So Sad....

For all who have adopted and even those who haven't - this will break your heart.

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hCX0xYfGnwKXZ56bJKPQoZGnyBKgD90QGLL80

First Grade - Here I Come!!

Jack has graduated from Kindergarten....thankfully...we were really worried about his entrance into an ivy league college.

Okay, not really...but some parents had gigantic bouquets of balloons and big gifts for their little ones. Yet, Jack was complete with a Happy Meal and we were too...with the answer the question asked of him, "What do you want to be when you grow up?"

Watch the video...

Ava Eats...

So, we just spent 6 days in Baton Rouge with some good friends while Brad and Gene ministered at a parish mission.  (more pictures to follow of this trip)

And so, Ava, our brave little adventurous eater of anything non-green or resembling of a vegetable ate...

Crawfish Stew and rice!

you go, little miss...

Houston...we have a loose tooth

I know some of you who know we don't have dental insurance were tempted to think it was Brad or I...but...it's not (thank the Lord)...

JACK HAS A LOOSE TOOTH!!  And, really, not just Houston should know about this. 

Pictures to follow... 

Sunday Morning

No need to say anything else...

Good Review - Wait, MORE than good

A couple months ago, I uploaded my CD to a website called CD Baby. It is the leading website for independent artists and brings the capability to Joe Schmoe to download my CD from iTunes.

Yesterday, I received this email:

"We love your "JOIA FARMER: Before & Afterlife" CD so much that we're
featuring it in our Editor's Picks section from now on.

We're REALLY picky about what we feature. We get about 200-250 new
albums a DAY coming in here now, (about 200,000 total), and yours is
one of the best we've ever heard.

HERE'S OUR REVIEW
The opening riff from "Water & Air," the first track on this strong
sophomore album, begins quickly, jumping into a steady and pressing
tempo that is flush with intention, clearly building to something. A
few bars later, the drums push things forward a bit more, making way
for the vocals, which mark the moment when this record really takes
off. This is Christian rock, if you have to classify it as such, but
get this: it actually rocks. Farmer lets her voice loose but locks in
on melody, climbing on top of tumbling bass lines and driving guitar
riffs, belting out lyrics that avoid cliche and embrace sincerity.
With a backing band that can jump from steady chugging beats to
funkier, more feel-oriented numbers (check out "Live For You"), she
has a rock solid foundation of sound to springboard from. It all
works, and she finds a way to maintain a spiritual message in her
music while never losing sight of the power of the music itself."

Yay....

And on that note, I want to plug a friend's new album. Matt Maher really sprung onto the major christian music scene when Chris Tomlin covered his song "Your Grace is Enough." Well, he just released his newest CD "empty and beautiful" yesterday and I am impressed! It is really and truly, in my opinion, his best.

You can google and buy it pretty much anywhere OR download it off of iTunes.

Train Ride - Ava EATS...

On Friday evening, my sister, Brandi and her husband, Tyler were in town with the cutest Ladd nephew, Jude. They came for Tyler's birthday to see a concert downtown and stay at a hotel - and generally get out of small town McCook, NE.

One of the last minute ideas we had was to take the LightRail downtown and have dinner with them. 40 minutes on a train was starting to worry me once we boarded the train, but except for the fact that the Rockies game had just ended once we got off the train and there were drunk people as far as the eye could see - we had a great time!

So fun! A Train!

The end of the ride. When does this thing ever stop?!?

Aunt Brandi & Ava

And here it is. AVA EATS #2. We went to an Indian Restaurant. Ava ate Chicken Tikka Masala (all over her face), Naan, and part of the indian dumpling we had. She is SO multicultural...