Alive and Well

Sorry for the lack of posts this week!!!  We are still alive and having a great week.  We had a very fun Labor Day.  I'll try to get some pics up soon!  :)

Just For Fun

Grandpa's Birthday

We made cards to mail my dad for his birthday, which will be Monday!

I love watching them write! 

Hard at work. 

Ava's card is on top and Gracie's is on the bottom. 

The back. 

Ready to head to the Post Office. 

Mailing them off! 

Happy Birthday, Dad!  

Thank you for raising me in church and living an upright life.  I never saw you do anything even remotely immoral, but I did see you read your Bible and stand strong on your convictions.  I remember, as a young child, you reading us family devotions around the table in Duluth.  100% of your children are serving God today so you definitely did something right.  

This temporary life has not been fair to you...but Heaven is all that really matters anyway.

I love you!

All About Gracie

Gracie has a great imagination.  A few weeks ago she had just woke up from a nap and was very groggy, sitting on my lap on the couch.  Suddenly she sits up and says, "I have a mouse in my backpack.  Want to see it?"  She reaches back to her invisible backpack, fiddles with the invisible zipper, and pulls out a mouse!  There ended up being about 10 mice in there and she played with them for quite awhile.  =)

I hear her repeating things I have said, down to the tone of voice, all the time.  If she gets a timeout, within about 10 minutes one of her stuffed animals is getting a timeout for the same offence.  

She spends a great deal of time making funny faces, being goofy, and doing off-the-wall things to make you laugh.  And it works!

She has great conversations with her babies and stuffed animals.  I love to overhear them and hear her say things like, "I have a blue shirt on, says the dog."  "Don't push me, says the monkey."

She has a handful of special stuffed animals and will be attached to a certain one for a few days, then a different one for a few days, etc.  She only likes to sleep with an animal who has 'jammies' on.  I'll say, "Are you going to sleep with Abby tonight?"  "No, she doesn't have her jammies on."  

She likes to line things up:

She likes to boss Ava.  The other day Ava kept asking me something and I kept responding with, "Not yet, Ava."  I guess Gracie got tired of hearing her asking and the next time she asked, Gracie answered with, "NOT YET, AVA!"  Sometimes Ava gets very offended/hurt by the way Gracie talks to her but this time Ava patiently said, "Gracie...you are NOT my mommy's mother.  You are Gracie."  HA!!

They are quite a pair and I love them beyond words.  So thankful God blessed me with twins.  Can't imagine life any other way!

A Few More Things About Ava

That I meant to say in the last post.

For many weeks now she follows every statement with a question, although she says it more like a statement as well.  She will say things like:

This dress is blue...isn't it?

I'm hiding under here...aren't I?

You like that...don't you?

This baby is soooo cute...isn't she?

Genie don't like that...does she?

I do that too...don't I?

That made you laugh, didn't it?

Genie was thirsty, wasn't she?

And on and on, all day long, about everything.  =)  It sounds so grown up and I'm amazed that she knows whether she should use the word don't or aren't, etc.

Also, Genie feels and thinks the same things that she does.  Last night I was making tacos and Ava said, "I don't like taco meat.  Genie don't like it either."  Today when Joel left for work I said, "I love Daddy."  She said, "Yes, I love Daddy too.  Genie does too!"  Or if Ava is scared about something, she will tell me that Genie is scared (and not mention herself).  "Genie don't like that.  That scares Genie."  When really, its Ava that doesn't like it.  Such a strong relationship those two have!  =)

Coming tomorrow...All About Gracie!  

All About Ava

I have been jotting things down about each girl on a scrap of paper for awhile now so I could do a post about each one.  Here are some things about Miss Ava:

She love, love, LOVES to dress up.  Preferably in a 'fancy dress'. 

She prefers her drinks lukewarm so they don't make her feel cold.

She says a lot of funny things, although she doesn't mean them to be funny.

Some frequent sayings are:

I smell something.

I'm learning!

I'm growing!  (said with great pride)

Aww...isn't she cute?!

Gracie yelled at me...<insert sobbing>

Whoa...that's cool.

Yep.

Is it my birthday time yet?

When its my birthday time, I will be FOUR!

I'm not smiling, but I'm happy.

Last night in the van she sweetly says to Gracie, "You want to count cars together?"  Then on the way home she asks, "You want to sing the alphabet together?"

She loves her Genie with all of her heart. 

Most of the time Genie stays home while we go somewhere and the minute Ava walks back in the door, she runs to Genie and hugs her.  "Oh Genie!!  I missed you.  I went swimming, Genie."  (or whatever else we did)  She talks to the dog like she does to a person.  Its very, very sweet.  She'll tell me, "I missed Genie ALL DAY."  We've come close to losing her several times so if anybody ever sees a similar dog, please buy it and send it to me!

Pictures from the Aquarium

Gracie was pretty brave and petted a sea cucumber and a stingray!

Check out the lips!  I saw so many creatures that I had never seen before.  Some of them were just plain weird!  I kept thinking, 'Wow.  God has such an imagination!'

Jeremy cooked us a delicious meal and then he and Joel went and did 'manly things', which included driving around without air conditioning and going to Academy.  Ava and Gracie had a great time playing with their friends and their friends' toys.  And I enjoyed chatting with Barb and looking at her lovely scrapbooks!

We had some worn out little girls!!