Exploring Nature

Last week we took the girls to the Houston Trail. We visited their favorite cedar tree and discovered a beaver lodge. 

Spencer told the girls all about the beaver lodge and how the beaver made his home.

We even examined the trees that the beaver had chopped down with his teeth.

Unrelated to nature - we got some new (to us) living room furniture. A couch, love seat, coffee table, and two end tables. Wahoo!

On Thursday we ventured down to Birch Bay.

We found out the hard way that Juliette had a significant hole in one of her boots.

Cold, wet feet can't get in between our girls and ice-cream, however!

And another picture of our love seat. Seated on the love seat: 3 girls who love their dadda.

Welcome Home, Dadda!

Last weekend Dadda returned from Guatemala! We were all very happy to see him. He arrived late Saturday night. Before going to bed, he snuck into the girls' rooms to give them a kiss. I mentioned to the girls that he would most likely do this. Juliette and Karis were half-asleep, but Ella appeared to be sleeping with one eye open. She sprung up when Spencer entered and said "Hi Dad, we have a great hunt planned for you tomorrow. We made you a mailbox with cards in it and you will have to hunt to find it. And Momma made cinnamon buns for breakfast." 

In the morning the girls were thrilled to snuggle with Dadda. They joyfully received new dresses and bracelets from Guatemala (and I got a skirt)... they then led him on a hunt to find his mailbox full of cards and pictures they had been making him throughout the week.

The girls with their new dresses.

Showing Dadda his cards.

All dressed up for church.

One day when I was at a doctor's appointment, Dadda and the girls made me this very cool lego design.

Feeling Grateful

The past few years that Spencer has gone to Guatemala for a week, I have been home with the girls feeling incredibly grateful. Each year his trip to Guatemala has helped me gain perspective and appreciation. Appreciation for him, appreciation for our lives, perspective about our circumstances and perspective about what is really important. 

Before Spencer left, the girls made some cards for the families in Guatemala. This trip they built 2 houses for 2 families. One family has a 4 year old girl and the other has a 3 year old girl - the same ages as Ella and Juju. So they both made cards for the girls that were getting a new home built for them. Ella wondered if Yoselin would write her back, thought that she probably wouldn't have the means to do so, so proceeded to put some crayons and paper in a bag for Spencer to deliver.

As the girls drew their cards, we read up on the families and looked at their pictures. We read about 3-year-old Silvia 's family - a mom and 4 kids all sleeping in one bed, abandoned by the husband / father. We also read about 4-year-old Yoselin's family - a mom and 5 kids, sleeping on cardboard, husband / father was killed when mom was pregnant with youngest. We read, prayed, and I cried. And I also gained perspective on my "tough week" without my husband.

This week is always a special week for our family. I like to stop and think about how Christ has changed our lives over the past 6 years. How He transformed my husband from an atheist into somebody who loves God and serves Him faithfully. And for this my heart overflows with gratitude.

I'm also thankful for my mom, who comes and helps me out each year. Even though it's a busy time to travel, she makes it work and pours into our girls. And I'm thankful for my friends who support us and check in on us while Spencer is away.

And I cherish the few days that it is just the girls and I. I love the challenge and it has always been a special time for us. I love how they step-up to help out and how they talk about missing their Dadda. Our house gets messier than usual and I'm learning to enjoy that too. The globs of toothpaste in the girls bathroom, the handprints all over the sliding door and dining room walls, our messy bookshelf that has been organized by my "helpers." I'm coming to see all of this as evidence of the joy that fills our home.

Cuddling up with Grandma.

"And one silly one, please mom?"

Juju enjoying a banana as she waits for breakfast to be ready.

"I go in pool today?"

Last day of swimming lessons!

And tonight after dinner - "Momma I help". How do you say no to that? I'm pretty sure she vacuumed zero crumbs, but it did entertain her while I did the dishes. It also entertained me because from the back you could see that she had a bare bum while vacuuming. 

Spring Break

Spring Break has arrived! Spencer left for Guatemala on Friday. Grandma arrived on Saturday and the big girls are taking swimming lessons this week.

This morning the girls let me "sleep in" (for 5 extra minutes) while they snuggled in their chair. 

"Mom, I'm all ready to go to swimming lessons"

Although she is not registered in swimming lessons, Karis insists on "suit on" when the girls are getting ready for swimming. We took her in the pool the first day - she loves the water!

Ella was pleased to have her friend Victoria in her class. Ella knows Victoria from ballet.

Hudson and Ethan are both in the same class as Juliette :)

Introducing...

Baby Lafleur #4! I am 13 weeks pregnant and our precious baby is due on September 13th. Juju is especially excited about a September baby (everyone else in our family has a June birthday.)

We had a dating ultrasound yesterday and it was much more clear than we expected (we've never had an early ultrasound done before). We could see our baby sucking on it's hands, crossing and uncrossing it's feet and flipping over. We also heard it's beautiful heartbeat - 140 bpm and saw both sides of the brain. The girls came in the room with us and were very excited. Karis had a hard time believing the baby on the screen wasn't her and kept pointing to the computer image saying "that's me, it's me!" The ultrasound technician got a good laugh out of her and said "it may be an adjustment for her to not be the baby anymore :)"

Baby's head on the right, baby's feet are crossed on the left. 

Baby's hand moving towards it's mouth, and a good view of a bent knee.

The girls were in the room with us and said "baby is waving". In this picture it really does look like the baby is waving.

Baby's foot.

"Look Momma, I have a baby in my tummy too!"

Fashion Show

This afternoon we received a parcel in the mail from Grandma Jo-Ann. It was full of clothes for little girls! Thank-you so much Grandma! After we opened the box, a major fashion show ensued. Several outfit options were put together. Before going to bed tonight the girls had tomorrow's outfits all ready to go.

Please take note of their matching pink spring shoes :)

"Mom, I love these pants. They are the same as the ones Penny and Sophie wear. I was hoping I'd get some of these" Ella was especially excited about receiving new clothes. She recently went through a major growth spurt and her 4T pants are all too short.

I told Juju that she looked like a nurse in her outfit, to which she replied "no, I'm a doctor."

New jammies!

When Dadda got home Karis said "look at my new raffe shirt Dadda. look at my skirt, my skirt!"

An interesting outfit choice by Ella. And the girls' showing their excitement about their upcoming swimming lessons.