SUCH A SWEET AND PRECIOUS TIME

 God is so so good!  This is what you get when the Lord allows two orphan loving families from separate parts of the country to converge on a park in Tulsa for a picnic...

 This is one of my new favorite pictures... The two Elijahs encircling an Isaiah:) 

 Look at those smiles...

Beyond precious...

 I love how kids can instantly become little buddies...

 And look at these precious girls...  Isn't it amazing how creative our God is???  To create all these beautiful kids...

so beautifully...

so differently...

so precious in His sight...

Kids from all over the whole who love HIM...

My sweet friend Linny...

We had such a blessed time with the Saunders family on Monday... It truly was a precious gift for us on so many levels to get to spend time with their whole family.

I love picking Linny's brain in person on some different things that she has far more experience than I do with...

We laughed and laughed as we sat over pizza, watermelon, and fake girl scout cookies from Walmart:)  (Goodness Linny is so funny and witty in person:)

Lou and Greg loved being reunited with their fellow Africa mission trip friends Dwight and Emma:)

It was beyond precious for us to sit and fellowship with like minded friends who share many similarities with us... They fully understand what ministry life is like.  (With it's joys and challenges:) They understand fully life as a large family, and the blessings of adoption.  And ultimately it was such an encouragement to be with people that walk the talk... are the real deal... honest as all get out (I LOVE people who are real about who they are and aren't afraid to admit they aren't perfect... that day will only come when we meet our Savior face to face!)  ... and continually inspire you in life as they lay it on the line... as they love and reach orphans and others all out of the love that they have for their Savior Jesus! 

It was a blessed time... 

We ended our visit by holding hands in the parking lot and praying together... God is so good to knit the body of Christ together like He and only He can.

Then we all piled in our big white vans :)  and hit the road ... me for Wisconsin... and their family to continue their journey east:)   

In my own bed:)

 Dairy Queen on the way to Texas to celebrate Lou's 15th birthday...

 The eyes say it all:)

 Sparklers on the 4th of July:)

 One Happy little 4th boy... Levi loved the fireworks this year... a big change from last year:):)  And he loved the food... as you can tell:)

The bigger boys with their cousins Maddie and Meaghan... They really enjoyed getting the chance to hang out with them:)  The times are so few and far between that we get to see them...

We are so thankful to have made it home safely...  

All the kids are finally silent... 

Greg is still up working...  

 Just finished unloading the cooler...

Loads of other things that will have to wait till tomorrow to be unloaded and unpacked...

I think when I start the laundry I will just repack and keep the suitcases in the extra bedroom till the kids and I leave next week for a wedding with my side of the family...

G leaves tomorrow for a week away for work..

Our timing has stunk this summer on planning/timing of commitments...

I think the littles will be going on 3+ weeks without daddy in the last month...

 I know it could be so so much worse... 

It is just for some reason this summer... I feel like summer will be over and we won't really have had too much down time with just our family...

 We love getting away to see our family all across the country and it is so cherished... but it really has me cherishing the time we had in Colorado with friends where we just sort of plunked down in one place and explored right around there...

Maybe it is just the shear fact that nowadays with 8 of us... just getting out the door is quite a small feat:)  

I wouldn't have it any other way...

Seasons...I know this one will pass way too quickly and I will be longing for it back:)

I am about to crawl in my own bed... There is something about sleeping in your own bed that just can't be beat:) Ahhh...  More vacation pics soon...

LOCKS OF LOVE... MAKING MEMORIES

THE BEFORE SHOT
WE TREATED OURSELVES TO A LITTLE TREAT BEFORE THE "FREE" HAIRCUTS:)

YIKES... THERE IT GOES... (Oh my, when I saw this picture, I thought... wooh... I look like my mother... that was a little wild:)

COULD SHE LOOK ANY MORE PRECIOUS?... I KNOW I AM A LITTLE BIAS:)

AFTER... WITH A HANDFUL OF HAIR IN MY HAND.

Anna has been asking to have her hair cut for probably the last year. Honestly, with having older brothers, I just love having the opportunity to put her long hair in braids, pony tails etc... it is so special after having boys. So I have held her off for a long time. But, all for the sake of making a special memory together we went today to BOTH get our hair cut for locks of love. Truly, I have never been one to spend time doing my hair so to have it long and just be able to wash and go has been the best for me. I have had my hair short before, but it has been a long time. I think this will still be easy to take care of, so I am thankful for that.

My friend Nikki came along to take pictures and Anna was beside herself with joy through the whole thing. She kept saying I want it shorter and afterwards was a little over the top excited... I would have sworn she had eaten a whole pack of Easter peeps... but she was just happy. It was pretty funny.

I love spending time with my little girl... ( Although the haircut has made her look older... I don't really like that too much) I love making memories with my little girl... This was a good day:)