The Tilletts

New Blog

2010-07-07T22:10:00.003-04:00

If you still check this blog then I wanted to let you know that Wes and I are posting at a new blog. The address is http://web.me.com/wesleytillett

The Rev

2010-05-13T15:27:00.005-04:00

Wes is officially ordained. The ordination ceremony took place on May 2nd. I am so very proud of him. I wasn't sure what to expect because I have never been part of an ordination service before. We were actually surprised by how meaningful the ceremony was for both of us. The day was a huge blessing!

Out and About!

2010-05-13T14:41:00.003-04:00

Friends are so important in life! We were able to spend a beautiful day at Turkey Run State Park with some beautiful friends. If it has been awhile since you've been to Turkey Run, I highly recommend carving out some time to do it. Turkey Run has been a special place to me since childhood. It is simply gorgeous and it always feels like I've traveled far away from home because it looks so different than Lafayette.

Wes and I swear by our Chaco sandles. They are our favorite shoes for hiking and we will probably be buying them for the rest of our lives. I mention this because trail #3 is the best at Turkey Run, but you always get wet feet.

Ever wonder what your chimney looks like? Well, this is ours. It needs a little work.

This is the first time that Toby has fallen asleep in a very unusual place in our home. I had to step over him about 50 times but he never woke up. Silly boy.

I think Kidest and Toby are becoming better friends everyday. I love this. Kidest is 15 months old now! She has been in our family longer now than not being. We are grateful for our little sweetie. I forgot how busy a child can be at this age!

Good Memories Made

2010-04-08T16:24:00.002-04:00

The end of March brought a trip to Disney. We were not expecting to make this spectacular trip, but a gift made it happen. It was my first time to Disney and I hope to take our kids back someday, but it won't be any time soon...I don't think. We really had an amazing time.

I love how much children enjoy dirt, especially with toy cars.

Toby enjoying a Easter brunch with good friends.

Kidest all decked out for Easter in a traditional Ethiopian dress.

Every year, as soon as the Magnolia tree blooms on our street, we pack up the picnic basket and enjoy the blossoms.

We Busted Out of Our House! Hooray for Spring!

2010-03-10T16:38:00.002-05:00

Our next door neighbors for over five years. We love this wonderful family. We had to take a picture of them peeking over our fence because for five years we have had wonderful conversations this way. We peek over too!

Kidest Turned One! Oh What Fun!

2010-02-15T18:12:00.003-05:00

For Kidest's birthday weekend we all went to Meemaw and Paapaw's house for fun in the snow, family time and to celebrate Kidest. It was so much fun to be with cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents.

Kidest didn't look to thrilled while we were singing but she became very excited when it came to eat the cake. My friend, Megan, made these delicious red velvet cupcakes.

She managed to eat the entire cupcake.

Silly guy!

Silly gal!

The Last Week

2010-01-13T12:57:00.003-05:00

Kidest is 11 months old today. She grew her first two teeth this month and loves exploring the house, she especially likes sneaking away to the toilet (yikes!). And she can put away more food than her big brother. She is our smiley sweetheart.

Toby no longer has me read "Finding Nemo" to him three times a day, now he has moved onto "Lighting McQueen" and friends. I am happy for the change. At least he picks my favorites to obsess over and torture us with.

These are their Ethiopian clothes they received in celebration of Ethiopia Christmas. Toby surprised me and was delighted with his new garb. He really liked the shells at the bottom that would make noise against our wood floors (so far only one shell has broke and three have ripped off).

Toby helps his daddy paint our basement.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

2009-12-25T16:22:00.003-05:00

A Photo I Like

2009-12-22T00:36:00.003-05:00

I am guessing it has been about 15-20 years since a picture of my immediate family was taken. This picture was way overdue, which may be why I like it so much. I love you mom, dad and my three older (and wiser) brothers.

Desto!

2009-11-11T20:29:00.002-05:00

An update on our sweet little girl...

Nicknames: Desto, Dest, Desty Kiddo, Kid, Kidesto, Beautiful (Toby gave her Dest and Desty)

New Skills: Eats three meals a day (doesn't have favorites, she's never said "no" to anything we've given her, army crawling (she can get anywhere if given enough time), pulled up for the first time yesterday, takes big baths with Toby, sits up with ease, belly laughs more often, loves cords (yikes), did her first finger-painting tonight and interacting more and more with her big brother.

We thank God for Kidest's smooth adjustment into our family. We love her so much.

Steals his Mommy's Heart.

2009-11-09T15:28:00.005-05:00

Toby had the opportunity to be the ring bearer at his Aunt Casey's wedding this past weekend. He was very excited to wear his "penguin suit" that he borrowed from his older cousin. He did make it down the aisle with a either a "stop looking at me face" and then a heart pillow shoved in his face (thank goodness the aisle was not long). As he walked, he made sure to step on the flower petals that were sprinkled about. Toby thought this job had the perfect pay for the hard work, as soon as he made it down the aisle, he was able to eat the m&m's that his aunt stuffed in the pillow and a piece of gum from his proud mama.

Family Pictures.

2009-11-01T22:28:00.004-05:00

New Pics!

2009-10-19T22:15:00.003-04:00

Toby had a wonderful time celebrating Grayson's b-day this week. They were so fun to watch and got a big kick out of their blue mouth, tongue, teeth and hands from the icing. Not many adults ate the blue cupcakes after watching the kids turn blue.

Eight Months Old Today!

2009-10-13T15:40:00.000-04:00

Chef Toby

2009-10-13T15:17:00.003-04:00

I think most kids like to help in the kitchen, Chef Toby is no exception. Today we made a huge cake to freeze for Wes's sister's bridal shower. The cake required three mixes. The biggest surprise to me about Toby wanting to help me is that he is really quite helpful. I am sorry if I am going to be obnoxious and brag on my son, but he cracked nine eggs flawlessly (four of them without me even supervising. I had no idea that a boy, who is barely three, could do such a thing. We've had success with cracking eggs in the past, but this was a personal best. I was so proud of my "egg cracker". Furthermore, he held the divider in place perfectly while I poured in the chocolate and vanilla cakes into one big pan. I consider these events to be slight miracles. Toby loves to bake cakes as you can plainly see from the pics. Cake time was really fun today, nap time was not so much fun.

Mini-burgers, a big success.

