our weekends

Last weekend was a relaxing, finally nice outside weekend. The girls were very happy to be able to play outside most of Saturday. We finally got all the swings put back up. Mikayla was very excited to be able to be outside and she was very happy to be swinging again!

Jennifer is loving to ride her bike lately. She did lots of practicing in the basement over the winter so she is ready for lots of riding in the driveway and in the big parking lot across the street.

Bill propped Mikayla up on the tree, she did a good job standing for a few seconds!

Daddy and his girls enjoying time outside.

This has nothing to do with our past two weekends but something Mikayla is doing right now. If the playroom door is open Mikayla will go and she is now able to pull herself into the trampoline! It is very cute. She thinks she is pretty cool, once in she will kick her legs up and down, her way of bouncing.

We had kind of a long week with sick kids at our house. Mikayla started Tuesday night and Jennifer joined in the fun Thursday afternoon. Mikayla was better by Saturday and Jennifer was able to stay well long enough to make it through my grandpa's 80th birthday party. Here the girls are waiting so very nicely before we get ready to go to the party.

The whole family (missing Austin Molly) together celebrating grandpa.

After the party we went back to grandma and grandpa's for some more time together. The kids had a great time riding bikes in the driveway. And Bill and Nick decided they should maybe try the trikes out too. (Both of them are going to love me so much for posting these pictures of them!)

Mama and papa gave the kids their Easter baskets early. How could they pass up these cute hats for the kids?!

Papa with all his fishing buddies, Mikayla got a cute little fishing shirt and really could have cared less about the picture.

After being sick for a few days and a busy day of partying yesterday Jennifer was tired today. She usually does not nap during rest time, so we know she is not feeling completely well when she does nap. She started off on the beanbag reading books and ended up on the floor and before we knew it she was zonked out. I am really hoping after a good nap today and a good nights sleep she will be back to normal in the morning. She was pretty cute sleeping on the floor.

Hope you all have been enjoying your weekends as much as we have!

oh the giggles

After a visit from mama for a little bit this afternoon the girls and I were having a lazy afternoon. Jennifer wanted to watch a movie after mama left so we were watching a movie when Bill got home from work. That ended the nice, quiet afternoon. There is something about hearing my girls giggle that just makes me smile. Jennifer was laughing so hard that I found myself laughing out loud at her laugh! There is something sweet about watching a daddy and his daughters. I love, love the laughing!

Of course I have to include pictures.

Jennifer has been asking to paint a lot lately, here she is one day last week painting away. If you look closely under the table you can see Mikayla! I just can't bring myself to let her try painting yet. There would be lots of paint in the mouth I'm afraid.

Mikayla loves getting into our entertainment center lately. She opens the door and crawls in the bottom. I can never get the camera fast enough but today I tried! Here she is crawling out as I'm trying to take her picture.

Of course Jennifer thought I should take her picture too. If you are wondering yes she is wearing a tank top, her new favorite shirt of choice. We just really wish it was warm enough for her to wear it outside.

Crawling in.

She looks like she could just stand right up. No such luck yet, but we are working on it.

my babies

I was just looking at another blog and my eyes started filling with tears and so I just felt I needed to share what was on my heart. The person's blog that I was reading was asking for prayer for two sweet babies half way around the world living in orphanages. These two sweet babies have families who are waiting, who are wanting to bring them home. However, a judge in this country half way around the world will not let them join their forever families because of one reason and one reason only, these sweet babies just happen to have Down syndrome. I cannot tell you how my heart breaks not only for the babies but for their families waiting to bring them home. I look at the pictures of these two sweet kids and honestly all I can see is my babies. My heart breaks to think if my girls had been born somewhere across the ocean. Would they have a family, would they have someone who wanted and loved them? If they were in an orphanage would someone, would I, be coming for them? Would someone, would I, be longing for them to be in my arms? Would someone, would I, see a picture of them on an adoption website and want them? Would I see their potential, would I see their value and worth, would I see that they too deserve love and a family? I will be blunt and ask do you? So often people look of this world look at these children, look at my children and see children with no value or worth. They see children who do not deserve love or a family. How my heart breaks.

