Summer Hodge Podge

I have not posted pics in a while, so here's the whole summer in a nutshell!

Our first major event was Esias' third birthday! He and my older sister share a birthday so it was fun to be able to share the party again this year. He loved the car cake and all the car/dinosaur themed gifts.

Of course, Aunt Tiel brought the funky 80's shades.



A few days later, a most precious birthday occurred! Malcom Ellis Anderson (my little sister's son) arrived safe and sound, 4 weeks early.


The Anderson Family! Malcom 1 hour, and Marcus 4.5 years old!

The entire Stanton/Howard/Grimes/Anderson family! (My sisters, their husbands and kids and our mom and dad) We all crowded in the hospital room an hour after Malcom's birth and the kind nurses looked the other way on their 2 visitor policy ;) The could tell they weren't gonna get us to split up. Poor Brynn. Though she looks great.

Marcus was over the whole hospital experience by the next day ;) He took becoming a big brother in stride!

Right after the 4th of July, we had Dan's sister Angie and her girls Gianna and Layla and his little sister Trish, her hubs Chris, and their girls Hannah and Alivia come for a visit to our part of the state. Angie lives in Texas so we don't see them very much. It was a blast-- we spent a lot of time at Darin's farm with the trampoline. There were LOTS of girls. Levi and Esias were feeling a little outnumbered.

I didn't get any pictures of this, but we also got a visit from Dan's older brother, Doug and three of his children- Chloe, Bethany, and Eleazar-- all close to Eden's age. It was 100 degrees outside, so we had some fun at Darin's farm and then the Doug, the kids, and I went to the mall to goof around. I think I got some pics on my phone but not sure how to upload those...my techie brain is not as techie as it used to be. We missed you Heidi!



We spent a lot of time outside on our slip-n-slide. We did go to the pool three times and the beach once, but the backyard setup seems to provide just about as much fun and a lot less money and effort!


One night after Dan got off of work, and against my better fiscal judgement, we took off driving out of town to find a little fun. We ended up in a town nearby, at a tiny Mexican restaurant, eating fajitas and messing around with our camera in the really awesome lighting. We have fun, the five of us.


Eden snapped this one ;)



A cute little building outside of the restaurant caught our eye.

I spent a few evenings away from home and left Dan with the kids. It was nice. I got a total of three pedicures this summer...that's more than I had had in my lifetime before June. Sheesh. I am hooked now...

This happens when Daddy in charge.


Cousin cuteness.

This past weekend we met up with my parents and took the kids to the Blank Park zoo on Friday night and the Iowa State Fair on Saturday. Fun times! Perfect weather, too.

We had a great summer! I love having my kids all under one roof all day, but I can tell they are bored in general with running errands with me! I am sad that school starts Thursday! I will miss my three amigos!

So behind!

I have hardly blogged all summer! Excuse me for being at the pool, watching movies, fixing countless meals and doing laundry! Ok, sorry. Got defensive for a minute there.

Anywoo...summer is going fast. The end of June brought Esias (and my sister Tiel)'s birthdays and then right on the heels of that my new nephew Malcom was born! So we had quite an eventful few weeks there. Esias is now a full-fledged three year old and lovin' it. He can hold up two figures and say "three" (that third finger likes to stay down and be ornery!). He's starting to make more and more word-like sounds and try to engage other people with words instead of being so silent in public. He's had weekly swallow therapy for a month and a half now and that is going well. In all other ways, he's a normal, happy, ornery, active three-year old boy!

So in the matter of my new nephew...have I mentioned I love him? Oh my heart. He is presh.us.

Eden spent a few days concentrating hard on a writing contest sponsored by our local TV station. She's already planned what to do with the $1500 grand prize WHEN she wins ;) The contest was writing an essay on what you want to be when you grow up. She would like to be a reporter/newswriter and I think her essay could be a serious contender (though I am tempering my pride in her work with some realism for her sake). She is a very creative writer and I would say quite good with words, especially for her age. By the way, she would buy a plane ticket to either Africa or China and an American Girl Doll with her money if she wins.

Elly is still working on getting her two bottom baby teeth out. The permanent teeth are completely grown in and yet she is so afraid of losing her baby teeth. We have an appt. schedule with a pediatric dentist (she has the right to use gas) and Elly knows that if she won't wiggle those babies out by that day, she's getting up pulled. I really despise the teeth-losing phase of life.

Dan and I are deep in the middle of fundraising for our upcoming Ethiopia trip. I am so thrilled to be able to go back again. So want to throw my hands around the necks of Birtukan and Nesibu and give them a big squeeze. And if time allows, we will go back to the place where Esias spent his 10 months of his life, Gelegela Orphanage.

Right now (meaning today and for the next 12 days) we are hosting two students from WuHan China. It has been (already) a great experience. The kids LOVE our students, 20 year old Ruen Xiao Ying and 19 year old Fu Hong. The are both girls and so sweet and kind. They unloaded all kinds of gifts on us last night. Such sweethearts. They are sleeping in the basement, hopefully the kids will give them privacy. The kids have had a hard time realizing that it's not like when Grammy and Papa sleep over; you can't just go jumping on Chinese college students at 7am to wake them up ;)

So, busy busy busy as usual. But all good! We are so blessed. For serious.