May Comes To A Close...

Seriously...I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. :) Getting caught up on the blog has been a trip down memory lane - and yet it makes me a little sad to see how fast our summer went by. It's a bit of a reminder how quickly our lives can get away from us.

This last post from May is a personal favorite of mine. It's kind of one of our more "typical" days. We hang out a lot - just our family... and lots of times with our friends. We seem to find so much fun in the simple things in life. The kdis are such a blast - and it's great to watch them enjoy simple things. Even when it's "work" disguised as fun.

This particular day we are washing the Cessna after it came back from some minor repairs and being serviced. The kids had a blast - and were completely involved in all aspects of the "helping".

Rachel's Recital

For Rachel's birthday last year - we gave her dance lessons. She has wanted to be a ballerina for a very long time. She LOVES her dance classes. She loves them so much that instead of walking through our house - she will instead

Chasse' her way from room to room - with a periodic Grand Jete'. As she is sitting in the house reading - she will have her legs split - reading up against the wall to strectch and work on her splits. (ouch) And getting dressed takes about 4 times as long as everyone else each morning, as we have to plie' and releve' about 50 times. My personal favorite - is watching her make her bed, whilst doing her balance' back and forth. Like I said... each task takes about 4 times as long.

Finally it rolled around to RECITAL TIME. Anyone that knows much about me - I am not a girlie girl. My favorite cothes are a pair of jeans... ask anyone that grew up with me. Dressing up was for church - and that was about it. Rachel is my girlie girl - and I was WAY out of my league with the whole recital thing. :) But...we managed.

You have no idea how much goes into each of these routines... as well as the performance. I was in awe of the shows that I have seen in the past... but WOW to be behind the scenes and to see what is involved....I have so much respect for all the dancers, teachers and the people that put all the work into the show.

Her dance routine was absolutely adorable - her class were all dressed up as brides and the song was "Get Me To The Church On Time." It was so sweet. She worked really hard - and they did a really good job.

The dance school does and excellent job with the girls - and it was a wonderful show. She had a blast... and we were all very proud of her!! She had quite the following...and it tickled her to death that so many people turned out to support her. (WHO had my camera and took pictures afterwards...? They cut Uncle Chuck out of the photo... and Rachel ADORES her Uncle Chuck!! oops.)

I think the entire show was fabulous - and while I would like to think that the performance that Rachel gave was the talk of the town... I think there were a few "sinlge ladies" that really stole the show. The last picture is for them - a little blurry ... but you get the idea. ;)

Some People That We Love...

I am often in awe of God and the way he works things out in our lives. I have found so many times that there are things that I find so coincidental at the time... and later I realize that God was working things out for my good all along. It's amazing.

Like friends - for example...

I have been blessed with a few friends in my life that I have had for a very long time. Tim has also been blessed with a few wonderful lifelong friends. My longest (I prefer not to use the term "oldest"... ha ha) and dearest friend and I met when I was 10 years old. Oddly enough, Tim's oldest and dearest friend (see... I don't care so much when talking about the guys... they age so well) also met when they were about 10.

Along the way - I'm sure that we all "planned" our lives out with what we felt was a suitable and very comfortable plan for how things should go.

Life is funny that way. Things just don't work out the way "we" want them to go... but they always work out according to God's good and perfect plan for our life.

Tim and I have traveled the road of adoption - and while initially we began this journey because we wanted to have a family... it has truly become a calling for us and a passion.

My best friend Cynthia has also traveled this same path, as her family was also formed through adoption - and has two beautiful girls that were born in China. It's something that I have not only been able to share with her on her journey, but I have honestly been able to relate to her about things that sometimes other people cannot inderstand. She has two fo the most precious girls... and Keegan and Romy are two of our very best friends!

A few years ago, Tim's best friend Allen and his wife decided that they also were going to adopt - and we were able to share in that amazing journey of watching Isabella come home. She has three older brothers that adore her - and she is such a sweet little girl!

In May (keep in mind how far behind I am...) Allen and the kids came over on a Sunday afternoon and ate with us, and we gave Isabella and Alex their first horseback rides! They had so much fun! Isabella got on Tony and immediately said "Yee Haw Horsie!!" It was precious! These are just a few pictures from the day.

Mother's Day 2009

I cannot believe that I have no photo to post of me and my kids on Mother's Day... but sadly I was so busy taking the pictures that I never got IN ONE. I also never took one of just the four kids alone. What was I thinking?? Oh, well.

I also failed to get a decent shot of the kids with DeeDee.... and again - WHAT WAS I THINKING??

We spent the day with DeeDee (Tim's mom) up in Stamping Ground - and it was a blast! I had seen some cans of Silly String when I was at Wal-Mart and I thought to myself... hmmmmm .... that could be fun. It really was.

The kids love their cousin Andrew... and he was at DeeDee's too, along with Amanda, Aunt Melanie, Unlce Greg, Aunt Beth and Uncle Shearle. They had a blast running and chasing each other - and squirting entire cans of Silly String all over the yard. Even cleanup ended up being a game - and I somehow lost the photo I took of the GIANT SIZED BALL of string that they amde once they picked up all the Silly String from the yard.

I also managed to get a few good shots of the Grandkids for DeeDee by her Koi Pond. They are a silly bunch that really loves to get together and laugh and laugh and laugh..... well.... you get the idea. (See how Rachel had to be moved to the "other end" of the line??)