Lovin' Lake Life

I'm sure I've mentioned it before, but I LOVE our location in the summer.  Can life get any better than a sandy beach and a beautiful lake within biking/walking distance?  How about 3 beaches around our beautiful lake?  We haven't been able to go swimming as much as we would like because we've been gone/really, really busy.  But we have managed to squeeze in more than a handful of trips the last few weeks - all in the mornings because the afternoons have been crazy hot!  

 They love jumping off the dock and this year they are taller/the water level is lower so they can do it by themselves!

 Ryan loves jumping off the dock more than Allie, so she practiced her swimming while he jumped.  Currently, she is obsessed with swimming backwards/floating on her back (note: she is not sitting in the water - this water is chest high on her, so both feet up means she is legitimately swimming/floating)

 Taking a break.

 Practicing swimming forward.

My favorite pictures are the ones where, if you didn't know they were jumping IN, you would almost think they had suddenly taken flight and were heading UP.  Like a superhero.

Super Ryan!

 Super Allie!

 A morning at the lake is most fun when enjoyed with friends.  Here are the twins snacking with one of their bestest friends, Little L.

After a morning at the lake we are always return home physically tired, but refreshed and relaxed in spirit.  After a morning at the lake, I'm convinced there is no better place for kids to grow up.  We're livin' the good life and we love it!

Our Fourth

Our actual 4th was pretty low-key.  Our dear friends from seminary - with whom we have "vacationed" (or at least spent the day) every summer since we met - were visiting.  We were a stop on their way home (to the East Coast) from Ohio, and the 4th was the only full fay we had with them.  So we spent some time chilling:

 Playing piano:

 You know, just hanging out.  The highlight of the day (for the twins) was when Uncle Josh took them fishing.  Our little lake is actually pretty good for fishing...but we have no poles.  My kids like to "fish" with long sticks they pick up, but they are always disappointed when they catch nothing.  So this was big.

Picking out a bobber.

 The bait.

 Allie and Uncle Josh

 Ry-guy and Daddy

 Waiting for fish.

 Checking out their catch.

Allie - soft-hearted lover of all things (living and non) wanted to kiss every fish (isn't the look on Uncle Josh's face classic?!)

 Uncle Josh taught them about the kind of fish they were catching (sunfish/bluegill), the potentially ouchy spikes on their back, etc.  They loved it.

 Pretty soon Ryan switched to fish with Uncle Josh because...well...Daddy wasn't catching anything!

 Reeling in his first fish (he loved reeling them in by himself)!

 Daddy's first catch!

 Showing off our fish 

(I only got a picture of Allie with a fish because she delighted in seeing and touching each one, while Ryan only wanted to reel them in, take them off the hook, throw them back, and catch something BIGGER!)

 We kept a few fish in a bucket for the twins to get an up-close look, then dumped them back at the end (if you look closely, you can see a fish about to be dumped)

They caught somewhere around 10 fish (I lost count, but we hit double digits) in the hour or so we were there.  It was a lot of fun.

And, of course, we took the classic group picture.

Does it look like a few are missing?  Their 2 oldest were with the grandparents for Grandparent Camp!

It was so wonderful to squeeze in our annual visit.  We are so thankful for our great friends and look forward to next year!
p.s. for previous group pictures see Here,   HERE, HeRe,  here, or the very first HERE!

The Yard Sale

In another long absence (sorry Grandparents), I debated whether or not to go into much detail about the yard sale - especially since I didn't get any pictures.  But through every step of the adoption process, God has done amazing things to provide for and confirm His calling for our family.  I think it is important to share those things - no matter how small.  So, I decided to share.

In the fall I participated in a local mom-to-mom sale.  As I was setting the prices for the sale (most items were donated), I knew I wanted to set them pretty low.  I could put myself in the place of those moms - looking for great deals on nice things for their children.  Since almost everything I was selling had been donated for the cause (technically making everything a profit) - and since we have been so blessed by the generosity of family, friends, and even neighbors we had never met - I wanted to bless these mothers in return.  As I prepared for this sale, I realized that I had the opportunity to give everyone that same feeling.  Lucas loves garage sale-ing, and it is so much fun when he comes home excited because of a great deal he found, or a great barter.  Ultimately, I feel confident that God will provide, and in the meantime I just wanted to make everyone who came to my sale feel uplifted, encouraged, and excited by the time that they left.

Now, this doesn't mean I dropped all the prices to rock bottom.  I do my homework, I know what the items are worth, and the money is going to (I think) a wonderful cause.  My prices were competitive, but I resolved to be open to offers and to try to make every encounter positive.