Last week we mad these mini-burgers out of vanilla wafer and grasshopper cookies. I borrowed the idea from a friend who borrowed it from a magazine. They were super easy to make and really cute. It is also a great way to use up leftover icing!

Buns=vanilla wafers

meat=grasshopper cookies

sesame seeds on bun=sesame seeds, brush egg yolk on top of vanilla wafer, sprinkle on seeds and bake for a few minutes

ketchup, mayo, mustard=colored icing

lettuce=green colored coconut

Toby's Birthday!

2009-10-06T09:43:00.003-04:00

Happy Birthday Sweet Son!

Organized Chaos!

Do you recognize this toy? I grew up with it. It is called "Marble Run" or "Marble Works". Our parents still have the ones we played with 25 years ago. We purchased this one from Discovery Toys. It is a classic toy in my opinion. Toby plays with this toy all the time and it is so fascinating to watch the marble run its course. When he gets a little older he will be able to construct his own coasters. This is a product I would do an infomercial for, if asked.

I was a little concerned that Toby's birthday would occur so soon after returning with Kidest, but with some planning ahead, we had a wonderful celebration. The timing turned out to be perfect because a ton of attention was given to him last week. My mom was here most of last week, so she helped me make Toby's birthday cake, which was so much fun to do. The reason I loved doing it was because it thrilled Toby's soul to come and check on the progress of the cake every 20 minutes or so. He loves "Wedgie Tales" (what he called them when he was two).

The party was planned for the outdoors, but with the yucky weather, we had to move it indoors. Thankfully, we could use our church gym. Above, you can see all the children (and some adults) wheeling around.

More Homecoming Pics!

2009-10-05T16:14:00.006-04:00

Homecoming!!!

2009-10-04T14:53:00.005-04:00

After 23 hours of travel, we were more than ready to get off the plane to see our family at the airport and be reunited with Tobias. I missed Toby so much throughout the week, I thought I might just bust as we took each step thru the airport knowing I was so so so close to embracing him. We couldn't wait to introduce sweet Kidest to him and everyone else. It was a super sweet reunion.

Day 2, 3, 4 (Journal Entries in Ethiopia)

2009-09-30T15:17:00.003-04:00

Day 2 With Kidest

Kidest woke every two hours like clockwork all throughout the night. She would drink two or three ounces of formula, grab our faces as we fed her, and then settle down. We took sleeping pills in shifts to try and get some rest.

Today we went to the embassy in the afternoon to get Kidest’s visa. All went well.

We find our daughter to be quite snuggly, observant, and cute. And she’s voicing her opinion a little more firmly as time goes on. Still not much of a fusser, though. We are quite grateful for that.

We’re exhausted, but it’s the happy kind of exhaustion.

--The Tillett's

Day 3 With Kidest

Kidest continues to be a delight to us. She is sleeping in her crib as I write. She eats well, sleeps well, poops well, smiles well, plays well. She has obviously been well-loved during these first seven months of her life (and before). We are so grateful that her biological mother took such good care of her in the womb and during the first three months of her life. And we are so grateful that the care-givers, case-workers, nurses, and others have taken such good care of her these last four months. We have been entrusted with a healthy, happy girl. What a gift. What an amazing gift.

One of the highlights of our time here has been sharing this guest house with two other couples from the US—Steve and Lynn Easler and Trevor and Jackie Borowiak. The Easley’s adopted their 18^th child this week (3 biological, 2 Russian, 2 from Hong Kong, 5 Ethiopian, 6 domestic…if I remember it all correctly). The Boroviak’s adopted their 8^th and 9^th children (5—soon to be 6—Guatemalan, 2 Chinese, 2 Ethiopian). The Easler’s have adopted several “special needs” children. When they sense God calling them to adopt, they will call up the adoption agency and ask which child the agency is having the hardest time finding a home for—and that’s the child they will adopt. Unbelievable.

These couples are not crazy, believe it or not. They are as down-to-earth and likeable as anyone we’ve ever met. They are inspiring in their humble faith, deep commitment, obvious love, and fabulous sense of humor. They just keep taking the next step of faith—whether the money is there or not and regardless if others think their family is “big enough already.” They simply want to honor God by obediently, lovingly, joyfully living their lives to the full. It has been a great joy and privilege to spend many hours in conversation with these couples.

While we don’t necessarily sense God calling us to have 9 or 18 children, but we do sense we will keep in touch with these families for the rest of our lives. We do sense that God has inspired us by the lives of these brother and sisters in Christ. We sense God telling us, “Do not be afraid. Take risks for me. You’ve got one life, man. Get out there and give it all. Live to the full for me. There is no better life than this. Absolutely no better life than this.” And I think we’re seeing that and starting to really believe it.

Along with laughing and conversing with the Easler’s and Borowiak’s, today we traveled around the city and countryside a bit. We went out to see CWA’s construction of their “Acacia Village”—a center for the fostering and adoption of children. Hopefully when this is up and running, about 500 kids a year will be adopted through CWA (around 200 a year are adopted through CWA at present).

Currently 70 international agencies place about 1,500 Ethiopian children a year with foreign families. With anywhere between 1.5 and 6 million orphans in Ethiopia (we have heard wildly varying figures), a mere 1,500 children may seem like a drop in the bucket. But adoption sure is not just a drop in the bucket to those 1,500 kids. For many of them it’s a matter of life or death, a matter of family and home or a life on the streets.

For my daughter Kidest Olivia, adoption means family and love and hope. And that is certainly not just “a drop in the bucket” for her.

Day 4 With Kidest

We left Kidest in the capable hands of the guest house staff this morning. Our Ethiopian hosts have proven to exceptionally trust-worthy, kind-hearted, and gracious. With Kidest in their care, we set out with the Easler’s and Borowiak’s on what turned out to be a marathon shopping excursion (with only a candy bar for lunch…3 candy bars, actually).

I find Ethiopia to be an achingly poor, overwhelmingly chaotic, and ruggedly beautiful country. It has a population of 73,000,000. It was just 15,000,000 back in 1930. So in just over three generations, the population has nearly quintupled. According to my Lonely Planet travel guide, the population will soar to 120,000,000 by 2025. Only 38% of the population is now literate. And only around 12% go to high school. With 83% of the population still living in the countryside rather than the cities, children are put to work for their families at a very early age—shepherding goats and cattle, farming, watching younger siblings, etc.

