Hi, Everyone!
What a busy year it has been so far! Here is a quick update, because if I don't give you a quick update now, you might not see one for a while. :)
Since February:
- Erin graded and graded and graded and graded and graded and graded research papers!
- We went on a quick Spring Break trip to FDR State Park to camp with family.
- We went to two Braves games (one with the college group and one with 75 people from our church).
- Had a huge July 3rd celebration at church like last year. Thousands of people were on our church campus . . . it was amazing! MANY of our college students came out to help, too, so that was incredible!
- Eric had his first college intern this summer!
- Our church is changing services: what was two worship services and one Sunday School hour will become two worship services and two Sunday School hours. Since Eric is also the Education Pastor, he has been very busy getting everything lined up for Aug. 1st when all this takes place. (more information located at kfbc.org)
- We have had the opportunity to visit with family: granddad's house for Memorial Day, Eric's parents came to visit, Erin's parents came to visit, and Erin's siblings and niece and nephew came to visit.
- Went to a rock climbing gym with the college group.
- Our church staffed a community 5K. Eric and I were course marshals.
- Erin has a new job: moved from King's Academy to Dominion Christian School (the Lord really taught me many lessons during the transition). I will be coaching Cross Country and teaching three classes. (Check it out: dominionchristian.org)
- We have been preparing for a mission trip to Thailand. We will accompany five of our college students but meet up with some other groups while there. In two weeks God provided the money needed for the trip. The weeks to follow brought spending money and money needed for supplies. AMAZING! Eric and I have really seen God at work as our Provider!
- Had the opportunity to talk to our Christmas girls on skype!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
- Erin took care of a baby for a week.
- Had the recent opportunity to hang out with friends.
Obviously, most of our activities have been with church. God has been doing so much at KFBC, and we are so thankful, honored, and humbled to be a part of it all. Check out our new college website. One of the college students made the logo and another college student set up the web page. (www.kfbc.org Go to the ministries tab and select college and career.)
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Happy Valentine's Day!
Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13
I'm so thankful that Jesus Christ demonstrated the greatest example of love! He gave up His life for us. Mankind is sinful and in need of a Savior . . . Jesus is that Savior! Because of Christ's sacrifice on the cross, our sin debt has once and for all been paid in full! That is love!!!!!!!!!!! This love is for you to partake of. Recognize that you do wrong things and that your punishment for sin is death. Know that Christ took your place on the cross. Christ, who knew no sin, became sin for us. Three days later Christ rose from the dead. Christ conquered death, which allows those who surrender their lives to Christ to spend eternity in heaven with Him! I chose to turn my life over to Christ as a little girl, and I am so thankful! Jesus still continues to pour his grace upon grace all over me. Never have I known such unconditional love! Thank You, Jesus, for Your love!!!!!!!!
I'm also thankful that God blessed me with an earthly love, my handsome husband. I love you, Eric! 
I'm so thankful that Jesus Christ demonstrated the greatest example of love! He gave up His life for us. Mankind is sinful and in need of a Savior . . . Jesus is that Savior! Because of Christ's sacrifice on the cross, our sin debt has once and for all been paid in full! That is love!!!!!!!!!!! This love is for you to partake of. Recognize that you do wrong things and that your punishment for sin is death. Know that Christ took your place on the cross. Christ, who knew no sin, became sin for us. Three days later Christ rose from the dead. Christ conquered death, which allows those who surrender their lives to Christ to spend eternity in heaven with Him! I chose to turn my life over to Christ as a little girl, and I am so thankful! Jesus still continues to pour his grace upon grace all over me. Never have I known such unconditional love! Thank You, Jesus, for Your love!!!!!!!!
I'm also thankful that God blessed me with an earthly love, my handsome husband. I love you, Eric! 
Friday, February 12, 2010
Birthday Blessings
My birthday celebration began one day early when Eric surprised me at our college Bible study. He made a birthday powerpoint slide, had the group sing "Happy Birthday" to me, and then pulled out a birthday cake! I was so surprised and loved all of my handsome husband's thoughtfulness!
Eric's thoughtfulness did not end there. On my actual birthday, the birthday fairy came! I woke up to find the most special birthday card ever that was made by my husband. The card was accompanied by a prayer journal and Keith and Kristyn Getty's new cd. That was only the start to an amazing day!
