July/August

So, my last post was all about my time in the US and Malawi, and I thought you all might want an update of my everyday life and of all the babies here in South Africa!

I arrived back in South Africa on July 10^th and have settled back into life here. They did a major house swap while I was gone – the baby home and the house parents switched sides of the house, and I moved from my bedroom in the baby home to staying in the back house. It took a while to get everything moved over, but I had a LOT of help! When you have friends who will organize your pantry and rearrange your bedroom for you, you know you have good friends!

Pre-organization. I'm so glad my neat and tidy housemate was traveling while I moved in! Am I a bulk buyer? .....yeah, maybe...;)

Small "helpers" playing the piano in my new room! It's so amazing to live in a house instead of just a room built onto a porch!

L (Littlebug) loves his sticks!

Peekaboo!

Snuggles!

He is ALL boy...complete with dirt!

Looking cool!

Big T, Little T, and Littlebug digging a hole to China

Enjoying the swing

More dirt! I can't keep this kid clean!

T ("Cupcake") and K ("Special K") enjoy being outside too!

Cupcake looks like she's had quite a few cupcakes...haha!

Special K got her first hairdo, and was less than pleased about the process...

B (Babybear) and I at church

Our newest arrival, sweet newborn boy "Squishy"

Bears in Bumbos!

Winter is just about over, and spring is moving in - it's nice to have it a bit warmer! Soon the whole neighborhood will be covered in flowers...the jacarandas will be blooming...it will get HOT...then it will be time for Thanksgiving and Christmas! I know that sounds funny to my American friends but having a cookout on Christmas really grows on you! Or, you know, crashing multiple cookouts - singleness really has its perks!

As always, please keep our babies and their paperwork in your prayers, as well as the ministry here at Living Hope...and please pray for me, as ministry has many stresses! But, I am grateful to see that even in the hard times, God is working and to learn yet again that I can trust Him. I made it my goal this year to read more Christian books and I have really been encouraged by them! Some of my favorites have been “Trusting God” by Jerry Bridges, “Your Family God’s Way” by Wayne Mack, and “None Like Him” by Jen Wilkins. It's really neat to see how thinking about truth can impact your life! 

I'd better be off now - I need to finish up writing my newsletter, among other things. Hope you all are doing well and as always, I love to hear from you!