In the process of buying souvenirs today we got an up-close look at Addis Ababa (literally “new flower”), the capitol city. I have never been in nation’s capitol city which is quite as under-developed as this. I feel like I have seen a more grinding form of poverty in other parts of the world (namely India and Pakistan). But, unlike these countries, Ethiopia doesn’t seem to have the economic umph to buoy up the central areas and overall infrastructure of its capitol city. (In my tired and culture-shocked state, however, I wonder if my judgment is fairly askew.)

As I walk along a dusty, pedestrian-laden street and I wonder what can be done to boost the quality of life in a place like this. Micro-enterprise? Micro-loans? What? Coffee and flowers are profitable exports here. Tourism could thrive here, I believe, with some better roads, nicer accommodations, and less pollution. And it would definitely help this country, on numerous levels, to try to reforest its countryside, as 95% of its forests have been cleared away over the years. How to bring about sustainable, healthy, nation-wide growth?

Ethiopia’s greatest natural resource is her people. The people we have met here are strong, kind, quality individuals. There is enormous potential within the Ethiopian people. How to nurture that potential and bring it to fruition?

Tragically, that profound potential has continually been exploited and/or demolished. Like many poor nations, Ethiopia has been plague by political unrest and governmental corruption. Corruption is ultimately a matter of the human heart, I believe. Which means it is a matter of God changing this nation from the inside out, one person at a time. Which also means, I believe, it all comes back to the Gospel. Any lasting, true, human well-being has to be holistic—it has to be social, political, spiritual, intellectual, emotional, physical, etc. And the best holistic “program” I have ever encountered is found in the person and teachings of Jesus Christ. Ethiopia has a very long history of Christianity and today is a predominantly Christian nation. May God’s Spirit dwell richly in the people of this land, and bring about a genuine, sustainable, glorious transformation, from the inside out.

Ethiopia: Day 1 (Journal Entry from Wes)

2009-09-28T19:53:00.004-04:00

And suddenly there she was. After months and months of waiting, yearning, praying, and hoping, Kidest Olivia Tillett was lovingly thrust into our arms at a child care center in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia at about 9:30a on 9/21/09. She looked into our eyes. Her mom cried great tears of joy. Her dad wildly took pictures with every camera he could manage. It was an unbelievable, spectacular experience. We can’t possibly describe it…we just sing in our hearts “Praise God from whom all blessings flow!”

We have been on an emotional high all day. We spent two hours this afternoon just laying on the bed with Kidest—snuggling, dressing her in new clothes, taking pictures, bonding. We were in absolute heaven.

Kidest has a delightful little personality. She is easy-going, smiles when we nuzzle her belly, and can be quite a chatter-box (she cooed at us for a half hour straight at one point). Developmentally, we have pleasantly surprised that she is right on track—socially, physically, emotionally. Based on her medical reports, the reports of her care-takers, and our own observations, she is doing just great.

We are looking forward to bonding with our daughter throughout this week. We don’t have any big plans. Just hang out with Kidest, fulfill the last details of the adoption, buy a few Ethiopian souvenirs, and eat some more “injera” (Ethiopian sponge bread).

Thanks so much for your prayers and support, everyone. We feel the love. All of us feel the love. We want to share with you one of our hundreds of pictures of our daughter, but we can’t until we get a decent internet connection…which might not be till we return to the US.

On cloud nine in Ethiopia,

Wes, Rita, and Kidest Tillett

P.S. We spoke on the phone to Tobias last night. He’s having a blast camping with his grandparents. We miss that kid!

New Pics! Kidest Checking Us Out! What Does She Think?

2009-09-15T22:03:00.002-04:00

First Day of Preschool

2009-09-09T23:49:00.005-04:00

Tobias and me outside his school.

Toby going to bed before his first day of school. Right now Toby sleeps with two Curious George stuffed animals. Last week it was three matchbox cars...

We feel so fortunate to have a preschool at our church, which is just three blocks away. And since Wes works at the church, he takes Toby there two days a week. It works out great! Right now I have been spending the time (one morning so far) gathering supplies for Ethiopia. When Kidest comes home I hope to get some one on one time with her while Toby is making new friends and enjoying fun activities. Hopefully tomorrow will be a little smoother than yesterday (no tears please, even if it is just for five minutes).

Not Much Longer!

2009-09-08T12:43:00.003-04:00

Everything is coming together for travels. The big pieces are in place, such as shots, lodging, and plane tickets. This is really going to happen. We are really going to be getting our daughter in 13 days. This experience is incredible. I cannot wait to embrace and love on our daughter.

We will be taking humanitarian aid for the orphanage if anyone wants to donate. Some of the items we are looking for are diapers, wipes, shampoo for lice, latex gloves, baby blankets, diaper rash cream, plastic toys and baby clothes. If you want to drop anything off, please contact me in the next few days.

A "Blessing Way" Ceremony

2009-09-04T11:01:00.002-04:00

Some friends from our church organized a surprise "Blessing Way"Ceremony for me a couple of weeks ago. A "Blessing Way" is taken from the Navajo tradition and is saturated with meaning. The Ceremony is to help prepare our family for our journey, our journey in bringing Kidest home. A few of the highlights included prayers for each individual in our family, a weaving together of the women that left them with a bracelet on (to remember to pray for our family), a foot washing ceremony, also, each woman brought a special bead to present to me (which was later formed into the beautiful necklace shown above). The necklace symbolizes their love and support for our family. This ceremony was a huge blessing to me and I will always be grateful for the support of our friends and family.

Embassy Appt!

2009-09-04T10:54:00.002-04:00

Yesterday we received notice that we will have our Embassy Appt. for Kidest on September 22nd! Hooray! We are just so grateful! We will be leaving on the 19th and will be gone for one week. Kidest will join us in the guest home after our first night of sleep. I can' believe in a little over two weeks, I will be snuggling our daughter. We started this process in June of 2008 and will traveling to bring her home 15 months later. We are very ready to have our family united. Please continue to pray and we prepare for our journey, we have a lot to do in the next couple of weeks, but the end goal keeps us moving. We love you Kidest Olivia Tillett

Introducing Kidest Olivia Tillett!

2009-08-17T15:37:00.003-04:00

It's all finalized! We received word a couple of hours ago that everything went through. So Kidest is now legally our daughter. We are thrilled and relieved. We hope to travel within the next two months. (Kidest, we're coming for you, sweet baby!) And now that everything is official, we can post pictures! So, without further ado, these proud parents would like to introduce you to our lovely little girl...Kidest Olivia Tillett.

