Tenaye's 1st day of school

It is official. Tenaye is a school girl! She started Kindergarten today and loved it. She was a brave girl and didn't cry at all. This morning when she woke up she had a smile from ear to ear and helped me make her lunch and was so excited to go. When we got to school there were lots of people everywhere, so she got a little nervous, but was brave and had a fun day. I know it helps that we know her teacher from church, it has made the transition easier. (Isaac just wanted to have a backpack like his big sis, he isn't in school yet in case you were wondering!)

Tenaye Day

I can't believe that is has already been a year since Tenaye officially joined our family. On one hand it has gone by so quickly and on the other it feels like she has always been with us.

Tenaye,

You are such a special little girl and I am so happy that God has choosen us to be your parents. You make us laugh with your silly sense of humor and your funny outlook on life. You amaze us everyday with your incredible memory and your ability to learn and adapt so quickly. I love to see you and Isaac play together. Nobody can make him laugh like you do! I can't imagine what was going on in your mind when two strangers walked in to the orphanage and you were told to leave with us. You are so brave and have been through and seen so much more than most kids your age. You are smart, funny, beautiful, and full of energy. I love you to the moon and back!

Mommy

Tenaye,

It's been a year to remember for sure. Lots of tears. Lots of laughs. From both you and me. But to watch you now, and to see how much you've grown over the last year makes it all worth it. I always wanted a daddy's little girl. And now I have her. I remember watching you, and holding you when we picked up Isaac. You were so scared and so quiet. I don't think I saw a smile or heard a word from you during our visits. No one would believe it today. You are a funny, brave, talkative little 5 year old girl that is an amazing big sister with a heart of gold. I love you and will always be there for you.

Daddy

Wordless Wednesday (Thursday edition)

Happy 5th Birthday Tenaye!!!

Summer has started!!

One Year Ago Today

One year ago today we passed court in Ethiopia and finally (11 months after referral) became Tenaye's parents. We love you sweet girl and can't imagine life without you. You are smart, funny, brave, loving, and simply fabulous :) Our family feels complete now that you are in it. We will forever thank God for you and are so excited to watch you grow into someone special. Love you to the moon and back!

A Blessed 2nd Birthday

Today is Isaac's 2nd birthday, and we celebrated with a party at our house with some family and friends. It's late Sunday night and it's been a long day for both of us. No matter how busy we are though, and especially today, we remember two people who made the ultimate sacrifice. This little boy of ours is something special, and we thank God all the time for bringing him into our lives and allowing us to call him our son. Enjoy a few photos from the big day.

Check it out

Jason uploaded a new video onto the right side of the blog. It is pretty stinkin' cute! Enjoy :)

Wordless Wednesday (ignore the mess in the background!)

Friday Favorites

Wow, we have had such a busy spring! Jason and I both enjoyed our spring breaks, unfortunately they were different weeks so we didn't get to travel. Oh well, not like we have the money to do that anyway! We had a great Easter with lots of family. The kids got into the egg hunt and had that all figured out by the 3rd time around! Tenaye is a bit skeptical of the whole Easter Bunny concept, who can blame her a gigantic rabbit dressed in clothes?! I don't know that I would want to get near him either.

The kids have been growing like weeds and they are keeping us busy! Tenaye was in the children's choir at church the last couple of months. She had fun and finally started to come out of her shell just as the session was wrapping up. She never made it on stage to the performances in front of the whole church, but that is ok. Hopefully one day she will get over her extreme shyness and get up there. She got to go to the zoo last week on a field trip with her preschool class. She had a good time there, but I think the highlight of the whole trip was riding on a bus! It was a dream come true for her :) We have noticed lately that her accent is completely gone. I miss it! She is truly amazing in how she has adjusted and adapted to life with our family.

Isaac is talking up a storm! He is so funny and will just go on and on talking with his hands and most of the time we have no idea what he is saying! It is too funny. He also loves brushing his teeth. He has graduated from the finger toothbrush to a "big kid" brush. We help him get started and then he rinses his mouth out. So, so cute. Our new favorite activities are playing outside and talking long walks around the neighborhood. I usually push Isaac in the stroller and Tenaye pushes her "mimi" in her little stroller. It is cute. We are looking forward to getting out and doing outdoor activities in the upcoming weeks-- lots of photo ops, hope I remember to bring the camera! Also, we have two birthdays that are just around the corner! Fun times!! Now for the pictures, Jason has been so busy lately that he hasn't had time to make a slide show and I haven't learned how to do that yet, so you will just have to scroll down, I will try and keep them to a managable number!

