Chicago Trip

We visited with friends from our Guatemalan Adoptive Families group in Chicago last weekend:

Favorite Foto Friday

I am straying from the theme a bit today as we have had so much excitement at our house this week, I just had to share!

Nathan's Godfather Juhani and his wife Sarah returned from Indonesia this week where they have been living for the past two years. We haven't seen them since last summer and Nathan has missed them a lot. We all surprised Nathan by going to pick him up from school. His class was just coming in from their time on the playground.

Nathan was very surprised to see us all, but once he saw "Hani" he didn't want to let go. I don't think he stopped smiling all night! We also celebrated the birthdays of our dogs Onyx and Mishu this week. They both turned 7 recently. They are such happy girls, loyal and loving. We are so blessed to have them in our lives and are so thankful that they are healthy! Here is Mishu:And, Onyx giving Nathan a kiss - Then Nathan gives Onyx a kiss.Have a great weekend everyone!

End of the School Year Picnic

Last night we briefly visited the picnic given by Nathan's school. Sela had a great time on the playground climbing and people watching while Nathan clung to my leg. The kids then got balloons - Sela a flower and Nathan got Elmo - before getting their faces painted:

Medrano Shipment arrives in Guatemala

The Medrano Shipment which my family and friends helped me pack back in April finally arrived in Panajachel, Guatemala last week. I was very excited this weekend to receive pictures of the students we sponsor receiving the gifts we sent in the shipment. Mom and I sent some items we thought might be useful the families in their homes - sheets, towels, blankets, pots, plates, cups, and dishtowels. They appear to be very pleased to have received these items:

Luis:

Miriam:

FFF - PAJAMA PARTY!

Favorite Foto Friday - PAJAMA PARTY!

Here is a picture of my pretty princess trying on her new nightgown:

And here is a picture of my big boy in his PJs on our trip last weekend playing with his UncleThis picture was taken right before he flipped over and landed on his uncle:and finally, what is a sleepover without a few tickles!To see more FFF pictures, check out Sarah's blog for the complete listing: http://kissthefrog4me.blogspot.com/

Weekend in Lexington

We spent the Memorial Day weekend in Lexington, VA along with my parents, sister, brother and their families. It was great to see them all and to watch the kids interact. We arrived a day early along with Bubie and PopPop. We spent the day exploring the area and found a small quiet playground. The kids loved playing on the swings, looking for catapillars, and even sliding down the rather large sliding board.Sela had no fear climbing up the ladder, but sliding down was another story. This is what happened when she got scared and tried to stop herself:The kids did some fishing with their PopPop, cousins and Uncles Rick and Jamie:We visited a safari in Lexington. We bought a couple buckets of feed and fed the animals when they came to our car. We saw camels, llamas, zebras, cattle, deer, pigs and many other animals. Nathan loved it:
But, Sela was rather unsure of everything:

During this trip, Uncle Rick taught Nathan how to catch and throw the baseball:

And, the kids loved the bubbles:
both in and out of the tub!

We visited the Natural Bridge and the kids even went into their first cavern.
That evening, the kids ate watermelon around the campfire before roasting marshmellows and playing with their cousins.
It was great to spend time with family:

News and Notes

Yesterday, I received Nathan's report card after having his Portfolio Conference with his teachers on Monday. They are very pleased with the progress he has made this year in school and feel that he has grown and matured in addition to learning. I am so incredibly proud of him!

Nathan's teachers did share a funny story, complete with pictures: when they were learning about Passover, the teachers talked about wine and how it was made. As a demonstration, a large bucket and grapes were brought into the classroom and the kids were all asked to roll up their pants to take a turn stepping on the grapes. When it was Nathan's turn, the teachers said they turned around and Nathan had taken OFF his pants!! Doesn't surprise me at all, but it certainly suprised the teachers.

Nathan will be in this school for one more year and next year, Sela will be joining him there! She is very excited about attending school at Bet Yeladim!

Last night, while we were out, we received a call from Juhani. The kids are so excited to see him. Juhani and Sarah will be returning to the United States next week and will be here for most of the summer. Nathan already has a list of things he wants to do with Juhani. Here are a few pictures from last summer in Hawaii: