These Days

Today is the first day of summer and we're enjoying it!  Here are a few pictures from our days recently.  

Caught Claire reading a book on the patio.  

Abby rolled over for the first time on May 26th.  I was in the kitchen and walked in the room to find her like this.  She was proud and probably a little confused. Just in the last couple days she's started rolling over the second we lay her down for tummy time.  Every time.  

I've been saying for yyyyeeeeaaaarrrrssss that I needed to learn how to french braid.  One day a few weeks ago I decided that I would give it a shot.  I watched a YouTube tutorial and then tried it out. This was my second attempt although my first was similar.   

Here is a picture of our first swim of them summer.  We've been swimming several times since then, but the first swim of the summer is always exciting!  

Abby's doing great in her bumbo these days.  Sometimes she sits up on the counter (just a foot away from me) and watches me wash dishes at night.  

Our little 3 month old bundle of love makes us smile.  

About a week and a half ago Claire started a new thing where she would take off ALL her clothes and her diaper during her naptime.  She probably did it 4 times over the course of a week and a half and one time was disastrous.  I won't tell you too much on here in case you are eating while you read, but we'll just say she decided to take her diaper off with a little something extra inside of it.  Thank the good Lord Bert was off that day. 

One afternoon I had been watching the monitor all afternoon (which doesn't make for a very relaxing rest time) to make sure she didn't strip down again.  She had been on her best behavior the whole time and it was time to feed Abby.  So I started feeding and set the monitor down beside me on the couch.  A few minutes later I heard a door open from their hall - Emily and Hannah were in their room so I assumed it was one of them.  It did make me think though that I hadn't checked on Claire's antics in a few minutes so I switched on the monitor to find the crib empty.  I stared at it for a second because I thought maybe I was just missing her.  Just before I was about to jump up and go check out the situation, she came walking out of her room (it was her that had opened the door, not her sisters).  She walked out looking as proud as a peacock. 

Me:  Claire, what are you doing??!!

Claire: I get out.  

Me:  How did you get out?!?!

Claire:  I just hold on. 

Emily and Hannah never even attempted to climb out of their crib, but I had moved them to big girl beds when they were a couple months younger than Claire is now.  

We didn't get a chance to set up her toddler bed that night, and when we put her to bed she climbed out and walked out of her room before I could walk to get the monitor. 

Bert set up the toddler bed the next day and she's so excited about it.  Cute little climber.  

Bert's been reading The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe to Emily and Hannah for the last several weeks.  They have loooved it.  I think it's been one of their favorite things all day. They've both stayed locked on listening and asking questions. They usually read it in the girls room while he is putting them to bed but on this particular night it was their last chapter and Emily was so excited she wanted Abby and I to get to listen to it too so they read out in the living room.

Our girls are so blessed to have this man as their Daddy.  He loves us all well.  He serves me, encourages me and makes me laugh and our 4 babies get to watch him do that.  I would guess that they're paying attention even more than we realize and I pray that they they all are blessed with husbands that love Christ and their families as well as their Daddy.  

One afternoon Abby was having a hard time sleeping but I could tell she was still tired so I took her to the glider and rocked her back to sleep.  Babies don't keep.  

I got to have dinner with Kristin and Jennifer last week.  It was so great to catch up.  Jennifer is due with her second in about 6 weeks, so we wanted to make sure and get a dinner in before she went into newborn land.  We met our freshman year at Clemson back in 2001.  I've known and loved these girls for 15 years....I'm thankful for their friendship and even though we don't see each other a lot I love that we live so close by.  

Claire said "I need somebody to help me." in the most laid back calm voice ever.  I knew she was in the playroom and I just assumed she needed some help with a puzzle or putting something back together.  I told her to hang on just a second and I would be right there.  I went to lay Abby down for some tummy time, finished making my bed and then went in there to find this.  She couldn't get down from her kitchen....wise move too because it surely would have fallen.  When I asked her what she was doing she said "I was washing my feetsies."  Claire seems to be a bit more of a climber than our first two....good times.  

This past Saturday morning we went downtown for a couple hours.  We enjoyed walking through the farmers market and just being outside on the beautiful June day.  

The girls always love dancing around on this huge stage.  Abby will be up there with them in no time at all.  

Greenville is so beautiful...we love spending time downtown.  

Emily and Hannah have started setting out their clothes for the next day each night before bed.  They lay everything on their nightstand down to their shoes and hair accessories.  It's cute.  

Bert had a good Father's Day. We enjoyed going to church and then spent the afternoon here taking naps, then with the girls playing in the water table and sprinkler, and we ended the night with grilling out and key lime pie (store bought, don't be impressed).  Our girls told him "happy father's day" about 80 times that day.  We loved celebrating him and are thankful for the way he leads, serves and loves our family!