Family Field Trip

A couple of Saturdays ago we loaded up and headed to the Farmer's Market. We had a good time looking around and getting some fresh fruits and veggies. Our next stop was visiting the airport to watch the planes. It was a great little park that the airport had created for viewing and the girls had a great time. The planes took off right in front of us and we got to see many of them. Every time one would take off and go by Quinny took it upon herself to be the farewell committee and made sure to wave to each one. She is a friendly one, that is for sure. She kept us laughing with her cute little hand making sure to wave to every single one.

 

Fingers in her mouth and a waving hand, that's our Quinny!

Cow Appreciation Day

Two weeks ago it was Cow Appreciation Day at Chick-Fil-A and who can pass up simply dressing up to get free dinner. I made up some spots and headpieces with a little help form Chick-Fil-A and we were off. We had a great dinner! Our pictures were slim this year as we ran errands before and then got dressed in the parking lot. I was able to snap a couple pictures while we were in line, too bad I was unable to get any of me, but I was dressed just as the others were.

 

She was a little concerned with the people in the Cow suits as she is not big on people dressed as characters, but Quinn could not stop waving at them. It made for an interesting time as Quinn would wave to draw the characters closer and Ellie would give them the stare down to make them go away.

Our Little Artist

Ellie LOVES crafts. She loves to draw and cut and create using paper and anything else she can find. The other day I let her dig into her paints and she created a masterpiece to hang over her bed. She was pretty excited to see her finished product!

 

Someone can't wait to get in on this action!

 

Molly Monks had to get in on the picture too!

First Movie

This summer one of the theaters near us was offering free movies and played a different kid's movie each week. I decided I would try and take the girls and figured it was free so no loss if it did not work out. It started out great but I need to have Ben next time. One was ready to go, Quinn, and the other agreed, Ellie, but when it came to leaving the movie, Ellie decided she did not agree anymore to leaving early and cries and a broken heart were the result. Until that moment things went well and they both were enjoying the movie. We will wait until next summer to try again at least with both girls and I will bring Ben. Ellie and I might try on our own one time soon! Here our a couple of pictures of when it was going well! :) Being a mom always presents new challenges.

A Little Personality

Our girls are full of personality. Ellie is a girl full of spunk and humor and her sister seems to be developing quite a personality as well. They keep us well entertained and challenged!

I gave Quinn her milk the other day, and she was standing up, and when I turned around I found her lounging on her belly and she had figured out how to put her milk on the floor and drink from it without using hands. Can't call her uncreative, that is for sure!

Also, wonderful news to report, our little Quinny has not been on the growth charts since her very first appointment right after she was born, so when we call her little she is VERY little. She had her 15 month appointment on Monday and she has made it ON the charts. She weighed in at a little over 19 pounds and hit the 20th percentile and was 28 3/4 inches tall and was in the 5th percentile. Her head of course was big, but that means big brains! :) We are so excited as this news means we will not need to see a specialist for her growth (which was thought to be a real possibility), she is just going to be tiny, and we are quite fine with that! We are extremely thankful that we have a laid back doctor who never made us concern greatly and was always reassuring but diligent in taking care of her through this last year making sure she was healthy and always encouraging to us as parents as we tried to bulk her up in as many ways as we could.

 

These girls have no idea how much they have our hearts!

Quinn's Achievements

Quinn has learned to help with chores already. Ellie's job is to put away the silverware and her and Quinny's plates. The silverware drawer is not perfect, but the items are in the general area they belong. It is not about being perfect just learning to help around the house and build responsibility. We are not going to be doing everything for them as they grow so we are starting to give Ellie chores and I am learning to be completely fine with the outcome of the help she gives. Having watched Ellie do her chores for the past 14 months has made someone eager to help! (By the way, the floors were just cleaned minutes before this video!)

