Last July we took the boys on their first trip to the zoo at Natural Bridge. What? Some people post photos from July trips in July? Psht. Where's the suspense? I present to you this November night, a warm summer visit to meet the animals with the cutest-ever twin boys.
Zeke and Gabe Go to the Zoo!
Zeke: Why do I feel like there's something behind me?
Hidden tiger, sleeping... tiger:
A day at the zoo: hip-hip(popotamus), hooray!
Thanks to this hilarious, attitudey (over-visited and overfed) creature, Zeke and Gabe learned to make their first "GrrrrrrR" sound when we ask, "What does the BEAR say?"
Grandmarmy's favorite animal! I could not believe they were giving elephant rides - but they were!!
Head shots!
And we met other twins! (No, not this pair of zebras. Just other twins, at the zoo.)
Watching Zeke and Gabe react to each different animal was so much fun. We were pleasantly surprised at all there was to see, the cute reactions they inspired, and how interested Z and G remained in the diverse creatures that God created.
Happy First Halloween sweet boys! Oh, my cutest-ever money bags, what else could we have dressed our little treasures as this year? (I'll spare you the endless "worth more than gold, "our little gems," idioms, and tell you that you were the cutest little waddlers that have ever been dropped into pillow cases. From behind you reminded me of the Fantasia mushrooms.) But seriously, this season we have been so aware that just ONE YEAR ago this time, we were waiting to get a court date from a judge in ET - permission to get on a plane and come meet you for the first time. Oh, how our lives would change. We knew it was for the better, but had no idea what priceless joys you would bring to our lives! (-There, I did it again. Priceless. It's just too easy.)
Look! It's our people. One BIG happy house. I think we're finding our groove, this family of 8, and I'll tell you more about it when I get back to blogging soon - for real. But the short version is, this multi-generational living is beautiful. It's real messy. (I think the bottom right corner captures it the best.) But it's real beautiful. Just look:
What can I say kiddos? Your lives are hard to document, because you are busy boys! This Mama is learning quickly that I can never capture all the goodness in your sweetest of snuggles or hilarious new discoveries. I've got to enjoy it while I've got it.
So... for your sake, here are some snap shots of the awesome summer we've had. Thanks for making every day so full.
<3
Mom
Lake Trips - You two are water boys. Grandad sure loves to share the water fun with you, and every trip you find a new way to play. From Gabe's laying back to feel the breeze on his face, to using the tube ON the boat as an obstacle to climb up and slide down, or Zeke's hilarious first sunscreen faces to sweet "ahhhhs" during fireworks...
First Trip to the Beach! Aunt Katherine's been down at Myrtle Beach directing C.O.'s leadership project, so we headed down there with Grandmarmy, Grandpoppy and gang for your first experience with toes in the sand. You also swam for the very first time in Uncle Mike and Aunt Sharon's pool. It was super!
On a fun and spontaneous whim, we got to meet up with your Great Aunt Anne and Uncle Clyde who were excited to meet you!
The Water Hole - I generally try to align myself with the anti-pinterest-and-all-of-it's-impossible-to-reach-goals-for-moms camp, (that's a camp?) but I will NOT apologize for possession of our favorite summer afternoon activity: the water table. A sweet lady from our church had a grandchild who outgrew her's, and so unbeknownst to us we inherited the best front porch accessory we'd enjoy all summer long. (It alleviated some of my guilt since we don't have a pool or pool membership, and Zeke, you are a water-bug. Just look at you!)
Summer Life - There were lots of other sweet days filled with normal day to day things, like these...
I'm all backed up on photos, I haven't been keeping up with blog posts, and I promise I'll go back and finish the 3 or 4 posts I've started and try to fill in some of the events around them later, but tonight I have to write about tonight.
We got home from our first housegroup of the year about an hour ago, which is pretty late for you boys. We had a potluck and got to visit a little about everyone's summer, you were ooohed and ahhhed over along with the other 3 housegroup littles, and then we sat around singing songs and sharing about what the Lord has been doing in our lives. You both liked when Mommy and Daddy swayed with you to the music, and you started rocking on your own. We felt like the friends sharing our couch might feel a little seasick, but it was fun. Zeke, you started singing along. Then after more sharing, (and two twins I know finishing their sippy cups) we decided to close in prayer. It's a lot to expect two tired boys to sit quietly during open prayer time when it's late and they're out of milk, but we loved the way you were enjoying all the people around you, and we wanted to get to thank the Lord for all of the goodness He's allowed our group to share while we were together, so we tried it. Gabe snuggled down in Daddy's lap sucking on his sleepy-fingers, and Mommy whispered to Zeke that it was time for praying, and closed her eyes. When she opened her eyes, Zeke was mimicking her, and when they saw each other peeking, they quietly giggled. This went on and on - eyes squeezed shut, furrowed brow, chin tucked... then one-eyed peeking, or a sudden flash of big round "surprise" eyes. It was hilarious. Mommy's friend couldn't help but watch, either - you were sooo cute! Mommy's heart is still bubbling over at the sight of that scrunched nose and flash of all 8 Zeke teeth. And we got to be a part of a beautiful series of prayers to the Lord.
