From ten down to six

Everyone but Andrew had to leave us that week, on Wednesday, I believe. They went back to Swift Current to spend some time with Lorrie's parents. Lorrie ended up staying on in Swift Current for a while, and Angie drove her two youngest siblings home to Denver. 

 There was lots of time for snuggles.

 And everyone soaked it up. :o)

 We are so blessed!

 A bit of time with Daddy on the couch after supper.

Philip loves those maracas!

Andrew stayed with us for another ten days or so, commuting to the CX Canada office with Josh for work each day. We really enjoyed having him around in the evenings!

 Hanging out in the jolly jumper while we ate supper on the lawn.

 The winters are long here, so we soak up every minute outdoors we possibly can in the spring/summer/fall.

 Sunlight is the best!

 The higher the better, you should hear him giggle.

 I did dishes while Josh got the girls ready for bed one night, and Andrew was good enough to entertain Philip for me. :o) Guy time. It was good. Philip got quite the concert. Uncle Andrew can sure sing!

 A friend from Denver, Cheri Hamvas, blessed the kids with these outfits. We had to go out and run some errands, so I had fun dressing them up, and they had fun wearing their new ladybug clothes...they had seen them in the drawer and had been asking for a while when they could wear them.

 An impostor in the jolly jumper! I think Hope was responsible for this arrangement. :o)

 Lunch outside. It's how me and the little ones like it. Keeps the kitchen a lot cleaner, that's for sure!
On these summer days, I have taken to cleaning the kitchen just twice in the day - after breakfast and at suppertime. The kitchen will always be there, and it will consume as much time as you will let it. And yes, I like a tidy kitchen, but I like to give my attention and energy to other needs too. Like the children. :o)

 Joy put this together on her own, and was quite happy with herself. She ate all three at the same time.

 Hope had to try it too. Somehow it just doesn't look the same on her. :o)

Philip's first taste of watermelon. :o) He loved it like a true Langemann, though I am learning he doesn't like it when it's cold. :o)

 Walker time on the front patio.

 Sigh... I could just take pictures of him and kiss him all day long. :o)

 Munchkin and her sidekick. Oh yes. All of a sudden, on their own, they have named imaginary playmates, and they are starting to name their dolls too. Hope's imaginary friend is Martha, or "Marfa" as she says it, and one of Hope's dolls is Sopia. Joy's play friend, which is sometimes also her doll is Heidi. Heidi came first in their little world, and then the others joined. :o) They are growing up, these two little girls of mine.

 Some of Philip's first real food - potato. He loved it. He is turning out to be like Joy, preferring what he can hold with his own hands and mulch with his two little teeth, rather than the pureed stuff. It's easy, because he feeds himself. It's hard, because he doesn't get much actual sustenance from it, at lest not yet. But that's perfectly okay right now. He still nurses great, and is bigger and rounder than both his sisters were at this age. :o)

 Just starting to sit up on his own.

 We put the XL puppy around him for support,

but he soon got it where he wanted it.

 Their makeshift sandbox makes them so happy. Hope's favourite thing to do in the sandbox is make "ginger cake." And Joy, I'm not sure that she has a favourite. She just likes the sand. At the end of each day, I dump the sand back in the bucket, and put it away in the garage, safe from neighbouring kitty cats and the little things they like to deposit in soft, clean sand. :o)

 Every good meal ends with a washcloth! :o)

A house full of Langemanns

As I mentioned, some of our Langemann family came to our place after our time in Swift Current. Melody and William had to return to Denver because of work, but Angie, Amy, Andrew, Daniel, and Lorrie were able to come our way for ten days or so! 

It was a wonderful time together. Josh took Daniel and Andrew with him to work most days, which left us ladies here at home with the girls and Philip. 

It was extra-great that Angie's work load was lighter this time, and she was able to put in the hours needed from the house here, which allowed her time with the little ones and time to catch up on rest!

Despite Joy's face, she really was happy about this situation - in fact, she was the one who suggested that she be Auntie Angie's "rinser."

If you could put her personality into a picture, this would have to be part of that picture!

It rained a lot while they were here, but that didn't keep them down! It's great that Lorrie is able to go out and about and see friends from when they lived here back in the 90's.

Philip loved having extra arms around to hold him.

Of course, attention of most every kind is just great in his books!

And he likes to chew on spatulas. Yup. He does. :o)

Grandma Lorrie had this "Noah's Ark" game on her iPad mini, and Hope and Joy couldn't get enough of it!

Auntie Angie showing Philip how to work that toy.

While they were here, I skipped out of the house one rainy morning to drive to the nearby Leduc airport to visit with my Aunt Winnie and Uncle Barry who were on their way to Calgary and had a layover here.

I haven't seen them since our wedding, five years ago, and they haven't met any of our children, so it was sure extra-special to get to see them. At least they met Philip. That's a start!

Auntie Angie learned Josh's secret of how to get Philip to sleep - go walk on the elliptical. He likes the lilt of walking, and after making his happy little "ahhh, aaaaahhhh, ahhhh," sounds for a while, he falls fast asleep.

Cuddles and bounces with Auntie Amy.

Bring it on!

Yep - he loves to jump!

On the weekend, Josh and Andrew took off an hr north to participate in a men's retreat with our church, which they called a "men's advance." :o)

Josh texted me on Sunday morning and asked how I was doing. So, I texted him back this picture. :o) I do say, iPhones are very convenient. :o)

After church out at the Mosher's, we got Daniel to grill, and enjoyed a picnic on the deck in the bit of sunshine we were finally getting. :o)

Happiness all around.

He doesn't really like the chin strap on that hat, but the hat does a good job of keeping the sun off his sweet lil head.

Love this lady!!!

The guys got back Sunday evening in time for snacks and a wee bit of time with the kids.

The kazoo was most amusing to the wee lad, that is, to Philip.

Meanwhile, Joy was tinklin' the ivories, which, in typical Joy-fashion, is anything but a tinkle.

She sings when she plays, and of course, she always has to turn the page. :o)

One day the following week, we got to tag along on a trip to the acreage. Lorrie had to get some stuff from the attic, and as the children love it when we go on "outings" so we just made this into one. :o)
They enjoyed riding on the merry-go-round that Josh's Opa built for the Langemann children when they lived at the acreage.

I locked the stroller wheels, and we were away. :o)

Some of the Fehr children eventually came out to play, which made things even happier. Hope eventually disappeared inside with one of them, and when it was time to go home, I found her quietly enjoying puzzles and books on the couch inside with Olivia. :o)

Big enough for under-ducks this year, she is. :o)

Hope and Joy are just getting to the age where they like to "do your hair." So far they've only asked to comb/brush it, and I'm leaving it at that as long as they will. I know one day I will have crooked pigtails and all sorts of coloured barrettes in my hair as they become more inquisitive and creative.

The Langemann's cousin, Johnny, was able to come over for a game one night while they were here. Angie toughed it out with the guys in a long game of Cities and Knights, to triumph in the end, around 11pm. :o) 

Sweeties after naps.

I just had to capture the adorableness happening at bedtime, so it was the iPhone camera to the rescue!

He is as sweet as he looks.

You'd never have known by her energy that it was the end of the day and time for bed.

"Hi Mommy."

These little ones are such a blessing to me! :o)

They are all so unique, and love each other so much.

Hold on there, Hope!

Often, we eat our lunch outside in the summer when the weather is nice. It keeps the kitchen floor cleaner!