Summertime!

Summer is finally here and with it all of the excitement, relaxation, and fun! Unless you're a parent and are the one having to plan, organize, and entertain 3 very "bored" children. ;0) Then vacation is really nothing but work!

So, my niece is spending the summer with us and we have a TON of fun things planned. Everything form craft days to cooking classes, field trips to movie days, a weekend Olympics and a week in which the kids will learn everything about Haiti in prep for Moise & Phoenix's July homecoming. Their crafts will be those of Haitian influence, their cooking classes will center around Haitian food and each day will bring a new Creole word or phrase and little bit of 411 about the country.

The kids are REALLY looking forward to cooking classes and want to film it and make their own cooking blog. We'll give it a go, so check back here for the link to that blog once we get it up and running.

Jasmine's first weekend here consisted of pool time, playing ball in the backyard with uncle Jeremy, Kung Fu Panda (which ROCKED), the awesomeness of 3D chalk on the driveway, board games and FUN FUN FUN!

Check out the pics below and check back often for summer fun updates.

God MUST have a sense of humor....

These are just a few of the weirdest looking animals on the planet. Enjoy!

Nuff Said...

Jolie, the Cockapoo

Killdeer - So cool

Okay, so I know this is random, but I have to take nature where I can get it now that we've moved form the farm. So, while Jeremy and Logan were playing soccer in the backyard over the weekend we heard a very loud, very insistent bird. Our search for the boisterous bird quickly turned up this little girl.

After some googling, I found out she's a Killdeer (thus named because the sound they make sounds like they're saying "kill deer"). Anyway, they are ground nesters and have these beautiful speckled eggs. Whenever perceived predators approach, the mom will run away from the nest a put on a little show. She stumbles around, contorting her wings as if they were broken in an attempt to make herself more appealing to the predator than her precious eggs.

Totally cool little bird. I'm gonna try to keep an eye on her nest to see of I can catch the hatching on film.

And there's your NatGEO lesson for the day!

End of one season.....

...beginning of another.

The end of T-ball signaled the end of a very crazy season for us. All the stress, insanity, tears, fears and uncertainty of the Spring has given way to the anticipation, peace and routine of summer.


Logan learned the art (or in this case, the unguided red-neck "I'm gonna call myself the coach but sit here and scratch myself while you try to figure gameplay out by yourselves" version) of T-ball. All-in-all he did very well and by the end of the season made some truly impressive plays for a 6 year old. Though I'm tremendously opposed to giving children awards and accolades for imaginary accomplishments (just think of how all those delusional American Idol wannabes became so delusional), it was still heart-warming to see the ginormous grin on his face when he got a trophy and a medal (just for participating).

Now it's on to a British soccer camp for the summer (gotta teach him the PROPER way to play this beautiful sport), leading into soccer season in the fall.


Totally of topic, but just had to share: the hair went from Beckham to Switchfoot and my little boy is looking not so little anymore!


Now, for those of you missing out on the craziness that is Cai, here he is, ready and revved up for summer! From sun-up to sun-down he wears a Spider-man mask with a Ben10 watch and runs around with his Speed Racer car, pretending to fight bad guys and aliens. Obsess much?

Finally, the countdown has begun. Within 2-3 months we should be the proud parents of 4 boys! My dear friend is going to be in Haiti around the time their process is due to be completed. If they're completed while she is in country, she can escort them home for us and thus, save us 2 plane tickets. That would be HUGE financially, so, though we would desperately miss our last opportunity to be in country and thank the nannies and managers who so lovingly cared for our children, we have to look at finances and go with the more sound decision. Besides, our involvement with Haiti and it's beautiful people does not end with the homecoming of our children. Pray for the summer to go quickly. My longing for my boys is slowly and painfully becoming overwhelming.

if it's weird, random or effed up...

...it happens to us. I mean, sometimes sovereignty just sucks.

To make a laughably long story short, there were providential signs and definite urgencies that precipitated this move. We found our dream
house, settled into our dream life, populated our farm, laughed, learned and waited...for the other shoe to drop because it inevitably always does. And it did! Our property manager turned out to be a psycho beyotch who essentially had us sign an entirely fraudulent lease for a property that she knew had neither been properly permitted for, nor was up to code. Kind and friendly requests from us for things to be taken care of were routinely ignored and we were forced to lay the smackdown of the law. Our attorney got involve and the situation escalated to ridiculous proportions. We were threatened, bullied and intimidated until we said ENOUGH and called code enforcemt on them. Now there is a formal report and investigation and our attorney finally advised us to break the lease and move out. So, we are packing up and moving for the second time in 5 friggin months. We had to liquidate our livestock and happy farm life because the only other farms for rent in this inbred, backwater town have trailers on them and I simply refuse... I'm sure I will soon see the divine providence in even this frustration, but for now, at this moment, sovereignty sucks.

April Updates

For all those following our adoption and all the fun and frustration that brings, here are the update pictures of our boys for the month of April. Our orphanage rocks and sends us pictures every single month without fail and a written update once a quarter. Our youngest, Phoenix, was so near death when he was first brought in and look at him now! He has truly flourished under their loving care and we are so grateful for the beautiful nannies and wonderful staff! We are ccoming down to the wire now. We are in the office of the Minister of Interior and we should soon have our passports. Please pray this process goes quickly and, if you feel so compelled, donate towards the cost of the trip home using the Paypal button on the right sidebar where their pics are!