Israel's Dedication

Israel is 3 months old now and we dedicated him to the Lord at our church this past Sunday. It was a really special time for us as a family, and I was blessed to have my family there to help celebrate with us.





Here is our handsome chap, all decked out with his little tie on. :)

Surrounded by family and church family






Praying with Pastor Dave
(He hasnt learned yet to close his eyes during the prayer. ;)





















Fabio and I shared some things that were on our hearts for Israel as well. We did it bi-lingually, since Fabio couldn't be in the front and in the back translating at the same time. :) As you can see behind us, most of the hispanic group joined us in the front. It was good for the rest of the church to get a little Spanish flavor too, I think.


























A moment of fervent prayer.










Joshua didn't quite feel as serious as we did....


















The five of us!
Joshua is growing up so fast these days. His fifth birthday is right around the corner! He has a very curious and inquisitive mind and it is sometimes a challenge to stay one step ahead of him. He loves to learn, and loves science. So, lately we have been studying the solar system and dinosaurs and a myriad of other things. He is reading better and better now and can read simple books to himself. He is so excited about reading that he tries to read all of the signs when we go out! Today he read a sign in McDonalds that said, "Not my McDonald's hamburger!"

Dominique just loves dresses and never wants to wear pants these days. She just *loved* the dress she is wearing in this picture! We walked in the mall the other day and took her to the dress shop at Sears where they have the prom formals. She looked like she was in heaven! She ran frantically from one dress to another exclaiming, "Pretty one!" "This one shiny!" etc... She is talking in better sentences these days too and loves to sing. She has been singing "Jesus Loves Me" like a broken record, because she gets stuck on the "Yes, Jesus loves me" part and just sings that over and over! Cute, though.

Israel is 3 months old and growing so fast! He is wearing 6-9 mos clothes now. He is still not as big as his brother was at that age. That's fine with me! He is really starting to grab at things these days, is interested in toys more, and loves to watch his brother and sister play. They keep him entertained! He is drooling a lot and gnaws on his hands. I wonder if he is starting to teethe? He was up a lot last night too..... He has a sweet disposition, though, and loves to cuddle. I love to cuddle him too!

So, there's a little update on the kids. :) We have been keeping plenty busy ~ just about too busy to blog! Now that it is not so bitter cold, we have been spending more time outside too. We went on a fun family bike ride yesterday and have been to the park and on walks several times this week. I love that spring is in the air!

Até mais!!