Welcome Back to America!

 Sorry the pic is a bit blurry, but we were all SO

EXCITED to welcome back Sam, Abby, and the kids

from three years of being gone in Africa!  We've missed you!

 The kids have gotten SO BIG!

Elena is quite the chatterbox :-)

Wonder who she gets that from?! ;-)

 Elias is an absolute doll!  He was a bit more shy

at first, but he warmed up pretty quickly!  I think

Mary is his favorite :-)  She has a way with boys, you know! ;-p

 Sisters back together again!

(We missed you, Anna!)

 Tina and her kids (Levi & Brooklyn) came for the day

to meet up with all of us in Chicago.  Emily, Sam's sister,

also came from camp with her, too.  It was such a

fun family reunion! :-)  The kids warmed up to each

other quickly & had a blast playing together!

 Don't know exactly what compelled him to do this,

but I thought he looked so cute! ;-)

 Elias & Levi had a good time playing together!

 And wrestling together! :-)

 We went to McDonald's for lunch & so the kids

could exert some of their energy in the play place! :-)

I think this is the first time that either of them had

ever been to McDonald's (that they can remember at least)!

 Pab had some fun in the play place, too!

Just a big kid! ;-)

 It's so nice just to be together again!

Seems like we just picked up where we left off..

I love how you can do that with sisters! <3

 Rachel came to Chicago, too!

I know Abby was so happy to see her again &

so glad that she was able to come!

 It's so weird to think that we've never even met this

little girl until she was almost two!  Chloe is precious!

(Of course so are you too, Pab! :-))

 Rachel bought pizza for supper.  She's so sweet!

Elena LOVES pizza (a girl after my own heart)! :-)

 Brook & Chloe had fun eating together :-)

I love Chloe's face in this picture!  Priceless!

 The kids loved all their presents from

Mom & Rachel.. can you tell?! :-)

 Glowsticks!

 Sharing smarties :-)

 Elena loved her special drawing book

that she got from Aunt Rachel :-)

 Looks like Rachel likes it, too! ;-)

(Actually she's being a good aunt &

helping Elena draw a picture)

 The boys love Pab!  But, then again, who doesn't?! :-)

 On Friday, Rachel took Abby shopping for a

new outfit and out to lunch... she's so thoughtful!

The rest of us went to a nearby park to fish

(with the new fishing pole that Grandpa got Elias)

and to play baseball!

Such a precious picture!  Elias absolutely

loves his daddy!  It's so cute how he

just follows him around :-) 

SO GLAD to have you all back, Sam Sanderlin family!!! :-D