We're Home

Safe and sound and glad to be in our home sweet home.
We had a great vacation and now we need a vacation to rest up from vacation!

Laundry awaits.

On Our Way Home

We spend last night with Amy and Malcolm (my friends and bosses with CAC) in Canton, GA. We got to meet their newly adopted son Max and meet their daughter McKenna! Tonight we're in Marion, IL hanging in the hotel watching a little HGTV.

Here are a few pics of our time in GA with Amy and Malcolm


Isabelle with Max. Oooo, makes us want a baby brother!

Dinner out! What fun.

We love this family!

Isn't Max great?

Isabelle and McKenna!

Evening Beach Time

One of our beach times was in the evening. We had a nice quiet time on a semi-private beach until a storm came in!

Just Before Vacation

Just before we left on vacation, Isabelle had her friend Brianne over (Jessi came too). Here are a few pictures of their time painting on the back patio together!








And this photo, makes my heart sing! Thank you, Jessi.

Jessi, another home run photo! Look at this beauty's eyes!

A Birthday Gift

This is a birthday gift from Derek and Renee. Just in time for the beach, I was blessed with a pedicure before leaving on vacation!

Thanks guys!

The Beach

Today was our first beach day! Yesterday was consumed with car repairs. We're good to go for $132. Could have been way worse!

Here's our first beach day photos:










If you didn't get to tune in to the Lakeland Revival service last night to hear John play with His friend Dave and his brother Dan, you can go to the God TV archives and find the Lakeland service for Monday night!

Sunday Update

John and I took the boys to see Batman today!

Problem #1: the A/C in the van started acting up on the way to the movie and the engine temp gauge was way up near high! We dropped it off at a car fix-it place and went on to the movie. They'll look at the van tomorrow. Please pray it's nothing major. We cannot afford something major!

Problem #2: the movie started and 10 minutes later the A/C in the theater went out. I didn't even attempt to talk the boys into coming back later. We sat in a PACKED OUT theater and watched the whole thing. 3/4 of the way through, I went and got our money back, got a free water from the snack bar so I wouldn't pass out, and stood in the walkway and watched the rest. Oh, and I forgot to mention that the movie was so packed and we were so late because of the car issue that we all had to sit in different rows. NO FUN at all!

The movie was great. The previews were horrible.

We came back had a great dinner and are sitting up still at 11:09PM telling stories and reminiscing about when our three oldest were little. I love my kids!

We've Landed

Well, two long days on the road and we're here! Everyone did exceptionally well on the trip. We stayed overnight in Chattanooga, TN (wish we would have thought to spend a whole day there!)

The kids and John gave me cards throughout the day as we traveled yesterday, and every few hours would go around and say "Things we love about Mommy!" I love them so much.

We arrived around 7:45PM and Dave and Christy fed us dinner and chocolate fondue for dessert! John gave me a terrific gift (photos to come!)

Anyway, we're here safe and sound and getting ready to enjoy the day!

(John will be playing with Dave at the Lakeland Revival Services on Monday night- tune in to GodTV if you get a chance.)

Vacation Here We Come

We're off, tomorrow morning at 7AM that is!
We're headed for Tampa Bay.

Things I'm looking forward to:
1. Being with my family! (we even like long car rides for the most part!)
2. Celebrating my birthday on the beach.
3. Seeing our good friends Dave and Christy.
4. Heading to Lakeland (John's playing with Dave there for the service Monday night.)
5. Sitting on the beach for 4 days (I really don't care what else we do, though I'm sure we'll find other things to do as well)
6. And mostly, being with my family (Oh, I said that didn't I)
You can be confident that posts will follow this! And if you enjoyed Nick's video posts of our last vacation, you'll want to keep an eye on his blog too!

Off to pack up 6 people for vacation! The laundry is almost done though so the hard part is over. Except I like to clean before we leave, cause I don't like coming home to a dirty house.

Update on My Nephews Sam and Misha

I wrote in January about my brother-in-law and sister-in-law's adoption plans. Read HERE if you're new to the blog!

Their dossier has arrived overseas, and they are waiting on the release to GO get the boys! They are about $5000 short for airfare and travel expenses. They have to travel to the orphanage once and stay for 2 weeks to get to know the boys, and then they have to return to the states and go back 2 weeks later to travel home with them. We are hoping for late August or early September!

Pray for their entire family, but especially pray for Sam and Misha.
If you would like to give to their adoption fund, please contact me and I will give you information on how to give.

James 1:27 "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after widows and orphans in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

"LiLi is Painting Outside!"

This is the note that was slipped onto my desk while I was on the phone yesterday.


Here's what I found when I went outside later on.






She had an amazing time creating her very first painting!
Two baths and some severe weeping, she is now back to her beautiful pink self.

