A little update...

Hello!!!

Here I am, feeling more than ready for my bed tonight! Before that though, I wanted to write a little update!

This week we have tried to enjoy the snow and winter fun! Each day we have either gone skating or made a snowman etc. Mara-Grace has LOVED learning how to skate! She has double blades that clip onto the bottom of her boots. Funny story, one of the days I took her skating, we lost a bolt out of the 'skate' and searched all over for it on the ice! Poor Mara's skate was in pieces! I explained to her that we'd perhaps make a few laps in our boots but that skating was going to be impossible at that moment. She looks up at me and says, "That's ok Mommy, I am going to be happy to skate with just one skate on". Ohhhhh! So that's what we did! She had a ball skating around with one boot and one skate. Oh why not?!!!! While we skate (well, I glide. My skates KILL my feet! So, I glide around in my boots) Hannah Faith is so happy snuggled up like a bug in a rug, tucked into her stroller. She can hardly move as she is bundled up tightly, but when I talk with her she laughs and her little eyes are full of wonder. Taking everything in!


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Mara-Grace saw her orthodontist for the first time this week. She regularly sees a cleft dental team at the children's hospital, but this was a new doctor. What an amazing man. So incredible with Mara and Mara-Grace loved him. She thought that he was very funny! So did I! He complimented Mara on her lovely purple heart dress. And he said he has one at home! Hehe! He was the grandfatherly type of doctor with an absolutely incredible bedside manner. After our appointment, we asked Mara-Grace where she would like to have lunch. We gave her the choice of having McD's or Chinese Food! Well, her love of Won Ton soup and all of the extras won hands down! LOL Both Mara-Grace and Hannah enjoyed their special lunch immensely!


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Victoria wrote two exams this week and feels that they went well. She also had her first down-hill skiing experience! She and a group from school (including teachers) will be going 3 more times. Victoria started with a lesson and then enjoyed a few hours on the ski hills! She LOVED it! We have already organized an outing for her next weekend! I am so happy that she enjoyed it so much!

Well, last night was one of those moments I hope I never forget. We usually attend Sunday morning mass, but honestly we have been so slow going on Sunday mornings lately, that we decided we would attend Saturday 5pm mass this weekend. Honestly, we don't usually attend this mass as it is very quiet... And well, we aren't always! Despite our every attempt to be! So, long story short we attended and as we sat in our seats, a gentleman in our parish came over and asked us if Mara-Grace would bring up one of the offerings. WOW! This is something Victoria did every weekend for years when she was in elementary school. Now, Mara-Grace was being asked! I explained to her what she would do and I felt I had prepared her well. She was to follow the others, walk (NOT RUN) up, give her offering, bow and walk SLOWLY back to our seats. She was quite confident. When the time came, Mara walked to the back with Kevin who stood with her until it was time to walk up. As I turned, I saw that she was first. FIRST! Uh oh! This could go askew! I could hardly see her little head walking up the aisle. I barely saw the top of it and thankfully I had put two little curlies/ribbons in, which made following her a little easier! I have to say, I sat there and started to cry. It hit me how far this little girl has come. Barely just 4 years old.... She has really come so far in mass.... here she was, bringing up the offerings. I was so proud I could have exploded. She brought them up slowly as I had mentioned, handed over the offering smoothly, and even remembered to bow GENTLY! There she stood and I was bursting with pride. Then, after her bow, she stayed.... And stayed.... Oh no I thought! Where is Kevin? The other two children behind her had left. And there she stood, her tiny little self standing at the base of the alter.... waiting.... OOOOH! The priest and deacon were back up on the alter.... Mara stayed.... Meanwhile the congregation noticed what was happening. You could hear the chuckles. I was laughing (sheer nerves!)and crying at once. WHERE was Kevin? It seemed endless. I watched her, still bursting with pride.... There she stood so incredibly sweet and innocent. I don't really think there were many dry eyes in the parish. Her innocence was so heartwarming. The Deacon realised what was happening and came back down off of the alter, Kevin at this point is making his way up the aisle. And the deacon knelt down and told her that she did such a wonderful job, thanked her and told her that she could go and sit down now. Kevin reached her at this time and they came proudly back to our seats. I grabbed her and gave her the biggest hug imagineable. I really felt my heart leaping. My little angel. Oh how blessed we have been with our daughters. Thankful doesn't begin to describe how I feel. So utterly blessed....

On another light note, as Mara-Grace and I were saying her bedtime prayers tonight (she knows and sings the Our Father, but is still learning Hail Mary)she says, "Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with CHEESE" Cheese? LOL THEE!!!!!!!

So, here we are.... The house is quiet. Hannah settled like a dream. She also does some singing of course! She LOVES , "Twinkle little star". And actually, she requests it all day long! She will sing, in perfect tune and melody, "Up a..ba" (Up above----the world so high). Obviously, I am a proud Mama, but really, I think that is quite impressive! She is only 17 months and home 6 weeks! Then she squeals with delight when we continue her singing!

Much love from this very proud Mommy. xoxo Have a beautiful, treasured week ahead!