Kidest at 3 months old. This is the picture we received of her for our referral back in May--the first picture we received of her.

Kidest at 3 months old.

Kidest at 5 months.

We received this picture this morning. Kidest turned 6 months old last week.

Our smiling daughter! What a cute-ster. Thanks be to God for this great gift!

August Outings.

2009-08-16T21:40:00.004-04:00

An adventure to Fair Oaks Dairy Farm was part of a trip I took with my "little sister" from the community. She loved it. Her favorite part was the watching the miracle of a calf be born. The night before we witnessed over 100 shooting stars in less than two hours. It was an amazing time together that I don't think either of us will forget.

After four years of planning the Lafayette Urban Ministry Camp for children, I stepped down to spend more time with Toby and Wes and to prepare for "Olivia." However, we did make a trip out there and Wes led a program for the children. It was really fun to see the kids interact with this 9 foot beach ball.

Toby trying to manage Grandpa's very large cowboy boots.

Toby got to visit with one of his silliest cousins this past weekend at Margret's wedding. He would not pass on the opportunity to sit on Brian's lap and enjoy a piece of Aunt Anne's delicious cake. Toby loves when Brian calls out "Hey, Pepe la Pew, what are you doing?!" This all started when Toby was a skunk for Halloween last year and he and Brian bonded during a Halloween Party.
This Giant Sprite was awarded to Toby after sitting through a very tedious doctor's appointment. Wes and I needed to get shots for Ethiopia and Toby was thrilled by his reward for fairly patiently enduring the appointment. Don't worry...he only had a little Sprite.

Good Progress..

2009-08-14T14:45:00.002-04:00

We received word that our daughter has been moved to the capitol. Also, the ID needed to pass court will be submitted next week and we will receive pictures. The news from Ethiopia, despite frequent power outages, is that things are moving along quickly and lots of Embassy appointments are being assigned. Everything is looking up again. Please continue to pray for our sweet girl.

Good News from Court, but a Delay....

2009-08-03T10:03:00.002-04:00

Our caseworker called a few minutes ago. We did pass court, but there is delay, so no posting pictures yet! The birth mom showed up to court but her ID did not have her current name on the ID, so she has to get it renewed and submit it before we can totally pass. Of course we are bummed by the delay, but very hopeful that it will be finalized soon. Thank you for all your prayers!

First Half of July in Pictures!

2009-07-15T18:27:00.003-04:00

Fourth of July fun at the river.

I caught Toby doing an illegal maneuver down a huge blow up slide at Monkey Joe's. I am pretty sure this is one of the reason you have to fill our a waiver form before you go in.

Indiana Beach hasn't changed. Wes and I had fun discovering the rides are still the same from when we were Toby's age.

We puppy sat for "Sergio" for a week and Toby's cousin, Claire, came and spent the night.

Toby was very proud of this creation he helped make at the Children's Museum in Indy.

We have been spoiled and blessed with lots of fun outings this summer.

New Court Date, August 3rd!

2009-07-13T14:20:00.002-04:00

Our first court date was cancelled last week due to the Ministry of Women's Affairs office closing down unexpectedly in Ethiopia for two weeks. We were really disappointed but we now have a new date for August 3rd. Please continue to pray we will pass this court date because we may not get a chance for another hearing before they close for their rainy season from August 7th until September 25.

The Peasants Rejoice!

2009-07-06T17:00:00.004-04:00

We are rejoicing over the wonderful fact that Wes turned in his final assignments for seminary last week and is FINISHED with his Masters of Divinity! Even though we know this fact, it hasn't really sunk in yet. However, it is sinking in more this week because we are going away for a couple of days and the pressure of completing school work beforehand is gone. I am dancing again!

Wes and I are also rejoicing in the fact that today is our seventh anniversary of marriage. Hip Hip Hooray!

JULY 16th Court Date!

2009-07-01T15:16:00.002-04:00

We received an e-mail today to let us know we will have a court hearing on July 16th for our daughter. This means we will most likely travel in September!!! We are beyond excitement!

Mandolin, my New Friend!

2009-06-30T17:07:00.002-04:00

Sorry about the ridiculous picture, but I wanted to post my new instrument. Wes purchased me a mandolin at the Fiddler's Gathering last weekend. I have no idea what I am doing since the last instrument I really played was in seventh grade and was a trumpet, but I am having fun trying. I hope Wes isn't sick of me playing the same little song over and over again. Sorry Wes. and Tobias.

Summer is Hot!

2009-06-12T00:18:00.006-04:00

Toby with his friend Lucy, these two have spent countless hours together.

Toby and mommy enjoying the newspaper and some Cheerios while waiting for Lucy to come play.

Toby with Great! Grandpa! Roberts!

Toby is with his buddy Grayson at the Indy zoo. They are really cute together and only two weeks apart in age. Grayson is a big brother to a little boy in Ethiopia. Grayson showed Toby how easy it is to use the potty at the Indy Zoo and Toby has been in underwear ever since (no accidents for a week). I love being diaper free.

What have we been doing?

Mostly, Toby and I have been trying to stay out of Wes's way (don't worry we are doing fine), but he has been super busy and has needed a lot of quiet hours to study over the last couple of weeks. As I write this, he is in Illinois taking ordination exams. Therefore, Toby and I have been keeping ourselves busy too. In the last week we have been to Indy Zoo, Lake Michigan, art club at a friends house, two concerts downtown, the library twice, the candy store (twice), several parks, garage sales, and a local pool. Plus, I am finally finishing up the painting job in our bedroom that I started over.....

one week later.... Wes passed his ordination exams, finished VBS and is now down to his last two weeks on seminary. He will be finished with seminary (after 4 plus years) on July 4th, Independence Day means a little extra something to us this year. We are thrilled to have 15 to 20 hours back a week. Furthermore, our church has hired a children's director, so Wes will no longer be juggling these responsibilities too.

Adoption Update: The last few days have been really encouraging. Two families passed court in Lafayette and will be traveling this month. Our process also seems to be going smoothly. We have been notified that all of our paperwork has been sent it to the Ethiopian Court, so we should be receiving a court date soon. Please pray our court date will happen before August. The courts close during August and September and this would push us way back if we do not get a court date before August. In the meantime, we love looking at our daughter's three pictures and spend much time praying for her.

