Brassarts at ILC: Round 3

Twenty-three years ago, the original Brassarts (Mom, Dad, Erin, Amiee) left the States to spend a year living on the Arabian peninsula. Dad worked in a Baptist hospital, and we lived our lives in a VASTLY different world from the one we knew.

Ten years ago, I left for two years spent in Ukraine, working alongside a local Baptist church, helping build their English ministry and meeting students.

This fall, Amiee leaves for two years in Kenya. She'll be working with impoverished communities and refugees.

Apparently, it's a family pasttime.

We've all gone with the same sending organization, and part of the process for our organization is a period of training before departure. For our family in the 90's, it was a mere 2 weeks. When I went, it was 8 weeks. I think Amiee's ended up being about 6ish weeks. So, we've lived on the same training campus for about 4 months between the 4 of us. It feels very homey, thanks to all of our time there. 

Mom, Dad, the girls, and I drove up a few weeks ago for Amiee's commissioning service. It was so fun and nostalgic to be back. I really enjoyed showing my girls (not that they really understood, but you know). If nothing else, they liked the playground.

Mom found these fantastic world map dresses for the girls to wear for Amiee's commissioning. And Africa is front and center!

Some gratuitous Brynnie pictures.

And this! This is from 10 years ago when I was at training. This is my friend, Mindy, who we got to have supper with while we were in town! I didn't get a picture with her this time, but we still pretty much look like this. :)

We're so proud of Amiee and thankful for her obedience. Once her blog is up and running, I'll be sure to link up to it! If you're on Instagram, you can follow her @amieebrassart. We're excited to see glimpses of her life in Africa.

LILY-ISMS: August 2018 edition

Lily's been at it again! I'm so excited that she's joined the ranks of "things my kids say." Enjoy!

Hi, Mommy! How are you doing here?

I went to church and saw animals!
By "church," she meant "zoo."

We're talking, Daddy!
When asked what she and Claire were up to.

Bye! I'll miss you! I'll miss your pizza!
To a restaurant.

More kickle time!
To Brad: More tickle time!

Erin, comforting Brynn: It's ok, Brynn.
Lily: Mommy's gotchu.

Fwim: Swim

Fwed you: Hold you

Good mernin', Mommy!

Lily wore her new raincoat (hood up) for, literally, hours

While "reading" a book to herself
Hahaha! Those silly dogs.

Mommy, it's a castle!
The Eiffel Tower

Bye, donuts! I miss you!
To Krispy Kreme. The evening before, Brad had taken the girls for donuts. The next day, I took them somewhere very prosaic by comparison, and she said this as we drove by KK.

Mayshun Dogs: 101 Dalmatians

Ick! I don't eat it.
Something on her plate. Of the vegetable variety, most likely.

Hugs Brynn
Hi, Buddy!

Lily (stage whispering): Mommy! I'm hiding under the table!
Claire: Lily! Don't tell her where we are! Mommy, we're in the same place as each other.

Of COURSE!
This has replaced "sure" from earlier this summer. Equally as funny.

Bye, house! I'll miss you!
Apparently, she's really attached to places.

Claire, I bring Mommy.
Holding my hand and leading me into a room.

Calling out, as if calling a dog
Baby turtles! Baby turtles!

But I HAVE to climb!
Anything. Everything. It's a compulsion.

Unk Tim: Uncle Tim

Grandpaaaa! Grab my hand!
As I was carrying her off to nap. Asking Grandpa to save her from her doom.

Just minute
Said when stalling

Mommy, don't go.
When I needed to leave what we were playing and change the laundry over.

Thanks more water, Ocean!
Thanking the ocean for filling her sand hole with water.

Ice cream! We DID it!
Said when successfully arrived at the ice cream shop

Singing the theme song from Madeline
"I'm Madeline! I'm Madeline! I'm very cute!"
Note: these are not the words to the song

 No Daddy! No power kiss!
Brad does this cute thing with the girls where he'll hold them, give them a huge smooch, and let them "fall" over backwards (obviously, he holds on to them). They call this a "power kiss." Lily usually loves this, but she's two, so sometimes she gets feisty about it.

