Meeting the Fam

We are currently in Couer d alene taking our last mini vacation for a while, Tadd was offered the bookeeping position at work and it is 7-3:3o Mon-Fri (praise the Lord). They don't really have a fill in for that position though, so the getaways will be few and far between. Therefore we justified just one more quicky, before Monday morning when he starts. Here are some pictures from the pool with Daddy, while mom got caught up on some much procrastinated work.

Thing are still going great, Annecy and Isaiah have started school and are doing great, they are catching up quickly. Their favorite part of course is the soccer, gymnastics and swim lessons. They all love spending time together and they are so stinking cute! Ok the sleeping one is a different kind of cute.

We got a sweet opportunity to spend some time with Aunt Sarah. Annecy and Isaiah got to meet her and she (of course) like Aunt Sarah always does, she spoiled them rotton and added to more kids to the list of ones, who think she is the greatest. We spent the night in the Hotel with her, then Denny's for breakfast, Seattle Aquarium all day, then McDonald's for lunch and whatever treat they wanted afterwards. Aunt Sarah really knows how to do it up. Thanks Aunt Sarah! We love you and they all keep asking when they can see you agian. Here are some of the many pictures Isaiah wanted me to take at the Aquarium.

Thanks for being such prayer warriors for our family. We have definantly felt it and will continue to covet them.

Could we be more blessed?

I don't know how things could be going better! Don't get me wrong we still have out days and moments, but for the most part we are so blessed by the way things are going. We've had help to clean toilets, wash dishes, sweep floors, and set the table, since we got organized and started our job chart. I don't even hear complaining when it's time to do jobs...OK, whoever's turn it is to help clean the toilet usually does minimal complaining, but I am OK with the minimal.

I don't know why we got bunk beds, the boys sleep in the bottom together at night, so they can read books together and the girls do the same, but I am pretty sure they do it just so they can talk. They are still girls, which means they are best friends one minute and arch enemies the next, but that just means they are true sisters.

The superbowl party we had went great and the kids loved all the different snacks and most of all they just loved that they got to graze on them all day instead of having to wait until meal times. They have blended well with all of their friends and Kenya and Elijah have loved sharing them (thier friends and their siblings).

We started school this week and we are doing 2 kids a day, alternating every other day. It seems to be working out great. We are still trying to figure out exactly where Isaiah and Annecy are at academically, but they do have a lot of concepts down, they are just really hit and miss. They have been very excited that mom is their teacher and they have been very excited to get started doing school.

Here are some pictures of the super bowl party, we packed em in like sardines, Then Tadd got one of all but one of the kids doing Charity's hair. Don't think Isaiah was not interested, doing Charity's hair is one of his favorite things, it was just his 20 mins of video game time and he was not going to waste a minute on my hair. Thanks for all the prayer it is really paying off.

Can you buy brain cells?

We have been a family of 6 at home now for a week, I feel like I need four more hand, 1 more brain, some sort of energy potion and a brain cell donor. The kids are all adapting well, I know that becasue they are acting exactly like they have been together as brothers and sisters their whole life. I have never heard so many, "He's copying me, She looked at me, I said for him to stop and he didn't, I had that first, You said it was my turn....." do I need to go on, because I can fill the page. That said, I don't know if I have ever had such a bitter sweet relationship with all of these phrases. Even though they drive me nuts! They just remind me that our Annecy and Isaiah are finally home, it is not only a great reminder of what God has done over the last nine years, but of what he has promised for them and will complete in all of my kids.

We still covet your prayers (I know, you thought you were done after nine years of the same prayer) we just need the prayer modified a little bit. Even though the kids are adjusting well, I know they have got to still be overwelmed by all of the changes and getting used to new rules and routines, not to mention the culture shock and trying to find some securtiy after a crazy 3 weeks of ups and downs. Annecy cried herself to sleep in my arms last night, saying she was very scared of something, but couldn't articulate to me what it was. This may be left over Haiti traditions and religious cultures coming up, possibly the after effects of the earthquake or just a complete overwelming of all the events going on.

Isaiah is a typical pre-teen. He is very sweet and helpful, but if things don't turn out like he thinks they should he crawls under the sofa pillow and doesn't want to talk to anyone. Then after awhile, Mom or Dad come to try to steel kisses or wrestle, then a smile finally breaks out.

Kenya and Elijah have been real troopers. They have been loving the newness and fun of having their siblings home. They have had a lot of changes too, but overall have been really good about going with the flow.

We were so blessed at the Open House by all of the people that showed up to love on us. I felt like I could never get more than a Hi out by the time someone else showed up. We obviouly wish we had more time to talk to everyone, but were so blessed that we just got to see some of you. We were so blessed by all of those who made the whole thing happen, with out us even lifting a finger. Thanks for all you do and all the blessings you send our way.

Here is a video Kenya took of our house genre, it's very typical, Kenya taking pictures (she loves to do this) Annecy loves holding and loving babies, (she stole one, while someone was dropping off dinner) When we put time limits on Isaiah's movies and video games, he told us, "he was going to be a good dad when he grows up and will let his kids watch movies and play games all day and they can eat as much candy as they want." Apparently we have not arrived at the "good parent" stage yet.