Ever since I was in high school, it seems like something always came up on my birthday. I remember one birthday when I was snowed in with my youth group in a school gym. What a birthday! My second married birthday was spent cleaning out our apartment because we were switching seminary apartments . . . cleaning included slicing my finger open with a curtain rod! Most birthdays either Eric or I had to work. Last year at work I kept forgetting it was my birthday. This year I told Eric that all I wanted for my birthday was for him to be off work so he could spend the day with me. I do not work on Thursdays and Eric took the day off, so we had such a special time together. This was one of my favorite birthdays of all!
Eric and I picked up lunch and ate it in the car at the top of Kennesaw Mountain. This was our lunch view!
We walked from the parking lot look-out point to the very top of the mountain. These pictures capture the view we saw.
You can see Atlanta from the top of the mountain.
What a blessing it was to be surrounded by the Lord's AMAZING creation on my birthday. His fingerprints were all over his handiwork!
The day continued with the start to our new hobby: cycling! Eric and I plan on riding in a bike race in May. Riding bikes that day really reminded me how out of shape I am and that I have a lot of work to do!
We stopped by REI on my birthday, and the bag below just caught my eye. I'm a pretty picky shopper, so it was a big deal that something jumped out at me.
When I went over to examine the bag closer, I saw the label and knew I had to get it!
I loved having birthday money to spend on a special treat!
Treats continued when Eric took me for a romantic birthday dinner.
To our surprise, we discovered that birthday guests receive a free meal! To make our visit to the restaurant even better, we were seated at a curtain booth! The table was surrounded by walls with a small opening for the waitress to serve us. A curtain completely enclosed our table once the waitress had brought us our food. How fun is that . . . a curtain booth! I felt like we were in a little train car or something.
The main meal was delicious, and my free birthday dessert just topped it all off!
A stop at Starbucks began our trip back home. Once at home, we chilled and played Sequence.
The entire day was so special and relaxing. Thanks, Handsome, for my birthday blessings!
Eric's thoughtfulness did not end there. On my actual birthday, the birthday fairy came! I woke up to find the most special birthday card ever that was made by my husband. The card was accompanied by a prayer journal and Keith and Kristyn Getty's new cd. That was only the start to an amazing day!
Ever since I was in high school, it seems like something always came up on my birthday. I remember one birthday when I was snowed in with my youth group in a school gym. What a birthday! My second married birthday was spent cleaning out our apartment because we were switching seminary apartments . . . cleaning included slicing my finger open with a curtain rod! Most birthdays either Eric or I had to work. Last year at work I kept forgetting it was my birthday. This year I told Eric that all I wanted for my birthday was for him to be off work so he could spend the day with me. I do not work on Thursdays and Eric took the day off, so we had such a special time together. This was one of my favorite birthdays of all!
Eric and I picked up lunch and ate it in the car at the top of Kennesaw Mountain. This was our lunch view!
We walked from the parking lot look-out point to the very top of the mountain. These pictures capture the view we saw.
You can see Atlanta from the top of the mountain.
What a blessing it was to be surrounded by the Lord's AMAZING creation on my birthday. His fingerprints were all over his handiwork!The day continued with the start to our new hobby: cycling! Eric and I plan on riding in a bike race in May. Riding bikes that day really reminded me how out of shape I am and that I have a lot of work to do!
We stopped by REI on my birthday, and the bag below just caught my eye. I'm a pretty picky shopper, so it was a big deal that something jumped out at me.
When I went over to examine the bag closer, I saw the label and knew I had to get it!
I loved having birthday money to spend on a special treat!Treats continued when Eric took me for a romantic birthday dinner.
To our surprise, we discovered that birthday guests receive a free meal! To make our visit to the restaurant even better, we were seated at a curtain booth! The table was surrounded by walls with a small opening for the waitress to serve us. A curtain completely enclosed our table once the waitress had brought us our food. How fun is that . . . a curtain booth! I felt like we were in a little train car or something.
The main meal was delicious, and my free birthday dessert just topped it all off!A stop at Starbucks began our trip back home. Once at home, we chilled and played Sequence.
The entire day was so special and relaxing. Thanks, Handsome, for my birthday blessings!
