Making Memories w/ Shenan & Armelle

It doesn't matter whether it was picking blueberries (at the biggest blueberry patch I have ever SEEN), having "sleepovers" with light sticks, swimming in the neighborhood pool, or climbing trees trying to pick apples, . . . we ALWAYS have the best time when we visit Shenandoah and Armelle (and Laura and Steve) in Richmond, Virginia! This time, the girls could have continual "big girl" fun because Annie and Daddy weren't in tow this time. (It simply would have been too much to drag a poor three-year-old around Williamsburg.) And what a fun mother/daughter trip this was with such good friends!

Laurie, Trevor, & Logan at Chili's on the Way to Williamsburg

Summer Library Fun

From watching Ronald MacDonald, to experiencing a cool magic show, to listening to neat puppets and sound effects, our little Etowah Branch of the Public Library has been a really fun part of our summer this year! Annie's little friend Aubrie even got to be part of Frederica's Flying Flea Circus! : )

Annie's Bunny Family

The Girls Accompany Oma & Papa Home

Bunny's Great Adventure

Tonight, on our evening boatride, something TRULY amazing happened: a saint truly interceded to save Annie's precious bunny aptly named "Peri" but who Annie has simply taken to calling "bunny." We were traveling east on Lake Murray and had reached the spot where the lake branches out into the Saluda River and the Little Saluda River. At first, Annie nonchalantly mentioned that she dropped "bunny." We all said "WHAT!?!" And suddenly, it hit Annie that she had dropped bunny in the WATER, and it was almost completely dark outside. We all panicked at once, Annie with tears streaming down her face, holding her arms out to the water screaming, "Bunny! . . . . .BUNNY! . . . . . . BUNNY!!!!" Quite frankly, there was no hope. No one was sure where Annie dropped the rabbit, and even if we were sure, we weren't sure that a bunny like that would remain on the top of the water. Still, we all started frantically looking around. Suddenly, I picked Annie up in her panic and took her to the back of the boat. I got down on her level and held her upper arms and said, "Annie, you and I need to pray now. We need to pray that Saint Anthony and your Great Grandpa Henel help you find your bunny, . . . and if we don't find your bunny, that a poor child find it, . . . one that needs it more than you." We prayed. Even Annie in her panic prayed. (And as it turns out, even though Oma was unaware of what we were doing at the moment, SHE was praying, too.) I was calmer then, although sad, not only because Annie had lost her bunny but because bunny was wearing Mary's skirt (Mary was a treasured doll that I played with as a child). Still, I suggested that IF bunny didn't sink and IF Annie had lost it at the fork in the river, then we should just turn the lights on and weave back and forth until we covered the whole area, I mean what was the harm in that? Everyone was searching. Suddenly Leia and Oma yelled out at the exact same time, "THERE IT IS"! It was right in front of the boat. Images of the Titanic "hard to starboard" kept running through my head. And Papa yelled to Brian, "Stop! STOP! . . . Ope, he ran over it." Brian had run over bunny. But now bunny was floating BEHIND the boat! Brian circled around, and both Oma and Mamma lay on the outside of the pontoon with our arms in the water, vowing that one of us would catch it. Slowly now, slowly, the boat approached bunny, . . . and I scooped her up! And can you believe that bunny still had her hair bows AND Mary's ancient dress?!? Even after being run over by a boat and being in the water for half an hour?!? Oh, there was a lot of happy cheers and thankful prayers coming from the boat THAT night! None of us could believe it, not even little Annie who was SO happy to have bunny back! . . . although a little put out that bunny was so very wet. So on the beautiful and dark ride back home, I asked Annie if she understood what happened here, and how it meant that her prayers were answered by God through the intercession of Saint Anthony, . . . and that her Great Grandpa Henel (also partial always to Saint Anthony) was sure to have helped, too. And ALL of her family there had some part in helping to save bunny. I'm not sure if her little mind could grasp the greatness, but her story wasn't far off: "I dropped bunny. I cried hard for bunny! We looked for bunny! [Large pause.] Pray to 'Sain' Anthony, . . . and found bunny! Mamma caught bunny!" (and if you look at the final picture) "We washed bunny. . . . But how can I hold bunny when I go to sleep?!? [Tears] Please put him in my arms when he is dry!" We did. Thank you God for your infinite blessings of bunnies, and as Annie says almost every day before dinner and before bedtime, "Thank you God for all the pets."

Oma & Papa Visit the Lake

I can't tell you what a joy it was for me to get Dad back on a boat again after so many years, . . . and all of my old memories of our Grady White ocean boat came flooding back. And as for Mom, . . . she was waterskiing again after FORTY years!!! And she LOVED it!!! But I'm convinced that Dad's favorite thing to do is look at the map of Lake Murray. : ) One moving moment I caught Dad kneeling at the front of the boat for a very long time, and when he came back after a while I asked him what he was doing. He said, "I was praying, . . . thanking God for this wonderful opportunity." And I cried.

Annie & Mamma at the Lake

Annie Learns to Water Ski

Everyone was amazed that Annie felt so at home on our new platform trainer that she spent the time looking around! And of course, it totally tired her out. : )

A Long Lake Vacation After the Storm

Making an adventure out of the tree damage after a huge storm blew countless trees down on Lake Murray.