I once was lost. But now I'm found...

Do you believe in miracles? Answered prayers? 

I do.

Leo's beloved giraffe (that we call "G") was lost this week. We looked for him constantly, for about 3 days, and he could not be found. We were beginning to loose hope.

So today I prayed, and prayed, and prayed. We just HAD to find him. He's like part of the family. He has traveled the world with us. We can't give up on him now!

So we prayed all day today that we would find G-- or that someone would bring him to us. 

I have searched every square inch of this house- under every piece of furniture, and in every drawer. Tonight, after everyone was in bed, I decided to pray again, and then look some more. I looked behind the couch (again) and under it (again). Then I got down on the ground, and was picking legos up off the carpet. When I turned around towards the couch again... there he was... sitting on top of the couch- like someone had just dropped him there. Seriously- he WAS NOT THERE 30 seconds before. I seriously think an angel dropped him off. 

I'm saying lots of prayers of gratitude now. I'm in awe. God really does care about us. 

He even cares about our little lost giraffes.

 

Move-In Day

Twelve days after our arrival, and our stuff was finally being delivered... hooray!

It was a beautiful, sunny morning, and they had unloaded about half of our stuff when....
HAIL started pouring from the sky!

So they had to pack it up, and leave. Crazy weather! Apparently, this is the norm for Colorado Summers. Sunny mornings, with stormy afternoons. It feels like we moved to Seattle instead...

In any case, we felt grateful that our kitchen stuff, beds, and kids' toys were in the first half that got unloaded.

They returned the next day, and finished unloading. Hooray!  It's all here now.  And we're up to our ears in boxes. Let the fun begin!

Squatters

It's been a long 12 days.

We arrived in Colorado on July 1st- ready to move into our new house. The problem is that our stuff arrived here a day early (on June 30) and since it couldn't go into the new house, it went into storage instead. And July 12th was the first available day for delivery.

Yep. Twelve days later. It is the busiest time of year for moving companies.

So... we've been living like squatters. Camping out in our new house.

We borrowed some air mattresses from our neighbor. We borrowed 4 plates, 4 cups, 4 forks and 4 spoons from the base.  A nice lady at church lent us a box of toys. We've been surviving.

And I've been trying to find fun stuff for me and the kids to do each day. A new library just opened, and it has the most incredible kids' area!  Tons of toys, dress up clothes, electronic toys, computers, and of course BOOKS. We have been there 3 times this week! This morning they had a great "Critter Hour" and the  kids got to pet a bearded dragon, hedgehog, skink, rats, and more. They also had some fun crafts. We love this library!

Leo also started his preschool summer camp on Wednesday. It's a few hours each morning, for the next 3 weeks. His teacher is great, and he's been enjoying the new friends.

So things are going well here- but we have been counting down the days until our stuff arrives. And tomorrow is the day!  I am so giddy.

I can't wait to get the kids' rooms set up, have their toys ready for them, and to sleep in my own bed again- with sheets instead of a sleeping bag. I've really missed my kitchen stuff, my good knives, my blender, and real plates. It will be so nice to have bathroom mats, plenty of towels,  and trash cans in every room. We can even do laundry without going to the laundromat!

I know it's just STUFF, but it's the comforts of home. And we will appreciate them even more, since we've been living without for awhile.

Hallelujah!  Our stuff is coming tomorrow! Tonight I will dream of clean sheets, trash cans, and blenders....

5 months old!

Lena is 5 months old! She is rolling all over the floor, and loves to chew on anything she can get her hands on. She is smiling more and more, and it's so fun to see her little personality coming out.

I love this photo of her.  *JAZZ hand*

Zoo Time

Colorado Springs has the coolest zoo! We love it.  Nana and Papa were here visiting, so we all went to the zoo together. (They even bought us a season pass- yahoo!)

The highlight was feeding the giraffes- of course. They eat lettuce right from your hand!

Another highlight was the SkyRide- a ski lift that takes you up the side of the mountain. The views were incredible.  I think we're going to really love going to this zoo!

Leo also got to ride the carousel- which is Nana's favorite!

The Boys Cross-Country Trip

Daddy and Leo drove from Virginia to Colorado this week, while Mommy and Lena flew there. 

The boys spent 4 days driving, and stayed at KOA cabins along the way. They had a great time, swimming,  playing on playgrounds, and watching DVDs in the car. Leo was a real trooper.

They stopped at: 

Buckeye Lake, Ohio

St. Louis, Missouri

Hayes, Kansas

Denver, Colorado

Some of the cabins had a "theme."

They picked KOAs because they had pools and playgrounds- which was great fun after a long day of driving!