Easter 2012

Josh & Cate were a great help at celebrating Easter in the USA.  We had to color eggs and make a bunny cake of course.  In the midst of family dinners and egg hunting we also took time to explain what was so great about Easter.  This is when we celebrate Christ rising from the grave after he took our sins to the cross.  We had some great conversations about this and are once again thankful to KGCH in the Philippines for the Godly start in life they gave to Josh & Cate.  These kids have a great biblical foundation for being so young.  Praise God for KGCH.  Thank you! 

Grandma Carol & Grandpa Bob came to celebrate with us plus our oldest son, Luke, was able to join our festivities and we loved having him with us.  Thanks Luke for making the drive.  We missed the others....Susi (traveling in Ireland/England), Nick/Autumn/Nolan and Courtney/Zach and Grandma Joan.

Church on Sunday was amazing and we all wore our finest clothes.  The 4 of us worked hard for matching outfits.  We thought it was fun that Josh & Jeff were twins plus Cate and I looked similar.  Josh woke up with a stiff neck and he is standing a little crooked in these pictures.  It was a painful day for him but he is tough and was not about to miss out on anything!

As soon as church was over and the pictures were taken it was back to the play clothes and the outdoor fun.  Kite flying was the best part of the windy afternoon.  Thanks Grandma and Grandpa for new kites.  They flew even better here then on the beach.

Of course we need a few special pictures of our grandson Nolan to end the updates.  We were able to facetime with him on Easter and that was really fun.  He was visiting his other Grandma & Grandpa and I know that was fun for everyone. 

 Children are just such a precious gift from God.  We love all of our family and are so thankful for their love for the Lord.  Happy Easter!  We serve a risen Christ!  It doesn't get any better than that.  I pray you know Him today.

Choosing Joy,
Chris & crew

Spring Break 2012!

We have had a super fun couple of weeks.  The first fun thing that happened was a package arrived in the mail.  Josh & Cate are always so excited when they see their name on the outside of the mail.  They love getting mail!  Our good friends, John & Kim Porter, sent them some spring goodies.  Thanks John & Kim.

We took a spring break trip to Anna Maria Island.  This is a place we went yearly with our biological children.  My parents used to go there for a couple of months and then we would show up to visit on spring break while our children were growing up.  So to take Josh & Cate there was really fun but different.  We mostly just hung out at the beach and pool but you can see it was a lot of fun for the 4 of us. 
The first stop was Orlando to stay at a beautiful Marriott Courtyard for a few days of intense family bonding.  The pool area was fabulous and the kids have become such great swimmers. 

We took an afternoon out for a local airboat ride to check out the alligators.  It was a blast being on the water and we saw plenty of gators!

Back to the pool, ice cream, and just plain fun!  The kids even spied their favorite

 restaurant, Panda Express! 

Now it's onto the beach at Anna Maria Island!  So fun!

All too soon it was time to pack up and head back to Orlando for the night so we could fly out early in the morning.  The kids seemed excited to head back home to Fort Wayne.  We had great weather with lots of sun for our week on the beach.  Thank you Jesus for the sunny days.  This allowed us just to focus on being together on the beach without having to come up with indoor activities.  Josh & Cate were exhausted after fun in the sun each day and fell asleep easily in the condo each night.

We were blessed to see the sunrise as we flew towards home.  Yes, it was a very early morning wake up to make the plane.  We are so thankful we had this time to get away and love on Josh & Cate without the daily distractions at home.  Praise God from whome all blessings flow!  And now we are heading into Easter and Jesus rising from the grave.  Thanks for your prayers as we continue...

Choosing Joy,
Chris & crew