Sunday, January 31, 2010
A Melody of Memories: Departure
The girls had to go back home on January 14th. We probably looked like mean people not carrying the girls' luggage at first, but they were responsible for carrying it themselves on the way back home. We wanted to make sure they could manage their own belongings while still in our care when we could help or unload some items (which we did have to do with the little one's backpack). The girls made it back okay, so we are assuming all their luggage made it back with them. We certainly sent them back with more than they came with! Thank you to those who donated and supported us to make sure the girls were able to come to America and that they were well-taken care of.
We arrived early to the airport, so we just spent time together in the atrium. We played with some "Go Fish!" cards that had been given to the girls for the flight home. We also gave each girl a surprise: their own copy of A Melody of Memories. They loved it!
The girls told us they were not hungry (the oldest ate some fries at first, but that was all she wanted). Eric was hungry, though, so he went and purchased some soup and a sandwich. Guess who ate all of Eric's lunch . . . the girls! I had so much fun watching that! The girls always loved to try our food and make us try theirs. Eric used to do the same thing to his dad, so this was payback time . . . we had many payback times! :)
Not too long after the girls were finished with Eric's lunch, it was time to check in luggage. Twenty minutes later it was time to say good-bye! The girls held it together and were so strong. They did not cry at all. Eric and I held it together until the tickets were given to the girls and they had to leave with their group for security and then on to the terminal - that's when we lost it! I have not wept like that since leaving NC last April. Although we were sad, the Lord encouraged us throughout the day. God knew exactly what words we needed to hear that day! I am so thankful that God looks out for us. He knows our needs and meets them at His very perfect timing! Eric and I continue to miss the girls very much. We are still working at adjusting back to no children in the house . . . it is so weird . . . and so quiet! A prayer group at our church has really been a blessing to us. Even though the girls are back home now, the prayer group is praying for them and for us twice a day, everyday. Thank you, church, for praying! Thank you, friends and family, for your support! Thank You, Lord, for being our encouragement and for allowing us to host the girls and make a melody of memories!
We arrived early to the airport, so we just spent time together in the atrium. We played with some "Go Fish!" cards that had been given to the girls for the flight home. We also gave each girl a surprise: their own copy of A Melody of Memories. They loved it!
The girls told us they were not hungry (the oldest ate some fries at first, but that was all she wanted). Eric was hungry, though, so he went and purchased some soup and a sandwich. Guess who ate all of Eric's lunch . . . the girls! I had so much fun watching that! The girls always loved to try our food and make us try theirs. Eric used to do the same thing to his dad, so this was payback time . . . we had many payback times! :)
Not too long after the girls were finished with Eric's lunch, it was time to check in luggage. Twenty minutes later it was time to say good-bye! The girls held it together and were so strong. They did not cry at all. Eric and I held it together until the tickets were given to the girls and they had to leave with their group for security and then on to the terminal - that's when we lost it! I have not wept like that since leaving NC last April. Although we were sad, the Lord encouraged us throughout the day. God knew exactly what words we needed to hear that day! I am so thankful that God looks out for us. He knows our needs and meets them at His very perfect timing! Eric and I continue to miss the girls very much. We are still working at adjusting back to no children in the house . . . it is so weird . . . and so quiet! A prayer group at our church has really been a blessing to us. Even though the girls are back home now, the prayer group is praying for them and for us twice a day, everyday. Thank you, church, for praying! Thank you, friends and family, for your support! Thank You, Lord, for being our encouragement and for allowing us to host the girls and make a melody of memories!
A Melody of Memories: Surprises and Pretty Princesses
One day while I was in the dining room entering in grades on my computer, the oldest girl approached me and told me "No kitchen. Surprise." Her saying "surprise" was enough surprise because I did not know she knew that word! I tried my best to stay out of the kitchen and not to peek. :) Several hours later when Eric came home, he was also instructed not to enter the kitchen. Before the girls would allow us to enter the kitchen for our surprise, they mopped the kitchen floor and cleaned up the kitchen! They had us enter the kitchen with our eyes closed and sit with our eyes closed until told otherwise. We opened our eyes to find a bowl of beautifully cut-up fruit. The girls served the fruit to us. Once the fruit was devoured, the girls had us close our eyes again so they could serve us a surprise dessert. They cut up a Three Musketeers bar, cut up an old brownie they found on top of the freezer, and gave us some of their candy (which they had found in our hidden location). They also surprised Eric with some Coke-a-cola. On another occasion, the girls surprised us. These food creations were quite interesting. Here was the menu (I made up the names.):Fruity Yogurt Parfait with all the Extras
Ingredients:
- Trix yogurt
- green grapes
- Trix cereal
- orange slices
- cranraisins
Chilled Soup Surprise
Ingredients:
- Thawed out Del Monte Grape Berry Blizzard Fruit Chiller
- Fruit roll-up
- Grapes
- cranraisins
Oreo Delight
Ingredients:
- open-faced oreo cookies
- shaved Hershey kisses on top
(These were very yummy!)
