Camping

Well we did it! Our first camping trip with 2 infants. And it was successful. We had a great time with Gary, Khonda and the kids. The weather was good for the most part (except for some rain), the kids slept fine in the tent, we went fishing, and generally had a good time. It was a little bit colder than we anticipated, especially at night, but we survived. I couldn't have done it without so much help. But I think both kids thoroughly enjoyed being outdoors.

Summer photos

Here are a few recent photos of the kids, enjoying their new "pool" and of T swinging for the first time. They are both doing well and are growing fast. Not much has changed in terms of their visits or the long-range plans. For now, we're just enjoying our time with them. We are going on our first camping trip together this Memorial Day weekend with my (Brenda's) brother and his family. Never camped with 2 infants before -- should be an interesting challenge! We are looking forward to the summer up here again. Spring has had some really beautiful days and it sure makes us want to be outside a lot enjoying this beautiful area. Thankfully, our new house is 1/2 mile from a local lake with a great beach for kids. Can't wait to take advantage of it!

House pictures

Here are some pictures of the house. Mostly of the living room, dining room, kitchen area. I've also included some of the kid's room so Debbie can see the beautiful crib decor she helped to supply!

Hard Goodbye

This week we moved into a new home, a rental. It is a beautiful home, and God really blessed us in finding it. It wasn't as difficult to say goodbye to our first home as I thought it would be. But there was another goodbye that was much more difficult than I ever anticipated. We had to give up our beloved "baby" -- our dog, Hannity. We would have had to turn her into an outside dog, which would have been hard enough for her. But she is also very sick and we were spending hundreds and hundreds of dollars that we don't have. It was a terrible goodbye and I miss her more than I ever thought I would. I still think I hear her sometimes. Or I go toward the laundry room to let her outside to go potty and then remember she's not there. Or I'll pass a hiking trail and think "Oh, I should come back here with Hannity. She would love it." She was a great dog, even in spite of her crazy ways and her many many illnesses. If she could survive eating 3 lbs. of chocolate and live, she can survive anything! Hannity -- we love you and miss you dearly!!