First of all, thanks to our friends P&MA for the new, BIG toy! We've had to put the new kitchen (with fridge, fridge magnets, stove top, oven, dishwasher, cabinets, grill, cordless phone, vegetables, flowers, etal.) in their room, because there is no good place for it until the weather warms. Maybe the deck will be a good place for it until the mosquitoes come!

Secondly, sorry for the lapse in posts - busyness pervades. The past couple of weeks have been busy and Sydney and Abigail have amazed us everyday with new facets to their personalities. The two-year-old stage is kicking in - Abigail has accepted it and will be playing the role of the aggressor, and Sydney will undoubtedly express her distress while being pushed, pulled, or scratched soon with "Abigail, STOP, I don't appreciate the way you a treating me!". Yes, Sydney's language skills keep us on the edge of our seats. No full sentences yet, but it won't be long. You know I've said that the sweetest kid is a sleeping kid; well, the second sweetest child is the child who wakes up happy and is in awe of the world for a while - you know, like the above pictures - with blank stares on their faces, rubbing sleep out of their eyes, and rested. The hairdo on Abigail is a product of nap time sweat from her recent fever - actually, both girls have exhibited a fever over the past few days and are getting better today.

Finally, the Chronicles of Optimist will begin soon and will be rife with stories on the people of the A.T., the bear story, Phil. 4:13, favorite trails, favorite towns, Katahdin and much much more. 10 years ago, tonight - the last time I would sleep in my own bed for months!