Mrs. Deb, this is Brynnie Boo Boo!
"Introducing" Brynn to my friend, Deb (who had met Brynn multiple times already, by the way)

Pat-killer: Caterpillar

My stander: my step stool

I put ball in time out.

I wuv you, Mommy. I very happy.

Where's Claire? Claire my fwiend.

Sits down next to my mom
So, how's it goin', Nana?

Doing one of the stretches from their ballet video

Water mountain: water fountain

At Amiee's commissioning in Virginia, I walked the halls with Lily for most of the service because she was incapable of being quiet. While sitting in the foyer, she looks at me, holds up her hand (as if stopping traffic) and says,
I go potty. I be right back.
Note: she is not remotely potty trained

A few minutes later, while sitting on the potty (fully diapered- this was just to kill more time), she says,
It's not working...

I fink batteries died. 
When running across a remote that wouldn't work

I tried to teach the girls the Swahili word for "hello" (Jambo) to greet Amiee with. Lily give up.
I say "Pongo."

I still hungry, Muvver.
To me, influenced by 101 Dalmatians

We took the girls and my parents to the Duke-Army football game. The beginning of the game experience included fireworks/sparklers, the team running onto the field, and a 5-plane flyover. My mom, holding Lily, points to the sky to show Lily the planes amidst all the excitement. Lily says,
Birds!
She did not mean the planes. She spotted 3 actual birds and was very excited about it.

On the shuttle bus back to our parking lot after the game
Bye, everybody! I miss you!

The girls rigged up their own trapeze hoop thing like Anne uses in The Greatest Showman. It thrilled my heart.

Around here lately: August 2018 edition

When we drove back through TN at the end of July/beginning of August, Brad and Barbara took the big girls to Virginia one morning to visit a little zoo. Claire was thrilled to be in Virginia "where Bo is doing practice!" (training before her move to Kenya)

Erin: Did you cry about your boo-boo?
Claire: Yes. I had to.

I’ll put on a show for her! A little show of mine.
Referring to entertaining Brynn.

I told the fan to stop wiggling, but it wouldn’t.
The fan was set on a setting that was a little too high and was shaking.

Mommy, I hate to tell you this. I haven’t been sleeping with Lambsy on my face recently. I’m sorry.
Ever since she was a very little girl, Claire has slept with a little lamb stuffy draped over her eyes. I’ve always loved that she did that, so when she recently stopped, she felt she had to break the news to me gently.

Lily: I did it! I go doctor!
Claire: That’s my sister!
Said in the vein of “That-a-girl!”

Watching a ballet dvd for children, in which they ask viewers to imagine they are going on a trip.
Dance dvd: Where are you going on your adventure?
Claire: Kenya!

Claire: Did you sleep during naptime, Mommy?
Erin: No, but I wanted to.
Claire: Well, you have another chance tonight.

When I’m in my bed and scared, I know that Jesus is with me He can do anything.

Lily: I Mommy.
Claire: You’re not the real mommy…

You gave me a startle!

translating for Lily
She means she wants a jammie (pajamas) of Red Sox.

Truly, I know it, Mommy. You just don't understand.

I can't keep my growing under control, Mommy. How many times have I told you?

Claire: Which movie?
Erin: The Lion King.
Claire: What did he lie about?

Claire: Do the lions in the movie talk or roar?
Erin: Both.
Claire: So, it's for kids AND grown-ups!

Can I be excused to Brynnie?
Can I be excused to go play with Brynnie?

Erin: Claire, you're the best biggest sister.
Claire: Aw, Mommy, you're too kind.

How do we see things? My eyes are hazel, but all of our things aren't hazel...

My water went down the wrong way. It went right instead of left.

While riding in the van
Lily: A cow, Claire!
Claire: Oh cool! A cow in North Carolina...that's funny.

Did you sneaky put it in?

Looking out her window during a thunderstorm
I feel bad for the spiders.

That was the first time I saw lightening with cracks!

Mommy, I am falling in love with our house.

Claire: I feel a bone in the corner of her. (Brynn)
Erin: ???
Claire: Of her ARM.

