Balloons!

We don't have a pool, we don't have a dog, we don't even have central air conditioning, BUT we do have our very own balloon pit. 

 

Last month someone at church had a birthday party and felt that our home was the best place for 2 garbage bags of leftover balloons.  Thus was born our balloon pit. 

 

Well our good old balloon pit was getting empty and the balloons that had survived were rather shriveled.  So, seeing as Liam's birthday is tomorrow, I decided it was time to refill the pit. 
So far Ezra has been the one enjoying it, but I'm sure Liam will be jumping in soon enough!

I like having a ball pit... probably more than having a pool or a dog

(however, I would trade it in anytime for central air!)

Coffee House

Our Church had a Christmas coffee house the other night.  The lights were dim, there were goodies on the tables, great conversation, and fantastic musicians playing.  Liam was given the opportunity to play 2 songs on the piano at the coffee house. 

One of them was a duet with his piano teacher and the other song he played by himself.

 

He made some mistakes but it was wonderful to watch our church family speak such kind and encouraging words to him for the rest of the evening.  As soon as he finished playing, he said to me, "I made a lot of mistakes", however by the time we got home, his first words to Shawn were "Everyone said I did really well!!!"  I love our church family. 

 I love to see what the encouragement does for Liam.  Ezra and Liam are opposites--Ezra LOVES attention up front, however Liam is so timid in front of people.

Friends

I love our friends.  This is in no way 'adoption' related, but this is more like "if it weren't for fun times like this I'd be insane" related.
Our friends Allan and Darcie were over for pizza and because I stink at cooking, the bottom of the pizza didn't cook.  SO... plan B was to fry it in the frying pan.  Great, until it was time to remove it from the pan.  That's when the fun began!

Orphan Sunday

Eric Ludy puts words to the ache in my heart for the orphans that are all too easily forgotten. 

He puts words to the anger I feel towards those in our government who did everything they could to prevent us from adopting our son. 

He puts words to the sorrow I feel when I remember the children who are still in the Home of Hope orphanage in Rwanda... whose faces I can still see, whose voices I can still hear calling and reaching out to Shawn, calling him "Papa".

 

November 4th is Orphan Sunday.  Not everyone is called to adopt, but we all have a great responsibility to care for the orphans.  Let our hearts be continually broken for these children...

 

 

"Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you."  James 1:27

 

"And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on My behalf is welcoming Me." Matthew 18:5

 

 

Time with the girls

We had so much fun with Nina, Patience and Diana.  They are such sweet girls.  Both Liam and Ezra enjoyed having them around--Liam was sad that they had to leave so soon.

 

 

Nina was trying to teach Ezra how to play Mary Had a Little Lamb. 

 

 

Shawn was helping to teach Patience how to make the Lego wall more stable--Shawn is such a good and patient teacher.  Patience's wall will soon be impenetrable!

 



 

One last story.

 

 

I shouldn't have been so anxious about having them.  That's one of my faults--I worry about stuff so much that I pass up so many good things.  Being able to have the girls was very important to Shawn so we decided to have them.  As usual, Shawn was right.  It was great to have them.  I need to work on worrying about details and possible problems... I'm glad I have a husband who is different from me in this way.

 

 

 

 

Nina, Patience & Diana

The African Children's Choir sang at our church last night and it was amazing.  Those kids can sing and dance.  We get to have 3 of the girls stay with us for the next couple of day and they're so sweet. 

 

I love this picture of Shawn reading to all the kids before school time.  He is SO good with kids! 

 

Liam told me that it's easier having Nina, Patience and Diana than it is having Ezra... I think having them is closer to what he thought having an adopted brother/sister would be like (closer to his age).
Ezra spent a bit of time staring at them when he saw them in our house for the first time this morning.  I hope this is a good experience for him. 

This is the only picture I have so far, but I'm hoping we can snap some more as we're having fun over the next couple of days.

Craft time

I'm pretty lucky that Liam is an easy going boy.  He loves his Lego, but can also have fun with Ezra's toys.  He's the same way with crafts.  He's happy to do the same craft as his 3 year old brother and never complains that it's boring or childish--he's so happy with anything. 

So once a week, we put off Liam's school for a while and the boys do a craft together.  Yesterday it was full body tracing and colouring and I'm not sure who enjoyed it more!

 

I'm loving the crafts we're doing, but I don't know what to do with all their beautiful creations (I do more with Ezra than with Liam, but our fridge & walls are getting filled up quickly!)

 

 

The days can sometimes be long but I LOVE having them home with me, and I love teaching them.  I enjoy them and they seriously make me laugh all the time!

*On a more educational note--  Ezra is loving to count EVERYTHING.  Least you think he's brilliant and I'm amazing, I took notes when he was counting crayons just a minute ago:

One, two, four, eight, nine, elephant, three, eight, one, ten, five!

*On a less appealing note-- I keep getting wafts of poo smell.  I haven't been able to find the source but am becoming more worried and grossed out by the minute.  Wish me luck!