What could make a Mama's heart more full than her happy children in the context of people who share God's love for them?
Which reminds me... Recently Uncle Matt came to visit. He brought his mom, Ms Heidi, who was visiting from Delaware. Uncle Matt is always fun to have in the house, and Ms Heidi brought even more good stories and laughs, and we had a blast. While they were here, we moved your cribs into our room so they could stay in your room where they would have plenty of space. We moved the cribs right before bedtime, and didn't noticed that we parked Gabe's crib (of all things) under a light switch. At 6:15 the next morning, Mommy and Daddy woke to a bright flash of light! Mommy instantly swatted at Daddy. What are you doing?? Just about the time she realized Dad was still in bed and could not have turned on the light, the light went off. Groggy Mom was puzzled, but mostly tired, and just as she started to drift back asleep, the light flashed back on. And then off. And then on and then off. Mommy and Daddy both realized who the responsible party behind the light switch must have been, and just laid there laughing as the newly discovered light switch flipped more and more spastically on and off in front of our proudly grinning mischievous Gabriel. Everyone got a good laugh about that later that morning, and we kept laughing any time we remembered what happened.
Just about everything you do is worth rejoicing over and celebrating since at all times we sense the deepest truth; God is our God. He loves us. He's allowed us to know and be with Him. He poured out His love on us when He allowed us to be your parents. You are delightful.
I like life slow. There's a line in a song that says, "I am long on staying, I am slow to leave, especially when it comes to you, my friend." I love conversation, and great stories, and hearing from people who aren't just like me. The best time to soak in a good story is when everyone's sitting down with full bellies, all the color and detail of a story are passed on for everyone to enjoy just like when it happened - or maybe even better, and people feel content. It's rich.
Irony. Not much about my life has been slow. (Except maybe the way I talk, I've been told. Shut up.) In high school I did the straight-A, president of the band, cross country captain, do-it all thing. In college I did a dual concentration, overloaded courses, had a triple instrumental focus, ensembles, campus ministry, and somehow dated in there somewhere. I've spent years teaching in public school, at church, private lessons, and balancing life... My confession is, I LIKED all of it. I've had the opportunity to run life fast, and I've enjoyed it.
The truth is, the busy life is the easy one. So, I'm at the beginning of a new chapter, and I sense the need for some attention. I may always have a mental to-do list, places to go, people to see... But in what I'm naming "the busy life," there is always a sense of running - something to run for, and something else to run from.When my to-do list is long, and I know someone is expecting me in
an hour and that someone will appreciate the task I'm about to
complete, motivation seems pretty easy to cultivate; gratification is always within reach, and since something always has to be released from the to-do list, I can conveniently ignore the things I don't want to think about or deal with. Overall, the fast-pace feels fun. It's self-propelling; thus, the ease inherent in the pace (though I've been known to whine to make sure the full extent of the accomplishments squished into a day are fully known). If all I'm doing is running, the sense of satisfaction behind long lists of accomplishments is fleeting. At best, it just spurs you to generate more short-term highs. So I've been thinking about the intentional pursuit of relationship, for honest thoughts finished all the way out, and then action.What I think I'm saying I want - for myself, for my children.... is MORE.More depth. More real. I want a higher bar of honesty in our daily living. I want more of what God has prescribed for life, more of what He purposed for us.
So here comes the DREAM. It's another line in that song I mentioned that struck me a long time ago... "I can think of a time when families all lived together - four generations in one house, and the table was full of good food, and friends and neighbors. That's not how we like it now." That thought really got to me. What our culture reacts to when we think of "four generations in one house," is the rub. The encroachment on our leisure, the accountability, the plain old annoyances. But everyone together - sharing, perceiving, really seeing, and honestly enjoying... it's the type of experience I've recognized in my life as truly good. I recognize that our culture does not value that picture at all, and that people my age may think I'm crazy. In a short time period, generations have grown far apart - even forgotten how to interact. But that's not what I want. Multi-generationalism is rich. In my family and church body, I've valued the opportunity to be known by people who will slow down long enough to really see me. Often, it's the people looking in from a different life stage that can give me the best vantage point. I want my kids to grow up knowing that, too.
Dream, come true. This summer Cary and I tried to buy a house. At the last second, (because of a structural report we're grateful for), it fell through. We had less than 2 weeks to find a place to live. Not long before we found out about the problems inherent in our "dream" house, my mom accepted a teaching position here in town. (What?!) Living in this area has been a long time dream of she and my dads,' and for many reasons, (grandbabies not included, but oh, what a perk!), my family decided to take the leap. They had a month to find a place to live. See where I'm going with this?? All of a sudden, we were ALL shopping for a rental, in the same town. All of a sudden, there was the opportunity for this little idyllic dream that I'd floated around in my head to be made tangible, and the avoidable question: did I mean it? Where's the line between my perceptions, ideals, and what I really want?
