Dusting off the Blog

Where do you even begin when you wait almost six months between posts?

Luke is just over 7 months and is still just the sweetest thing. He has a very happy, easy going temperament, so if he's fussy, there's usually a good reason! He's rolling like a champ and now sleeps on his belly. He's trying desperately to crawl, and often finds himself in a plank position or scooting backwards. Sometimes I feel bad that he gets set down so often, put in the chair, exersaucer, or on the floor. I really wish I could hold him and play with him more, but having two other little ones makes it nearly impossible.

The strange (or maybe not strange) thing is that I feel like I don't have enough time with the twins either. And I guess that's just what happens when you add more kids to your family. It's amazing how your perspective changes. When I just have Luke, he seems so easy. And when I just have the twins, they seem so easy. It's the combination that makes for chaos. Just last week I took the twins to the grocery store while Don stayed home with Luke. I used to dread taking the two of them to the grocery store, packing up the cart or supervising while they drove little carts, strapping into car seats, unloading groceries... you get it. I couldn't believe how easy it now seemed! Not that two is easy or even one for that matter, but you get the point. 

The twins are growing and changing like crazy. Their vocabulary has skyrocketed and they say the funniest things that sound so grown up! I wish I could think of a few good examples, but of course now that I'm taking the time to blog, my mind is blank. Some of their favorite things include: playing with cars and planes (the ABSOLUTE favorite!), building with trains and blocks, reading books and playing games with Don and I (we just started Hi-Ho Cherry-O and Hungry Hippos). Their favorite book right now is the Big Picture Story Bible. It shocks me how well they know the stories! When they're looking at it on their own, they can almost tell the stories back verbatim. Like today when I was feeding Luke, I overheard Jacob "reading" it to Josiah. 

Here's what I heard: (pointing to the picture) "And this is Pilate. And you know what he said? He said to Jesus, 'Are you a King?' And Jesus said, 'My kingdom is not of this world.' And Jesus is a king." They both really know the stories well and I'm thankful for this resource that helps them see that the Bible isn't just stories, but is about a God who always keeps his promises. I love how the book always highlights that the people in the stories believed God and God kept his promise. 

More on the twins... they are super big brothers. They are careful and loving towards Luke and still have never displayed signs of jealousy. Jacob especially is very caring towards Luke and will often ask, "Where's the little guy?" if Luke is still sleeping in the morning after the twins get up, or he'll say to Don when he gets home or when he's about to leave, "You need to see that little guy." Or "You need to give Lukey a kiss." He loves when Luke tries to touch him or smiles at him- he seriously just beams! 

In terms of our adoption, we're still waiting. We re-entered our adoption program in October after updating all of our paperwork. We're officially back on the list, so our call could come any day. There were many referrals the past couple of months, but none within our range. As crazy and chaotic as life often feels, we're still very excited about our next adoption. We can't wait to add a little girl to our family and we're both very excited about going back to Ethiopia, though this time is sure to be harder as we'll be leaving the three boys behind. 

We spent lots of time outside and at the park this fall, we enjoyed our family and friends over the holidays, and now we're hunkered down for another cold winter. We haven't left the house all week and most days have been filled with fort making, painting, reading, watching Go Diego, and a good amount of time pushing cars on the wood floor. 

Here are some pics from the past *several* months.