Small Town Love: Strawberries in the Park

We live in a small town. And we love it. One of the many reasons: an annual event put on by the Garden Club called Strawberries in the Park. The only food served is a big bowl of shortcake covered in fresh strawberries, vanilla ice cream, and whipped cream.

We look forward to it every year...live music, good food, lots of activities for kids, familiar faces.

 We're a little messy by the end, but nobody complains about licking up dribbles of ice cream.

It makes our summers feel authentic, well-used, and complete to live in a community so delicious and wholesome.

7 Quick Takes: Take 8

Linking up for some Quick Takes:

1. Last weekend, Mommy got to do a day trip to Columbus, Ohio for Kristin's bridal shower!! We went to Xavier together and she's getting married in September. No kids invited. Darn. It. Guess Mommy and Daddy will have to have a weekend without kids. The worst. Accepting applications for volunteer babysitters.

2. Rosaries are the new black.

3. Uncle Michael went back to Bahrain earlier this week. We're hoping to see him again in October or December or next February or next April. You know, whenever the Navy says. Mommy really misses him when he's gone. Miriam really misses Stella when he's gone.

4. Aunt Maria is staying with us this summer part time because she has a babysitting job in our town. WE LOVE IT.

5. Ohhh. This is the best one. A couple weekends back, Tim's sister and her family were in town. We did a double date + Tim's grandma.

6. No wait, maybe this is the best one? Already been posted on Facebook and Instagram, but it needs to live on the Internet forever and ever.

On the left: Sarah (age 18) and Aunt Maria (age 4) in 2002 at our paternal grandparents' home. On the right: Sarah (age 30) and Aunt Maria (age 16) this past Sunday at our parents' home.

7. Just discovered that Felicity has been such a wreck/meanie/cranky-pants/bad sleeper this week because she has two monster molars coming in on top. Baby Tylenol and Hyland's teething tabs coming right up.

We're taking her camping this weekend. Wish us luck.

Father's Day: A Portrait of Tim

This year Mommy asked the girls a few questions about their Daddy. Felicity just stared and said, "Daddadada." So we'll spare you that interview.

Miriam
My dad is 69 years old.
My dad weighs 66 pounds.
My dad was born in the hospital.
My dad's favorite color is orange.
My dad's favorite super hero is Super Miriam and Super Vivian.
My dad always says, "Let's go to the park."
My dad's job is to go to work.
The first thing my dad does in the morning is wake up and go potty.
My dad laughs when I say, "Let's go to Vacation Bible School."
My dad's favorite food is carrots.
I love my dad because he take me to Vacation Bible School every summer night and his favorite park is the boat park.

Vivian
My dad is 33 years old.
My dad weighs 5 pounds.
My dad was born at the hospital.
My dad's favorite color is green.
My dad's favorite super hero is me.
My dad always says, "I love you."
My dad's job is taking care of us.
The first thing my dad does in the morning is put on his clothes.
My dad laughs when I say funny things.
My dad's favorite food is carrots.
I love my dad because he takes me to Vacation Bible School.

Apparently Tim, while very loving and fun, is quite the carrot pusher. We love you, Daddy!!

Probiotics and Other Adventures

Last week the girls had some stomach bug. Which would not go away until we started feeding them these. (And in comparison to what we paid at our local grocery, that price is a deal!) Literally within a few hours, everyone was spending much less time in the bathroom. Thank goodness because 1) it had gone on so long the doctor wanted Mommy to collect a "sample" and drop it off at the hospital lab to make sure we hadn't picked up something on our trip - sorry, but even your Mom doesn't actually want to handle such things - and 2) this week it's Vacation Bible School at church. Both Miriam and Vivian are old enough to attend and wake up asking when we're leaving. Unfortunately, it doesn't start til 5:45 in the evening. Makes for such a long day of waiting.

Today the waiting was less horrible because we went to see the dentist. The two oldest girls got their teeth cleaned while Felicity rearranged Mommy's purse a few times. Miriam and Vivian LIKE going to the dentist. Fancy new tooth brushes, friendly employees, a dentist who jokes with them, toys at the end of the appointment, an opportunity to choose the flavor of polishing paste, TVs in the room on the Disney Junior channel. We don't have cable so they probably think it is a luxurious treat to lay there and watch Princess Sofia. We're comfortable with that illusion.

