The Last Few Days

The girls had their first at home bath a few days ago...Sophie (on the left) was not so much a fan of the experience. Chloe thought it was like a first class massage!

We assumed this might be a pattern...bath number two...exactly the opposite! Sophie loved it and Chloe was so upset! No stereotypes yet!

The Arua Team...

John and Erica Rinehimer came to visit us from Louisville this past week...What fun to be with friends who know both of our worlds!

It is sweet and a bit hysterical to realize that our team five years ago was only four adults...Now, of that group...we are four adults and SIX KIDS!

Back in Arua, the current team, Scott and Meg Rambo, have just announced that they are pregnant with baby number three in their family!  So now our current team is four adults and SEVEN kiddos! 

Jesus is MULTIPLYING the Arua team!!!

Nyanya (Joanna's Mom) has been with us since the day after the twins joined us!

She has been an ABSOLUTE BLESSING all day every day!!!

Besides laundry, cooking, cleaning, caring for babies, caring for big girls (and their MAMA!), she had energy and creativity to read the girls a sweet pumpkin parable about how cleaning out the pumpkin is like Jesus cleaning out our hearts and the light within is symbolic of the LIGHT of the whole world!

The gunk within...symbolic of sin.

Our hands got so gooey! Lucy refused to get so dirty! Pray that she has the same aversion to sin!

What a FUN happy project. THANKS NYANYA!

Cydil Waggoner came just yesterday for a new baby photo shoot!

Again, Nyanya added a new role...set assistant!

We are SO EXCITED to see the outcome of the time with Cydil!  We'll show you soon!

This was my little camera's capturing of their last pose!

Chloe is kissing Sophia's head!  Sweet babies!

All four of our love gifts from Jesus!!!

Just this morning...still in our pjs!

God is so so so so so good!!!

We are rejoicing in His treasures!

Sophie has lighter skin while Chloe is on the right...a bit darker with darker hair too.

The twins did great at their first doctor's visit this week...Will you please pray with us for their feeding and that they would be up to their birth weight by their next visit in 10 days!?!  Thanks so much for joining with us in this adventure!

More Pictures

Chloe giving Sophie a little smooch!

Our ballerina girls!  Elsie Jayne has been able to take ballet lessons once a week while we have been in Wilmore. She LOVES it and loved that the twins got little outfits with ballet shoes on them!

The big girls are doing GREAT loving on the little girls. They are eager to hold them and love on them! Keep praying for protection and joy!

Nyanya (Joanna's mom) celebrated her birthday on Friday and we were thrilled to get to be with her!

She has been our HERO this week. Loads and loads of laudary, meals, cleaning, loving on the big girls...WE PRAISE JESUS FOR NYANYA!

Lots of loving for Nyanya!

Sweetness.

Now if they would just do this during the night too!

Can you tell we are tired!? But we are six and we are healthy!

Hallelujah! Praise God Forever!

Days 2 and 3 of LIFE

Mom and Dad on the first morning with Sophia Anne (lighter hair nearest daddy) and Chloe Catherine (darker complected). They are fraternal twins, not identical (two different blood types).

Again, Sophie on left and Chloe on right.

The big girls were DELIGHTED to meet their sisters...and see their mama after thinking she was just going for a check up and her not coming back for a whole day!  They are at this point simply DELIGHTED with the newest additions to our family. They both love to hold either baby and have been super gentle and sweet with them.  Thanks for your prayers as we all adjust to being a family of six!

Our treasures from Jesus! How sweet that this time He has given a DOUBLE BLESSING! We stand in complete awe and amazement of His goodness (and a bit of a daze from lack of sleeping too! :)). He is meeting us and strengthening us even now.

Our reaction to the good gifts!  Elsie Jayne's spontaneous response to how she likes her sister!

More sweet snuggles on the girls second visit to the hospital on Tuesday.

"Look at my sister!" the New Big Sister is very pleased.

Back at Papa's house (our American home) on Wednesday.
We were released from the hospital about 11:15 Wednesday morning!
Two healthy babies and a healthy mommy. Hallelujah! Priase God Forever!

A break from the hands of love of our big sisters!

Sophia and Chloe came home from the hospital just in time to celebrate grand-daddy's birthday!!!
Here we are with a few of our "Coppedge Cousins."
The twins give Grand-daddy and Grammy (pictured) 13 grand-babies and Pap and Nyanya (Joanna's parents) numbers 9 and 10!

We praise Jesus for the joy of being in families that celebrate LIFE!!!

HALLELUJAH! PRAISE GOD FOREVER!!!

WELCOMING...

Sophia Anne and Chloe Catherine

October 17

6lbs.1ounce and 6lbs. 2ounces

both 19 inches long

Sophie was born at 8:17pm

while Chloe followed at 8:37pm

The girls had to be birthed in the OR because they were twins and therefore "high risk" but by the grace of Jesus, both came naturally and sweetly after about 5 hours of labor!

HALLELUJAH! PRAISE GOD FOREVER!

More pictures to follow...

Waiting...on Him

These are interesting days of "waiting" for our family! We desire to wait on the Lord! To hear from Jesus! To see His face in this process of family growth and growing in Him!

And yet we find ourselves asking one another moment by moment some days...do you think TODAY is the day the twins will come?! We're all four so excited and some of us are a bit overwhelmed too! Oh that we might wait on HIM and receive each day as the Love Gift that it is! What a joy! We delight in His presence even in our family of four!

Thank you for your love and prayers.

Jesus has opened many opportunities to share about His presence in Uganda and Southern Sudan in the last weeks. Just today Joanna led a small group from Asbury while Billy taught a leadership seminar. Jesus is faithfully opening doors to share. We are so very grateful.

Elsie Jayne and Lucy Mae enjoy a little autumn tree climbing!

Happy times with DADDY!!!

We love all the cool kid-friendly places in America! The girls last week enjoyed a fun hay maze on UK's campus! 

The four (six) of us!

Thank you for your continued love and prayers for us...we have made it to 37 weeks and 5 days now with the twins! They are both great size and seem healthy. Our doctor says they will come this week! He'll induce on Tuesday night if they haven't come by then! Thanks for continuing to pray!