Birthday Weekend

Yesterday was Joey's birthday. So this is officially his birthday weekend. We decided to keep things simple and enjoy a birthday at home just our family. The sun has officially arrived bringing with it warmth and fun. We began setting up the pool and visited with family on skype. It was really nice to be just us after weeks of others being with us. Not to mention we ate hamburgers and had coconut cream pie. Have I mentioned how I'm pretty sure my love language is food?!

Isn't this guy handsome?! I can't express what a blessing he is to me, nor could I express how much I love him. Praying for a year FULL of blessing for you Love. Happy Birthday!

This morning we got up and headed to the beach. It was loads of fun. Kinda windy, but already the water is warm. The kids had a great time. Perfect way to kick off the weekend.

Building sand castles

Making sand angels

Playing ball with Dad

In the end they were worn out. It's so much fun having summer be here and it sure is nice for Joey to have a birthday so we can have a reason to celebrate! 

Preschool

Recently a friend of mine has had to take her new little baby to the Dr. for follow ups and vaccines. She has two older boys who would be a huge handful while she waited for her turn at the local clinic. So, I've been watching them. It's a lesson in patience and language learning forsure. Both boys seem to understand English pretty well but they mostly speak rifi and Arabic. We work together and little by little we can sort things out.

Today my friend and her sister took their kids to the Dr. so I had an extra little girl with me. This little one understands a lot more English since she lives with someone who speaks English, but she doesn't know me as well as the boys do. She started out her visit crying and wanting her mom.  I decided to pull out the playdoh and have a little preschool hoping it would help her relax. So far it's been a huge success. 

Nothing like hanging out with little people to stretch my language skills and keep me giggling.

Isabelle

I always wanted girls,...just not as much as I wanted boys. Since I was a self proclaimed "anti-girly-girl" the thought that I might end up with an emotional, pink-loving, drama-making, manipulating little thing living in my house...well, it was pretty scary.

With all of our kids we waited to find out the gender of our newest blessings. As we waited for baby #4 everyone was excited and hoping for a girl. Even me! August 22, 2011 dawned bright and beautiful, we were in southern Spain after all. We got to the hospital, got settled, surgery underway and suddenly she was there! Our little princess. I remember asking a few times if it was a boy or girl - they said it in Spanish first and I couldn't really focus enough to understand. She was beautiful and sweet. One of my easiest babies. Crazy brown hair sticking straight up. I was hooked.

Don't get me wrong she so far has proved to be everything I was afraid of. Emotional- always, and obsessed with all things pink (I had NO idea it started so young!), she can create drama out of a speck of dust and her Daddy and brothers would follow her to the ends of the earth. All of this and she's not even 3 yet! Lord help us as she gets older!

But Isabelle is still sweet and beautiful too. I love watching her care for babies and kids smaller than herself. She is amazingly helpful and can actually see a way to help before I ask her! She likes having things in place and pretty organized, but makes a mess with the best of them. She is shy and a bit of a diva, but once you've won her over she's your friend for keeps, unless she's in a bad mood, then just stay out of her way! 

I am so  blessed to have Isabelle in my life and to have the opportunity to be her Mom. I am learning so much about myself watching her grow and thinking about what truths are vital that I teach her. I find myself talking with God about what sort of girl she'll be and begging him to protect her heart and mind. We've only just begun this journey of raising our girls, there is so much more to cone and loads I am pretty scared of, but I can say without a doubt I am SO thankful God gave me girls, especially my Izzy.