Big News!

 We have a baby on the way!  I am 13 weeks pregnant and due December 2!  The first trimester was a little rough, but I am feeling better now.  We told the kids last week.  Caleb said, "What another one? It better be a boy."  Isaac agreed that it needed to be a boy.  Julia had lots of questions.  "Will I have a baby in my tummy?  Where is the baby?  Is it under your shirt?"  Isaac has had more in-depth questions this week.  "How does the baby get out of Mom's tummy? (Thankfully Nate had to handle this one!) Is God making the baby?  Is God in your tummy?"  All very cute.  We will find out the gender of the baby so that will be exciting.

                                                     Mother's Day 2012- what a crew

 They have watched me do a pregnancy workout video.  They are doing "child's pose."

 Nate and Julia went to Binder Park Zoo with Caleb's class today.  Lots of fun.

 Caleb hates keeping his shoes on.  Don't know how he lasts all day at school.

                                Celeste, Isaac and Jocelyn- these girls loved playing with Isaac

                                                         Isaac's afternoon preschool class

                                                                   The proud graduate

Isaac graduated from preschool tonight.  They sang some songs and were just cute in general.  Isaac has grown alot this year!  Physically, I think he just hit a growth spurt.  He is eating more at meals than he used to.  His teacher said Isaac got along with all the kids and everyone liked to play with him.  He also began to open up more during school.  He barely spoke in class at the beginning, but at the end the teacher was joking she had to tell him to stop talking.  He learned the alphabet in sign language and writes his name well.  This is unrelated to preschool, but I am impressed with his math skills.  He was adding up the number of kids in his class.  He was at 7 and named two more kids and said, "now that's nine."  At the end he held up 10 fingers and said, "10 plus 3 is 13."  I just find that impressive because math was always a struggle for me.  Maybe he got his Dad's genes!  We are planning on having Isaac do Young 5's next year.  But, we are going to have him do the Gesell developmental test just to see how he compares to other kids his age.  Caleb really benefited from Young 5's and then kindergarten, I'm sure Isaac will benefit too.  Caleb finishes school on June 6, summer here we come!

Summit

 Rick and Kay Warren being interviewed by Jedd Medefind, President of Christian Alliance for Orphans

 Steven Curtis Chapman singing a song with Geoff Moore

 Chatting with Mary Beth Chapman

 Group picture with Steven Curtis Chapman

 The morning after Summit we went to Laguna Beach

My Summit roomies, Jodi, Robin and Lori

Last week I attended Summit VIII at Saddleback Church in California.  Summit is a conference put on by the Christian Alliance for Orphans and it covers adoption, foster care and global orphan care.  This is the 3rd Summit I have attended.  This year I mostly attended break-out sessions for adoptive parents.  I also attended a session about orphans in the world who will never be adopted and what can be done to help them.  For example, some countries are war-torn and don't have working governments to make adoptions happen.  It was a sobering session, but necessary to learn about.  I was excited to catch up with the His Little Feet choir that stayed with us in December.  Unfortunately, Yabsira and Jesus weren't at Summit, it would have been fun to see them again.  Steven Curtis Chapman performed at Summit and we had the opportunity to meet him and his wife, Mary Beth.  I didn't really talk to them, but it was fun to get a picture.  On Saturday morning my roomies and I went to Laguna Beach.  We had fun watching the surfers and soaking up the sunshine.  We had a rental car that was upgraded to a convertible, nice!  Summit is always challenging, inspiring and encouraging.  Next year Summit is in Nashville, TN- who wants to join me?!