 

Canada Surprise! The Wedding: Part 3

Promise this will be the final installment of this overdrawn series about Aunt Annette and Uncle Tom's wedding. We've got a lot to cover, so let's hop to. 

Lucky for you, we really don't have any pictures of the wedding ceremony because Miriam and Vivian were flower girls and Mommy was the icon carrier. Meaning she processed in and out of the church with an icon of Mary holding the baby Jesus and then tried to keep the flower girls in line. Miriam kept it pretty calm (she destroyed the flower girl bouquets and then attempted to put petals back onto the stem...didn't work) while Vivian fell asleep on her Mommy's lap. Being a flower girl is hard work. Daddy spent the entire liturgy in the the cry room with an exhausted Felicity who got herself so worked up that she threw up on his suit. Parenting is so rewarding.

Doing her tired thumb-suck-hair-pull

Needless to say, she and Miriam passed out on the way to the reception. They took a siesta in the van while Mommy and Vivian knocked back the pina coladas (non-alcoholic for Viv, of course) during cocktail hour.

Tim's parents were able to make it to the wedding, which was a treat for all of us! After a dinner that was like seven courses, we started dancing!

Tim worked hard to get a picture of Fr. Ben gettin' jiggy with it. Na na na nannana.

As you can imagine, our girls got PLENTY of attention from their aunts, uncles, and grandparents. Total party animals.

See Vivian in this picture dancing with a little boy? Yeah, he was hers. If any other little girls tried to dance with him, she broke that right up. Teenage Vivian could really be something to fear.

Sarah's maternal Grandma also made it to the wedding. She's not quite as sharp mentally anymore, so we were all very glad our aunts and uncles made it a priority to bring her.

Around 10:30, our girls were fading fast, but the reception wasn't close to being over yet. In fact, dinner part deux was being brought out. This picture doesn't begin to do justice to the quantity and variety of meats, veggies, fruits, breads, and desserts being offered. 

Before our girls got a whiff of this, we buckled them into the van, took them to the hotel, and tucked them into bed. Tim's mom slept in our room (THANK YOU!!!) while we went back to the reception for more food and dancing.

Aunt Annette had to toss her bouquet three times. The first time it hit a chandelier and never made it to the single ladies. The second time a guy caught it. The third time, a charm, her dearest friend from college caught it!!

Around 2 AM, they called it quits. (Don't even know if that's the correct time. Mommy was sleep walking by that point.)

Aunt Annette and Uncle Tom, thank you for asking us to be a part of your absolutely gorgeous day. It was perfect in every way - just like your marriage will be. We love you!!!

Canada Surprise! The Wedding: Part 2

Where were we...WEDDING DAY! Miriam and Vivian were the fairest flower girls of them all during Aunt Annette and Uncle Tom's wedding which meant prettying and primping. Mommy and Aunt Maria did their hair...

 ...and swept them off to the Land of Bridesmaids.

Special thanks to Kristin for the entertainment!

 Most beautiful bride ever?!?!?!

 Daddy and Felicity had some quality time together.

Can that mess be cleaned up? We'll find out soon enough. Back at the church, the bridesmaids, bride, and bride's family were all set to go!

These two are our next family wedding!!!

We all went out back for a really lovely Parents' Blessing and some pre-wedding photos.

Tim managed to catch Tom's face the moment he saw his bride! The sweetest thing.

 Daddy did turn Felicity back into a clean, dressed up little girl!

 And we somehow got a decent family picture.

Between Tom's Dad, the photographer, and Tim, every movement was documented.

This sweet lady is Tom's grandma, Baba. Baba speaks Ukrainian, Polish, and a bit of English. She is 95 years old, active, and sharp. Despite the language barrier, we were able to communicate about the girls and she took obvious joy in their presence. Baba is someone who is soothing to be near, so we always seemed to be gravitating to her.

Traditional family and bridal party photos, etc. etc. etc. Didn't they have the most beautiful weather!?!?

We'll stop there for now, even though we have NO pictures up yet of the ceremony or the reception. Don't say you weren't warned.