We are thrilled to share the news...we hope and pray to be bringing home a new baby sister from Ethiopia by this time next year! It has been an amazing journey...we will share more soon!
Brian got voted on for "tenure"...hoorah! Too funny, to try to try to explain this to the kids...we did a surprise dinner to Bravo! for him (thanks to a gift card :) "Tenure" sounds too much like "ten year" to get too far in the conversation with the kids & Zach's response as he was bewildered why we were celebrating..."don't you think Dad has worked long enough?"
The other 2 kids get to celebrate their "coming home days"...and BJ does too...we were so happy to have him home after almost 3 months in the NICU...his pick...Panera!!!
Uncle Jay sent BJ his 1st circuit board...he LOVED it & it came pretty easy to him...extra fun to have Grandpa here to help figure it all out! :)
Zach & I got to ride the bus with our church choir to visit my sister's church. Fun to see my sisters & their families, parents, aunt & lots of familiar faces from my college years. It was a quick trip...but we did get in a trip Custard Cup...thankfully that never changes :)
Zach with his buddies on the bus!
BJ's teacher coordinated their Friendship Feast...the full Thanksgiving meal celebrating with his class...it is a special time!
We had friends over & a few International Students for a full Thanksgiving dinner here (bought a few things pre-made) The one International student was saying how much she loves to see kids "dressed up"...we have enough costumes around here to fulfill her wish!
And BJ & Brian won 3rd place in the Annual Turkey Shoot...BJ won 3 Turkey Drumsticks...perfect addition to the meal for the Internationals!
Today our PRECIOUS girl turns "3"! We were so happy to get to celebrate with grandparents this weekend with a Pinkalicious Party...just like her...everything has to be PINK!
Its that time of year, thankfully the extended family pics went well...then we tried for own immediate family & then well, the kids by themselves...
Someone had just "had it"
Our family trip to the orchard...the Mutsu apples were amazing this year (as always)
Playing on the hay bale maze
Grandma coming & getting to see Zach's new school
Zach's friend who was also adopted from Guatemala, so cute!
We met Brian's friend & his wife at a Korean BBQ for dinner (it was sooooo good)...plan did backfire to bring our kids really hungry to the dinner, took a long time to cook our food at our table...every trick was out of the bag to entertain them while we waited.
BJ's walk-a-thon...beautiful day!
My sister's family came to visit, we packed in a lot of fun...feeding the ducks
We borrowed the neighbors bikes to get to the Cider Mill...11 of us...was a small parade!
We had a great time & the best news is Ellyana has been playing with dolls, packing up backpacks & "serving" her play food ever since they left. She needed sometime with girls! The kids all had so much fun together!
The tree above our garage, it was a blaze of color the day before we took this picture! It has been a gorgeous fall around here!
Getting to go to Grandma & Grandpas for a fun weekend with the cousins & aunts & uncles & the baby kittys.
And guess who is almost...3...the birthday countdown has begun!!!
The 3rd graders in our town got to participate in our town's Old-Fashion type Festival. They had a lot of neat activities for the 3rd graders during the day & BJ & I walked in the parade in the evening. It was an amazing "step-back" in time. I had figured if BJ dressed up, the other 2 would want to also...these kids love any chance to be in costume :)
The boys both got to go by themselves with Mom for ice-cream as school started...I didn't have my camera for Zach & I's date...but it was delicious.
And here we are at BJ's Classroom Open House...he looks quite comfortable...he gets his same teacher as last year...so we are so very thankful for that! Zach's year is going so well too...only the little Sister is having the roughest time adjusting...where did all the action go? and the comic relief!?!! She'll get the hang of it...but she is VERY happy to see the boys each time at "pick-up"...where are "my boys" she keeps asking!
So its the time of the year I dread most...I'm going to miss the boys so much! We have had the best summer together (I think I say that every year :)
Zach spent a lot of time playing with the toads & frogs
And this picture captures the "itch"... 54 mosquitos bites for Zach, 34 for BJ...sounds like they bite right through layers of OFF!
Ellyana's 1st trip to the dentist, she was a "champ"...we knew what we were going to hear...she needs to stop taking her bottle...bummer, this girl LOVES her ba-ba...we are down to 2 a day...you should be impressed!
The kids & I have gotten through several books this summer...we are loving our 1st read of Stuart Little!
Helped out with a Christian picnic reaching out to Internationals...lots of International students just getting here to the States...always amazed at the opportunity & openess of these people who will go back to be the leaders in their countries...what a mission field the Lord brings to us!
Yes, the sign reads ages 4-8, they said it was fine for Ellyana to go on the Kiddie Karts even though she isn't even 3...she was such a good driver (minus the "50" near-misses, at first I was cringing...then I realized she kept managing to avoid diaster...it was the hardest we've laughed in a long time!)
She was the lighest weight one on the track...so her car FLEW!
Mini-golf...always a family fav
The end of our day at the Zoo...at some point I'll realize their legs cant' carry them that far...and I'll bring the double stroller
Our picnic & feeding the peacock
And a special treat of seeing the 3D 4D Dora movie, it was really cool!
And here's Zach with his new teacher at his Kindergarten Round-up...he's excited...he said he already made 2 or 10 friends on his 1/2 day of school...Zach has the gift of "friendship" and it is neat to see him in a place for him to be loved & learn & grow another year!
