Fun day at the pool!

Hud and Russ

Here's my sister, Jana and niece, Kaylee.

Uncle Josh with the cousins.

We were in CA during a heat wave, so the pool always felt so good!!!! Hudson even learned to swim on this vacation!

My best friend Rachel

Rachel has been one of my dearest friends since our freshman year of college. She and a talk so much when we get together that our cheeks hurt!

Our Little Mermaid Princess

We did a lot of swimming on our vacation!

Coronado Beach

Remind you of Bay Watch?

We just returned from a great vacation to California. Our first stop was San Diego where we visited my best friend from college. We had a great, but too short visit with Rachel and her family. The best part was Coronado Beach!!!

The News We've Been Waiting For!!!!!

See our Adoption Blog

143,000,000

Vote for Bruce Brown!!!!

A great friend of ours, Bruce Brown, is running for District court judge. He's the best candidate in our opinion. He's, as he says, "firm, fair, experienced." We think he's must more than that.... wise, godly, great father, great husband, great Bible study leader... a man of integrity... one you want on the bench!!!

Please make it a point to vote for him in the August 5th primary, and tell all your friends to also!!!

www.brucebrownforjudge.com

Christmas Kisses

I came across some cute Christmas pics, and realized I hadn't blogged our Christmas. It was a bit crazy.... I worked the 26th and 27th, then we headed down to New Mexico. From there Russ and I went to Turkey for 10 days, and it took quite a while for me to catch up around the house after being gone for 3 weeks. Hence, my failure to document our celebration. Here's two of my favorite pics of the kids in front of the tree.

In case of a tornado....

Find shelter in the basement... in the middle of your home...away from windows....

Friday, forecasters were warning of a severe storm coming through with conditions that could produce many tornadoes. We were all downstairs watching the news and the kids were asking questions about safety. I explained that if the sirens went off, we'd go to the bathroom and wait until it was safe. Awhile later, I went in to find our shower ready in case of a crisis. This apparently, ladies and gentlemen, is the loot that Han decided she and Hud shouldn't live without. (Mostly trucks and toy horses)

The storm did produce over 30 tornadoes and we were blessed and grateful that none came our way.

Hud's the best!

I can always tell if Hud's made a trip to the bathroom by the way his pants look. Actually, the waistband of his undies usually make it over the shirt too! Poor guy, he's been sick since Wednesday with fevers and other unmentionable stuff. His temp got as high as 105. He contracted the nasty bug from Han, who has also been sick with the same thing. I've been trying to be the nurse, but I've been sick too. Needless to say, I've been thankful for cartoons this week!

Speaking of Horses

This pink horse is Han's absolute favorite toy. She named her Spawklewuks (Sparkleworks). Han loves horses so much she plays with horses instead of dolls. Have you noticed what Sparkleworks is doing? Yes, bweastfeeding the other animals!

Congrats are in order this week for Sparkleworks.... she got married!!! We found this brown sorrel horse at a garage sale and Han begged for it. I bought it so Sparkleworks could have a friend. "No," Han insisted, "He's her husband!!!" They wasted no time starting their family... just two garage sales away was a little one who is their baby (the peach one in the middle).

Finally Riding Horses!!!

" This is serious business," (or "I'm a little nervous.").

We're ready for the rodeo parade!!

Cowboy Will is taking the kids for a ride.

Han is as much of a cowgirl as she can possibly be. She longs to have her own horse some day and begs to go riding all the time. "When can we meet someone who has a horse," she'll ask.

A friend of ours was in town this week and brought his horses with him. Hud and Han were ecstatic to get the chance to ride.

Han Expresses Her Emotions

I keep waiting to put this on the blog because I was hoping to get a pic to add with it. Oh well, I hope something is better than nothing and will keep all you paying customers who read my blog happy (MOM!)

Han has had a favorite outfit this winter, and wants to wear it every day that it's clean. In my opinion it's not the cutest one she has, but the shirt sparkles a bit, and sparkles are huge in Han's mind of fashion. Also, the skirt is bouncy and I think she feels really grown up in it.

Anyway, the other day I was insisting she wear something other than this fav. outfit for a particular occasion ( I usually give in to her fashion sense even thought it doesn't always jive with mine).

She was very upset and said, "Mom, I haven't been getting my way very much lately, and I really feel like the life in my heart has been leaving me!"

Of course I felt horrible, because to her, I'm sure these kind of things are very important in her little life! I was impressed by her ability to verbalize her emotions..... but, wasn't emotionally swayed and stuck to my guns.

A few days later when she got to wear the outfit again she said, "Now I feel like the life in my heart is coming back."

So sad for the Chapmans!

Today I've been grieving for the Chapman family as they have tragically lost their littlest China doll, Maria. I can't imagine the pain and the grief. It's unbearable without the comfort of Christ. This is such a special family. Lord, please bind up their broken hearts, and give them the faith they need to trust you through this.

