The Bronkema Bunch

summer highlights

2011-09-08T09:54:00.000-07:00

cousins
a grandpa on a favorite porch

a prince

celebrating getting older

(one of these bday girls is more excited than the other)

Gav's trip out West to move a best bud

big family on a river

kids in a "truckster"

cottage hats

cousin-buds

to blog or not to blog

2011-08-17T12:29:00.000-07:00

That is the question...

Since the snow melted...

2011-05-24T11:47:00.001-07:00

Cole, is our t-ball coach.

Lyric is back hitting the pavement.

Grandpa brought over this toy...not ours...just a one time deal =)

...until Gav and Cole convince us of their dirtbike "needs".

Lyric's final concert at St. Cecilia!

It's a good thing she didn't get my muiscal (in)ability.

Those middle schoolers can play some beautiful music.

Hoses...who needs the pool open anyway?!

Hail

2011-04-26T17:02:00.001-07:00

Cole claims this was the most fun he's had, "in the past 30 years"... =)

Our First Easter!

2011-04-24T16:26:00.000-07:00

Oh, Death, where is your sting?

Oh, Grave, where is your vic-tor-y...

This song keeps running through my mind today.

I love Easter.

I love Easter traditions...

I love sidewalk chalk...
...by Gavin =)
Thank you Aunt Jill and Uncle Chad for the chalk!
Yea that the sidewalk isn't covered in snow and we can use it!

Ahh, tradition.
Thanks, Mom.

Guess what we're eating this week!

Yup, it's a chocolate bug...

We've been a family of seven for almost two years already, but this is our first Easter all together! Two years ago we met Mical and Moses just after Easter. Last year we were in Florida for my dear friend's wedding, but Moses wasn't with us.

Finally, celebrating Easter together.

At church last night, two people sitting next to me accepted Christ as their Savior!

31 total gave their lives to Christ during that service alone!

Lyric got to walk the "bridge" because she was baptised this past year.

Another church tradition...

Oh, Death...where is your sting...

Oh, Grave...where is your Victory!?

it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

2011-04-18T07:32:00.000-07:00

So, for my niece, Anna, who loves snow...

I was thinking.

If you want snow while you are in Michigan, next time tell

your mom and dad that you might want to come in April =)

I'm thinking about putting on some Christmas music today...

#11

2011-04-04T10:27:00.000-07:00

Gavin, our warrior boy, has turned eleven.

The brave troops heading out to play "capture the flag"... Loud thunder put an end to that plan as soon as they got started. I have a feeling this birthday was one of the wetter party experiences these kids have experienced =)

This cake was totally designed and decorated by Gavin...

I only added the trim and writing.

It's camo on the inside too...I might have to post some pics.

It was a pretty fun project.

We were excited when the rain cleared so we were able to have our bonfire

and most importantly - SMORES!

Gavin asked for his own personal box of cereal so he could be like his

grandpa who likes to munch out of a box =)

Thank you Cory, Kris, Eli and Anna!

It is assembled!

Birthday boy

2011-03-25T18:06:00.001-07:00

March 25

Happy Birthday dear Grandpa!!!

Happy Birthday to you!

...and we have have a brand new birthday on the Bronkema side today too!
Our second niece, in the past two weeks, was born this morning.

Photos and details coming soon =)

We can't wait to meet them both!

Oh, Spring, where art thou?

2011-03-24T04:57:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure our Crocus are pleased to live in Michigan today...

It's clear that spring HAS arrived... I keep seeing robins and spring flowers!

Now, if only the temperatures would catch on =)

prayer requests

2011-03-05T17:26:00.000-08:00

Right now we have friends in three different countries, bringing home their kids.

5 kids!!!

Uganda, Russia and Ethiopia.

So, for our prayer warriors out there, please lift up the Osborns adopting their daughter and son...the Hendriksens adopting their teenage son... and the Larsens adopting their daughter and son.

The Osborns and the Hendriksens both have many weeks ahead of them in country. Prayers for their loved ones and children who wait here in the US. Prayers for God's hand to lead, bond, protect, guide.

I love how God builds families.
I love it when His Hand is so clearly seen leading.
It just blows my mortal brain.

Finances...resources...these become the terms we get caught up in just trying to become a family. Which leads me to another thought.

Our church has an adoption ministry that help adoptive families financially. The "Sam and Ellie fund" will be having their annual Easter Flower Fundraiser starting soon. The flowers are great, but the kids it has helped come home are far greater. So, to the KCC families out there, I hope you'll help bring more babies into our church family =)

It helped us bring two of our kids home, and we will forever be greatful. Now I just want to help others do the same. It's not like spending money on STUFF...
It's LIVES of children.
People are willing to stretch their finances to very creative levels just to bring home their kids. And that is financial planning that I believe the Lord blesses.

Eight is Great!

2011-03-02T05:03:00.000-08:00

Cole

Warren

Bronkema

"co-co"

...Playing with our colorful flame candles on the little cake the restaurant gave us at breakfast.

Cole's balloons had lots of character thanks to Lyric and her marker.

Lazer tag

games

pizza

friends
fun

Sassy and Six

2011-02-28T18:35:00.000-08:00

I had no intention of this photo being first.

It won't delete.

It won't move.

It's frozen my computer twice.

I think it's meant to stay.

...Mical, less than two years ago.

Our little peanut.

Mical

Ruth

Fatuma

Bronkema...

today

Miss sassy pants =)

God's got big plans for this little lady.
She might not be big in stature, but don't let her size fool you.

Mical and her friend, Ruby, at our pool par-tay!

We love good friends...

bye bye tooth

2011-02-21T12:40:00.001-08:00

Today in Haiti, our niece celebrates her 10th birthday...

Today in Byron Center, we have a lovely snow day...

Today a certain someone also lost her top front tooth...

It is a perfectly good day.

thanks for the love!

2011-02-17T12:47:00.000-08:00

Thank you Uncle Tim, Aunt Mindy, John and Jacob!

We love packages...

We love you guys!

the snow we been a waitin' for

2011-02-02T15:38:00.000-08:00

Three of the Bronkema kids...literally "chillin out" on the deck as the storm rolled in...
diggin' out...

Last year he hated walking in it, but this winter
Moses has grown to love the snow.

Eskimo girl...not as much.
(Her momma only got out in the snow to take pics)

January 5

2011-01-12T06:00:00.000-08:00

On January 5, we celebrated the birth of our sweet, Moses.

