A week to remember

This past week started out like every other week at our house, the girls and I doing things together during the day and all of us enjoying "Daddy time" on these free summer evenings. However, the week finished quite different than any other week, and you'll see what I mean by the pictures. :o)

I can't recall what I went into the sewing room to do, but we ended up playing with the serger threads together.
Of course, the most fun is crashing Mommy's creation....
And chewing - don't forget the chewing part!
Josh and I are doing some classical violin and piano music for a wedding in July for some young friends of ours from church. We're both glad for the excuse to get us practicing again, and we're thrilled to be doing something together, the only hard part is finding time to practice together, as Josh works during the day (duh) and by the time both girls are asleep at night we're usually tired out too! So, that leaves the brief period of time between supper and bedtime. I though I had a brilliant solution that would give us some free-handed time - we'd put Joy in a tub with some toys....
and we'd put Hope in the jolly-jumper, since she likes her chances to bounce around in it. Well, let's just say that once Hope saw Joy in the tub she thought she should be there playing with her, and once Joy saw Hope at the edge of the tub that's where Joy thought she should be, and started pulling herself up on the edge of the little tub over and over again. So.... there went that practice session. I think we got through one piece before deciding to just be "Daddy and Mommy," not "Josh and Erin." I think we did try to practice a bit more after the girls were down, but my brain was d-o-n-e and didn't want to read the music very well at all. :o)
Next day. Teary-eyed Hope pushing giggly-wiggly Joy in the Jolly-jumper. :o) Why was Hope teary eyed? Well, the time had come to say bye-bye to those diaper things and learn to wear big girl gear! :o) Let's just say that day one was a wet one. :o) I think she went through 5 or 6 pairs of pants!
Next day I got smart and put her in a dress which made for quicker access and a greater probability for success, if you know what I mean. Day two she spent several very long periods on her little seat, which gave her good results.
Random pictures of the Joy-Belle while Hope and I were eating breakfast.
The ever-ready grin.
And the squeeeeal, which can be either a happy sound or a not-so-happy-sound, depending on her perception of her current circumstances and level of attention being given to her.

Day number three. Playtime with the blocks before nursing time for Joy. As you can see, the potty was conveniently placed nearby, as a state of emergency could occur should Hope have to go while Joy is nursing. :o)
My happy little one, dancing around, free from her diapers! Hope calls her panties "good girl panties" because that's what we tell her and what she tells herself when she has success on the potty. :o)
We had company for supper both Thursday and Friday nights, and I guess I was busy preparing for that because I didn't take any more pictures to speak of. :o) Here's a snapshot of Hope with some of the Bayne's kids on Friday night. Hope had such fun playing with "children in the basement" as she said. Friday was her first accident-free day, including the evening time when our friends were over! Praise the Lord!!! We had such a blessed time of conversation and fellowship with our friends in the living room while the little ones played in the basement, their oldest going back and forth between being with the kids and being with us. God is so good!

I'm SOOOOO HAPPY to only have one in diapers now, (except for nap and bedtime of course). Hope did really good with it. Just another reminder to me that God does make all things beautiful in time! :o)

Here's a couple video clips of our little soprano singer/bass player. :o)