14 Months Later

We have just passed our 14th month in the USA with Josh & Cate.  They have grown immensly since they've been here.  It's amazing to watch.  And to see the reaction of people when they haven't seen them for awhile and now see them.  The changes are outstanding.  They are doing great in school and community sports. Josh went to a birthday party for a school friend and drove go carts this week.  He loved that.  Also both Cate and Josh got surprise gifts from Aunt Dawn.  They love surprises and were thrilled with these goodie bags. 

 

Cate got sticker and stencil books which was a totally new concept to her.  She was thrilled especially since it said "perfectly pink" on the front.  Can you tell by her outfit that everything Cate chooses is pink.  It is her favorite color and she would be totally covered by pink everyday of her life if she could.  When she wears a different color she always tells people "Mommy picked this for me."  The person is thinking Cate is saying what a nice mommy she has but what she is really saying is that it isn't pink so I didn't pick it out.  Too funny!  We always know what she wants.....anything pink!

 

 

Josh's favorite item in the world is gel for his hair!  He has several bottles and gets them all lined up and trys to decide which one to wear today or maybe wear them all.  Aunt Dawn knows this and is his favorite person to get gel from.  She knows just what he likes!  Thanks Aunt Dawn for spoiling and loving on Josh & Cate.  They so appreciate you!

 

 

The picture above is Josh & I (Mommy) working on homework.  It is not Josh's favorite thing to do so we have to find lots of fun ways to work it into our afternoon.   Josh has been learning alot about the planets and everyday he has to write down when the moon rises and sets.  This has been very interesting for all of us.  I have a phone app that tells these facts so Josh checks it everyday and records the times.  It has been a good subject for him to learn about.  We of course know that God created the planets and the moon and all that goes with it.  It is interesting to know that the same moon that we see rising also rises over the Philippines.  God is an amazing creator to have pulled that all together.  God is good! 

 

 

 

Please continue to pray for us.  Specifically pray that these kiddos can be attentive in school and eventually catch up.  They say it takes 5 years before they can speak and write in proper English when it is a 2nd language.  These guys are working hard but have an uphill road ahead of them.  Thanks for reading the blog.  We will continue to count on our God to lead us and love that we have daily choices.  We are....

 

 

Choosing joy,

Chris & crew

Birthday for Nolan!

The highlight of this week was our little sweet grandson Nolan turned 1 years old.  Uncle Josh & Aunt Cate got to join in the party fun.

We also made a trip to Brook IN to see Great Grandma Joan.  She will be moving to Fort Wayne soon so we will see her alot more often then we hope.  We went to Brook for a bridal shower for our nephew Nate Troup and his soon to be bride, Jess.  We had a great time and enjoyed seeing everyone. 

 

 

Josh had an appointment at an ENT office because he has been having dificulty breathing when he is running.  We were thinking maybe he has asthma but the ENT discovered his adenoids are huge and should be removed.  They are definitely blocking his air flow.  During the visit the doctor inserted a very very long tube into Josh's nose with a little camera on the end.  It wasn't a very fun experience as you can see by the look on Josh's face.  Josh was very brave though and held really still.  He is a tought guy.  Adenoids are scheduled to be removed in mid October.

 

 

 

 

Cate also started a jumping jax jump rope class this week.  She loves to jump rope and she's pretty good at it too so this is perfect for her.  Josh has football practice on Wed and now Cate has her jumping jax class too. 

 

We've had a good week.  We are thankful for the routine of school along with good teachers during the week, family time on the weekends, and great weather that allows us all to get outside and run or ride bikes.  We are even more thankful for a God that loves us and gives us all second chances time after time.  We pray that you know Jesus and trust Him with your life.  Thanks for praying for us and reading the blog.  When we see the smiles on the faces of Josh & Cate it is easy to continue

 

Choosing joy,

Chris & crew



Yay! School and Soccer!

This week Cate and I went on her class field trip to Camp Potawotami.  All 4th graders at her school go and even spend the night.  We had a lot of fun.  Cate was the first girl to make it to the top of the 50 foot climbing wall and she learned alot about canoeing and archery.  It sure was fun having somemores around the campfire at night.  Josh & Jeff staed home and took care of themselves.  They managed to have a fun round of golf without us girls around!

 

 

 

Josh & Cate are awesome at soccer and we sure love Upwards soccer at The Chapel.  They do a great job and we love how the memory verses seem to apply directly to our lives.  This past verse was  Give thank in a circumstances for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.  1 Thess 5:18.  The virtue is gratitude and it is a great one for all of us to work on.  Saying thank you and showing gratitude (good attitude) is a good one to stress around our house!

Part of the time we just keep introducing Josh & Cate to normal everyday life like riding bikes and making pizzas.   They really like to have fun as you can tell with the fake mustaches below.   

 

 

Thanks for reading the blog and praying for us on our adoption journey.  Everything in life is a gift from God and we have choices to make.  We will continue to count on God and keep ...

Choosing joy,
Chris & crew