Welcome another new addition!!!

Last night we went to the airport to welcome another new addition to our church family. Our friends Lauri and Bob went to China and now have a beautiful new daughter. She has chosen to go by the name Amy. She is 12, very tall and just gorgeous.  We will continue to pray for them on this wonderful journey.  While waiting last night, we were all talking that they are the last family in our church that was adopting.  We have had 5 families bring home children in the last year.  What a blessing that it has been to not only watch and be a part of that, but to also have such a wonderful and supportive church family!!

 We are so very blessed to have so many friends that love the Lord.  Thank you to each and everyone of you that has prayed and continue to pray for all of us that have gone this route to grow our families.  

Tomorrow we have our first post placement appointment for Liam. I am off to clean up my house:0)  I am excited about meeting our new social worker.  She seems very nice and is so pleasant to talk to.  I will be sure to let you all know how it goes!!!

Date Day!!

Saturday night, Gareth and I were offered tickets to the Redskins game on Sunday.  Couldn't say NO to that.  Thanks to mom, dad, and Peggy for watching the boys and to the Weikels for taking Alex.  We have not had such a great date in a long time. It was so nice to watch a game and not have to talk if we didn't want to. We didn't miss a play.    On top of that, they actually WON.  It was a good game.  We had beautiful weather.  I ended up getting sun burned. I am a little sore today.  Gareth has a nice tan. Just doesn't seem fair:0)  

Brag on Callum day!!!

Callum scored his FIRST GOAL soccer this morning.  This is huge considering that most games, he doesn't even care if he kicks the ball.  In the last 10 seconds of the game, he kicked it right as if he had been doing it for months and months.  Great day!!!

On top of that, the weather was beautiful this morning.  Alex scored today too, sore back and all.  I was out another Chick-fil-a milk shake again this morning for both of them, but it was worth it to watch.  FYI, the deal is, if they score a goal, they get treated to a milk shake.  I think that Alex has tried every one now. Little did I know when I told them this, that Alex would score every week:0)  I will have to get creative for next year.

Poor Alex!

Over the last week, Alex has been complaining that her back hurt.  Loving parents that we are, we told her that it was prob. just a pulled muscle and she would be fine.  As the week progressed, she continued to complain, wasn't sleeping and would even move to the floor in the night trying to get comfortable.  This morning, I took her to the doctor, still explaining on the way that she prob. just pulled a muscle.  Well, it turns out that she did, but she also has a sprained back.   We didn't even know that you could do that.  It turns out that her poor little lower back is all inflamed.  It will just take time, but now it all makes sense.  We will be doing heating pad rituals every night now for at least a week and she will be taking an anti-inflammatory, but she will be fine.   Life lesson, You learn something new every day:0)

It has been a while!!

Where does the time go?  It has been over a week since I posted.  The time really does fly.

Last week, we were so blessed to welcome our friends Demarie and David home from Ethiopia.  They took their daughter and went to get their new son Josiah.  He is just beautiful and we couldn't be happier for them.

Alex is having a great time in school. She is loving it and doing great so far! She has started her piano lessons again, and loving it.  Her and Callum are both continuing to do soccer.  

Each week, Alex and I have an agreement that if she scores a goal, I will get her a milk shake.  So far, I have had to pay out every week. She is doing great!!  Callum enjoys soccer, but he pretty much just runs the field at this point.  Too cute. He has now finished his second week. He is doing great as well. He has gotten on the green everyday, and we have been told that he is just the star of the class.

Today marks 2 months since we met Liam for the first time.  He has gained a pound and a half, he is already sleeping through the night now in his own room and he is talking up a storm.  He has learned the famous, "no", as well as Hi, hey, bye bye, mommy, daddy, baby, uh oh, and he knows how to blow kisses.  We never in a million years thought that he would be doing this well.  What a joy it is to see him adjusting so well.  The other morning after Alex had gotten off to school, I was cleaning up the kitchen. I realized that it had gotten awfully quiet.  Not good when you have a 4 year old and 1 year old in the house.  I peeked in to Callum's room, and there on the floor, the boys were playing  building a tower together. It is moments like this that I just praise God for bringing our children in to our home. We spent years praying to see that sight and to have it in reality was such a blessing.   It lasted a good 10 minutes before I had to play referee:0)

Football Season has Started!!!

