The 16th was our 3 year anniversary of having B and J home from Ethiopia!!!

THREE YEARS!!! Holy moly, it is hard to believe they have been here that long, longer then they lived in Ethiopia.

It is hard to believe that three years ago, we stepped off a plane and our kids were 3,3,2,1,1. What the heck were we thinking?!!??!?! :)

And here we are- older, wiser, more patient (at least I hope so!), much better at herding 5 kids around. Still not used to everyone and their mom asking if we are a daycare, but oh well!

B and J- I would have never imagined that you would be as wonderful, full of life, sweet, hilarious and all the things that you are. I cannot imagine life w/o your sweet faces, your reminder of a people who live a completely different life then I do. You have taught us courage, bravery, unconditional love and given us a worldview we would have otherwise not had. I cannot wait to see where God will take you!

B-When we met you, you could barely walk a dozen steps w/o falling. You knew ONE word. I figured we would spend our lives making sure people didn't run over you. Boy, you have suprised us. Besides growing a ridiculus amount of inches and eating more bread and banana's then we knew was possible, you know are full of life. You are SO funny and can get all of us cracking up. You have the sweetest heart, caring about others and making them smile. You now fight for what you know is right and true and I do not one bit worry about you being walked all over!

J-You were not the easiest kid at first. I will not lie. You were cute but a pistol. And I have been amazed to see you become a more passionate and loving person. You have learned self-control. You are not always concerned about the things of 'you' anymore. You are always thinking about others and wanting to serve and love them. You are one of the smartest children I have ever met in my entire life and you can win over a room of people within minutes. That is a true gift and I feel lucky that I get to be your mom. (Please remind me this on the days you are driving me loopy!)

T,H, and A- you have welcomed B and J into our family without a second thought. Amazing. You have never asked when they are going back, never second guessed and STILL ask almost every day when we can adopt again. I am amazed at the love and grace you have shown, even as young young children. We have a lot to learn from you.

Below was our first family picture taken at the airport. We had been up over 30 hours.

So J has been on the exercise kick.

He has been choosing to exercise rather then watch television. He does things such as running, push ups, sit ups, jumping jacks, yoga....it is quite entertaining. I am trying to be encouraging and trying to not laugh as well!! He SO wants bug muscles, so he will do 10 jumping jacks and then look at his arms and say to himself "no boulders yet". HA!

On a whim, we went up to the beach yesterday with our old neighbors.

I forget how much fun it is and how close! I am not sure why we don't take advantage and head up there more often. The kids had a blast and it was a BEAUTIFUL fun day!

YUM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! New favorite cookies, recipe HERE!

I have been waiting for this week. Our local co-op starts!! I think I have talked about this before? We wanted to be part of a local co-op, but with our kids the ages they are at, we felt it would be hard to work at a farm. AND I was not excited about the idea of getting a TON of one thing. SO the perfect thing came along. A local company called To Your Door Produce started. For a fee very similar to a co-op, we get a basket of food delivered to our door (is there anything better mom's of little kids!???!) AND you go through a list and say what you like and don't like. Meaning, no brussel sprouts or crazy amounts of greens. YYAAHHOOO!!! So look and drool...it is all fresh, locally grown and delicious!!!!! And yes, I could now easily pick out my Kohlrabi. :)

Three new recipes that we LOVE! I posted them to a food blog I am part of. DELICIOUS!!!!! All of them!!!!!

Chicken Gnocchi Stew
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
Asian Noodle Salad

Sometimes I forget I don't live in suburbia anymore.

Besides the dream I had about people selling drugs in my parents backyard (don't ask), I was reminded the other evening.

We were coming home from a friends house, it was 9pm, and I suddenly remembered we had NO MILK. We had had more milk for a day or two. I need to stop and get some, K wasn't answering his phone and I DID NOT want to go out again. SO, I was driving on the main road south of us (main road north of us is suburbia). So I come across a gas station, last thing before our street. I figure it is this or nothing, so I turn in, jump out of the car and run in. Grab 2 gallons and take it up to the front. To realize it was one of those gas windows in front of the register, I had to slide my card under. I felt like I was visiting jail!!! So I give him my credit card and get back in the car. Look at my receipt. NINE DOLLARS. N I N E D O L L A R S for 2 gallons of 2% milk. 4.50 a piece. HA!!!! On the receipt, there wasn't even 'two milks', it just said "non-tax item, one". yeah totally got ripped off. Or that actually sell milk at that crazy inflated price (it is $1.99 at the grocery!).

