Summer is NOT over...just yet.

Because....
I got some HOT sun on the deck whilst decoupaging my half-bucket chore-card holders yesterday.
We ate lunch on the deck because it was too HOT to eat inside.
I have't worn anything but tanktops yet during the day.
Our garden is still prolific...
Our flowers are GORGEOUS and still in full-bloom.
We were able to around on the grass during soccer practice on Wednesday...

{nearly} wordless wednesday

{Goodness I love my new camera! This is an untouched photo I took yesterday of a flower in our front yard~Halle picked it right after I took the shot.}

how many almonds

can a lil ground squirrel hold??? please, oh please :o)

the answer is "just one more"!

35

Can it be??? :o) Cheesecake with friends in the mountains. It was wonderful! Thank-you Lena!

On our way!

Trying to fit all 7 kids in one shot (one of Halle's pom-poms is showing).

Guess where we've been...

I think she loves him...

don't you?

oh boy oh boy

This camera ROCKS and it's keeping me from my chores!!!

old fashioned portraits

too cute, aren't they??? our first portrait of all 7

now if we could get a shoot of our entire family!

two to school

These two sweethearts are going into 9th and 10th grade respectively. I can honestly say I am going to miss having them around all day! Yesterday, Aidan said, "You know what Viktoriya, as soon as you're all adopted, you're going to be homeschooled." And to my surprise she replied, "Sounds good to me!" :o) I actually went away last weekend to a scrapbooking retreat, and I spent a good deal of time praying about our family and our schedule. I decided what didn't fit into our schedule and what did. What our homeschool routine should be, etc. It was a sweet time. It was also a wonderful time of ministry. Surprised? I am too. Everytime I go to a scrapbooking retreat and our photos are viewed, I tell our story, a story of a beautifully blended family, orchestrated by our One, True, Living God. And it ministers to many hearts. I hear so many stories of other who want to adopt or foster or both. So many stories I treasure in my heart.
Okay back to the point of this post, Annah and Viktoriya are off to high school. Wow!!! I have two highschoolers....unbelieveable.

At the court date last week a decision was not made but it will be handed down on September 21st and we are told that they are 75% sure that the girls will be legally free on that day. So adoptions may not be too far off. Most likely they will be bearing our last name (in addition to their original last name) by Christmas. So we will have adopted 4 girls in 2009. Wow, what a year. :o)

This was my two girls saying they're sad to be leavin' Mama for 7.5 hours a day!

PS: I am back in action with my Canon Rebel. I had bought the Costco deal with two lenses, but then we decided that was too expensive and I had to return it. Then my wonderful husband received a bonus this year {Great job Chad!!!} and he blessed me with an amazing birthday present a couple days early so I can take it on our camping trip this coming weekend! Thank-you honey!