We do enjoy our pools... and Sari is starting to blossom

This is a favorite of Kloe's

We have lots of poolside "lifeguards"

We see Sari smile more each day....She is learning how to play and she relaxes into things that a little girl should...like playing, toys and being a child. It was a little hard at first for her not to take care of her brothers ( I am sure she had the responsiblity for them) as well as working...but we now see her enjoy being a kid and it is very rewarding to watch as she discovers this side of herself.

They are getting used to each other....

Mady and the boys are the same age and it has been fun to watch the 3 of them discover each other. It is a good thing we have had lots of girl toys because the boys love the Barbie heels, baby dolls, purses and such :) The 3 of them actually are doing very well...but it is funny. Like the boys had these black shoes and Mady wanted a pair just like them...or if they eat snacks out of these cups then I have to make sure they all have the same type of cup...diff. colors. I love this age and how they process things....Sometimes I wonder if I am dreaming when I think about spending my days with this adorable age and with three of them this age.

Memory making Memorial Day

As I took this picture I was thinking , " Boy that is a lot of kids. "

 

 Feeding this group is crazy ...I mean who grills this much meat - ( bbque pork loin chops).

Since our theme for the day was a Luau....We had snacks of chips, salsa and cheese and I had bought coke in cans and we put them in a cooler- the kids loved this.

We made smores - all 3 new ones loved them and we swam in the pool at nite with glo sticks.

 Of course we had our traditional water balloon toss...

All of these decorations came from Keith and Mary Kate's wedding at the beach...We had a fun day and it just ended with the older ones swimming at nite. We are grateful for living in this country and for all the service men who have fought to make us free. Every time we are away in another country - even for a short time we appreciate living in the USA. It was a great wknd. and we made many memories.....

How things are going.....

 This was taken within an hour of getting home on Tuesday...I fed the kids because I knew they had not eaten much on the plane because they were asleep...I love how all the little ones surround them.....

From the pictures you can see how we do it....very naturally wooing and loving on the new kids. We never have to tell them what to do...they just know and boy I tell you they make the transition into our family very easy for the new kids....and even the ones already here who need help with feeling special can get the attention they need from an older sibling.

Things are going very well with these 3 new ones. We are enjoying having them home and watching them discover things. They are eating well, sleeping great and seems to feel happy. We swim every day and that really has helped to foster a trust with the little guys and Sari is enjoying having siblings and playing...At first she wanted to "work" and take care of her brothers but we have encouraged her to play. I think she worked and missed out on her childhood. We are gradually seeing her develope a little girl like play and it is so much fun to watch her. This afternoon Selah and Sari played for hours with the kitchen set and dishes I have out by the pool....They had a really good time playing together.

Some pics that make me smile from the last few days....

 Together at last...and learning about each other....

 Samuel/Judah

 Samson/Jesse

 Judah is so oral that I decided to give him a paci...and he loves it.

 Andrew has been a happy guy...

 Jesse playing with Joseph

 Momma and Nana

 Rita/Sari is starting to smile more...and that just warms my heart to see.

 Who could resist these baby blues....