KINGDOM 222

Yesterday, we celebrated our little boy's 3rd birthday. After a nice birthday breakfast, we headed out to the Illinois Railway Museum and enjoyed their annual "Day Out with Thomas" event. Both kids are big fans of the Thomas the Train, and among the many things to see and do at this event, we all got to ride a full scale, 10 car passenger train pulled by the REAL Thomas! We also toured old train cars, took a separate train into the country in a 101 year-old Chicago passenger car, got Thomas tattoos, viewed old train artifacts and enjoyed the enthusiasm of thousands of other young Thomas fans. Cake and presents came late at the end of a long day, but we enjoyed every minute and went to sleep with hearts filled with gratitude. The joy we've experienced by watching Izaiah grow and thrive these last 2 years has been a blessing beyond words. As he now begins to talk and express himself in new ways every day, we echo the words of the Apostle Paul, "I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth". Blessed be His Name. Happy birthday Izaiah Qing Eugene!! Being your mommy and daddy feels too good to be true. You are a gift straight from above.

It's been a while since we've posted here. We've just returned from our first official family vacation. We spent a full week in the beautiful Northwoods of Wisconsin and it was absolutely wonderful. We stayed in a lovely lakeside home in Lake Tomahawk, where we fished (Lily loved it; Izaiah was undecided), hiked, visited a zoo, went pony trail riding, ate too much, hung out with bald eagles and just generally relaxed and enjoyed tons of time together. On Friday, June 28th we celebrated our 10 year wedding anniversary, which made this trip extra special for us. July 4th was spent in the tourist town of Minocqua, where we enjoyed a great parade, went to a ski show and finished out the long day watching fireworks. It was a wonderful trip, but as always, it's good to be back home. Both kids continue to amaze us every day. Izaiah is starting to sound out words and his joyful personality is blooming before our eyes. Lily is the power plant at the center of our home. Her energy and vitality are what makes parenting that unique joy that keeps us both moving and active! She is a doting sister who shows incredible attention to detail and a love for books and learning. We'll try to update more often, but time flies and days roll by at breakneck speed. We're learning to live in the moment and enjoy these precious days that God gives, but which disappear woefully fast.

Love to all,

EnJ