We started the 2-day sale with fewer big ticket items than last year (less furniture, etc.).  There was a steady stream of people, but all of the purchases seemed to be small amounts.  And I was accepting pretty much any offer (in fact, the only offer I didn't accept was $5 for a crib - which was definitely worth more!).  I was convinced we wouldn't make near as much as last year.  Quite often I would think, "I shouldn't have accepted that lower price.  I know someone would have paid full amount."  But then I would think about how excited they were when they left and I would remind myself, "As we are blessed we bless others in return."  It was practically my mantra.  

When the lady was demanding a lower price because of a microscopic crack (that was not a damaging - just the usual veining that you find in older pieces) in a platter that she was going to use as a dog dish, I whispered in my head, "Be a blessing." When the woman wanted just 1 of a set of plates because she prefers mismatched and refuses to collect sets, I reminded myself , "Be a blessing."  When a man (who I think was stocking clothing for his second hand store) asked if he could have jeans at half price if he bought a lot, and I wanted to say, "Of course not.  I want you to buy a lot AND pay full price," I focused on my real goal, "Be a blessing."  Then there were people who made it easy - like the young couple picking up items for their baby girl that was due any day (I actually gave them a few things because they bought so much), or the woman who was buying baby items because she and her husband were just approved to be foster parents and were hoping for a call to place a baby in their home any day (I gave a few things to her too).  And people left with smiles on their faces, and people told me my sale was the best they had been to, and 1 woman told me that I was the only nice person she had seen all day.  Overall, I felt like I HAD really been the blessing that I sent out to be.  But I was pretty sure I didn't make any money. 

And then I started counting the money.  I'm pretty confident my exact words were a very loud, "Holy cow!  No way!"  And then I counted again.  And then I counted again.  Every time it was the same.  Last year we made about $325 at the actual sale (including donations), and brought in another $90 from craigslist sales the week after ($415 for those similarly math challenged as I).  This year, the sale alone brought in a whopping $493.  We received a total of $75 in addition in donations ($568 total).  I was blown away.

Now, one way to look at it is to think about how much money I COULD have made had I not accepted any offers.  But I prefer to be amazed by God's faithfulness.  I trusted Him to provide and committed myself to blessing others the way many have blessed us - and He provided beyond my expectations.  I frequently find myself confident that God's hands are tied.  That He has nothing to work with (such as the lack of big ticket items at the sale).  That, at best, He might meet my expectations, but I understand if He fails.  And then He surpasses my expectations and reminds me that the Creator of All needs nothing to provide for all my needs.

And, quite frankly, I need to be reminded of that myself today.  We received an e-mail from our social worker letting us know to expect a slow-down in Ugandan adoptions.  Without going into many details, the country is making some changes that I truly believe are in the best interest of the children and the people of Uganda.  I am so thankful that our agency is being pro-active and doing everything in their power to encourage and aid these changes.  I am honored to be part of the adoption community that is aware of and praying for the important decisions that have and are being made around the world for the children in their care.  At the same time, I long to be done - to have our whole family in the same place, on the same continent, just being a family together.  I sometimes feel like I'm walking around with a part of me missing - out there, somewhere far away, in a place completely unknown to me - and in the already ambiguous time frame of waiting, the thought of adding more time breaks my heart.  

So I sit here and remind myself that I may not know the time, but God knows.  I may not know the children, but God knows.  I may not know where they are, but God knows.  And He is holding us all in His hands and working to bring us together.  While now it feels impossible (or impossibly long), and I feel like His hands are surely tied, I rely on reminding myself of all the times He has provided - in His perfect timing - so incredibly beyond what I could have ever imagined.  

And so I wait.  Living the life He gave me.  Trusting in His timing.  Trying to be a blessing to everyone I meet.

Speaking of life...I couldn't leave the grandparents without any pictures :)  The other day the twins spent the whole morning finding everything in our house that had wheels and lining them up in the living room (sometimes they said it was for a meeting...sometimes for a race...).  These are the moments - when they play together perfectly for a long period of time doing something so simple that completely delights them - that warm my heart the most.

Twinners' First Fireworks

I know.  You are totally confused, right?

First we take a couple weeks off, then we return and dump you in the beginning of June, and then suddenly we are at the 4th of July...and it isn't even the 4th of July yet!  Bear with me.

Basically, while I was enjoying being internet-free I also enjoyed some time being camera free (or the batter died and I kept forgetting to charge it...).  So there were about 2 weeks that didn't get documented.  I'll fill you in.  