Random Theological Soundness of a 4-year-old Christian

I was driving along in the van today when Han decides to ask/make a theological observance. This was totally off the subject, random, and out of the blue.

Han: "Mom, shouldn't the Piewhats be doing SOMEthing to honuh God?"
Me: "What, Han?"
Han repeats verbatim...
Me: "Pirates?"
Han: "Yes!"
Me: "Are you talking about the Pirates who Don't Do Anything?"
Han: "Yes, shouldn't they be doing something to honuh God!!?"
Me: "Well, yes, Han, they should!!"

Hud the stud

Here are a few pics of Hud. The first few are of his new favorite sport, "blastball." It's a very basic version of T-ball. He's the one with the blue hat and Han's in the background with a skirt on.

Here he is after soccer practice, he put is boots on over his shin guards.

This is how I found him one morning. He had gotten the piece of newspaper, stole my calculator, a legal pad, and grabbed a couple of his books. He's always liked "papuh wuk" as he used to call it before he could say his "R's." Wonder what he'll turn out to be some day.

He's a joy of a boy to parent! He's got so much personality!

BAMMMM!

The other day I was organizing my laundry room and Han was "helping" me. We were going through cleaning products that I no longer use and she grabbed the Kaboom. She said, "MOM, is this BAMMMM?!!?" "What do you mean, BAMM??" "You know," and then said loudly, "BAMMM! And the dirt is gone!!!!"

She must have seen the comercial and it made an impact on her! Scary!!! I had her renact it for the video.

Jesus in his heart!

A few weeks ago, our sweet Hud decided to give his life to Jesus! It was in the van with Russ after church, and we took a picture of it so that he would hopefully remember it better as he gets older.

This has been something Han has been encouraging him to do ever since she made the decision last fall. We kept telling her that Hud could decide when he was ready. She was genuinely concerned that he hadn't made the decision yet. He, on the other hand wasn't quite sure he was ready to die and go to heaven. Han kept telling him, "I did it and I didn't die!"

One day he randomly came up to me and said, "Mom are you going to be there?" "Going to be where, Hud?" "In heaven." I assured him that I was. Then he said, "Is Jackson going to be there?" Again, I assured him. "Well what about my blue blankie?" I told him that I thought Jesus would have a brand new blue blankie for him. "But I want my old one." "Well that will probably be ok." Then he asked if a few more of his favorite things would be there, like knight helmets, swords, and Bible study books.

On the particular day he made the decision, Han had initiated the conversation and Russ told her to let him decide when he was ready. This time he insisted he wanted to and Russ told him that he could wait, but he said no and was emphatic about doing it right away. Russ talked with him about what it meant and he understood it all. When he was ready to pray, on his own, he got out of his booster seat and knelt down. He asked Russ to help him, and said his own little version of the sinner's prayer.

He announced it at his AWANA's Cubbies club that week. The teacher told all the kids that Hud had something special he wanted to share, and he got up in front of them all and told them that he had asked Jesus into his heart. Then after they all prayed for him, Han raised her hand and said that she had something special to share too... "Today in swim class, I went down the big slide and opened my eyes TWO times under water!!!"

Art Auction

One of my favorite charity organizations right now is Love Without Boundaries. They are doing amazing stuff in China including surgeries, foster care and education for orphans.

Their annual art auction starts April 24th and goes through the 29th. Maybe you'll find something you love, and help save a life when you buy it!

The photo above is an oil painting of a little girl who received heart surgery with funds provided from Love Without Boundaries.

http://www.lovewithoutboundaries.com/

Following Christ in Baptism

The other night I had just put the kids to bed when I heard Han yell out to me, "MOM, when I get baptized, I want to do it with my shirt off!!!!

Me: "WHAT!!?!! Han, you can't get baptized with your shirt off, you have to wear clothes."

Han: "Well, Mom, look here at Jesus. Look what he's doing."

I went into her room and she is looking at the pictures in her children's Bible by the light of her night light. Sure enough, there he is waist deep in the Jordan with no shirt on.

Can't fault her for wanting to be like Jesus, but will make sure she is properly dressed when the time comes for her to be baptized!!

Foreign Languages

The other day Han said, "Mom, I learned a new word."
Me: "What did you learn, Han?"
Han: "Ni Hao"
Me: "Wow, Han, that's great! Do you know what it means?"
Han: "It means 'Hola' in Chinese!"

My teenage 4-yr-old

Today I was painting Han's little nightstand. I was doing a crackle finish and for those of you who have tried it before, you know it's challenging to get it to go on smoothly. Well Han was standing by as I painted begging me to let her paint. I kept telling her, "no," and trying to explain that it was difficult. She finally said, "Mom, I know how you feel. I just need you to twust me!!!" Isn't she not supposed to say those things for another 10 years?

Relating to Dad

When Han wants to relate to Russ she gives compliments like:

"Dad you're so handsome!

You're as handsome as an Indian tom tom!!!!"

When Hud wants to relate to his dad, he says things like:

"You wanna piece of me?!?!"