Yay! It's September! :-)

Hello Dear Friends and Family! Thanks so much for your thoughts and prayers for my little surgery.  I sure appreciate all your care and concern!  The surgery went well, and I just had my post-op appointment to get the stitches out and to get the doctor's release to ease back in to using my left hand again without the splint! Yay!

So while I was away from the blog, it turned September, and though it isn't officially autumn yet according to the calendar, it IS in my mind and around our house! : -)   I LOVE FALL!!!!

Photo by Valerie!  Picture taken yesterday of Ben and one of her three litters of Pure Joy Labradors!

We also have some totally awesome, amazing, marvelous, grand, praise-the-Lord-loudly news!!!!!!  However, as much as we would love to shout this most fantastic news from the top of our hill . . . it can't be shared publicly just yet! So sorry, for leaving you hanging . . . but I just had to say this because I'm just bursting at the seams to say SOMETHING!!!!!  Oh, it is so hard!  But we must all be patient! ;-) So stay tuned for this wonderful news!

Oh, and one of my last posts was about Victoria's "walking pneumonia" sickness, and I'm so sorry for not updating you all on her recovery! Thanks so much for your prayers for her!  It took some time to heal and regain her strength, but she slowly recovered and is doing great now!

We're continuing to enjoy having Papa Bob and Meemom here, visiting for a couple more weeks.  It is so fun to have them next door, and get to see them regularly.  We love it!

Playing Scrabble with Papa Bob and Meemom!

 Brielle had her check-up yesterday at Seattle Children's hospital.  We're waiting to get the results on her blood draw to see if she is stable and can continue to wait for the better, more efficient and easy-to-administer, brand-new medications to be approved before she starts treatment for her condition.   Though it is always hard to face the reality of her condition each time we go for a check-up, we're so thankful there are treatments available, and of course, we have the most hope in our Great Physician to heal her in His way and time!

We are still waiting for the Lord's will with adding more blessings to our nest.   Our friends and helpers at Antioch Adoptions are still searching for us.  Thanks so much for your prayers for His will to be done in this process!  It is so hard to wait patiently!!

We've already entered into our birthday marathon season . . .starting with celebrating Kyle, Timmy and Joe.  (Well, so far, with their family activity of their choice!)  Kyle had his celebration with friends on the beach, with a sleep-over Friday night and playing volleyball and a BBQ on Saturday!  It was a lovely day, and we're so thankful for such awesome friends that came out again to bless Kyle with their presence!  Timmy and Joe wanted to stay overnight on Saturday night and go to the arcade and skate-board/bike/scooter park in Seaside on Sunday.  It was a ton of fun!  I think everyone had a great time!  (Pictures to come!)

I am sure there are lots of other things that happened around here in two weeks, and that are currently happening, but I'll try to catch up slowly!

For now, here's a few pictures of our annual family day out at the Puyallup Fair and rodeo last Friday.  We always enjoy the rodeo so much! 

Family picture that Timmy took ~ so the Fam minus Timmy in this one!

There's Timmy!



 Bareback Bronc riding

 So, the picture below was snapped just before this cowboy came off the horse with his hand still nestled snuggly in the rope or whatever it is that holds his hand in place.

 In the picture below, the cowboy is sandwiched in between the two horses.

 Team calf roping - sorry for the blurry picture . . .it was hard to get  good one!
It's great that this is one rodeo skill that is actually useful! ;-)

 Saddle Bronc Riding

 Individual calf roping!

Love the way the horses come to a screeching halt like this . . .

 This rodeo clown is always so entertaining and funny!

He makes us laugh a lot, and is one of the best parts of the rodeo1

 Okay, now to the bull riding!

Look at the bull's hind leg on the cowboy's shoulder! Yikes!

 Run, Cowboy, run!!!

 Here, the bull looks to be smiling for the camera! : -)

 This bull didn't want to go back behind the gates.

How do you get a bull to do what you want it to do?

 Sometimes it takes a while . . .

 Ouch! This one looks painful!

 Wow, I'm not sure what possesses these guys to have this as their profession.  ;-)

I doubt it is for the money!

 That's all folks!