At Home...in Michigan

Pleasure.
Joy.
Comfort.
     Signs of being home,
     With my family,
     With my foster daughter in tow.

Sunday involved
Perfect flights.
Perfect kid.
(Albeit she did complain at the end of the first, long leg that she didn't know why people talked about how cool it is to fly because it was the most boring thing she ever did in her life.)
And then a welcome to Bay City trip to Mama Lupos ice cream shop.
(Cookies and cream, thank you very much.)

Miz N and my niece,
Bug,
Fit together perfectly.
Imagination
Laughter
Farts
Burps
Cuddling
Joke-telling.
Failure to go to sleep at night.

My best friend
From high school
Came up from Kalamazoo
With her three amazing kiddos
To spend Monday and Tuesday with us.
So blessed.
So right.
I love how we just fall into conversation
Even though
We NEVER
Talk
Text
Email
Chat.

Saginaw Children's Zoo on Monday.
Perfect day.
Perfect weather.
Nearly everyone I love more than words with us.
And Emily treated all the kids to a little stuff memento.
(Miz N now drags a pink penguin named Allison Flipper everywhere we go.)

Pizza lunch
And State Park on Tuesday.
Perfect weather.
Sand between the toes.
Sea-shell collecting.
(Okay, the Bay sludge is beyond disgusting...but otherwise...)
(Oh...and the mosquitos the size of horses are a little much.)

Miz N is having the time of her life,
While still keeping her every pessimistic viewpoint
Right at the forefront.

   Q:  How was State Park?
   A:  Horrible.  I got bit by mosquitos.

   Q:  How was the zoo?
   A:  I hated it.  I didn't get to see the penguins swim.

   Q:  How was your ice cream?
   A:  Gross.  There were flies.

So, my family
And I
Are learning
And helping her
Focus on the positives
Focus on the good
Focus on the blessings.

   Rephrase:  Tell me two great things about State Park.
   Answer:  Collecting sea shells and walking in the sand.

  Rephrase:  What were two cool things about the zoo?
  Answer:  The kangaroos and digging for fossils.

  Rephrase:  What kind of ice cream did you get?
  Answer:  Double chocolate on a cone.  I was a mess.

Here are some pictures from the first few days.  I wish I didn't have to block out Miz N's smiling, dimpled face for you all...but privacy is key for her sake, my sake, and her mother's sake.

The girls at the zoo. The lone boy was running off ahead somewhere.  :-)

Grandma with the two soon to be 4th graders riding the train at the zoo.  Two first-borns who look just like their daddies.

An amazing mommy and life-long friend with the funniest 5 year old around waiting for the train to take off!

Miz N and a cow.  Did you notice the cow is also smiling?

Cousins!

The girls waiting for the carousel ride!  I think our lone boy was already loading on to a dragon he had spotted.

Waiting for the train to cross at the zoo!

Captured this picture as they were going down into an exhibit.  Two almost fourth graders and two almost second graders.  Fun times.  Little Natalie cried when they left concerned that she might never get to see Miz N again.  Breaks my heart and melts it at the same time.

Hiking out to the beach at State Park.  (But...had to stay out of the water!  Nasty!)

The girls looking over the covered bridge in Frankenmuth.  Miz N loves all the water and bridges around here.

Me and my girl.

Miz N got a chance to try out the rain boots and umbrella when we got a little rain tonight.  She was trilled.

 
Praise Reports:
--Flights were SO perfect.  So grateful for the smooth lines, procedures, and rides.
--Miz N is welcomed as family at home.  I always know she is and will be, but it's still so amazing to watch them all love on her and just take the calling on my life to love on these kids as part of their own.
--Thanks to friends for recommendations for a bug guy, electrician, and landscaping guy.  Electrician replaced two bad breakers on Tuesday, new bug guys came out today, and the landscaper comes out on Friday!  Whew!  Thank you!

Prayer Requests:
--Still no news, no word, no advancement on my license renewal.
--Missing Little Man and Miss Giggles more than I could have imagined and they don't even officially live with me yet!