One year at home

Can you believe Andrew and Peter have been home with us for ONE ENTIRE YEAR?

We are in disbelief.

We celebrated formally tonight but everyday is truly a celebration as we all continue to learn, change, grow and love in this happy chaotic family.

We love you Andrew and Peter.

Growing Gannon

Gannon is growing and changing. My word... I can't get over it.

He has two "wiggly" teeth.

He is starting to read.

He weighs 50 pounds.

He loves helping in the house.

And one of the newest developments is that

Gannon chose his new hairstyle and he styles it diligently

with his very own bottle

of extra hold wet look hair gel.

And it looks great!

No matter how he grows and gains new skills

he remains our sweet, cute, thoughtful and funny boy.

What Joy!

Prayer of St. Francis

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace;

where there is hatred, let me sow love;

where there is injury, pardon;

where there is doubt, faith;

where there is despair, hope;

where there is darkness, light;

and where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master,

grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;

to be understood, as to understand;

to be loved, as to love;

for it is in giving that we receive,

it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.

Amen.

Andrew loves his bath

Before we had children I dreamed of how sweet bath time would be with one child or many.

Bath time is now a time of survival.

My goal is to avoid a flooded bathroom floor, crumbling dowstairs ceiling, soap in someone's eyes, yelling, falling in and if I am really really lucky I can get out without having to change my clothes. If I plan well and stagger baths and evening duties it isn't that bad but many nights because we are lingering in the playroom with books or enjoying the last bit of sunshine I wait until the last possible minute to "do baths." And then RJ and I bump fists stare into each other's eyes and say "Let's Do It." And we say it in a Bronx sort of accent just for fun.

Tonight, RJ took Gannon out for some special bike riding time so I had the younger three in the tub. We had plenty of time so I poured in a healthy (or not so healthy) amount of Dora the Explorer strawberry bubbles and said have fun. I was tired so I was opting for the friction method of getting clean tonight (three kids with lots of bubbles. some toys, a few bath poufs and a floating wash cloth equals clean kids without me having to enter the fray.) I sat back with my camera and had so much fun taking pictures of the kids and Andrew lit up my camera. Enjoy!

Back to School

We are blessed with patient, kind, creative and Jesus loving teachers this year. Both Gannon and Ruth are so excited to go to school each day. Andrew would love to go as well but the little boys are home with me. Peter continually keeps his eye on the door during drop off and pick up. It is a logistical challenge during drop off and pick up so I have resorted to carrying Peter on my back in my Ergo Carrier and Andrew loves to be a "teeny tiny baby" in the sling. We are quite the sight moving down the hall like an amoeba. I hope to post a picture of me carrying 2 33 month old boys soon.

Another very exciting side note is that 2 other children in Gannon's class were adopted internationally. 3 out of 12 is amazing I think. I am thankful that they share this commonality.

Here are a few pictures.

Comfortable Christians

I have been following the Reed family from their life in Liberia to their new venture in Ghana. We often laugh and feel touched to our core after reading the blog. Please take the time to read Reeds in the Wind today. I feel like I am very aware of the needs of the world but after spending two consecutive evenings browsing online for a house with a better floor plan I am again convicted that "I think He said what He meant."

Read here: Reeds in the Wind

For this child we prayed