Summer DAZE- 18,19,20 months

Hello out there....

(sorry the site is not letting me add pics )

There is so much to catch everyone up on. This blog has been on my "to do" list for months and I have just not had the drive to 'get er dun'. But enough with the excuses and on to the good stuff.
I am going to share a little family life and drama before I talk about the little princess.

April and May were pretty tough months for us. At the beginning of April little Andre Chibwe Mwango blessed us with his presence.

He is SOOOOOO cute and such a good little baby. Edwin and I kept Mwila for a few days while Holly was at the hospital and adjusting to being home. It was so much fun to have Malaika and Mwila together playing. Everywhere we go people think they are twins. Which being only a month a part and looking VERY similar, I can't blame them. As most of you know Edwin's brother has had his ups and downs. He has battled with an alcohol problem for a few years and it was getting the best of him (Literally). In the beginning of May he was in an accident and was taken to jail for a DUI. this was not the first one he has had and they immediately started the process of court hearings and discussed prolonged jail time. While this was happening poor Holly was home with a brand new 3 week old baby and a 16 month old. Edwin and I talked about it and asked her if we could keep Mwila for awhile while she got adjusted and healed up and back on her feet. Their original plan was that she would go back to work in a few weeks and he would stay home with the kids. So her whole plan was knocked out from under her. Soooo May past by pretty quickly and we stayed busy with school and the girls. I definitely got a taste of what it would be like with twins! When the time came for Holly to go back to work I attempted keeping Andre and the girls and quickly discovered I was not super mom. =) I have no idea how Jon and Kate do it! We kept Mwila until she was able to get childcare set-up and DHS in order. She took her back the week before my brothers wedding at the end of June... (I am slowly listing my excuses for not posting on my blog =) ) During that time Musonda has had many court hearings and they have sentenced him to 2 1/2 years in the Salem State Penn. This has been such a bitter sweet time. We wanted him to finally get the help that he desperately needs. BUT I didn't want it to happen like this. IT makes me sad that he will not get to see his kids grow up in these early years. I also worry about the influence prison has on people. Musonda is such a great person. He is Smart and personable, he is the type of person who can make friends wherever he goes. Alcohol has really taken a toll on him and everyone of the people around him. So please pray for him... Pray that he will stay in good spirits and that God will really do a number on him while he is in there. Pray that Holly can stay strong and make it through this time with love and care for her children. And pray for Edwin and I that we will know the right words to say and that we can be a good example for Andre and Mwila and a good support system for Holly. Sometimes I really wish I was superwomen so I could help everyone and be ten places at once.

So that was April, May and part of June.....

There were two other events that transpired in June.
1. My mom moved out and into her own apartment. I am so proud of her (haha I sound like a parent) This was also a bittersweet moment for us. I LOVED having my mom live with us. She has been here since I was pregnant with Malaika and has been a source of support for me. I was a little scared that I could not do it on my own without her. It is amazing how much we need our parents when we are adults. I am so grateful for everything she has taught me. She has helped me become a loving, caring mom. I only hope I can be half as great as she has been to me! THANKS MAMA!!!!
We were also excited to see what life would be like with just the three of us... I know Edwin was really ecstatic to get to walk around the house in his underwear...haha! I was also excited to get to send Malaika to Gma's house for the weekend! Her first time was actually last Saturday night. It was my first time without her overnight (Remember she sleeps with us) I only cried a little.
It was a great night out with my hubby though and we felt like teenagers staying out until 1 in the morning! LOL

2. My brother got MARRIED! I know.. never thought it would happen. I LOVE his wife though. She is so much fun and a great partner for my brother. They were married here in Oregon at the Abernathy Center in Oregon City on June 25th (RIP MJ). I was a Bridesmaid and Malaika was a flower girl (SHE WAS SOOOOO CUTE!) I had all the groomsmen staying at my house and let me tell you it was GREAT! I had breakfast ready for me every morning and one of the groomsmen is slightly OCD and he was on his hands and knees scrubbing my kitchen floor! He even got a paint stain up that I had just accepted as a part of my floor.
The wedding was beautiful and I am sooo happy that Tony has found someone.

So that was June

Now July ----- Way to much has happened---- This will be Sporadic

• We went to LaGrande for the fourth to go to one of my best friends weddings. Jana and Wade make the cutest couple and I can guarantee they will have the cutest kids (Next to mine!) Malaika tore up the dance floor and at one point she was on the stage dancing by herself. She didn't even notice that no one else was up there. She is SUCH a ham! Now I just need to figure out a way to stop Jana from moving to New Jersey.. =(

• I have been reading REAL BOOKS! I love reading and while in school I never had the time. I started the Twilight series a few weeks ago and I am currently on the last 50 pages of the third book. I told Edwin I would take a break for a week so we could have some family time. (I tend to get caught up in my little book world).

• I was accepted into Concordia Universities Health Administration Bachelors program. I start the week after Edwin Graduates from his Business Bachelors program. I will graduate next December and then apply for OHSU accelerated Nurse practitioner program. I just received my financial aid package and I was awarded the max for pell grant and an Oregon Opportunity grant. This is amazing because in the 5 years I have been in school the most I ever received was 500 dollars... this year alone I will get 6000! Thank you LORD! This will cover about half of my tuition.

• We bought our tickets to Africa!!!! AND Malaika and I have our passports! We leave October 21st and get back November 6th. FINALLY! I will share more on that later.

Okay finally on to Malaika...

She is pretty much saying every word she hears... She is a talking machine from the time she wakes up to the time she goes to sleep. She even talks in her sleep. She can count to ten and sing part of the ABC's. She even said "refreshing" the other day when she smelled something. HAHA! She likes to sing along with any song and her current fav is Boom Boom POW (The clean version) by the black eyed peas. She is saying please and thank you so well now that I don't even have to tell her. pretty smart little girl!

She has been sleeping in her own bed (with me) for almost three weeks now. Soon I will start slipping out and leaving her...soon

She does not like her diaper being dirty. As soon as she poops she brings me a diaper or runs up and says CHANGE!!!!She has been letting me know ahead of time and we are starting to learn how to pull up and down our pull-ups to use the potty. She loves it when her potty sings when she pees in it. I think she will be an early potty trainer.

She is already wearing a size 8 shoe! Can you believe it! This poses a problem at times because a lot of kids that wear size eight are old enough to not need the back strap.. she clearly does.

We bought her a trike at goodwill I will try to get a pic of her today and add it.

She is still wearing size 5 diapers. Most clothes she wears are 2 and 3 T If I am buying clothes I only buy 3T

She is AMAZING!!!

Hope that got everyone caught up and not to long. I will try to get better! PROMISE!