Weekend of Craziness

We had a WILD weekend around our house. My brother and sister-in-law had to fly to Florida unexpectedly because her grandmother passed away. My mother was out of town with her sisters so they had no one to watch their three children. Our kids were very excited when we said we would keep them. SO, this is how we ended up the proud parents of 7 children this weekend.

SEVEN children ages 5 and under!

I took this picture just to prove to everyone that I got 7 children up and ready for church by 8:40 am with no help! Zach has to be to church by 6:30 so I was on my own. I have to say they all look pretty cute too!

Naps were also a little interesting, although it was my children that were causing the problems. This is what Sophie decided to do during her nap time. She actually had the door totally blocked off so I had to squeeze in to take the picture. She is becoming a little OCD. She washes her hands at least 30 times a day and every day at nap time she folds all of her blankets and lines up anything that is in her room. It is actually quite impressive.

Lastly, we have been needing a new table in our eating area for a while now. Ours only had 4 chairs so Sophie and Addis both have to sit in highchairs. Sophie is beginning to protest and since she is almost three we felt like it was time for her to join us at the table. So, we took a trip to SAM'S CLUB (Zach jokes that it is the only club he has ever been to) today and purchased a new table. I really love it and we got a great deal!


It is actually a lot darker in person, but the flash lightened it up a bit. It fits our family well, though Zach's mom wanted to know why there weren't seven chairs. She is still hoping for more grand babies!

Gladney Family Gathering

So, we haven't posted in a while. We really should be better about it, but I am still not really sure how to do this whole blogging thing. Zach always does it for me, and I pretend like it is from me. (Like right now, as I lie in bed and he sits at the computer typing what I say.)

This weekend, we traveled to the great state of Oklahoma for a Gladney Family Association gathering. We got to meet a few of the families we have been stalking on the internet through blogland. It is odd when people know your name and details about your life and you have never actually met in person.

We met the Bottomly crew. Addis and Silas were big buds. Actually, I am not sure they paid that much attention to each other, but they were really cute together. It was the referral pictures of Silas that first awakened the call in us to adopt, so it was really cool getting to see our sons together.


We also got to meet the Silvestri's and Winter's. Tara and Eric took pictures of Addis when they traveled to Ethiopia to pick up their son Malak, and we took pictures of Rebekah and Ben's son Eli when we traveled to pick up Addis. It was awesome to see all of our boys together. It made us very excited for all of the families in Northwest Arkansas to bring home their babies.

Andrea (who did our home study), Natalie (Gladney), Nikki, Tara, Amy, me, Corrie (a NWA mom on the wait list), and Mary (Gladney).


Thanks Bottomly's for letting us crash at your place. We hope to get together with all the Oklahoma families again soon. Maybe next time we will bring ALL the kids.

Generational Blessing

In the early 60's, a man came into my grandfather's veterinary clinic in Austin to ask about a sick deer at a youth camp. What started with a trip to take care of a deer turned into a lifelong love for Camp Peniel in the hill country of Texas.

When I was four, my dad loaded up my brother and I to make the 10 hour trip to Marble Falls for our first Father and Son Camp weekend. It became a tradition, and we only missed one year of camp until we graduated high school.

This past weekend, I loaded up my four year old son to continue the tradition. Four generations of Kennedy's rode 10 hours to the Texas Hill Country to spend a weekend together.


Easton was so excited that he woke up his great grandfather (papaw) at midnight saying, "Get up! It is time to go!" My brother brought his son, Mark, for the first time as well. They had the time of their lives. We rode horses, shot guns, arrows, and slingshots, slept in a cabin and stayed up way past bed time. It was the ultimate man weekend.



In a generation where good fathers are the exception to the rule, our family continues to be an exception. And I am better because of that.

And Easton, Addis, Catherine, and Sophia will be the beneficiaries as well.

Thank you papa. Thank you Dad.