Hello, sunshine!

There is nothing more blissful than playing outside in the sunshine for the very first time with my new little boys!  Weather report predicted clouds and "liquid sunshine" today, so we are feeling especially grateful for the respite from gloom and gray today:

Gideon is so happy with the freedom of being
outside in our yard!  And I am happy to let him be a
grubby, curious little boy instead of having to tell
him "NO" so often!

Gideon loves to walk and walk and walk,
and he is getting better and better at it

He is very good at falling, and even when he
falls, he always has a smile on his face, and
he's always ready to pull himself back to his
feet again.  This boy loves to walk!

So calm and happy outside in the sunshine!

Micah tends to take things slowly, trying to decide
whether or not he is okay with something new

He seems to have decided that sunshine is good, and fresh
air feels nice, as long as he is in the playpen

After awhile, he even relaxed enough to show
me that adorable grin!

Josiah is apparently hoping I won't notice him
hauling a bucket of water into the treehouse . . . 

Josiah loves to be outside!

my beautiful girls, "Blessing" and Gracie

Gracie loves her sweet foster-sister!  She dotes on her and
hugs on her and chatters at her all day long.
Do you think Blessing minds?  :)  She is so patient with Gracie.

So happy to be outside!

Blessing's CP prevents her from tossing the ball for Molly,
but Molly still prefers Blessing over any of the rest of the kids

Molly

Silly boy!  Micah's gearing up to chuck his shoe
out of the playpen, which he thinks is HILARIOUS!

Gideon and Daddy

Isaac

Can we just pretend you don't notice Gracie's
pajama pants and mismatched shoes, and that
you are just admiring Derek's handiwork with
the awesome new treehouse?  He built it with
the kids while I was traveling to pick up the boys!

The kids have been wanting a treehouse for ages!
They were so excited to show it off to me
when  I got home!

the big brother (and he loves to tell everybody
he meets lately about HOW MANY kids we have
in our family now!  He seems absolutely tickled to
be part of a large family!)  

So excited to be allowed to play in the dirt and
the rocks.  At first he looked so nervous, like
he was sure he was doing something wrong,
but as you can see, I reassured him that it is
okay to get dirty!  Love that grin!

Isaac and Josiah moving the slide into place so
Daddy can bolt it down

Josiah is teaching his little brother how to climb up the slides

good PT, right?

Gideon prefers to hold on to something while
he is walking on grass and uneven surfaces
(and after years of Josiah and his fleet of
Tonka trucks and tractors, our lawn is about
as bumpy and uneven as lawn comes!)

he falls down a lot . . .

but he always pulls himself right back up again

This boy has such an amazing, resilient, determined
spirit!  I love being his mama!