THE KURTZ FAMILY........OUR ADOPTION JOURNEY

Kyle turned 15 on June 18th. He starts high school next year......my little Kyle is becoming a young man. He is such a gentle spirit and a very talented youn man. We are so proud of him and love him very much. Happy birhtday Kyle.
Love from us all....your family.

On Friday it appeared that summer had arrived. Denaye and I got out the sprinkler and she spent the afternnon running throught it. This was a new experience and she rather liked it. Maya joined her once she got home from school. On Saturday we took the kids to the Legislature Grounds to go swimming in the fountains.....yes you are allowed to swim in the fountains. We were all disppointed though because the fountains were not on, there was a power outage. They played in the water for a couple of hours and liked that as it was very hot out. We will go back another day when the fountains are on so the girls can experience it....I even think it's fun. Sam was especially disppointed as he loves to experience all of the new things with his sisters.......there will be a next time. Denaye in the sprinkler

At the Legislature grounds......usually there is water running over the cement.

This large pool is usually a lot deeper, but because the fountains were'nt on it was only up to our ankles.

They still had fun........they didn't know any different

Dad and Denaye enjoying a snack.

This is pretty much what goes on at our house on a daily basis......lots of dancing!!! The video is a little long, but family will appreciate it. Make sure you check out the moves by Sam!!!

We put together a video of Jesse's graduation. It will be a nice keepsake for him to look back on and wonder if he really was that goofy!!

Here are the results of using the relaxer on Denaye's hair. I was so thrilled that I am able to get a comb through their hair now. Denaye loves her new look. After I was finished I took her into the bathroom for the reveal......her response......mommy why am I so pretty!!! It is straighter then Maya's, but it's also not as thick. We are gonna have some fun with new hairstyles.....we've been liberated!!!

Today my sister and I attempted to straighten Maya's hair. It worked!!! It's not perfectly straight, but I can get a comb through it and it is straight enough that Maya will be able to do other things with her hair. The most important thing is.......Maya loves it. It is amazing how long her hair really is. We are going to do Denaye's hair on saturday now that I know it can be done. I could have left the solution in a bit longer , but was afraid too.......now that I know what to expect next time I will. I have one very pleased little girl!!!!

I took out the girl's extensions the other day. Denaye's hair was beginning to look like she had a bird's nest in it and Maya's hair was starting to get sloppy looking. I also wanted to give their hair a break.....they have had the extensions since January. What we discovered was that their hair has grown quite a bit. Maya likes her hair now.....before she cried when we took them out to redo them and so did Denaye. Their hair is a lot longer then it appears in the pictures because of the curls. Maya's biggest concern was that her friends would laugh at her......they didn't, but her brother said she looked like a boy.....siblings!! I like their hair, they just need a relaxer put in it as the curls are so tight I broke a comb trying to get through it. For now they are going to go extension free, but maybe in July we will do it again.....we'll see. Either way I think they look beautiful!!!

Rob and Tracy are good friends of ours. We go to the same church......they just got back from Ethiopia where they picked up their children. They are brand new parents to 3 wondeful little kids. Yesterday we invited them over for lunch so we could finally meet the Dunham kids. It has been a long process for them with a few bumps along the way, but that is all behind them now. Our girls were so excited to meet them. They took to each other right away. Maya asked me why Ruth ( the oldest one) speaks like that ( a different language).......it sure didn't take long for Maya to forget her language. I am amazed that she only remembers a few words. Watching the Dunham kids was really interesting for me to see how far our girls have come.....and how well they have adjusted to life in Canada. It won't take long for Rob and Tracy's kids to adjust either. They are already speaking some words in english and they understand a lot of what you are saying. We are so happy for all of them and so glad they are all home safe and sound. God is good!!! To read about their journey click on the link. http://www.freewebs.com/robandtracydunham/ Malachi.....really focused on his potato salad

Kyle and Shay enjoying corn on the cob

Ruthie, Maya, Denaye and Sam

4 little princesses's

Rob, Tracy, Shay, Malachi and Ruthie

Welcome to Canada Dunham children.....were glad you're home!!!