3 years ago, a woman I will not be able to thank in this lifetime, labored to bring a beautiful baby boy into this world.

Our son.

We will forever be thankful.

There are no adequate words for such a gift.

On January 5 we also said "goodbye" to Cory, Kris, Eli and Anna, as they traveled (safely...yea!) back to their home in Haiti. We will be looking forward to more time with them in warmer weather this summer!
And today, with them, we remember Haiti and all that the country has gone through in this past year.

Our prayers will continue for the healing and hope that can only be found in Jesus.

For anyone considering a Sugar Glider...

2011-01-02T10:22:00.000-08:00

Our Sugar Glider pets...

I'll share what we've learned since adopting our two this fall from an animal sanctuary...

Ours didn't come with a history like a person would normally get when buying gliders from an owner or breeder. (I'm pretty sure some of our information was not correct.) We were told we adopted two females. However, one seems to be a male based on what we've learned online. I guess time will tell! We were also told ours are 3 years old. So, who knows how much they were handled, etc. The one we think is a male is very friendly. Gavin named him Kiki when we thought he was a female, so we're keeping the name. The female is named Grumpy. You'll hear her in the video. Her name is self explainatory!

The thing they having going for them is their looks. They are super cute. Everything I read supports that the amount of time an owner puts into bonding determines how good of a pet they will be. The tough part of this is that they are active at night, so kind of difficult for young kids to spend much time with them! They love to play in exercise balls like a hamster, so that can be pretty entertaining.

One feature of our Sugar Gliders that I am not fond of is their scent. It is musky and I can't imagine a person keeping them in a main living area! Ours have been banished to the downstairs bathroom... The other feature I'm not finding adorable is the noise in this video...yikes.

They also have a complicated diet, but it's fun to watch them eat!

Oh, and they live a long time, so it looks like we're in for years of "fun."

Happy 2011

2011-01-01T09:15:00.000-08:00

I just reread "the list" I wrote one year ago of my recap of 2009. Wow, we've come a LONG way as a family of seven. In 2009, God knit us together as a family and it was "new". In 2010 we grew from "new" to settled and "normal." Life feels settled and completely as wacky and crazy as any other normal family out there. =)

The list for 2010...

Thankful to have all of Mical's planned surgeries completed...

Mical's eye sight continues to improve so we have said goodbye to glasses, for now at least...

We have a teenager in the house...

We have a hunter in the house, who successfully got his first "trophy tom" this fall with grandpa...

Mical started school...

Moses embraced potty training...

Mical learned to ride a bike...

Nerf bullets and the unlimited places you can find them...

I am learning to embrace my roll as a taxi service...

Chlorine. Lyric spends lots of time these days working out in it...

Cole loved playing basketball and baseball...

Laundry...there is as much as in 2009 and I don't see this changing any time soon...

Doors no longer open and close as much...

Lights get turned on and off...but they are no longer a main attraction...

Dogs...we all like dogs now...

The penny horse is a big deal at Meijer for Mical...

Moses doesn't dare ride it yet...

Legos...they love to be where I step...

Dora. Someone in our house LOVES Dora...

Elmo. the youngest memeber of our family LOVES Elmo...

Running. When Lyric isn't swimming, she tends to be running...

Moses' favorite word...drumroll please..."MINE!"....It is commonly coupled with the word "NO"...

Gavin turned double digits...

Lyric was baptised!!!...

We grew our pet collection to include sugar gliders...

Everyone has accepted that we eat veggies and oatmeal in our family...

Adoption day!!! July 2010, we all finally share the same last name on paper...

I could go on and on....

Happy 2011!!! We look forward to all God has planned...

Christmas 2010

2010-12-31T07:54:00.000-08:00

*Christmas Eve with the Bronkema fam*

*Christmas Day with the Thede fam*

Oh, how we 'heart' our families!!!

"We Wish You a Merry Christmas..."

2010-12-24T18:50:00.000-08:00

Merry CHRISTmas to all of our loved ones!

We are so blessed to be surrounded by loved ones this Christmas!

May that baby in the manger be the Lord of our lives!

Happy Early Birthday

2010-12-22T16:39:00.000-08:00

Happy (almost) 10th Birthday, Anna!!!

Go Uncle Cory! He's a climbing machine!

Moses and Aunt Kris at the indoor water park. He wasn't sure about the water at first, but Aunt Kris convinced him it was a good time!

Crazy cousins...

This week we were able to celebrate our niece Anna's 10th Birthday (two months early). They will be heading back to Haiti in the beginning of January, so this was a lot of fun... especially because it was a SURPRISE!

Grandpa and Grandma's lap-FULL

2010-12-06T08:08:00.000-08:00

The grandkids 2010

Little Man Moses

2010-12-04T17:23:00.000-08:00

The older four kids got "school pictures" so we were left needing

photos of our 2 year old little man. (2.75 really)

This little heart-throb is not lacking for expression...

Ahhhh, Fall.

2010-11-12T09:42:00.000-08:00

Pics from this Fall...

Our Hershey's, basketball player, cookie monster & kitty

candy gathering crew.
Lyric with her Cross Country coaches
who she would like to take with her to highschool next year.
She has officially hung up her running shoes
for a bit and is spending some time with her goggles and swim cap.

My sticky project...

The day Anna mastered rollerblades

and Lyric mastered the pogo stick!

Cuddly Fradies and cuddly Moses.

I remember when Gavin was "cuddly." =)

Not so much anymore!

Lyric's baptism

2010-11-09T05:06:00.000-08:00

On Nov. 7, Lyric took the next step in her journey

of following Jesus.

It was a great day...one of my favorites yet.

(This is a short video clip taken from my shaking hands)

October, where did you go?

2010-11-02T11:54:00.001-07:00

I do believe, I entirely missed the month of October on here!

So, going back to October 1, for a second...

Dan's birthday!

We were able to spend the day at Art Prize in Grand Rapids for a

"daytime" date.

A real date.

This was outside on the deck of the B.O.B. for lunch....got hot in the sun...that is really saying something for Michigan in October!

Drum Roll Please...

They're Back!!!

On Oct. 5, Cory, Kris, Eli & Anna got to Michigan from being in Haiti for the past 16 months!

We get to keep them for Christmas, and everything!

We celebrated Eli's 13th birthday the first weekend they were back.

Gavin was pulling Moses behind the tractor.
Not an easy job...nice brother.