Although our team isn't doing so well, we still have to support them.   We hung out with my parents and watched the first half of the game. tonight   I had to record the convention so I could watch it later.  We are not huge TV people, and it is not very often are there 2 things on the TV that I want to watch at the same time.  I was torn, but it is always better to watch sports live, so I will be watching the speeches in to the night tonight:0)  Callum is really starting to get in to football a little. He chatted all the way home tonight about the game.  Guess we will have to see what the future holds for him in that direction.  Will he break daddy's heart and switch from soccer to American football??

Our friends are in Ethiopia this week getting their son. They have had a great week so far and we just Praise God for that!!!  They return Monday morning, so I just asked for your continued prayers for the rest of their trip and safe travel.  

Open House!

Alexandria had her open house at school tonight.  She was so excited that she was just about bouncing off the walls.  Her teacher is wonderful and we were able to say a quick "hi" to her Kindergarten and first grade teachers.  We are so very blessed that she loves school so much and that we have had such a wonderful school staff that support that!  

Callum has his second day today.  He did great. I did find out that he fell asleep on the bus yesterday.  Of course, psycho mom that I am  then had horrible thoughts going through my head of him being left on the bus.  I was assured that the bus gets checked after all the students get off to be on the safe side.   He got on the green for a second day in a row, (behavior chart) which is just great!!  He still isn't able to tell us a whole lot about what is going on, but I am sure as the year goes by, and he starts talking more, it will all start pouring out.

Liam and I have just hung out the past two afternoons. Yesterday he had to get shots, so it was a bit of a lazy day although he didn't nap at all.  Today, he did nap for a little while, but I don't think that he will ever be one to nap for hours at a time.  He has already started saying please, (with a cute little lisp, due to his teeth missing)  and today he said baby and puppy.  He repeated right after me when I said them. I am still in shock and hope that it wasn't just a fluke. I may keep him up until Gareth gets home and try to get him to do it again:0)  

I am so thrilled at how well he is doing.  He has already gained over a pound since he has been home and even after losing 4 teeth, is eating us out of house and home. We have to cut him off.  

Callum's First day of school!!!

Today was Callum's first day of Pre-K in the public school system.  He is going to the same school as Alex, but he gets there on a bus. This was new for us. Usually I either walk Alex, or drive her. I had never had to put one of my babies on a bus before.  We made the decision, with his teachers that this might be the best route for him.  He is having a few jealousy issues with Liam and our fear was him, not wanting to go in to the school once he realized that Liam and I would have the whole afternoon together without him.  Anyway, he was so excited about getting on the bus that He did GREAT!!! He waved to his bus driver, never really looked back and off he went. We called to him and attempted to get a picture, but he was already getting seated.  My mom and I followed the bus and although we stayed hidden, we watched him get off the bus and get in to the school.  He told us tonight that he had a great day.  He already had speech today, (which he will have 2 times a week at school) and made a few friends. Unfortunately, he couldn't tell us their names.  All in all, it was a good day.  I am so thankful the God has placed such a great school with loving teachers and staff in our lives. We truly are blessed!!!! We can not wait to see how much Callum accomplishes this year.  He lights up a room just by smiling!  Everyone seems to know who he is and everyone just loves him.  To think that this time last year, he only had the vocabulary of about 5 words just blows us away.  He has already accomplished so much in his short life and we can not wait to see what God has in store for him as he continues to grow!!! 

Life with 3!

Gareth is out doing yard work, and I have decided to rename myself, referee:0)  It has set in that we have 3 children, ages 1, 4 and 7.  They are typical siblings.  They are the best of friends, but today is the day that they have been at each other since they woke up.  Alex mother's Liam, and Callum does not understand how rough he is being with Liam.  Liam has now developed the worst screech when something isn't going his way, so if you are not in the room with them, it sounds as if he is being tortured, when in fact, Callum is barely touching him.    I know it seems weird but although it has been a hard day, I would not trade it for the world.  I think of this time last year, when we weren't sure if we would ever be a family of 5. I remember praying and having conversations with God about the obstacles that we were coming up against. I remember the hurt and anger when every step took  3-4 times the length they "should have".  I remember Liam's birthday and the numbness I felt that he wasn't home.  Although I am all but playing referee today, I would not trade it for the world, and I thank God for the screaming going on in the room next door!!!!