Smiling Faces, Funny Faces and a Broken Camera

The summer is flying by and tomorrow, Libby and I are flying to Charleston, SC to see my family. I haven't been in Charleston since Thanksgiving so this is a much needed trip to love on family. Billy has already left for the San Juan where he is "ministering" to the rainbow trout. HA!

Libby has enjoyed the camera this summer. She likes taking turns making funny faces and sharing the camera. One evening, after a long day of traveling, we were sitting in the airport desperate to find something for Libby to do. CAMERA TIME! I began taking pictures of her making funny faces and then she wanted me to make funny faces while she took the pictures. She started mimicking my funny faces and before we knew it, everyone sitting around us was in laughter watching this cute 2 year old make silly faces and then take a really nice Canon camera in hand to take pictures of mommy's funny face. It was fun... here's the proof:


funny face #1

funny face #2


now, it's mommy's turn


Libby mimics mommy's fake smile.


Mommy makes the most famous and most uncreative funny face - stick out the tongue!


Libby tries the same... only her tongue sticking out is much cuter.


oh, hold on! Mom's getting really creative now.


Libby, confused by the amazing creativity previously executed, forgets to use her hands in the photo and simply opens wide.


Hopelessly unable to think on the spot... mom tries the hand thing again... only weirder...

Libby is now brainwashed and completely crazy just like her mom.

Suddenly realizing the eyes darting our way, we decide to embrace normalcy and smile for daddy to take a pic.

This summer we had a few special people on the road with our band. First, let me introduce Kennedy. Her daddy is our drummer and she joined us on our 2nd. week of camp. Libby was, of course, elated to have a friend for the journey.


Second, let me introduce MarySommer. She is our electric player's new wife and she was our nanny during camps. Libby ADORES her! And so do we. She was an AWESOME help! She played with Libby all day every day. Thank you MarySommer!






Libby took this picture of MarySommer and I. It was the last picture of the summer because Libby then proceeded to drop the camera on it's lens and now it's broken...sigh. Billy's comment to me when I tried to explain how Libby broke the camera was, "well, technically, YOU broke the camera because you let a toddler hold it." Okay, I'll take that.

Here's couple of other cute photos taken before the camera mishap... enjoy!

Daddy and Libby on the morning of the 4th of July!


Dakota, Maliah and Libby (on July 4th) came out of Mrs. Gill's bedroom wearing all of her slippers and flip flops. So cute!


One afternoon, in our new home, I realized Libby was awfully quiet. I searched the house and this is how I found her - on the potty, "reading" a book - "just like daddy" she said. HAHA!


Me and my girl!


Lastly, I recently received an email including the following information about Xuwen - the town in China that Libby is from. I found the information comforting in some way. It is just good to know what her biological parents might be doing and what surrounds them.

"He said it is a seaport with alot of fish & plant farms. If they aren't
fisherman they are farmers. The main fruits are Watermellon, pineapple
and Banannas. The only problem with Banannas it is the same season as
Typhoon season. If they are hit with a typhoon then it ruins their
bananna crops. They also have a big leechee farm and they also grow
sugar cane. They grow all kinds of vegtables and garlic. There is
alot of water buffalo that roams around and when the kids come home
from school they help take care of the livestock (waterbuffalo,
chickens, ducks, etc.). It is a pretty poor area, no industry."