Play Ball!

Meron is officially a "baller" now that she is playing in a fall tee-ball league...








Daddy couldn't be any prouder of ya girl!

Every Day

I thank Him every. Single. Day. For these girls...

Thankful For These Kind of Friends

We are so thankful for these guys right here...


For Parker's birthday - they turned their house into a carnival, invited a bunch of people to come over and play... and also..


asked them to bring formula for Brighton Their World!


Thanks so much Parker for sacrificing some of your birthday so that little guys across the globe might eat!

Terribly Cute Rock Star

Smile FAIL

Yeah... we're still working on that...

Stunned Painters

Caught 'em in the act of painting - shirt-free to stay mess-free!

We're On A Bag

They convinced me to stack the bean bags on the couch so they could chill in them... oh forget - who am I kidding - it was MY idea...





But they LOVED it...

Wiggle Worms

Tonight we met up with some of the coolest people we know at our favorite hangout spot - Yogli Mogli...


These guys spoil us rotten and tonight was no different - thanks so much for the toys for Meron and Mebrate!


With these two wiggle worms - it's about impossible to get a good photo anymore!

We'll take what we can get!

God Is Great, Good Is Good

Taking cues from her big sister - Mebrate won't dig in now without reciting her good old fashioned "God is great, God is good..." blessing...

So cute to watch (though Meron kinda overpowers her here!)

Take Me Out To The Ball Game

AL East Champs!

We love us some Yankee baseball around here. Looking forward to October...

K-9 Progress

If you have been anywhere near our house during the last 5 weeks - you would know just HOW BIG OF A DEAL this photo is...

Our girl has made some serious progress in her relationship with Sir Clayton Baker Hoffman (aka "Clay Bear"). Largely in part to her awesome big sister helping her overcome the fear now she'll hug him. She'll kiss his nose. She'll pet him.

And she'll smile about it afterwards.



Thankful for a house that's ALMOST back to normal (or well... our new normal at least)...

No Better Picture

Adoption. Redemption. Christ's love.


One of the pastors at our church this past Sunday said this in regards to Mebrate and how she is thriving:

"There is no better picture of Christ."

That is truth right there.

Adoption. Redemption. Christ's love.

I am so blessed to have experienced all of the above...

Goofball-itis

Meron and Mebrate got a super dope surprise this past week in the mail...


A big box full of some of the cutest clothes for them. Both girls were pumped but Mebrate in particular was SOOO excited (she gets really excited and proud over anything new or semi-new for her).

She kept tapping her chest and saying "Mebrate's!" with so much pride. Before I knew it - I looked over and she had 4 shirts on as she was pulling all her new clothes on immediately.


Big HUGE thanks to Roscoe and Elaine for their incredibly huge hearts and their selfless generosity - you guys made two little girls really, really happy.


And big HUGE thanks to God for making sure Meron has the goofball gene (and its ALWAYS in effect!) - she's a Hoffman through and through!

We Love To Fly

Man - we love to fly in this house. I mean... we soar pretty much every day. Wide open and screaming with glee.

I love that my girls love to fly.

I love that they have so much trust in me that they just fly out of my arms and fling their arms and bodies wide open - knowing full well that they will be caught. Cuz their daddy is right there for them.

I learn so much from these two. This right here is a picture of how I am supposed to be with God. Wide open, screaming with glee, knowing He is there for me. Somehow - I manage to not live my life like this all the time with Him. But when I do... man... when I do.... the love He pours out astounds me.

Meron... Mebrate... thank you for the lessons in trust and love you give me pretty much daily.

I am one blessed dude.

Papa and Grandma Judy

Mebrate finally got to meet her Papa and Grandma Judy. It was happy faces all around...


I love watching the smiles come out as people get Meronated and Mebrate-ized!

BFFs

Just Hanging Out

The smiles don't seem to quit. I love it.

Hairy

Laura was doing Mebrate's hair tonight when Meron said:

"Mommy - are you making her hair all round like a bowl?"

Calling it like she sees it. I love it.


Laura's response was "Yep. I am."


I love that they each have such different unique hair.


It's what makes them... them.


I wish I had a tiny piece of what either of them have.

An M&M Sandwich

Aunt Connie came down to visit this weekend and before she knew it she found herself in an "M&M Sandwich."


Something tells me she didn't mind one bit!


Thank you Connie for loving our girls the way you do!

Jeans Day

Today was Jeans Day for the girls in the house...


It was obviously "Can't Stand Up Will Fall Over and Giggle" day as well...


Love watching these girls laugh together.


Also spent some time today explaining some stuff about 9/11 to Meron. Lots of incredibly raw, emotional footage on TV today.

We'll never forget that day...

Cooling Down

When Mebrate first came home she was on fire. I mean... literally. Holding her felt like cuddling up to this:



So much so that I was worried... did she have a fever? Nope... core temperature was good. But hold her for a few minutes and you were sweating and you could just feel the heat coming off of her.

Then we read about stress-related body heat. When exposed to something extremely stressful some people's bodies will react by getting SUPER HOT while at the same time their fingers can be freezing. She definitely had that going on.

It's sad to think about what all these little tiny bodies have been through.

A few nights ago I was rocking her before bedtime. She's a cuddler and she crawled up real tight with her arms around my neck and I realized... she's not burning up!

I whispered "I love you Mebrate" into her ear and I heard her tiny sweet accented voice from its spot burrowed in my neck say:

"I love you dah-dee."

And a smile crept across my face.


Thank you God for being with our girl as her heart and mind and body slowly starts to acclimate to her new normal...

Coolest Small Group Ever

I seriously never tire of seeing this group of kids together. Ever. I love them.

I know life has all kinds of adventures ahead of it for all of them but I hope they somehow, some way manage to stay in each other's lives forever.

They're just that cool...