Along the Appalachian Trail

We had a great time in South Carolina for Spring Break, though the weather wasn't what we'd hoped for! The girls and I found the overlook in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park where we stopped last year. I thought we might get blown off the mountainside! They hooped and hollered halfway up a flight of stone steps to the overlook, then ran screaming down afraid of the wind. Mercedes worried for a while about the two hikers we passed in the parking lot who were hitching a ride - she was afraid they were homeless and without food. They looked pretty scruffy - who knows how long they'd been hiking. I'd've ended up giving them a ride, I'm sure, but there wasn't a free inch of space in the station wagon.

Halloween Night... We may have been reminded 62 times that it was 6 o'clock, or it may have been more. I lost track. But it's past 6 now and the witch girls, Mommy Cathy and Uncle Marty have disappeared down the street leaving Rosemary and Mommy Sarah home to wait for the first trick or treater. Happy Halloween!

The Twins and Riley

For those of you who know Robbie Lopez, this is Mercedes and Fernanda with Robbie's daughter, Riley. The twins stand ready to babysit!!!

The New Colts Stadium

The girls and Cathy toured the new Indianapolis Colts Stadium (along with 40,000 others!).

Bickel Family Reunion

All the Bickel's gathered in Holland, Michigan to celebrate Mom ad Dad's 50th Wedding Anniversay (their actual anniversary is October 4th). Here are Mom, Dad and the original 8 - in birth order and the other picture is with all the grandchildren except for Susie. Cathy is pleased to announce she has dropped several pounds since this picture was taken!

The Dinner Table

Mercedes and Fernanda's second grade teacher, Mrs. Breen, was hanging this up on the bulletin board in the hall as we were leaving today. It's Fernanda's story. It's our story, too! All those crazy afternoons in the kitchen are so much less important than our thankfully memorable dinnertimes! Think about joining us for one of these meals - there's always room for one more around our table.

With Papi!

Rosemary, Marilyn, Fernanda, Papi Chema and Abraham. Papi is the "Foster uncle" to the girls and Abraham is their "foster brother." There is no one kinder than Papi Chema!

Antigua, Guatemala

Here are the girls with Rosemary's "foster sisters" in Antigua, an artsy town in Guatemala. See Rosemary Paulette, Fernanda, Marilyn and Mercedes.

Back to Guatemala!

The five of us returned to Guatemala this June to visit with the foster family. Here we are finishing lunch at a local restaurant.

If only it were true...

Mercedes presented me with this portrait this morning. As you can see, she had to move some of the words around. I promise the title was all her idea!

Fun At The State Fair

"Our State Fair is the best State Fair. Don't miss it, don't even be late." One of the girls favorite musicals is State Fair so every time we drive by the state fair grounds they sing that song. This was taken at the State Fair in August 2006 after visiting the IU booth - see face tattoo on Rosemary. I showed this picture to a friend and all he could say was, "What cheap mothers they have making them share one drink!"

Fun with Ms. Molly and Mr. Lou

The girls love to hang with Molly and Lou Perry. Here they are at a friend's house in June, 2007. The Perry's wedding in 2005 was the first wedding the girls ever attended - and it was at Notre Dame. Lou is in the striped shirt, Molly in the white shirt and l. to r. is Rosemary, Mercedes and Fernanda.

Alright, everyone! This took ten minutes! I may have to skip a shower this morning. Happy?

L to R, Mercedes, Rosemary and Fernanda on July 13, 2007 in new shirts from Seattle.

Heaven on earth - High Hopes Orchard in New Hampshire! We visited last October. Here Rosemary laughs watching Cousin Russ and his wife Tammy race Fernanda to the bottom of a very tall slide! http://www.highhopesorchard.com/ 

Here is Fernanda, our fearless bicyclist, setting off again on an adventure around the block. Last September (2005)! (I'm so sorry I'm so slow getting these posted. It takes no time at all to post them - but it takes forever to get to the project of posting!) 

So, the first day of school pictures from last fall didn't turn out so well, I had to take them again a few days later! Top to bottom Mercedes, Fernanda and Mercedes on Aug. 26, 2005. We examined last year's first day picture to make sure we had the pose correct! 

Here we are on August 11, 2005, the day our adoption of the girls was approved in court! We celebrated with a walk downtown around Monument Circle and lunch at Bertolini's.  

Here's the whole family in Cascades at the Opryland Hotel. Cathy, fresh out of meetings, is a little more formally dressed than the rest of us! The gazebo behind us is a revolving restaurant! 

Here they are, the dancers at Opryland! L to R, Fernanda, Mercedes and Rosemary. There were so many great places to dance there - all we really need is some good music and a little floor space! 

Our three girls loved to watch the dancing waters at Opryland Hotel when we went there in April 2005. They loved the lights and music!