To drink: Kool-aid made by the girls (our kitchen counters still show the evidence)
The pictures below show the girls working hard on their surprises, some of the wonderful kitchen creations, and me enjoying them.
Not only did the girls enjoy giving surprises, they enjoyed being surprised. Eric and I surprised them one day with a trip to Chuck-E-Cheeses. The girls loved receiving tickets because they could spend them like money that we would not give them. :) We really had a good time! Another surprise not pictured was Eric taking the girls out for crab legs!
We always told the girls, "You are a beautiful princess" or "You are very beautiful." They would always tell us "No" they were not, but hopefully they feel more beautiful leaving than they did when they came. Enjoy the pictures of our pretty princesses. I love the picture on the top right because it really shows just how much fun they were having together.
Below is a group picture on the stairs the girls enjoyed sliding down. 
Saturday, January 30, 2010
A Melody of Memories: Fun at Home
Today's pictures display all the fun we had at home with the girls. Before the girls arrived in our home, many preparations were made. In addition to fundraising and paperwork, Eric and I worked on preparing a special bedroom for the girls.
Up until preparations for the girls began, this room was empty . . . just waiting to be filled with little ones one day. I used the room for ironing our clothes. I had so much fun taking this clean slate and making it a beautiful and safe place for the girls to stay.
There was not much I could do besides dream until the furniture was in place. Eric's parents were so gracious and allowed us to use some of Eric's grandma's guest bedroom furniture. White wicker just seemed like something little girls would love. We were provided with two bed frames/headboards, an end table, a desk with a chair, a dresser (we put it in the closet), a mirror, and even a matching trashcan! Thanks, Mom and Dad Miller! My brother and sister-in-law delivered the furniture to our house. While Eric helped them unload, I was able to spend time with my niece and nephew! We did not have any kid toys at the time, so we played with coasters and anything else the kids found interesting.
The next items needed were mattresses and box springs. The Lord led us to a store that gave us an incredible deal. We do not have a truck, so we were not sure how we would get them home (the place we purchased the mattresses from does not deliver). Eric made one phone call to the KFBC Sunday School Director - Carl. Carl and his wife have been a true blessing to us. Carl is Eric's right-hand man at church and is a real encouragement. Carl and his wife were on their way home when Eric called them about helping with the mattresses. They immediately made their way to the mattress store and delivered the mattresses to our house. Isn't God good?! God already had all the little details worked out. Thanks, Carl and Anne!!!
Once the furniture and mattresses were put in place and everything was washed, it was time to decorate. Eric's mom picked out the bedding. Thanks, Mom Miller! I did not have time to decorate the walls with anything other than a calendar (used to mark off the days so the girls would know when it was time to return home), but it turned out okay without the decorations. The room is just sweet and simple!
Being at home made for some of the most memorable moments! We had so much fun with the girls at home.
Below are pictures of their bedroom. The girls loved it their room!
The walk-in closet was a great place for toys.
Pictured above is a computer screen and Eric looking at the computer with the girls. Sometimes we needed the online translator to help us explain important messages to the girls.
The bottom left-hand picture is of a lost tooth! One night we caught the girls out of their beds and in the bathroom for a very long time. Eric and I went to check on them and discovered that the oldest girl had pulled her loose tooth. We had never experienced this before and didn't know what to do. We were so afraid that it was one of her permanent teeth, so we called the organization's doctor just to make sure. We told the oldest girl about the tooth fairy, and the next morning the tooth fairy had replaced her tooth with a one dollar bill! The door was even locked (sneaky girl . . . and sneaky Tooth Fairy)! That was a fun moment.
Another fun moment was telling the girls about the Christmas story. One of the blessings of teaching is having a Christmas break, allowing for time at home. On one of the days leading to Christmas, I had the opportunity to share the story of Jesus through the use of LifeWay's Christmas story boxes (pictured above). Then I had the girls help me set out our nativity set (actually, a church member let us borrower hers because we could not find our manger). I sat back and watched as the oldest girl explained the manger scene to her sister. I'm not sure what she said, but I did pick up on Mary, Joseph, and Jesus. What a blessing it was to watch the girls gaze upon baby Jesus in the manger!
