We picked Mark and Silas up from the airport and immediately drove to our church’s annual family camp. It was such a great time to rejoice. Emmie was brace free. Silas was home. Last year, we were in the middle of our adoption. Emmie had just gotten the halo. Life has certainly changed in a year!
These smiles ya’ll!
The highlight of the weekend is the family olympics. This year, Ceili Rain and I attempted the canoe race. We did good. Until we had to turn around and come back.
Thankfully we didn’t tip over.
Mr. R let Liam get in some video training.
One of the many things I love about our church is the sense of family. Everyone helps. So, if Malachi needed help with a game, one of the other “moms” stepped in to help!
Daddy is super talented…hold the toddler…throw the water balloon.
Malachi has to be one of the cutest olympic competitors.
Every year, there is a family scavenger hunt. My kids, well, they are some pretty competitive kids (I have no idea where they got that). The above picture was part of the hunt. And yes, our kids won.
At the camp, there is a small stone outcropping that they call Little Stone Mountain. This is our trek up the hill.
Halfway there and the view was already gorgeous.
Made it! So pretty.
A little melodramatic re-play.
Selfie on top of the rock.
Someone forgot to tell our city girl that you need water to make the canoe go.
Camp Dog Bandit and Emmie were fast friends. Well, Bandit is friends with everyone.
This is the picture where Emmie figured out she could smile sweetly and say, “cookie” to get a cookie before she finishes her supper.
Papa had a wonderful time seeing Eastern Europe for a week with Mark and Silas. We were glad he made it home too!
Having a crown is just as good.
Mr. H goes to church with us and has notarized untold numbers of adoption documents and been rewarded a couple of times with supper on us. Then there was that one day he had enough notarizing like a normal person and decided to do it in style. With a box on his head.
Smudge sensed something was up. Again. And did everything in his power to keep us from packing for our Ukraine/Grandparent trip. He was not happy with any of us.
Cute contemplative cookie eating.
Girls in rollers…it’s a rite of passage in our house.
Just because Zoe is pretty and can do some pretty amazing things with her hair.
Princess Emmie surrounded by lots of knights…traipsing through the fields.
We enjoyed a subscription to Genius Box for the summer (and then three months after because I forgot to cancel it.). Okay, we have four boxes sitting in our school area because I forgot to use them up but they will get used when we are at home with nothing to do. Stop laughing ya’ll.
Malachi’s first grown fruit…watermelon. It was left too long on the ground and split. But at least it was something.
We got home from Josiah’s hospital stay and I walked in to the girls’ room and realized that one of the cats had used the bathroom in it. Which resulted in me cleaning out the entire room and cleaning all the carpets upstairs. Which resulted in rearranging the room. Which resulted in the discovery that Emmie’s crib (bought used) was starting to tear up). Which resulted in Emmie getting to sleep like a big girl…on the mattress…on the floor. Which resulted in Zoe, Ceili Rain and I brainstorming how we could re-decorate their room. Which we did this past December…and are still doing…so you have to wait on pictures of that.
The night after we got home from the hospital. Josiah wanted to crash on the couch. So, we did.
Zoe celebrated Urkainian Independence day in her traditional shirt and with a traditional hairstyle.
My kids are awesome.
And Emmie has shades…Her right eye (which is effected by Horner Syndrome from her first surgery) is very sensitive to light. She finally agreed that wearing glasses was a good idea.
This is pretty much how she spent her August. At the water table, in a diaper. 
Smudge is eating her toe???
We trapped a Emmie.
And a Bryant.
And an Emmie and a Bryant together.
“Small but Mighty” Yes, indeed.
The boys learned how to use the plow and also got to practice with the lawnmower (a preview for next year).
They visited a family friend and his grandchildren (who are the children of our former classmates).
Grandmere had the boys help her old so that she knew what clothes belonged to what boy. A hard task when there are so many boys close in age.
Learning to trim bushes.
Silly face selfies. Papa’s hidden talent.
Bubbles are great for piggy back rides.
Grandmere and Papa pulled out Mark’s old Nintendo and the boys were in heaven!
How to tire kids out…take them to the park!
Ceili Rain asked for curls.
The girls! 
Emmie enjoyed helping Grandmere in the kitchen.
We found a great park in Bila Tserkva with a fun ropes course.
Just because he was standing there all handsome.
There was a park near our apartment too. Plenty of space for soccer and basketball…
And climbing!
Cotton candy in Europe is a bit different than the US. It was straight up just sugar. No flavors, no artificial dyes etc. Not our favorite but still edible.
Malachi preparing a wonderful dish for everyone.
Sometimes two bows are better than one.
Cuddles from Emmie mean so much more these days.
When you have your hands full of milk but Hop Hop needs to hang out with you too.
I walked in to the girls room and discovered this. The army men have been defeated by the princesses. Poor guys.
Before Mark and I set out out on our travels, Tracy and I squeezed in some friend time. We went fancy and opted for dessert at Cracker Barrel. It was totally worth it too.
Smudge is ready for school to start back.
Reading.
Seriously ya’ll…cuddles with this girl are amazing. We have eight months of cuddles to make up for.
The kids’ pediatrician has chalkboards…this and books make my kids happy.
Emmie praying. The cuteness…ahhh
We were able to dog-sit for a friend and the kids loved it to no end. She is a very fun, very hyper yorkie mix and Sunny, our 14 year old, turned in to a giant puppy when she arrived. They had a blast together. But, when it was nap time, the puppy eagerly found a person to cuddle with.
He asked for a birthday cake with ice cream layers. It was good!
