Oops... I've done it again!

Well.... it looks like I've let this blog go by the wayside again!  Life just always seems to get too crazy to keep on top of this!  I have actually taken a ton of pictures in the last couple of weeks and instead of doing crazy picture overload, I decided to just focus on little Miss Zoe this week.  I haven't been doing too well with keeping up with their scrapbooks and baby books lately (such is life with 2 kids!) and I wanted to document each of my littles and what they are up to right now mostly for my own memories...  Evan's turn will be next week (when we celebrate his 5th birthday- how is this possible?!)  We have been keeping busy with end of summer activities and crossing things off the to-do list with the house lately.  Life is good, but crazy and overwhelming at times for sure!  Both of my little people bring so much joy to my life, but both like to test me in their own ways too.  Little Zoe is just so bubbly and full of energy, but has also started to show us more and more her flair for the dramatic and her stubborn streak when she doesn't get her way.  It's pretty much just super cute at this age, but we'll see what we think about that when she gets a little older ;)

She instantly goes into "cheese" mode when my camera or phone is pointed at her for a picture.  Super cute.

 And this picture pretty much summarizes 2 of her favorite things- her "nee-nee" aka rocking horse and ELMO.  The girl LOVES horses and all things Sesame Street and Elmo.  Remember that stubborn streak and flair for the dramatic I just mentioned?  Well, Elmo is usually at the source of this behavior-she loves watching Elmo, but just HATES to see it end.  Elmo always ends with a little tantrum.  Life is rough I tell ya!

 Dancing- another favorite...  She loves music..  And as you can see, she loves to put on her own shoes (she has 2 different ones on in this picture).  Love this independent little girl :) She has now started saying "I do it" for lots of things when we try and help her.   

 Bubbles- another favorite.  She could literally play bubbles for hours. 

Dress up- another favorite :)

 Laying in mom and dad's bed scrolling through pictures and videos..another favorite of hers.  She loves looking at pictures of friends and family and pointing out who everyone is.  So crazy to think that this time last year, she was sitting in an orphanage waiting on a family and now delights in pointing out all her family members in pictures.  We've come a long way!! And let me tell you- this one year old knows how to work an Iphone!

 Talking and playing with cousin Blake!

 Just a little evidence of the temper tantrums and her flair for the dramatic.  For those of you who didn't believe me!

 Working outside! And so serious about it!

Zoe and her little boyfriend Liam cheering on Evan's soccer team.  Drew is coaching an Upwards soccer team with 2 other dads (close friends of ours) and 6 of the kids on their team are from our church.  It's going to be a great season.  Go team Armenia!

And... just to include big brother...  here are my 2 little loves reading together.  I need this photo evidence to remind me on certain days (like today) that they do have their moments of getting along beautifully! 

Thanks for checking in and stay tuned for an update on what Evan is up to next week!!

Playdates and Amish Zoos!

This summer is just flying by much too quickly! We are having so much fun and keeping very busy!  One of my favorite parts of Zoe's adoption is all of the new people we have met and the friendships that we have formed with people who share our love for adoption.  Our friends, Jon and Amy, came over last week for dinner with their little Ethiopian beauties Jada and Adia.  This sweet family will soon be moving to Ethiopia to work as missionaries.  I'm sure they would treasure your prayers as they fundraise and transition towards living in Ethiopia.  Evan and Zoe had so much fun playing with them!

This was the best picture we could get of the 2 kiddos.  HILARIOUS!

Hugging Jada!

Hugging Adia!

Cheese!!

Sweet sleeping baby...  Last year at this time I longed to watch her sleep in her comfy bed and now I can anytime I want to!  Thank you God!

My parents asked the kids and I to go to a local zoo one day last week with them.  It is run by an Amish family and was such a neat place!  They have lots of large animals and you can get so much closer to them there than at a bigger zoo.  It was a great day and the kids enjoyed it so much. 

This little pig was literally born just hours before and the owner let the kids pet it.  So fun!

Zoe loved petting the baby deer.  :)

Feeding the goats.  She just couldn't get enough- and her bravery gave my timid little Evan the courage to try it too!

Petting a baby skunk :)

Evan practiced his cow milking skills...  

I guess that's all for now...  Happy summer everyone!!

Update in pictures!

Ok, so I know I am majorly slacking in the blog department lately.  We have just been having so much fun this summer that it's all I can do to keep up with the basic housework chores...  and the blog is put on the back burner...  so here is our last couple of weeks in pictures...

