Thanks to all

We had a very nice visit from Grandpa & Grandma this past week or so. I'll let them write more specifics, but we decided that even though there were spectacular deals at beach resorts we'd decided to take advantage of a spectacular deal in the mountains. We enjoyed the cooler weather, the slow pace, the lovely views and this boat ride, pictured above. We also enjoyed an early birthday party for the three of us. Thanks to everyone who sent the presents. We are enjoying them very much. We appreciate your thoughtfulness and generosity. I am especially enjoying being able to listen to music on my daily drive to work now that I have inherited Eric's MP3 player. I can't say I've ever been able to fully appreciate Thai radio.

I DIDN"T DO IT!!

It must just be human nature to little boys...
because as we were sorting through cookie cutters the other day in preparationg to make...yup, you guessed it, cookies, we came across some Christmas ones. Sam held a candycane and a stocking in each hand. Holding up the candycane, he says, "Mama, I know this one is a gun, but what is this other one?"

Getting the Hang of It

Last spring Brian and I decided to begin making our own bread...from the wheatberry. A friend is sharing her grain mill with me and we bought a wonderful machine that helps us do this five loaves at a time in about an hour. I think I have finally gotten the hang of it...Look! Isn't it beautiful? (Don't get the wrong impression...I didn't take pictures of the brick hard loaves and botched batches...including the one today. I had to pitch the starter and begin again, but it was worth it!)

Another memory worth noting from today. We were all sitting at the table tonight happily eating our pizza (made with the same homemade bread dough) and Lydia looks at Brian. "Papa, why is your face like that?" Brian: "What do you mean? God made it like this." Lydia: "You should smile more."

We follow in the footsteps of many parents before us...

who have found endless possibilities for cardboard boxes. My parents got us a piece of furniture that came in this box. Once assembly was complete, Kevin transformed it into a car complete with opening/closing door and a steering wheel. I let Elinore color on it with markers, and she has "accessorized" it to make it quite the lounge car. She is loving it. Yesterday she and Kevin pretended to drive to the beach complete with sandcastle building and swimming in the water. I love watching her learn. She is literally learning how to pretend. And I love watching Kevin play with her. It is something I get to do all day, so when he has some time to really get into things with her...it just makes me so happy.

Elinore

Although we call Elinore our "Drama Queen" (in the very best sense of the word) because of her vivid descriptions of all she sees and does ("Grandma, I'm crying."), these pictures show other aspects of her personality. Nearly two years old, she loves being outdoors. This first picture was taken at Williamsburg where, surrounded by historic weapons and buildings, she was most interested in......dandelions. She loves flowers, bugs, and berries and finds them fascinating.

The second picture shows her ability to focus and complete a task, here the Three Pigs puzzle, not easy for a less-than-two-year-old. We often use the word "hilarious" to describe her observations; she is so much fun to have around. Sometimes we wish she could stay just this age.

We love you, Elinore! Grandpa and Grandma