the bottom of a shopping bag, I pulled out a bottle of body wash.  I don’t use body wash.  I’m a plain old bar of soap girl.  There’s just something about bath puffs and moisturizing/exfoliating/massaging body washes that strikes me as faintly hedonistic (unlike my love for Starbucks’ Mocha Frappucinos, or my stash of Dove chocolates, which aren’t hedonistic in the least).  Not that I’m calling anyone who uses body wash a self-indulgent hedonist.  Not at all.  It just doesn’t appeal to me for some goofy reason.    

Anyway, as I was saying, I don’t use body wash.  Therefore I don’t buy it.  So what was it doing in my bag?

The only answer I can come up with is that the girls felt I was in need of some body wash.  Their arms are now long enough that, given the narrow aisles of the grocery store and my frenzied let’s-get-through-this-as-fast-as-we-can approach to shopping,  it’s very possible that the girls have been sweeping an additional item or two into my cart.  And since I’m not a fastidious receipt-verifier like I ought to be, it’s probable that I’ve ended up purchasing and bringing home those items without noticing.  In fact, if I know the girls’ tastes at all, they’ve most likely thrown an extra box of cookies or candy into the cart, which I was unconsciously grateful for. 

But they went too far with the body wash.  Especially since it was an “age defying” body wash.  So not only did they get my personal hygiene preferences wrong and imply that I smell bad, they also implied that I look OLD. 

Those stinkers.

Maybe I should use the body wash on them.    

I know you’ve been waiting on the edge of your seats (or couches, or beds, or wherever you happen to perch when you peruse my ramblings) for the rest of the boating pictures from our excursion last Saturday.  Sorry for the delay; I had snapped so many pictures it took me a while to sort through them.  And now I’m too tired to do any captions.  But I hope our smiles (and peacefully sleeping kiddos) speak for themselves! 

Don’t you wish you could have this much fun sitting on top of a plastic picnic table?

I’m glad the girls love going to the park.  It feels like such a wholesome outing, such a return to simple pleasures.  It’s just us, the grass, the sky, and a coupe of swings.

And a slide.

And some tanbark. 

And last but not least, a weed wacker.

Becky: “Look at that weed wacker!” 

Apparently, a weed wacker is much more exciting than the grass, the sky, or swings.    

“Forget these swings, Mom.  We want to watch the power tools!” 

Susie (on left): “Mom left us this white stuff to decorate the garage floor with, right?” 

Becky: “Yup.  I think it looks the best when it’s crumbled into itty bitty, impossible-to-sweep-up pieces, don’t you?” 

Our houseguest and newly “adopted” family member Gabe left us today to go back to Washington D.C. to finish his undergraduate degree.  The house feels so empty now, especially since we’ve never lived in our new house without him.  I will probably forever refer to the room upstairs as “Gabe’s Room.”  And I know the girls are going to keep asking “Gabe home?  Gabe home?” when we pull into the driveway.  I’m going to miss seeing his shoes neatly lined up in the garage, and hearing his cheery greeting when he returned home every day from his internship.  Now there will be no one here to challenge Jim to their games of competitive ping-pong, or competitive swimming, or competitive biking, or competitive bridge jumping, or whatever sports competition the two of them dreamed up that day.  And I know my in-laws are going to miss his hearty laughter at all of Dad’s jokes, and his hearty appetite for all of Mom’s cooking.     

Gabe, we wish you all the best and pray that the Lord will continue to guide your steps and maybe even bring you back to Connecticut, Lord willing.  You will be missed!           

We had a beautiful day at the lake yesterday with our two beautiful little girls.  

Life is good.

My dear friend Beth came over yesterday to spend the evening with us.  We had a wonderful time hanging out together.  She quickly won the affection of the girls by letting them play with her phone and her sunglasses and showing them pictures of her puppy.  She knows the way to these girls’ hearts!

Susie: “I’m going to ask Mom if I can have a real puppy, just like Beth’s.” 

Susie: “Mom said I could get a puppy ‘When pigs fly.’  Anybody see a pig up there?” 

Becky: “This was the perfect night.  We got to eat pizza and cake, play with Beth, AND watch TV in our jammies.  Mom’s such a pushover when she has company over!”