As for me, I know of nothing else but miracles. - Walt Whitman

Saturday, November 28, 2015

He's Here!!!

Introducing Quintin Bennett, our new little miracle! 

He was born on Wednesday, November 25 at 6:41 pm. He weighed 8 pounds and 11 ounces and was 21 3/4 inches long. We are in love, and thank God for His blessings this Thanksgiving.












That's all for now, but be prepared for picture overload at a later date. We're all smitten!!

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Bits and Pieces of Our Busy Lives...

The kids recently had a Halloween parade at school. The twins were pirates (don't they look menacing?), Malia was a clown, and Ashton was an old man. Somehow I forgot to take a picture of Ashton, but he looked adorable with his gray wig, hat, glasses, plaid shirt, suspenders, and cane. 


Malia has been keeping me supplied with love notes and artwork...


...and Ashton has been completing some as well.


 Adrian had his football awards ceremony, and the coach talked highly of him. He has now started playing on the 7th grade basketball team, and the twins play basketball on Saturday mornings. The coaches desperately wanted Malia on the 4th grade traveling basketball team this year, but she turned them down so she could spend more time with the baby. :)





Jalen still puts stickers on his face just like he did when he lived at Hannah's Hope.

 I was thrilled to find these bandages for little brown boys online. I get frustrated when all you can buy in the stores are "flesh-colored" bandaids that are only meant for peachy-skinned people. 


Malia got in some quality time holding baby cousin Carly:


Ashton and Malia participated in a Veteran's Day program at one of our local nursing homes.

As of yesterday, the twins have been home for 4 years! Oh my...how our lives have changed. Praise God!

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

The Angels Are Rejoicing!

"...there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth." Luke 15:10

"...all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23

If we "confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9

God "commandeth all men everywhere to repent..." Acts 17:30

He is a "rewarder of them that diligently seek him." Hebrews 11:6

I wanted to share that Ashton has decided to surrender his life to Christ and begin a lifetime journey of following Him! We are thankful and humbled that our third-born has accepted the wonderful gift of salvation, and wish him God's nearness and blessings always.

Friday, November 6, 2015

Nursery Reveal...

Two and a half weeks until Little Mister is supposed to arrive! I am getting so excited to meet this baby boy, and the kids are counting down the days. In the meantime, I have been preparing a room for him, and I decided to go with a camping/woodland theme for it. I'm thinking that one day, when he grows out of his crib, I'll set up a little tent in his room and place a mattress in it for him to sleep on. :)

I got the birch tree idea from Hannah's Hope in Ethiopia, where Kiersten, Kerri, Wass and I painted them on the play room walls a year ago. Once the baby is born, I want to "carve" (paint) his initials and birthdate on one of the tree trunks.

 I made this mobile from pine cones and sticks that I collected in my in-laws' yard.

I painted these canvases...




...that hang above the changing table that my Grandpa Don made when my sister was born 40 years ago. I just painted it and added new drawer pulls.

I painted this rocking chair, taking it from a dark brown to a bright golden yellow, and Shana bought the fabric for the camping-themed blanket that hangs on the back of it. Grammy sewd it together for us.


Chris helped me make this sign out of old pallet boards that Shana stained. Then I put a tan wash over it, brushed on some cream-colored paint, added the lettering, and used a jigsaw to make the edges of the boards more rustic-looking and old. It hangs over a little dresser from my sister-in-law, Casey. I painted the dresser to match the changing table and added new drawer pulls.


On top of the dresser, I placed framed vintage postcards from national parks, along with a baby deer stuffed animal.

A cute little fox hamper...

 ...and a deer head wall-hanging finish out the room.

Then, we have a closet full of baby clothes that I've been collecting...

...along with several hundred diapers to get us started.

I also packed his hospital bag!


We would appreciate your prayers as we transition from a family of 8 to a family of 9. Thanks!