a year... in 'WORDS'

WORDS, WORDS, WORDS... they ARE how we tell stories, and stories ARE how we paint life... and how we remember it as we tell it to ourselves and others.

so here's a story... in 'WORDS'.

JULY. there's a WORD. it could mean many things for many people. but for us, JULY means: the 1 year-aversary of our boys coming home!!! JULY 10TH to be exact.

and it has been about that long since i have blogged on here (please forgive... it has been quite a busy 12 months :)

but all that said, we have learned much in the past 365 days and i thought i would share some of that wisdom with you in just WORDS. 'WORDS' from our dear children that have made us laugh until we cry, and sometimes... just cry. all kids come up with great WORDS. its part of the learning process and it is one of things we talk most about and sometimes hesitate to correct b/c they are just so 'cute' or 'precious', as my wife would say.

like when lilly would call 'gloves', GLUBS. or 'everybody', AIRYBODY. or the time she learned 'THE NAME SONG' (you know the one... billy, billy, bo billy, banana fana fo filly, me my mo milly,... BILLY) and then thought it would be fun to sing it about her new puppy... TUCKER... tucker, tucker, bo bucker... you know where THIS is going... that's a WORD we will NOT be using today, or any other day! (i wish you could have been there to see us stammering to interrupt or intercept or intervene or something... and tell her that TUCKER doesn't really like that song and we shouldn't upset him with it).

but the boys have been no different... so here is a look at our past year... IN WORDS.

'TOILET' - this was thankfully one of the fifteen or so words Asher came home with. in case you couldn't figure it out it means: 'i gotta go... NOW!'. our lives were an ongoing game of charades for the first few months, laughing at each other trying to communicate simple ideas, but fortunately this one didn't have to be acted out at the risk of acting becoming reality! just sayin'

'BELLY BUTT MAN' - as if it wasn't obvious, this is what Will called (and still sometimes revisits) his bellybutton. this remains a personal favorite of mine.

'WAY' - this became the substitute for the word 'or'. not sure how it happened, but it is still in use today. for example: 'do you want milk WAY juice?' ... 'we could go to the pool WAY to the playground WAY to fun world...'

'JONJA DA BABIST' - a.k.a John the Baptist. who apparently ate poop, climbed a tree to see Jesus, then was told to come down and 'sit on the stool' for timeout. (sometimes Will combines his bible stories and also mixes up poop and bugs).

'VALLINA' - Will's favorite flavor of ice cream. (i will try to get a video from my friend marty that makes this WORD even more FUN!!!

'ROOT BEARD' - Asher's favorite drink currently. lately though, he has had trouble even with this, and now orders it as 'COLD BEER'. (don't know where he picked that one up, but we are trying to correct this before school starts and we have to come to the principal's office to explain our son's interesting drink request for birthday party day)

'LOREN' and 'FRED' - obviously these are the 2 forgotten names of God to add to that poster hanging at church. 'God is great, God is good, let us thank Him for our food. By His hands, we're all for FRED. thank you LOREN, daily bread. amen'

'THE CHICKEN' - what Will still calls our kitchen. 'what you are cooking in the CHICKEN?'

'DAMNATION' - as if you didn't know, it's the white dogs w/ black spots that ride on the fire engines and that disney made all the movies about... i mean, who could forget the '101 DAMNATIONS'. (i think i actually heard this sermon growing up once. i remember it to be quite scary).

'FREEGOT' - a still used favorite around our house. it is a much more fun way to say 'FORGOT''. try it. I 'FREEGOT'.

'MOHAW' - the current hair style the boys are sporting. don't know what happened to the 'K', but it is not there.

'TANKTY' - this was how we prayed at night. 'tankty mom, tankty dad, tankty lilly, tankty asher, tankty will' and then we started all over and said it again... and again... and again!

'MARSH-A-MURS' - as in... let's build a fire and roast some 'MARSH-A-MURS'.

'FILLOWER' - Will's name for lilly's ATV... or 'four wheeler'.

'TAC - SALAD' - taco salad of course.

'ME EITHER' - only funny b/c of it's misuse. for example... ME: hey Will, i love Georgia football. WILL: 'me either!'

and the song 'john jacob jingleheimer'... schmidt, is it?... MAYBE AT YOUR HOUSE...

but what can you do with 2 ethiopians trying to learn english, in the south no less.

and of course... 'LUB' - as in 'I LUB YOU' my incredible beautiful family.

and i LUB all of you other peoples out there that have been such a huge part of this journey with us.

and here is the last word, and it happens to be a favorite of ours around here...

'JEBUS' - my favorite name for JESUS so far!

john 1:1 reads ... 'in the beginning was the WORD. and the WORD was with God and the WORD was God.'

may we all choose a good WORD. kind WORD. funny WORD. strong WORD. true WORD. healing WORD. life giving WORD. great WORD. and with this great WORD may we tell great stories and live great lives for the glory of our great God.

you probably have WORDS that i have forgotten. please, please, share them. (whether from our kids, or yours, or just YOU) b/c it is good to smile... or laugh even.

i'm gonna throw it old school to close, so: WORD UP! and WORD TO YOUR MOTHER! (i don't even know what that means, so make it a kind word)