Samantha and Noah

My two miracles. Who would have guessed that this beautiful girl, Samantha would grow to be the amazing nine-year-old that she is. She is like a second Mom to "Bubby" (Noah) and he often goes to her for comfort and love. I remember praying for her life as she lay there in an incubator weighing less than two pounds. It was so long ago and yet so fresh in my memory. All the things we worried about--her sight, hearing, learning disabilities, etc. never a problem. Not only was she the tallest girl in her kindergarten class, but they clocked her reading speed in third grade at three times faster than the second fastest reader in her class. AND she retains it all. The girl has a mind like a steel trap.

More recently, Samantha prayed for my life and for the life of our last little miracle as we embarked into the unknown with the surprise blessing we named Noah. How blessed I am to have witnessed not one, but two miracles.

My Boys

This is one of my favorite pictures. All of my boys together taken at Christmastime last year. Aren't they handsome?

Debbie's Favorite Store, May 2007

Opening day at IKEA finally arrives. No more last minute trips to California for scrabook bedding for the ladies or drooling over the catalog only to be discouraged by shipping costs. Any time we've been near an IKEA since we moved from Washington we've had to choose between bringing the kids back home with us or picking up some furniture. Needless to say, the kids won out and we brought them back every time. So, what did we buy, you might ask? Would you believe absolutely nothing?! How could I possibly decided on anything when I want to furnish my entire house with IKEA. Where does one begin? If anyone knows please call me.

Sidenotes:
Noah in Snugli (8 months old)
Ran into Tanya Fisher from Fukuoka Mission
Lars spent the morning with sister Lara and I was second string (long story)
Very nice lady took our picture in front

First Sushi--August 22,2007

Is there nothing more adorable than a child's very first taste of sushi? Noah officially has culture now. He would probably be embarrassed by me telling you that even though it was "te-maki-zushi", he didn't roll his own and Mom had to help him. We're not concerned though. He'll learn soon enough.

Another phenomenon we've noticed is humming while eating. The more Noah approves of the menu, the more he hums. It makes his mom work really hard making the food good, so that we can all enjoy the hums of delight. His first sushi was accompanied with LOTS of humming.