Well I wanted to say that I am thankful for the arrival of Baby Samuel Leonard Yarbrough.  I am a bit late with this news.  Sam was born the end of August.  I prayed for this baby.  Sams Mom Michelle was the one God put on my heart when I first started this adoption process.  Michelle and I had never discussed adoption before. I had no idea why God impressed on my heart that I  needed to tell Michelle about our call to adopt.  I even kindof shook my head and decided God was not really telling me that. But I felt him say, she will walk with you on this journey.  I did not follow up with what I now know God told me to do.  Talk to  Michelle about our adoption.  On the day Joel announced to the church that we were going to adopt, I went to Michelle before church and told her that Joel was going to announce this and she said "We need to talk more about this.  "  later at our annual church picnic she shared with me that she and her husband had been considering adoption.  I had no idea.  Wow!  Who am I to question God?  I tell my kids sometimes that I always have  a reason for the things I tell them to do but I doubted God when He told me to talk to Michelle. I told Michelle what I knew God had put on my heart and now I knew the reason.  That was September 2012.  Now baby Sam is here.  The little guy I prayed for so much.  He is the 2nd Marshallese baby to come to our church. The first one, Natalie, was another special frined that I could not wait to share our story with becasue I knew her Mom would be interested in it.  Here we are one year later with Natalie and Sam home safe and sound with their forever family.  It is amazing to see God do what He says He will do.  He is faithful.  He calls us, he equipts us, He provides for us and sometimes He even  uses to accomplish His purposes in the lives of people around us.  He gives us special friends to walk our journey with us.  I feel like these babies are part of my family and honestly, they truly are.  They are part of our church family and our Marshallese family.  Sam is actually the blood cousin to our baby Kaleyah Joy so he truly is family.  But we claim Natalie too.  These three will be three peas in a pod.  I just know it.

This week we have celebrated a big milestone. Elijah turned 5!  Where have 5 years gone?  On Mo

nday, he had cupcakes at Boyd School and they sang Happy Birthday to him.  Tuesday Oct 8, was his actual birthday.  He went  to school and it was picture day so he had to dress nice. We had cupcakes at snack time to celebrate.  Then when school was over, his best bud, Gianni Brown came home to play. They played all afternoon and around 5 we had a Star Wars celebration. The Grandparents came over and one other friend, DJ Mizel.  He received Star Wars toys, Star Wars PJs, Star Wars video games and a nerf gun.  We dressed in costumes and had a Star Wars parade. Isaiah downloaded the Star wars them songs at Elijah's request. Elijah came out to the them song dressed as Obi Wan Kenobe and Gianni was dressed as a  Jedi Knight.  Then came Caris and Princess Lea and I as Queen Amadala. Last the music changed to the Darth Vadar theme song and Isaiah came down as Darth Vader. The two Jedis began to fight him and they won the Epic battle between good and evil.  Elijah said the Star Wars parade was one of his favorite parts of the celebration. He had a star wars cake from Publix that was super yummy and we had hot dogs roasted over the fire pit.  He played on the trampoline, play set in the back yard and in the house.  It was a really fun night.  The night ended with he and his big brother playing lego star Wars on the Xbox.  The big kids were really good to make his day special.  Caris has been practicing powder puff football.  She will play in the game in two weeks. She has emphatically begged me not to come watch the game. I even told her to stop cause she was hurting my feelings.  She is adamant she does not want me to come.  Isaiah rode on the Freshman float dressed at Buzz the Yellow Jacket in the homecoming parade tonight. He and a group of his friends went to decorate the float and prepare for the parade after school.  The sweetest thing was when he was in the parade and saw his lil brother standing on the side of the road he jumped off the float and ran to Elijah to give him some candy and a hug.  It was really sweet.  Tonight, we have had fun in our back yard hiding out and planning to sabatoge any yard rollers that dare come to the house. The big kids wanted to go rolling which we didn't really want  them to do. Joel told them they should stay home and help him booby trap the yard to which they surprisingly said YES!  Its really a good feeling when Joel or I come up with something the big kids actually want to do.  Its rare these days that they want to hang out with us.  Elijah and I laid on the trampoline for  awhile while the big kids sat in their secret hiding places with their attack plans ready. Isaiah and Caris decked out in all black while Elijah has on his Jengo Fett costume.  While we were on the trampoline I had to make  a phone call. Elijah got bored and went to the swing set with Joel for a while. Then he crawled back on the trampoline with me and said "you stink as a Ninja!"  I guess talking on the phone does not make for a very sneaky Ninja. It has been a fun night with the family, just hanging out together at the house in the yard. Its getting past bedtime. Caris is falling asleep on the couch and Elijah is playing his new video game. Joel and Isaiah are manning their post in case the rollers really come.  I think Isaiah has sat in one place for about two hours now waiting for his attack. I for one am getting ready to go to bed.  I'm thankful for my family and special silly nights like this where we enjoy being home and being together.  Even if we are planning to scare people in the dead of night.  That's what they'll get for rolling this yard!  LOL   The five Freds don't play.  :)