The girls love to cook and serve others. One day the oldest girl told me not to come in the kitchen and the youngest girl made sure I stayed in the living room. After a while, the oldest girl came into the living room with a beautiful plate of fruit and lunch for them. I was so proud of her! Only a day or so before did my brother teach them how to have orange teeth, so they surprised me with their imitation. Of course I jumped in on the fun! This was one of several pajama days, too. The Christmas break was SO busy, that a day here-and-there to stay at home and do nothing in pjs was SO needed! Those days were some of my favorite days with the girls.
The oldest girls always looked forward to riding on Eric's back, and the youngest girl always had to have some music on . . . loud music! The only music we listen to at our house is music that tells about Jesus, so the girls were able to learn many new songs about Jesus.
The yougest girl painted the picture above for Eric's Christmas present.
The girls really enjoyed time to play together. They especially loved our exercise ball!
Eric taught the girls how to play Wii games. Since it was so cold outside on most days, we had to play indoor games. The picture below is of the girls playing "Monkey in the Middle" with Eric.
I first discovered the girls' fascination with animals when they spotted a squirrel in the backyard. They peered out the window for at least 20 minutes at squirrels!
The girls are very artistic, so they loved to color and paint.
One of the days had a tolerable temperature, so the girls played outside. They LOVE the outdoors!
We were given some inflatables, but after pumping the hippo all the way up, we discovered that holes were all over it . . . bye, bye, hippo!
One of my favorite parts of any given day was watching the girls tickle Eric. The sound of their laughter was one of the most beautiful sounds I've ever heard in my life! The daily routine (when we could say we had one), was for Eric to come home from work, have the girls run and jump in his arms for a hug, and then immediately start running around the house and tickling Eric. The girls cherished their time with Eric and had so much fun playing with him. They also liked to end the day with tickling Eric. While I would dry one girl's hair, the other one would be tickling Eric, and then they would switch.
These girls are so creative and always surprised us! One day the girls made us shut ourselves in the guest bedroom. When they told us we could open the door, they were standing there covered in blankets acting like ghosts. Since their heads were covered, Eric and I snuck out of the room to hide - this began a fun game of hide-and-seek!
Another time the girls were creative with alluminum foil. The girls came in the kitchen and showed us an alluminum foil fist! They thought is was SO funny! They laughed about it and so did we.
Pillow heads was another funny moment. The girls came downstairs and had pillows on their heads and were walking around laughing about it. Another time of laughter!
In one of the pictures above, the oldest girl is eating a taco for the first time.
In some of the pictures below you will find the creative little one. She decided to get inside a very small box. She thought it was so funny. She then built a little "fort" around it.
One of our most special memories was when the oldest read God's Word to us. We discovered about the second week that she could read English. She read us an entire children's book with almost no help! One day the oldest learned a Bible verse song about Genesis 1:1. I showed her where it was in the Bible because she was singing it at home. She sat down with Eric and read him at least ten verses! She later read some of Matthew to us during our family Bible study time. We made sure she knew that "The Bible is the story of Jesus." I would point to the Bible and say "What's this?" and she would respond with "The Bible is the story of Jesus."
One night we were able to have a game night. We played "Go Fish!" and had hot chocolate. The girls were competitive, and that made it so much fun since Eric and I are also competitive with games.
The bottom three pictures in the above collage documents one of the funniest moments of the girls. One morning Eric noticed that sunlight was coming in from under the guest bedroom door, but not from the girl's room. He said, "I think they covered up the bottom of the door!" After investigation, I discovered that the girls had lined the bottom of the door with a towel. I walked in the room to discover the picture on the bottom left of the above collage. I knew then that the girls had really worked hard on that project! I also knew that when I discovered this at 10:30 AM and the girls were still out cold, that they must have stayed up late! I woke the oldest girl up and asked her about the situation. I said, "You covered the door up so Eric and I would not see the bedroom light on, didn't you." She just laughed! She knew exactly what she had done and was so proud of it. I then aksed, "What numbers were on the clock when you went to sleep?" She responded, "For [the youngest] 2 5 0. For me, 3 0 5." They stayed up and had a party and we didn't even know it!!! Eric and I just laughed. It was the long-standing funny story of their stay with us!
