Dressin' Up

What? You didn't know Santa was a fireman with a princess umbrella in the off season?

Tour Guide Jackson

So part of getting ready for living in Ethiopia is selling our house! (Anyone need a house in a Dallas suburb? Seriously? Anyone?) We got this great rental house in the mean time and we are very blessed at how God has given to our family. Here is a tour of our first step in downsizing! (actually its a nice sized house and not really that much smaller than our other house but it doesn't have a dishwasher so I consider it downsizing:) Oh and sorry for the crazy camera work....I am no professional that is for sure.








And our favorite part of the house is this:


that is the side of our house and that is the PARK right next door!!!

and here is a zoomed in picture:



now if it wasn't so stinkin hot all the time.......

I can hear again!!!!

Yesterday I went back to the ENT doctor and he punctured my other eardrum and sucked out some of the fluid so I can hear again! I had this done on the other ear last week so now they both have been done:) I am not back to 100% yet. It still hurting a little bit and popping all the time but this all I can live with until it hopefully decides to heal. I go back in a month for a followup so hopefully by then I will be back to my old self again:) Thanks for your prayers and concern for the past 2 weeks, it has been a crazy time and I am so grateful to be hearing again!! More regular posts soon!!

Happy Fathers Day....

a few days late but you'll want to watch it.....it is pure awesomeness.

Dad Life from Church on the Move on Vimeo.

Day 12

Today is Day 12 of my horrible ear infection.....well it is no longer an infection but just fluid still in my ear. I have had an entire treatment of antibiotics, a steroid shot, and a hole drilled into my eardrum and fluid sucked out of my right ear. My left ear however is now the culprit and may need to also get the horrible drilling and sucking. It is not fun but neither is feeling like you are underwater. It makes parenting a little difficult when you can only hear the ringing in your head. Oh yes....my ears have been ringing for 12 days....very loudly. So when I finally get better, I will be back to regular blogging. But for now I am off to schedule my fourth doctors appointment....

Lucy Lane

We have met some amazing people through our adoption of Miss Livi and one of the most amazing moms I have ever met is Kristi Johnson. She is a fabulous mom of 5 with the energy level of no one else on earth. She is truly inspiring with all she does and how she inspires others to adopt. Her daughter Lucy Lane came home from the same orphanage as Livi one year ago (just one month before Livi came home) and she has put together an awesome video of their journey. Hope you enjoy! oh and see if you can spot Olivia in it!

Lucy Lane Gotcha Day - One Year Later from kristi johnson on Vimeo.

Summer Playgroup

Sorry I haven't posted in the past few days. I have a horrible ear infection (yes, apparently I am a two year old) and I feel like I am underwater. It is the most annoying feeling ever!! Hopefully tomorrow will be better.

Today however, our fun summer playgroup (you can click here for posts from last summer on our old blog) went to the fire station for a private tour!! Some of the kids were a bit nervous of the big trucks and strange men but Jackson was all over it. He did not want to leave and has talked about it all day! He absolutely loved every minute of it. He kept asking, "What does this do? Why? and What about about this?" Right now they are playing ambulance and taking a very sick monkey to the hospital.

This is him inside the ambulance....I didn't take any pictures of them in the back of the ambulance but they got to see the stretcher and all the supplies and even got a bandaid.


Here is just a few of the kids in our group posing on the firetruck

He did this all by himself....I really had to keep an eye on him.

with the big hammer/axe....it wasn't sharp

manning the chainsaw

I'll try and post more about what our fun playgroup does through out the summer.....although today's trip was the best one by far in Jackson's opinion! Many thanks to the fireman and Ashlee and Brilee for planning such a fun day!