OK, I am going to give you a quick re-cap of my summer and then make you PROMISE ...

Summer has been fun, tiring, exhausting, exciting, busy, loud, crazy, and just all around good ... Started the summer w/ my Jeremiah's high school basketball camps (have I ever told you I LOVE WATCHING BASKETBALL) and then I took him and a few friends to UGANDA to serve and just prepare their hearts for their freshman year ... Perspective is so important ... We did the NO SOCIAL MEDIA thing while we were there and it was the best trip I have ever taken (besides the ones to get my kiddos of course) ... We talked, played cards and did our devos at night and just really got to HANG OUT ... Our days were filled w/ loving on people and visiting our friends in Africa ... It was everything I dreamed it would be ... My sweet teenage boys were painting toes of little African girls (Jeremiah's line was not very long since he doesn't quit seem to have the touch for painting nails - hee hee) and they threw football, played soccer, and taught kids how to play cards ... IT WAS HEART WARMING TO WITNESS the giving of self and to watch eyes meet and friendships made ...

I came home from that trip very very very sick and was in the bed for over a week (NOT GOOD FOR THIS MAMA) ... I am not gonna say it was needed rest or anything philosophical about it ... I don't do sick well and I was really sick ... I got back on my feet and summer was still going at warp speed ... Elijah and Jeremiah started football (have I ever told you I LOVE WATCHING FOOTBALL) ... Both boys are excited for the season especially Elijah ... Elijah will be playing for his dad this year and it simply puts a smile on my face to see them march out the door together each day ... Elijah is my JOY and has always enjoyed life on a new level ... He has waited for this day for a long time and I am so happy to see this season w/ them together ...

Emily and Joseph attended SIGN LANGUAGE camp this summer and watching my Em communicating w/ Joseph through sign (and correcting me daily) makes me so proud of her ... She loves learning this incredible language and it is JOY to know that she senses the importance of Joseph having others in the family to sign with ... PROUD MOM HERE ...

We have started the THE STORY bible study at home on Sundays and will also be attending a deaf church (every other Sunday) so that our family can grow together ... We realize that we are a DIFFERENT TYPE of family and have to think out of the box ... I just love how GOD CREATED US and all the new adventures we get to experience ... Don't get me wrong some days are really hard and I want to jump back in the box, but at the end of the day I ALWAYS WANT WHAT GOD WANTS FOR MY FAMILY ...

As you see in the post below - Scott wrote a book also this summer and I am so proud of him for putting his interpretation of our adoptions on PAPER ... We are already seeing the fruits of his labor from the responses we have gotten from families who have read it and asked him to come and speak to their church ...

I AM SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS NEW SCHOOL YEAR ... Once again we have had changes ... All 6 of my kids will be at new schools (3 different schools) and I know we are in for some challenges and will be looking daily for the blessings ... THANK YOU JESUS for this past summer and for the fall ahead ... YOU ARE THE AUTHOR OF OUR LIFE ...

PROMISE -- ok, here it is ... I have felt bogged down thinking of blogging (because I sorta always feel it needs to be impactful or long) ... my promise is to blog weekly and just say what is on my heart, in my head, or the funniest thing that has happened ... may be 2 sentences, 2 paragraphs or 2 pages ... but I am going to try and pin my life again in the blog world and see how GOD USES IT ...