A Sweet Home Coming

 They're back! Matt & AnnMarie made it back safely from Germany on Saturday late afternoon. Matt's company has an insurance where they pay for transportation to and from the airport, plus 1st class plane tickets! Yeah, they were those folks we aren't even good enough to see the back of, hence the curtain.
It was so exciting and beautiful to see them come out of the ambulance, to hug them, talk with them over a meal and just to sit in their company.
Matt has a long recovery ahead, but he's here in America now. He's close by where we can bring over a meal and just sit and talk. I'm so thankful!

Visit from Aunt Julie

 Julie came into town this past week. Her husband Pete surprised her with tickets back home for her spring break. Tuesday we hung around the house; drawing, coloring and painting, snuggling and laughing at old pictures.

On Saturday afternoon we showed Julie around one of our favorite hidden gems, Bartram's Gardens. We explored the grounds, found a snake and Lilia performed a beautiful dance for us. We don't get to see Julie a whole lots since she lives in Colorado, so when we hang out, it's so sweet!

Animals!

 Last weekend we were at my parents and we visited a garden store that was hosting events for Easter. One was a small petting zoo.
In this picture to the right, the kids are with a 1 week old goat. It was very noisy, but super cute.

 This is a small shetland highlander. I love how hairy they are.





This camel is 1 year old. The kids got to stand near the camel and pet its neck.

To the ends of the earth...for a bear.

Does your kid have some kind of favorite toy, fluffed animal (that's what Alex calls them), blanket that he or she NEEDS? Not just enjoys or loves, but truly needs.
Lilia has a blankie. She's 6 and still has to sleep with it every night, cries when mom forgets it for a sleepover at Nannie's and bring it along on car rides.
Alex has stinky bear. That blue bear has earned it's name!
If you've ever been with Alex for more than a few hours then you've met stinky bear. Somehow around 5-6 months old he became attached. He sucks on one ear and rubs the other as a comfort and to fall asleep. You could say Stinky bear is a crucial member of the Brindley family.

A couple of weeks ago the kids and I did a Target run. You know, a few groceries, new shoes for school and then tons of other stuff you didn't intend to buy!
As we were almost home, Alex wanted Stinky bear. He wasn't in the car. "Alex, where's Stinky bear?" (Alex has an insane memory for details and where he places things.) He was left in Target...somewhere in that big, big store. However, his memory wasn't able to remember exactly where he last put him down in that big store.
We get home around 4:30 and I send Dave back to the store in search of a beloved blue bear. Dave rounded the store and called me. No bear has been found. "You CANNOT come home without that bear," I said gruffly. He knew that, but I had to say it out loud.
Forty minutes later there he was...

...on the shoe shelf, just taking a nap! 

At one point during Dave's search the workers asked him, "You're still here?" What a parent wouldn't do, where a parent wouldn't go to search for that beloved bear.

Alex's bedtime routine

Every single night Alex asks Dave and I, "Can you snuggle me in like a bug in a rub in a tub."

We read stories and say goodnight. We snuggle him in tight, just like a bug would be in a rub (supposed to be rug) in a tub. Inevitably he gets out of bed and can't fall asleep unless he in snug as a bug in a rub in a tub.

Oh Alex, you are so cute!

A whirlwind roller coaster ride.

So the past 10 days and counting have been consumed by my brother's accident in Germany.
AnnMarie won a trip to Germany with her company, SAP and Matt tagged along. Three hours into their first full day of touring Heidelberg Matt broke his ankle - on his birthday none the less.
He has spent the past 10 days in University of Heidelberg Hospital with his sweet wife by his bedside every hour she is allowed to be.
At first it seemed like a nightmare to all of us, especially them. Reality sunk in that this was going to be a long stay. Their two beautiful and easy girls are at home with a full-time nanny as well as AnnMarie's mom taking the night shift. Matt and AnnMarie miss them so terribly.
AnnMarie wrote this on facebook about how it happened:
"It was a pretty large playground slide, built into a hill with 2 turns. What made it so dangerous, was 1) Matt sat on his jacket on the metal and flew so fast and 2) there was a large hole at the bottom, and his foot hit where the ground sloped up."
Matt broke his ankle in 3 places. It took 2 surgeries to fix it up. After the first surgery they had to wait for the swelling to go down. It took 5 full days for that to happen. He is now on the road to recovery and they are taking one day at a time. They don't have the go-ahead to get on a plane any time soon, but they are focusing on each day and Matt getting stronger.

