The kids want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving:
- Home Life & Family
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November24th
Happy Thanksgiving!!
Author: Casey | Posted in: Home Life & Family
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June29th
My Daddy
Author: Mary Beth | Posted in: Home Life & Family
My daddy is 3 years old.
My daddy’s name is Casey.
My daddy weighs 15 years pounds and is 3 feet tall. (He insisted on 15 years pounds.)
My daddy has black hair and brown eyes. Read More | Comments -
May17th
5 Months in Pictures
Author: Mary Beth | Posted in: Home Life & Family
I was just scrolling through our blog and realized that I haven’t updated about our family since Christmas! Well, we’ve been busy. I rarely am able to write a full paragraph without interruption, which means non-essential blogging has been on the back burner. But today, a sweet friend came over to play with the kids and give me a break, so I now have the chance to blog. Here’s a summary of the last five months at the Picker house.
In January, we were surprised by a wonderful snow day, a rare treat around here.
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December31st
Farewell 2010
Author: Mary Beth | Posted in: Home Life & Family
The year of 2010 has been a year of incredible blessings for our family, but it’s also been a whirlwind of activity and change. It’s amazing to think that a year ago, we had not decided for certain if we were ready to pursue our second adoption. We didn’t even click “send” on our application to Holt until January 7, and here we are, less than a year later, with our baby girl who’s been home for nearly five months. What a completely unpredictable blessing!
We are so thankful for Evelyn. We know that God hand-picked her for our family, and her beautiful smile and precious giggle bring us so much joy. And while, the process was not at all what we expected, we see God’s hand in it, providing for both her and us.
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December30th
Christmas with the Pickers
Author: Mary Beth | Posted in: Home Life & Family
Our Christmas was beautiful, loud, fun, crazy, sweet, overwhelming, and slightly out-of-control, all the things we’ve come to expect from life here at the Picker house.One of my favorite new traditions that we began this year was our Jesse Tree. The Jesse Tree was a great way to celebrate Advent with young children. Every night we read a story from our Jesus Storybook Bible . . . Read More | Comments
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December22nd
Nine Years
Author: Mary Beth | Posted in: Home Life & Family
Nine years ago, three days before Christmas, I said “I do,” to an amazing man. People said we were crazy to get married that close to Christmas, only the first of a series of times that we would be told we were crazy. I hope we never quit hearing it.
Our Christmas wedding was beautiful. It was chilly outside, but inside the church we were surrounded with love and warmth. My daddy gave me away, and Casey’s dad pronounced us “husband and wife.”
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December20th
It’s a Wonderful Life
Author: Mary Beth | Posted in: Home Life & Family, Inspiration
Last weekend my family came over to watch It’s a Wonderful Life together. It’s a family tradition to watch it every year. We’ve watched it so many times that we can quote almost every line, and we know all kinds of trivia, like which ear George was deaf in, what Annie is actually saying in her last line, whose portrait hangs in George’s study, and the name of Uncle Billy’s wife.
So we piled in our living room and snuggled in to watch the movie, quite a challenge with five kids under five running around. It’s one of my favorite moments of the year. I love sitting close to my dad while we watch, since I’ve watched it so many times from his lap. He and this movie are so intertwined in my heart that I could never pull them apart.
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November1st
Halloween and Well Update
Author: Mary Beth | Posted in: Home Life & Family, Living Radically
This year has to go down as the best Halloween ever, in my opinion. Of course, that’s not saying much because I haven’t had that many great Halloweens. I only remember trick-or-treating a few times as a kid, and I HATE scary stuff so that has made me kind of dislike the holiday, overall. But this year, we had SO much fun! We moved into our new house last December, so I didn’t realize how awesome our neighborhood is on Halloween. Our streets were filled with kids and families. There were hayrides, chatting with neighbors, greeting friends at your door, oohing and ahhing over sweet little kids in their adorable costumes, and, my favorite part, watching my cute Buzz Lightyear learn how to trick-or-treat. Since Casey was a trick-or-treating pro, he tutored Caleb a bit in the beginning; after that, we waited in the street while Caleb went up to each door. It was so funny to listen in on the conversation. Sometimes he would just stand there silently when they opened the door. Sometimes he would remember to say, “Trick-or-treat!” If they asked him who he was, he would say, “Caleb Picker.” It was so funny. The little kids got a lot of attention too for basically being the cutest kids on the planet.
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September9th
First Day of Preschool
Author: Mary Beth | Posted in: Home Life & Family
We interrupt all of this Ethiopia and Orphan Care blogging to bring you . . . Caleb’s First Day of Preschool.
Let’s face it; it’s tough being the oldest, as I know from personal experience. For a few years you’ve got a sweet deal, and then your house starts filling up with little kids, and your once-relaxed parents become exhausted and stressed out. You think with longing of the “good ol’ days” when you had all of their attention to yourself. Ah . . . those days are OVER.
Our sweet little Caleb has turned into a wonderful big brother, but even the best big brother needs a break from time to time. This week Caleb started Preschool for the first time. He’s only going three mornings a week, but it’s the perfect chance for him to have some Big Boy Time away from all the craziness at home. I kind of wish I could join him.
Not the best picture of us, but I love that the little kids are banging on the windows. They never want to be left out.
So here they are with “Bubba” (yes, that’s what children call their brothers in The South).
And here’s Caleb, happy as a lark, just as I left him. He had no tears and barely even noticed when I left. I have to confess that I wiped away a few in the parking lot. I can’t believe how big he is. -
August23rd
More to come . . .
Author: Mary Beth | Posted in: Home Life & Family
In case you’re wondering if we’re still around . . . YES! We’re here. We made it home from Africa on Saturday, the 14th, but since then we have been so overwhelmed by jetlag and the adjustment to parenting THREE children under 5 that the blog has definitely taken a back seat. Re-entry has been difficult, but we will hopefully be rejoining civilization soon. Stay tuned for pictures and stories from our trip.
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