So here's the picture: In an hour or two, my family will pull up in a U-haul, ready to unload. And we'll do life; one roof, many generations, friends, stories, good food, time; passing my youngest siblings in the hallway, my kids on the laps and gaining from the knowledge of their grandparents daily, my house twice as unlikely to be picked up the way I like, my flaws twice as likely to be exposed. It's all part of the dream. My prayer is that this circumstance I've dreamed of (that sort of fell out of the sky) would be God's to continue to use. My challenge is to slow down. To continue to care about the parts of life that matter, and to not choose to be distracted by the things that don't. To not run away from the things it'd be easier to just not think about. To be open and available, and to GIVE my time instead of holding to lists of what I want to do with it.
The best thing to do with a dream? Give it back to God. Lord, make good of whatever it is You are beginning in bringing our two households together. See it to completion. I'm so thankful, and we trust You.
I can't believe it - today you babies are 17 months old. So much is happening so fast. Mama's limping along because her zealous picture-taking of her all-action Mighty Men has seriously overwhelmed 'Dora. (The computer.) Dora is protesting. Force-quitting any time I open my photo library. I'm working on it. In the mean time, this post is all about DOCUMENTATION.
Foods
*Oatmeal and Rice cereal
All veggie and fruit purees
(We're transitioning to whole milk, but are back on a mix with formula since teething brought out some extra-picky drinkers)
Newbes: waffles, scrambled eggs, yogurt, and solids like black beans, bananas, green beans, rice, little bits of chicken
Dislikes: peas, white beans, straight milk
~Still not doing the standard sippy cup, but we're drinking through a straw!
(TEETH: You each have two upper and lower teeth that have been in for awhile, and you both have a third upper in, and a fourth on the way. Zeke has a third that has cut through on the bottom, and the fourth is coming. I imagine Gabe's bottom teeth are close behind.)
Songs
Rise and Shine
The Wiseman Built His House Upon the Rock
Only a Boy Named David
Itsy Bitsy Spider
Our original "Medicine Time" special
*You LOVE the hand motions to these, and the hand motions are what you use to tell me which song you want to hear. AGAIN.
Signs
More please
Thank you
Hungry (also substituted for "I want" these days)
All done
Oh my!
Mighty Men
Ta-da!
Hi/Bye
High five
Pound it
Words
Da-da
Ma-ma
Up! (also substituted to mean "down")
Ni-night
Amen
All Done
Right Back!
Hey! (Gabe uses this line to pick up adoring families in restaurants)
Bye-bye
Diaper
Bottle
Luv you
Gabe says "Gabe" (and points to himself!)
*and the most recent addition makes Dad so proud: hot dawg!
Sounds (What does the _______ say?)
-dog
-cow
-monkey
-horse (head shake)
-rooster
Movin' and Groovin'
Gabe's army-crawl is SUCH old news. His crawl is no-sweat, and he has a special TURBO speed - no baby crawls as fast as our Champ. Gabe is pulling up and cruising, he's walking whenever he's got two fingers to hold on to, we're working toward free-standing and walking with only one hand to hold, and we know all too soon he'll be running!
Zeke is the MOST creative baby with his stylish scoot (that looks a lot like the back-stroke). However, he likes to keep us on our toes, so just as we thought he'd go from swimming across the floor to walking, he got up on all fours and crawled!! We're very happy for him. That crawl gets stronger every day. He is also beginning to pull up on things - we practice every morning in his crib. When he stands, he is very sturdy - this baby doesn't do anything he can't do well. :)
Faves
Gabe is a big fan of cooking with Mommy. It's a little surprising since he's such a busy boy, but most evenings when Mom disappears to the kitchen to make dinner, she is followed by the turbo speed pitter-patter of her little helper, who is very interested in watching the meal come together.
Zeke and Mom have a special across-the-room form of communication. Zeke knows when Mommy is watching. He knows she's proud of him and probably gushing over the toy he successfully placed in it's rightful spot, so he cuts his little eyes over at her, and when she indeed is smiling back at him, he scrunches his eyes and little nose, a smile spreads from ear to ear while his head rocks from side to side, and he gets back to his playing.
Sweet 17-month-olds. Oh, if I could freeze time...
When we answered God's call to begin our family through adoption, we thought we were choosing to bless two little fellows by welcoming them into our home.
Tonight, the bubbliest child who has a cute baby-talk quirp and matching facial expression for everything pulled my arm tighter around him as I sang and rocked him to sleep. Moments later the other most beautiful boy (who made his first efforts toward a crawl on his belly tonight!!), came riding through the door on the hip of my handsome husband, back from the twins' room where he was supposed to be going to bed. Apparently when Cary laid him down, Zeke shook his head "no," and used his "hungry" sign to announce that he would be needing another bedtime snack before he'd consider sleep. We couldn't stop laughing at the expectant look on his serious little face, and that he never appeared in any distress about it. What a blessing that these two most wonderful little people are here with us; that they trust us and communicate freely with us; that they are ours, and we get to be theirs.
Thank You, Lord, for bringing these two boys into ourhome. How humbled I am to know that the blessing is all mine.
