surprise!!!

today we found out that in 4 or maybe 5 sleeps we leave for Ethiopia and Bristol!

we got travel confirmation for the 7/8 visa date and we need to leave this weekend for Ethiopia and our baby girl!

we had no idea this was even a possibility. surprise. God is good!

thinking Sunday nite or Monday (at the latest) this sweet thing will be in our arms! praise God.

what a journey! a 1.5 yr journey!

bunkin' brothers

when we bought bunk beds 3 years ago i had baby bear in my belly... but had no idea he was a brother bear. we were just excited for braxton to have fun bunk beds.

well, baby bear ended up being a brother bear and since then we've talked endless times about when these 2 would start bunkin'.

momma bear was in no hurry to move the bear from his crib. he slept entirely too good in there and why mess with a good thing. plus, it just means another chapter of life is gone and that makes me sad. really sad.

as we are approaching time to go get baby Bristol (about 3 weeks from now), momma bear thought the time was now to bunk these 2 brothers. it means one less transition once we bring Bristol home.

as i tucked the boys in i said,

"tonite marks the first of many, many nites you 2 brothers will sleep together. in fact, it'll be until brax goes to college years from now and you 2 are quite grown up".

please grow up slow:)

i think how cool it is to share a room with your brother, to build relationship, to share secrets, to share life.

joey and his brother nate shared a room for years.

then, their 2 younger brothers did the same.

i loved that.

and i thought when we have boys i want them to have the same experience, the same bond.

the blessing of the bond of brothers.

now, here's to hoping this cheezy 2.5 yr old brother thinks its as cool throughout the nite as it was at this picture moment. he promises he won't get out of bed and will call me when he wakes in the morning. hopefully he will follow in his older siblings' footsteps and stay put until i come rescue him from banishment to the bed when the sun comes up!

* * * * * *

and what helps make this even more exciting for this guy is the new batman sheets we purchased today. i am not beyond heavy persuasion or bribery:)

daddy

every child dreams of a father that loves them and protects them. a father that tells them they are beautiful or handsome or the most perfect son/daughter in the world. every child yearns for the encouragment a father gives by telling them they can be anything they want to be. a child swells, almost to the point of exploding, when dad tells them how proud he is of them. the love of a father makes things safer, all better, and blessed. to a child a father can do anything, fix anything, and save the world. when a child knows a father's love..he can only grow and flourish.

i had that father as a child.

and my husband had that father.

i married a man that became that father.

we are blessed by a father that loves us, supports us, protects us, and is always there for us. a father that truly demonstrates God's love.

you are the most amazing daddy! we celebrate you! Happy Dad's day to our father of 4!!



3 here with us! and 1 coming in less than a month!

Introducing our newest addition...

Customize a slideshow

don't really care for the music that comes with this but...the pics is all we really care about anyway. pause the music on my sidebar or you'll get double your money's worth of songs:)

2nd court date TONITE

today i am anxious. today i am excited. today i am not sure how i feel.

tonite i will be awake most of the night praying. i didn't sleep well for our 1st court date...so not excepting to sleep well for the 2nd either.

tonite while we sleep our case goes before a judge in Ethiopia for the 2nd time.

praying this time we will pass. this time everyone who needs to be there will show up.
praying all paperwork is perfect.
praying power is on.
praying everything is exactly how it should be to pass!

please join us in prayer tonite before you go to bed that we pass court
and tomorrow we will receive the news that we are the proud parents of a beautiful 9 month old baby girl.

just got a new picture today...and i am overwhelmed with love for her. beautiful. beautiful.

holding tight to Jesus....2 verses i'm holding to...

Phil 4:5-7 The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Exodus 23:20 See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared.

a fish

not to be outdone or miss out on the fun of his older siblings...
this guy at the grand ole age of 2.5yrs swims like a fish
wonderful, right?

well, yes ...
b/c i gave him swim lessons so he would be a swimmer

and no...

b/c he is too short to touch bottom in most pools

and i have to stand right there with him

and he is just really brave

and like i said...he doesn't want to miss out on what his bigger people are doing.

which means i am constantly having my head on a swivel scanning the water for my baby fish.

here's to never being able to sit on the side of the pool and relax this summer.

but hey, all for the

sake of fun in the sun!

Braxton's 6th

we had prayed for another baby. and before i actually took a pregnancy test the Lord told me we were having a boy and he would do great things for Him.

God had told me Brax would do great things and well, so far he has strengthened the faith and relationship of Joey and I to our Heavenly Father and to each other. From his wild premature entry into this world to interactions with him daily... Brax grows us.

i still know that God has big things in store for Braxton.
his patience, caring heart, genuineness, deep thinking, matureness, love...is beyond his years.


daily i am blessed by the gift of him.
happy 6th birthday to a little man i adore!


our annual bday pancake bfast!



pool party fun!

baseball blast!

thanks "uncle jeff" for sharing your party time with this 6 yr old!

this bunch loves some fun!

lankford family vacation 2010

when you hang with this bunch you are bound to have fun...
i love this. 4 brothers.


braxton is a champion fisherman.

it is great to have so many big uncles to take the kids on jet ski rides. my 3 rotated and rotated and rotated on these puppies!

this was a fave once again this year...rock sliding!


and nothing beats nonni and poppi trying to get a grandkid pic.

this was the best we could get.

comical.

not a one looks normal. well, the girls look a bit better!

with so many memories it's hard to pick pics:)

get you down

around here
we won't let a little rain on our parade
get us down...