My Moody Artist.....

My son, who is six, just wrote his first song. Complete with tune and a pretty darn good rythm! So proud!
                                                                                                                                                                 

Translation-
Oh! Oh! Oh!
Life! Life! Life!
Is just
So! Hard!
Oh, oh my hart,
Wut shold I do!










We're still in conversation with him about just what exactly, in his long six years of life, has been so very hard... But he IS an artist after all!

so proud......

My son is going to grow up to be a "real man"! Trévan just changed his first diaper! Almost entirely on his own!

What we're doing

Our house is full (literally) with life and activity. Although Zaria is a born performer has taken the spotlight for awhile since her arrival, I thought I'd fill you in on all the other people who occupy space on our grand stage.

Eranae has grown up so much in the last few months. She is finding her own way of doing things and her personality has blossomed, even though she still loves to follow the lead of her big sister and brother. She has discovered a love of all things ART! All of the kids have art in their veins and genetic talent, but there is something special in it for Eranae and it is closer to the level of passion for her. She is just now learning to create realistic pictures but mostly enjoys abstract still. (haha) She is also getting very good with her letters and numbers and writing her name. She cannot wait for PreSchool to start this fall!

Trévan just had a birthday and is 5 now! That is a little hard to swallow! Where did that little chubby boy go? I am grateful that this tough, warrior, miniature man, still has a tender heart and a desire to protect those who need him, especially his sisters. Whenever there is a struggle of good over evil, this boy will come running! He has taken one Kung Fu lesson so far and loved it! His newest passion is playing Lego Star Wars on a borrowed PlayStation2. He eats, drinks, and breaths it. He would have no problem skipping every meal just to play.

Cahira is doing so well in school and we are really proud of how hard she's working. She has a special class for advanced students every Wednesday that she is really enjoying. But the best part of school for her is her relationships with her classmates and teacher, who all love her back. She is the most open, loving and accepting little girl I've ever met, and she is friends with the kids who don't have any other friends. The thing she is currently enjoying most is to read. She has a gift and reads with fluency and expression. She can sit and read for hours. I wonder where she gets that....

And the newest edition to the family doesn't quite fit in the category of one of our kids... lol! It has been great to have John living here. He has been adjusting to life in Kansas City and is starting to look for a job and developing relationships. Looking forward to seeing what the next year has in store for him.

Happy Thanksgiving!

My kids make me smile! On Thanksgiving day they were talking about the first Thanksgiving and decided to be the native Americans, so they grabbed some random belts and leaves for feathered headresses and viola! Thanksgiving pagent! The resulting photos were were pretty cute so I wanted to share them!

Handy Manny

Recently Tré has been watching "Handy Manny", a Disney show about a repairman with talking tools, and he is so into it. He has been wanting to get Mark's tools out to fix stuff in the house and wearing Mark's new hard hat around. So this afternoon when he disovered that his lion flashlight needed new batteries, he jumped at the chance to really be a handyman! Look at the concentration! And the sense of pride when he had unscrewed the cover, changed the batteries, and replaced the cover, entirely on his own, and the light worked!

A perfect outing

Several weeks ago we discovered a wonderful new activity here in Kansas City; the Overland Park Arboretum and Botanical Gardens. It has miles of lovely trails through the woods, a beautiful garden and lots of stuff for the kids. And- It's FREE!!! I love free stuff! We spent a great day wandering the trails, hanging out in the bird watch, eating lunch and enjoying the beauty of God's creativity. Here are a few photo highlights, including the after shot of Cahira and I after we slid down a particularly muddy slope. She did a perfect backwards somersault! LOL! Luckily there was a little stream at the bottom so we could wash up. If you come to visit us, it is a must that we find time to go. Or if you live in the area, be sure to check it out!