And It’s June

Does anyone else realize it is June?

I am not sure what is keeping me from believing that!!

Maybe it’s the cold weather here at Twin Oaks?

We did have an AMAZING summer like week last week!!

It was fabulous.

SO wanted.

SO needed!!

Summer must be here!

Just look at these photos of Twin Oaks I took back in May as things were getting so green!

We are embracing our land this year and it makes me SO happy!

We bought our first piece of landscape!!

A beautiful tree!

The guys planted it for me and someday it will be surrounded by other landscape, Lord willing!

We also hung a swing in one of our trees!

Since then we have moved it to a different tree closer to the house, and every time I look out the window someone is on that swing!

On Memorial Day as it was pouring and pouring rain, Grant, Chad and I went shopping for Grant’s new place.

These two finished up our little re-do of our island!

Isn’t it pretty?!

And what a great photo you get when you have a painter’s light shining right on you!

Even though it’s June we are still doing many of the same things we always do!

Bible times, chores, a smidgen of school in the mornings (or sometimes in the afternoon), cooking, lots of eating, lots of reading and playing games!

We also visit Briar and her people a couple times a week!

Our favorite place to be!

And now Briar and her people have new kitties!

Kay, Briar and I went to Costco in Madison over a week ago, and let me just say – WISH IT WAS CLOSER!

We stocked up!

My favorite new treat are these granola bars.

Appointments are slowing down again, thank goodness.

We only had one recently (besides Shriner’s).

It was for some dental work for Tate, but nothing serious.

We have to go back one more time to finish it up!

Last week we were outside endlessly.

It was such a nice week!

Those boys do a great job taking care of the land!

Grant has been gone from home eleven days.

Anyone want to guess how many times he has been home for dinner?

I knew I could lure him in with food, ha, ha!

Out of those nine times we have eaten together (smile!), one of those times was at his new place!

We all went there for snack night on Sunday night – and it WAS THE BEST.

My guys are laying the foundation for our new pool!

This pool will stay up once it is up, so the foundation is important stuff!

We had a beautiful cooler breezy day Saturday while they worked on it!

Do you remember what summer means for us Moschels?

It means our Chinese cherubs gotcha-day anniversaries are coming up!

It also means that their China reports are due.

Did you know we send reports back to China about Tate and Eliza each year?

Yep!

It takes a huge chunk of time, but it is very rewarding to do them!

I have a BIG announcement to make – CHINA REPORTS FOR THIS YEAR ARE DONE.

Woohoo!!!!

Thank you very much.

Last but definitely not least –

This girl visited us last week!

Our sweet Hannah!

How I miss her!!

We had a great afternoon catching up and a wonderful meal together on the deck!

Thanks for visiting us Hannah!

We love you so much!

In this terribly busy season I am still watching the sun rise and set each day, and stopping to give thanks to the One who does that for us!!

Also stopping to praise the Lord for this terribly busy season, because it is full of very good things!

We are so thankful for you June!!

Excited to see what else the Lord has for us this month!!

Happy summer friends!!

River Salem Turns Two!

We just celebrated our Rivy boy’s 2nd birthday!

Wondering how our third grand baby can already be two years old?

Time is flying by!

We always love a reason, or even no reason, to visit Briar’s place – Shiloh Valley Farm!

River’s party was on a beautiful Sunday evening.

David had just built a new swing set for the kiddos, and it was enjoyed by us all as the party started outside!

I had just gotten a new phone with a GREAT camera, which gave me a GREAT reason to take lots of photos!

Just look at this chunky baby Kayla!

I mean chunky baby Briar – who looks EXACTLY like Kayla did as a baby!

We had a yummy baked potato taco bar for dinner!

Then it was time for River to open his presents!

HE IS SO CUTE!!

Kay made cupcakes for dessert, and I only tell you this because she made them safe for me!!

I know, I know.

I ate a cupcake!!

It was amazing!

Rivy was born on his Grandma Deb’s birthday, so we celebrated her too!

This video is THE BEST – make sure you watch to the end!

SO CUTE!!

That beautiful evening had almost everyone back outside again!

The boys had new toys to play with!

We had to drag ourselves away!

We never want to leave when we are there!

It was such a fun evening!

