our dozen beautiful feet

Since we've been overseas since our oldest children were small babies, none of our kids have gotten to participate in the American halloween.  I grew up going trick-or-treating in our neighborhood, I think I was even a witch one year.  I'm no worse for the wear.  I have such fond memories of dressing up and going and seeing all the neighbors that we knew, because back then we knew them all.  They were all eager to see what we were dressed as, and happy to give us candy, because they knew us. There may be many valid reasons not to participate in Halloween, but as a mom who has fond memories of it as a child, and who's children have never gotten the opportunity to have a costume, we were really excited for our kids to go trick-or-treating this year, or at least once in their life. We had so much fun planning and figuring out who would dress as what!  Levi is really into the Franklin cartoons, and so that was our biggest chore: putting together a homemade Fran...

Once upon a time, there were a bunch of college grads who wanted to have an adventure.  None of them knew each other, and they were from all over the United States, but somehow, they all ended up living in Burkina Faso, West Africa for two years in the prime of their life.  It was hard.  It was good. They were stretched, and they grew, and they bonded like only sleeping under the stars and "going to the hill" to poo, and drinking ground water can bond people. Thirteen years later, these young ones have gone forth and multiplied.  Many are married, and since most spouses had never been met, and eyes had never been laid on the plethora of children, it was time for a reunion. A cabin in the hills of Tennessee was rented (well, two cabins to be precise).  We drove and flew, again, from all over the United States to spend a blissful 48 hours together.  It was loud, and crazy, and there was mini-golf in the basement. There was African tea, stories of days ...

We have some good friends.  They are the Wilsons.  Our relationship has been through lots of difficult seasons in each of our lives, and through lots of joyous ones.  Paul met Cory and Jasmine when he was living in West Africa.  They met there too. : )  While we were talking and "dating" between Thailand and West Africa, they were doing the same there.  We all returned to the states within a year of each other.  Paul and I got married in November 2003, they got married two weeks after us.  We went to their wedding on our honeymoon. : )  Their first son was born the end of July, ours was born the beginning of September, just about 6 weeks apart.  Luke and Malachi spent a lot of time together their first year while their daddies were in graduate school together.  We lived in the same town and went through two pregnancies with each other: our daughters were born the same week!  Kiryn's first outing in a car was to go see Karis i...

Even though Alabama is not really home to either one of us, it's still good to be back here and with family!  We'll be in Alabama for the next two months! Enjoying time with long lost cousins! Also enjoying a football game in the fall!  I love how Kiryn looks like she's ready for snow, and Luke, for the beach! :)  We're also enjoying bubbles bath tubs!!!  It's the little things about being home. :) 

I try to take pictures of most of the things the kids draw or create.  For Christmas last year we got them each an Ed Emberley drawing book.  They have created some of the cutest things with those!  I think these pieces might be frame-worthy! : ) Check our Ed Emberley's books here!