Auntie Angie's Visit, Part 4

While I was doing kitchen things in the morning the girls pushed their little chairs together and got into some pretend-land with Auntie. 

 Can't remember what they were pretending, but both girls were totally into it. :o) 

 Ah yes - sunshine and coffee - two things that make me very happy, and Joy is convinced she should get in on the double happiness too, not just Mommy. Thankfully, I have managed to keep her from actually sipping my morning coffee thus far. :o) She sure tries often enough though!

 BLESS HER HEART! Angie dug SOOOO many dandelions for us when she was here. She came when they were at their peak too. I had been digging them myself, but had gotten kind of sick of it and there was other gardening to do, so Angie dug right in and helped out. No kidding, she probably dug 200-300 out of the back lawn. It's looking so much better. I've just had to finish the far end and catch the odd re-appearing one, but it's SO nice to look out and not see yellow dots poking out all over!

 "Elp, elllp, elp?" (Joy doesn't quite say the "h" on the beginning of "help" just yet.)

 Morning sun on roses.

 A happy sight.

 Process on our little garden. The veggies have doubled-tripled in size in the 12 days since I took this picture though... looks way better now!

 Ride 'em Joy-Belle!

 I commented to Angie after this particular play time that it was sure a good thing she is such a good listener and playmate, because Hope sure has no end of ideas and lacks no skill in communicating what has in mind.

 This is how stuffed animals go down the slide at Hopey's house. You sit at opposite ends of the hardwood, and give them a good ole shove towards the other person, saying "weeeeeee" while you do it. Great fun, I tell ya. :o)

 Getting some one-on-one time of her own. :o)

 We bought diapers again, and that box also got turned into something to play with, for a little while, until Mommy had had enough of seeing it in the living room.

 This time it was a giant bathtub for all the stuffed animals, plus a human, of course.

 Then, it was contrived that a garage door should be put on the side, for ease of shoving the little stuffed creatures in side. Eventually, a slide was also added at the far end. Quite the deluxe bathtub, I tell ya.

 The narrow bed that runs along the front of the house. Plants are gaining height and blooming nicely.

 The flower bed beside the front patio. The shade doesn't do it justice, but that's just when I got there to take pictures.

 It's absolutely stunning out there first thing in the morning.

 Even though it doesn't happen often for me, the table and chairs next to the house do provide the perfect place for a cup of coffee and the Word in the morning sunlight and loveliness of God's creation. 

 A little bit of a bride's bouquet between each of the solar lights - two mini roses and white alyssum.

 Front bed from the other side.

 Picnic lunch on Angie's last full day here.

 Joy-Joy loves her dolly just as much as Hope does hers.

 That little top braid is a lifesaver for me some mornings! :o) I do it small enough it can stay in for a few days, and helps if the girls are up later or I'm running behind and can't fix Hope's hair right away at the start of the day. I don't do it all the time, but it sure is a nice option and keeps her front hairs from spilling into her face and food. :o)

 Ready to take Angie to the airport.

 Joy konked out for a nap minutes after we got on the road. :o)

 And when they got up from their real naps later in the day, they headed straight to the backyard where their Daddy was putting together a little swing set and slide for them.

 Of course, the girls were helping.

 Hope was a little chilled when she got up from her nap, hence the hoodie.

 They each knew which was their swing, I tell ya. And Joy was pointing it out to Hope, just in case. Though Hope likes to push Joy, Joy doesn't think that is such a great idea. She prefers to wait patiently for Mommy or Daddy to get back to her. :o)

Hope made the cutest comment to me about her swing, "Mommy! It's a yiddle swing for me! Now I can swing on it and go fast and not be scared!!!" :o) And she does love to be pushed fast! :o) 

Auntie Angie's Visit, Part 3

Angie was here for the entire week following the wedding, so we had lots of time to enjoy being together. 

 She brought the girls some very-nice and much-needed sandals from Denver. For once we have a pair that aren't tight on Joy's chubby feet.

 Angie wanted to do a longer bike ride one day, so we hit the trail system with a picnic in the bike trailer and quite without meaning to, we biked all the way to the other end of Spruce Grove and then back one street to a playground for our picnic and playtime.

 The little girls were thrilled with the adventure.

 I picked up some new books for the girls at a garage sale a while back, and Hope loves the one about butterflies. Angie said she read it to Hope quite a few times while we were away in Foremost.