I am reading a book right now about living radically for Jesus. As I read a few days ago God allowed me to see my children and adoption in a new light. The author was talking

about a verse in Matthew 13. In verse 44 Jesus says, "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought the field." The author began talking about the man in this verse, saying that the world would look at this man and think he was crazy, that he had lost his mind. Why would he want that field, that to them had no value? I began to think of this verse in terms of my life and I came to a conclusion. My children are my treasure! My children, who happen to have Down syndrome, are my hidden treasure and I have found them! In my excitement I am going to sell everything I have for them, I am going to sell everything I have so that someday I can bring more treasures home to a family that will love them. The world may think I have lost mind and gone crazy but I don't care because I have found my treasure.

I am praying for these two sweet babies who are waiting to go home to their families and I am praying for all the sweet treasures around the world who need a family.

goodbye to Florida

Getting ready for one last trip to the beach. Jennifer is sporting her new riding helmet. One of Grammie's neighbors had this from her daughter when she use to ride horses and she knew how much Jennifer loved horses so she was kind enough to let Jennifer have it. This picture captures Jennifer with her two great loves, swimming and riding horses.

It really is a great look!

One last afternoon to play on the beach and in the ocean.

Goodbye beach, goodbye ocean.

Jennifer saying goodbye to Kylie. I think the dog is missing Mikayla because she would throw food on the floor to just the watch the dog eat it but the dog is probably a little happy Jennifer is gone, Jennifer thought she could get the poor dog to do whatever she wanted.

Goodbye Grammie, goodbye Florida.

Bill asked Jennifer if we should go back to Florida when she is six or seven, I am hoping for six but we will see. It was a great spring break!

more Florida fun

Swimming in the ocean is fun but we knew Jennifer would love to actually go swimming so one day we found a water park with indoor and outdoor stuff to do. It was a very fun day, Jennifer loved going down the slides that were her size and Mikayla really just loved being in the water.

Jennifer trying out one of the slides, there were three slides right beside each other and she would only go down the pink one. And in typical Jennifer fashion we all had to go down with her at one point, so Bill went down, Grammie went down and I went down, always fun to go down a water slide even if it was a kiddie size one.

Eventually we got Jennifer to go down the purple slide and this became her favorite, she still takes about it at home. Each time she went to wait in line she would tell the lifeguard watching, "Hey, I'm going down the purple slide, ok."

Mikayla was really happy to just be in the water, she had a fun too, even though she wasn't big enough to go the slides yet.

Taking a little rest on Grammie.

My water bug loving this day! Outside there were bigger slides that you used tubes to go down, of course no pictures. Jennifer and I rode together on one of the slides and at first she was a little nervous but after the first time she loved it and we had to go several more times!

Going to the water park meant we had to miss a day on the beach but we were back the next day! Jennifer is getting buried.

Playing on the beach and in the ocean can be really hard work, sometimes you need a little rest.

Mikayla playing with all the sand toys.

Florida fun

It was a week and a half ago that we pulled out of the driveway and started on our long drive to Florida. It was indeed a long drive but we made it and for being in the car for 24 hours straight the girls did amazing. We had great weather while we were there and it was so nice to have the girls outside without coats!

Of course one of the first stops we had to make was to the ocean. It is one of Bill's favorite places ever and he would have spent everyday there, if it was up to him. Jennifer takes after her dad in many ways and she too loves, loves the beach.

Mikayla's first dip in the ocean. She wasn't too sure what to think of it at this point.

Playing at the park by Grammie's house. Did I mention we didn't have to wear coats while we were there?

We spent most of our mornings playing outside in the driveway.

Our first day playing on the beach! Jennifer and Mikayla loved playing in the sand. Mikayla tried eating it at first, which grossed me out but eventually she learned it wasn't that great to have in her mouth.

We visited a zoo one afternoon and this was Jennifer's favorite thing! Forget the animals give this girl some sort of horse, even a carousel horse, and she is happy. Of course when the ride was done we had to quickly walk away because she wanted to ride again.

Daddy having a tea party with his two princesses, how very sweet.

And this was just the first few days of our trip!