Wordless Wednesday

Life with a Big Sister

Going Retro

Feeling nostalgic today, so my fav foto is from Isaac's first day in the US. It is so hard to imagine that he was ever this tiny. We look at this outfit every now and then and marvel at how small it is. He was 6 lbs when he came home at 4 months old and wearing preemie sized clothes that swallowed him! Last night at Bible Study I got to meet Peyton Jo, a new baby born to my friend Marci. She was 8 lbs. 7 oz. and looked so tiny. It is hard to imagine that Isaac was even smaller. Now he is walking, running, dancing, singing, talking, and as funny as can be. He is the happiest kid I know (especially when he is playing with big sis) and we can't imagine life without him!

2 for 1

Fav Foto Friday

This picture was taken at my parents house over Christmas. I love it because you can tell just by looking at the picture that Tenaye and Isaac love each other so much. She can make him laugh like no one else. Each morning, I wake up Tenaye first and then go into Isaac's room and bring him in to snuggle with Tenaye. That wakes them both up almost immediately. They smile and laugh and are just so happy together. Tenaye is so good for Isaac. He watches everything she does and tries to copy it all! Isaac has been really good for Tenaye too. She is a little mother to him and I really believe he has eased her transition into our family. Once again, God's timing has proven to be best. When we passed court with Isaac and then had to wait almost a year to bring Tenaye home we were constantly asking "why". Now we know. God knew Isaac needed to come home and be nutured and loved so he could grow and thrive. I truly believe if he had been in Ethiopia much longer he would not have survived. God knew Tenaye would be well taken care of at the orphanage and that would give her time to learn the language there (her 2nd) and understand what was happening when we picked her up. She was then able to attach to Isaac very quickly and have an easier time accepting Jason and I as her parents. God is good!

Wordless Wednesday

Fav Foto Friday

Another blogging trend that I am going to give a try in hopes that I will post more often.

I have two fav fotos for this week. These were taken last fall by a friend of my sister's.

Wordless Wednesday

or not....

So I have seen this on several other blogs I follow and thought I would join in the trend. Wordless Wednesday is just as it sounds. A favorite, funny, weird, strange, odd picture is posted and no caption is given. We will try it out. Maybe this will help me blog more since it is really just pictures everyone wants to see anyway!

Hello...anyone out there?!

I can't believe it has been 2 months since our last blog post. Really, how pathetic is that? I am sure by now the only person reading is my mother-in-law, but in case I am wrong, I will give you a brief update. Tenaye has started preschool two days a week. She is loving it and learning so much. She is really picking up on her letter recognition and letter sounds. We have to make a decision on whether to send her to kindergarten in the fall or wait another year. She has a June birthday, so we can either start now when she turns 5 or wait until she is 6. I go back and forth, Jason says wait. Either way, she LOVES her school and teacher and has transitioned better than we ever expected. She has enjoyed playing in the snow this past weekend, but would much prefer to play in warm weather and go for walks with mommy and Isaac. I don't blame her, I have cabin fever too and look forward to warm afternoons at the park.

Isaac is doing his best to stay well. He had a nasty cold in early January, but is feeling better now. He is surprising us each day with more words. He was a late bloomer in that area, but says "momma","dada", 'mon (as in come on), "nigh nigh", "bye bye", "hello", "thank you", "all done", "mine" and much more. He can also identify his ears, nose, and tongue. He is a future drummer, he bangs on everything and is obsessed with cell phones and remote controls. He also is doing better with table foods, he works with a speech and occupational therapist once a week and is making great strides.

We had a wonderful Christmas (I know, pathetic that I didn't blog about it). Tenaye was so excited for Santa Claus to come until just a few days before the 25th. At that time she started to get a little freaked out and decided that she didn't want Santa looking at her while she was asleep. Even with reassurances that he would only stay downstairs where the Christmas tree and fireplace were, she wasn't too keen on the idea of him coming in the house. We told her that we would ask him to leave the presents outside and then mommy and daddy would bring them inside before she woke up. That seemed to be a good deal for her. She was all about presents though and they both got lots of nice toys and other things. I think Tenaye's favorites are the play doh burger maker and princess dress up clothes. Isaac loves his slide and play tent.

I will try to do better on the blogging. For now, I leave you with pictures.