River Salem, you are such a heart breaker!!

You fill our lives with SUCH joy!!

It was WONDERFUL to celebrate you!!

I am so thankful you call me NaiNai!!

Happy, happy 2nd birthday, Rivy!!

WE LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!

Grant’s New Place

May was a whirlwind!

We helped Grant get ready to move into his own place.

It was a lot of fun – even though I do not like to shop and we shopped a lot!

Grant got a place two doors down from where David and Kay and their crew used to live before they moved to their farm!

It’s five minutes from Twin Oaks and kinda on the way to David and Kay’s farm….which is PERFECT!

We moved Grant in last Saturday, even though he was at work all morning.

I started the day in bed not feeling well, but the Lord gave me incredible strength to get up and make it through the whole day helping my crew.

Thankful, thankful!!

I always have the absolute cutest helpers, don’t you think?!

Does this look familiar?

There are a few differences compared to the unit David and Kay had, but not many!

The owner just painted Grant’s new place white, and it looked clean and bright.

Tate and Eliza checked out every nook and cranny and then played a fierce game of hide and seek!

The rest of us got busy cleaning (it needed it!) and carrying everything in.

Our second and last load!

These kiddos worked hard carrying all that stuff up the stairs and to the van.

Lunch break!

Thankful for these guys getting that foot of dust off the top of those cabinets!

GROSS.

Lookie who showed up!

Grant got right to work without even eating lunch.

I hope we never have to move that couch again, ha, ha, because it was SO HEAVY.

Putting the grill together!

The boys told me last night they are staying with Grant this weekend and grilling steaks on that new grill.

No, I was not invited! Ahem!

Looking good!

What a sweet little kitchen!

A quick dinner before calling it quits for the day!

These are the smiles you get when you ask people with food in their mouths to pose for a photo!

Grant Evan, we could not be more happy for you!

Your FIRST place!

Keep looking up with your eyes and heart firmly fixed on the Lord you love!!

And make sure you come back home OFTEN!!

WE LOVE YOU SO MUCH, G!!!!

Shriner’s Children’s Hospital

On Wednesday, May 22nd, Team Eliza got up bright and early to head to Shriner’s Children’s Hospital in St. Paul, Minnesota, for Eliza’s one year check-up with her pediatric orthopedic surgeon.

The trip to St. Paul is about three hours with no stops.

Eliza is a great traveler, especially when her Mama sits in the back seat with her!

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And when we watch DVD’s like The Letter Factory!

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Before we knew it, we were in the big city!

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Eliza had x-rays before she saw the surgeon, but they were easy peasy because she got to lie down and they only needed one view!

Shriner’s is an amazing place!

Their focus is always on the children!

Eliza got to pick a prize out of a hallway FULL of options.

Of course she chose a new blanket!

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We did not wait but one minute for the doctor.

He watched Eliza walk, checked her hip rotation, and then showed us those x-rays.

Imagine that! Eliza’s hips are improving!!!

We were just praying for STABLE…. But God!

Immeasurably MORE than we ask or even think!!!!

Blake and I both had tears in our eyes as we thought back to the tough decision in 2017 to wait on doing surgery not knowing if we were truly doing the right thing.

Now we know!!

Yes, please praise Jesus with us, will you?!

Eliza’s next recheck will be in one year!

We were done so quickly with our appointment, we decided to drive half-way home and then stop for some lunch.

The local Coop in Rochester was a great choice!

So many gluten-free options!

Eliza also got to pick out a “treat.”

She was so cute!

As we ordered her sandwich she said “Can I get one for Tate too?”

As we selected her drink she said “Can I get one for Tate too?”

As she picked her treat she said “Can I get one for Tate too? PLEASE MOMMY!”

Tate had quite the loot by the time we were finished eating and shopping at the Coop!!

BE STILL MY HEART.

Eliza slept the rest of the way home!

20190522_140716.jpgUsually we leave these medical appointment in an overwhelmed, get-me-some-coffee, I-need-a-nap kind of way.

NOT THIS TIME.

The appointments are getting easier and easier!

For our precious littles and for us too!!

YES! Please praise the Lord with us again!

Thank you, Jesus, for all your are doing for the health of Eliza!

And Tate too!

We are SO THANKFUL!!