 - The twins spent a weekend with daddy at the lakehouse while I had a wonderful weekend with the ladies on Lucas' side of the family (over my birthday - which everyone made wonderful).

 - we visited Nana after the lakehouse which was lovely and relaxing.

- we came home and had the yard sale.  We made almost $500 to put toward the adoption - which surpassed last year and our expectations.

- we had not 1 but 2 reunions with dear college friends...that went completely un-documented...because I forgot to charge my camera battery.

- the twins hovered on the verge of sickness for about a week so we didn't do much.

 - The temperatures soared and we made our own water slide.

 And that pretty much wraps up June...except for the fireworks.  It turns out that our community always does fireworks the Saturday before the 4th...which happened to be June 30th this year.  If you are thinking that it feels a little weird to celebrate the 4th of JULY in June...well, you would be correct.

We have not yet taken the twins to see fireworks.  In previous years I felt that their sleep was more important than the experience - they are incredibly sensitive to changes in their schedule, especially those that affect their sleep.  This year (this summer, for that matter), they have become much more flexible, and (especially during our travels) have had their sleep schedule pushed many times and they handled it well.  So, we braved it.

I'm so glad we did!

Waiting for the fireworks to begin.

Since they didn't even start until 2 hours after the twins normal bedtime, I dressed them in their pajamas (which I still managed to coordinate red, white, and blue!).  To keep them occupied during the pre-show twilight we stopped at the Dollar Store on the way and picked up glow sticks and necklaces ($4 for all of them!).  They were a huge hit.

One of my favorite moments was before the fireworks.  I took the twins to the edge of the open field and we caught fireflies.  They had never seen them in real life before.  There were so many around us - creating an enchanting atmosphere - and the twins were so excited when I was able to catch one for each of them to hold.  Is there a better way to spend a summer evening?

Shortly after we got back to our chairs, the fireworks began.

I loved hearing the twins say things like, "Wow!" and "That's my favorite!" (the one's that crackle and spin after they burst).  My favorite was when Ryan would yell, "Come down to us!  Come here!"  We were sitting at the edge of the field where they light them and they were literally bursting above our heads.  He desperately wanted them to come down to him before they went out.

I'm sure that I've said it before, but the 4th is one of my favorite holidays and I especially love fireworks.  It is always awesome to watch your favorite people experience one of your favorite things for the first time.  I'm so happy we went!

Happy 4th everyone!

A Work-cation Adventure

Wednesday morning we woke up to a text from Nana saying that Poppy was in from the boat until mid-afternoon if we wanted to surprise him with a visit.  Of, course!  We left as quickly as we could.

Poppy was indeed surprised and we got to enjoy lunch together before we piled in the van to take him back to the boat.

At the boat we got a few surprises. 1) this location lets you get really close to the boats – closer than we’ve ever been.  So we took a bunch of pictures.  

2) the boat was delayed so we had some extra time to spend with Poppy!  We went for ice cream to fill the time.

Eventually we had to bring Poppy back to the boat.  We dropped him off and watched him climb up.  He came out and waved to us (and called Denise – who you see him talking to here).  

Allie really wanted to wait and see the boat leave, so we watched them finish loading and then we saw them take pull away.  The smoke billowed from the smokestack and the water started to turn and bubble around them as the giant boat began to move.  We stood on shore waving and yelling goodbye as Poppy came out to wave to us one last time.

After the boat left, we headed back to Nana’s for a trip to the park.  Then we met Little Grandma for dinner.  Then we headed home.  But, wouldn’t you know, not far down the road the kids were in need of a potty break (Yes, we took them to the bathroom before we left the restaurant, but they each drank a full 20 oz. glass of water!).  Thankfully, we were about a quarter mile from Aunt Darleen’s.  So we stopped to use her bathroom and spend some time with her and Uncle Pat.

She has a little river in her back yard and the twins were excited to throw rocks (or sticks or whatever they could find) in the water.  Her yard is one of the most enchanting places – with all sorts of little nooks or decorations that surprise and delight.  She has a bike and a wagon that she turned into flower “pots.”  She has an adorable fenced in garden with a storybook arch over the gate.  And she has not one but two bottle trees!

The twins loved exploring her yard and garden and learned a few things like:

-          what a potato bug is, and how to find and remove them.

-          what happens when you squeeze a robin’s egg too tightly.

-          why you shouldn’t run into the garden shed when no one is looking.

All in all it was an absolutely wonderful day!