Fourth Anniversary and Gardening

May 18, 2012, was our fourth wedding anniversary. Having just had Melody here, we decided to just dine in with the girls, and have things more calm for their sakes. Josh did get off work a couple hours early, and brought home Tim Horton's coffee, which we enjoyed together on the front step before the girls woke up from their naps. We also took the opportunity to set up the solar lights we had bought for along our front flower beds. :o) It was special to do it together.

For dinner, I BBQ'd steak and ribs, make oven fries, and had cut up veggies, because I didn't have time to make a salad! :o) I put the tomatoes in the shape of a heart, and that was that! Later, after the kids were in bed, Josh and I watched the first part of a movie together and had brownies and ice cream. :o)

Josh took over bedtime routine about a month ago (and how lovely that is for me!!!) and the girls love story time with their Daddy. I usually hear spirited peals of laughter and some head bonks during the process of them getting to bed too, but at least they go to bed happy most nights. :o)

Little Miss long hair, after her bath. (I only bath them twice a week, her long hair being one of the reasons for that!)

Sunday after church pictures are always an adventure. I wanted to get some shots of them in their John Deere tractor dresses, as they still fit this year. I just took down the hem on Joy's and we were all set.

But to get them together and still....

....required Daddy's help! Hurrah!

"Hello girlies."

"Can you smile?"

"Oh! You can smile! Good!"

After a bit of searching around, we finally found a trike we thought sturdy enough to buy! Hope is still learning how to ride it. I think she'll enjoy riding around the new deck once Uncle Joe builds it for us later this summer, as she currently rides mostly in the garage, which is a lot of turns!

They love this old lawn mower from Great-Grandpa Neufeld!

Once again, our makeshift sandbox was set up and it entertained them for almost 2 hrs the first day!

Meanwhile, I got set up to plant the veggie garden. Waiting till after May long weekend still seems weird to me, but that's what my gardening friends in this region tell me is best. :o) Down at the farm we always had the garden in way before that. :)

Soaked peas and corn seeds, just like Mum used to do.

And, given that Joy was melting down with tiredness, and Hope still seemed cheerful and reasonable, I put Joy down for her nap and let Hope help me plant the seeds. :o)

I tell ya - those seeds got an earful as they went into the ground! At least they all should know what they are and that they are to grow so Hopey can eat what they produce! :o)

Mommy's big helper is still little enough to need a nap too, so when we were done and got cleaned up, I asked her to rest on the couch for a bit, and the little darling fell asleep just as Joy was waking up and I was needing to make supper. :o) 

I found Hope in the bedroom by herself, singing away one night.  

Her heart blesses me so much. :o)  And she loves to sing! 

What a joy to me and to our Heavenly Father!