Cherries - what a blessing!

Cherries all washed and ready to be pitted......

Cherries with sugar, flour and almond extract added, ready
for baking pie, but going in the freezer for now....

cherry pie just before covering with top crust...

cherry pie... fresh out of the oven....

This morning as Jonathan, the girls and I were being lazy, still laying in bed at 9:00... our phone rang. It was my friend Miriam asking me if I wanted to go pick cherries. She had a friend that had 3 cherry trees with lots of cherries that told her to tell anyone she wants that they can have how much they want. U=pick of course. So off the girls and I went to meet Miriam and off we went to this friends house. WOW - the trees were beautiful and I was very pleased to hear they were "organic cherries"..never been sprayed.....we picked lots of 'em! I picked over 12 lbs. and Miriam and her daughter picked alittle over 14lbs. Had it not been for the thunderstorm that came along and ran us off, we would have ended up with so much more! It is probably good the thunderstorm did come along, as it took me about 5 1/2 hours to wash, pit, make cherry pie filling for freezing, make and bake a cherry pie. I have enough cherries frozen to make another 5 pies. YUMMY! I feel so blessed... I made one with the fresh cherries but unfortunately this pie will have to wait until tomorrow to be taste tested. It's 11:00 and Jonathan and the girls are asleep and I dare not eat pie this time of the night. =) I better ski-daddle to bed myself...

Lil' ole lady hits car..

I laugh each time I see this... too funny....
*tip: scroll all the way down to pause my blog music so you can hear this

My Emma is growing up!

My darling Emma has reached yet another milestone. She is now riding her bike without her lil' training wheels!! I am so happy for her.. yet at the same time so saddened. She is growing up. :-\

The other day I said.. "come on Emma.. mommy is going to teach you how to ride your bike without the training wheels. She was excited, but at the same time nervous. So I took her training wheels off and held on to her bike as she climbed on. She kept saying..

Emma: hold my bike mom... don't let go

mommy: I'm not letting go baby... just get on... I will hold you

Emma: o.k. mommy... just don't let go..

mommy: haha....I'm not!

...............and as she sped off, I couldn't hardly keep up with her..so I let go..... and... she kept going! Just like that.... she took right to it like a little duckling to water. The pictures above are taken just moments after I "taught" her. Haha... yeah right. That girl knew what she was doing from the get-go. She is so proud of herself. Now when we go for walks down the road I have to watch her cause she LOVES to speed. She feels so free without those training wheels.

This past weekend the girls were in Columbus with their Auntie Lisa. They had fun but I missed them SOOOOOOOOO much!!! I am was so happy to have my girls back! They were gone from 7:30 Friday night to about 9:00 Sunday night. It seemed more like a whole week and not just a weekend!! On Saturday, Jonathan and I went to our favorite Chinese Restaurant in Ottawa. I saved our "fortune" cookies for the girls since they love them so much. So Monday morning, Abbi was quick to spot the cookies in my purse. She asked me if she can have one and of course.. I said yes. So after I opened the little package for her she took the "fortune" out and handed it to me. Of course, I do not believe in them but they are always interesting to read. I couldn't help but laugh out loud when I read Abbi's as it fit her so perfectly.

mommy: hey Abbi, listen to this... "your ability to find the silly in serious will get you far"

(She is the silliest, most giggliest lil gal I have ever met. It fit her PERFECT)

So after reading that out loud to her she goes..

Abbi: get me far???

mommy: ummhmmmm

Abbi: awww....but I want to stay home!!

On another note, this section is called:

"Blind Leading the Blind"

Emma's cousin Noah, age 4 has been spending alot of time with us. They have all been having so much fun together. The other day as they were eating lunch and I was doing dishes, I observed Emma and Noah's conversation that went like this: (Emma LOVES quizzing people.. it drives Abbi nuts when she does it to her)

Emma: hey Noah... what makes milk??

Noah: ummmm... my mom!!

Emma: nnnoooo..... umm..it's an animal that lives on the farm

Noah: ummm... a cow!!

Emma: yep... very good Noah!

Emma: o.k. .... what makes eggs?

Noah: a bird!!

Emma: umm.. nooo.... it goes cock-a-doodle-doooo.....

mommy: LOL... that is a rooster you silly goose... it's the chicken that lays the eggs...

Emma: ohh yeah...... haha

Noah: o.k.... what starts with luh, luh, luh (making the "L" sound) and has fifteen legs???

Emma: uummm...... I don't know

(he had me stumped on this one as well)

Noah: a turtle!!!!

Emma: nnnooo.. that is tuh, tuh, tuh, for T!! and it has 4 legs!!

LOL..... talk about "blind leading the blind"...it was too funny..and too cute! :)

Happy Daddy's Day!

