fun times

We got a visit from our sweet friends last week! They came and played all day and then spent the night! This was the first time that the kids paired off to play which was really neat to see.

Usually Cailey and Rebecca play...and include Braden and Kinsey sometimes then the next three play together while the youngest just walks around playing on his own. Kinsey and Hannah played pet shop and babies pretty much all.day.long. (Except when Hannah was killing, I mean playing with fish...)

Isaac and Braden spent their time playing game after game...which braden LOVED! He was great with Isaac and taught him some new games...such a tender heart!

Rebecca and Cailey did a lot of talking...saying that they were too old to play with toys. Once they got over that they played and then jumped on the trampoline...Oh...and they also had their first babysitting experience and made us VERY proud. Samuel played by himself but would play cars with Braden too:).




After dinner the weather was GORGEOUS so the kids spend a good couple hours playing in the front yard (since they were in the back yard exploring, jumping, and swinging all afternoon). Cailey even organized a few rounds of duck, duck, goose which was precious to see...she even helped Ephram do a round:).

Everytime Laura comes and they are all playing we just marvel at the fact that it all started with these two girls...so long ago. They would play...then nap while we chatted...then play more. We saw each other every week. And now there are EIGHT of them! Then progressed and I had three and then Laura went from 1-4 all at once...and would bring SO MANY things when she came to visit every other WEEK :( (bottles, blankets, bumbos, diapers, formula, etc.). Now they are all potty trained and self sufficient...and go off to play. We were thinking about how in a few short years we'd probably get the older girls to babysit so we can go to lunch together or something. Just typing that makes my heart race with sadness for how quickly they are growing up!! SLOW DOWN time! Blessed to know that Laura and I have been friends for so long...and have been through the ups and downs of infertility and adoption together...though our stories and struggles are different. Who knew that when I went to a small group bible study my freshman year of college it would all lead to this....thanks, Dennis...for dating Laura:).