Grand Junction and Graduation

2009-05-30T22:23:00.002-04:00

Two days before we received our referral, Tobias and I (rita) were wrapping up our wonderful trip to Grand Junction, Colorado. We had a marvelous time visiting our friends, the Longs. Grand Junction is a great place to visit, the picture above is a small sampling of the amazing landscape.

Tobias with his friend, Elise, they got along very well considering we stayed with them an entire week. I had to beg them to stop laughing at each other at this diner so they could eat their lunch.

Tobias may not look enthused about flying in an airplane, but he loved it, he was just waking up from this third flight in one day. We had so much fun on this adventure.

I am sorry this is such a crummy picture from graduation. I would have had better ones but I was busy getting Toby in and out of childcare. Wes is in the middle with his guitar, which he played during the ceremony. His graduation ceremony was extremely meaningful. I am very proud of him and thrilled he only has a month left of course work.

Happy Referral Day!

2009-05-21T15:23:00.002-04:00

10:02 E-mailed our caseworker to let her know we were home from traveling. Toby and I spent a week in Colorado and Wes spent a week in Michigan (more on this later).

10:05 Our caseworker e-mailed to say we should find a comfy chair because she was going to be calling us with our referral. This was not the e-mail I was expecting back at all. I was thrilled and quickly called Wes so he could return home.

10:15 Our case worker called to give us some basic info on our daugher. We had the video camera rolling as she told us our daughter is three months old, has a little bit of hair, beautiful eyes, and looks a little chubby.

10:19 We were sent three pictures of her via e-mail! She is gorgeous! We are thrilled!

We really like her Ethiopian name so we are planning to keep it. We can't share that kind of info here until we pass court, but we can share it in person. We'll be carrying pictures around, feel free to ask.

Timeline is uncertain at this point. It will be a few more months of waiting.
Praise the Lord!

Please Pray! An adoption update.

2009-05-08T16:26:00.002-04:00

The work week has come and gone and we are definitely disappointed we did not get our referral this week like we thought we would. We are very first on the list for a baby girl so we know it will be soon, our agency in South Carolina is waiting on final paperwork from Ethiopia. Please pray that it will be this coming Monday or Tuesday. Wes and I will not be with each other for a week after next Wednesday and we would really like to find out together, and see pictures of her together and let our friends and family know together. We just really want to celebrate together, so please pray. Thank you.

Basil and Badger!

2009-04-15T15:10:00.004-04:00

We are enjoying two new hamsters in our home. Uncle Tyler gave Toby two out of his eleven baby hamsters. We all have a lot of fun with them and they are extremely low maintenance pets (which is valuable to us).
Basil and Badger

Adoption Update

2009-04-14T16:59:00.003-04:00

No news...but we are still hopeful it will be soon. I have had a lot of people asking so I thought I should update on the blog. Three families have returned to Lafayette in the last couple of weeks from Ethiopia. We can't wait to meet their children.

Happy Easter!

2009-04-14T09:56:00.002-04:00

Aren't we all grateful for digital cameras? I finally got Toby smiling really big after a dozen tries.

Toby with his good friend, Lucy.

Hooray, we remembered to take a family picture!

Too Cute!

2009-03-23T21:45:00.001-04:00

Stay Calm! Don't Freak Out!

2009-03-04T22:22:00.002-05:00

I keep telling myself to stay calm, but I can't. Our caseworker e-mailed today to say she "just wanted to warn us" that we would be getting a phone call soon for our referral for our daughter! I was not expecting this e-mail, so as soon as I read it, I did a little "thank you dance to the Lord" (don't ask me to demonstrate). After we receive the referral we will have a doctor go through the medical reports with us and then a court date will be scheduled. Court dates usually take about three months to schedule. If we pass court, then we will travel to Ethiopia a few weeks later. All in all, I think we will be traveling late summer or early fall. Please be praying with us. Also, as you think of us, please also pray for the many families that are in the process of adopting. In our small city in Indiana, there are about a dozen families in the same process we are in and several of them have very important court dates to pass this week!

A Flip Flop

2009-02-09T10:02:00.003-05:00

Our caseworker has informed us that in the last couple of months there has been a flip flop in the referrals coming from Ethiopia, at least this is the case with our agency. She says that they continue to do more and more referrals for girls than boys, twice as many right now. Therefore, she wanted to inform us that our waiting time for a referral is getting shorter and shorter. I am totally pumped, but am trying to play it "cool", because I know the wait could still be a few months away. Yet, this news gets me all stirred up inside as I think and pray for our daughter, who we will hopefully meet in 2009. Please keep her in your prayers, we call her "Olivia".

Snowman Play

2009-01-30T15:57:00.004-05:00

Toby and I created this snowman out of stale marshmallows. He insisted the snowman needed one hat on his head and one had under his arm. Every time I moved it, he would return to the project and move it back in the same exact location. Later in the day I noticed the candy corn nose was missing from our art project, when I asked Toby what happened he smiled and replied "ate it mommy". Thankfully, the glue is non-toxic, but that poor snowman is without a nose.

A job well done.

Another snowman we made in our backyard. Toby enjoyed eating the Oreo eyeballs on this fellow but left the carrot nose for the critters that live in our neighborhood.

Will Wes ever Graduate?

2009-01-29T13:47:00.004-05:00

If you have personal contact with us on a regular basis, you might be asking the question, will Wes ever graduate from Seminary? The answer is yes, it had better be yes (Wes that is not a threat)! Lord willing, Wes will graduate in May and finish his school work in early July. I never thought July of 2009 would come when he first began his Greek and Hebrew classes over four years ago. Yet, it is almost here and I believe the journey has been a very good one for us. For the most part, Wes studies from home in evenings and on the weekends. However, he has made about nine trips up to Holland, Michigan for intensive studies throughout the last few years. Thankfully, Toby and I have had the opportunity to spend most of the intensives with Wes in a little cottage he shares with two other men going through seminary. I consider it a little vacation and a change of scenery. Speaking of scenery, below I have included some pictures of the time we spent up there this past month. I am grateful Wes attends a Seminary that is located near Lake Michigan and not near a pasture in Iowa.

The little cottage is one block from Lake Michigan. During January the beach looks so wild with the snow and ice. Holland received 15 inches of snow while we were there, good thing we remembered to pack our boots.

This is the little refuge we stay in while Wes is in school. Toby especially likes this home because of the tricky spiral staircase, which he navigates like a pro "spiral staircase climber".

Tobias is being launched into the air by his daddy and loving every minute of it!