She can now do her chores a lot easier now that she is doing this, which has now become her primary mode of transportation:

4th of July Fun

Fourth of July is always a day for us to reconnect as a family. Ben gets the day off, and even takes a break from school work, and I take the day off from my part-time job and we can relax and enjoy some family time while celebrating being blessed to live in this great country. We did lots of playing and Ellie and I made brownie kabobs. Ben also made his amazing ribs! Then Ellie, Ben and I watched "Finding Nemo" while we waited for the time to come to go see fireworks. We woke Quinn up and went to a little town near us that we have been going to since I was pregnant with Ellie to watch fireworks. The girls did great and loved the time! Next year might be the year to add sparklers into the mix! ;)

 

Picking Our Beans To Eat With Dinner

 

I don't know what was better, watching her enjoying the fireworks or watching the fireworks! I tended to watch her more than the fireworks!

Movies and Maggie

Love to see these sweet sisters at movie night. Ellie was so kind to allow Quinn to share her beanbag with her.

We also celebrated Maggie's 5th birthday at the end of June. We can not believe she is 5 already. Ben and I got her when she was just 6 weeks old and I constantly tell her she will be the only cat I have so she better live long. She is a tiny cat for her age and when I see other cats they seem HUGE next to her. I can not imagine having a cat that is not Maggie. She is patient with this crazy family. Ben is definitely her favorite now that the girls have come along ( I am sure she blames me for their arrival!) and Ellie is her sleeping buddy. Almost every night if you are searching for Mags you can find her sleeping with Ellie. She has also been very patient with Quinn. Quinn is OBSESSED with Maggie and being gentle is something she is trying to work on and Maggie is kind enough to allow Quinn to practice on her. We celebrated with pudding for us all. Ellie wanted us to put a candle in the pudding and sing to Maggie so we did. We love our sweet Moogie Shoes, as we call her, and could not imagine life without her in our family!

A Trip To Raleigh

We recently took our summer trip to Raleigh. We had a great few days visiting with Ben's parents. They always treat us so well and make sure to have all our favorite foods. It is also great to get to visit with them and share what is going on in all our lives.

Eating some of our favorite foods. (And yes she will eat the whole banana and already ate pasta salad and follows the banana with blueberries. She can definitely eat!)

Pool Time in the Backyard

Quinn and Gran

Love the Big Floor Puzzles at Geep and Gran's! There is always a new one to be done!

Quinn has discovered a love of milkshakes like her sister.

Fun at Pullen Park

Riding the Train at Pullen Park. We also rode the carousel (the first time for the girls).

Geep and Gran with Quinn

Someone obviously wanted the tub of bubble juice.

Quinn's First Ponytail

Playing Peek a Boo

Piano (or as Ellie says "Paneeno") Time on Geep's Piano

This picture encompasses who Ellie is at this moment. Always on the go!

Not Enough Words

We celebrated Father's Day this year in the exact way Ben wanted. We gave him a couple gifts and then went out to lunch. We came home and he enjoyed an afternoon nap, which is something he greatly enjoys and only gets in the summer months as throughout the year he works most of the day Sundays. He got to spend time with his girls and have a nap, what could be better.

Ben as a father is exactly what our girls need and deserve. God has made him the exact husband and father we need and many times don't deserve. There are not enough words to describe who he is as a father to these two little girls. It is very obvious that they are extremely loved by him beyond measure as they can not get enough of their Daddy. He is an excellent example to them of what a father and husband should be and models daily how they are to be treated by a man in their lives that cares for and adores them. He is exactly who I prayed for as a husband and father for me and my children and God went above and beyond in providing what I not only needed but desired in my heart. Every day is not perfect and as life goes we forget how grateful we should be, but not a day goes by that at some tiny moment in my day I am not overwhelmed with gratitude at how Ben treats me, the girls and how he is living as Christ calls him to live. A constant prayer for my own girls is that they would find a man that is exactly who their father is when they are older.

 

A Few Of Daddy's Favorites For Father's Day

 

 

Daddy and Elliebeans Gardening

 

Daddy and His Quinny

 

Daddy and Ellie