Friday's Funny ~ just in case you need to know

If you are a shrimping boat, using the Pearl River bayou, you'll need to call 4 hours in advance to get the very old, yet still working lift-gate bridge up :)

Never know what you'll see on the bayou...

news

surprise.

Here's our latest news & to say it's been quite an exciting roller coaster ride the last several weeks, would be quite an understatement.

Emotional highs.  Doubts.  And much, much prayer.

For those of you who have been praying...thank you.  While the facebook picture (seen below for my non-FB friends :), may indicate a potential referral for our adoption, the above picture clarifies that our news is not found in Uganda...yet...but in my tummy.  We are 13 weeks pregnant and due 4-1-13...yes, April Fool's Day...which isn't really funny or foolish, eh?!

Many of you out there are probably wondering how this effects our adoption status?

Well...to answer your question, we are going to stay on the same list, same pace, same progress as we currently are.  We are sensing (optimistically speaking), we are close to seeing a picture of our Ugandan daughter soon. Regardless if our referral occurs soon, our potential travel/court dates would not most likely happen for several months...we will prayerfully wait to see how God orchestrates these details.

We are excited yet anxious for what the dear Lord has in store for our family in 2014.  Needless to say....three words come to mind:

prayers.still.needed.

Much love,

A, K, Haven & growing family

Friday's Funny - Social Network Acts

This makes me smile every. time.

Friday's Funny ~ Holy is the Lord God Almighty

"Holy is the Lord God Almighty"...as sung by a 3.5 year old :)

*some lyrics may have been changed.

**video may or may not be bouncy due to videographer on elliptical machine :)

94 degree fall fun

While the trees are beginning to drop some leaves and change a few shades of fall colors, our weather lately has not indicated Autumn is here...at. all.  I'm sure as soon as I post this, the next day will be cooler weather with jeans & sweaters and no air conditioning...but right now, we are in quite the hot weather rut for mid Sept. Thus, when handed a 1/2 price Wednesday at Rader Family Farms in Normal on a 95 degree day, one must press on...so I rounded up a friend & off we went.  Reese, Haven & little Ms. Kennedy had a great time...even with Haven's slight cold (I know...she has a snotty nose & it's 90 degrees out!) & sweaty faces, the girls had a great time.  It's a fun place to take the kids for a 1/2 day or a few hours...especially when (did I already mention this? :) it's 1/2 price Wednesday. 

While we were disappointed to find out they didn't have their pumpkin & apple donuts for sale yet, we weren't disappointed in our runner-up choices of pumpkin bar & apple fritter & apple cider slushy-yum!

 Always a hit with kids is the giant bounce tent...

which it took Kennedy a bit to warm up to but then she loved it!

 One of Haven's favorite activities of the day was the corn cribs...I just cleaned out the bottom of my washing machine from her leftover pieces :)

Reese was the brave lady who got buried :)

Haven's 2nd favorite...the tunnel slide.

the chute jump

the hay bale jump

and when you are 3 of only 6 total kiddos there all morning you get an extra long train ride.

Kennedy sat in the barrel but didn't quite get brave enough to ride it in...soon dear Kinade!

My favorite picture of the day!

Grandma's visit

It is always so fun for Haven to make a count-down chain and none more fun than when it involves the arrival of Grandma Iowa!

Mom spent a long Labor Day weekend with us...if you ask us, not long enough but we will take a Thurs-Tues trip.  We had great fun welcoming her at the airport (Haven almost went past the coveted security line to give Grandma hugs), playing games, shopping & it was great having someone to play bubble fun & sidewalk chalk with Haven.

Here's a few pictures:

 We got lots of great smiles with this sign :)

On our way to Thurs. night ISU Bible study with Grandma...it was fun for Haven to show Gma Iowa her college friends.

bubble fun & sidewalk chalk

Amber treated us to pizza on Sunday night & we busted out my summer garage sale steal-Missionary Conquest!  What a super fun & hilarious game all wrapped into one...Carissa, I can't wait to introduce it to you someday :)

We went shopping for preschool supplies...this was on Haven's bucket list to do when Grandma Iowa was here so she was pretty excited!

We ate lunch at Steak n Shake on Labor Day.

 While we are doing presidential trivia here (to which my Mom won), Haven did TIE Grandma Iowa on geographic locations taking cards such as Big Ben, Opera House & Ayers Rock :)

 

 Sunday morning

 

saying goodbye at the airport

2 years

Dad's memory garden

Today marks 2 years since Dad said "goodbye-for-now" to us.

It seems like a loooong time ago on some days.  And other days, it seems like I just had given Dad his last hug & kiss over his hospice bed.

Yet the pain & grief is still real & hard...I miss a lot of things about him...

Not being able to call Dad in his truck/tractor and see what he's doing today...

Not seeing him getting off the plane with Mom for a visit...

Not being able to ask him questions about his thoughts on investments, mortgage payments-all those life questions that Dad's are just supposed to know.

Not seeing him "shh" us kids when we are all together...oh, Dad you would have quite a bit to "shh" these days as are families grow!

The most difficult part of losing Dad is seeing the tears well up in my Mom's eyes when we talk about him or her bounce with laughter at one of Dad's funny memories & oh, there were sooooo many!  After 40 years of marriage, it doesn't really seem "right" when Dad's not by Mom's side.

One of the greatest blessings of a blog is being able to quickly look back & locate your archives and read over the many posts, comments & prayers that were sent our way while we slowly said our earthly goodbyes.  Prayers have sustained us and even the occasionally comment in church from a Believer, a hug from a friend & "how is your Mom doing?" is super uplifting...so, thank you.

I posted this video of memories last year, but after watching it, I'm going to post it again...I love the memories & song.  For some reason, I can't get the video to load, so click here and it will take you to the blog post where it's also posted.

If interested, click here for a link of my blog post when he passed...click here for the link to his obituary.