 Ahem, JOY! Don't pull that basket of laundry off the couch, child! Just because you can doesn't mean you should!

 Hiding behind the rocking chair with Auntie. :o) What fun!

 And did this ever generate the giggles!

 We were trying to take them down the hall to get ready for bed, but had a little frolic in the living room enroute!

 Then Hope wanted it too! Bless Angie's heart. :o)

 Angie was rightly a bit winded after hoisting Hope that high, and laid down to catch her breath. Joy thought that meant it was "pile on Auntie time." :o)

Angie was just laughing away... :o)

Auntie Angie's Visit, Pt 2 - Rochelle's Wedding

One huge blessing to Angie being at our house June 6-16th, was that it allowed Josh and I to travel to Foremost June 8-10 for the wedding of a dear friend of mine, Rochelle (Crying-Head Roberts, now Rochelle Wolfe.) 

Josh and I drove to Lethbridge Friday night, where we had supper and a great visit with friends, and Josh spent a few hours recording some violin tracks for their upcoming CD. It was fun to hang out with Sam and Lisa in the recording room while Josh played upstairs. I'd mostly been on the other end of that situation before, so it was fun to listen and watch the computer screen as Sam recorded Josh. We spent the night with Chloe at her place and then drove to Foremost in time to change clothes at Grandma's and go to the wedding.

 James and Heather's younger daughters walking up the aisle. Heather is Rochelle's oldest adopted sister.

 They looked like little princess in those adorable dresses. Real princesses - daughters of the King!

 Olivia and her purple teddy bear was just too cute not to post!

 The bride - gaze set ahead, as "How Beautiful" was sung by James and Heather's oldest daughter, Bethany.

 The day has come! Up the aisle she walked, full of gratitude and anticipation!

  "Pastor Dale" aka "Dale Jost" married the young couple. 

 The rings...

 The vows... so well written!

 And a sand ceremony instead of a unity candle.

 Just after their first kiss.

 Mr. and Mrs. Nathan Wolfe!!!

 The youngest member at our table - Master Ethan Fehr. I was missing my kids, so you'll see a few photos of Ethan yet to come. :o)

 Ah yes, the good ole shoe game. The crowd really got rolling with laughter at some of the Q and A's that were given.

Most of James and Heather's children, performing a couple numbers during the reception. Their pitch was excellent. (Sorry, the music teacher in me just had to make that comment!)

Little Rebecca relaxin' with Uncle Tim during the reception.

Unexpectedly, Nathan's Mom wanted to get up and share with the crowd. She is deaf, so she spoke through an interpreter, which made her words extra special. All of Rochelle's family (pictured later) also spoke, which was so meaningful in light of the life stories and testimonies of Nathan and Rochelle.

A long and thoughtful list of Thank-You's. Rochie (her nickname) took time to make some personal remarks to her friends as she went through her list. Had me crying at least once!

They did a "formal" cake cutting, and a non-formal one, so attendees could get pictures.

I think Josh took these for me. Oh yeah - and Avery took most of the ceremony ones. I, short as I am, always seem to end up sitting behind very tall guests at weddings, which does not bode well for photography, so my tall bro who was sitting next to me helped me out this time.

Freedom!!! This was during tear down...

He's just so cute!

Rochelle with her siblings.

And that's me and my dear childhood friend Lizzy Bear.... er, I mean,  Elizabeth Heikoop. She flew all the way from Ontario for the wedding, with two under two in toe, or something like that. :o) It's special - Lizzy and I are due just days apart, with these our third little treasures from God.

And that's my man lookin' cool while waiting to take Grandma and I to the farm for a bit after the wedding. You'd never know it from looking through the windows, but it was actually 9pm when this shot was taken. (Yeah, it was a little crazy to cram in a trip to the farm after the full day of wedding festivities, but I couldn't drive all the way to Foremost and not go to Mom and Dad's house for just a tiny little bit. :o)) We stayed in Foremost with Grandma that night, as it was easier to stay with her without Hope and Joy along.

Sunday we traveled back to Spruce Grove, after visiting our old church in Lethbridge on the way. And the amazing thing was this - in the seven hours of travel back to Spruce Grove, we never once listened to a CD! We took turns driving and sleeping, and talked a bit, but mostly just enjoyed one another's company in silence as we drove along through rainstorms and sunny breaks.