Watch out!!!

Because I got a new blog makeover!!  Oh yeah!  Thanks so much Jennifer.  You are amazing!!!

{Extreme Randomness}

   This blog has taken a back seat to life.  I am always thinking of all this different stuff that I want to blog about but do I ever?!?!  No.  Oh well, maybe some day when I have a bit more free time. . . haha!!

So anyway here are a few things that have been happening in our neck of the woods.

1.  We just got back from a wonderful camping/boating trip to lake Chelan.   It was so nice and hot.  We did A LOT of swimming, eating and more swimming.  And actually on the last day we had to take my boy to the ER because of dehydration . . that was scary to say the least.  But he is fine now. . . thank you God!!  On our way home we stopped in the old western town of Winthrop and had some old time photos done.  They were so fun.

Out on the boat

Ava and my nephew Jude were so wore out they seriously fell asleep like this.

My parents have a whole wall of these old time photos that we have done through the years. . . this is the first time we have done it with our kids.  What a shame!!

2.  When you homeschool your first day of school pic might look something like this. . .

yep 1st, 3rd and 4th grader

3.  We are 7 months DTE (since about 2 wks ago, I am just super late in posting)

4.  The weather is changing and it is making me sad.  I am not ready to wear a sweatshirt everyday.

5. I am loving sushi lately.  Not sure why.

6.  I'm all signed up for the Created for Care retreat.  I am so excited!!  And I got my mom to come too.  She is a gem:)

7.  Well you know the boat from the above pics?!?!  Well we are selling it.  We are going to Ken.ya at the end of the year (I will save that for another post) and we feel that is how we should pay for it.  The guy is suppose to be coming to get it on Sunday and truthfully I am sad.  The kids LOVE the boat.  Oh well!!  God has bigger and better things for us.

8.  We had our family pics taken a few weeks ago.  Here is a sneak peak.

Millie was, well lets just say being Millie:)

9.  I am getting a blog makeover and I am going to use some of the new pics.  Can't wait!

Well that's all for now folks:)

Hope you all have a very wonderful holiday weekend.

and it is back to reality!!

Let me start of by saying how much I love, love, LOVE my kids. . . but honestly I didn't miss them until the last day.  Just in case you missed my previous post we spent 5 days in Seattle. . . just my husband and I . . well and about 1,500 other assistant managers.
  His company does this every year ( last year was in San Fran) and EVERY year I sooo look forward to the time away.  This was our sixth year going to these and if you have never gone to one you will never know just how stinking fun they are.  Not only do you get to catch up with friends you haven't seen for a year, meet new friends and make a ton of good memories but you also get to wear things that you can't wear at home... like for instance shoes with a HEEL.

The first night there is a welcome dinner where you get to dress up and the last night there is a more formal dinner where you get to dress up AGAIN!!  and this year the entertainment was so fun... and yes we danced!!

 Here is just a few of the things we did-

  Ate sushi at a sushi bar

Went to see "Stupid, Crazy Love"

(waiting to go into the movie, not sure what I was doing)

Ate at the Cheesecake factory not 1 but 3 times...

Outfit for the first night

Walked around pikes place market

At the first meeting on monday morning the owners of the world famous Pike Place Fish Co came and spoke about how they became "World Famous" and did a little lesson in throwing fish.  So fun!!

Went to a Mariners game

(not my favorite but it was fun hanging out with friends)

Walked around Alki Beach

Met friends for Ethio.pian food... yum!!

walked around the pier

ate lunch outside
(which is a big deal in the Northwest)

The Final Night

had so much fun with good friends

So now it is back to reality. . . Until next year :)

It's that time of year again...

...and I am soooo excited!!!  Every year my hubby's work sends all the managers somewhere for a week of meetings.  They hold it at a different city, this year it just so happens to be in Seattle!!  I am glad because that means no wasted travel time and more time to relax and hang out.  His work pays for spouses to come, eat and play.  Can't beat a free vacation (even if it is only an hour from home)!!!!  Seattle is a beautiful city and I can't wait to tell you all about it.

*Also I am wondering if any of you adoption advocates/mamas are going to the Created 4 Care retreat this year??  I am trying to figure out logistics of it all because we come back from Ken.ya on Jan 12, so I am just praying it will work out and that God will supply the money because I know this retreat is invaluable.  Plus I really want to bring my mom with me, she has been one of our biggest supporters and deserves a blog post of her own.. but that's for another day:)

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend, I know I will!!!

a weekend to remember

Can I just start by saying how much I love my family?!?!?!  We always have so much fun when we get together. The last time we were all together was about 3yrs ago and in my opinion it was 3yrs to long.

Friday just happened to be my birthday and my mom had been planning a party for me for a while (I'm pretty sure I was about 12 the last time I had an actual b-day party) and I knew at least 3 of my siblings would be there but when my sneaky sis showed up all the way from MI I knew the party was complete:)

We all camped out in my parents yard and just had a great time hanging out!!!  Here are some of my favorite pics from the weekend:)

at the airport picking up my brother who was scheduled to arrive

 and then having my sis surprise us...so great!!!

She even had on her "I heart abby" shirt that I made her for her bday

liza and her cousin A setting up camp

Poppy and all his "helpers"

cousin fun!!

party time at the beach

Love this girl!!  She always puts a smile on my face:)

me and my mil, who was refusing to look and smile:)

the best parents in the WORLD!!!!

one of my bro's, his wife and their precious daughter

my other brother and his girls put on 

the best Hula dance EVER!!!

 It was choreographed perfectly and it was all for me...aww!!  I feel so loved.

my sister Hannah and me

all 5 siblings- youngest to oldest:)  I am the baby of the fam

the WHOLE gang (minus my sisters hubby)

Sunday everybody went on a whale watching trip

 while I stayed home and watched 5 of the little kids

I heard they all had a great time and nobody got sick which is a bonus:)

I can't believe it's all over.  I am sad that it went by so fast!!  Hopefully it won't be another 3yrs before we are all together again!!

LOVE you my family

crazy, busy summer

So just a quick update on some goings on around here.

~ My husbands family is in the area (meaning in the state of washington) so we drove about 3.5hrs to visit them the other day and then his sister came up to visit us.  It was so fun just to hang out and let Millie and her cousin Jaxson play:)

~Last night we went to the airport to pick up my CO bro and his family, who is staying for a week, and my sneaky sister surprised me and showed up from MI.  I guess they have been planning this for awhile and nobody knew.

(she even had her i heart abby shirt on)

~SO that means that all 5 of us siblings AND spouses AND 14 cousins will be together all weekend and this weekend just happens to be my birthday weekend!!!  So yeah its pretty much going to rock!!  Can't wait!!

I knew it was coming...

After seeing everybody else have their wait times increase I knew an email from our agency was inevitable.  And so it came last week stating that our new wait time from Dossier submission to referral is now 8-14 months.  I don't think it is going to change when we get our referral, God already knows and already has the timing of it all planned out.  SO I have absolutely no idea when we will get to see our sons face but God does and so we rest in Him!!

"But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary , they will walk and not be faint."  Isaiah 40:31