Happy Father's Day, Peter!

We spent today celebrating our dads. We are so grateful that our parents live within a quick drive, and we were able to share the day with both of them. Peter had his own celebration, with a cookout and paper plate "faces" with a message written on the back. It was a messy, gloriously fun project with three kids painting, gluing, and re-creating their own features for Daddy.

Anya Rashi alternated between telling Peter "Happy Birthday!" and "Happy Fadder's Day!" She really got into the spirit of things -- as I was putting her to bed, she kept shouting, "Love you, Daddy!" and (I'm not kidding) "best Daddy ever!" She's totally right, by the way. :o)

Our day took on some extra fun, since Grandma and Grandpa L gave Aaron his birthday present a few months early -- it was a little camping tent for Aaron and Nathan to use this summer! We just HAD to set it up early . . . and because we're supposed to have some pretty good thunderstorms tonight, we just HAD to set it up in the family room. They're settling down to sleep in there right now (sort of -- it's pretty noisy for boys who are supposed to be asleep by 9:00).

Since our last post, we've had our first official baseball game, our first two really hot days . . . and the resulting first time running through the sprinkler!

Another happy "first" rolled around this week. June 19 was our first adoption anniversary! A year ago, we stood in a courtroom as a judge declared what had been true in our hearts for months . . . that Anya Rashi would forever be part of our family. We celebrated with a trip to our favorite ice cream place, where Anya Rashi's only request was for "pink" ice cream -- so Bubble Gum was the order of the day.

And on that anniversary, our heads were full of thoughts of Baby #4 . . . because our adoption anniversary was also the day our social worker visited the house for our last step in the home study process. It was unexpectedly poignant to have a major step toward our next daughter happening on the finalization date of Anya Rashi's adoption. Perhaps it's God's way of reminding us that there truly will be a new little person to celebrate at the end of all this paperwork and waiting. We are filled with anticipation thinking of her . . .