{Playing Around}

This time of October always comes with so many emotions.  Today marks 2 years from submitting our intent to adopt paperwork for AJ...and Sunday will be 6 years {AG} and 2 years {AJ} from China giving us pre-approal to move forward in adopting them.  Yes, only God does something like that...giving us the same sweet day to remember the day China said "hurry up and come get them!".  And then there's Saturday...the day our Panda girl was born...and we are lucky ones that get to celebrate her 7th birthday this weekend.  So blessed are we!

I tend to hide behind my canon lens when times get to be more retrospective.  Wanting to witness it all and capture it forever...not wanting to miss a minute of the gift of today and how God has graciously given us another year together.

We watched an orb weaver up close getting her dinner wrapped up {we just studied spiders a few weeks ago so finding her was a treat!}.  The boys played football in the field and Bubba mastered his golf swing a bit.  The girls pulled out bows & arrows {kid version!} and umbrellas and hammed it up for me.  Bear went on a little hunt looking for more crickets and critters.  We cleaned up the yard a bit in anticipation of Panda's party {super small but super sweet and just what she requested!} and the girls and I took a golf cart ride to see the cows and goats...and new baby kitties...down the dirt road while the boys ran some fielding drills with dad.

Life gets far too busy too fast...which is why I never want to forget the slower evenings together at home...especially as I reflect on how things have changed over the past 6 years.  I never imagined we'd add another little China doll to our tribe after we moved in nearly 3 years ago.  But God.  And it's the sweetest, most unexpected surprise ever.  Here's to more evenings just playing around...

Trying her best to wink at me! 

Girlfriend knows how to pose! 

Baseball may be his first choice when it comes to sports but this big boy {6'2" and only 15!} has taken advantage of perfecting his golf game in the offseason.  Lots of trips to the country club a few miles away recently!