spring breakity-break

fun weekend in beaumont with our dear friends.
including our first (and likely last) trip to chuck e cheese. :)


eden's swollen eye (which i was positive came from the germs at chuck e cheese until i took her to the dr and he said it was just a mosquito or spider bite)

afternoon at hermann park and zoo and riding paddleboats (apparently we were not the only ones who stayed in houston b/c that place was cuh-razy busy)

backyard art

family time at the rodeo

what you eat at the rodeo

what you ride at the rodeo

what you do when you can't afford a beach trip (by the way, what is normally a 10 minute trip to walmart became a much longer ordeal complete with super helpful sales person [sarcasm], bungee cords, security guards, and a 40 minute ride home on back roads going 10mph with me holding on to the pool out the sunroof)

this says 'beach'. saving for next year...

catching up....big time.

y'all. sometimes life goes just a little too fast. here's what we've been up to the last month. you might want to read all the way to the bottom...

dan spent a quality weekend with the kids while i went to an adoption conference at beautiful lake lanier outside of atlanta, georgia.

dan's parents came to visit in early february and we had a fabulous time!

eden was able to take her daddy and her grandpa to the daddy daughter dance at church. she doesn't look excited at all, right....

carter elias (aka spiderman) turned three.

we celebrated valentine's.

e kept busy with school and dance class.

we had lots of quality time with family and friends.

and oh yes, i'm pregnant.

listening skills

the other night dan was reading to the kids before bed. while eden sat and listened to the story, carter rolled around doing somersaults and interrupting and the like. eden said, 'carter, you need to listen to the story! daddy is going to stop reading if you don't sit and listen!'

and carter said, 'eden, daddy already knows i don't listen to stories.'

hmph.

carter tells a joke

carter and eden are really into jokes lately.

carter has a few versions of the old classic.

carter: why did the chicken cross the road?

me: why?

carter (shouting very loudly): i don't know!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

carter: why did the chicken cross the road?

me: why?

carter (shouting again): to go to the hospital!!!!!!!!!!!!!

carter: why did the chicken cross the road?

me: why?

carter (slightly softer, but no much): to see chapman!!!!!!

no boys allowed (and other rules)

these three girls have some serious fun when they are together. but they do NOT like to be bothered by the 'little kids'. hence, a few door signs that carter the two year old and dylan the one year old can not read, and therefore do not listen to.

today

today has been a bit of a somber monday. we learned some sad news about our adoption.

but i have hope.

as i watch my children playing in the yard i know that God knows exactly what His plan is for our family. God loves every single one of His children, whether they are playing in a backyard in Houston, or playing on a dirt pile behind an orphanage in Africa. He loves them when they are joyful and when they are despairing; every moment of time. He knows who belongs where and when. so i will trust Him.

thankful in houston

just finished up a wonderful thanksgiving holiday. several of dan's family made the trip (they drove from grand junction, colorado and orange city, iowa-we are talking LONG roadtrips y'all!) to celebrate with us here in houston this year and it was great! we packed a lot into a short few days: children's museum, downtown parade, museum of natural science, and of course a mini tour of houston, droog style. we sampled shipley donuts, kolaches, and lupe tortillla. oh, and let's not forget the actual thanksgiving meal! let's just say we ate well this past week. but the best part was the time spent together. the kids played nonstop, and of course droog's can't get together with out some 'penny penny hands up'. all in all, a fabulous time!

Fact or Fiction -- If its fiction, they need to use their imagination!

On the way to school in the morning E and I usually:

1. Do math, she will use my iphone to check our calculations of complex formulas like: "if you have 3 apples and you take 2 away, how many do you have, daddy?" (She likes math); or

2. She reads the letters from a sign or car or truck and will ask what that spells? (I am not good at this so she knows to play with mom and not dad); or lately

3. She wants to ask me if something is a fact or fiction. Here she suggests we listen to the talking man on the radio (which is NPR Morning Edition). The other day the show was recapping the Republican debate in which Rick Perry forgot the department of the federal government he proposed cutting and said "Opps."

This is how our conversation played out:
E: Is this fact or fiction?
Me: Well, that is a good question.
E: How come you tell me something is a good question and then don't answer?
Me: Because it is not easy to know how to answer all your questions.
E: Well, you said something was either a fact or fiction. (Note: we play opposites as well)
Me: Yes but it is not always easy to tell if someone is truthfully stating a fact or making something up, which could be fiction or could be just not telling the truth.
E: If this is fiction, they need to use their imagination!
Me: Now that is a fact!

trying for fall

the weather has cooled in houston this week and we are oh so thankful.

so thankful in fact, that the kids dug out hats and mittens and begged for hot chocolate by the fire. if you know me, you know i have no problem with this, even at 60 degrees.

friday... and every day!

this morning we learned that we have been approved and placed on the waitlist with our baby home in Uganda. although much is still unknown, we can abide in God's love and trust in His faithfulness everyday!

this is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it

psalm 118:24