Tonight as they prayed at the end of family devotions:
Noa: “Dear Lord, please help us get a baby boy. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
Martha: “Dee Yode, tank you fo baby boy. Amen.” (Dear Lord, thank you for baby boy. Amen.)
Which reminds me of a conversation we had a few months ago in the car. We were talking about how, if the girls have children one day, their sisters will be their kids’ aunts, just like their aunts are our sisters Aunt Laura, Aunt Karyn, Aunt Martha, and Aunt Hannah.
Noa was totally tracking and became very concerned. With the most sincere urgency she said,
“Mommy!!! We need to have a boy so my kids can have an Uncle Micah and Uncle Seth.”
It’s true. My brothers Micah (16) and Seth(14) are pretty amazing uncles, setting the bar quite high for all uncles, even the uncles of their children.
This last Sunday Noa moved up to the preschool Sunday School classroom, and is no longer in the “two and threes” with Martha and her cousin Annie. We had been talking about the big move all week, but she was still a little nervous when we dropped her off in the big room where all the elementery kids sing before going to their classrooms. Thankfully, an older friend, Abby, made room for Noa next to her and Noa had just enough confidence to go sit down. I knew that once she could do that, she would be so enraptured taking in everything that she wouldn’t be scared anymore. Sure enough, Martha and I stayed to watch a bit, but Noa wouldn’t have known… she was too busy being a big four-year-old in her new class.
So then I took Martha to her class, a class she has always LOVED to go to, never had trouble leaving my side to go. But going in on her own, without Noa, she was so nervous. She kept asking where Noa was, and asking me not to leave her. It broke my heart. And has made me realize and thank the Lord for what good friends they are. It also makes me long to do things in our family that will continue to foster such a sweet friendship. I know that as the years go on, they won’t be in the same classes anymore, probably won’t share the same friends as much, and may or may not have the same interests. Any good ideas out there on how to encourage these sweet bonds of friendship and help them grow even stronger in the years ahead?
*I really need to ask my mom this because my siblings are seriously my favorite people in the world, and my dearest friends. But I can’t really pinpoint anything in particular that made that the case… hmm. Mom?
… my big girls went on a walk up a big mountain
with their Uncle Mark,
and Aunt Hannah.
The trail was so rigorous that Noa needed a walking stick,
and sometimes they had to scale huge rocks.
And my big girls, they are so big. They made it all the way up this big mountain without even needing to be carried. Uncle Mark was so proud of them.
(Aunt Hannah was too.)
It was such a big long hike, that they all took a little nap at the top to rest.
They enjoyed the beautiful view,
before heading back down.
On the way down, they may have needed to be carried. Just a little bit.
But Aunt Hannah
and Uncle Mark,
didn’t mind at all.
Because they are just about the best Aunt and Uncle in the world.
And two little (big) nieces couldn’t have asked for a more special adventure,
on one beautiful summer day in Virginia.
Continue reading about One beautiful summer day in Virginia…
The girls were practicing their curtsies for a tea party at Trinity’s house the other day…
…we just need to stop what we’re doing and have a dance party in the kitchen.
*I’d just like to note that these girls have a Grandmother and Auntie (you know who you are) that give them a run for their money when it comes to dance skillz. It’s definitely in their genes. 
