Lately.....

.....we have been diving into summer.

 

.....I have been keeping an eye on a little nest filled with eggs that I found in one of our bushes. The mother bird very faithfully sits on her nest and will not leave, even if I get extremely close. I had to scare her away so I could get this picture (isn't that terrible of me?)

.....Shana has decided that she wants to raise a few chickens, so she is fixing up an old chicken coop that she got from her great uncle. She has even enlisted the help of her siblings.

.....we have been enjoying time at parks.

.....we have been eating LOTS of cool summer treats.

.....we have been thanking God for his protective mercies. Chris and I were involved in an accident the other night, and it is a miracle that no one was injured. It really made me realize just how fragile life is, and how it can be gone in a moment. Each second matters, so much more than we know.

.....we have been laughing at the funny things the twins say. My aunt gave Jordan some candy, and in a few moments he told her he had eaten it all. She asked, "What if you get sick?" His response? "Then I'll get pop!" No worries there! He's quickly caught onto the fact that if you get sick around here, you get pop as soon as you're feeling better. He would do anything for his beloved pop.

And that's all for now! Hope you all have a great summer day!

Pretty Soon.....

.....there will be one more little Ethiopian cousin to play with!

Yikealo, Jalen, Jordan

In June, my sister Larisa will be traveling back to Ethiopia to bring home her adorable little boy, S! Yay!!! We can't wait to meet him!

Hello, Summer!

Today was the kids' last day of school for the year, so summer has officially arrived! Here they are before they left this morning:

I always get a bit emotional on the last day of the school year, especially when the teachers send home little poems about how wonderful the kids are and how much they've grown throughout the year. The photos and slide shows that they have put together over the last year are tear-jerkers! Now I have a sixth-grader, a fourth-grader, a second-grader, and a first-grader! Hard to believe.

This morning, when I went to wake up Malia, I said, "Malia, get up! It's your last day of school! After today, you'll be able to sleep in every day and play babies all summer long!" She looked at me sleepily and said, "Mom, I'm too old to play babies!" 

WHAT???? My little girl who has always loved her dolls and would spend hours each day taking care of them is too old to play babies???? My heart dropped, and I was so disappointed! My baby girl is growing up way too fast! I told her, "Malia! No! You're not too old to play babies! You can play babies forever!" I then informed her that she was just going to have to stop growing.........but somehow, I don't think that will work............

Then, a little later in the day, the twins and I were listening to music, and 6 of Malia's favorite songs played right in a row. Including one that she sang when she was 2 years old. I listened to her tiny voice sing the words, and it about brought tears to my eyes! My little girl is indeed growing up. Guess I'll have to accept that fact sooner or later........ But right now, I need to just slow down and make the best of every day with my children, these beautiful little gifts God has given me.

So I'll dance with Cinderella,

I don't want to miss even one song.

'Cause all too soon, the clock will strike midnight

And she'll be gone.

-Steven Curtis Chapman

Hope you all have a great summer, and enjoy your time with your kiddos! They don't stay little for long.........

An African Journey.....

This morning, I took Jalen and Jordan to the zoo. They loved it, and it was interesting to see their reactions to the different animals. They definitely seemed to recognize hyenas, which are common in Ethiopia. They also seemed frightened of the lions, even though I told them that they were fenced in and could not get to us. The twins have told us before that they remember seeing lions in Gambela, the region of Ethiopia that the boys came from.

Then, we passed this little building and they excitedly said, "That's like A-----'s (their birth mom's) house!" So of course I had to take their photo in front of it!

The twins' favorite animals were the zebra.....

.....and the giraffe.

We saw many other interesting animals, too, and went on a boat ride. 

And I'll leave you with a thought-provoking quote that we saw on a sign at the zoo:

 Have a great day, everyone!

Today We Are Celebrating.....

.....ASHTON!!! Ashton is 8 years old today!

 During my pregnancy with Ashton, the doctors told us that our child would have either Downs Syndrome or Trisomy 18, in which case he would probably die before 1 year of age. But we knew he was a gift from God, and we would love him no matter what. When little Ashton Reed came into this world, he was a perfectly-formed miracle! He had a 2-vessel umbilical cord instead of a 3-vessel cord, and he had a hole in his heart. Because of that, he has a heart murmur and we have to see a cardiologist every year, but he lives a perfectly normal, healthy life! We praise God for His goodness.

Ashton - We love you with all our hearts and we are so thankful that God has blessed our lives with you. We hope you have a wonderful 8th birthday, and many more to come!!! 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

6 Months!

Six months ago today, Jalen and Jordan walked into our home for the first time. Our lives haven't been the same since! I had no idea how busy my life as a mother of 6 would become, but I wouldn't have it any other way. These little boys have brought so much joy to us, and we are thankful that God has blessed our lives with them. They have adjusted tremendously well, way better than any of us expected, and it is amazing how much they have grown and learned already!

6 months ago:

Today:

Jalen and Jordan - We are so happy that you are a part of our family! We love you so much, and we can't wait to spend the rest of our lives with you!

Hugs and kisses,

Daddy, Mommy, Shana, Adrian, Ashton and Malia

Pirates!

Shana, Adrian, and Ashton were in the Spring musical at their elementary school this year. The play, "Pirates," was held last night and all of the kids did a wonderful job!

Shana played the part of Purple Beard, Adrian was Brown Beard, and Ashton was a part of the No Beard Chorus.

And here is a little sample of all their hard work (please excuse the poor quality):

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone! And a very Happy Mother's Day to all of you moms out there!!!

Recuperating.....

Jordan and Jalen had surgery early this morning down in Indianapolis. We are home again, and are thankful that everything went well. I am holding Jordan as I type this, and the poor little guy is trying so hard to be brave! I can tell he's really hurting, though. His surgery was actually a combination of 4 different procedures; Jalen's was not as complicated. Both boys should feel fairly decent again in a couple of days, although there will be certain restrictions in place for a couple of weeks. The surgeon was amazed at how brave they were. They marched away with the nurse like there was nothing to it, and the doctor commented that they don't see that very often! 

Here they are before we left the hotel this morning:

  

All ready for surgery:

Jalen played games on my phone while he waited for his turn:

Jordan's all done! Still unconscious though.....

Starting to wake up:

Snuggling with Daddy.....

Mommy's turn:

And here's Jalen! All finished and awake!

I love my little guys so much, and hope they're feeling better soon! Have a great day, everyone!