The Church of JPGs

My in-laws took the kids after dinner for a sleepover the other night. I will never, ever take that for granted! This time, I chose to spend my 4 evening hours hunched over the computer, going through my digital pictures from the last 2 years. I did some organizing, deleting, laughing, printing (the primary objective), and got choked up a few times. Pictures are like a second religion to us Bunches. We have taken thousands in the last 5 years alone, and going through them all at once may not have been, in all seriousness, a spiritual experience, but it let to one. I was just overwhemed with gratitude for my life and my family. No, it's not a piece of cake, we're so far from perfect, I have days when I want to scream and run away and/or tie up my children, but the big picture is one of immense blessing.

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There is no way I could pick my favorite pictures of my kids. But if I HAD to show you two OF MY favorites that made me laugh and smile, brought back incredible memories, capture their personalities and took me to a very special stage of their lives, it would be these two precious pictures:

Wordless Wednesday: Summer

Buck up, camper.

No one actually SAID that to me last weekend, but they could have and probably should have. We were reminded during this year's annual camping trip how powerfully the weather influences our experience. The first 24 hours were wet and cold. I was having a hard time keeping a positive attitude. I had hand-warmers inside my clothes and at one point I went to our van and turned it on just to use the seat warmer for a few minutes. I know that some non-campers out there will say in complete unbelief: THEN WHY DO YOU DO IT?!?! I asked myself the same question as I was laying inside a tent at 8pm, freezing, with 2 kids who didn't want to go to bed because it was still light outisde, but we could BE outside because it was raining! But, I came up with a few answers.

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Because it's what our family does! Since I was a little girl. And anticipating it is half the fun. We pack up for days and get special treats for the drive.
Because I bought this hat for Sydney before she was even born and I love that she's wearing it now.
Because our kids and cousins get to be together and play and attitudes change and suddenly having goldfish in a plastic cup seems about the best snack EVER!

Because it's super special to this grandpa...

...and this grandma.

Because instead of playing Star Wars on the Wii, these boys are pretending Star Wars in the woods with their "light sabers" given by Nina.

Princess Leia?

Because when it's wet and cold, kids get to play in their camping pj's and boots until noon. And we still find places for the kids to sit and play--here they are getting ready to receive their bug kits.

Because they play for hours, getting dirty & wet, without a televsion or video game in sight.

If there are no bugs, they can collect moss.

Because even if the littlest ones won't remember this...

WE will remember and tell them "You've been going on this camping trip since you were BORN, so put your cell phone down and GET IN THE CAR!"

Because these two predestined best friends finally started noticing each other and playing together without prodding.

Because usually the sun does come out and Jojo presents her annual treasure hunt.

And everyone can enjoy the spoils!

So even after a rough year, I know I'll be back next summer and the summer after that and the summer after that....it's TRADITION!

Three, not two. Five, not four.

I'm still recovering from our annual 4th of July camping trip, which was a little colder and a little wetter than usual. I'm sure I'll find the energy to blog on that...later.

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There was a conversation this weekend that got me thinking. We were joking about expectations for our kids and we made a joke about "both our kids." My dad smiled and pointed out that we'll soon have THREE kids! Wow. For all the information I've been soaking up, in preparation for this thing called adoption, I can tell I've consciously and sub-consciously been keeping myself a little distant from the reality of having child #3 in our lives forever. Why? Because we know it's at least 18 months away and possibly longer. The closer we get, the more my arms are aching to hold my baby. I can already sense this yearning for the completion to our family, and quite frankly, the waiting can hurt. Nine months of pregnancy feels like an eternity sometimes, so I can only imagine how I'll feel when we are getting close to the end of this LONG process. Right now I focus on fingerprints and paperwork and government fees and fundraisers and notaries. Because that may be stressful, but it doesn't ache.

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However, I think I need to be sure that all of us are mentally preparing for another family member! We need to start thinking and talking that we will be a family of FIVE! That these two critters will soon be THREE! I love picturing them with their little brother or sister. But we may need to get a bigger laundry basket.