Giving thanks for God's great blessings!

All of us have many, many things to be thankful for; but for us, this year has been especially blessed by God. He has granted the return of our father's health, something which is nothing short of a miracle! After a long and stressful journey, our dad is now pretty much back to normal, going to estate sales, auctions, etc. So to all those who are wondering, he is doing great, and we thank God for how he has blessed us. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Evangeline - my twin... my waitress...my comic relief...

Evangeline is such a dear - and just because she's my twin doesn't keep me from thinking she's hilarious! Yesterday was an example of both such "Evangeline" adjectives.....

Daddy and I had just parked in the driveway - we had been out for most the afternoon -when I got out of the van and happened to glance over at the neighbor's house...Then, who should I see emerging from their house but Evangeline, prancing down their stairs in MY high heeled boots and pressed apron with Batenburg lace! (You're probably thinking, "What in the world?" - that's OK because I was thinking the very same thing!) She proceeded to march me in the house, up the stairs and to our room. There I was greeted with a sign posted above our doorway - "The White Sands Hotel" (those of you who've seen the Road to Avonlea will get the connection).

Evangeline opened the door, ushered me in, sat me at a VERY elegantly decorated table and pronounced that she would be my waitress. Beside the table was a large menu.... Each word was embellished with Evangeline-styled French flair - "La" this, or "De" that.....

Now I must interrupt this narrative to say, quite honestly, I have never been served before by a waitress that acted quite like she did! She was grinning from ear to ear, almost bursting with enthusiasm and completely enthralled with her "delightful surprise"! (It was kinda' funny too, she looked a lot like someone I know......Come to think of it - she looked JUST LIKE ME!!!!!) Creepy!

OK - back on topic..... Dearest Evangeline proceeded to serve me one delicious course after another. The best part was the dessert though. While I downed the sweets, Emily scratched my back and Evangeline read me this poem she "wrote while trying to make the soup"..... Here is the poem:

A LADY

A lady, oh so fair,

Blessed with grace and flowing hair.

Sweet and smile pass with zest,

Through all, lacked not the best.

She was a lady, oh so fair,

She was a lady with much flair.

Her name~ Lady Elizabeth

When she read this to me I laughed so ridiculously hard that I most certainly looked ANYTHING but the picture of "a fair lady" !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh, what a twin I have....You don't know what you're missing by not having a sister like her! Life is grand!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Then and now - Emily and Hannah

Then..........

Now........

Best Buds....

Emily and Hannah... Those two girls are so much alike it's hilarious! With Hannah being here for two weeks it allowed us to get a good look at just how much those two are really alike! True to their nature, neither Emily nor Hannah like to get up in the morning, and both would sleep in 'til a very ungodly hour should they be allowed to. Too cute!

Field trip to the police station...

While Jonathan and Hannah were still here we set up a field trip at the police station. They really enjoyed getting to see everything in the station, including the jail part :) ! Incidentally, what they thought was a harmless cell viewing turned into a regular old lockup experience!

Em and Hannah outside the station...

Officer Jones who gave us the tour....

Then and Now..... (Cousins Jonathan Kline and the Twins)

Then....

...and now....

Everson Piano Concert.....

(Evangeline)

Dr. Robert Auler and Tim Lanigan

Elizabeth

The three performing students of Dr. Auler..

(Outside the museum...)

As we have mentioned before, Evangeline and I have been performing the four Chopin Ballades with our piano teacher and one other student. (This past Wednesday was our last Ballades concert.) It was part of CNY's Civic Morning Musicales concert series held in the auditorium of Syracuse's Everson Museum. We had a great turnout considering the weather (it snowed that day) and everyone did well. We did take a video of it, but the camera doesn't record very well so it made our playing sound very jerky and harsh. Someone (I think) will be making a DVD of it, so if we can get a copy I will try to post it. If not, we may just put the not-so-good recording on so you can at least get an idea of how it went......

Cousins...

Twin cousins

Swearing in ceremony for the Canfield Detective Agency...

Emily signing her CDA certificate....

Jonathan signing his certificate....

Hannah becoming an agent....

Evangeline swearing herself in.....

The Twins Demonstrating a karate move (or at least trying to)...

During the time that the Klines were here we had a special swearing in ceremony for the CDA. We each had to swear to uphold the CDA's oath of office, sign our certificates, receive badges, and watch a training video. The Canfield Detective Agency is officially expanding! :)

"Spanish" Hoe-down!

Evangeline, Jonathan and Elizabeth

Princesses Emily and Hannah

Tough dude

Friday evening we kids (Jonathan, Hannah, Emily, Evangeline and I) had a regular old "Spanish" hoe down! Our parents were gone for the evening (I can't remember why) so we had complete reign of the fort! It was a blast! We moved all of the furniture in the living room to the side and out of the way so we wouldn't run into anything. After we all got dressed up, Jonathan played the fiddle while we girls clomped around the center of the room. It was hilarious!

After we all wore ourselves out from playing, we each took turns putting on a skit, telling a story, or playing some music. Then, after that we sat around and talked until 2 o'clock in the morning. (Our dad went to sleep at our grandparents house that night because he knew he wouldn't get any sleep!) It was a blast!

Em's B-day...

(Evangeline drew this violin picture for her...)

For Emily's birthday we had all the relatives that live around here come over to help us celebrate. (Above in the pictures are some of the gifts that she got...) Love you Em - Happy Birthday!