Precious Emi Claire

Awwe..... the moment. I woke this morning before dawn unusually wide awake. As Emi lay next to me sleeping I couldn't help but cradle her up in my arms and draw her close. She stretched a moment and went softly back to sleep. As I stared at her flawless beauty before me I couldn't help but reflect on the blessings of a mighty God. This little perfect human given to me only by the acts of a powerful God and entrusted to me to protect and love with my whole being. Oh the joy in that moment! How could I have been chosen? Why me? Oh the delicate skin. The thick dark curls encircling her angelic face. Her rhythmic breathing that puffed the sweet breath that only a baby can possess. I breathed her in. Really felt her with every sense and just praised the creator and thought for one moment I knew (really knew) how much He loves us. Thank you Emi for a glimpse of heaven.

Baby Cottontail Has a Family

I have not posted in a long while but I wanted to say that our little boy in Ukraine has a family!  He was adopted by a family in Israel.  Once the country opened back up and his special need was back on the list all our paperwork was expired.  Knowing another family was interested in him I chose to wait.  They indeed have picked him up and he has a forever family.  My heart is thrilled.  Ultimately the goal from the start was to keep that precious little boy from remaining an orphan.  I am sad he did not join our family but knowing only God knows best,  I rest in the assurance that he is right where he is supposed to be.  All my love to the family of 'Baby Cottontail' and to our sweet boy.

Emi's Best Friends

Unbelievable how this little cat and dog love this little baby.  They act as her protectors everywhere we are.  Every place I lay her down to nap here they are!  Ready to sleep right alongside her.  If she is upset sitting in the floor because I'm not holding her my little dog obediently goes over and sits quietly next to her as if to let her know it's OK.  It's just amazing to watch this relationship of dog, cat, and baby and how it all works.  Animal lovers everywhere would love to watch them in action.

SUMMERTIME!!!!!

My Little Cinderellas

The Best Little Buddies

Lizzi and Kelissa's kitten have been inseparable since she brought him home with her for the summer.  It is just the cutest thing.

Just a Day at the Local Livestock Auction

 Kelissa getting away from that big red cow.

 Kade is sorting the calves.

Kelissa's first day to work since overcoming her allergies.

 Chi was born to be a cowboy.

Chloe loves it too!

 Kade only loves the paycheck.

 Five of my greatest blessings,  Cason was in the penning alley unavailable for a photo.

Great times!

I've had all six of my children for about a week.  It has been wonderful.  Cason leaves for an internship in the morning.  He will be working five hours away for a company that does oil drilling simulations.  So glad he found a summer intern. He has one more year of college.  I can't believe how time flies!!  Kelissa is taking online classes and living at home for a few weeks.  She has been job hunting.  Since she has yet to find a job she became our cattle unloader along with Kade.  She did a good first day on the job.  Her childhood allergies had kept her from coming to the sale for more than 30 minutes at a time.  She has been healed from them and now she is learning a little about 'sweatequity'.  As a junior with a 4. gpa studying toward law school, I think this job teaches her just how to get down and dirty.  I'm proud she can be an Alpha Phi and also come home and work in our family business.

Beautiful, Blessed, Honored, Clear and Bright - That's my Emi Claire

Emi Has her FIRST Tooth!

But she's not showing anyone!

Chloe and Chi's Pre-k School Pics

Awwwe it's hard to believe that Chloe and Chi are finishing Pre-k and heading to Kindergarten next year.  Time flies!  They love their school and their teachers.  They have done so well.  I am proud of them.  School will be out on May 25.  I am getting excited to have my kiddos for the summer. 

Chloe turns 6!

After weeks of trying to decide the theme of her cake she settled on 'Hello Kitty'.  Don't laugh at the candle, its last year's five that we had to convert to a six.  Mom forgot to get a six.  First we went to Applebee's at Chloe's request.  She thinks it is so cool when all the waiters come out and sing.  She got her birthday cake there.  Later we went to grandma and grandpa's house and ate more cake and opened a few presents.  The next day she had one of her friends over and was planning to open more gifts but they played so hard we all forgot about the gifts.  So she opened them the next day.  All in all I think she was able to drag her birthday out for a total of three days.  Jeff teases her that since she had three birthdays she must be eight years old now.  Hard to believe my little Guatemalan rose is six.  That's one third of the way to graduation day.  yikes!!!

Baby Girl is Nine Months Old Today!

Emi is a joy and delight.  I can't believe its already been nine months since we brought her home.  Oh I knew it would fly by but here I am posting a nine month marker.  It just amazes me.  She is really developing her personality.  It is happy, obstinate, bossy, and a little bit mean sometimes.  She loves her mommy and we are having to work out a bit of total ownership of me.  She is not happy to share.  She can say 'kick' while she's pounding you with both feet.  She can say 'daddy' and yum!  She is hitting her milestones.  Her head is in the 90 percentile while her body is in the 10 percentile but doctors are not worried.  She's just a little bit of an egg head. She knows how to charm everyone she meets and lays a happy smile on anyone who will make eye contact with her.  She is a joy to take places as she steals everyone's attention.  She is not crawling yet but I blame myself there.  I hardly ever put her down to learn how.  She wants to be everywhere there's action.  I think she could do the laundry or cook a meal by now with all the watching she has done.  Everyone in the family loves her dearly and she has been a blessing to us all.  We thank God for the gifts He gives us on this earth!  We are so undeserving yet so thankful for the honor that God lends these children to us.  May we be worthy to carry out the task before us!