Home again!

We got back from Seattle and the Washington Coast 2 days ago. We were treated to this fantastic vacation by my dad, and what a great trip we had. The kids got to meet and spend time with Grandpa (my dad), LeLe (my step-mom) and their Aunt and Uncle. Their Aunt Lyssa is 10 and their Uncle Trystan is 12... we had a blast! My sister and her boyfriend joined us for part of it and the kids are always so happy to see Rebecca. It is always fun to hear her take on the kids and how much their English has improved since our flight home from Ethiopia. It was so much fun spending time with everyone and the kids got along really well!

Yesterday we helped Grandma and Grandpa (the ones that live here in Kennewick) with a going away party for a friend from church. The kids were so cute and helped carry food, chairs, tables and drinks for the guests. Addy was sad that she didn't have a job so she was in charge of greeting people and saying, "thanks for coming". The girls all wore their matching dresses that our friend Alyssa made them. They looked so stinkin' cute!

Today Marti (she has requested that she be called Marti (pronounced Mar-Tee) from now on) had her first soccer game. She played so well and was graceful and FAST! It was fun to watch her play. Jacob, Danny and Lilly all played today too. They were fun to watch and won their game 7-0.

We have had such a fabulous week and now we prepare for school starting! I cannot believe our summer has come to an end. We finished school supply shopping ($180 later) and will finish our clothes shopping this weekend (along with every other family in the world). I will do my yearly before-school-starts interview with each of the kids this week too. Every year since Danny was 3 and starting pre-school I have "interviewed" him about important things. I love how his answers have changed over the years. It will be fun to do this with all 5 of the "big kids" this week. I can't wait to see their answers!

Next week all the kids will have their Home Visits with their teachers from school. It will be fun to spend time watching the kids interact with their teachers. We are super excited about the teachers each of kids has this year. We feel like God picked them out just for our kids :).

The last few weeks have been really hard on our kids. The "Honeymoon Phase" is definitely over and although things are still really good everyone is trying out their limits and their roles in the house. The kids are really missing Ethiopia and the way life used to be. We have had several tears (from me too) but we are getting through it and will surely be a stronger family for it! We would appreciate your prayers during this transition back to school and as we move through this more difficult phase of adjustment.

Well... I better go make lunch and get the kids ready for a birthday party for one of their best friends! Have a great weekend!

Love,
Brooke