Catch my smile... if you can!

This is her typical every time you look at her face - just satisfied with life, looking a little like she wants to smile, but she's just waiting for you to smile first... Usually works that she'll grin and sort of catch you a little off guard... 

Life is full of surprises...

And this is how Margaret wakes up every morning - looking a little surprised that she's still little... I love the wide eyed surprised look. 

Our girls...

The girls... Savannah loves to help with Margaret, and loves being able to do things with her sister - she's started copying me in taking care of her "baby"; I suppose that's how little girls learn to be good moms! 

Just an update...

I've been meaning to put pictures on for a long time - and now that it's quiet in the house, I'm making the time. I can't guarantee that it will be quiet for too much longer, but since Margaret's asleep and Savannah's asleep and I'm almost asleep... here you go.

Our family is doing well. The girls and I are holding down the fort while Andrew is in Utah building houses (and loving the challenge that this new adventure brings). We've had our fair share of challenges at home, but our family has been strengthened even in the process. I feel it's a bit like bending steel. First you have to heat it up, then you can mold it and finally it cools off. While I freely admit that it's not easy being apart, Andrew and I are thankfully able to talk daily, and he is still my strength when things get tough. I know that we can rely on each other for everything!

Savannah started a community education class, and she loves it. She goes back and forth between calling it "school" and "my class" - I think it's going to be an excellent experience for both of us. For her first class, she made square eggs (I've never seen it done, but it sounds easy), learned to make an egg salad sandwich, planted a bean in a "living necklace" and had lunch with about 11 other kids! Socially, it will be good for her. Mentally, it will be good for me. I love to hear her excitement and the way she is growing and learning. She was sad that the teacher didn't talk to her during her class, and we had a nice talk about the world not turning around the things she says - I know that she's only four, but I hope that SOMETHING sunk in there! We talked about the similiarities between sitting and listening in Primary and sitting and listening during her class. And I acknowledged that it's hard for her not to talk - because she likes to talk (this may be a gross understatement) - personally, I'm hoping that this class will help her learn some valuable sharing and social skills - and how to listen instead of talk all the time...

Margaret is growing faster than I want her to. Her hair is coming in redder, her smile is getting bigger, and she thinks it's funny when her "bum burps". She doesn't laugh at gas yet, but she does smile bigger after she hears that particular funny noise. She doesn't laugh when she scares herself with it though... Just gets a funny startled look on her face. We all laugh at that!

As for me, I'm getting lots of sleep, and singing happy songs when the rest of the house isn't so happy. I've decided that I refuse to allow someone else to make me sad. I'm just not going to give in to the old adage - "If mom's not happy, nobody's happy" may as well just be happy with what I've got. It sure has changed the way I look at things!

And on that note - I'm going to get some much needed beauty rest.

Best Friends...

Scott and Savannah - such good friends in such a short time - it really made for a great weekend for Savannah to have someone to play with her and help take care of her - she's got a pretend telephone that she's been pretending to call Scott on daily... what a great friend and cousin... 

Born to ride...

need I say more? I've rarely seen a happier man than this... 

Just like my Dad...

After a long, hard day... just relaxing and sitting around. I'm not sure that either of them were really ready for this picture, but I'm putting it on for Andrew.

And if there's any question at all where Margaret gets her hair color - I just noticed that it's exactly the same color as Andrew's beard. 

Feeding time...

I just like the way this picture turned out. Savannah loved to feed the horses carrots - in fact, minutes after this picture she made an attempt to feed the horse a second carrot, and ended up throwing it in his general direction - he was a bit too close for her comfort. 

After the fun...

Comes the work. Teaching Savannah about brushing the horse after he's ridden. Savannah did a great job of helping to take care of the animals - I was thrilled that she wasn't terrified of the Horse, since he is HUGE compared to her! 

Just enjoying life.

April started with the family in Logan, UT to work (Andrew) and visit (Linda and the girls). The trip was really fun - the girls were marvelous on the drive (which ended up being about 15 hours too long, but not bad), and we were able to see a wide range of weather. From rain in OR to snow (Savannah thought that was really fun) to short-sleeve weather, the trip was worth it. Savannah made a new best friend in her cousin, Scott, and came home dreaming of owning her own horse someday.

The girls all miss Andrew (that includes his wife) and can't wait for the next time we can see him. As you can see by the photo - Andrew is definitely in his element with the horse - and we are excited to have our own property where we can have horses of our own! This is at Uncle Bruce's house - the horse is, I think, Jasper. 

Ridin' around on the back of a horse...

My daddy's leading me all the way.
Can't let go or I might fall off...
Think I'd really like to stay.

This kid thinks horses are "SOOOOOO cool!" She'd have taken him home if she could have. 

just when you least expect it...

they grow up. 

Savannah's first REAL horse ride

And what you DON'T see is Andrew standing less than two feet away so Savannah is safe. She sure did love to ride this horse though, and was so excited to go out and help feed him and brush him and ride him and now she's putting that she wants a horse for Christmas on her wish list. Good luck, sweetie. Uncle Ian has been wishing for a LONG time for a pony. 

Talking to the dust motes and expecting an answer

I'm not sure what she's doing here, except she's not crying and she looks really happy. I think this one was taken just seconds before she tipped over... We are definitely blessed to have such happy children. 

This is what a lizard does...

This is Margaret's impersonation of a lizard. She's started to stick her tongue out more and more - and she thinks it's funny when I accidentally touch her tongue or just under her lip to get her to stick out her tongue. It's almost as if she's tasting something in the air... 

Learning to Smile on demand...

This is one of Margaret's first real smiles in response to something I said. She's started to smile a lot more now - and interract with Savannah when Savannah wants to play with her. It's fun to see the two of them sit and smile at each other. 

Knot her style...

So I learned how to knit using one of those easy circle things - and this is the first thing that I made... the hat, that is. It was the right size, but Margaret - as you can see, HATES IT! I'm not sure if she doesn't like the color, or if she didn't want me to take her picture in it - after all, it does have some mistakes, and it wasn't what I was expecting. It was fun to make though, and now Savannah is asking me regularly, "when am i going to knit again?" The reason she asks? She's the whole reason I learned how to knit. She wanted to do it. And her attention span lasted long enough to ask the question - although she did go a few rounds on another hat that she now wears constantly... perhaps when she's older.