Christmas Card Outtakes

There is no denying these girls had a lot of fun!

Merry Christmas!

If you look closely you can see M wearing an Africa necklace with a heart where Congo is in the second picture.  You can't see it but A's necklace is of the DRC's flag.  If we can't have U in the Christmas card pics with the girls we at least wanted to, in our own little way, show that he is missed and contently thought of no matter what we are doing.  

Christmas Morning

Christmas Eve

This year we did things a little different and had Christmas Eve at our house so my whole family could be together.  It's always loud and fun when we get all 21 of us together!

Gingerbread Houses

We made five Gingerbread Houses this year.  One for the four of us here and one for Mr. U.

Christmas Pageant

The girls sang a couple Christmas songs as sheep this year at church.  During practice M was right in front of the microphone.  A asked why M got to have the microphone and not her.  I told her it is just whoever stands in front of the microphone.  When it came time for the kids to go to the front A saw all the kids going down the center isle so she darted down the side to make sure she got there in front of a microphone.

Grandpa's B-day Celebration

Happy Birthday Dad!

Thanksgiving 2014

This Thanksgiving it is far too overwhelming to even sit in this moment to share the blessings of this year into words on a screen.  It has been a year like no other.  That will be for another day.  For now I will share how thankful I am for my family and the path that God is taking us together, even when continents apart.  I am thankful for the over the top fun that the four of us have had together this year.  I am so thankful for our foster family.  The love, cuddles, comfort, laugher, prayers, knowledge, friendships, health, family, safety, and I love yous that U receives daily is a gift like no other.  I am thankful for a God that has poured and poured and poured peace on me in the waiting.  I am thankful for my two little turkeys that I have at home with me.

A would like to share that she is thankful for books, hearts, flowers and worms.  M is thankful for her toys, hearts and flowers. 

A had pink eye on the day that she was supposed to have art class in school so we had our own art class at home. :)

Kindergarten Thanksgiving Feast

Pilgrim A and her cute sidekick M enjoying Kindergarten Thanksgiving Feast complete with chicken nuggets, corn and cookies.

A the Monarch Butterfly and M the Pink Butterfly

Here are some pictures from halloween at A's school.  M was able to participate in A's Kindergarten class festivities.  They walked in the parade together and then danced the "Monster Mash" with the school followed by crafts and games back in the classroom.  So fun!  That evening we headed to their friends N, L and M's neighborhood to go trick-or-treating with them.  These two are the prettiest butterflies I've ever seen!!

Backyard Fun

Apple and Pumpkin Picking & Pumpkin Carving

We took a family trip to the apple orchard and pumpkin patch on a gorgeous Fall day.

This has become A's face she makes constantly to R.  I'm not sure where it came from but she thinks it's pretty hilarious to greet her daddy like this pretty much every time he enters her presence.  

This was our first time carving pumpkins as a family.  I've known R for 14 years and never knew he has never experienced pumpkin carving!  It was the first for the girls and for R.  A picked out a green medium sized pumpkin to carve.  M picked out a little orange pumpkin that she wanted to draw on instead of carve.  We all picked out one big orange pumpkin that is U's pumpkin.