last tuesday...

last tuesday night i got to hang out with this really cool chicka...
she has a lot going on right now,
but she took the time
to make a four and a half hour drive from her door to mine,
to attend a concert with me.

love her.

she is good.

and she loves people well.

what more could one ask?

ode to seattle

isaiah and hannah got dressed this morning in the same pants...
so they decided to take it a step further...



and then they got the little boys involved...



clearly they are representing.
go mariners :)

looking forward to next week...

world water day :)

Unshaken - charity: water's campaign for Haiti from charity: water on Vimeo.

today is world water day :)
donate here
buy a jerry can pin... or seventeen.

evening at the park...

backyard camp-out

isaiah, hannah, micah, and brody have spent the last three nights sleeping in the backyard.
the temps. have been in the 30's, but with four of them in there, and a ton of covers, they haven't ventured inside before 8:00am on any morning.

i told them, however, that tonight will be the last night...
it is supposed to snow tomorrow night, and into saturday.

they were seriously bummed.

they thought i was being unreasonable to not allow them to sleep out in the snow.

i have weird kids.

first fire of the year..

geesh.

can some one please let me know when this happened?
they are literally changing everyday,
and new haircuts don't help.

in response...

so much heartache is being played out,
and given the public nature
i felt i needed to respond.

we whole heartily, one hundred percent
love our friends.

they are the bravest people
i have ever met,
both of them.

and we support them
completely,
forever.

the end.

my crew for godspell

and they were absolutely perfect.
could not have asked for better company.

Godspell :)

2 days till show time

stage make-up :)
he would make a really pretty girl...



more stage make-up... and today, they like each other



and micah with his freakishly large eyes..

eight years ago...

let them eat cake

birthday goodness...

hannah's new specks

and my baby boy....

happy birthday isaiah

today my isaiah is twelve.



i am so, so proud of this boy.
he is sensitive, and caring, funny, and outgoing.

he loves people,
and he loves his God.

he is not afraid to dance, or sing, or get straight a's, and be on student council.
all while being such a great athlete.

he excels at everything he does,
but because he works hard.

we are constantly being told what a hard worker he is,
how he tries harder, stays longer, and practices more than most.

i cannot wait to see what he decides to do with his life,
i don't doubt he will make a difference.

i love you so much sweet isaiah,
happy birthday.

in a funk

and i don't know how to work my way out of it.

emotionally i think i am spent.

and my eyes are tired.
my jaw is tight.
my head is pounding.

and i don't feel like that even begins to scratch the surface.

the gravity of it all is,
there will be more.

i just feel so ill prepared at times.
and like there is no floor below me,
just falling, and falling,
with no end in sight.

i wish i could land for a sec.
catch my breath, you know?

guess it's time for some more ibuprofen.

spring is coming... i think

on valentine's day, hannah left this silly string heart outside of micah and brody's window..



a super fun ice tunnel slide thing



and sunshine, and blue sky, and no ice on the branches..

us... almost.

valentine love

micah made me a valentine.
he told me he couldn't wait to give it to me, so i received it the moment he walked through the living room, in snow covered boots.

i said i loved it,
and asked if it was a picture of a giraffe and an elephant.

he said,
"yes, because they have those animals in africa, you know, where our sister is."

i smiled.

then he said,
"did you notice that the elephant has a wristband on his trunk? because, elephants wrists are too big for wristbands."

so true.

they love me :)

little road trip

to the golden roof place :)
drove five and a half hours
for a certificate that took 30 seconds to get to me...

and i would do it again
every single day
if it meant one minute more
with my sweet girl.

adoption painting :)

so, jody agreed to list one of my paintings on her blog.. for a raffle to help bring our sweet girl home.
you can read all of the details here.

pity party

so, last night it snowed again.
enough to cover the roads, and driveway, and yard,
but not enough to cancel, or even delay school

i got up early,
went outside,
and shoveled a path up to the street,
so that no little feet had to get wet
as they walked to the bus stop.



in addition, i scraped steve's van,
warmed it up (as i do EVERY morning),
and shoveled a path to it,
so that his sweet little feet wouldn't get wet either.



and guess what?
no one said thanks, mom.
or thanks, hon.

whatever.
lame-o's.