Robot cars = remote control cars

She liked my manners.
Employee at Target

Erin: Please stop making that noise.
Claire: But Mommy, I'm unstoppable.

Lily jabbering. Erin confused.
Claire: I don't know, Mommy. I can't sound it out.

Brad and Erin spell in front of Claire and Lily.
Why are you guys hiding the words from us?

Well, I'm just having a dinosaur picnic.

She's doing her exercise!
Brynn's tummy time

Watching a movie wherein two characters have captured a mouse in their house and are taking it outside.
Are they taking him on an outing?

Your Majesty! WAAAAAAITTTT!
To Lily

The baby turtles will live happily ever after down at the ocean.
Referring to the sea turtles that hatched around the time we were at the beach.

Shhh...turtles can be shy.

I don't know why my goggles wanted to leave me.
Claire's swimming goggles washed away in the ocean. It was sad.

To me
Where's your sunburn? Oh, I see it. It's a trapezoid. With a half-sphere on top.

Mommy, I'm sorry I didn't sit next to you the day before Brynnie was born.
The day before Brynnie was born, I asked Claire to come cuddle with me. She was playing and didn't want to stop. Apparently, she feels sorry about it now.

This is a picture Claire drew during church of herself holding hands with Jesus. Not sure who that is in the background...

Brad hugs Erin.
Awwww...that's so SWEET!

I'm just going from mountain to mountain.
Trekking through the dips and ripples in the sand at the beach.

My froat hurts. Why do you think it's mad at me?

Dalmatian Dogs = 101 Dalmatians

Ocean washes up and fills up a hole Claire and Lily have been digging.
Thanks, Water, for stopping by!

Maybe there's going to be a number 3 of fish, and it's going to be Finding Marlin!

Babies like soft, Lily.
Read: pat Brynn gently

Oh goodness. Looks like we've got traffic.

What you can do is just what you can do, Brynnie.

GUYS GUYS! GRANDPA IS BUILDING A MOUNTAIN!
Bill was digging a hole in the sand.

It's Universal on earth!
The Universal intro at the beginning of a movie.

Gran and I are just having a little chat.

I made Chompers up in my head.
Chompers is a podcast for children with episodes the length of dentist-recommended times for brushing teeth. I wasn't able to play it for her one night while she brushed her teeth and asked her what she did in lieu of having me play it for her.

Erin: Girls, are you just walking in circles? (while wearing their new church shoes)
Claire: Yes, so we can be fancy and magnificent. Lily, come along.

Nail chops = nail clippers

I'm putting star stickers on Mrs. Romine's card so she'll know she's a star!

Erin: Go ahead and write your name so she'll know it's from you.
Claire: Well, does she know I'm still working on my "a's"?

On 101 Dalmatians, the dogs pass a message from dog to dog using "the twilight bark." Claire was playing with some toy horses, pretending that they had lost their babies (like in 101 Dalmatians) and were passing a message along to other horses. 
Mommy, they're using the Twilight Hee-Haw!
She has, apparently, forgotten that horses say "neigh."

Claire: When people pass out, they won't get germs anymore.
Erin: Why do you say that?
Claire: Because they'll get buried in a hold.
Pause. Confusion.
Erin: Do you mean when they die?
Claire: Yeah! When they pass out. Pass out is another word for "die."
Erin: I think you mean "pass away."
Claire: Oh, right.

On the first day of school, I'll eat breakfast, brush my teeth, make my bed, get dressed, get my bag, and check my letter to remember the teachers' names. Then, I'll go to school!
She's very worried she won't remember her teachers' names, and she knows we got a letter in the mail with information about the first day of school.

Aw...Brynnie's voice is as little as her!

The caterpillar is doing his back stretch again!
Watching a caterpillar on the back porch

Referring to the paper mache dinosaur egg craft Kat did with the girls back in October
It was a MIRACLE!

Bye, Daddy! Have a good run! Don't fall on your short knees! Aren't they adorable?

To Brad and me, referring to some bags of chips that she absolutely wanted to partake of that had been left out on the table
Um, Mr. and Mrs., I see some chips that somebody did get cleaned up.

