Lately, we've been...

Working on our Awana's verses...

Watching our Brody boy practice soccer...

Painting masterpieces...

And trying to figure out what to do with them, because I can't bear to throw them out...

Supporting those Wildcats...

Updating our laundry room...

Spider-man climbing the doorways...

Reading novels...

Enjoying Popsicles before the cool fall days set in...

Watching it rain, sitting on the front porch...

And loving every minute of it!

getting closer. {an adoption update}

I've been wrestling lately with what to write about Lennox and this crazy wonderful forever-long process. There were a few months during the summer where we felt pretty hopeless about him even coming home by next summer. More changes in the process. New formulas they are using to configure quotas. Different hoops to jump through. 

However, here we are just a couple months away from the one year anniversary of receiving our boy's referral...of seeing him for the first time. And The Lord has filled us with a renewed sense of hope. We are very close to Lennox's file being prepped for EP processing. Just last week, the orphanage requested files with ATK's of mid-September through November 8. Our ATK is December 7, so we feel very confident that we will be included in the next batch to be requested. When this happens, the orphanage (Eastern) will begin going through our file, translating all of our documents, and preparing it to go through the Ministry and the courts. These requests have been coming pretty much every month, so we are praying that our file is requested sometime next month! I will definitely let everyone know when we are notified of this. Of course, the timeline is ever-changing, but once our file is requested we are looking at about 4-6 months of waiting before travel. I'll explain what all will happen during that time once our file has been requested. 

So, as you can see, we are very close to finally feeling like we are moving forward! The wait is far from over, but at last, we feel as though we are nearing the final leg of the wait. Now, more than ever, we covet your prayers as we near a very critical time in the process. 

We are deeply grateful for your faithfulness to love, support, and pray for this baby boy and our family. 

Fun at the County Fair!

Monks, Nuns, and Cathedrals

On Tuesday I was able to go to Little Rock with Brooke for one of her 4th grade GT field trips! They are studying the Middle Ages, Monks, Nuns, etc. 

Since I'm keeping Beckett home this week because of his shoulder, he was able to tag along with me! We followed behind the school buses in our car. 

Our first stop was Mary Lake Monastery, where a monk (actually, he was a frier) showed us around and talked a little bit about their lifestyle. 

Our next stop was to Trinity Cathedral, which was beautiful and very interesting, but I left my phone in the car, so I have no pictures :(

We then had a quick pizza lunch - so yummy!

Our last stop of the day was to Carmelite Monastery, where the nuns did an awesome Q&A with the kids. We all learned so much - it was very interesting! They had awesome personalities and kept us laughing. 

When that was finished, the buses headed back to ElDorado, but Brooke was able to ride with me...so we headed to Starbucks before making the trek home. 

A bath, a broken bone, and a birthday party for Brooke!

One of Levi's favorite things to do is to take a late morning bath! It's become an almost daily tradition - leaves him smelling yummy and feeling relaxed and ready for his nap. 

Well. Six and a half years into this parenting thing, and we have our first broken bone. I wouldn't have thought our careful cautious Beckett would be the first one either. He fell out of his bed on Thursday night and whined on and off all night about his shoulder/neck hurting. When he was still complaining about it the next morning and not using that arm much, I knew we had better go get it checked out. We kept frozen peas on it at home until our appointment. Isn't that a sad little face?

But he was in pretty good spirits once we got to the doctor. As long as he didn't move it wrong, he wasn't in you much pain. I even got this little smile out of him while we were waiting for the doctor to read his X-ray. 

I really was surprised to learn that his collarbone was broken. Poor guy. You can see here on his X-ray - the right clavicle is pretty smooth...then you see how the left one is kind of buckled up on the outer 1/3 part of it.  They've got him in a clavicle brace for three weeks, then we will go re-X-ray to see how it's healing. We are praying for a full recovery!

On Saturday morning, we went to celebrate Brooke's 10th birthday! 

Brody was spending the day with his Poppy, but Beckett and Levi had fun playing! ...and eating this yummy Hershey bar cake!

Happy birthday, Brookie! We love you!

Tuesday

We definitely enjoyed having Monday off from school this week, but we had a pretty fun Tuesday, as well. 

Miss Carolina Grace came over early, and I got to keep her for a couple hours that morning. It's so much fun having her over - kind of gives me practice for when L comes home! (Notice Mr Funnypants in the background.) 

I put together another care package for Lennox, and I signed the card in Hangul - so fun! It says: "I love you, Omma and Appa". I don't know how to do "we", for We love you, so I always just do I love you. And I don't know how to write "and" so I just separate Omma and Appa with a comma. I'm sure I get the point across anyway. Haha

After lunch, I took Levi to nap at a friend's house, and Beckett joined me at the salon for a hair appointment. I always feel better after fresh highlights and a cut! 

Then last night after Brent got off work, we all went to the walking trail! I pushed the double stroller with Levi, Beckett and Brody took turns riding and walking/running, and Brent ran a few miles them caught back up with us and walked. It was fun!

Labor Day weekend

This picture is actually from last Friday, but he just looks so cute every morning headed off to school . . . I just had to share his handsomeness! 

I try to get caught up on laundry in the mornings when it's just me and Levi at home. He loves to help me put up the clothes after I fold them. They never go in the right room, much less the right drawer, but who can resist that little scrunchy face asking to help? :)

On Saturday we went to Luke's birthday party! The kids loved playing on this super cool waterside!

Pirate Beck!

Beckett's skin has been so bad lately, so I've started letting them take oatmeal baths. I filled a nylon sock and a nylon bag with about a cup of dry oatmeal, tied them shut, and tossed them in a tub of warm water. The more they played with the bags, the more oatmeal "milk" would squeeze into the water. They have fun, and I love that its good for them! 

Trying to call up a big buck on Sunday afternoon ;)

I realized I have pictures of all three boys in the same shirt, so I had to do a side-by-side. My three precious little dudes! I think Beckett and Levi look more alike at this age. 

And Monday evening, we had our annual Labor Day cookout at the pool! Always so fun to see everyone! 

And we actually got a family picture!

Happy Labor Day!