Anyways, we got a good laugh out of it and have joked at how yummy our expensive milk is. :)

The kids last day of swimming lessons is today! It went from me threatening A to get her there to her asking if I can 'pay more money so they can go again'. :) Yeah for success!!
She was hilarious this past weekend. They had made her jump in the deep end and she was not too keen on that, so she was trying to find a way out.
She said "Mom, how about I give you all my money and then I don't have to go to swimming anymore?" HA!

We have been able to be as a family 3 nights in a row this week....this is smashing any previous record we have held!
We went to family swim at the Y on Monday, blueberry picking and friends on Tuesday and met some old friends for dinner last night. And we will go to the fair tonight!!!! It is SO nice with our busy schedules just to be a family.

The next few weeks are quite busy-both families will be in, some of our best friends from Chicago are coming (with there 5 kids!!!! I LOVE a full house!!!!), trip to OH for family reunion and before we know it, school will be in session!!!

People have been asking where the kids will end up. We still don't know-we are on waiting lists at the school down the street and they seem to think our kids will get in fairly quickly. I have really been at peace about this-the kids and I were even discussing it there other day. How God has moved in SO many ways, that if we start second guessing now, we would just be silly!! So we continue to wait patiently and just are enjoying our SUMMER!!!!!!!

I know people hate Mondays, but I actually like them.
I like the new start of a week and today was just beautiful out as well.
Kids had more swimming lessons, 4 loads of laundry, made dinner for a neighbor who had a baby and went to swim as a family at the Y.

We had a great 4th of July. Friends parents had us over-good food, horse riding, gun shooting and the BIGGEST slip and slide. Biggest ever. I am not kidding!! Too bad it barely hit 70!!!



I just have a feeling this summer is going to continue to fly by.

I am almost done reading Outcasts United, a book I picked up last week. It is about a soccer team in Atlanta and how a town went from being a normal american town to one of the most diverse cities in America, mostly because of refugee families. It has been very interesting to read and eye opening. I cannot imagine what some of these people have lived and even how they now live, here in America. I feel spoiled rotten because of the life I have lived. It is a good, quick read and helps you really visualize what life is like for a refugee family.

I think my next read might be Born to Run? Anyone read this? Looks very interesting.....

How the heck is it July!!??!??!

-We started swimming lessons this week. All 5 kids. At the same time. YEAH!! I am really proud of all of them-they are doing SO well. Even A, who HATES water is asking every day if it is time to go! I like that they are every day for two weeks. It is easier for me to remember. :)

-We went to the Silverhawk's game last night. Fun was had by all. T and H are finally old enough to follow the game. I could not BELIEVE how much a hot dog costs at the ballpark. I know everyone needs to make money, but COME ONE! $19.50 for SEVEN hotdogs!???! I just about CRIED!!!!!!

-Here was J's prayer the other night 'Dear God, thank you so much for this day. Thanks that I have two moms and three dads.....'. Please let me clarify- me and his ethiopian mom and then K, ethiopian dad and GOD the father. HA!!!!!!!!!! He just went right on praying like that is something someone prays every day!

-We had some good friends over on Monday and I made this YUMMY new recipe. It is super delcious and I am wanting to make it again. Anyone want to come over for dinner? :)

-I started reading the book "A Whole in the Gospel" this week after my friends Amy recommended it. I am enjoying it and will write more about it later.

-I should read back through this blog and see how many things I said I would write about later and see if I did.

-My brake lights were stuck on and my hubby fixed it!! He rocks. I am one lucky woman.

-It only got to like 65 degrees here yesterday. At the baseball game, I kept thinking it was fall. I was LOVING it!!!!

Happy Wednesday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!