Happy Birthday to our (tall) nephew!!!
Two teens in the family now!

another summer flashback

2010-09-28T11:12:00.000-07:00

Uncle Tim and John
Cole and Gavin and the never-ending love of climbing.

Grandpa T. taught Lyric to ski this summer.

It's amazing what a little fishing boat can do with a big enough motor!

Baby Jacob and Moses

Gavin on the disk my dad made "a few years" ago!

That chuck of wood has given a lot of entertainment over the years.

Somewhere I have a picture of my dad doing a headstand on it.

If I find it, I'm scanning it and putting it on here.

I'm embracing Fall as much as possible...even though I'm a hard-core summer fan.

However, I was just looking at some pictures of summer and of some time we were able to spend with my brother Tim, sista'-in-law Mindy, and da boyz. So I need to post a few of those pics! Next up, my bother, Cory and his fam will be here next week from Haiti!!!

Good times ahead!

couch treasures

2010-09-22T09:04:00.001-07:00

What do you find when you vacuum under your couch cushions?

Money?

Not mine. (I'm not that lucky!)

As I tossed the toys out from the cushions, I felt it was worthy of a picture =)

hummingbird

2010-09-16T07:31:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning I kept hearing this consistent high pitched "chirp" in my house. I could not figure out where it was coming from! I was literally unplugging things and finally convinced myself that a toy must be losing it's battery power somewhere in the house. I gave up on it, determined to ignore the sound. After another twenty minutes of this "chirping" sound, I went to make a phone call. As I reached for the phone, this little hummingbird is what my eyes landed on!

She must have flown in while the kids had the door open the night before. (The bird and about 20 flies!!!) I slid the paper under her and relocated her to our hanging basket. I didn't know if she would live because hummingbirds have to eat so often. She kept up her "call" from the basket and several times in the next hour I saw her little male friend buzzing around our house. The story has a happy ending because after some sugar water and some time, she took off.

PS...we have one LAZY cat. Lucky for the hummingbird.

You can see her drinking from the dropper in this video! It was pretty cool.

Tim and John

2010-09-15T11:24:00.000-07:00

Uncle Tim and cousin, John, having some tube fun at the cottage! I had to put this on here for you guys. I'm guessing this was John's first tubing experience...slow, but it still counts ;-)

flashback

2010-09-12T15:31:00.001-07:00

Grand Rapids Mud Run, held on our church grounds.

Too crazy fun. Dan, Lyric, Gavin and I ran as a team.

We can't wait to do it again next year!

Our awesome supporters!

Amy gave up her day to sleep in to come watch the youngest 3 Bronkemas so the rest of us could get muddy! ...and she brought donuts!

And then...

Almost a week ago... The first day of school.

These three were so excited. So far, with one week complete, everyone is happy and back in the school year groove.

Lyric was not convinced going back to school was a good thing.

I think deep-down she's liking it now!

i'm adopted

2010-09-10T07:09:00.000-07:00

This weekend the Sam & Ellie Fund at Kentwood Community Church is begining a t shirt fund raiser. All profits will go to the fund, which gives interest free loans to adoptive families and helps bring orphans home to their forever families. The shirts are each $12 and come in pink, brown or blue. They reference Eph. 1:3-14 and celebrate that we are ALL adopted into God's family. A year and a half ago the Sam & Ellie fund along with Lifesong for Orphans helped us bring M&M home!

I feel passionate about helping raise money for adoption because the finances are such a hurdle for so many families. When people are considering adopting, and ask me questions, it's almost always the first concern. Many families CAN afford and WANT to have more children in their home, but the up front adoption expense makes it feel impossible. And for many it is, unless the body of Christ surrounds them and helps relieve the burden. That's the experience we had! We should not have been able to take on the finances of our adoption, but it's what we felt called to do. Now it seems so obvious how right it all is. If it hadn't been for our families and our brothers and sisters in Christ, we would be short two kids in our home. How tragic to have missed out on this journey because of the finances.

Our God is BIG. Much bigger than the hurdles. And, He uses ministries like this to give families the encouragement that is takes as they walk the long road of adoption.

If you are interested in a shirt and won't be at KCC to check them out, just let me know!

surgery update

2010-08-19T20:13:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to update that surgery went perfectly! We can already see the improvement in Mical's focus of her eyes. Incredible what resources we have available here in the States.
Very thankful.

Mical was not a happy camper today, but this evening she seemed to turn a corner. Expecting tomorrow to be a happier day.

Thanks for the prayers!!!
Mical...and fam

Back to DeVos

2010-08-16T20:19:00.000-07:00

Back to DeVos Children's Hospital for one last little surgery.

Mical's eyes don't work together which causes her several vision problems.

Thankfully, her eye specialist is going to improve things greatly for her on Aug. 18!

While she is very happy with her tummy and the ways the other Dr. helped, she is not trilled with the "methods" needed to produce these helpful outcomes....like, umm, the word "surgery" or "shot".

Going to the hospital hasn't happened in several months.

She's a trooper. There is no doubt in my mind that she'll handle it great.

Usually I dread things more for my kids than they probably ever do themselves. I remember the dread I was filled with over taking away the pacifier from my toddlers!

So, prayers that the surgeon's hands be guided by the Lord so she can have the best possible outcome.

Okay, and I'm going to share a cool story about how the Lord just keeps showing off through Mical's medical journey...

When we got the pictures of Mical and Moses, I mentioned to a friend how I thought from the photo that maybe her eyes weren't quite focusing correctly. This friend told me about the Dr. who worked with her from the time she was young. She also informed me how difficult it is to get an appointment with him! At her next appt., she and her grandma told him about our family's adoption and how our daughter might have vision problems. He told them he'd see us when we got Mical home. I didn't think much about it at the time because I didn't even know if her eyes had problems at all. Long story short, he's the Dr. doing her surgery. God had the Doctors lined up for her before we even knew what she was going to need. He completely guided us to the surgeon for her bowels...maybe a story for another day =)

camp week

2010-08-05T11:29:00.000-07:00

We normally stick to catching butterflies...

But this week, Cole caught a bunny in the garden.

We carefully carried it to a better location.

It's so cute I really don't think I'm that bothered if it wants to eat the garden.

Lyric and Gavin are spending the week at Pine Ridge Bible Camp.
We heart PR.
It's Thursday and I still haven't gotten a letter...

For those of us who didn't go to camp...

We were able to have a reunion of four Welcome Home kiddos!

