It's a Good Thing

We've been talking to the girls about sponsoring a child and so as part of their Christmas gift this year we sat down around the computer and chose a little girl together.  Where do you even begin when selecting a child who's life will hopefully improve just a tiny bit by your contribution?  There are so many wanting and needing just a little love in their lives. To avoid spending hours scrolling through the hundreds of pictures available for you to look at and agonize over we decided beforehand the location, girl or boy and age range.  From there we looked at the kids who had been on the waiting list the longest and seemed to have the most difficult family situation. 

Welcome Milenka into our lives... she's 7 years old (turning 8 next month) and she lives in Bolivia.  The girls have endless questions about her and what it's like where she lives. They have also been very mindful to lift her up in prayer every night - specifically that her tummy is full and that she gets to go to school.  I think this experience will be a very good thing for our family.

If you are interested in sponsoring a child I would highly recommend it. Compassion International is just one place to start.

I'm Back! I think.

Please forgive me.  I know it's been a crazy long time since I've posted anything.  I guess I kinda got busy then sorta fell into a slump, but now I'm climbing my way out and hope to be back on a regular basis.  Are you out there?

It's Fall (not!)

All my senses tell me it should be fall. The stores are decked out in it. The calendar declares it. But at 88 degrees, I'm just not feeling it. I want to wear long pants and pull out the sweaters!!! So it helped that our neighbors invited us to a birthday party at a local pumpkin patch farm where we enjoyed all the traditional fall-like activities.



Andrea is the birthday girl. She was so excited to turn 4. Isabel has now declared she wants to remain 4 herself and not advance to 5. Oh silly girl. She doesn't realize that Princess Party Plans are already in the works.
The much anticipated hayride.
Yes, my girls were the only ones wearing long sleeves and they complained they were "sweaty hot" - but they had to wear their new shirts that my friend Marianne talked me into making. Aren't they cute? You can see Marianne's handiwork here and here.

End of Summer Campout

Some families from our Life Group went to Camp Grady Spruce for a little retreat. It was fun getting to know everyone a little better and the girls had a blast with all the activities.

Here we are waiting for our Trail Guides to tell us how to ride a horse.
All one really needed to do was sit on it. They were pretty much on auto pilot which was perfect for the kiddos!
A tranquil canoe outing...
Everyone was actually plotting...
Canoe wars soon ensued. I had to put the camera away as there was too much boat bashing and water splashing going on.
The girls wanted to do it all. Here they're trying to get the hang of the bow and arrow.
The men took this way too serious.
On to the rifle range -- with REAL bullets!
That's me and Scott showing everyone how it's done. Can you guess who had the highest marks?
A relaxing boat trip around the lake soon turned into a boat fixit trip.
Thanks to my engineering husband we were soon on our way.
A little church alfresco before heading home. Can't wait for our next outing.

More fun with the Kiwis

I'm sure they don't associate with the term Kiwi with much affection - they just happen to be living there right now and look forward to moving in a couple of years. It's just fun to say. Kiwi.

The Ice at Stonebriar Mall. Max did great his first time out. It helps to be fearless.
Shower curtain craft project with Aunt Leslie. The kids designed their own curtains using thick sharpies and wild imaginations.

The Nasher Sculpture Center is in Dallas and a great place to go if you don't have kids in tow. We had no idea how unfriendly the curators would be. We managed a little bit of fun while no one was looking though.
Can you find the real kids?
Don't tell anyone we played in the water. They were strict!
Having a moment. I wonder how her picture turned out. I only saw blue sky up there.
We took the kids to Plano Heritage Farm. It's an interesting place in the middle of a housing development.
Playing games - - the old fashion way.
At a Frisco Rough Riders baseball game. The kids would have had more fun if we rented the suite with the outdoor swimming pool! I don't know what you do if a ball comes flying your way. Dive deep?Out on Joe Pool lake with the Pages. What a great day with great friends. Some of us even did a little skiing.Saying goodbyes on our way out the door for school.After traveling about for 3 months I'm sure Leslie and Max were looking forward to going home. It was a non-stop, fun filled visit and we look forward to seeing where they wind up next.

But wait... summers not over yet!

Returning home from California coincided with a visit from Aunt Leslie and cousin Max from New Zealand. Reading in bed became their new nighttime routine.
Max couldn't wait to get his hands on Uncle Scott.
Well, you can see where this is going...
The poor boy didn't have a chance.

New School

This was at meet the teacher night. The girls are posing with the Abiog girls. The Abiogs are a family we met at their last school. They just so happen to be Canadian and have 4 girls too. Of course, we had to become friends! You can click on the picture to get a better look at everyone.