Daddy's early birthday gift, and farm pt 1

So, again it has been a while between bloggings for me. Sigh. Oh well! Life is full, and just living it to the full sometimes takes all the time and energy I have. :o) Little ones are a blessing unlike any other though, and we wouldn't trade them for the world. Good thing too, as there's another little one on the way, due early November. :o) We feel so happy and blessed to be chosen to bear another little life to bring up for the King.  How great is our God! How sustaining is His grace!

So, that's another reason I haven't been blogging much, needing afternoons to sleep to give my body the energy it needs to "grow a baby." :o) 

Nonetheless, we have had some grand adventures and visits with people the last few weeks, so here's a start at looking at what we've been up to. :o) 

Josh was about to take a week long business trip to FL, so before he left we gave him one of his birthday presents a couple weeks early, as it was something he could use while on the trip. :o)

Of course, presents are always a highlight around here. :o)

So much good help available for unwrapping them!

And for trying out the new gifts too.

Don't forget the little one. If you do, she'll soon be making a noise that will rapidly remind you of her presence and give you a hint as to her desires at that present moment. :o)

So, we (his family and I) got Josh his very own set of Bose, noise cancelling headphones, excellent for flying and anytime you want to hear an audio material clearly. :o) Josh's Dad had a pair of them years ago, and Josh liked the way they worked, so we knew this would be a good gift to get for him. Hope loved using them as long as we would let her. :o)

While Josh was away this time we drove down to the farm, to escape being by ourselves in a still-winter-clad city. ;o) Hope made some unique Play Dough creations with her Granny one morning, so I took a picture of them. :o)

While we couldn't get Hope anywhere near riding in the wheelbarrow, Joy had a great time bouncing around in there, somehow knowing to sing when she started bouncing over the gravel in the yard. :o)

Auntie Chloe and Joy are good friends, and get along well. Must be a second-born connection or something.

Hope loved every moment spent with Granny. They are such great friends, now. :o)

Cats just seem way more safe and a much better size for playmates than the big dogs on the farm. :o)

Walking out to the quonset, Hope was fussing that she couldn't walk, and so Granny offered to give her a piggy-back ride.

Poor Granny, though! Her knees aren't what they used to be, and getting up from the gravel was quite the hilarious process.

Riding high in Auntie Chloe's arms.

Joy was needing something to do inside, so Granny came to the rescue with some fruit that needed to be unloaded into the fridge drawers. Of course, Joy thought sampling the fruit would be the preferred thing to do, but she did get the idea and helped Granny after all. 

Then, Granny had another great project for Joy to "help" her do - matching container lids to containers, so as to cut down the excess items in the cupboard. Neat stacks were made as the containers were matched to their lids, and then Joy all of a sudden saw them as towers that needed her attack skills, and so down they crashed. :o) Actually, I think she was trying to pick up one stack, when her plump middle section bumped into a neighbouring stack and sent it toppling to the ground. :o)

So, the stacks got set up again... and... you get the game. :o)

Speaking of games, Hope had such fun playing an old game we used to play when my sisters and I were little - Pigtails and Ponytails. Avery was even a chum, and played along with her and Chloe. :o)

Stay tuned for more pictures and adventures from the farm.