(Mical, Moses, Nathan and Rebecca were all there together.)

We are so happy their family decided to vacation in MI!

Now we think they should come EVERY summer.

Last week we went blueberry picking.

Moses donated most of his to the ground and to his stomach.

Lyric's surprise

2010-07-28T11:35:00.000-07:00

I wish I had a picture of Lyric's face when we walked into the cottage

and everyone yelled "surprise!"

It was priceless!

Thanks to all of you who helped pull this off (and to those of you

who would have if you lived closer ;-)

Lauren, Lyric and Niki

I love this picture of Jill and Gracie!

Lyric and Lauren bug.

The perfect Lyric shirt... Happy 13th Birthday, Lyric!!!

Oh, Happy Adoption Day!

2010-07-23T09:31:00.000-07:00

Complete in our hearts a long time ago.

Finalized on paper, July 21, 2010.

It was a very fun experience.

Our judge was wonderful. Our whole family got to stand up with her where she sits and she gave M&M stuffed animals, all of the kids official certificates of brotherhood and sisterhood, and let them all bang the gavel to make it official.

A good day.

Summer photos

2010-07-19T18:46:00.000-07:00

Can anyone say, "Swim diaper, please?"

I think half of Sylvan lake is in his diaper.

I'm pleased to announce that Moses is now potty trained.

I guess wearing a diaper like this would inspire anyone.

This summer has been amazing.

Looking back at last summer, I

can appreciate how tired and worn out we really were. We were

feeling so thankful but were truly spent.

I just wanted to share some pictures from the summer...family...

cottage. We also got to spend time with my sister in law, Shelly, who was here from TX.

And our beautiful neice, Amber.

More pics to come.

Looking forward to tomorrow at court too!

July 21, 2010

2010-06-28T12:20:00.000-07:00

July 21, 2010,

the adoption of Mical and Moses will officially be completed.

We finally have a court date for finalization!

Oh, Happy Adoption Day!

Really, it just feels like a formality, but it's an important one.

Thought I'd share this clip of our sprinkler lovin' kids.

It makes me smile.

I've talked to so many people about our friends who just came home from Uganda with their Abigail.

You can peek at their blog at allaboutabigail2009.blogspot.com. We rejoice with their family!

We continue to lift up in prayer many others who continue to wait.

Dude!

2010-06-23T13:02:00.000-07:00

All of our kids are growing way too fast, but this

little dude deserves mention.

I don't think photos can do justice to HOW

much he has grown up in the past year.

Isn't my baby supposed to stay my baby a little longer?!

In the first photo Moses is learning to walk.

Now we are still teaching him to walk...not RUN all the time!

Happy Dad's Day!

2010-06-20T13:14:00.000-07:00

I love these pictures.

What cute boys.

I also love that it is not Fall right now!

Summer is my favorite!!!

I am blessed with a great Dad,

a great Dad-in-law,

and a great Dad to my kids.

I also have a Perfect Heavenly Dad.

Happy Father's Day!!!

Fisherman Gav

2010-06-19T12:33:00.000-07:00

Love this little fisherman.

(He can even clean his own fish now...yea!)

Memorial Weekend

2010-06-15T10:42:00.000-07:00

So this month, we've been home as a family of seven

for a year.

Our phone service was off for a few days while we switched providers.

Then the internet...for two weeks.

God has a great sense of humor and must have wanted

to remind us we can live without these things.

Silly Mical, Maddie and Paul as we visited Grandpa Warren

and the Veterans home Memorial Weekend.

These pics are late, but I still wanted to post them...

My beautiful cousins, Emily and Rachel,...with a grandpa we all dearly love...

husband of a grandma we all deeply miss.

Mindy came for a visit from GA!

Two Thede men.
Yes, John is quite a manly man!

Rootbeer floats. Enough said.

Ahhh, don't they look good together...I'm not sure who is more comfy...

Grandpa or Jacob?

Spring...

2010-05-25T09:42:00.000-07:00

Lyric took third in the two mile at her conference meet.

It took me twenty minutes to run two miles recently.

She finished in 13:08.

Not fair.

Cole counts down to baseball games...
He simply can't get enough.

Doesn't he look "manly"?!
Mical and Moses both think playing at the park EVERY day
would be a good idea!
We love you Maddie =)

Cory and Kris, we have more helpers this year...good thing
because grandpa made the garden a lot bigger!
More room for weeds ;-)

I was able to go with Gavin's class to Lansing to wrap up
Michigan history! Lots of fun!

Bring on Summer Vacation!

10K River Bank Run

2010-05-11T11:01:00.001-07:00

On May 8, Dan and Lyric ran the 10K together.

Well... they started the race out together anyway!

A certain young lady can run circles around her parents these days.

They both did great, and the younger kids and I only got mild frostbite cheering them on!

Okay, that might be an exaggeration, but it was one cold and windy race.

I have Lyric on video running around as a kindergartner saying,

"Someday I'm going to be a runner!"

She wasn't kidding.

"Puppy"

2010-05-07T12:40:00.000-07:00

Lyric feels it's time to introduce "Puppy" to the world...

May 1- Gotcha' Day

2010-05-01T06:00:00.000-07:00

THEN...

One year ago we arrived in Uganda and held Mical and Moses for the first time. To say that it has been quite a year in our lives is such an understatement. We are thankful for all the ways the Lord has knit us together as a family of seven. I feel reflective at this one year mark.

I also miss Uganda. I really miss it. While there, we were missing Lyric, Gavin and Cole....and toilet paper...and maybe a few other things. ;-) So, if we were to return, I'd just need to pack ALL the kids....and tp.

We are regularly asked how the kids are doing and how everyone has adjusted. I guess I feel like we've adjusted much like any family who gave birth to twins on any given year. There are added challenges when kids are older, but then I guess there are added challenges with newborn twins too, right?

We are growing. We are all growing. God's not done with us yet.

The laundry pile also grew...and the grocery bill ... ;-)

NOW...

I had to include a tummy pic.

For those who have followed

Mical in prayer through this past year and three surgeries,

thank you so very much!

What a HAPPY tummy!

This handsome young man has been diagnosed with a

serious condition that should pass by his next birthday.

His family has diagnosed him as having "age TWO syndrome."

It can be terrible, but it's pretty awesome most of the time!

What a character!

the streets

2010-04-30T08:11:00.001-07:00

Some Lyrics from one of my favorite Steven Curtis Chapman Songs.

