Last day of summer

School starts back up tomorrow. We're all a little sad about it. It is a deep joy of mine to have the girls home all day again during the summer months. I miss them a lot while they're in school, and it makes me happy to be able to spend so much time together when they're home.

Our summer has been full. It's crazy to me that it is over already. I remember like yesterday sitting in the car just a few days after school got out and making up a summer to-do list with the girls. They were sad that we didn't have any travel plans while school was out so we made a point to come up with activities to do at home to pass the time.

Our list included....

baking lessons
art lessons
hiking in the forest
lunch with daddy
trip to Koubri
visiting the art store
swimming and playing at the embassy pool/playground
picnics and playing at ISO
movie/camping out nights

....all things we could do here.

We didn't get to everything on the list as the art store was closed all summer and we never set foot in the forest. But we did do everything else. Plus some. And we had a great time. We stayed up late. Watched movies. Slept in. Swam. Played. Worked on school a little everyday. Went to "home camps" a few times. Syd's horse riding lessons. Some days were busy. Some days not so busy. On the not so busy/boring days when we had nothing planned but to stay home the kids would busy themselves here making forts and playing legos for hours. We would crank up the music and have dance parties. Play board games. Uno. Go-fish. They'd ride scooters on the patio. Play dress up.....

We've enjoyed ourselves this summer.....

   

There's Steve, hiding in the luggage in a game of hide and seek. Best hiding place to date! The girls could. not. find. him!

Seriously, he has the best expressions. When they say that God hand picked the child you adopted to be a part of your family...it's true. He fits in around here perfectly. It's crazy how similar to us he is, from the very first day...it's like I birthed him!

One, two, three.....!!!! My water babies. They love to swim. 

She grew this summer. Little stinker is catching up to me! I'm just a head taller than her now. It won't be much longer till she surpasses me...which I have no doubt she will!

Hanging out at the embassy playground.

We made "clay" dough for art one day. Everyone molded little figures, baked them and painted them. Steve was really confused at first. This was his first time painting, for real. Before this he had "painted" sugar cookies a couple times which he got to eat ....poor kid kept taking bites of his hard figures and getting paint all over his tongue!

Twirling each other around on the scooter as fast as they could.

Sydaleigh lost another tooth....

...and developed a real love for reading.

Playing and picnicing at ISO. Marvelly really loves school, she's excited to start again and see all her friends!

We spent a day at Nong Taaba getting to know an American family who was in town picking up their new son Arnoud! It has been such a joy getting to connect with other adoptive families traveling to Burkina!

 Nerf wars.

Steve's in there.....

Dress up. Yup. This happens. Sorry Steve (and Amira). One day, soon, very soon I promise, we will get some cool boy dress up clothes. Until then, you are at the mercy of your sisters, sorry. (Look at that smile, though, he totally digs it. He has no idea, yet, that he's wearing a dress!)

"Nigh nigh time"

It was a great summer. I can't believe it's already over. I'm sure gonna miss all my time together with these three during the days!

Praying this new school year is just as fun for them and goes by just as quickly!