What you would hear if you were a fly on our wall...

It's been a little difficult keeping up with our blog lately with little people crawling all over me, but I am trying. I want to document these moments to remember...I can barely remember what we ate for breakfast this morning, so I'm fairly certain I'll forget these days quickly. I also want to record our days for those who walk the adoption journey behind us. There are certainly LONG days...there are hard days...but there are joyous ones too. I want to remember....

If you were a fly on our wall these days, you might hear...

Zeke, you brush your hair. You brush your teeth. You FLUSH the toilet..not brush the toilet.

Elly, please use your inside voice.

We WILL eat. We WILL feed you.

I kiss-uh your face (from Zeke every few minutes).

Your clothes are on backwards (from Kaitlyn to Zeke and Elly almost every day).

I'll read you a book (from Madison to any of the littles).

We watch Cosby? (Zeke and Elly find The Cosby Show on Netflix to be entertaining)

Kakati okwebaka, era popcorn? (Zeke asking if they can have popcorn after they take a nap)

Bible study? (Is is time for Bible study? from Zeke nightly)

I Uncle David, Elly Miss Jenny, Jett Uncle Daniel (this is their idea of "Playing house" - Jett said they can't play Aunt Amanda because they don't have enough purses...okay, that's funny).

I be right back (Zeke will say this ANYTIME he is going out of a room)

Hold-uh me please (Elly asks this often...frequently..okay, every 2 minutes)

Don't chickle me! (Zeke to JT every morning...translation...please tickle me)

Don't do THAAAAAAYYYAAAT! (Zeke making fun of our Southern accent)

Microphone please (seriously...they LOVE the microphone). Often Zeke will pretend he is "Levi's daddy" (Jim W.) and sing for all of us.

Kunaaba please!!! (Nightly, they ask for a bath...with bubbles)

No Madison!!!! (Zeke and Elly are trying to say "no medicine" when they have to take allergy medicine but instead, they call on their sister).

No fank you! (Zeke and Elly when they don't want to do something...it is just too cute...it often makes me laugh..and JT has to take over the instructions).

Anudder one? (Another one? Whenever they want to do something again...swing, jump, etc, this is what they ask).

Oh, the joy these words bring to my ears. I often look across the table and stare at them. Just three months ago, they didn't know where their next meal would come from or if they would have one. Zeke wet himself nightly and slept in the soaked clothing. He had one outfit. He rarely took a bath if at all. They were waiting for what they did not know would come.....Lord, help me to remember.

Friendship is a gift...

Watching my kids make friends is such a blessing. We are truly overwhelmed by the way people have sacrificed themselves to show love to our kids. Here are just a few pics of love in action.....

Papa Aliwa?

"Papa aliwa?" can be heard multiple times a day around here....where's Papa? All of the kids, especially Zeke and Elly, miss their Daddy when he's gone. Confession time...I do too...a lot! I am so thankful for a husband who spends not just quality time but quantity time with our children.

For the past 6 weeks, JT has taken Zeke and Elly while I teach school to the older three. They generally play in the playroom (some type of singing is involved here and building towers and laughing...lots of laughing), run errands (they LOVE to ride in the car), or work/play outside. So, this week, with just Mom running everything, they have missed their Papa a lot! We have had to juggle the schedule in order to get school finished each day, but God has given the wisdom and patience necessary to complete it all.

Those who know me well know that I'm a homebody at heart. I love to be at home. That was NOT the case while I was growing up, so it is a joy to be here with my family managing the home. But, on Monday, as soon as school was over, we packed up and headed to the McWane Center (let me say, membership to McWane and the zoo have been well worth it for the past few years).

Jett LOVES going to the McWane Center mainly for the playground, the wind tunnel, and the Publix grocery store. However, on this trip he spent most of his time in the dinosaur dig area. He thoroughly enjoyed uncovering the bones using a paintbrush. Madison enjoyed being a meteorologist several times over and the fish exhibits (she's studying ocean creatures in science right now). Kaitlyn said her favorite activity was playing checkers on the 3rd floor with her sister (I think it's because she won). Zeke loved everything...especially the playground and the water area near the playground. He thought it was fun to just explore any and everything! For some reason Elly LOVED the fish area....she has NOT stopped talking about it. She pretends she is a fish and shows us how to touch the back of fish (two fingers only she reminds us)....

It was a great day for all of us. Madison said it was one of the best days ever. I agree...

God's grace and provision are all-sufficient. I don't have to rely on my own desires, needs, strengths or talents to make anything happen. I have all that I need in Him alone. I must totally depend on Him and not on me. So, I trek the kids downtown because He prompts me to do so...I know that I personally wouldn't choose or entertain the idea...I'd rather be here marking things off my growing To-Do list...but God reminds me that other things are more important. They are eternally significant. His teaching is good, and I learn from Him.

Speaking of which, I have been going through the book of Ephesians for a while now. God is teaching me SO much. One of the biggest concepts He has shown me lately comes from Ephesians 4:20 where Paul is talking about the Christian walk. He reminds the believers that they "did not learn Christ in this way." To "learn Christ" is ESSENTIAL to the daily faith journey. How you can live like Christ or love like Christ if you don't LEARN Him first. That's not the word "KNOW"...it implies more than that...to "LEARN" Him! Oh, how I must study Christ through the Word of God daily. I must soak it up and memorize it more. I am more convinced than ever that teaching Him to my children is more important than school, work, etc. They must know and learn the Word of God. I must do the same and set the example. I don't know Him enough. I must know and learn Him more. I feel like I'm at a water fountain every morning drinking of His Word and wanting more. Oh, how I long to learn Him more and more and more.....