This has been a really crazy week and a half for me. I've never prayed so often throughout the day, checked my email and Instagram so frequently, and been so up and down emotionally over circumstances. God was so incredibly faithful on Thursday when I was at my end; here's the story...

Wednesday came and was going and Matt'e swelling wasn't down enough to have the 2nd surgery. AnnMarie asked us to pray for a miracle. I was praying and praying and I know lots of other people were too. I was so frustrated with God and disappointed to wake up Thursday morning to still no progress with the swelling. At that point I was at the end of my rope. I had no more ability to pray and I was frustrated that God wasn't healing my brother.

I went to my friend Susie's that morning for a play date. I updated her on the story and told her how Dave and I looked into mailing a package (too expensive) and I even looked into airfare (way, way too expensive). These were her next words, "We have a German students staying with us and he's leaving this afternoon to go back home."

What!?!?!?! Are you seriously kidding me! What are the odds? Too high to contribute them to anything other than God Almighty showing his care and intervening in the situation.

I asked Matt & AnnMarie via texting and email what they needed. A local church was supplying them with great food, praise God for the body of Christ! So I wrote Matt a card, Alex drew him a picture and I grabbed two books from Susie's extensive library. Stephan (the German student) mailed the package Friday when he got back to Germany and Matt received it Saturday evening!!!!

Not only that, but Susie prayed for Matt and AnnMarie that morning as we hung out. When I got home that afternoon, I got an email that his surgery was scheduled for the next day (Friday)! Wow, God showed up big time - at least on my end and from my perspective.

They still need a lot of prayer for patience and perseverance. Not only that but this recovery will be a long, long road - at least 4-5 months. 

I cannot wait to meet them at the airport. I don't care what time of day or night it is, I want to be there! It will be the second best reunion ever! (The first being when Dave came home from a 10 month stay in China while we were dating and engaged.)

Alex's Quote of the Day

Dave and I were out on a walk, while Alex rode his bike. I told him that we were going to turn left and touched his left hand so as to teach him left and right. Later I said we were going to turn right and touched that hand. We talked a bit about left and right when he said, "If this is my left hand and this is my right hand, then which one is my straight hand?"

The birthday girl at her party

Lilia and her BFF, Jarah. Jarah just turned 6, but is about a foot taller than Lilia. Jarah is tall for her age and Lilia is on the shorter side.

Lilia's 6th birthday party was horse themed. She invited kids from her Kindergarten class at Spruce Hill. There were 13 kids all together; a couple of younger siblings came along, plus Lilia's cousins came, Ellie & Olivia.
It was a little chaotic for me, but I think the kids had a great time and that is really all that counts!
After the party Lilia thanked me because she had such a good time. That definitely put a smile on my face and made it all worth it!

Esther, JiaMing, Lilia, Jarah, Rena, Justin, Maggie & Cindy

Family

 My mom & Ellie (20 months)















My dad holding Olivia (5 months), Matt & AnnMarie

I love getting pictures of the kids with their grandparents. Alex wanted to me on Grammy's shoulders, but he wouldn't stop moving so he's blurry in every shot. Oh well. We all had fun that day!

Lilia's Quote of the Day

Yesterday at the zoo Lilia explained to one of the zookeepers the difference between a boy horse and a girl horse. "The boys have something hanging down and the girls don't"
He replied in a nice way with, "You sure know a lot about animals for 6."

Alex and this orangutan were born only days apart, and Alex can't do half the acrobatic tricks this little guy can.

Snow leopard 

Lilia is 6 Years Old!

22 months

 I remember the night you were born. They wheeled me back to my room and I couldn't fall asleep for over an hour because I was so filled with joy, rehearsing your birth in my head and the experience of getting to meet you. It was amazing!
Once again we are singing you Happy Birthday! Another year has gone by and you continue to delight us and bring joy to our family.
We love you Lilia Jade!

2 years 4 months

18 months

3 years old

3 1/2 years old

2 years old