Photo Courtesy of Logan

Eliana got to meet little Logan and his Daddy snapped this photo of us. Ellie usually doesn't like me to hold other babies- or her own brothers for that matter- but she didn't mind my holding Logan at all. I look forward to them growing up together.

Important Note:

Okay, after a barrage of emails from my long-distance friends and blog readers, it has come to my attention that my last post caused some confusion. No, I did not give birth yesterday. Logan Finley is the precious son of our dear friends, Geoff and Grace. So, while I was blessed to be a part of the day with them, I am looking forward to only the title of Aunt, not Mommy. He is a sweetie and I think I am nearly as excited about his birth as I was about my own kiddos.

Logan Finley Has Arrived!!

Today was the day! After a long hard day for Mommy, Logan David Finley entered the world and brought indescribable joy into the lives of his family. He is a perfect little man at 7 pounds 14 ounces, 21 inches long. We couldn't be more thankful to the Lord for his faithfulness in this journey. We love you Logan

The Sound of Silence

Well, around our house there is never much in the way of silence, but my blog can be a different story. The past few weeks have been pretty rough again with Ellie and her attachment issues. The fact that she is cutting a tooth is always a fun ingredient to add to the mix. But... we are going to meet with our attachment counselor again this week to try to get some new ideas and will most likely be meeting regularly with her for a while. For those of you out there that are praying for our family, let me first say, "Thank You!" and then let me ask you to continue to pray for our entire family. We need encouragement and perseverence. We all need to grow in our bonds with Eliana and we so greatly desire that she would open her heart more to her wonderful Daddy and stop seeing her brothers as a threat to her relationship with me. We are coming up on a year of placement in August and in some ways it feels like 5 years, but we have so much work yet to be done before we settle into a happy normal. Baby steps... more baby steps.

Camping Shmamping

Well, call me a regular old stick in the mud, but I say, "Camping shmamping." We took the kids to Mueller State Park Thursday night for a campout. It is a beautiful park and I would love to spend more time there, BUT next time around, I am up for one of their beautiful cabins. We decided to go last minute, so we had to take our trusty pooch, Cooper, along. Let's just say he isn't exactly the bravest of beasts. He spent much of the night shaking and growling under his breath at the footsteps and noises we heard out and about the campsite. He ended up in my sleeping bag, under my arm, and finally settled down after a few hours of yips and grrrs. We'll call this mistake #1. We decided not to bring the pack and play along for Ellie as well. I mean, it is camping, right? You don't take a crib. Do you? Mistake #2. She wanted nothing to do with going to sleep, but was rolling all over the tent playing around. Milan finally got her to sleep, but then she kept being awakened by Cooper's outbursts. So, she ended up in my sleeping bag under the other arm. Let's just say I didn't get the best night of sleep that I have ever had. The following morning was crisp and beautiful (through my blurred vision) and would have possibly erased the memories of the restless night before, had I not failed to pack any coffee...mistake #3. If you know me very well, you know that the lack of coffee alone can be dangerous for me- and those around me for that matter. So, let's just say that not all of us are meant to be campers; at least, not with children in tow. While I love to spend time with my family, I feel it is safe to say that it will be a while before I venture out for another night of bliss under the stars.

And So We Begin Again...

So where have the past 6 weeks gone? I am not exactly sure, but I can tell you how they have gone... TOO QUICKLY! We began our second year of homeschooling today. It went well overall, but it was an adjustment to having two kids with a full day of curriculum rather than just one full day with a kindergartner on the side. Ellie spent part of the morning with Daddy which made it easier for me as well. It is difficult to get my mind back around school, but I know I will be glad we started early when we get to take that week off every month. It is only three days a week until September, but it does man a change of pace around here.
I remember when I was a kid that we celebrated the beginning of each school year and went shopping for school clothes. The boys hate to shop for anything other than toys, so that wouldn't be very fun for them, BUT me on the other hand.... Hmmmm.??? We'll have to see about that idea.

Happy Fourth of July!

Happy Fourth of July, everyone! Today is always a favorite around here. We all love the fireworks and it is great to come out and spend time with neighbors and friends. Our community is pretty great about activities in the parks, so we enjoyed that for a few hours- the kids had balloon swords, hats and belts made. Even Ellie got in on the action there as evidenced in the pictures below.
It was Ellie's first July 4th as a U.S. Citizen and a part of our family. She loved seeing the fireworks tonight, but unfortunately the show was cut short due to the face that the professional display started a brush fire up on the hillside. It is really dry around here and went pretty quickly. I don't know the current status on the fire, but it doesn't seem to be smoky outside, so that is a good sign. I am all for a big finale, but that was a bit ridiculous.

Fourth of July 08

Snakes on a Pane!

Okay, a little too much excitement for me. Unlike my two boys, I am not a snake fan. Last week, on a hike in a nearby canyon, we came home with a snake (2 others had been released soon after capture due to their large size), a turtle (released yesterday) and 2 crayfish (now living in our neighbors pond). Well, last night my dear Noah came up and said those four dreaded words... "The snake is gone." Now, I don't mean gone safely back into the wild, I mean gone... in my basement... in MY house... ready to jump out at my unsuspecting snake-o-phobic self. So, after a lot of searching last night, we yielded nothing. The hours dragged on last night as I was sure to awaken to him perched on my chest slithering and spitting his forked little tongue at me. This morning, a new light has dawned... he has been found!! No doubt trying to get into the sun coming in through the window, Noah spotted him. Elijah pounced and grabbed his tail and I swooped the habitat underneath him. I am hopeful that our little adventure will induce his release back into the wild, but I may be hoping in vain at the moment.