Texas #2: "And Friends are Friends Forever..."

... no, I won't actually quote the cheesy Michael W. Smith song. Though surely those of us who lived through the 80's/early 90's and went to any church camp during those times could never forget it, huh? :) Well, here are a few highlights from our trip to Texas and the time we spent with friends there:We enjoyed one really wonderful day with Christi & Courtney!

And we were able to enjoy a few visits with the Bainters:

Chana & Maranatha camped out on the couch with books:Tylan & Silas:

And Caedin enjoyed holding him too!
We were thankful to have this time with sweet friends.

Texas #1: Thank God for Family!

In case you hadn't heard, Jessica, Maranatha, and Silas were able to travel back to Texas for a 15-day visit. We had a great time... and though the food was great and it was so nice to be under that wide open sky, the sweetness of spending time with family trumped every other part of our trip! Here are some highlights:

Maranatha and Nana shopping together:Dance party with Papa (watching an ELO video-- talk about old school!)
Silas and Maranatha after dinner with Uncle Mike & Jennifer:
Maranatha and Silas with cousins Max, Beaux, and Jaxon

(Beaux was so very enamored with Silas-- it was so cute to see!)

Maranatha and I got to go out to see the horses with Granpere:

Silas was so fascinated by the waterfall in Nana & Papa's pool:

And Silas is the first of our kids to not crack up at Papa Taylor... he just stared, trying to figure out this funny man making all kinds of silly faces:
We had a good time at out GrandBren & GranPere's "Flying Hat" Ranch:
Aunt Doc taught Maranatha how to do a Jack-in-the-Box:
Dad & I at dinner at Razzoo's (our favorite!)
Dinner with Aaron, Jill, Max, Beaux, Jaxon, Nana, Papa, and Grandpa Sweeney:
Silas learned pretty quick to clutch Nana's necklace to help him feel better!
We all had a great time with family and are glad we were able to make the trip!

And Then She Was One

We had Maranatha's first birthday party in early June. It was such a fun day... the kids played, we ate pink cake and pink cookies, and admired our precious little one-year-old!

And NOW she's walking... take a look! Here's a couple pictures from 10 minutes ago:

Love Those Mavericks

We went to the Mavericks' Playoffs Pep-Rally. They're in a really good position to win it all! Things like this free pep rally are all perks of being back in Texas!

Bluebonnets, Baseball, and Other Texas Traditions

Here's our pretty little Maranatha, carefully inspecting a Texas bluebonnet.

She just took her first two steps last night!
Sadly, this was the best picture we got of the three of them, as the digital camera battery died just at the wrong moment. I wonder, could there BE a worse bluebonnet picture? :)

Baxter and Ethan love playing outside
(notice that it was warm enough for shorts-- this was several weeks ago)

The boys enjoyed an egg & candy hunt at Doug's Aunt MaryAnn's home on Easter Sunday.
(notice that they are wearing jackets- it had snowed the day before!)

Maranatha enjoyed the visit with Doug's family
(here, she's with his Great Aunt, who we call "Aunt Doc" because she's an MD)

We were glad to see Doug's youngest brother, Michael, who was in town for Spring Break

We signed Ethan up for a teeball league for however much longer we're here. He is loving it, and is by far the most alert kid on the field. No dirt digging by him- he is totally into baseball!

Maranatha has had a great time "watching" teeball with Papa (Jessica's dad).

We're thankful that the kids & grandparents in particular have had this special time together.

A Different Airplane Experience

Two days ago, we went to the edge of Love Field in Dallas and watched airplanes fly over our heads. After having flown on so many airplanes over the last year of our lives, this was definitely a different perspective!

The boys were so excited and amazed at the hugeness and loudness of the planes.

Even Maranatha had a good time (she didn't really like having her ears covered up, but she got over it!). Though we didn't know we'd be back in Dallas, we've had a good time together as a family while we've been here.

Quarterly Review

We haven't posted very much over the last couple months, because the whole point of this blog has been to update you on our lives overseas. Being back in the States has thrown us for a loop, and frankly, you all know what America looks like, so we haven't felt the need to post as frequently as we do when we're living in Central Asia.

But, we've got some pictures to share from the last few months here in Texas, so here's a Doug, Jessica, Ethan, Baxter, and Maranatha Quarterly Review (in pictures):

Jessica's mom & dad took the boys to an "Elmo" show and the boys loved it. They said Baxter laughed like this the whole time:We took the kids to a model train exhibit in Fort Worth last week, and the boys loved it- ALL the boys (Ethan, Baxter, Doug, and Jessica's dad- "Papa") loved it! :)

We've been blessed to be back near family during this time of waiting. The kids have had a wonderful time with our parents, and here's a picture of some snuggle time with Papa:

Mei Mei is a joy to all of us- and is so smiley. Though she looks like Baxter in her general "look", she has over-the-top smiles that remind us SO much of Ethan. Here's one (from the first time she got to swing):

The Meaning of a Word

Last weekend, Ethan asked me, "momma, what does 'spoil' mean?" After a few probing questions, I realized that he was trying to reconcile two different meanings of the word: (1) that Nana and Papa "spoil" them whenever they're together, and (2) --from a book we read-- Rudyard sadly overhears his friends saying, "I hope Rudyard doesn't come! That would spoil everything!" (Rudyard doesn't realize they're talking about walking in too soon to his own surprise party, but I digress.)

So I explained the meanings to him, and he seemed satisfied. But apparently, he didn't really get it, because...

This weekend, after Nana (my mom) had taken the boys to the Dallas Zoo, while they were driving home, Ethan excitedly said, "Nana, I love the way you spoil everything!"

StandingTall

Yup, she's standing and cruising around furniture quite effortlessly now.

Maranatha's getting SO big!

Grandparents are GREAT!

One of the blessings of being back in America unexpectedly has been the blessing of seeing family. Here are some great photos I just have to share of the kids with their grandparents!

Ethan went horseriding (bareback!) at GranBren and GranPere's ranch

The boys made Christmas cookies with Nana

Ethan tried on Papa's glasses...

the boys tried on GranPere's boots...

and Maranatha tried rice cereal for the first time in Nana's lap!


We've enjoyed this special time of being back with family, and the kids especially have enjoyed time with their grandparents!