Fun Pics and a ONE month anniversary

Hey guys. . .today marks ONE MONTH that Davis has been home. I can't believe it. I feel like we just arrived in Liberia yesterday and yet feel like we've had him forever at times. I can't believe just a few short weeks ago I was crying b/c he didn't like me. Now he lights up when he looks at me and hugs me around the head (yeah, not a body hug, but a tight head hug!) like no other! He LOVES his daddy still and runs for the door with the other kiddos as soon as they hear the garage door. He even loves Dumptruck (don't ask me why)! He runs and plays and this morning I went into the boys room b/c I heard them awake and found them laying in their own beds but talking to one another and giggling! This is what I dreamed of! Yes, it's still hard at times with the no sleep and 3 littles ones freaking out at the same time when they wake up on the wrong side of the bed (sorry about that, Erin, who called just when!). I don't talk on the phone much b/c of the noise level, but am learning to join in the fun more. I am really being challenged by our study, "Shepherding Your Child's Heart". He talks a lot about your parenting goals and these last couple of weeks have been on communication. I am really being challenged to be more intentional with my time with the kids. To sit and listen and talk to them. To hear their hearts and answer that instead of just their attitudes. Greg and I decided yesterday to have "Daddy Dates" and "Mama Dates" every week. We'll take just an hour to take just one of the kids out at a time so they feel special. We've also decided to have more intentional familiy nights with no TV (shocker if you know us at all) and intentional play time. Today, the kids and I read books and went on a walk with Dumptruck. Yes, my laundry isn't done. . .but, maybe I can let it take me 2 days instead of 1. . .at least while my kids aren't napping well, so no down time there! I'd appreciate your prayers in this. . I am so easily distracted and am SUCH a multi-tasker that taking ALL of my attention and placing it on one thing is difficult. Yet, I don't want my kids (or my friends) to say that I spent time with them while checking my email. . which I know right now is true. Thanks for the prayers . . .now enjoy these photos!


This is Brayden walking Dumptruck. He thought he was so big! We went to the park and apparently, Dumptruck is a big fan of the winding slide. . .who knew? I wish I had a pic of that!
Davis and Dr. Hoffman. He loves him! We have a wonderful doc who takes tons of time to see us and will stay late, come to our house or have us call him at all hours!
We met Barry and Shannon and the kids for breakfast on Sat. morning. It was so much fun! Barry gets out of the car saying, "I gave the kids the big lecture about not pouncing on your kids" I laughed (since I'd received the same lecture about their kids!) and laughed some more when Barry was the one who reached in to take Davis out of his seat while the kids held back a bit! Again, I'll just say how sweet it is that they love my kids so much! They had just gotten back from vacation at the Mall of America and had picked these bears out for the kids. You can tell they were a huge hit! After breakfast, we went to Old Time Pottery b/c Greg had never been there and was weirdly enough interested. Upon arrival, he realized that it really wasn't his kind of a store. . .so, we made up a game. We split into 3 teams and searched the store for the ugliest thing we could find for under $10. It was hilarious and we ended up buying them just to take home and remember! Shannon and I also found some cute stuff and I'll take a pic once I actually have them hanging!


We also spent yesterday at the beach. After church, of course, b/c I'm not a skipping church kind of girl. . I just can't handle it! It makes my week feel SO long if I haven't heard preaching and spent time in worship with this sweet Body God has called us to. . .especially now that I'm not in staff meeting on Tuesdays getting to learn from Pastor Jon during the week! Although, I must say that this month's topic being on Missions is just about going to wreck me. I cried through the whole service and begged God to call us to move to Africa! Anyways, all that to say that I'll post my beach pics later! ha ha. . you can really get me going, huh?!