Tri-State Fair '16

 

Last week I won tickets to the fair in a Facebook contest. I won four, which turned out to be blessing. James had to work last Saturday so I asked John and Steph to come sit with the babies and I was able to take just our big kids and enjoy some time alone with them.

 First stop....lunch! A cup of corn, nachos, 2 jumbo corn dogs, a red velvet funnel cake and 2 drinks later....

 We stopped at our favorite vendor.. the root beer! Actually the boys got green cream soda on the first trip. On the way out they refilled with Root Beer!

 We stopped and watched a tiger show, it was pretty cool.

 After the show they invited you to stay and feed the tigers (for a cost of course) the boys were so excited! They looked so big & what a memory!

 We walked around and checked out the 4-H building. I always love the pumpkins.

 The kids played several games and won some prizes.

 They rode a few rides...

 and on the way out had a sno-cone.

It was a great afternoon and I am so thankful I was able to take them & have that time. Having a new baby in the house is never an easy adjustment for anyone yet these three have been a huge help and have acted so selflessly. We are so proud to be their parents. They have actually taught us a few lessons in patience and love these last few weeks.

Labor Day Weekend

Labor Day weekend was so much fun! My best friend Ashley came and spent the weekend with us! She was here over New Years with her family so to have her visit twice in one year was so exciting. Her husband and son dropped her off Friday on their way to a hunt in New Mexico.

Pretty soon after she arrived (with James holding down the fort) we headed to the Palo Duro Canyon. We drove down to the bottom and looked around and then we headed to do something I have been wanting to do for a while now, zip line across! 

 The zip line was an awesome experience. I was scared when we got to the top but the view was incredible and once I took off I felt very secure. I actually can't wait to do it again!

 We finished Friday with some shopping and dinner just us girls. It was a special day for sure.

Saturday morning James' parents came and sat with the kids so James could join us for the day. We went to the Amarillo Community Market.

 Went antiquing on 6th street, shopped for our little miss tiny and had some fabulous pizza for lunch. Oh, and we also hit up the mall! We spent the rest of the day watching college football.

 Sunday Ashley went to church with us and then her hubby and son joined us Sunday afternoon. James did some grilling and we spent the day hanging out. Tyler did some rabbit hunting off our front porch and we made a run to Sonic at 9pm for ice cream!

Our kids had a great weekend as well. Christopher went with his friend on Friday night to bowling and dinner. On Sunday after church Makayla went to a movie with her grandparents and Christopher and James Henry went to Wonderland Amusement park with our friends from church and then to McDonald's.  I am so thankful for fabulous people who love our children so much.

 On Monday after Ashley and her family headed back to Shreveport, James and I had a date day! We enjoyed a movie and lunch! We LOVE our time alone!

Labor Day weekend is usually nothing special in the Lis house but this year it was amazing. I am so thankful for my time with my best friend since first grade. I am also thankful that our crazy house full of 5 kids didn't scare her off!

I am so glad all of us had a weekend full of love & joy!

Sugar & Spice & Everything Nice

Two weeks ago today we welcomed a sweet soul into our family. 

God's timing is always always perfect. We had been actively waiting for a placement since we returned home from Vegas the first of July and then James suddenly had gallbladder surgery the first of August. During the 2 weeks he was so sick leading up to surgery and the weeks following I asked Bucker not to call us so I could concentrate on my family and making sure James was healing and well.

James and I talked over the weekend of August 19th and decided on Monday August 22nd we would give Buckner the green light to activate us again. We didn't even concentrate on the fact that August 22nd is the day we bought David home 2 years ago.

Just 2 days later all of our waiting would be over....

2 years and 2 days to the anniversary of David's homecoming my phone rang around 11am and our case managers name showed on my phone, I was so excited. James and I said yes to a beautiful 8 month old baby girl. They told us it would be really late that night before she arrived so we had plenty of time to prepare. When I was at Wal Mart picking up some things I snapped this picture of my basket. We have an almost identical picture from the same Wal Mart from the day we picked up David from the hospital. 

Our Little Miss Tiny arrived at our door around 1am. She is so precious, beautiful and tiny like her nickname. So tiny that she is to small for that new car seat I bought her at Wal-Mart. She is doing fabulous and we are all adjusting well (even if David and the dog had some reservations at first!)
She smiles all the time and she is drama queen. She can fake cry to try and get her way! I am enjoying all the bows and outfits, everyday is like playing dress up! James keeps coming home with girlie super hero clothes for her. Today she laughed out loud for the first time. Who knew fake sneezing was so funny?!

One day I hope to be able to share her story in more detail because I already know it is going to be amazing and God will be glorified through it. I found out last week that 10 other families in the Texas Panhandle said yes to her too but God chose us and we are incredibly honored and blessed.


It is too early for us to even guess what God's plan is for her life or what her case is going to look like but I know his timing is perfect and his plans flawless so for now we will rest in those truths and enjoy snuggling with our precious girl!

Here's to a brand new school year!

 Last Friday we went to the school for meet the teacher. The kids were very excited. We stocked up on new t-shirts, joined the PTO and signed up for clubs.

 Christopher starts middle school this year and has his first male teacher.

 James Henry is in first grade and has Mrs. Miller, her daughter was in James Henry's class last year.

I was a little bit looking forward to today but it is so bittersweet. We only have 3 more first days with Makayla and only 3 more meet the teachers. Time is just flying by.
Today we took our high school freshman, our first grader and our 6th grader to school.

 We had a big family prayer time last night and I know God is in the mix with us this year and good things are coming to our babies.

James walked each kid to their classroom although Makayla and Christopher tried to avoid it so much that Christopher attempted to run off from us. It didn't work, their dad went to each class and wished them all a great day. They were excited with all the new backpacks, lunch boxes and teacher gifts in tow.
James, David and I enjoyed a celebratory first day of school breakfast out this morning. David and the dog are already lonely and missing the big kids!

Sweet Summertime

Oh, summer 2016 you have been jam packed and full of adventure. On top of the trips, birthdays and a surgery we have done alot of other things as well.

Christopher completed a summer semester of fencing. Makayla went to theater camp and James Henry did a summer semester of gymnastics. 

 We let James Henry's hair grow all summer without cutting it. We discovered that he is actually capable of growing hair and it's the perfect curly mixture of mine and James' hair.

 We went to our first movie with all 6 of us!

 David was there for the popcorn.

 We went to a rainy swimming party with our Sunday school class.

 We went bowling.

 Makayla started driving practice with James.

 Makayla, Christopher and I went to see the play Texas in the canyon when my mom was in town.

 Makayla had her last baby tooth pulled and went into Phase 2 of orthodontics.

 James Henry had allergy tests done. I have been giving him 4 shots a week at home for about a month and neither one of us has cried!!!

 Makayla went to the Harry Potter book release party with her GG.

 Christopher learned how to mow!

 We celebrated David's one year adoption anniversary with a fun lunch at Chuck E Cheese.

 David and I did a service project with our friends that benefited Buckner.

 I went to a ladies conference one night with friends from church.

 Christopher went to computer animation camp and learned how to design 3D images and start a video game.

 This summer Makayla started the dual degree program at Amarillo College. She took entrance exams over two days. She is working to earn her general studies associates degree at the same time as her high school diploma. We ordered her first college course book last week!

 David learned how to ride a trike (backwards).

This summer has been wonderful! I am always sad when school starts back but it is exciting at the same time. Fall is coming!!