My family is all together!

Jeff got home on schedule--his parents came down for a few days--to see him and to help with the kids so we could have a few hours to ourselves. The first night all eight of us were sleeping under the same roof, I had such a sense of peace. It is as it should be.

Our teenage has decided to stay--we started the adoption paperwork and sometime at the end of summer, she will be one of us officially. (And she'll be able to homeschool!)

Still no news on our LB--there's a court date this week--maybe we'll know more then.... Papa and Nana sure bonded with him, though. He feels like one of ours, too.

Fun stories:

We were going to go meet Papa and Nana for dinner and we were running a few minutes late. Taj was starting to get nervous and kept pointing out that we were supposed to be there in one minute--then NOW. I told him Papa and Nana wouldn't put us in front of a firing squad if we were a few minutes late. He asked what a firing squad was. I told him they put a blindfold on you, put a lit cigarette in your mouth, then a bunch of guys fired guns at you and killed you. Taj was silent for a few minutes. Then he said, "That's okay. They don't allow guns in the restaurant.... Or smoking."

Then at dinner we were telling my in-laws about the pending adoption. I told them that she would be keeping her last name. They asked what her last name was. She told them--then Aria piped in with "Brass Knuckles". When we stopped laughing, "Brass Knuckles" and I told the story of how she acquired her alias. (Ask her sometime--it's a great story!)

The first night Jeff was home, Zadina physically attached to him--and she must have said, "I love you, Daddy" about a hundred times. Last night she said, "My Mom and Dad" several times--I think she just likes saying them together. Then she said, "My Mom and Dad say, 'no, no, no.'"

Sascha is very aware of "Dad-dee". She always knows where he is--and seeks him out when he leaves the room.

LB has warmed up to him also--I think it helps that I'm having Jeff give him his naptime bottles and his nightly ice cream after dinner.

Other good news: My friend in Chicago safely had her baby girl--they are home and doing nicely. My cousin in AZ is getting married next week--and a friend in Omaha is getting married at the end of May.

Jeff's still narrowing down the motorcycle he wants--we'll probably have that sometime next week.....