The girls went away . . . so the boys played!

This is Dan.  I am sure Julie will update you on the girls only trip Eden and she took to Iowa.   But here is what Carter and I did while they were gone.

Ran the loop at Memorial

Swam

Ran the loop at Memorial and added pull ups this time (C is really good at those)

Went to the Astros Game (courtesy of Mr. William's tickets, Thanks!)

And ate food like this (actually, C ate Nachos, Hot Dog, Cotton Candy, Peanuts, most of my Sausage, and Ice Cream -- he is a very expensive date at the ballpark prices)

So we ran the loop at Memorial again, this time pull ups and push ups were added

Then we went camping

Then we watched the sunset and missed our girls

tiny dancer

eden's first dance recital

blessed eastertide

"Our old history ends with the cross; our new history begins with the resurrection."

--Watchman Nee

what boys do at the park

carter and i went to the park with our friends leah, chapman, and ethan this morning. it was kind of a muddy mess but boys do not care about such things. in fact, they like dirt and mud. a lot.

here is what chapman and carter did today at the park.

1. walked around with their donuts shouting (happily) at each other and inanimate objects.

2. got dirty

3. rode bikes
4. went into the public bathroom and stood under the automatic hand dryer screaming like crazy people

5. rode bikes more (although chappie prefers sprinting to riding)

6. stopped their bikes to poke sticks into fire ant hills

7. screamed when the fireants started to climb on them

8. carter rode his bike down some steps

9. found mystery berries that fell from a tree and ate them

10. carter rode over his own foot with his trike

11. poked at more fire ant hills

i love these boys.

spring breakity-break

fun weekend in beaumont with our dear friends.
including our first (and likely last) trip to chuck e cheese. :)


eden's swollen eye (which i was positive came from the germs at chuck e cheese until i took her to the dr and he said it was just a mosquito or spider bite)

afternoon at hermann park and zoo and riding paddleboats (apparently we were not the only ones who stayed in houston b/c that place was cuh-razy busy)

backyard art

family time at the rodeo

what you eat at the rodeo

what you ride at the rodeo

what you do when you can't afford a beach trip (by the way, what is normally a 10 minute trip to walmart became a much longer ordeal complete with super helpful sales person [sarcasm], bungee cords, security guards, and a 40 minute ride home on back roads going 10mph with me holding on to the pool out the sunroof)

this says 'beach'. saving for next year...

catching up....big time.

y'all. sometimes life goes just a little too fast. here's what we've been up to the last month. you might want to read all the way to the bottom...

dan spent a quality weekend with the kids while i went to an adoption conference at beautiful lake lanier outside of atlanta, georgia.

dan's parents came to visit in early february and we had a fabulous time!

eden was able to take her daddy and her grandpa to the daddy daughter dance at church. she doesn't look excited at all, right....

carter elias (aka spiderman) turned three.

we celebrated valentine's.

e kept busy with school and dance class.

we had lots of quality time with family and friends.

and oh yes, i'm pregnant.

listening skills

the other night dan was reading to the kids before bed. while eden sat and listened to the story, carter rolled around doing somersaults and interrupting and the like. eden said, 'carter, you need to listen to the story! daddy is going to stop reading if you don't sit and listen!'

and carter said, 'eden, daddy already knows i don't listen to stories.'

hmph.

carter tells a joke

carter and eden are really into jokes lately.

carter has a few versions of the old classic.

carter: why did the chicken cross the road?

me: why?

carter (shouting very loudly): i don't know!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

carter: why did the chicken cross the road?

me: why?

carter (shouting again): to go to the hospital!!!!!!!!!!!!!

carter: why did the chicken cross the road?

me: why?

carter (slightly softer, but no much): to see chapman!!!!!!

no boys allowed (and other rules)

these three girls have some serious fun when they are together. but they do NOT like to be bothered by the 'little kids'. hence, a few door signs that carter the two year old and dylan the one year old can not read, and therefore do not listen to.

today

today has been a bit of a somber monday. we learned some sad news about our adoption.

but i have hope.

as i watch my children playing in the yard i know that God knows exactly what His plan is for our family. God loves every single one of His children, whether they are playing in a backyard in Houston, or playing on a dirt pile behind an orphanage in Africa. He loves them when they are joyful and when they are despairing; every moment of time. He knows who belongs where and when. so i will trust Him.