21 October 2014

St. Anthony's Chapel- Holyrood Park

Last Saturday, whilst experiencing a very tiring growth spurt, Deaun needed an extra nap in the late afternoon. Dallin and the twins were itching to go adventuring, so I stayed home with the snoring child while they headed to Holyrood Park. Holyrood Park is only a 5 minute walk from our flat, so we've been several times. It's so big that everytime we go, we see something new. 
Wandering, giggling, running, and exploring ensued. They walked about two miles across the park (and then caught a bus home) and Dallin says that the twins were just in heaven running free in whatever direction they wanted to go.


(Pushing the wind back)



During their wanderings, they visited St. Anthony's Chapel on the north eastern side of Holyrood Park. While the origins of this chapel are unknown, it's been around since at least the early 1400's. Hugo Arnot, author of "History of Edinburgh" (1779) wrote that St. Anthony's Chapel was, "a beautiful Gothick building, well suited to the rugged sublimity of the rock." Aren't these ruins just breathtaking? The stone is just gorgeous and it's so secluded. I love that even in the middle of the city, you can get so far away from people and just be alone in nature.




Dallin loved being able to have a "date" with the girls. He's been really busy with school, so I think it was good for them to be able to go out together without Deaun and I slowing them down. Dallin is such a wonderful dad to take them out adventuring and they all had a really wonderful time. (Or so he tells me...)


15 October 2014

The Twins turn 4!!

Happy Birthday to my favorite ever twins!
Sabrina and Fiona are such special little girls. They are funny, smart, happy, forgiving, kind, and beautiful. And a million other things. It is so fun having them in our family. We love them so much.


Sabrina:

Fiona:



Birthday dinner: Sausage rolls and oven chips with apple squash to drink. (Their favorite meal, also very British. Also in this instance, squash isn't a vegetable, it's a drink mix, although it confuses me still everytime someone says it. "I want some squash!" never fails to surprise me until I realize they are just talking about juice mix. Ha)
Birthday cake: Individual double-decker cakes. (Where we learned that substituting whipped cream for frosting is apparently not acceptable. Lesson learned.)


Birthday activity: Swimming at the pool down the street. The girls had been begging to go for quite some time, and they loved every second of it once they figured out how to use the floaties to help them swim.



Presents: Too many! These girls were spoiled. They got presents from Mom and Dad as well as two packages from their Grandma & Grandpa "Truck" and their Grandma & Grandpa "Whitecar" in America. They loved every single present though and said thank you and even wrote thank you cards for everything they got.



And now a little bit about each girl indivitually, because even though they are twins, they are each very much, their own person with her own likes and dislikes.

Sabrina (pictured below): The oldest. The boss. The girliest. Loves words like graceful and lovely. Favourite colors are pink, purple, and sparkles. Wants to be a princess or a doctor when she grows up. Her favourite part of being a twin is chasing Fiona. Thinks Fiona is good at gymnastics. She is beautiful and smart and I can't even begin to tell you how much I love her.


Fiona (pictured below): The younger. the peacemaker. The daring and adventurous. Loves slaying dragons but is afraid of the dark. Favourite color is purple. Wants to be a princess or a mechanic when she grows up. Her favourite part of being a twin is always having Sabrina to ride bikes with. Thinks Sabrina is good at doing tricks. Think's Dad's kisses are good but Mom's are yuck. Is gentle and funny and beautiful and adores Baby Deaun. I love her more than I can say.



 So happy 4th birthday to my beautiful girls! I can't believe they are this big already!