I couldn't get enough of this song while waiting for Mical and Moses.

"Yours"

I walk the streets of London

And notice in the faces passing by

Something that makes me stop and listen

My heart goes heavy with the cry

Where is the hope for London?

You whisper and my heart begins to soar

As I'm reminded

That every street in London is Yours

Oh, yes it is

I walk the dirt roads of Uganda

I see the scars that war has left behind

Hope like the sun is fading

They're waiting for a cure no one can find

And I hear children's voices singing

Of a God who heals and rescues and restores

And I'm reminded

That every child in Africa is Yours...

And its all yours, God, Yours, God

Everything is Yours...

You're the Maker and Keeper, Father and Ruler of everything...

Last April 30 we spent the day wandering the streets of London waiting for our flight.
But, our hearts and minds were already in Africa.

My heart goes out to those families who are waiting, still, for their children
to come home.

Gracie

2010-04-29T02:00:00.000-07:00

This sweet girl is ONE today!

Happy Birthday Grace Mary!

We had fun at her party last weekend!

She did not appreciate frosting on her fingers...
We think she'll like it better by her next birthday =)

Last year, on the day of her arrival, we were on our way to Uganda!
Proud grandparents kept us posted as we called from airport lobbies.

Has it really been a year?!

Friends

2010-04-23T09:54:00.000-07:00

I promised a couple of dear friends that I would post some pictures.

Here they are =)

We love you bunches.

Abigail

2010-04-20T17:49:00.000-07:00

This is our friends' blog
allaboutabigail2009.blogspot.com

Abigail is four years old. Her mom has been in Uganda now for seven weeks working through the long legal process, but needs to come home for surgery on her foot. If you want to check out the beads they are selling to help raise adoption funds, check it out.

They are near and dear to our hearts!

A few things...

2010-04-18T10:38:00.000-07:00

Life is full. And fun. And sometimes...tiring.

I'm not complaining. Really, most of the time, I'm not!

These are a few of the things we have had going on these past few weeks...

Gavin turned double digits.

We celebrated with friends early because he spent his 10th birthday at the wedding of our dear friends Amy and Brad!

Basement full of 9 and 10 year old boys...and we lived to tell about it!

The wedding led to a (almost) family vacation in Florida. Moses stayed with Grandma and Grandpa Thede for this one. He had the vacation of being an only child for a whole week! He'll never be the same ;-)

This past week Lyric had her first two track meets. She loves the hurdles...so much she decided to dance with one at her last meet. I don't have a picture of her knees, but she left some skin on that track.

We also said goodbye to our dear pet guinea pig, Penelope, who has been squeeking in our home for the past five years. Strange the attachment a family can make with a rodent.

Our family also grew by two pets recently. One grandfather, who shall remain nameless, decided to fulfill Lyric's ongoing request to have cockroaches as pets. "Puppy" and "Chow" are now being mothered by one of the only 12 year old girls I know, who baby creepy crawlies.

On a serious note, we also have friends who are adopting from Uganda. The wife has been there for 7 weeks and will be returning on Monday without their daughter. She will be returning in 6 weeks to their daughter in Uganda, but first needs surgery on her foot that she injured while there. They are in the midst of such a battle. So many adoptive families are. Prayers for this family would be so appreciated. They are also selling magazine bead necklaces to help fund the added expense of this adoption. I'll check with them if I can put a link to their blog...

Kites

2010-03-29T05:12:00.001-07:00

Okay, bring on Spring! These guys are ready to do some kite flying.
Thank you Gracie! (and her mom and dad too =)

Thank you!

2010-03-25T12:49:00.000-07:00

Thank you Uncle Cory, Aunt Kris, Eli and Anna for the birthday gifts! We had a four-in-one party with mom and dad last Saturday! These will be great for the car ride to Florida!

Dad even shared his favorite dessert! What a guy!

Loving the handprint kits for M&M! Now our garden will be complete with all five sets.

And Happy Birthday to Dad TODAY!!! =)

SEVEN

2010-03-02T07:55:00.000-08:00

March 1

This little man turned seven.

We had fun bowling with friends...

First grade boys are very entertaining =)

Happy birthday, Cole!

FIVE

2010-03-01T11:13:00.000-08:00

How cute are these ladies?!

Yesterday we had lots of fun celebrating Mical's fifth birthday...first with us...at home.

...and these ladies too =)

Welcome to the World!

2010-02-23T05:12:00.001-08:00

Our handsome new nephew

Jacob Alexander, born on Feb. 19! Congratulations to Tim, Mindy and big brother, John!

Can't wait to get my hands on him in April!

hospital pictures

2010-02-18T11:34:00.000-08:00

We came home from the hospital on Tues, Feb. 9! We had to stay a few extra days while we waited for Mical's bowel function to return. The nurses made it very fun for her last few days. She needed to be up and moving so she helped at the desk "answering phones...and filing papers." We will forever remember those who made a hard time, special. I had to post a few of my favorite pics of our "Dr. Mical".

Thank you to all of you who helped us at home during this stay, for those who visited and those who prayed for us!!!

She is doing great recovering at home now!

AND... tomorrow we get a new nephew in Georgia!!! Counting down the hours with Tim and Mindy!

nurses

2010-02-05T10:07:00.000-08:00

I must say.
The nurses at DeVos Children's Hospital are incredible.
What a tiring job and they still take the time to make us feel special.
I'm ready to go home but I'm going to miss some of the nurses we've met during these past three hospital stays.

Mical has some great hospital buddies...

But, we need to return home so Moses can have Mical back. He's asked for her...not me...but her these past few days. Mical will have her little shadow back soon enough =)

Surgery #3

2010-02-03T09:47:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was Mical's surgery to reverse her colostomy! The surgery went really well! Very thankful for such great medical attention.

Being in the hospital is never one of my favorite things (or hers!) Then I have to stop and remind myself of how blessed we are. Yes, things beep...people come in and out at all hours... BUT...we could be lying in the streets with thousands of others, just waiting for days to be seen by a doctor! We are so spoiled.

My prayer requests for Mical today would be:
That her digestive tract handles the food well when she is finally allowed to eat.
That she would tolerate not being able to eat for the third day.
For her heart/spirit to be at peace with all of this change...

Back to our room...

Haiti

2010-01-28T08:59:00.001-08:00

With my mind and prayers in Haiti, I find it hard to want to blog about life here. Thankful for Kris, Cory and the kids and the example they live out of complete surrender and service to Christ. Thankful for all those being the hands and feet of Jesus in Haiti today. The words "for such a time as this" run through my mind every time I think of those who have found themselves in the midst of this crisis.

