We're BACK!

Gosh! I took my computer with us to the beach but never took the time to post! We left right after Brennen's birthday party so I have a lot of updates to do!

Brennen was a trooper at his party even if he didn't like putting his hands in the cake! This boy will rub everything else all over his face and hands but not CAKE! Well, maybe next year. Sara and Chris threw a very good birthday party. They cooked hotdogs and hamburgers and even rented one of those blow up jumpy things for the kids to play in. Brennen had a very good time but really was only interested in one toy... the tricycle that his Aunt Charlotte and Uncle Ben gave him. It was the big hit! He wanted to push it all over the place! We gave him a sand and water table. He showed a little interest in it but was just taken by the tricycle.

Then we headed to the beach to our luxury condo. We literally walked across the parking lot and were on the beach. It was so very nice! Carolyn and I hit the beach on Sunday and didn't stop until it rained on Friday. I even coaxed Geoff out on the beach on Monday. He is not a fan of water but is trying very hard to learn since he knows that will be a place that we will want to take Lexi. In fact anyone who lives here needs to be able to swim some. My brother feel off of a dock one time when he was about 5 years old and we had to jump in the get him. And even Brennen is fearless already on the beach! Sara brought him up and stayed a few nights and as soon as his feet hit the sand he made a bee line for the water. He rushed at the waves! If we hadn't had his hands he would have been swept away by waves! He really made me nervous!

We came back last Saturday to find that my milkweed plants at home and at school have just grown immensely! I even have baby Monarch caterpillars on them already. At school the sunflowers are at least 8ft. tall! And the plants that we planted right before I left in the garden are already up and a pretty good size. I'm working to get it in good shape before the students come back to school.

Today I was working outside when two of the custodians came out to check out the garden. They are always helping me do something out there. Well, I was telling them that next summer I would not be out there everyday and would need to get students and their parents more actively involved because I'd have a baby at home. They both looked at me and in shock and then remembered the adoption. They were looking for a baby bump! It was too funny! We've been waiting for so long now that people have actually forgotten that we are adopting! This week on July 16th, will be three years ago that we made the decision to go to China. We named Lexi on the same day. My, that seems just like yesterday but in also it seems forever ago.