Office Help

Tua was helping out her grandfather in the office when these shots were taken. What fun all the new objects were. Among her favorites were the paper clips and the pencils. The paper clips appealed to her as a fashion accessory. The pencils just tasted good and were fun to drop.

Gjush & GiGi

By now most of you know of our connection to Albania via Bug's folks David and Sarah, through their mission, Planters Seed Foundation (see link above under prayer requests). Therefore, it was no surprise to us when they offered their new titles as grandparents to be in the Albanian vernacular. Below are some great shots taken by Bug of Tua with her Gjush and GiGi, by now two of her most favorite people in the world.

Sewing Session

Bug and Sarah have been using what little spare time they have to make curtains for the house. Tua, as befits her character, has wanted to help with every detail.

World Tour Tua

A normal week for Tua involves meeting no more than one new face. These weeks in Illinois are proving a deviation from the normal. The first photo below is of Tua and her Great-Grandmother Whiteford. Following that is one of Bug and Tua with great-great aunts Orvetta and Doreen.




"Two of a kind." There is a story behind this, but I've only been told some of it. I believe it involves a certain generational fashion sense. Apparently, Bug had found the 'perfect' skirt a few months ago and has been trying for some time, unsuccessfully, to find the pattern, with the intent of making a few more like it. After church on Sunday, she walked into her grandparents house and her grandmother was wearing the same thing. Her grandmother had made the same skirt in the same fabric. Thus, this story has the happy conclusion of Bug obtaining the perfect pattern for the perfect skirt from her fashion savvy grandmother.

Tua and her new Illinin-wear.

Manito

Just down the road from Green Valley is the town of Manito. It is here that Tua's grandfather David spends the majority of the growing season. It's close to the fields, the equipment, and most importantly, the irrigation systems. The task of getting up at 2 am to turn a sprinkler off is made much easier by the fact that your bed is within a five minute drive. It's too bad that Bug and Tua didn't make the trip out in July. Tua's sleeping habits would have been right along the same schedule as the spinklers, thought I don't think that she would have appreciated the brief soaking one gets as one walks up the lane to shut the water off. The top picture of Bug and Tua in front of the combine is followed by one of Tua and her aunt Hannah. Hannah, I have been told, has been having the time of her life with Tua.

Tua's First "Work" Pants

"Wait a minute" you say. "When did they get new kitchen cabinets? And what's with the tile? I thought they did wood floors?"

Very observant on your part, dear reader. The above shots were not taken in Bridgwater, Vermont. They weren't even taken in Vermont. Tua and Bug are spending two weeks on the farm in Green Valley, Illinois. Only in a state where the volume of corn and soybeans produced is matched soley by the tireless work ethic of the folks who grow it will you find things like Carhartt bibs for your 10 month old. Tua's heritage runs deep out here. You can see it in her smile.

While they are away, Seth has a list of tasks which is entirely self imposed and non of which need to be done necessarily. Bookshelves, for instance, would liberate an entire mass of floor space in the living room.