First Family Camp-out

A little celebration of our eldest's SEVENTH birthday, we had our first family camp out.  Always important to do a trial run in the backyard, right?  Perfect day, perfect weather and no better group than this crew right here, complete with glow stick swords and princess wands.  I love my family!

 

Happy Birthday, "Toothless"!  'Tis the season for losing teeth.

 

Baby frog and baby brother kept things interesting for quite some time.  (Of course it's real.  Would we expect any less from Abigail than finding and taking in a new pet on her birthday?)

 

Sorry Little Sis, but you will be camping in your own bed.  Maybe next year.  Goodnight and we will be right out your window if you need anything.  

Let the games begin...

Nate's first season of tball

Getting geared up for his first "at bat"

Determination.

#3 turns 3

Luke Andrew and the look that adorns his face almost always

A little blog write-up from Abigail on why we love this boy so much:

this is luke he likes to look like hes  brother and he wants to be were hes brother is and he likes to play sports he likes to cross swords with hes brother he likes to go fishing with hes papa he likes to play trucks and  super heros with hes brother hes sister and him like to play  and hes big sister and him both get excited when ever they go to snow zone and get one and get ice cream

nine.

Good Morning, My Love.  And Happy Anniversary to Us.  It has been 9 years today that we promised lots of things to each other.  Mainly to represent Christ and the Church well, through His grace of course.

So on the 9 year anniversary of marriage we will celebrate.  Today, I will get to have a sweet young mom in our home to talk about homeschooling her babies, you will preach at a funeral at 1, you will coach our oldest son in his first season of tee-ball at 6:30, we will lay all 4 kids on their pillows and kiss them goodnight, you will head up to the WAC to play your weekly game of basketball with some friends at 8 while I do a last minute clean-up for a ladies book club which I host at our house at 8:30.  So, celebrate? Yes.  We will celebrate by doing the very thing the Lord has called us to at this time in our lives in which we love so much and would not wish to be anywhere else in the world.  He is so good to us.

(And tomorrow lets go eat some gourmet Italian in the big city.)

I love you.

Got you!

Picking her up to come home - May 15, 2011

Look at her now! - May 15, 2012

It's hard to believe even still that it was one year ago TODAY that Tory picked up our Hannah from the transition home in Ethiopia. 

"The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with JOY!" Psalm 126:3

Sweet Hannah,

Hannah's first ice cream cone - May 2012

This past weekend was our first Mother's Day together.  I found myself watching you a lot.  You see, this coming Friday will mark our first year together.  It has been an adventure for us both for sure.  You and I have had our struggles, but I am thankful for them.  God has been gracious to grow me to be more like his Son through those struggles.  He has given me a beautiful, new baby girl to love and I'm pretty sure you have taught me more about myself than any of my children yet.  You're special.  :)

I also thought about your birth mother today.  I think about her often actually.  I wonder what she looked like. Did you get her feet?  Did she love to sing as much as you do?  What did she like to do?  What did she hope for you when she felt you move in her womb? 

But when I do think about her, I am thankful.  And thankful that your birth father loved you so much that he wanted for you what he could not give.  And your daddy and I get to give that to you.  Forever.  And we get to tell you about great stories of our own adoptions.  About the family we are a part of and pray for you and Abi, and Nate, and Luke too. 

So, at the end of the day today I made a list of the things I love about you.  Here's what I have come up with so far:

• I love how you run at me with random hugs through out the day, almost knocking me over
• I love how you immediately start dancing the moment you hear a beat
• I love how you sing tunes I never even knew you had heard
• I love that you so want to do EVERYTHING your brothers and sister are doing
• I love your hair
• I love it when you completely wrap your whole self around me in the morning all the way down the hall
• I love your laugh (we waited so long to hear it!)
• I am learning to love your LOUDness
• I love that you love people
• I even think your cry is cute sometimes
• And I love to hear your stories even when I can't make out a word your saying. They're perfect.

I love YOU, Baby!

Your Mama