Bedtime was by far our favorite time with our Christmas girls. After baths, brushing teeth, and drying hair, Eric would lead us in a time with Jesus. He would read a Bible story and then we would pray together (sometimes the oldest would even volunteer to read the story). It was truly a blessing to teach the girls about prayer (we also taught them to pray before they ate - It's important to tell Jesus thank you for food). We eventually got to the point where we went around in a circle and said, "Thank You, Jesus, for . . . " The girls would say that and then finish it with the many things they were thankful for. One time the oldest girl surprised us by starting to name off our family member's names! What a gift it was to share with the girls the gift of Jesus! Hopefully one day they will receive Him!
Up until preparations for the girls began, this room was empty . . . just waiting to be filled with little ones one day. I used the room for ironing our clothes. I had so much fun taking this clean slate and making it a beautiful and safe place for the girls to stay.
There was not much I could do besides dream until the furniture was in place. Eric's parents were so gracious and allowed us to use some of Eric's grandma's guest bedroom furniture. White wicker just seemed like something little girls would love. We were provided with two bed frames/headboards, an end table, a desk with a chair, a dresser (we put it in the closet), a mirror, and even a matching trashcan! Thanks, Mom and Dad Miller! My brother and sister-in-law delivered the furniture to our house. While Eric helped them unload, I was able to spend time with my niece and nephew! We did not have any kid toys at the time, so we played with coasters and anything else the kids found interesting.
The next items needed were mattresses and box springs. The Lord led us to a store that gave us an incredible deal. We do not have a truck, so we were not sure how we would get them home (the place we purchased the mattresses from does not deliver). Eric made one phone call to the KFBC Sunday School Director - Carl. Carl and his wife have been a true blessing to us. Carl is Eric's right-hand man at church and is a real encouragement. Carl and his wife were on their way home when Eric called them about helping with the mattresses. They immediately made their way to the mattress store and delivered the mattresses to our house. Isn't God good?! God already had all the little details worked out. Thanks, Carl and Anne!!!
Once the furniture and mattresses were put in place and everything was washed, it was time to decorate. Eric's mom picked out the bedding. Thanks, Mom Miller! I did not have time to decorate the walls with anything other than a calendar (used to mark off the days so the girls would know when it was time to return home), but it turned out okay without the decorations. The room is just sweet and simple!
Being at home made for some of the most memorable moments! We had so much fun with the girls at home.Below are pictures of their bedroom. The girls loved it their room!
The walk-in closet was a great place for toys.
Pictured above is a computer screen and Eric looking at the computer with the girls. Sometimes we needed the online translator to help us explain important messages to the girls. The bottom left-hand picture is of a lost tooth! One night we caught the girls out of their beds and in the bathroom for a very long time. Eric and I went to check on them and discovered that the oldest girl had pulled her loose tooth. We had never experienced this before and didn't know what to do. We were so afraid that it was one of her permanent teeth, so we called the organization's doctor just to make sure. We told the oldest girl about the tooth fairy, and the next morning the tooth fairy had replaced her tooth with a one dollar bill! The door was even locked (sneaky girl . . . and sneaky Tooth Fairy)! That was a fun moment.
Another fun moment was telling the girls about the Christmas story. One of the blessings of teaching is having a Christmas break, allowing for time at home. On one of the days leading to Christmas, I had the opportunity to share the story of Jesus through the use of LifeWay's Christmas story boxes (pictured above). Then I had the girls help me set out our nativity set (actually, a church member let us borrower hers because we could not find our manger). I sat back and watched as the oldest girl explained the manger scene to her sister. I'm not sure what she said, but I did pick up on Mary, Joseph, and Jesus. What a blessing it was to watch the girls gaze upon baby Jesus in the manger!
The girls love to cook and serve others. One day the oldest girl told me not to come in the kitchen and the youngest girl made sure I stayed in the living room. After a while, the oldest girl came into the living room with a beautiful plate of fruit and lunch for them. I was so proud of her! Only a day or so before did my brother teach them how to have orange teeth, so they surprised me with their imitation. Of course I jumped in on the fun! This was one of several pajama days, too. The Christmas break was SO busy, that a day here-and-there to stay at home and do nothing in pjs was SO needed! Those days were some of my favorite days with the girls.
