Happy Adoption Day Anniversary!

This week we've been basking in the awe of bringing precious Hope into our family. We have been blessed beyond what words can express!

Thank You, LORD, for giving us our darling Hope!

Click here to watch Hope's adoption video.

Being with family ❤

 Andrew with Aunt Jen:

 Sisters:

 Cousins:

Family Photos

Blessed to be a family of five!

*****

In addition, since we took pictures of
Cherish as preschooler with her favorite things,
we did the same with Hope and Andrew.

Firefighter

Cherish, Hope, and I picked Andrew up from school today. He was so excited and told us how firefighters had come to his school and talked with the students. He told about getting to climb onto the fire truck and get his picture taken.

He stated: "I want to be a firefighter when I grow up!" Cherish immediately said: "But you've always wanted to be a mailman--ever since you were a little three year old! How can you change what you want to be?"

I said: "Children are definitely allowed to change their minds about what they would like to be when they grow up."

Hope and Cherish began talking about what they wanted to be when they grow up, and Andrew interjected: "I want to pray about it!" Everyone became quiet, and Andrew prayed, "God, I want to be a firefighter, Cher-Cher wants to be a dance teacher, and Hopie wants to be a school teacher. Mommy wants to be a mommy and a teacher. You know. What do You think?"

How precious that Andrew would even think about praying about God's thoughts on such decisions! What a sensitive little guy!

Side note: I [mommy] never mentioned what I wanted to be. How sweet that he would add me to his prayer!

Because every Saturday morning...

...begins with either pancakes or French Toast!

Happy Saturday!

The Cool Hat

After his shower tonight, little man decided to dress himself a little differently.

Snuggles

Today was Andrew's first day back at school after being home sick for about a week and a half. When we got home from picking him back up, Andrew was feeling very weak. He and Hope sat in a chair together, and I heard Hope saying, "You're so cute, Buddy! I love you, Buddy!" I looked at them and saw them snuggling together. I grabbed my camera to try to capture their intimate snuggle time.

At first he had his head snuggled into her neck. By the time I got the camera ready, here's what I was able to capture:

Andrew's eyes were closed--as if he was soaking in her love:

Patting his back:

Buddies indeed!

"I love you."

Today when I picked Andrew up from school he whispered, "Today a girl told me she loves me." I asked him the name of the girl, and he said her name is "Kate".

Throughout the afternoon and evening he has kept stating: "Kate says she loves me!" He says it in amazement--as if he can't understand how she could love him.

Derek whispered to me: "But, you understand!" I do! Andrew is amazingly sweet, completely sensitive, very quiet, and always helpful! I'm head-over-heels for him, too!