(photos thanks to Taylor Loux)

Lovely New Elia Pictures

On Nick's Blog!
I can't remember if I linked to these pics yet.

Just for Silas!

Hi Silas,
We heard you liked John Deere tractors so we took this picture just for you! We love you buddy!

Love,
Your Kansas City Cousins

P.S) Silas is my brother Joe's son.

July 8, 2008

We love celebrating birthday and often have multiple celebrations. Here's a little peek into our at home family celebration on Nick's actual birthday!

My nephew Justin and John watching Nick open gifts.
(Not John's t-shirt- it's a Nick Loux original)


Elia helping open gifts.

Nick's gift from us!


My mom, my dad and my sister Tara.
Those of you who prayed for my dad's back surgery in the spring, thank you again! He is doing incredibly well. He still has to wear that lovely back brace, but he is healing remarkable fast.


Nick's saving for a video camera- so these boxes contained money!

Elia helping clean up!

Strawberry Rubarb Birthday Crisp (served warm with ice cream of course!)

Love you Nick!

More on Good Bye's

After much discussion last night, it was determined that it is harder to say "Good Bye" when you are the ones left standing in the quiet house than when you are the ones driving off in the car.

Taylor came to this conclusion. He concluded that it is much more horrible to be left than to leave. Being left means that your house becomes suddenly more quiet and "feels weird". He decided that at least those driving away have something to do. Drive. And the ones left behind are just left standing there.

I Hate Good Byes

When I get over being sad that my family just left, I'll post pictures of our time together. For now I'm just sad. It's very difficult having my family 20 hours away.

I am Happy

My mom and dad spontaneously decided to end their vacation in Michigan with a trip through Kansas City. If you know your geography, Kansas City is NO WHERE NEAR on the way home from Michigan to Pennsylvania. I think they must love us a lot!

They surprised us by bringing my sister, Tara and my nephew Justin with them! (They had also been in Michigan).

We're having a great time! I very happy and blessed.

Happy Birthday, Son

Happy 16th birthday, Nick. I am so incredibly honored to be your mother. You inspire me with your creativity, encourage me in my walk with the Lord as I watch your faithful pursuit of God, you make me laugh, and you truly bless me as I watch you love your brother and sisters. You are indeed a "double blessing."

My prayer for you this coming year is that you would live a life worthy of the Lord, would please Him in every way, and would bear much fruit. I am so excited about what lies ahead for you this year as you continue this incredible journey!

I love you, Nick.

Mom

Happy Anniversary John

Today we celebrate 18 years together. I'm so blessed to have been given the privilege of walking through life with this incredible man. His love and tenderness have been a true example to me of the Father's love for me. He is an incredible father to our four children- they are so blessed. He keeps us laughing and helps me not to take myself too seriously. He is my best friend. I love you John.

Last night the boys plopped themselves on our bed to give us foot rubs, and we started reminiscing about our wedding day. Here are a few fun (or frightening) facts:

1. My dress had puffy sleeves with bows on them. I'm sorry, I really am.

2. The bridesmaid dresses also had puffy sleeves and were a light shade of teal.

3. John's brother Derek wrote "Help Me" on the bottoms of John's shoes so that it could be read by all when we knelt for communion.

4. We did not have dancing at our reception, however there was music and a Kazoo was played at one point. I hid in a corner pretending it was not happening. (Our kids were appalled, not as much about the Kazoo, but that we didn't dance together.)

5. John was almost 21 and I was 22 when we got married. We had met 7 months before and got engaged 2 1/2 months after we met.

6. On our 2nd wedding anniversary, I spent the entire day in labor with Nick. I was in labor for 26 hours. He was not born til the following day. Last night he apologized. I feel much better!


I'd scan a wedding picture if I knew how. Sorry, I know you're all desperately disappointed!

OH and HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO RANDY AND KELSEY!!! WE LOVE YOU GUYS!

Nick's Party

A shot from Nick's "Card Tree".


Happy 16th, Nick.




Cool Whip was used in all sorts of way. I think Nick has a mouthful here.


An incredible bunch of kids!


Feasting!


LiLi hangin' with the big girls!


Polishing off her mashed potatoes- got the idea to have a mashed potato bar w/ toppings using plastic margarita glasses from a recent wedding.


A little Nick Loux trivia.

Nick Loux Quiz Show


Nick provided a little game show music.


Nick had a little competition. Elia may have been a close tie for "The Main Attraction".
I love that Nick's friends are so kind to his siblings. I remember looking around at one point and realizing that a large percentage of his friends are 1st borns or near the top of the birth order in their families. I think that may be a big factor.

The party ended at the play ground down the street.
They are all still young at heart.