Playdate with friends- Zoe LOVED the sandpile...I had to dunk her in the lake to get all the sand off!

We watched the fireworks with friends- so fun!!

Happy girl!

Loving her first fireworks experience....  this year she is an American!

Swimming at the neighborhood pool- the kids LOVE it and we spend lots of time there!!

Crazy girl- she loves to play dress up and this is how I found her one morning!

Loving the swing!

Evan and his cousin, Ty...  2 handsome guys!

Zoe loves her cousin Hailey!

More cousin fun- we got to watch baby Blake one night!

3 generations of Baker boys- love love love this picture!

Getting ready to ride in the pod to the top of the St. Louis arch!

The view from the top!!  Beautiful, but I'm very glad I wasn't the one up there taking this picture!

My 2 littles...  :)

Zoe and Dane dancing at Kevin and Amanda's wedding.  It was soo cute!

She is just so full of joy!  

Little man being silly at the wedding reception...

 

 

 

Ok, so I will try not to wait so long before posting next time!!  Hope you are all enjoying your summer as much as we are!!  It's going so fast!! 

Our little patient is healing, thank goodness.  She continues to amaze us.  Kids are resilient.  Although she isn't in much pain anymore, her wounds still don't look great.  The doctor said it could take up to a year for her pigment to come back completely, if it ever does.  Thank you all for the prayers and get well wishes!  We've been soo busy the last couple of weeks!  We have had cookouts with family and friends, trips to the neighborhood pool (which we are LOVING!), picnics, playdates, played outside a lot, done some painting and organizing in our new home, been to the zoo, and more.  Just typing all of that makes me tired!  The summer makes me extra thankful for a husband who values my time at home and works so hard so that I can stay home with our littles.  I know it isn't for everyone (and some days I do wonder if it's for ME), but I really do treasure each and every moment with these 2 precious little ones.  Friends, please feel free to remind me of these words when I am having those days when I struggle as a stay-at-home mom!  Here are a few pictures of the last couple of weeks...

Caught standing on Evan's tool box- and cheesing it up :)

Coloring- one of their favorite things recently...

Love this smile :)

Fell asleep reading during rest time- summers wear a guy out!

Just too cute not to post...  Looking so adorable in her swimsuit...

First time swimming at grandma and grandpa's house- and LOVED it!

Love these 2!

Back!

Soo sorry for the long absence from this blog!  For those of you who are friends with me on Facebook know that the last couple of weeks haven't been the best for our little family.  A couple of weeks ago, our church celebrated it's 10 year anniversary with a huge service including Natalie Grant and then a minor league baseball game afterwards.  Our kids were playing in the splash park before the game and having an absolute BLAST until little Zoe had a freak-ish accident.  She walked/fell on a metal access plate on the ground right next to the splash park that was in the hot sun and she was burned. It was AWFUL.  We had never experienced something so scary since becoming parents- Drew sprinted to the parking garage to get our car and we rushed her to the closest hospital (which just so happens to be the best burn center in the state).  She had 2nd degree burns on her hands, feet, and shins.  We would have done ANYTHING to have taken the pain away from her.  But she is such a trooper and the doctor says she is recovering well, although her wounds still don't look good to us or anyone that sees them (I will spare you the awful pictures).  She isn't in any pain anymore, which is a HUGE thing and she is back to her normal smiley and mischevious self.  But we have definitely been preoccupied the last couple of weeks with taking care of our little patient.  We had made plans a long time ago to go to the Children's Museum last weekend and kept them even though Zoe was still a little under the weather and bandaged up.  It was a great trip and she had a blast despite not being able to do everything.  All the bandages are gone now with the exception with one of her feet, so that's a big improvement.  Here are some pictures of us lately....

Evan graduated preschool!  Most of the kids in his class will go on to kindergarten next year, but he
still has another year of preschool because he has a late-August birthday.  Glad I get another year of
him at home with me!

Graduating preschool is kind of a big deal to a 4 year old :)

Trip to the zoo the day before her accident- such a happy little thing!

Evan got brave and decided to feed a giraffe!

She is a Daddy's girl for sure- and he kind of likes her too ;)

All bandaged up.  Poor thing.  But still smiling.  Amazing what morphine will do!

First bike ride of the season!

Children's Museum- designing a new HotWheels car in the Design Center...

Love this guy :)

The kids with Ma and Papa at the Children's Museum- Zoe is rocking the hot
pink bandages :)

CHEESE!

The museum really tuckers a girl out! 

Hopefully I don't wait another 3 weeks to update again!!