Nana (reading a book with Claire): Look what the bird has painted!
Claire: It's a masterpiece!

Poppy, you did splendid!

Tell me the "hi" name again.
Asking me to remind her what the Swahili word for "hi" is (Jambo).

I think it's cute when you say "Amiee" to Bo.

The Great Pyramid of Diesel = The Great Pyramid of Giza

I'm like a little mouse that's hungry.

I can remember it in my head but not in my mouth.
Trying to remember a word.

Would you fast forward it back?
Rewind

I love this girl with all my heart, y'all. May she never change.

Four Years on Topsail

We just spent our 4th Boswell Beach Vacation on Topsail Island. By the way, "Topsail" is pronounced "TOP-sull" by North Carolinians. (#wearelocalsguys) It's a great beach community; it's small and quaint, and the house we stay at is a perfect size and layout for our family's needs. It's a really great setup for us all the way around. AND, this year, we had very, very little rain.

Brad's sister couldn't join us this year, but Tim could! The girls had a BLAST! There was significant energy output for the first 4 days (I mean, they left it all on the field), but Lily hit a wall by Thursday. We had the hardest time enticing her out of the house, bless her little heart. We had to up our down time a smidge to accommodate little ones.

But we had gorgeous days on the beach, worked puzzles, watched movies, ate ice cream, and went on beautiful walks. Overall, a pretty stellar beach week.

When we're with our families, Brad and I usually create a shared Google photo album so that everyone can upload pictures for all of us to share, which means that we end up with a lot of really good pictures (that we may or may not have taken ourselves). Which, for you, means I upload a ton of pictures here. :) Enjoy!

Please note the baby gate at the end of the boardwalk. #LILY

Lily was serious about hauling this boogie board down the boardwalk.

And also about eating this cake.

Watching something (on the iPad) while waiting on everyone else to get ready for the beach!

It's really necessary for our fearless water girl to wear her puddle jumper at all times by the water because she WILL make a break for it. Yes, it is exhausting, thanks for asking.

The girls loved boogie boarding and body surfing and wave jumping.

Brynn is so happy and content when she's with her people.

This is our Beach Bouncer for Boswell Babies. I bought it for $10 off Craigslist when Lily was an infant, and it works out so well for us!

This picture CRACKS ME UP.

Claire loves to entertain Brynn, and Brynn adores Claire.

I cannot get normal faces out of Lily these days, guys.

Doesn't Brynn look like a redhead here?

The space at the foot of our boardwalk/steps was cordoned off for the first half of the week to protect sea turtle eggs! Partway through the week, the sea life protection folks for Topsail showed up and explained that the majority of the turtles had already hatched and made their way to the water, but that they (the protection people) had left it blocked off to ensure that all of the eggs had a chance. This particular evening, they came back to dig up whatever was left (which was primarily empty shells + a few eggs that just didn't hatch). We (and a lot of neighbors + passersby) watched, while Claire "narrated." And took a bow when she was done. Of course.

It should be noted that Brad had to actively restrain Lily from going headfirst over the railing in her attempt to see what was happening.

Such a nice evening for turtle-watching. 

Tim and his friend, Jenna, were SO much fun for the girls. 

A solution for getting Lily down to the beach when she was almost overly tired.

Playing soccer with Unc Tim at low tide.

#middlechildren

The wind was doing weird things to Tim's hair- that's not how he wears it.

Lily is always living the good life when we go get ice cream at the beach. Jenna was the enabler this year. Anyone remember Azad from last year?

Always living her best life. Flashback to itty bitty Lily.

Serious chats with Gran.

This might be the only picture of me from this trip...I really have to be better about getting pictures of me.

Building a "house for the crabs."

Out for another night of ice cream!

I had high hopes of getting pictures of the girls with Bill, Barbara, and Tim when we got back to Durham and were dressed nicely for church, but it just did not happen. Again, #LILY. At least Brynna cooperated.

Thank you, Bill and Barbara, for yet another fantastic family trip. We are so thankful for the opportunities to spend time together!