Mom and her boys

Andrew and Mom

Mark and Mommy

Getting ready for Korea!

We are now busy getting ready to leave for Korea on our second visit to be with Joseph! Andrew got home this past weekend and it is wonderful to have him home! I love hearing his voice, watching him play, and hearing all his stories. It is also wonderful to see his face, give him a hug, and tuck him in bed at night. I can’t wait until our whole family is back together in a few days! Andrew has been busy growing over the summer and so we went shopping for new fall clothing plus all the “stuff” for soccer. Mark has more clothes than he can wear with all his hand-me-downs from his brother and two cousins! On the trip down to pick up Andrew we met up with our dear friend Kim and her daughter for lunch at Panera Bread. It was a wonderful visit and great lunch. We also visited with our close friends the Holdings! Andrew had a ball playing in the mud with Bree and Blair. Back in Warsaw, we’ve been enjoying Wii Fit in the afternoons while Mark takes his nap. See you soon Joseph!

Chicago

Mark and I drove up to Chicago and had a fabulous visit with Aunt Liz! We ate out at a few fantastic restaurants, the best one being Jake’s, of course, since it is Aunt Liz’s restaurant. We did a little shoe shopping and have formed the sisterhood of the traveling Keens! If you are ever looking for great walking shoes try a pair of Keens. Dansko clogs are also the bomb! We of course talked and talked and talked constantly! I think all the talking wore Mark out! He did not like it when he was not always the center of attention. It is hard to be two! We also made a visit to Chicago’s Millennium Park. Mark had a blast playing in the fountain with Aunt Liz and myself. I had a marvelous time taking many pictures. Aunt Liz’s cats Lorna Moon and Violet I’m sure were happy to see Mark leave. Lorna Moon came out and tolerated Mark but poor Violet hid the whole time under the bed. Thank you Liz for a stupendous time! You are the greatest!

Children's Museum

Part of our Indy visit was taking Andrew to Arkansas for his second visit with his other family there. It is always a stressful time for our family. It is so hard to say goodbye. We all miss each other so much. Mark keeps looking for his big brother. We can’t wait to go back to Indy to pick him up and give him a big hug! We look forward to talking to him on the phone as much as we can. It is so good to hear his voice. A brighter part of our Indy visit was getting to spend the day with our friends Matt and Stephanie and their delightful little one, Ryan! We spent a splendid day at the Children’s Museum. The kids had a ball playing in the preschool room. Once we were done at the museum we took a long drive around Indy so the kids could get a little nap before heading back to Matt and Stephanie’s hotel for a swim. After the refreshing swim it was time for a pleasurable dinner out at Chili’s. Thank you Matt, Stephanie and Ryan for making the trip to Indy to spend the day with Mark and me! It means a lot to us! The blessing of your friendship is a true treasure!

Indy visit

The boys and I went down for a visit with our dear friends, the Holdings! It was a great visit as always. The kids had fun playing and Daena and I had a marvelous time just being together! God blessed us with an amazing friendship!

Brothers!

The boy's!

Our delightful boy's at the pool!

birthday flowers

Thank you my LOVE for the beautiful birthday flowers!

sad news

Sad news…I was 14 weeks pregnant and had a miscarriage. It was hard to go through but I have been so blessed by God with so many exceptional friends. All your prayers, e-mails and phone calls have really made me feel loved through this whole thing. Thank you!

camping trip

Grandma, Nick, Blake, Emma, Andrew, Mark and I all went camping at a great state park not too far away! It was Nick, Blake and Emma’s first camping trip and they had a ball as did the rest of us! It was fun sitting around the campfire at night eating dinner and then making smores. We walked to the lake and went for a swim every day, and one afternoon I took Andrew, Nick and Blake on a canoe ride. They did a great job for their very first time in a canoe. I also took the kids on a short 1.5 mile hike and they all did a marvelous job. Emma did get a little hot toward the end and told me she was going to put her pretty barrettes in and sit down to cool off once we got back to our campsite. She was very serious and I had a hard time not laughing out loud. It was a fabulous trip and I can’t wait to go camping again! We love camping!

warm summer day!

We are having fun being at Grandma and Grandpa’s house. Our days go like this: In the mornings Mark, Andrew and I, plus Maggie and Franklin our two furry friends, go for an hour-long run. Mark, Andrew, Maggie and Franklin usually make about half an hour then they stop off with Grandma for some much needed water and play time with their cousins. After exercising, it is time to call Dad on Skype for our morning talk while we all eat breakfast. With full tummies it is now time for Project “Wear the Kids Out at the Swimming Pool.” We all swim for around an hour and then it is time to go home to get lunch ready. After lunch, Mark takes his nap and Andrew does his summer school. In the evenings we have dinner and I go for a walk with Erin. Mark enjoys his ride in the stroller and Andrew rides his bike. Oh, the wonderful warm summer days!