Mical has surgery scheduled for next Tuesday. This is the last one planned. Gavin has the stomach flu now, so praying that she doesn't catch it.

(Here is a photo of our girls in their new glasses)

How old are you?

2010-01-05T08:40:00.000-08:00

So thankful this little man came into the world two years ago today =)

"Happy New Year" from Mical...

2009-12-31T16:01:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!!!

2009-12-31T14:56:00.000-08:00

A recap of 2009: (The list that couldn't fit in the Christmas letter =)

Learning the art of colostomy bags...
Poop and the unlimited directions it can splatter...
Children who refuse to sleep past 6am...
6am summer breakfasts on the front porch so the rest of the fam could sleep...
6am conversations that consisted of one word..."truck"...every time a vehicle passed...
Tears...
More tears...more time-outs...
The food questioning...I could write a chapter on the topic...
Socks. The love of socks...
Biting...
TV is interesting after all...
My ears bleeding from lack of rest. Dan's might have bled a little too...
Musical beds...
English, the language of confusion...No, we don't eat wood chips, but chips in bags are good...
More tears...
I expect all my kids to eat vegetables. and oatmeal...
Tears...
Ice cream is not a punishment...
The cat is our friend...
Most dogs are good...
Tears...
Every time we get in the car does not mean we are going to get a chicken burrito.... (although I also wish that was how it worked.)
Doors...opening, closing, opening, closing, slamming, opening...
Lights...on, off. repeat. repeat.
Computers are for someday, but not yet...
Lyric, Gavin and Cole are at school a LOT...
Gum is not a good idea yet...
Cold hands, cold toilet seats, what the heck?!
Laundry is my new hobby...
I've given up all my other hobbies...
Lyric has possibly inherited our social lives...
Gavin is going to buy a school building to fill with his own adopted children someday...
Cole is very much a six year old boy...this covers so much.
Hair. The time it takes to do African hair. A whole new respect...
Tattling. The love of tattling. The six and four year old have made this into an art....
Laundry. It deserves to be mentioned again...
Sweet Mical kisses.
Sweet Moses cuddles.
It is all so worth it.

Looking forward to all the the Lord has planned for 2010!

Grandpa

2009-12-30T07:21:00.001-08:00

Giver of bear hugs,

Back rubs,

and squeeky kisses...

Driver of buggies...

Builder of trains..

Reader of stories....

Grandpa.

Merry Christmas

2009-12-26T14:54:00.000-08:00

Every good and perfect gift is from above,
coming down from the Father.
James 1:17

Merry CHRISTmas!!!

Christmas morning
(Before...

and After!)

We are spoiled.

Uncle Chad and Aunt Jillian with the three new Bronkema additions from 2009!

Gracie was born the day we left for Uganda!

Yes, Lyric has the Christmas spirit =)

One beautiful lady.

We love Christmas with Grandma in McBain. We celebrated with aunts, uncles and cousins and it was beauuuutiful.

forts and cookies...

2009-12-17T12:37:00.000-08:00

Snow days...three in a row, two weeks ago.

We liked it.

This is the same field, across the road, that kept Cole busy for hours this summer picking blackberries. There was a bunch of brush cleared and now that pile of sticks has transformed into the neighborhood "fort."

We made Christamas cookies.

Mical is really good with dough. I think she had practice before our time together. She has some skilled hands rolling it out!

We made a double batch and they are long gone. Boy can this fam down the cookies!

Christmas parties at school today and then break time! Yea!

We had Christmas with my parents on Sunday. Now they are down with Tim, Mindy and John in GA. So...Mical and Moses got to experience GIFTS. It is safe to say they approve.

6 months day!

2009-12-04T10:37:00.000-08:00

It just struck me today that we've been home as a family of seven for 6 months today. Thank you Jesus. So, I had to post a picture of our day. The older boys went off to school crazy excited about all the new snow. Lyric headed off to school disappointed everyone in GR got school cancelled! Mical woke up and couldn't believe her eyes. "Mommy! Mommy! It's ON the trees!"

After heading out to play (I'd forgotten how long it takes to get little ones ready!), Moses landed face first in the snow. He didn't even cry. M&M both lasted longer in the cold than I did!

I guess this means I've posted things for three days in a row...another first!

SNOW ANGEL...check!

Firsts...

2009-12-03T11:42:00.001-08:00

First Thanksgiving with the Kaechele side of the family! There were lots of kids to play with. It was great to see so many cousins and relatives who we don't get to see very often.

We ate during what should have been naptime for Moses. He didn't eat much of his "feast." This photo captures his mood perfectly.

My cousin, Kelly, with two of her cuties. Number four due to arrive this spring =)

First snow...just enough to cover the ground, but enough for making snowballs! Dan and Lyric were out braving "black Friday."

Tired Moses

2009-12-02T11:06:00.000-08:00

I just had to include this video of Moses that I took a couple of weeks ago. I've always seen clips of kids falling asleep in their food, but I've never had one of my own...until now =)

And by another one of my silly boys...

How to Cook a Turkey

By Cole Bronkema (spelling by Mom =)

First, I shoot it in the heart.

Next, I stuff it with my hands.

Third, I put it in the oven for one hour.

Fourth, I want it real bad.

Fifth, I eat it.

Good to be Home!

2009-11-14T10:20:00.000-08:00

A few nights in the hospital makes home feel especially wonderful. We came home Friday afternoon. We are amazed at how much being home has perked up Mical. She is walking all over and playing the best she can. I never cease to be amazed!

Thanks to so many of you who I know were praying for her and our family!

Balloon and monkey delivery! Thank you Lowing fam =)

On our way home!

A very nice greeting for Mical...

...and this is what I get! ;-)

Hospital thoughts

2009-11-11T12:27:00.000-08:00

While in the hospital Mical is a fan of:

purple popsicles

Dora on TV

slipper socks

Dad blowing bubbles

the nurse button (which we need to stop bumping...)

Things she could do without:

having blood drawn...

having blood drawn...

Well, and a few other things. It looks like we might be here past Thurs. They are allowing her small sips of things, but she's not technically on a liquid diet yet. She did get up and walk out to the hallway. She gained confidence as she went.

