When Friends become Family

So I would have to say many of the greatest gifts I have received in my life come in the form of amazing and wonderful friends. I have always been so greatful for this and wonder how people make it through life without close friends. Our time in Columbia has been incredible, and we are so amazed that we have been given the chance to associate with so many wonderful people. They truly have become like family. Our kids are already asking to always stay in Missouri. They too recognize how fortunate they are to have so many great friends.

These past few months have been extremely trying on our family as we anticipate the arrival of the babies and as Moss has gone through the application and interview process for fellowship. Needless to say none of us has fared super well and we have just been "getting by". Well, our dear friends the Spriggs came to the rescue (it's not the first time of course) and lifted us out of the depths of helplessness and hopelessness. They cheered our spirits and recovered our home.

Angela had the kids working in full force and relocated all the clutter back to where it belonged, did laundry, cleaned bathrooms and bedrooms, and mopped floors. (And still had time to paint little girls' toenails.) Not to mention prepared all the meals of the day! What else could you ask for?

Dave and Moss on the other hand had their own list of projects to finish up. They spent the day painting the living room, the stairwell, and the bathroom. They also stayed up into the wee hours of the morning adjusting light fixtures and setting up our wireless modem.
We are so grateful for their kindness and generosity with their time and talents. They truly are family.

The Kids

Brooke- 2 1/2 years old- is a creative, determined, humorous, capable, talkative,lovable girl.

Jacob -nearly 5- is an inquisitive, particular, loving, tender, bright, enthusiastic fun kid.

Anna- nearly 7- is a helpful, creative, sensitive, friendly, shy, animal-loving, artistic, bright girl.

Mary- 8 years old- is clever, quick, focused, persistant, tender, helpful, outgoing, school-loving girl.

Family Photos

Fenberg Family 2008

(we included the twins in this photo)

We are very fortunate to have a friend (thanks Jessica) who was willing to haul her own 4 kids out so she could take our family pictures. It turned out to be a rather pleasant experience. Of course we were prepared for the worse, but warned our kids that we would be taking at least 100 pictures. Being outside instead of in a tiny little studio helped a lot. They were able to throw rocks and run around in between turns. (Not to mention, the company of the Beecher boys is always a big plus.)

3 months to Go

Well, many of you who do not get to witness my daily growth have requested a picture of my progress. All I can say is that I have a lot of very kind and convincing friends who had me totally believing I wasn't all that big yet. I guess I should have taken the disclaimer "for having twins" into greater consideration. Somehow I have never really viewed myself from this perspective, and I think I will continue to avoid it. I can only wait to see what the next 10-12 weeks brings.
Lets just say I only get to see my ankles once a day and that is when I get out of bed. I have to admire them for a brief moment before they are lost to the ever increasing edema. On the bright side, the increased water in my legs does seem to decrease the pain associated with the varicose veins I have been blessed with. My guess is the water retention must be acting as a compression mechanism. There is a bright side to everything!

Trick or Treating- The Grand Finale

Some how "trick or treating" just isn't the same after days of festivities (at least for me). The kids were thrilled to have some friends over to enjoy the festivities. Moss was out of town for interviews, so it was a huge blessing to have other families over. Right in the middle of all the fun Brooke broke a glow stick and the liquid got in her eye (I am firmly believe that a mom should never go anywhere alone with multiple children). I can't even imagine having had to haul all 4 kids home to wash out her eye. Luckily no harm done just some tears, which were cured with a little candy:) and the rest of the kids didn't miss a minute of candy collecting.

Halloween Fun

Our Little Lamb

Our little white poodle (last year and the year before she was pink)

Our fall tree fairy

And of course Batman. (Somehow I didn't get any other pictures of Jacob in all his muscles.)