LIFE

I know, I know, I haven't posted anything in what seems like forever.

Truly where is the summer going??

A part of me feels like I haven't written lately because nothing has really happened.

We are enjoying the relaxed vibe that summer brings.

But when I think again, I realize that MUCH IS HAPPENING!!

Here's a little update on our summer...

We have a walker runner on our hands now

 It took him a while to get the hang of it, but now he is running all over the place.

He also talks every waking second of his day.

His favorite phrases so far are "Look it!" "What that?" "Oh goodness" and "Stop it!" I hear that one a lot, whenever I have to wipe his nose/face, change his diaper, get him dressed, stop him from taking off in a mad sprint towards whatever has caught his attention, etc.

He definitely keeps us on our toes!

He LOVES all things with wheels! Which is understandable since he NEVER STOPS GOING!!

He is the silliest little thing I've ever seen. If you could die from excessive laughter, Ryan and I would be goners. He has had us rolling on the floor and doing the ugly snort laugh on many occasions.

He found a dart leftover from mama and daddy's nerf gun fight

He has started doing this and it cracks me up everytime!!

Fell asleep after gaining the victory over the dvd case. 

Today his great idea was to carry around a pillow for whenever he falls lol

He MUST dance whenever and wherever music is playing

His newest dance move is this hilarious munchkin squat

Do you think he knows we think he is ridiculously cute and entertaining? haha

 

Every day with this child is such a blessed adventure!

We had a great 4th of July this past week!!

Watching the parade

 Playing in the pool at our friends house

He's not a huge fan of water yet

But he loved jumping with papa on the trampoline!!

Mama what are daddy and Peter doing on the trampoline? Don't they know that's for kids?

  Watching the fireworks

Last year...

 and this year...

What a difference a year makes!!

He didn't really think much of the beautiful explosions in the sky, but he would freak out and point hysterically at the small blinking light of the plane that would fly overhead (little weirdo;) hahaha

Everyday I fall more and more madly in love with this crazy little one. 

OH he completely has my heart!!

So obviously we are having a great summer, but we are not sad that it is passing quickly (this will probably be the only year I am actually looking forward to fall).

On the adoption side of things, we have just been waiting, but as of Sunday we became the NEXT family that will receive a travel date. The family in front of us will be traveling the second week of August so we are estimated to be leaving a week or two later than them!!

Hearing that news has really put a skip in my step. WE ARE SO CLOSE!!!

I am also kind of freaking out inside as the list of everything that we need to do and get in order before we travel is quite long.

I am definitely in the "nesting" stage of the adoption process.

If you happen to come visit us, please take the time to look into every little crevice of our fridge. The only time you will see it that clean again is if I'm big with baby or if we are again nearing the end of a long road scattered with notarized paperwork.

I've also been making good use of all the time I spend on pinterest by working on some fun projects.

This mama wants everything to be perfect when I bring my babies home!!

Told you I'm nesting ;)

I've also been keeping busy on my beloved shutterfly account.

I made Landon a story book to look at while Ryan and I are in Eastern Europe. It turned out so cute!

 I'm also working on Ivan and Levi's adoption journal, and a picture book that we will take with us so they can see the people they will meet and places they will be upon their arrival to the States. I am labeling everything in English and Russian (our facilitators idea).

Add to that finishing up the last 8 months of Landon's First Year album. I took so many pictures his first 4 months took up one entire album. I'll probably have to split all 12 months into 3 books (a little ridiculous I know).

So as you can see, I'm pretty busy. I know most of our time will be devoted to our 3 boys once we get home so I don't want the little things (like documenting Landon's first year) to be put on a shelf in my mind that I may or may not return to. It's now or never I feel.

So for now, we're working on tying up all loose ends so that we can just focus on our 3 lovies and finding our new normal in the coming months.

Hopefully there will be an adoption update blog in the near future, including a travel date announcement :)

Thank you to each of you who remembers our growing family in your prayers. We love you, covet your prayers, and are praying you also have a blessed summer.