Before we headed to Michigan, we swung in to see our good friends. This is Toby admiring a four year old while sitting close to adorable girl his age (Wes use to look the same way at my brothers and finally took notice of me a few years later, watchout Emma).

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T21:38:00.002-05:00

This picture is one I am sure my dad will enjoy. It is a picture of my mom, his mom, Toby and myself that was taken this past week.

I am sure it is hard to tell what is on the TV screen, but it is a new obsession in our household. Toby loves to watch "Wedgie Tales" (Veggie Tales) and asks several times a day, although he is limited. He does not enjoy watching anything else. Thankfully, our local library has a good variety of these because they drive me crazy after awhile.

Christmas Eve at our church.

Toby located another small place he can fit into.

"Snowy Day", Toby's Version.

2008-12-16T17:32:00.008-05:00

Toby is getting pretty good at making some strange faces for the camera! I just hope he remembers how to smile naturally.

In this picture Toby is holding hands with his Great Grandpa Hurley, who is 91 years old.

Adoption Update!

2008-11-17T11:08:00.003-05:00

Our Dossier has reached Ethiopia and has been translated! We have officially begun the waiting period for a referral of our baby girl! The waiting time is about 7 months for a girl right now because in the last year there have been a lot more boyd born than girls. Currently, I feel very patient on the Lord's timing and at a peace, but it is only month one.

In the community of Lafayette there are ten other families that we know of that are adopting from Ethiopia. One family has a court date, one has their referral, and several are very close to receiving a referral. It is very exciting to be part of this small and supportive community.

Thank you for your support. We probably will not know much for a few months. Please keep our daughter in your prayers, who knows, she might even be born into this world on this very day.

Love,
Rita, Wes and Toby

Fall Pics

2008-11-05T10:07:00.002-05:00

Pepe La Pew

2008-11-03T15:06:00.002-05:00

Toby caught onto Trick or Treating really fast. It is amazing how candy motivates one. We had a wonderful time with our cousins and they all looked so cute!

Toby's Two! Choo Choo!

2008-10-06T13:37:00.004-04:00

Toby really liked his "Choo choo" cake.
Toby the naked engineer!
Toby with our friend Matt. Toby loves to tell stories about his boats. He espcially likes to tell of daddy going skiing. He doesn't seem to remeber that mommy went skiing too.
Toby's birthday party. Thankfully, it was a beautiful day outside. Matt sang some children songs with his beautiful opera voice. It was a special treat.
Toby knew what to do when it was time to blow out the candles. Blowing out birthday candles is a wonderful tradition, but a simple one too.

Fall Activities

2008-09-21T11:39:00.003-04:00

Toby enjoyed a trip the Indianapolis Children's Museum last week. We had to go to Indy to be fingerprinted for the adoption process, so we decided to make outing of it. He loved the "choo choo" trains!
This is a very interesting and a very challenging job I am sure. We really enjoyed watching this man dust off the the glass sculpture at the museum. I could never have that job, I am to much of a klutz.

We enjoyed a boating trip with our friends yesterday. We even went skiing and swimming on September 20th.
Toby with his Great Grandma Roberts at their cottage on the Tippecanoe River.

Let the Good Times Roll

2008-09-16T09:55:00.002-04:00

Sitting by the creek with Brock.
A new hobby.
Hurley Camp 2008 T-shirt.

Our Trip to the Pacific Northwest

2008-09-04T11:49:00.004-04:00

Our family took a trip to visit our cousin Leslie and the Pacific Northwest. We had a fabulous time together and kept very busy because there is so much to see, kinda like taking a vacation to Indiana. Above:The Pacific Ocean, Toby and Rita's first look at it.
A ride up the Space Needle.
An excursion to Mt. Rainier.

A hunt for star fish.
Olympic Peninsula
Hurricane Ridge.
Toby's favorite vacation activity.
A big big tree. Toby has been hugging trees ever since he witnessed his mommy and daddy giving this big tree a hug.

LUM Camp

2008-09-04T11:15:00.003-04:00

August was really crazy for us. I think all of us were home for a total of seven days. I fulfilled my responsibilities as LUM Camp assistant director and had a super time. We took over seventy children from Lafayette to a four day/three night camp. The theme was the Olympics since they were starting that week in China. We had the Purdue fencinging team, swim team, and crew team represented as they taught the children about some of the different sports in the Olympics. I love this part of my job!

Riddle: What weighs 1.1lb?

2008-07-29T17:15:00.001-04:00

Answer: The amount of blueberries one adult can pick with the assistance of a 21 month old.

Day with Daddy!

2008-07-22T13:38:00.003-04:00

"Dude' is what Toby like to day when wearing these sporty shades.

Toby loves a good joke!

My First Piano and Adoption

2008-07-17T19:10:00.003-04:00

Last week we had a piano given to us, what a nice gift! We've all been having fun with it. We especially love to see Toby climb up to play a "little diddy".
It is not very often that Wes and I have our picture taken without Toby, so I thought we'd post our latest and most significant photo. If we look strained at all it is because we are holding the camera in front of us. Not to bad, right? This photo will be sent all the way to Ethiopia in our adoption packet. By the way, did you all know we are in the process of adopting a baby girl? It is no longer a secret! We are working on our paperwork and we hope to have a referral and travel by next summer to pick up our sweet baby girl. Please pray for our baby and for us, we'd appreciate it greatly. I also want to mention that we are having a cookout tomorrow night with seven other families in Lafayette who are also in the process of adopting from Ethiopia, isn't that amazing!

A Trip to the Strawberry Patch!

2008-06-28T16:11:00.001-04:00

Toby's "Bebe" and hat came out of the patch with a few stains, imaginet that.

Toby's High Tower

2008-06-03T11:21:00.004-04:00

Hi Andrea! These first two pictures are for you, but both of them are old pictures. The first picture is our back yard where we love to play and the second is the front of our house.

Last night Wes and I were talking to one another about how it was probably time for us to put Toby to bed. Toby slipped into the kitchen and returned to living room holding his sippie cup and a jug of milk that he had taken out of the fridge by himself. I guess he thought "goodnight milkies" was a great idea that he needed to make happen.

Update!

