Song Bird

This week it was (finally!) Annabel's turn to go on a field trip.  I was able to tag along with 7 other adults and over 40 4th graders to Augusta, Maine's capitol city.  It was a long day (3+ hours each way), but we had a blast touring the State House and learning about science and history at that State museum.

Annabel got a chance to hold the Speaker of the House's gavel, and later the kids got to investigate examples of petroglyphs (many of which were found in neighboring Machiasport) and make arrowheads in the traditional manner using antlers and shards of stone.

This was Annabel's second trip out of Machias in less than a week.  Last Friday Annabel participated in the Maine State Honors Chorus in Orono.  Here is a shot of her during one of the rehearsals (middle, back row).

Over the weekend, Annabel also participated in a concert with her beloved Washington County Children's Chorus.  This was the last fundraiser before we all head off to France in a couple of weeks. 

Studying or singing, we are very proud of you Annabel!

Happy Mom

Today is Mother's Day.  While I am thrilled to be a Mom on most days, today is a special day to hang out with these two.

They are growing up so quickly, and we are having such a great time getting to know them even more as their personalities & character take shape.  With every passing Mother's Day, we get closer to a time when the kids won't be a part of our daily routine.  While getting them out on their own is one of the goals of parenthood, it is sad to see some of the seasons in the children's lives come to a close.  Just yesterday, the kids decided that it was time to take down the Maine-style swings they made shortly after we arrived here.

While they are clearly getting ready for bigger and better thrills, I'd be OK with another year or two of fairly innocuous swinging on the maple tree in the backyard.  In the meantime, I'm still glad to be Annabel & Thane's mommy.

Uncle Johnny & Aunt Amanda

Johnny and Amanda flew up to Maine last week, and we sure did have a special time visiting with them.  We went to Acadia National Park one day, which never ceases to disappoint.

The kids are thrilled to have an additional aunt and uncle to love.

The next day Jordan and I were able to find a babysitter so that the four adults could have a nice dinner at a fabulous new restaurant in Bangor called Timber.  The food was amazing!

Johnny is being deployed to the Middle East soon, and we covet your prayers for his safety.  We know that Jon rests in God's hands, but we sure will be happy to see him when he gets back.