Fun in the Fall~Part One

Oh my! So much has been going on since the last little update. We recently started football and the boys are LOVING it!! Playing football  and being with friends is a perfect combo for them. 

My friend Natasha (from the blog Unto Him We Live) took this last picture. It usually looks like this every Monday night at practice. Beautiful!! 

      Since July we have been working on a bedroom in the basement for Oggie, Dash, and Bear. About a week ago the boys started sleeping down there. Erna moved into the boys old room and I moved into her old room. It was quite the flip-flop and is still a work in progress. But it is wonderful to have all the boys in the basement and I am loving having my own room.....=)

Bear in his new Bed!!

In the mail the other day was a package with two very special things in it....

                                       Dash and Bear's citizenship certificates!!

 Although they were officially US citizens in 2008,

It has been a very long and tedious process to get the actual certificates. Even though it was fun to get those in the mail it was slightly confusing to some. Dash looked at mom and said, "But, Mommy, It's just a piece of paper." It reminded me that no piece of paper or official court date could ever make Bear or Dash more a part of the family as they have been or ever will be.
         The final thing I wanted to write about is the wonderful Ethiopian experience we had last Sunday.  It would take a bit too long to describe in words, and it was so wonderful and fun filled I don't even think I could describe it in words. =) Here are some pictures though....

Our hostess Senait did a marvelous job cooking plenty of Ethiopian food. She and her husband Ron did a fantastic job making you feel welcome at their house. My dad (who's been to Ethiopia a couple times) kept telling me it felt like being back in Addis! (The capital city)

                          Dash and Oggie were so into their food they could hardly pose for a photo!

                       My and my bud SUNSHINE!! (from the blog  Room For More) If you want to read even more about the time we had eating and fellow shipping Ethiopian style, I would definitely check out that blog....
  Well, I think that is the end of part one... Don't worry, Part two will come, soon!
~Bugg

A Little Update...

Our chubby little Squeakers isn't so little anymore...... She is walking and running all over the house, and into everything. We have been calling her our little bird, because she looks like one when she waddles throughout our house. The last time we had a toddler in the house was when we brought 16 month Bear home in 2007. But how time flies! Now Bear is 5 and the basketball star of the Hennhouse! Anyway, we went to Grandview Park for a back to school picnic about a week ago and Squeakers was toddling all over the Bandshell, crawling all over the stairs and of course, posing for pictures. :)

 She is just about as cute as they come!

This is her new look, we call it the Smolder. She pooches her lips then leans forward and smacks her face on your cheek. SO ADORABLE!

YUM! Mom found a subway gift card from Christmas that we didn't know we had. Score!
              The day after my birthday (which was FABULOUS) we headed out for our annual Church Retreat. Our Uncle JT was the speaker this year so my Aunt Lea and my cousins were there...I didn't take a single picture (whoops) and I can't do justice trying to explain with words......But check this blog (Unto Him We Live) and you can read all about the wonderful time we had. Also, we are finishing a part of our basement as a bedroom and as I am writing the carpet is being put down. Eeeek! We are soooo excited to move bedrooms around and I will post pictures of it later....Thanks for reading this little update!
~Bugg

Fierce Tenacity

I pretty sure my kids think their daddy is nuts.  I tried to make this as dramatic as possible. 

Bugg is turning thirteen

It is really hard to not cry as we look at these pictures and think about how fast the time has gone by.  Our first little baby was born 13 years ago!  There are so many things we want to say about her and how special she is. Our family is so blessed by Bugg each and everyday.  She has a special gift of serving and loving.  Bugg is usually ready for a new challenge, especially if it comes to her in the kitchen or in the form of music. It is amazing to see how God is using her and we are even more excited to see what He has in store for her future!
Happy Birthday, sweet Bugg.

Please wish her a happy birthday!

Minnesota Vacation Memories

This is a list the kids and I generated driving home from our vacation this summer.  I wanted to log it on the blog to remember.

Tubing
Indian Pies and smores
Bathroom floor sand
laser guns
Nate/ butterscotch pie
Becca/ blue cupcake in the face
crafts at the lodge
Kaylee and daddy write a song about Nate and Becca
worship time on the beach
beach volleyball
lodge games(pool, PacMan, pinball, Deer Hunter)
checkers
"Big Boy" (mad dog down the lane)
hide and go seek in the dark
shopping for tea cups
going to town-getting  birth stone rings at the Trading Post
Bella's Cafe-coffee......
eating Claira's fish she caught
Levi catching a rock bass
looking at the stars on the dock @night
deer on the side of the rode on the way to visit Papoose Bay
reminiscing @ Papoose Bay (swings, shuffle board, lakefront)
bare feet all week
skiing/ tubing and knee boarding on the "Shell Bell"
orange and grape soda in glass bottles at the lodge
bike rides
bike ramp off the side of the road near the golf course
riding in Jerry's Gator
sleeping with the windows open with a lake front breeze
double tubing with Logan/ Andrew and Kaylee
being near extended family all week long