Father's Day Picture....(awww..they all match)

I too, got to have a picture taken..... =)

That is what Daddy heard all day Sunday.... two sweet lil' voices saying "Happy Daddy's Day Daddy"!! In between church services they made him sweet little cards with hearts all over them. They LOVE thier daddy, and show it too! =)

On a funny note... last week the girls and I were pulling weeds out in the flower bed. I unearthed a worm and called them over to see it...

mommy: look girls! a worm
Emma: where?
Abbi: where?
mommy: (pointing) right here..come see it
Emma: ooooo.....I wanna pet it....
Abbi: ewww...not meee.... I don't wanna touch it...
Emma: awwww...it's a mommy worm ...
Abbi: (excited as if she just made the discovery all on her own) awwww...... it's a mommy worm!!!!
mommy: umm... how do ya'll know it's a mommy worm and not a daddy worm? hmmm??
Emma: (in a matter-of-a-fact tone) because it's not at work!!

Never a dull moment..... =)

Pics of the girls.....

washing daddy's mower......

waiting for the rain......

washing daddy's mower........

alittle vain.. eh?

Abigail loves having her hair done and looking "nice" when we go out and about. So today, I got them all dressed for our trip to the grocery store. As we were wrapping things up and ready to get out the door, Abbi says to me "Mommy.... do I look gorgeous?"

It was too cute... she was as serious as ever. So I grabbed my camera and took pictures of her and her sissy so they can see how gorgeous they both are! So this is them posing for the camera before we headed out! =)

Yesterday, as I was out in the drive-way painting shelves, they were out on the front yard playing church. They had their babies and strollers and they were singing (as loud as they possibly could) "I have decided to follow Jesus". It was like the "never ending song". Too funny and oh so cute!!! If I wasn't covered in paint ( I am the messiest painter you'd ever meet... that is only on myself...whatever I am waiting usually turns out decent=) I would have taken a little video clip! Maybe another time..they are always playing church.

Summer Fun..

The "sprinkler fun" has begun! The girls have been out having a ball in the sprinklers, buckets of water...and whatever they can get their lil' hands on, fill with water and dump water on each other. =) Here is a recent pick on my "two little ducks in the tub"! =)

Thank God for keeping my baby Emma safe...

This past Saturday started off like any usual Saturday. We awoke, had breakfast... Jonathan had a lawn to mow and at 10:00 the girls and I met a friend and her 2 girls at the park. The girls had loads of fun! We returned home about 12:45, I gave the girls a bath, fed them lunch and put them down for thier afternoon naps. About 3:00 I awoke the girls, got them dressed and we headed over to Vanwert (which is a town about 30 miles West of us) over to a friends house. They were having a Peony Festival in town, something I later found out they had every year. Anyways, I was excited about the whole evening, but little did I know that I would get the scare of my life!

We went to the Peony Parade as planned. The girls were excited about getting candy and especially liked all the horses. After a while, Emma told me she had to go potty. Her friend, Valerie, age 9 offered to take her. Since it was her house and we were sitting out by the road right in front of the house, I agreed. Some time went by when Abbi looked at me and asked "Where's Emma?". I looked over at Emma's chair and thought "hmm..good question.. they have been gone a while". I looked over and there was Valerie... but no Emma. I asked Valerie where Emma was at and she looked around her and shrugged her shoulders. She had told me that Emma was right behind her when they came back from the bathroom. I must say it felt like my heart dropped in my stomach! I did not have a good feeling about this at all. A few of us ran inside, hoping she stayed behind and got distracted. That started a desperate search of at least 20 minutes..... somehow, it felt like an eternity! She was no where to be found. I cannot even begin to describe the horror I felt, when I was struck with the reality that "my little Emma was missing"!! I was a mess!!!! In cases like these, the devil puts the worst case scenarios in your mind. There were hundreds of people at the parade...which only added to the horror I was feeling. You try so hard to be positive.......

I was walking up and down a road looking for her and praying. The cops were notified and they had announced it over the loud speaker. (I was such a mess I didn't even hear when they announced it) After about 20 minutes of searching... I start walking in the opposite direction of where I was originally searching. I was walking..and praying to God that he would keep her safe..where-ever she may be and that he would bring her back to us. As I was walking...I thought I caught of glimpse of a yellow dress (which is what she was wearing) and I prayed to God "pleeeassee let that be my little Emma".. I picked up the pace even faster and as the crowd moved I was able to get another quick glimpse of the little girl in the yellow dress... and than another...it was MY EMMA!!! I was SOOOOOO HAPPY!!! I took off running and waving my hands in the air... shouting EMMAA... EEMMMAAA!!! A lady had a sobbing Emma by the hand and she was walking her right towards us. She had heard the announcement and spotted Emma and grabbed her. She had informed me that she tried to hand Emma over to the cops (for her own safety) but Emma would NOT go with them. I later asked her why she didn't go with the cops and she told me "Well mama... because their cars go too fast, and I was afraid they would give me to another mommy!" First good laugh I had since the whole ordeal!

Never in my life had I felt such a mixture of desperation, hurt and horror..... I can't imagine what other parents must go through, when they never do get their little one back.......

I thank the Lord for watching over my baby and bringing her back to us. I thank Him for His never failing love, mercy and grace, and of course... my little Emma Grace! I love you Lord.....