Family-isms....

"Put on my baby soup?".....no, this is not a type of stew Savanna is suggesting, but rather what she calls her "bathing suit"! The kids have so many funny pronunciations of things, that some of them have just stuck, and we find ourselves all 6 using these "Savanna and Samuel - isms" - just for fun!



Another great one is "I beeya beeya beeya ..." for "I'll be right back"....Evidently, when we first got the kids, if we ever left a room temporarily we would be careful to say "I'll be RIGHT BACK". Because one day, Savanna was about to exit a room, but she stopped, looked at us meaningfully, and said "I beeya beeya beeya ..."....



"Si-lay" has turned into a new nick name for Silas because it was how Samuel and Savanna pronounced it for so long... He even calls himself that a lot now...



"moto car" - not many Americans call their vehicles this, but again, when S & S used it over and over (and sang it over and over every time we got in the van), it just stuck...



"Mama, I wan' play train-guh!" = seems like it'd be easier for him to say "train", but he just can't stop adding the "guh" at the end...so of course, Josiah has adopted the new pronunciation!....



some others include:

"Wallow" ("water")

"sitee" (sit)

"sockies" (socks - which by the way, I can't seem to pry off of Samuel. Everyday he comes down the stairs dressed in socks and tennis shoes, and everyday I send him back up to put on sandals telling him its too hot for "sockies"....To which he usually replies "Samuel no ot!" b/c he also has trouble with h's at the start of words - just ask Mrs. "Ah-ddy")

"book-ah" (again, Samuel always has to add an extra syllable!)

"Sho-siah" (Josiah)

"Music no too loud!" - Please turn up the music!

Words they have NO trouble pronouncing include: TV, cool aid, and Bible Study...go figure?



Hope you enjoyed a taste of our little "isms" .... we've had a lot of fun (along with many challenges) listening to their English come along, and are very amazed at how far they've come. But I must say I'll be sad when Savanna stops asking to put on her "baby soup"....its just so sweet and so "Savanna"....
This is Savanna with her newest cousin "baby Finn" (whose parents, Doug and Julie, she renamed "Papa Finn" and "Mama Finn")...

Samuel and Savanna's first views of the ocean!

Yesterday evening we arrived at Orange Beach in AL and our two newest children experienced the ocean for the first time....and loved it! But on top of that, our second oldest, Josiah has been to the beach a few times, but never been allowed to go in the water due to his trach (waves are too unpredictable and the water would've gone straight into his lungs!). So it was a cool experience for Art and I to have and watch them have! We were only able to enjoy the beach last night and today, though, as the oil has finally made its way to the shore now, and we'll most likely be staying away from the beach and hanging out at the pool.

But we're here with a large number of extended family and having a ball! (As my Aunt Linda pointed out today, S & S are probably thinking, "wow, we've moved in with some crazy people, and now they've brought us here to meet a whole bunch of other crazy people!").....

Savanna is completely captivated by her newest cousin, "Finn", constantly asking, "Where baby Finn?...".....Samuel is in love with the pool and cousin Doug's "claw" routine....... Josiah is enjoying getting some loving attention from his Sipes cousins.....Silas is enjoying his "twin" cousin (they are 3 months apart) ..... And tomorrow they will meet about 60 more cousins they've never met at the Headrick family reunion in Pensacola!

Made contact with a neat African Adoption Fellowship Group here in Nashville that meets once a month and can't wait to get to know them soon! (and hopefully get some help with Savanna's hair once it finally grows long enough to braid!!!)

Thanks for checking in!

We are here!

Like the "Who's" in Who-ville (Dr. Seuss), we feel like shouting "WE ARE HERE!"

Still have many boxes to unpack and "junk" to sort, but have been enjoying the warmth of the climate and the people here in Nashville, TN for one week now! The kids have been swimming in the neighborhood pool everyday, attending VBS at a local church (Longhollow), and hanging out with their Uncle Jonathon and cousin Samantha who came for a few days to visit!

The first couple of days at the pool, I thought I would never be able to take all four of them by myself (Samuel and Savanna's fearlessness + their complete inability to swim = disaster!!!). But now after 5 or 6 days, they are both swimming underwater and having a ball! It's been amazing to watch them - especially Savanna who apparantly is a little "water bug"!

We certainly miss all of our friends and "family" in the Southwest, but Josiah has not worn oxygen ONCE since leaving the Sangre de Cristo mountains which were our home for the last 3 1/2 years, so we know the decision to move was definitely the RIGHT one. Silas came home from VBS the first day saying "I've met my new best friend", and they have all been calling the church we have visited here once "our new church".....all in all, everyone is doing well. Art is adjusting to work here, although putting in some long hours to catch up from the move and anticipating a little vacation we're taking this weekend to the beach with my side of the family.

Unfortunately we don't have internet hooked up yet so I'm writing this from Chick-fil-a while the kids are going wild....I'll try to post some new photos of my "swimmers" this weekend from the beach!.... thanks for checking in and thanks most of all for your prayers during this time of transition for us!