God made this girl one tough cookie.

orphan day

2009-11-09T10:44:00.000-08:00

"Sometimes I would like to ask God why he allows poverty, famine and injustice in the world when He could do something about it...but I'm afraid He might ask me the same question." Anonymous

I took this quote from another blog I just found from a family in the middle of an adoption. I liked it so much I had to borrow it.

I have a quiet moment today and just wanted to get out some thoughts...

We are so blessed to have a great hospital staff and surgeon waiting for us tomorrow. It will be Mical's second surgery to correct her bowel birth defect. We are praying that God guides the hands of her surgeon to do the very best possible for her. Also, that He will protect her heart as this is tough stuff for a little girl to go through. The Lord has taken her through so much this past year. It really blows my mind to try to process it all.

Things God has done for us...that I'm just so Thankful for...

~Last year at this time we thought Dan might lose his job, but God protected, which allowed us to continue to pursue our kids!

~Brought Mical to Welcome Home, while we were waiting and praying that God would bring our children there.

~Allowed us to accept the referral of a child with medical needs. (Surely He would have someone in mind for that who has the finances to back such an undertaking!....Nope!)

~Spend five weeks in Uganda...three without income...

~Taught us surrender by being so stretched beyond our means. We could not have done these things if God hadn't used other people around us to help.

~So much more but so little time today. Another day...

promised some friends I'd get some pictures on here of the kids dressed up. You know who you are =) So, here they are!

Two soldiers and one hippie...

A cute spider and Thomas the Train. Moses liked to say "choo choo."

Autumn

2009-11-05T11:05:00.000-08:00

November.

Wow, feeling reflective this time of year.

A month that reminds us to stop and give Thanks.

Last year at this time my arms were aching...now they are full. So very FULL at times!

Not a lot of words today...just feeling reflective. Here are a few fall pics...

Yes, skateboards of carrots. This is what Cole and Mical came up with when they picked them =)

More to come...

Family photo

2009-10-15T06:43:00.001-07:00

As we walked past our neighbor's barn, on our way to take a family photo, we decided to stop and take a picture. Funny how it's usually the unplanned things that end up working.

We are enjoying fall, even with the abundance of rain we have been experiencing! I think Mical is a bit baffled at the amount of it. The other day she said, "Rain, AGAIN?!" Then later she said, "someday, warm?" I told her "someday" but didn't attempt to explain how far away that day could be!

We are looking forward to meeting some new friends this weekend. They are in the process of adopting their daughter from Uganda! They are at the same place we were last year at this time. Amazing to watch the God journey they are on and prayers that they will be traveling the first of next year to bring her home. Oh, and she's Mical's age =)

Mical's next surgery is scheduled for Nov. 10. We covet prayers for her heart, her spirit, and that the surgeon would do the very best possible for her.

M&M chairs

2009-09-26T17:35:00.001-07:00

Some dear family friends gave us these little chairs for Mical and Moses. We wanted to show them getting tried out! They are just the right size! Thank you!!!

Poor Frog

2009-09-17T11:23:00.000-07:00

Gavin came rushing up to me. "Mom, can I feed this frog to the snake?"

Yes, we have a little snake that lives around our house, but I never dreamed he would actually be successful in FINDING it at this exact moment. I assured him it wouldn't be that easy. Two minutes later he came yelling about how the snake was eating it... Never underestimate a boy with a frog.

Dan's reaction, "IT WAS ON OUR DECK?!" He adores snakes the way I adore spiders.

Mical was fascinated with this Praying Mantis. ...and I was happy to have nature not eating other nature... ;-)

Cross Country Girl

2009-09-16T08:05:00.001-07:00

Just had to share Lyric's happy moment. First Cross Country meet and she managed to finish 4th out of 90 7th grade girls! I think we have a runner on our hands.

Thankfully grandpa and grandma were there for the moment. Dan and I are bummed we couldn't be there, but looking forward to Saturday's meet.

The caption on this photo would be "poor tired feet" ;-)

Home from the Hospital

2009-09-12T09:32:00.001-07:00

Some of Mical's very wonderful nurses. The staff at Devos Chilren's Hospital was amazing. This is her getting a ride in the red wagon to go to the play room.

Mical was such a trooper not being allowed to eat for the day before surgery. She was not a fan of her IV. This is her minutes before surgery. She was anxious... but the staff was so kind. Her surgery was successful. After she heals, her stomach should feel so much better than it ever has before!

The view from our 7th floor room. We could also see the helicopter pad which was very fun to watch. Friday night Dan brought the older kids up and we watched Celebration on the Grand Fireworks. Thanks Mom and Dad for bringing Moses home and putting him to bed!

Mical with her happy bear...Thank you Goeller Troops!!! We love you guys!

Watching fireworks. We had the best room for a view. I have to believe it was one of those little gifts God keeps blessing us with.

Going HOOOOME!!!! YEA!

Thank you all for your prayers! Lots of recovery ahead. Mical is very sore today and will be for a while. Next surgery will be in 6-8 weeks.

First Surgery

2009-09-02T07:55:00.000-07:00

Mical's first surgery is scheduled for Sept. 10. It is the first week of school for Lyric, Gavin and Cole, so this is gearing up to be a hectic time! This surgery will revise the colostomy that was done for her as an infant. Her two surgeons will also be forming the plan for the next surgery. We covet prayers for Mical, that the procedure would go smoothly and that she would be able to process this emotionally. For the surgeons, that they would have wisdom as they make plans for her next reconstructive surgery.

We've also recently been blessed through a fund raiser done for our family by the Sea 100 Powerboat Club. The money raised will go toward medical bills and also help us complete our adoption for Mical and Moses here in the States. We sit in awe and constant amazement at the way the Lord has continued to provide. This past week Pastor Jeff preached about facing the lions in our lives. How God conquers though our obedience. Last Feb. when we knew the Lord was leading us to Mical, inspite of our economy, uncertain job futures, unclear medical needs/expenses...it was a time of our own personal "lion". Would we make a "safer" choice? But, we knew in our hearts that they were ours. And now we get to hold them every day! It's so beautiful to have a quiet moment to reflect on all the Lord has done for us. And, looking forward to other things that I'm sure we cannot imagine...

Garden Elves

2009-08-19T18:25:00.000-07:00

While we were in Uganda, some garden elves came and planted for us. This post is to show them the finished product. Now, to Cory Thede this may appear a garden in need of weeding and mulch, but to the Bronkema clan, it is beauty =)

The pumpkin plant was a surprise. It came up in the middle of the bean row so I'm guessing it is the result of a pumpkin we threw in the garden last fall? Oh well, bring on October! As you can see, we are ready!

