Sorry there has been such a lapse in updates.  Suffice it to say that we are busy raising 3 girls, starting a business and putting an addition on to our home.

August was a wonderful month.  We spent a few weeks in Manitowish Waters, Wisconsin with my sister, Veronica McGraw and her family.  They own a breathtaking resort up there.  The girls had a wonderful time with their “big” cousins.  Emma especially cherished the time her cousin Mary took her for a boat ride and they spent a few hours together on the lake.  She is still talking about it.

We did have a quick sickness spell (Emma got Croupe and needed breathing treatment at the nearby hospital), but it was short lived.

The girls went tubing together and as you will see from the pictures, they were purely euphoric.  Veronica and John were gracious and loving hosts.  We were blessed to be able to spend time together like that.

Emma played 4 year old soccer this summer on the Blast team.  She had a great time (well, after the first two games).  It was a great experience for her.  It was her first taste of teamwork. Emma cried the first few games because all of the kids would swarm around the ball and change direction so many times.  She felt as if she was running in circles with no results.  It took a few games for her to get comfortable.  It was really great to see her grow and learn valuable lessons through something as simple as soccer.  She scored two goals, which made her very happy.  There were a few unbelievable soccer players on her team.  One was a boy named Josh.  Emma said one day on the way home from a game, “Mom, Josh is so nice.  I made him my friend.  Did you see what happened, Mom?  I was running really fast kicking the ball and I kicked it really hard but it didn’t go into the goal and then Josh ran up and just kicked it in the goal for me!  That’s called teamwork, Mom.  Wasn’t that really nice of him?”

Of course August is Ruthie’s birthday month.  She turned the big 2!  Sittoo, Giddoo and Auntie Suzie came.  We had pony rides and a little petting zoo and the kids had a terrific time.  We will never forget the expression on Ruthie’s face when the cake was brought out and we were all singing to her. We unfortunately didn't move fast enough with the camera to capture her euphoria :(  She spent the summer singing Happy Birthday to everyone else.  She couldn’t believe we were actually singing to her this time.  She had an expression we have only seen on her face that once, but hope to see again and again.  For weeks she would sing, “Hap Birtday to Rutie.” 

We had a wonderful month enjoying the outdoors as much as possible and enjoying each other.

Emma is such a sweet little girl.  She is very particular and sensitive, but she has an old soul.  She enjoys simple things such as dancing in the moonlight and walking in the rain and she makes such requests often. She loves to laugh and when you really get her going, her belly laugh is contagious.  She is a fabulous and caring big sister—especially to little Vivian.  Emma often walks around with a little pad and a pen and scribbles in her “journal.”  She can tell you over and over again exactly what her scribbles mean and her story will be the same every time.  She will throw in a few words she knows how to write such as, “Daddy, Mommy, Emma, Ruthie, Vivian, love, cat, dog, etc.”  She is very particular about what she wears.  She can surely come up with some wing-dinger outfits complete with headband, boots, purse, etc.  Emma is very patient and enjoys just sitting and chatting.  She doesn’t need to be entertained with toys, she just enjoys the company of people she loves.

Ruthie is a spitfire.  She is daring and that often leads to some pretty bad bumps and bruises.  She loves being held, but at the same time has trouble sitting still.  She is like a little salamander in your arms.  Ruthie is very quick.  She watches Emma so closely and copies her every move.  She likes to throw in her Ruthie twists, though.  She has really begun to demand her own time.  For example, she likes to sing songs by herself.  It irritates her when others chime in.  She will say, “QUIET!  Me singing.  Rutie singing.”  She has a heck of a powerful pout.  The big bottom lip comes up and her arms cross and she declares, “Me frudrated!”  Ruthie has great affection for her little sister, “My baby,” and oftentimes doesn’t know her own strength.  We have to keep a close eye on her when she is near Vivian.  If you turn your back for a second, she will be sitting on the baby and trying to use her as a step stool to the bathroom sink if you’re not careful.  Ruthie is learning more letters and is frustrated that she can’t yet read.  She is finally patient enough to listen to stories and enjoys being read to.  Our home is so joyful with Ruthie in our lives!

Vivian is such a sweet little baby.  She definitely has her own personality and is particular already.  Her disposition is easy going and she adores her sisters.  We enjoy seeing the three of them interact.  It is so different having subsequent children.  It’s amazing how much the second and third children really try to emulate their older sibling.  Vivian is a delight. Vivian’s first tooth came through August 22.

August funnies:

Ruthie on the unsightly port o john in our front yard:  “Look!  My port o potty!  Eeeeewwwwww stinky!  Hi port o potty!”

Ruthie: “Mommy, I all finished dinner.  I have ok plate club (clean plate club).” 

Ruthie on the construction noise:  “Mommy, man bang on my house.  He’s putting a new roof on my bench!” 

Ruthie came wandering in our room while she was long supposed to be in bed.  I said, “Ruthie, what are you doing?”  She said, “My finger’s stucking.”  I said, You have something on your finger?”  After we examined her fingers (each and every one) we found no such problem.  She then said, “Just hold you, Mom, that’s all!”  AAAAWWWWWWW!  She just wanted a little snuggle. 

Ruthie on her immediate hunger: “Mom, go to the refrigerator and get me some soup right now! For Ruthie because I’m hungry now!” 

Emma on our neighbor boy’s marriage proposals: “Mom, Nick asked me to marry him.”  Me: “Oh, my, that’s a little early to be thinking about that, don’t you think?" Emma:  “Yes.  I told him no thank you, but he just keeps asking me over and over.  I don’t want to marry him, Mommy.  I just want to stay with you and Daddy forever!”

The Abdalla family has been trying to use less plastic.  We never microwave in plastic and have thrown out all of our plastic cups and such (trying to minimize chemical exposure).  Anyway, Emma and I were watching a TV program and a Ziplock microwave steam bag commercial came on.  Emma said, “Oh Mom, you’re not going to like that product, are you?”

Emma is very polite and says, “Yes Ma’am and Yes Sir.”  Well Ruthie has picked that up.  Any time she really wants something she’ll just blurt out, “Yeh Pam!”  If she has hit Vivian or something and she is about to be corrected she’ll preempt the correction by saying, “Yeh Pam.”