Washing feet and other outdoor fun!

Last Sunday in Children's Church, the girls learned about how Jesus showed his love and humility by washing his disciples' feet. It's a lesson about selfless service to others, and at the end of the lesson their Sunday School teacher washed their hands. (Ruby informed me that she washed their hands and not their feet because they had socks on.)

Fast-forward to today. I took the girls on a little hike down into the woods behind our house and let them play in the creek. After walking and throwing rocks for a while, they decided to have Elizabeth sit on a log so they could wash her feet like Jesus did with his disciples. I was so glad I had brought my camera along!

Then Pa (my dad) caught up to us in the woods. Pa is always lots of fun!

Then, they turned rocks over until they found some worms to hold.

And then we came home and they ran through the sprinkler in their already wet and muddy clothes!

Grandma again!

Some of you may remember that my son and his wife, Derrek and Samantha, were pregnant and lost their baby in January. Well, Derrek called this afternoon to tell me they are pregnant again! They are very excited, and cautiously optimistic, and a little nervous -- but very, very happy! Congratulations Derrek and Samantha! And I can't wait for this grandchild! Please keep them in your prayers for a healthy pregnancy and baby.

My Ethiopian Princess

Elizabeth is looking quite sassy in her braids. I told her she was my Ethiopian princess, and she just smiled at me like she already knew that!

Today we took the girls swimming at the indoor recreation pool at the local community center. They also have two giant indoor water slides, and all three of the girls went down a slide. They had a great time! It was the first time Elizabeth and Ruby have ever gone swimming in a pool. They were absolutely squealing with delight. I wish I had picture of it, but I was too busy in the pool with them to take pics. Maybe next time!

Summer Rae

Happy birthday, Summer Rae! Today we celebrated my granddaughter's 4th birthday! Derrek and Samantha had a great party for her. And the best part -- tonight the girls are having a slumber party at Derrek and Samantha's with Summer, so Tony and I have some time together! Here are a few pictures from this evening. Could Summer be any cuter? Oh, and my son is pretty cute too. Heh heh heh. Sorry, Derrek!

Yes, Chris, everyone passed the panty check!

In answer to Chris's comment/question, I actually DID have a moment of near panic when I double checked the girls for panties before the party started! They had on dresses and were riding their bikes just before guests started to arrived, and I stopped them to ask if everyone was wearing panties! My brother and his wife were the first to arrive, and he was quick to ask if I checked to make sure I hadn't "forgotten anything." I'll never live this one down!

Happy Birthday to My Biggest Girl

Ruby turned five today! She had a great birthday and a great party! Here's my biggest girl. :-)

Are you my mother?

It's funny, the things you see when you live out in the country. We first saw this baby egret out by our pond about a week ago. Then we started noticing it following one of our horses around the field. Lucy walks around grazing while the baby egret follows her around like she thinks the horse is her mother.

Tony's Life with Three Daughters

Life for Tony is very different now that he has three daughters. I doubt if he ever got out of bed wearing princess earrings when Jonathan and Chris were little! The girls climbed into bed with him this morning and "fixed him up."

No panties?

I just got through laughing -- at myself -- so hard that I had tears coming out of my eyes!

Today is Elizabeth's birthday. This morning I gave all the girls their shower and fixed their hair and gave them each a new dress to wear today. They were so excited! Then my son and his wife came over and ate lunch with us since they'll be working tonight and unable to come to the birthday party. We had a great time; Elizabeth got to sit on everyone's lap, we all sprawled out on the living room floor and did jigsaw puzzles...well, you get the idea.

About ten minutes after Derrek and Samantha left, Ruby came to me and said, "Mommy, ummm, I think you missed something. Elizabeth doesn't have on any panties." She was RIGHT! The entire morning and half of the afternoon I had a kid running around in a dress with no panties! And she never said a word about it!

Oh my gosh, I'm still laughing. Here's the birthday girl in her new dress. I took the picture this morning. I'll never be able to look at it again without remembering she wasn't wearing any panties!

Handprint Lilies

Our lilies are blooming! I found this great idea in the current issue of Family Fun magazine. It's a super easy and fun craft! The flowers turned out really pretty, and they will be the "centerpiece" on the table tomorrow for Elizabeth's birthday party!

Instructions: The white part of the lily is your child's handprint. You cut it out of white construction paper, curl the edges, and tape it to a straw. You cut the leaves out of green paper (one strip with a hole punched in the middle to run the straw through) and tape them on, then you use a yellow pipe cleaner to make the flower's stamen. Easy!