weekend happenings

This morning we packed up and headed down the freeway to sign the contract for the new house!!! Next week we'll be closing on it and moving our things in! I feel like Houston will always be home, but we are so looking forward to new adventures in another city and growing closer as a family.

We spent Sunday at my aunt and uncle's house for a family 4th of July celebration. The kids had so much fun in a kiddie pool and eating the yummy patriotic cupcakes and hamburgers.

Trent sat in the dining room talking to my grandparents for a long time, it was priceless!

my daddy

my mama and me

my Nana, mom, me and my aunts

Hope everyone had a great holiday weekend!

Rain is a good thing

Yesterday was another miserably hot day, and the kids were wanting to play in the kiddie pool. We all changed into out swimsuits and headed outside with watermelon and juice pouches.

Josh suddenly wanted to wash the truck, so the kids jumped all over that. Grabbing rags, soaking them with soapy water, and dancing while they washed...occasionally gathering soapy bubbles on themselves to get clean. :)

As usually is the case, it started raining in the middle of washing the truck. Josh grabbed the water hose and started spraying us all with it. We spent the next 15 minutes playing tag, while Josh sprayed us and raindrops drenched us. Yes, we are that family.

Now the truck needs to be washed again, but at least the kids made memories! Tomorrow we're getting together with family for 4th of July. We're bringing stuff to make s'mores, and baking patriotic cupcakes in the morning. Fireworks are banned here this year due to the drought we've had, so maybe giving the kids a sugar high will be just as fun. ;) have a great holiday weekend!

--Lindsey

Our {soon to be} new home

It feels like we've been waiting forever to close on our new house...but we should be doing it next week! I'm so excited to start this new journey! It will be so nice seeing this every day:

Definitely a change in scenery! Now we just have to sell our lease our current house. Pray that it happens quickly so we can settle in without that weighing on us. We should be moving in the middle of July, being sure to drink tons of water since we're in the throws of the hottest summer in Texas history! Have a great 4th of July!

the livin's easy

Since it's pretty much just me and the kids till Sunday, I plan on keeping them busy. My to do list is kinda full, I'm hoping to get everything done.

Paint with chalk outside
Go to lake and feed ducks
Make popsicles
Bake cupcakes for my grandparents
Clean out rooms and organize upstairs
Go to a "new to us" park
Mow yard (ugh)
Make homemade pizza

blessed

The past couple of months have been eye opening, and although at times very difficult, it has also been the best times I have ever had. We have struggled as a family, and grown closer together. Our marriage has benefited greatly, and we know that God is the reason why. He determines every decision we make as a family, and are so excited for the next phase in our lives. After taking some time to pray, soul search, and grow...we have decided to resume our adoption process through foster care. I don't want to say too much about the number our ages or anything that we are going for, but it is a sibling group. We are getting more excited everyday, and I can't wait to start our home study. We have only told a few family members, and will begin telling more people close to us as the ball gets rolling. Prayers from anyone reading this would be so appreciated...the process can seem daunting at times, and I feel for every single child in foster care that is sleeping tonight without someone to call Mommy and Daddy.

On another note, Josh has started a new job and so far it's going great, we couldn't be happier about it. The kids are growing like weeds, I think Trent says a new word almost daily. That is wonderful but sad to me at the same time. He is my last baby, and the days of diapers, cuddles, naps, and slobbery baby kisses seem to be flying by. Kali has been growing into herself too, and I love it. Four is such a fun age. She is so independent and comfortable with who she is. We catch her singing her own made up songs all the time, I need to record some. Chandler is having a blast next door these days with his friends, and I love watching them all grow up together. He has been such a huge help around here, too. Who knew that once they turn six that they actually clean their room and help do chores willingly? My younger two could not have asked for a better big brother, he talks a lot about wanting to teach Trent to do things as he gets older, and is so sweet with Kali (most of the time!). I feel so blessed to have been given three amazing biological kids, and then have God call us to be blessed by adopting also!

We are still enjoying summer around here, although the heat has been killer. But at least that makes for a good tan. I volunteered Sunday at the kids' preschool program at Church, and I got to be in Kali's class! I was so excited and so was she. We had a really great time, I loved watching little four year olds sing their songs and have their own sermon. So cute. Hopefully this week flies by because I can't wait to spend much needed family time with Josh and the kids for July 4th. And of course get more of a tan. :)

One more thing...

For Easter we got Chandler and Kali their own bibles, and I LOVE them! They give some really good tips/ideas to kids, and also help them better understand and relate to God's word. They really enjoy them. They are by Sheila Walsh, and this is Chandler's:

Sorry about the glare...Kali's is a Princess version of course :). So anyway, we were reading about Noah last night and Chandler's had a suggestion for kids to "build" an ark as Noah did, gather their (stuffed) animals, "lantern" (flashlight) and imagine living that way like Noah. So, that's exactly what we did this morning. They had a blast and are still in there playing. It's a nasty rainy day here, so I'm sure that's where they'll stay until lunch.

Summer

This is the first summer that I have three mobile kids, and they have been overflowing with energy. Naps are becoming a thing of the past, so I've been trying to find things to keep them busy so I don't have to hear "we're boooooored!!!"....and to make fun memories for them. :) We've been painting, running through sprinklers, slip n' slides, swimming, sidewalk chalk-ing the driveway, building pillow and blanket forts in the living room, and last week they had a shaving cream and silly string fight with their friends. It was so much fun!! I got the idea from Meg at Whatever.

It's been so hot here, I wish we had our own pool....maybe one day. For now I need to clean my house that has been neglected for the last two weeks. Ugh.