Catching up...a photo review!

Where oh where has the time gone??  

I have not written a post on here in what feels like forever!  

But as that last post from months ago shared...I am going to show myself grace:)  

How to sum up the past few months?  

Glorious, hard, exhilarating, humbling, priceless...

In this season once again Christ is stretching us, growing us, and taking us to new areas of praise.  

I am so very humbled to be married to this amazing man of God!  

He teaches us much about trusting our Savior and selflessly giving of his time and talents.  

He is not one to complain and has an amazing tolerance for pain.  

But my love was walking around with a bone spur you could hang a hat on, 

and bone fragments around his big toe caused by not having cartilage left in the joint.  

Add gout to the issue and he was in some serious pain.  

In March, surgery was necessary.  

If you have to go to the hospital with someone, my love is the guy to be there with!  

He was like a little boy playing with all the gadgets pre op, 

and had myself and the nurses rolling with laughter post op.  

We could not keep him down long!  The very next day he was setting up a work station at home!

He was a hard man to keep down, but we did get him out from time to time:)

Then, we celebrated a forever family day for our youngest baby girl.  

I simply cannot believe it has been 8 years already!!!!  

God is so very faithful and we are extremely thankful HE brought this treasure into our lives!!

Our girls were part of fine arts competition this year.  

Mélika participated in worship competition, 

and both girls were part of the human video team.

The all did a fabulous job and we are very proud of their efforts!!!!

We were blessed to have family in town for Easter again this year!!  

Although I dropped the ball and didn't get photos dressed up for church...

we did take a few of the creative way the kids had to work for their egg hunt.  

 Then this mama did something I never thought I would accomplish.  

I have always dreamed of doing a triathlon!

I was encouraged by a dear friend that took her health back and became an athlete.  

For my 40th birthday, my oldest baby girl gave me a very sacrificial gift...

she offered to train and compete with me in a sprint triathlon!!  

The pool was freezing!!!  

We rocked out the pool 

and were sooo very excited to move on to the bike!!!

then the run.

Our goals were to finish, not to walk, and not be last:)

I never dreamed of finishing 62 out of 168 women!!!  

It is time to sign up for the next race!!

Then, because we are suckers for a cute face...we got another puppy!

Just look at those legs...she is going to be a horse:)

Our Tucker boy tolerates her and they romp and play MUCH!!

We had a quarter auction fundraiser the beginning of May for our adoption!!

God is so very amazing and we were so very humbled and blessed 

by the generosity of those who donated and those who participated!!!

The next morning the girls and I got up bright and early to participate in a Warrior Run 

to raise money for missions.

They made the old lady wear the team number.

And we travel with out own paparazzi!!

It was a 4.6 mile run with 18 obstacles.  

We waded through chest deep quicksand like mud, over tractor tires and walls, under bridges and wires on our bellies...

but as we slid to the finish they washed much of our mud off:(

But we finished strong...

and were still smiling at the end!!

What a tremendous blessing to spend Mother's Day with this bunch!!!!

THEN...
Someone had a 14th birthday!!
All he asked for was to have the largest burger we could make him.  Steph cut him off at 2 pounds!!

Aaron LOVES fishing and has recently discovered fly fishing.
The boys went to a free clinic to see how to cast.
Aaron caught the first fish.

 And this is how he felt about getting his very own fly fishing pole for his birthday!!

Our children are growing far too fast for this mama's taste!

And somehow...right before my eyes...this one completed her high school career!!

I look forward to sharing in future posts about the next steps for our oldest baby girl

AND

the amazing adventures of this adoption journey we have been on!!!!