2008-04-17T10:38:00.002-04:00

Toby has definately learned the meaning of "treat", he recieved this sucker by picking up candy that had fallen from a pinata. I was amazed at how much candy he picked up in a short amount of time. Way to go Baby!
Because of the many birthdays that have taken place recently, Toby has had many "boons" to play with. I think he is finally tired of them after 20 days of play.
This is Wes! He is dressed for his 30th birthday party. It was an eighties theme, which is why he is wearing a mullet (business in front and party in the back). His birthday cake is a replica of his third birthday cake. He is posing in the same manner that he did when he was three. Pretty goofy guy!

Easter Fun

2008-03-25T10:07:00.003-04:00

We dog sat for a week and Toby gained a new best friend, Luke.

Toby with his cousins... Alvin, Brianna, and Brittney

ROJO the Fish

2008-03-03T09:51:00.002-05:00

Toby received his first pet last week. Rojo is a male Betta fish. Toby really likes to see his fish swish around.

Odds and Ends

2008-02-15T17:26:00.004-05:00

Good Winter Friends

2008-01-29T11:24:00.000-05:00

Tobias visited his Michigan friend, Elise. They were very sweet with one another and many kisses were exchanged. However, after 40 hours of togetherness they were ready to part ways. Tobias was pretty exhausted from the fun and took at three and a half hour nap on the way home. Thanks for the great time!

Andrea and Elise Long with Toby and Rita

Classic Spagetti Photo

2008-01-23T12:15:00.000-05:00

Before you get too disgusted, please note that the "booger" is only a small piece of meat that he has unknowingly placed in a hilarious position (or maybe he does know?).

Christmas Photos

2008-01-05T10:46:00.000-05:00

More pictures...

2007-12-19T09:28:00.000-05:00

Toby's first Christmas toy. A taxi cab from India. Thank you Toby, Andrea, and Elise.
Sledding and playing in the snow. Great boots Grandma and Grandpa!
Toby and I are pictured with my "little sis", Racheal. We spend a lot of time together through the Big Brothers and Big Sisters program. It turns out that she is my neighbo and can walk over anytime and she loves to play with Toby too.

A stellar smile.
Naked time!
Toby with his friend Emma.
Daddy and Toby spiffed us for a wedding.
Mommy tried to be spiffy too.

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-15T08:45:00.000-05:00

Decorating with a Toddler

2007-11-28T16:05:00.001-05:00

Toby and cousin Brock
The Hurley Clan (11 kids 7 and under by Jan.)

Cute from Every Angle

2007-11-13T11:45:00.001-05:00

Cowardly Lion with a Big Heart

2007-11-01T10:37:00.001-04:00

Enjoying the Fall!

2007-10-22T15:31:00.001-04:00

A ride on a wild train!

A snuggle with Cortney. She is a friend of ours who is a missionary in Thailand and has missed out on fall for 4 years, so we tried to several fall activities while she was here. Thank you so much for coming Cortney. Love you.

I couldn't resist putting this picture of my delighted nephews on the blog.

Toby enjoying his first batch of chili. He loves the beans.

A close look at a goat.

Toby experiencing his first flannel shirt.

Rita diving into a carmel apple with Wes close at hand.

I Finally Added the Title Bar to my Template!

2007-10-09T15:50:00.000-04:00

The Annual Roberts Campout! *Toby's birthday celebration as well.

2007-10-04T21:26:00.000-04:00

Sorry, I cannot figure out how to rotate this video so if you want to watch it I guess you will have to rotate your head. If you know how to rotate videos, please let me know.

2007-09-26T18:12:00.001-04:00

A Happy Early Birthday Party!

2007-09-14T11:13:00.001-04:00

Big Boy Tober!

2007-09-05T11:31:00.000-04:00

The Longs (Toby, Andrea, and Elise) of Marquette, Michigan. We took a much anticiapated vacation to Marquette, Michigan (Upper Penisula) to visit the Longs and Door County, Wisconsin. We stayed very close to Lake Superior and Lake Michigan and enjoyed the water very much. Marquette is a very charming town and Midwesterners should definately take a trip up there if they can.

Toby would let out a cry when we would take him away from his beloved rocks.

Wes and his friend, Toby, take on the waves of Lake Superior in this great sailboat! This was definately Wes's highlight to our vacation. Thank you Toby and Andrea for hosting us and being such wonderful friends. We could of stayed for days. We love you.

Sunset in Door County Wisconsin

Toby getting sweet with his friend Elise!

Mommy and Toby relaxed and daddy did the rowing. A perfect afternoon!

2007-08-23T13:03:00.001-04:00

Packing for vacation! We didn't want to forget Toby!

"Shades of Death" State Park

Sweet waterfall!
Toby before surgery.... Toby's surgery went great! He hardly complained afterwards and used pain medicine for only a day. He has only 10 toes now.

2007-08-11T21:20:00.000-04:00

Walking?! Toby started to use his walker this week and has gotten the hang of it. I counted 26 steps one time and he is even turning corners and moving from the hardwood to the carpet without too much difficulty. I think he is pretty excited about this new skill. He tried to run over a pillow and launched himself forward over the walker, but got up and tried to walk some more. He is so much fun to watch and play with.

We all spent a week at the camp put on by Lafayette Urban Ministry. Wes was a counselor, I did programming and Toby was a camper (sort of). Toby had his Aunt Casey, Meemaw, and Aunt Callie there to watch him throughout the week. We had a wonderful time but we were all glad to home again where Toby sleeps much better.

2007-07-09T14:22:00.000-04:00

Fourth of July
Toby with cousin Brittany
Toby snoozes with Uncle Wade
Toby an Papaaw
"C'mon mommy, I am ready for the water!"
Toby and Meemaw

2007-06-28T21:19:00.000-04:00

Children's Museum of Indy

I belive there were 17 of us that went on this outing (all cousins and aunts). Thankfully the adults outnumbered the children 9-8. It was great fun.

2007-06-26T15:24:00.000-04:00

Bathtime Fun! "Pick me mommy, I want to go swimming!"
Toby's backside.
"Teach me daddy, I am a fast learner"
Toby with Captain Sharkbait (it's VBS week at church)

2007-06-23T15:16:00.000-04:00

Back to Blogging!
Thank you mom for coming and rescuing me. We've had a lot of company lately, but my mom saved the day and helped clean our house and play with Toby.
Our friends from Thailand came to visit us. John and Nut loved playing with Tobias. We had a great time with them. We even got to take them bowling for the first time in their lives. They are missionaries to the Akha people in Thailand and are Akha themselves.

