We Snuck Out...

...to Dunkin' Donuts.

Last night J took the night duty--all of it.  The past 4 weeks of frequently interrupted sleep have made a very weary me. :)  At 8pm I promptly curled into a ball on the guest room bed and slept for a blissful 11ish hours.  Incredible!  I am a new person today. :)  (Thank you, J!)

So, while I took over the morning routine, and J slept in, I piled my gang into the van and we headed to the Dunkin' Donuts drive-thru that is less than five minutes from our house (Dangerous--I know.) for 2 medium coffees and a dozen donuts (because, don't you know, it's cheaper to get 12 than 8?!).

New view in the backseat of the van.

It was one tasty breakfast!

 

After breakfast the little people were glued to the patio doors.

Because they were watching this little guy and his friends.

And it was such a beautiful day that we got new sand for the sandbox,

Planted a few flowers and shrubs,

and Beza played in the grass for the first time. :)

Happy Saturday! :)

Family Movie Night

J just finished reading M The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis (a hardcover children's version).  M was fascinated by Aslan and loved that he was "both good and terrible at the same time."

While we were at the library this week I picked up the movie and we watched it last night for one of our first family movie nights.  The kids were SO EXCITED!

Again, it was a little intense, but so good.  Always moved by Aslan's sacrifice (M and I were both crying)and the deep analogies within the story. 

Sweet Birthdays Booth

Today Becca and I did something we've never done before. :)  We sat at a table at our local Community Day Luau to tell people all about Sweet Birthdays.

(We were way too hot to pose in the pictures.  It was in the 90's--

BUT there was a great breeze and we did have the shade of tent.)

We got to talk a lot--a lot about Sweet Birthdays--what we are and what we are not. ;)

--We host birthday parties once a month at a local emergency homeless shelter for the children there.

--It's an awesome way to volunteer with our families--especially with young children.

--We, in fact, do NOT cater birthday parties. :)

And while we weren't there to necessarily promote adoption, it came up a lot in the course of natural conversation.  Most everyone wanted to know why we started doing the parties.  Our answer:  Because we're both in the process of adoption and along the way we've read quite a bit about world poverty.  In response to what we've learned we want to do something (more than just giving money) hands-on AND something that we can do with our children.  Sweet Birthdays is a very good fit. :)

We even met a family court judge there--one who resides over adoptions.  He was SO encouraging--definitely a high point of the day. :)

What we do.

How you can help and the flowers for the flower pens that we made with the people who stopped by.

We had a WHOLE page of people who signed up to learn more!

My two monkeys enjoying a day at the "beach" there with Daddy.

As a big-time introvert talking to lots of people is not my "thing."  But it was a REALLY good day.  Thanks, Becca, for being a part of it with me! :)