We have been home for 2 months yesterday! I can't believe how fast the time has gone by. We are all doing really well. Everyone is adapting so well. This month the oldest 2 got to go away for a week to church camp - 1st time! They loved it and everyone else did great at home! We have started swim team. (which is actually almost over!) Summer has been a ball! So blessed to have all the kids at home making A LOT of noise and and having fun together.
Most of the time these two are ALL smiles!! Aren't they gorgeous?!?!!!
Zak is talking so much now. He puts 2 words together a lot. He loves to act out what he wants as well. Too cute! Hope has really come along with her English. I say it is like having a little Yoda in the house. She talks in reverse which I find so endearing. We get a new story almost everyday now about Ethiopia. Things will remind her of her home country and things that happened there. I love having some pieces of her puzzle. She is very loving and happy girl! She runs up to me on her own now and gives me hugs and says "I love you so very much mommy!"
Water is favorite for everyone in our family and these 2 have fit right in!
Zak still loves the water. He loves to spray everyone else with the hose!
This picture was taken about a month ago, notice she is loving the water - WITH her life jacket and noodle! She has come so far with her swimming. 1 month ago she would sink like a stone, 3 weeks ago, she swam in her first swim meet and would swim short spurts with a coach from the swim team helping her and it took 1:31. 2 weeks ago she swam her first lap all by herself in a meet and swam it in 52 seconds. This past Tuesday she WON her heat and swam in 38 seconds!!! She was so proud - as she should be. This momma almost cried. (those pics are all on my phone, which I have not downloaded yet!) She has touched so many people on our swim team. The first time she swam a lap all by herself, everyone cheered for her! It was so sweet. All of my kids have been on swim team for years and last summer this team helped us fund raise during swim season to bring these 2 home and now to see her swimming they all have really supported her, they have been awesome!
Hope LOVES her big sister!
SB and Haley played in the concert at the end of the semester. SB sings and plays piano, Hales is an awesome drummer and really gets into her music!
The key to happiness for Zak - "dumdum"
These were just 2 pictures where all 5 kids are actually together, and all looking at the camera. I savor these! It does not happen often!
Loving on Hope!
Cousins came to visit! This is Thomas. He's got some serious curls in his hair too! We had fun joking about all the curls in this family now!
Carter has really grown into being the BIG brother! He went from being the baby of the family to the middle child. NOT an easy transition and he is definitely still in transition, but I'm so proud of him. He loves Hope and Zak! He and Zak love to wrestle and "beat" on each other like brothers should. Hope is warming up to Carter and now asking him to help her with some things. This boy has a heart of gold! He is very kind and it has been really cool to watch him growing into his new role in our family.
I caught Zak in Hope's Minnie Mouse!! They both love Mickey Mouse! Great way to get a few minutes of down time in the house.
Both still LOVE the bath tub!!! 2 thumbs up!!
ZAK turned 2 on June 8th!!!
Loved the icing! This is how he tells us he likes something - we get the thumbs up!
His new slide!!!
Zak's version of eating his birthday cake! Love it!!!
One more very big thing, for those not on face book, Zak had emergency surgery on Monday this week. He is recovering very well! He had an abscess that formed on his lower abdomen that grew very large in about 36 hours. We went to the emergency room Monday am and got some pain medicine, IV antibiotics along with Tylenol and Mortin to help his very high fever. He had surgery to get it drained Monday night. We got bumped due to other surgeries during the day, but finally got it done and were home about 10:30 Monday night. We can tell a big difference in him today. He is getting back to his old crazy self! Running around again and talking non stop! He hates to take his antibiotic. Other than that - we are on the road to recovery! Thank you all for your calls, texts and prayers! Hope did really well while we were away. She seemed to understand we were going to get him help. Zak was very sick and you could easily tell he needed to go, so Hope said okay when I explained it and did well playing with friends and with my parents for the day!
I do have some cuteness on my phone if I ever get them downloaded - including the video of Hope swimming, as must see!
Have a great weekend!