Somewhere....a tomato worm is mocking me. I look for it daily, thinking eventually it will show itself. So far, it is winning.

The row of carrots has been doing great. Penelope and Snowflake want to say a special Thank You, as they have been benefiting from this row!

Thank you Cory, Kris, Eli and Anna for planting our garden and to Grandma and Grandpa for expanding it!

19 Month Moses

2009-08-04T10:46:00.000-07:00

So, 18 months would have been more of a mile-marker, but I wasn't on top of it. I'm usually late these days, so this is fitting.

Today Moses is 19 months. In the two months that we have been home he has learned to walk, has a growing vocabulary of important words like "No!", and has become the best sleeper in the house. I know a lot of people were praying for him while we were in Uganda. He really didn't like to sleep for us while we were there. I think all the prayer caught up with him!

Moses has mastered unrolling all the toilet paper at remarkable speed...

has decided toilet water is almost as much fun as the pool...

thinks cat food is yummy...

and that sand isn't half bad either...

believes guinea pigs should be fed magnets and any other toy that can fit between the bars of the cage...

He's doing a good job keeping us busy!

2 months!

2009-08-03T10:05:00.001-07:00

Yeah baby! We're off that plane!!!

Feeling reflective today as I think about how two months ago today we were flying home with Mical and Moses. Cory and Kris recently sent us photos taken at the airport, so I had to include a couple in this post.

My parents were so awesome to rent us a 12 passenger van so we could all be together on our drive home from O'Hare. Mom Thede, Cory, Kris, Eli and Anna all made the long drive and welcomed us home.

I wish I could bottle the feeling from that night. There is nothing like it.

Whitecaps

2009-08-02T17:44:00.000-07:00

Last night we went to our first Whitecaps baseball game as a family of seven. As you can see, we got drenched with rain! The kids were total troopers...that could not have had anything to do with the "dippin' dots" or other crazy snacks we consumed..thanks to Johnson Controls!

We were inspired to stay becasue they had fireworks after the game... that Moses slept through. It was "Star Wars" night so there were lots of characters around the stadium to have photos taken with. Our kids were more into the snacks...

Yesterday was also the day we got Lyric and Gavin home from Pine Ride Bible Camp. They both loved their week. Last night Gavin said it felt good in his own bed, but that he missed his bunk at camp. I remember that feeling. All week Mical kept asking "Lyric? Gavin?" I told her they would be, "home soon!"...but how do you explain camp??? She was not with me when I dropped them off so it was pretty impossible. She's glad to have them home! Moses is glad to have Gavin here too. He loves on his little sister and brother like crazy and it going to be the best dad ever someday.

Cole is into our garden like his Uncle Cory would be. Tomorrow I need to post a photo of it so they can see how their work has "blossomed"...they planted our garden for us while we were in Uganda. Thank you!!! We've been surprised by 2 turnips noone knew were planted. Cory??? And a huge pumpkin plant. Maybe from one we threw in the garden last fall?

#12

2009-07-28T04:35:00.000-07:00

So, only one more year until Lyric is a teen. Then it hit us that we will be living with teenagers for the next 17 years...that should keep things interesting.

Dan and Lyric ran a 5K the day before her birthday. Lyric even out-ran her dad! We had a pretty good cheering section too! Her birthday fell on the weekend of Byron Days so there was lots of entertainment around...which led to a couple of"firsts" for Mical and Moses. After the race, they got to go to their first parade. It didn't take long to figure out how to scramble after candy! That night they got to stay up for their first fireworks display. (We didn't make it to fireworks on the Fourth of July) Moses jumped a couple of times in the beginning but really liked them!

On Lyric's birthday they got to experience their first water balloon fight. Then we celebrated with friends, Grandma and Grandpa Thede and Grandma Bronkema, who surprised Lyric by driving down for the party. Sugar was had by all.

Yesterday I dropped off Lyric and Gavin at Pine Ridge Bible Camp for the week. So until Saturday, I'm back to three kids!

A week of birthdays

2009-07-19T17:37:00.000-07:00

This has been a week of birthdays! I managed to get older this week on the 16th and started my day with breakfast made by Lyric! (Chocolate waffles and lots of toppings...how great are 11 yr olds?!) We then ventured to the park and splashpad. Mical and Moses thought it was pretty fun and we had a good time there until Gavin stepped on a bee. I couldn't figure out why a nine year old would have such an extreme reaction to a tiny sliver until he asked, "Why are their hairs on my sliver?!" After closer examination, I realized this was not any ordinary sliver. Lyric saved the day by making mud and covering the sting. Later that day we celebrated at Mom and Dad Thede's. Mical went on her first "buggy" ride with Grandpa!

Then on the 18th we made our way to McBain to celebrate Mom Bronkema's 60th Birthday! We met with Chad, Jill and baby Grace and Scott and Lucienna at Lakeside Charlies to surprise her. Dad B. had to fake not feeling well in the car to delay mom for a few minutes, but we pulled off the surprise.

Oh, and Moses is a walker as of TODAY! He's been walking all month, but now he's got it and has no need to crawl! My arms rejoice!

12 years and 5 kids later

2009-07-10T10:47:00.000-07:00

We spent the weekend visiting family up north. It is always fun for all of us to hang out with my family. We got to meet our niece, Grace Mary. She is a beautiful addition to the Bronkema family!
We decided that we would visit Mackinaw Island on Sunday. None of our kids had ever been there and Lori and I hadn't been there since our wedding 12 years ago. It's amazing that just 12 short years later, we returned with all 5 of our kids. If someone would have told me when we got married that I would have 5 kids, I would have laughed and told them they were crazy! Funny how life changes a person.
On the way home, we stopped by the cottage in Newago and spent the afternoon there playing and taking turns going on kayak rides. It's always a good time up there and we hope we can go back a few more times this summer.

2009-07-09T18:52:00.000-07:00

I guess this means we're bloggers...

2009-07-09T18:31:00.000-07:00

Due to the fact that we have family and friends scattered all over this planet, we find this may just be a downright helpful way to keep people updated. We have been very blessed by the prayers and support of so many as we have journeyed to bring our youngest kids home from Uganda. We've been home as a family for one month and this is our attempt at better communication (inspired by you, Kris) with those who would like to follow our adventures as a family of seven.