Tobias loves to chase this ball around our house. He has become a very fast crawler. A couple of days ago he climbed up two stairs. Yikes!

2007-05-29T14:19:00.000-04:00

A Trip to Michigan for Studies and Fun! Toby and I spent a week with Wes in Holland, MI while he was in his intensives for seminary. The beach was beautiful and Toby had his first experience in sand and he didn't cry too much when he did a face plant. After staying at the little cottage in the woods for 5 days, we went to meet up with good friends that Wes made when he was in college. Tobias is pictured below with the other person he was named after, our good friend Toby Long.

Mommy and Toby at the beach.
Yummy!
This is the little cabin in the woods we stayed in when we were in Holland.
Tobias with his friend Evan Trieu, he is the son of one of Wes' s friends from college, Vinh.
Toby with his friend Elise. After 48 hours together they warmed up to each other. Elise is the daughter of our friends, Toby and Andrea Long.

2007-05-15T09:14:00.000-04:00

Daddy, I am calling for help, do you hear me?
Mommy says I look adorable and she keeps taking pictures of me. I know that you would save me from this crime if you were here.
But for now, I will just make goofy faces so she will tire of this ridiculousness.

2007-05-14T20:42:00.000-04:00

Check me out daddy! Mommy caught me on my knees. I'm a big boy!

2007-05-14T18:36:00.000-04:00

Hey Daddy! This first picture is for you. Love, Toby
Fun with my son! Today was a wonderful day. Toby and I took a drive to Indy to visit my cousin, Alaina, and her two adorable boys. Toby wasn't sure about the pool at first, but he stayed in for probably 20 minutes and had a great time with Calvin and Patrick. Thanks Alaina!

2007-05-06T18:24:00.000-04:00

Bath time is so sweet! 7 months old.
Toby with his Grandpa Hurley. They are sporting the same Purdue cap.
Sweet Safari!
A mad looking yawn!

2007-04-21T10:13:00.000-04:00

A Special Trip to the Jewell Farm! Have you ever been to someones property that you love and wish you could explore? The Jewell Farm is that special place for Wes and I. We met this lovely couple two years ago through Lafayette Urban Ministry, Rita's workplace, and they have owned the property for 32 years. Once a year Wes and I would take 20 elementary students to play on the land. We loved it and the kids love it too. The property has it all: ravines, ponds, waterfalls, Indian Burial Mound, amazing creek/river, a huge rock face, swings, and awesome trees. This year since I no longer run the afterschool program at LUM we were not able to go, but Wes has been bugging me to call and ask if we could tromp around anyway. I really do not know these people very well, but I finally called them and they graciously said "yes" and we went the very same day that we called. We all had a wonderful time. The place is gorgeous, Wes thought we were in the Garden of Eden. The best thing is that it is nearby. Anyway, Wes said I should post 5 pictures, but I loved every angle of Toby with his flower.

2007-04-18T16:13:00.000-04:00

Naked Baby! Wes once heard that a six month old is the best age for naked baby shots. So we are doing our job and taking a bunch of them. He is sure to be a heartbreaker.

2007-04-11T16:23:00.000-04:00

Toby and Cousin Brock are quite the pair. It took several shots to get this because Brock was always ready to get up and run. He is an impressive walker for being 9 months old.

Nephew Caleb's third birthday was last week and he was showing me how he could wink. Too Cool!

Landon also turned 3 this past week and he is a riot just like Caleb. They know how to party.
Easter morning.
Easter morning. Toby was so excited to be with daddy that his arms were flapping so fast that it was hard to get a decent picture.

2007-03-30T10:19:00.000-04:00

Wes's CD Release Party is on April 7th at 7pm. It will be held at Sacred Grounds Coffee Shop (724 Wabash Ave) in Lafayette, IN. Please come and join us if you can.

2007-03-30T10:08:00.000-04:00

A trip to visit old friends and a chance to visit the mountains was exactly what Wes and I needed for a refreshing vacation. The night before we left for VA, Wes and I both had dread in our hearts because we knew the trip could be a disaster if Toby did not like his car seat for the 11 hour trip there and the 11 hour trip back. Thankfully, he did great and only cried the last 25 minutes of our journey home. We were so thankful.
Toby is sporting his bear pajamas in bear country.
Toby gives love to his namesake, Virginia Tobias, which is one of the main reasons we went to VA.

2007-03-15T11:09:00.000-04:00

Toby loves to do the airplane, but in the last day or two we have see him put both knees under him with his fanny in the air. He is another step closer to crawling. Yikes.
Thank you to Erin, Jeff, and Maji who got me my sweet sailing shirt. I love it. I've been practicing my terminology so we can go sailing someday soon. Love, Toby
I (Rita) could not hold back in slipping a picture of Wild Wild Wes onto our blog. During the Lenten Season we've been doing an Avalanche Ranch program with the children and here is a look at our finest cowboy. Wes, I hope you are not too embarrassed when you see this posted-it is in the name of love.

2007-03-12T16:22:00.000-04:00

Growing Up is Hard on Mom and Dad

I am certainly struggling with the fact that each day Toby gets older. I love each stage (so far) and although I get really excited to see Toby's new skills, I also grieve that he is no longer a small bundle who enjoys snuggling 80% of the time. Toby has been rolling all over the place, sitting for small periods of time, and enjoys dropping his toys from the high chair. The whole family loves to play together and we are looking forward to the beginning of spring. We have already been on several stroller rides and Toby and daddy went on a long hike the other day.

2007-02-20T14:45:00.000-05:00

Turkey Run State Park is a beautiful place to visit in Indiana, especially after a big snow storm. We headed there this past weekend with Wes' s family, it is an annual outing. We spent lots of time playing in the snow and swimming. As you can see, Toby experienced both of these adventures for the the first time. He tolerated both of the excursions.

2007-02-03T10:37:00.000-05:00

Toby is 4 months old!
We haven't been able to post for the last month for various reasons, but I can finally catch you up on some Toby pictures. Sorry if this is overkill, but I couldn't decide on which pictures to post (and I really did limit myself). In this picture, as you can see, Toby is geering up for the big game. Since he was born in Lafayette he is rooting for the Colts, but daddy and mommy say "Go Bears".

Toby is doing a great job of mimicking his dad.

What is Toby thinking? Get this camera out of here!

Toby, where are you?
Someone is
sitting in Papa Bear's Chair.

Wes and Toby relaxing on a nice winter day.

2006-12-26T16:40:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas!