DAY OFF

Happy Saturday!! This is the first Saturday in 3 years (that is a slight exaggeration--though it feels like not by much) that we have had an entire day together as a family with NO plans!!!!!!!

It was nice not to have to rush around and beat the clock or worry about having to go into work...

Of course, we had expected to be closing on "our" yesterday... and so today was dedicated to painting and what not...but thats okay.

We had a nice breakfast, worked on this computer (arg!!) trying to get some internet connection, did laundry, got haircuts, went to the mall to check out dishwashers--(big labor day sales!!), stopped by Sherilyn and Joe and now we're home again...Mike is making dinner (thank you.) Michael is sleeping...he is exhausted and Carina is playing.

I don't know what the deal is...I haven't been able to get pictures up here for a couple of weeks. I'm sorry. I"m getting really frustrated. I hope this posts, cause I've tried to post a few times in the past 2 weeks and I haven't been able to.

So, I bet you're wondering what the deal is with our home buying fiasco...yeah??? Well, Praise the Lord, it seems all is well. We did a bit of scrambling the past 2 weeks. We hope to close next week, Lord willing. When the papers are all signed and the deal is done...I'll give you the whole scoop. :)

I guess that is all for now...sorry no pictures. I'll have to figure out what is wrong and rectify it in the near future. Ya know--in my spare time.

LOL.

BUMPS

HELLO EVERYONE...


YES, WE HAVE ENCOUNTERED..ERR...ARE ENCOUNTERING, SOME BUMPS ALONG THE HOME BUYING ROAD....AS WE SEE IT, EACH BUMP IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PRAISE AND A HUMBLING FACTOR.


WORST CASE SCENARIO: WE CANNOT MOVE THIS MONTH BECAUSE THE LORD HAS SOMETHING BETTER IN STORE FOR US DOWN THE ROAD. AND WE'RE SURE IT IS WORTH WAITING FOR. DISAPPOINTING...OF COURSE--BUT GOD IS IN CONTROL. IT MAY "WORK OUT" YET.



I DON'T WANT TO GO INTO DETAILS, BUT DO KEEP US AND THIS SITUATION IN PRAYER. (MEANING--DON'T ASK). THANKS IN ADVANCE. :) WE WILL KEEP YOU UPDATED...

FAMILY SHOT...

IN OTHER NEWS, IT WAS NENA AND POPI'S 50TH ANNIVERSARY ON THE 2ND. HAPPY ANNIVERSARY. THEY HAD A HAWAIIAN THEMED PARTY. AUNT SUSAN CAME OUT FROM UTAH FOR THE EVENT. IT WAS NICE TO SEE HER. CONGRATS TO MICHAEL AND PENNY ON THE NEW BABY..

CARVING THE PIG....

NENA AND "JAKIE"......

RENA HANGING OUT.....

THE HAPPY COUPLE.... :) CAUGHT OFF GUARD BY THE PHOTOGRAPHER.

MICHAEL ALL DECKED OUT FOR THE PARTY......

SINCE THIS IS MY 3RD TIME TRYING TO GET PICTURES UP. I'M GOING TO LEAVE IT AT THAT FOR NOW. TILL NEXT TIME

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

CUTE KIDS.........(IF WE DO SAY SO..) :)

WE JUST LOVE THIS PICTURE. SITTING ON THE STEPS OUTSIDE OUR APARTMENT.

TODAY IS JOEY'S BIRTHDAY. HAPPY BIRTHDAY. HERE ARE A FEW PICTURES FROM MICHAEL'S BIRTHDAY--MOST OF THEM ARE ON ANOTHER ROLL OF FILM THAT IS WAITING FOR ME AT SHOP RITE. SO, WE'LL HAVE PART ONE AND PART TWO.

BLOWING OUT THE CANDLE...........

OPENING PRESENTS..........

PLAYING BALL WITH UNCLE MATT...

CARINA ENJOYING SOME ICE CREAM CAKE.......


UP CLOSE...YUMMY CAKE!!!

ALSO, SO YOU KNOW--I REALIZED THAT I TOOK THE PICTURES AT SHERILYN'S SHOWER ON ESTHER'S CAMERA. SO UNLESS SHE WANTS TO SHARE THEM WITH ME (BRIEFLY) I DON'T HAVE ANY TO SHOW YOU. SO SORRY.

THINGS ARE GOING WELL WITH "OUR" HOUSE...WE'RE OUT OF ATTORNEY REVIEW AND OUR INSPECTIONS ARE SCHEDULED FOR THIS COMING SATURDAY--2 DAYS AWAY. PRAISE GOD!! EVERYTHING IS GOING SMOOTHLY THUS FAR. MICHAEL AND I CAN'T WAIT TO HAVE A YARD TO PLAY IN...HE IS VERY CRAMPED HERE WHICH IN TURN AFFECTS US ALL....

HERE IT IS.......

THIS IS OUR SOON TO BE LIVING ROOM (D.V.)....PART OF IT ANYWAY.....

I HOPE TO GET MORE PICTURES ON SATURDAY...

TILL THEN--

TA TA!!

A LITTLE BIT O' SUNSHINE

HERE ARE SOME PROMISED PICTURES. I HAVE BUNCHES MORE I'D LOVE TO SHARE, BUT NOT THE TIME TODAY TO POST THEM. LIKE I SAID EARLIER...LOTSA HAPPENINGS IN JULY. :)

ON FRIDAY, JULY 18TH WE WENT TO VISIT TIRZAH! THESE KIDDIES WERE CRAZY!! IT WAS LATER IN THE AFTERNOON AND THEY WERE WOUND!!!!!

HERE SHE IS!! DADDY'S GIRL.... :)

MICHAEL ADMIRING THE NEW BABY....WOW! SHE IS LITTLE!!

ANSWERED PRAYERS

HAPPY JULY! LOTSA HAPPENINGS IN JULY.

THE ABOVE IS A PICTURE OF OUR HRC CHURCH FAMILY AT THE ANNUAL PICNIC. SADLY, SEVERAL FAMILIES ARE MISSING--INCLUDING MOST OF OURS. IT WAS THE SAME DAY WE HAD MICHAEL'S BIRTHDAY PARTY...AND IT WAS A HOT ONE!! AFTER THE BIRTHDAY PARTY WE WENT TO GO LOOK AT A HOUSE AND WE WERE ALL JUST PLAIN OLD POOPED. SO I STAYED HOME WITH THE KIDDIES, WHO HAD AN EARLY NIGHT OF IT, AND MIKE WENT TO THE PICNIC SOLO. WE WERE SORRY TO MISS IT, BUT ALAS, THERE ARE SACRIFICES THAT HAVE TO BE MADE AS A PARENT.

MICHAEL TURNED 2..WE HAVE YET TO DEVELOP THE PICTURES. I HOPE TO RUN (WELL, ACTUALLY DRIVE) TO SHOP RITE TONIGHT AND DROP THEM OFF IN ADDITION TO STOCKING UP ON SOME GROCERIES. SO HOPEFULLY IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS, I'LL HAVE SOME PICS FOR YOU. HE WAS SO CUTE OPENING HIS PRESENTS.

WE ALSO WELCOME LITTLE(!!) TIRZAH ADRIANA. SHE WAS BORN LAST FRIDAY. BEST WISHES AND BLESSINGS TO MOMMY AND BABY--QUICK HEALING AND MUCH SLEEP!!! :)

SHERILYN AND JOE MOVED INTO A NEW--VERY NICE, I MIGHT ADD-- APARTMENT. WE'RE STILL AWAITING LITTLE "STAR"...BUT HOPING SHE'LL HOLD OFF FOR A FEW MORE WEEKS. THE WELCOMING BABY SHOWER WAS THIS PAST WEEKEND..AGAIN, PICTURES PENDING. :)

WE FOUND OUT THAT THE HOUSE WE HAD PUT AN OFFER ON BACK IN JUNE WENT TO SOMEONE ELSE...NOT THAT WE WERE SURPRISED AFTER WAITING A WHOLE MONTH TO FIND OUT. BUUUUTTTT....THE HOUSE WE WENT TO LOOK AT ON MICHAEL'S BIRTHDAY MAY (LORD WILLING) SOON BECOME OURS. WE'RE ANTICIPATING ATTORNEY REVIEW THIS WEEK...WE'LL DEFINITELY KEEP YOU POSTED.

PASTOR LIPSY AND FAMILY ARE DEPARTING FOR ARKANSAS...I MUST SAY, IT DOES NOT SEEM REAL YET. I'M SURE THAT WILL CHANGE VERY QUICKLY..WE'LL MISS YOU BUNCHES. SAFE TRAVELS AND GOD'S BLESSINGS IN EVERYTHING...

THE 6 PACK, (MINUS 2) WERE ABLE TO GET TOGETHER FOR A LONG OVERDUE PICNIC LAST WEEK AT SWARTSWOOD STATE PARK. IT WAS LOVELY TO SEE EVERYONE..HOPEFULLY WE CAN DO IT AGAIN BEFORE SUMMER IS GONE...ITS STRANGE TO THINK..WE'VE BEEN FRIENDS NEARLY 15 YEARS. THATS A LONG TIME!! THE ABOVE PICTURE IS FROM ERIN'S WEDDING BACK IN MAY.

I GUESS THAT IS ALL FOR NOW. OH!! IT IS SO EXCITING--THE CORN ON THE COB TRUCK IS OUT FOR THE SEASON!!!!!!!!!!!! YUMMY!! ;)

SUMMER FUN

Here are a few pictures of some of our summertime activities lately...play dates, swimming, going to the park, eating ice cream, and watering flowers...er..squirting Mimi. :)

We finally made our trek to Cold Stone Creamery (after attempting to get there for 2 years--no lie!!) . Carina just had to share some of Daddy's ice cream. She enjoyed it very much!!

Michael, enjoying a sunny day. What a cutie!!

Michael was helping Mimi water the flowers...and figured out (all by himself) that it was much more fun to squirt people!! He ended up going home with no pants on, because they were soaked.

Eric thought it was so funny!

Michael was sitting..er... laying and watching this fly on the glass door for probably a good 20 minutes. You most likely can't make out the fly on the glass, but it is there. He was so interested in watching it.

Michael and Silas at the park...very short-lived coloring with sidewalk chalk. I think they had fun anyway.

Rena and Will don't have quite the freedom Michael and Silas do..so they just hung around the blankets. Unfortunately, we got rained out...so it was a relatively short time at the park that day.

Another park, another day...racing Sophia and her mommy down the slide.

Little "Q" was there too....but he is too little to play. Going on 4 months old...soon he'll be running with the rest. Rena was in the stroller and her picture didn't come out too well.

It was a HOT June day!!!!! Michael cooled off in the pool (which afterwards had to make its way to the dumpster).

Rena was inside taking a rest...she also enjoyed the pool that day.

So, there are some of our activities. We hope to go see more friends this week!!!

CHANGE

Finally, an updated (welllllll...2 months old already!!) family picture!

So much can change in such a short amount of time. It's amazing.

Michael will be two (Lord willing) in less than a month. We've begun speech therapy. He tries so hard--and that I think is half the battle. Hopefully it won't be a struggle for too much longer.

Carina is crawling, eating cereal, wanting so much to play with her big brother. She'll be 8 months soon.

We went swimming yesterday (in a big pool) for the first time this season..and the first time ever for Rena. She enjoyed herself.

Sherilyn is due very soon...probably sooner than everyone expects. Another cousin to play with!

I had another birthday...30 is fast approaching.

Pastor Lipsy has accepted the call to Arkansas. That alone will bring big change.

A couple of new babies have been born since we've last "chatted."

We're in the process of finding a home. A couple of hit and misses..but the Lord is in control and will bring us to a house that is suitable...not even just suitable, but perfect for us. Please keep it and us in your prayers.