The failed Easter photo shoot

An attempt after church, a potluck and an Easter egg hunt to try and capture my two girls. Obviously Cora was hyped up on sugar.

Save me, Mom.

How about we just try me and Hannah?

He is risen!!!

So says the easter bunny.

Happy Saturdays

Yesterday the ladies at my church threw me a beautiful brunch shower. We played games and drank tea and laughed and enjoyed a glorious sunny morning and they all wrote a birthday card for Hannah, one each for the next twelve years.

The two friends: Jessica and Hannah

It was an absolutely gorgeous day, so after the shower I joined up with the family and our friends Esther and Kevin at the fisherman's wharf to see if our favorite fish and chips spot might measure up to their high British standards. The outdoor shack right by the local fishing boats always has a tell-tale line, but it's worth the wait. We lazily ate out on the seawall while Cora talked back to the seagulls who tenaciously asked us for our chips. Being Kev's birthday, we then went for a celebratory gelato, sitting in the sun by the duck pond and watching the power struggle between ducks, Canadian geese, and seagulls.






By the time we got home it was after four. We sat Cora down to have a rest and watch a little video. I joined her there after a few minutes while Hannah slept on my chest. Within just a few minutes, Cora too was fast asleep, so asleep that we had tremendous difficulty trying to wake her for dinner (which despite the grogginess she scarfed down: a fresh local tuna we bought from a fisherman straight off his boat that afternoon, marinated and just briefly seared--amazing!!! One of those treats I sorely missed while pregnant.)

Cora's Adventures

Cora has two best friends, Clay and Charlotte, who live here on campus by us and with whom she is forever having adventures. Fortunately, their moms are two of my best friends as well! At least once a week, and usually two times, we are all together on some kind of outing, or playing indoors on a rainy day at one of our homes. Last week, it was the aquarium, and the week before that, a massive indoor carnival. Here are some highlights:

Clay evades a kiss!

Cora was alternately terrified and smiling with glee at the (very fast for a two-year old) carnival rides!

Hannah's Prayer Book - A Request

My girlfriends threw me a beautiful baby shower after Hannah was born. They showered me with love and presents and a lovely tea party, but best of all, with blessings and prayers for Hannah. They created a scrapbook to hold all the prayers, and they each went around the circle and prayed allowed what they had written. Prayers like "I pray that you will grow in the knowledge and love of God, delight in his artistry, wonder at his forming you, praise for his goodness and love, and that your life will be a blessing to him and to all who know you." "May you grow into a woman of strength, confidence, compassion and love." "May you know the true freedom of walking tall in who you were made to be and letting God use you as you are to bless those around you." One of my favorites: "I pray that you would have a loving, supportive, life-giving relationship with your sister, that you would learn kindness, empathy and generosity from your father, that you would learn curiosity, confidence and playfulness from your mother, but most of all, that you might know your special place in the kingdom of God for he loves you has great plans for you."

However, this special book is only half full. For you particularly faithful friends and family that read this blog (for it takes a very faithful friend to read a blog that has such erratic and random posting), would you send me a prayer or blessing for Hannah? You could just e-mail me one line even, something I could print out and include. It would mean so much to me, and to Hannah some day.

April showers (of snow and smiles)

The crazy Vancouver weather continues. From a sunny Sunday of playing ultimate frisbee in shorts to a 36-hour continuous rain in which I had to run my many errands with the two girls, to a blustery sunny Tuesday of playing outdoors with friends, to today: a sleeting, snowy mess. Dave is sad...in all his excitement about the new garden plot he rented, he went ahead and put lots of vegetable seeds in the ground during the past couple weeks. Doesn't look like he'll be seeing any sprouts soon. Poor guy.

Today is Hannah's 8 week birthday. I cannot even begin to express the joy and completeness she has brought to our family. Her middle name of Shalom turns out to be more apt than I ever thought possible, for she is God's gift of fullness, peace, wholeness to this family. All three of us are absolutely taken with her. Cora is, as always, a very compassionate child who at the least whimper by Hannah, jumps up to come to the rescue saying "Baby crying!" So, Hannah is never allowed to complain very much, Cora sees to that. But she doesn't complain much anyway. She is content and peaceful, and very attentive. We love the way she stares intently at us when in our arms. And the smiles! She readily rewards any attention with the most brilliant smiles. David is always laughing too at the way she already loves her mommy. She turns her head in search of me whenever she hears my voice.