A few snapshots

 I'm improving at posting - twice in one month!  This photo was taken almost two months ago and I am amazed at how much Mariana has grown since then.  She is just about to turn 10 months and is so physically advanced compared with the other children.  I don't think that this is any reflection of her physical prowess; rather, it is a product of her constant physio sessions at the hands of her siblings who insist on walking her around and around the house.  Consequently, if you place her on the ground, she refuses to sit and stubbornly sets her legs in ramrod setting.  One has to pull her legs from under her in order to make her sit.  

 When she concedes defeat, she bum-scoots rather than crawls.  This makes for three bum-scooters:  Ben, Sarah and Mariana.  It strikes me as rare to have so many in one family.

 Ben in his straw-boater.  His tastes surprise and delight me.

 Grandpa Mike turned 74 on August 23 and, unbeknownst to us, is now known according to his Polish moniker, Dja Dja.   Hmmm, I think we will stick with Grandpa Mike.  Aunt Julie ordered the cake and when our kids saw it, they thought that the great cake screw-up had occurred.  "Who in the world is Dja Dja?" they asked.  Having spent so long as the only grandchildren on the paternal side, their worlds have been happily upset by the arrival of the other twins and their deeply felt Polish roots.

 Clara, one half of the other twins.  These two turned two on August 20.  Quite the party was held, but Mariana and I missed it all preferring to wait in a crowded ER in a bid to understand the lingering high fever.  All is well and roseola appeared after five days of fever.  Classic textbook case, but only ever diagnosed in hindsight.

 Chelsea, our god-daughter.  The photos say it all in regard to their personalities.

 Mariana bathed in a swath of heavenly light.  Bum-scooting in action.

 A photo of most of us at the farm.  I am struck by the fact that Grandma Anne died in this room, exactly where that couch sits.  How life marches on.

 We held our second annual boys retreat on August 27.  (Yes, life has been very busy.)  45 boys attended and the day went swimmingly.  We even had a t-shirt this year.  Although, I noticed at the end of the day that the t-shirt company had left the apostrophe out of Barry's Bay on the back of the shirt.  Not being able to fix this is an act of humility on my part.  We also gave the boys Holy Water wrapped in camo tape, if you are wondering what they are holding.  Deacon Stephen (back right) will be ordained in the Spring of 2017.  Interestingly, he was in Dave's grade 12 religion class ten years ago when Dave first started teaching.

 Two days later I took the three oldest to Ottawa on a buying trip.  This means that we spent extravagant amounts of money at Costco, IKEA and a running shoe store.  While purchasing shoes, another mother heard how many children I have and said, "I can't wrap my head around this.  I need to leave."  And she did.

Jacob somehow scouted out a gum-ball machine while Hannah was trying on sneakers. He bought four balls and spent the remainder of the trip blowing bubbles as big as his head.