SNOW!!!

Today we had a beautiful snow... It was a first snow for Jeremiah and Maria. I so enjoyed watching them all work together to make a snow fort. They spent a total of 3 hours outside in the snow, finishing the day off with hot cocoa and scones YUM!

1. 

Adoption

Our first adopted child, was our son Jakob. He was a little over 2 years old when he came home from Vietnam. He was born with a cleft lip and palate. For the entire 2 years he was in Vietnam he suffered from malnutrition and skin disease. Jakob has a beautiful and strong spirit given to him by our Father. Jakob graduated from speech therapy when he was 5 and is a typical 1st grader. He has been and is an amazing gift to our family.

George , our second adopted son, came home from Vietnam at 6 months old. He is a sweet little boy, who loves baseball. He has had to eliminate all dairy and wheat from his diet. Surprisingly this has helped our entire family to eat a healthier and more varied diet :) George's favorite sport is baseball and he LOVES to play with his sister Maria.


Joseph, our third adopted son, came home from China. He was also a little over 2 when he came home. He was born with a cleft lip and palate. Joseph came home an introverted little boy who would not make eye contact. He has now blossomed into quite the comedian and enjoys playing with his siblings. Music, especially singing is his favorite pass time. Joseph continues to improve his speech and is making great progress.



Jeremiah and Maria came home from Ghana. They were both 5 years old when they came home. Jeremiah is quiet and loving. He is a gentle boy who enjoys pretending with his brothers--mostly playing cars and trains. Jeremiah has been an amazing addition to our family. He has fit right in with all of his siblings.

Maria is a VERY happy child. She is always laughing and loves to play dress up. That being said, she will also give her brothers quite a competition in soccer and baseball. Maria gets to share a room with her sister, Margaret Rose and loves it. Margaret Rose reads to her every night--Maria is usually asleep before the end of the story though.

If we are blessed to adopt another little one, he or she will be loved and cherished as a gift from our Father. We enjoy watching each child blossom and see where God has blessed them. Our goal is to provide them with the opportunites to use their gifts and talents to glorify God.

More Fun With Friends

A great game of baseball--Jeremiah up to bat!
George running for 2nd with our good friend waiting to tag him out:)
Rachel and her friend have some warm up practice (silly teenagers)
After the game photo OP...
Annelilese on the right and her best friend of 16 years....well it will be 16 years in about 2 weeks.
Where ever we have lived (we have moved often while James was in the Navy), we have been blessed with wonderful friends. Just recently we were able to visit with a family who we met for the first time over 16 years ago. Every time we are able to get together, it seems like we were never apart.

Our Home

Here are a few photos of our home.. it is a warm, and open place to live.

Education and Music

Our family is very focused on our children's education and love of music. Our oldest, Anneliese has been playing piano since she was 4 years old. Being homeschooled, she and our other children have been able to focus on different instruments, perform for competitions and at local nursing homes. Our daughter Rachel has been playing piano since she was 6 years old and also plays the classical harp. Joshua, who is 12, plays piano, but his love is the guitar. Margaret Rose, 9, plays piano and has just picked up the violin this year. Jakob, who is 7, has been learning the piano and seems to be a natural. Jeremiah, George, and Maria just began piano this year. They all enjoy singing and dancing.

James played piano as a child and through college. He enjoys jazz and playing gospel hymns , and many songs from different musicals. I, mom, cannot play or sing or dance,.. my job is to listen and I LOVE to do that:)

Time with Friends and Family

We enjoy every opportunity to spend time with friends and family. My sister and her family spend almost every summer with us. James brother and sister visit us on a regular basis. Since our recent move, we have been able to drive to South Carolina and spend time with grandparents and a Great Grandparent! not to mention our many other relatives and friends who also live in the are. Family and our wonderful friends are very important to us and our children. The memories they make spending time with will always be a huge part of their childhood memories.