It's Official

Caleb is Italian. Check out his first taste of Sicilian olives. We spent Labor Day weekend visiting Josh's extended family in St. Louis, home of the famous Viviano's Deli, located in the Italian district called "The Hill." We had a fantastic visit and I got in touch with the Italian in me, too. We brought home 4 pounds of olive salad and Josh is carefully guarding "his" olives these days, given my new appetite for them.

The classic let's-cram-all-the-kids-in-a-tiny-space-and-make-them-sit-still-for-five-minutes-while-all-of-the-adults-jump-around-and-squeal-and-yell-at-them-to-freakin-stop-looking-around-and-smile-at-the-camera picture. Isn't that precious? :) Pictured here are Josh's cousin's kids.

I Daddy coaching Jonny how to be a grill master

those boys sure do love each other

kabobs, recliner deck chairs, a little storytime (read by Hannah Joy), and a gorgeous summer evening...the makings of something beautiful...

Okay, I almost posted a picture here...but felt that it would be a breach of trust to post it w/out Hannah's permission. I took a picture of a page out of what she has just begun referring to as her "diary," hence, my decision to wait until I've had the chance to ask her about it. The contents of the page were so precious that they had to be captured. Some day she'll be glad to see it. While waiting for me to pick her up from school, she'd quietly pulled out her pen and notebook and penned a note to God, thanking Him for her new school and her new friends. Oh my heart. What's even more precious about this note, is that a few pages prior is a note she'd written the day after my mom and dad had returned home to California, stating that she was sad and didn't have any friends and didn't know what to do about it. It was really neat to so clearly have documentation of her prayers and even better, God's answers! Thanks, Lord!!!

Check out Hannah's first moments on her new rollerblades! This little girl has got determination and guts!

Here is Hannah (in the rain) greeting Malory with her new skates about 15 minutes later. Oh what fun! See how she's improved!