That's Corrie

There's something so sweet and calm about what Corrie brings to our family. Perhaps because Mac and David are so high-energy, we can't help but marvel at how delicate yet strong the Lord has made her. Sweet girl!

(snuggling on the couch in the mornings with her unicorn and blanky)

(Mesmerized by the teenage girl who decided to wear a mermaid tail to the swimming pool yesterday. Corrie did not leave her side the entire time and even convinced her to take her for a ride on her back!)

Backyard Sprinkler Gone Wrong

First Lost Tooth

This past Saturday, Mac surprised us all. He came running out the door holding a tiny baby tooth in his hand. 

I hope I never forget the look on his face: it was a perfect blend of excitement, surprise, and pure happiness wrapped up in one unforgettable expression. The sentiment was contagious!

We were all so excited for him. Thankfully, he heard somewhere that if you put your tooth under your pillow, the tooth fairy will come and bring you a new toothbrush. I plan on letting that one ride as long as it can. Sadly, I was too tired to go to the store and buy him a toothbrush, but thankfully he did not want to put his tooth under his pillow. He wanted to save it. For once I was thankful for his propensity to hoard things that he believes are treasures (usually pieces of trash).

I am sorry to admit that I think I wiped his tooth up with a bunch of breadcrumbs on the table later that evening. I am pretty sure I threw it away in the trash. The irony! The one treasure that was not actually trash...ended up in the trash. Poor little guy. On the bright side, the tooth next to the one he lost is very wiggly. We may have a chance to see that wonderful expression again soon!

(Trying his best to show the hole where his tooth was and holding his new-found treasure carefully in his right hand).

A Very Sweet Sunday

We've had a couple pretty sweet weekends lately. On Mother's Day weekend, we were surprised to find ourselves back in Front Royal, enjoying a visit to our old church and celebrating Mother's Day with very dear friends.

I had forgotten how beautiful the view is from the parking lot at our church in Front Royal

After church we headed to the Fournier's for lunch and many other unexpected blessings. For example, Corrie got to take a nap next to a real live kitty cat. I am sure she did not sleep at all, but she was in heaven petting that cat for a few hours!

Ellis had a rare chance to relax and hang out with the guys. I was really happy for him. 

Corrie finished her "nap" just in time to enjoy homemade ice cream that came straight from the Fournier's cows! It was pretty amazing. 

We finished the afternoon with a lively corn hole tournament and a fun time of swimming in the river. I loved being near the water and seeing the mountains all around us. 

Maybe because our visit seemed to happen without us really planning it, I felt the whole thing was a gift from the Lord. As the day passed by, I saw how each member of our family seemed to receive something special. 

I thought for sure the Lord had shown me what a truly blessed Mother's Day looks like. I got to see each person in our family enjoy the Lord's goodness. What better or more satisfying Mother's Day gift could there be? 

"Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever."

-Psalm 136:1

And last but not least, a sweet delivery of flowers from Ellis. 

(They looked a little more lively a week ago, but they still smell good!)

Fun Times

It all started with a simple question: "Mom, can we eat our tacos in the tree?!"

And that's when the fun began!

We've had some other fun times lately, like watching bees pollinate flowers in our yard:

And painting birdhouses:

Looking forward to more fun times ahead!

Beetles and Alien Pigs

At about 3:45pm today I heard a knock at the door. I stepped out of the bathroom where Corrie was having a bath with her new swimming whale shark toy. "Hi Mitzi!," I called to the little girl who lives across the street as she waited at our front door.

"Is Corrie ready?," Mitzi asked. 

Oh man! I forgot again! I signed Corrie up for a special clay/art class with the C'ville Parks and Rec Dept., and she is supposed to get a ride with Mitzi to class every Tuesday at 4pm. So far there have been three classes, and so far I have thought about her class every day of the week...except for Tuesday. On Tuesdays I forget.  

I will tell you one thing though, Corrie is so excited about that class that whether she has to scramble out of a bath tub, be woken up from a dead sleep, or whatever we may be in the middle of next week when hear Mitzi knock at the door, she is ready and out the door in 2-3 minutes flat. 

Corrie's latest clay creation: the alien pig

After Corrie went to class, Mac and I went outside together while Davey napped. I planned on reading a book while Mac rode his bike, but we ended up collecting tiny beetles instead.

At one point, Mac felt a beetle tickling his foot, and he was surprised to find a beetle in his shoe. "Mommy!," he said. "I will use my shoe to attract more beetles!," reasoning that the beetle must have liked his shoe and crawled into it. He took off his shoe to make a stinky feet beetle trap. Such a creative and funny little mind he has.

A little later we went back inside, and Mac said, "Mom, I have a good plan. How about you read one of the stories about the boys and I eat a snack while I listen!"  

I have been reading to him and Corrie from a book called Ten Boys who Changed the World. There are ten chapters in the book, and each one has a different biography of a Christian missionary. We have really been enjoying them. 

Later in the evening when I was tucking Mac into bed, he said "Mom, I really liked our time today so much." I smiled and said,"Yes Mac, it was a nice little date today!," and he said, "I think I will plan another one!" 

Sounds great to me!

Easter 2015

Easter weekend started off pretty sweet for us. We got to visit our friends in Front Royal for an egg hunt (crafts and farm animals included), and it felt as if we had never left! The kids had a blast.

I love this picture of Corrie and Mac. It shows the mountains and river in the background that you can see from almost anywhere in Front Royal. What a special place. I am really thankful to have had the chance to live there. 

the kids learning about resurrection eggs:

egg hunting!

This one of Davey is my favorite!

I decided to surprise the kids with a special lunch at the "blue roof" (as they call it). It was always our favorite place to eat in Front Royal!

On Sunday we got dressed up in our Easter clothes before heading off to church. I thought the kids looked pretty cute, and I wanted to get a nice video of them saying "Happy Easter." Oh well.

We did have a very fun morning though! Our church had rented two bouncy houses and one donut food truck for everyone to enjoy together before the service. After the service, we headed up to Northern VA to see Grandpa and Grandma Belding and Aunt Rachel. 

I tried to get more pictures of the kids and a family picture. 

Mac and Corrie even managed to squeeze in a little bit of fishing. Grandpa Dean surprised them with their own tackle boxes filled with lures. Really sweet!