She lost ANOTHER tooth...

Tatiana was playing with her brothers this evening... Diego was pretending to be "Kung Fu Panda" and slapped her (playingly), her loose tooth popped right OUT! She now has THREE missing teeth! She is a snaggled-toothed cutie!

Bugs! Bugs! And More Bugs!

Tatiana's Seventh Birthday in Pictures... out of order, but you get the picture! It was lots of energy and excitement!!! Oh, and did I mention, BUGS!?!?!?

Listening to Papi give directions for the next game...

We're ready already!!!

The first game was a hit! It was the Lady Beetle Bean Bag Toss!

Diego at the Bean Bag Toss

Tatiana and her fellow buggsters!

Ben challenged the kiddos and adults to see who could yell "Happy Birthday, Tatiana!" loudest! Of course, the kids won!

(BTW, I LOVE that pic on the screen! I had a photo slide going in the background of the party.)

This is Destiny getting a Ladybug tattoo from Caleb, our G-Bubbie. We opted for these tattoos instead of facepaint. It was much easier!

Ms. Denise helped me with the cooking! She made these delightful brownies. Love this basket, too! She added the pink ladybugs as an accent...made for a great centerpiece...

And this is what I cooked! Ha! Looks dinky compared to her beautiful brownies, but the kids loved the neat little gadgets on top! Very cute-sie, don't ya think?

Tatiana and little bro, Diego!

These were handmade hats by Me! That I sat in the middle of the kids' table to serve as decorations. Loved them! Some scrapbooking materials made this cute centerpiece.

The table before our buggers!

This was our thank you for coming goodies. Each bug got a swirly sucker and a scrapbook card with ladybug facts. Each card had a small baggy of red and black m&ms! Making learning fun, right?

Diego wanted to pose next to our Ladybug with Bug-A-Boo! (Bear was named before we even the party in mind! Funny!) This little ladybug is a styrofoam flower thingy that I painted and added details and suckers! Kids couldn't wait to grab their candy!

Ladybugs...galore! Tatiana's Seventh Birthday in Pictures!

First Day of School 2010

Diego Starts Kindergarten! He loves it! Today was Day Two!

He gives me more detail than the other two, and I love it! He's so funny!

I downloaded Tatiana and Andrew's pic as well, and really need to re-organize my photos, because I can't find them! Tatiana and Andrew have more work than ever this year! Andrew and I have been reading a chapter book together each night this week. This is the first time we've done this together, and I love his reactions! We look at the title of the chapter and I just ask him questions...what do you think this is about...and then we both alternate reading a page and he stops and asks questions... I love it! After we finish a chapter a night, he goes and finds Ben or the sibs and tells them about it! It's great! He actually looks forward to reading now!!!

Happy Birthday to our friend, Nataly!

We LOVE you, Nat! Happy #11!

The Secret's OUT...

We know who wins the battle in the end! If He is for us..."haha!" who can come against us???

Lookout! Because when He comes in... those things done in darkness will be exposed.

2 Chron. 20... "God's Word: Don't be afraid; don't pay any mind to this vandal horde. This is God's war, not yours. Tomorrow you'll go after them; see, they're already on their way up the slopes..You won't have to lift a hand in this battle; just stand firm...watching God's saving work for you to take shape. Don't be afraid, don't waver. March out boldly tomorrow--God is with you."

The people appointed a choir and sang songs of praise to the Lord. AND... "as soon as they started shouting and praising, God set ambushes against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir as they were attacking Judah, and they all ended up dead. The Ammonites and Moabites mistakenly attacked those from Mount Seir and massacred them. Then, further confused, they went at each other and all ended up killed."

(Message Bible)

HAhA! I am sure glad I'm on the Lord's side! Aren't you?

A Trip to LA- Family Fun.in July

Ok, so they say if you don't shoot, you'll never get any better at photog! Well, even though I cut off part of Dani's head... I just LOVE this photo! It captured the moment...a mom playing with her daughter...I love it!

My Mother with Ainsley and Diego! Ainsley is Shanda's daughter. It was sad a few weeks ago I met them in Louisiana and she didn't even know who I was. It broke my heart... BUT my HOPE is in the Lord...and this is HIS battle.

Oh, how I LOVE my cousins! Family means a LOT more when you lose a sibling unexpectedly. I remember when my grandmother and Aunt Marilyn would take us to Hamel's park with all us kids...Now Kim is in Virginia, Kevin and John Michael in Louisiana and me in Mississippi- so moments like these, I cherish.

Kevin and Uncle Mike took charge while the kids took a ride on the Party Barge down the Ouachita River. Ainsley said, "Beamie, Look! A Swan!" It was one of those "tick-birds" my Uncle Mike says...you know, the kind that ride on the back of cows... It was so cute...

Shakira & Soccer

I was disappointed that Ben did not want to do soccer this year. I actually LOVE it! I LOVE being around the other soccer moms and networking with people outside of work and church. With work and the school arrangement, it will be too much for Ben to take the kids to practice and with my schedule at work, the on call job, and church-- not enough time to get them to practice either. Bummerz! But NEXT year, we WILL play AGAIN! The kids love it!

Shakira, Shakira! Colombian Woman can shake those hips! Beautiful woman with a beautiful voice. I look at this video and see so many people groups... and I reflect what Heaven is gonna be like...ahh! People of every tongue and tribe...yeah, yeah...

(ps. took the video off of deanna's blog. love it, d!)

Did I mention I now have a...

SEVEN year old in OUR HOUSE???

Happy Birthday, mi cielo! Mija!

I am putting together a photo slide for her birthday party next Saturday. Her birthday is actually today, but we have a special speaker/worship leader here this weekend at the church and chose to party next weekend. We are doing ladybug colors and theme. Because we are inviting girls and boys, we aren't dressing up, but hope to have face painting and games galore!

Kent Henry is visiting the church and we have been really blessed to have him lead services yesterday and looking forward to this morning. More to come...

Living without Internet

Living without internet AND cable!!! Haha, you don't realize how much time you spend in front of the tube or the laptop UNTIL you've done without... I actually think it has been A GOOD THANG for us. Even for the kids... Andrew LOVES the TV. I hate that. I would rather they use their creative minds for imaginative play...which it appears that Tatiana and Diego find easier to do.

Anyways, we cut off our cable because the internet was inconsistent. We had intended to look at going with Direct TV or Dish Network and are still considering... but after this weekend...may consider using that time and money focusing more on eternal things... (not that internet and tv are a bad thing, but those two things can so easily steal your time, our time away from our Heavenly Father...and the purposes of God)

One sad thing about no internet is that I miss all my blogging sisters and what's going on in their lives and the adoption network... So, to all my sisters and brothers, we are still here... and thoughts and prayers are with you....

[Pictured above is Danni with daughter, CC, at lake in Columbia, Louisiana. Our children are out in the lake with cousins, Emma, Noah, and Kevin. They had a great time. I will post more pics when I have time. I have been able to play with my photo editing lately and thought this pic turned out pretty cool!]