The oldest girls always looked forward to riding on Eric's back, and the youngest girl always had to have some music on . . . loud music! The only music we listen to at our house is music that tells about Jesus, so the girls were able to learn many new songs about Jesus.
The yougest girl painted the picture above for Eric's Christmas present.The girls really enjoyed time to play together. They especially loved our exercise ball!
Eric taught the girls how to play Wii games. Since it was so cold outside on most days, we had to play indoor games. The picture below is of the girls playing "Monkey in the Middle" with Eric.
I first discovered the girls' fascination with animals when they spotted a squirrel in the backyard. They peered out the window for at least 20 minutes at squirrels! The girls are very artistic, so they loved to color and paint.
One of the days had a tolerable temperature, so the girls played outside. They LOVE the outdoors!
We were given some inflatables, but after pumping the hippo all the way up, we discovered that holes were all over it . . . bye, bye, hippo!One of my favorite parts of any given day was watching the girls tickle Eric. The sound of their laughter was one of the most beautiful sounds I've ever heard in my life! The daily routine (when we could say we had one), was for Eric to come home from work, have the girls run and jump in his arms for a hug, and then immediately start running around the house and tickling Eric. The girls cherished their time with Eric and had so much fun playing with him. They also liked to end the day with tickling Eric. While I would dry one girl's hair, the other one would be tickling Eric, and then they would switch.
These girls are so creative and always surprised us! One day the girls made us shut ourselves in the guest bedroom. When they told us we could open the door, they were standing there covered in blankets acting like ghosts. Since their heads were covered, Eric and I snuck out of the room to hide - this began a fun game of hide-and-seek!Another time the girls were creative with alluminum foil. The girls came in the kitchen and showed us an alluminum foil fist! They thought is was SO funny! They laughed about it and so did we.
Pillow heads was another funny moment. The girls came downstairs and had pillows on their heads and were walking around laughing about it. Another time of laughter!
In one of the pictures above, the oldest girl is eating a taco for the first time.In some of the pictures below you will find the creative little one. She decided to get inside a very small box. She thought it was so funny. She then built a little "fort" around it.
One of our most special memories was when the oldest read God's Word to us. We discovered about the second week that she could read English. She read us an entire children's book with almost no help! One day the oldest learned a Bible verse song about Genesis 1:1. I showed her where it was in the Bible because she was singing it at home. She sat down with Eric and read him at least ten verses! She later read some of Matthew to us during our family Bible study time. We made sure she knew that "The Bible is the story of Jesus." I would point to the Bible and say "What's this?" and she would respond with "The Bible is the story of Jesus."
One night we were able to have a game night. We played "Go Fish!" and had hot chocolate. The girls were competitive, and that made it so much fun since Eric and I are also competitive with games.
The bottom three pictures in the above collage documents one of the funniest moments of the girls. One morning Eric noticed that sunlight was coming in from under the guest bedroom door, but not from the girl's room. He said, "I think they covered up the bottom of the door!" After investigation, I discovered that the girls had lined the bottom of the door with a towel. I walked in the room to discover the picture on the bottom left of the above collage. I knew then that the girls had really worked hard on that project! I also knew that when I discovered this at 10:30 AM and the girls were still out cold, that they must have stayed up late! I woke the oldest girl up and asked her about the situation. I said, "You covered the door up so Eric and I would not see the bedroom light on, didn't you." She just laughed! She knew exactly what she had done and was so proud of it. I then aksed, "What numbers were on the clock when you went to sleep?" She responded, "For [the youngest] 2 5 0. For me, 3 0 5." They stayed up and had a party and we didn't even know it!!! Eric and I just laughed. It was the long-standing funny story of their stay with us!
Bedtime was by far our favorite time with our Christmas girls. After baths, brushing teeth, and drying hair, Eric would lead us in a time with Jesus. He would read a Bible story and then we would pray together (sometimes the oldest would even volunteer to read the story). It was truly a blessing to teach the girls about prayer (we also taught them to pray before they ate - It's important to tell Jesus thank you for food). We eventually got to the point where we went around in a circle and said, "Thank You, Jesus, for . . . " The girls would say that and then finish it with the many things they were thankful for. One time the oldest girl surprised us by starting to name off our family member's names! What a gift it was to share with the girls the gift of Jesus! Hopefully one day they will receive Him!
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