Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Our Christmas Card

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and Happy New year
Bubba, Goose and Bear


Many people write a family update and put it in their Christmas card. I didn't think of it in time this year so I decided to write one on our blog. I really enjoy reading family updates, whether it's someone I see often or someone I only hear from every once in awhile.  It's always nice to hear how others are doing and growing.  So on with our update.....

Our family has been richly blessed this year.  2011 was good to us and we are so grateful.  We went to Disney World in June and then went back to Florida in July to spend a week on the beaches.  We feel so blessed to have been able to take not one but two great vacations this year. On March 7th our foster son of two and a half years went home to live with his parents.  Although it was very difficult to see him leave we are so grateful we still get to see him and be involved in his life. We have decided to take a break from doing foster care, a decision that was not easy but best for our family at this time.

 Goose is almost 8 and in second grade.  She is working so hard and enjoys school immensely.  She especially loves her art class where she has become quite the budding artist.  This fall she completed a round of swim lessons and continues to improve her skills. Goose joined Brownies this year and is having a blast with her friends earning badges. She has turned into such a girly girl when it comes to clothes and accessories. She already has an affinity for the clothing store Justice. Bubba is 5 and in kindergarten.  He is doing an amazing job and loves school as well.  He has made many great friends and is learning so much.  I can hardly believe he has started reading.  He played soccer again this fall and did great.  In January he will start basketball and is looking forward to having his big dad coach. He loves Star Wars and the Super Mario Brothers, he can talk endlessly about these two subjects, just ask him.

Jeremy is still the math department chair at Leyden High School.  This is his 5th year teaching at Leyden and his 12th year teaching all together.  He has enjoyed coaching soccer for Bubba and is looking forward to coaching basketball in January.  Jeremy serves on the board of Trustees at our church and is also a member of the finance committee. He stays busy providing for our family and just being an all around great dad and husband.

Kerry is an "at home mom" this year and is loving it.  She volunteers regularly at the kid's school and loves being involved.  She is a room mom for both kids. Kerry teaches Sunday School at our church each week and enjoys having both Goose and Bubba in her class. She continues to serve on our church's board of Session and headed up the Nominating committee this year as well.

After 5 years without a dog we decided on a whim to bring home an adorable 10 week old Cocker Spaniel Cavalier King Charles puppy.  Kerry had been thinking about getting a dog and was combing the shelter and rescue web pages.  Jeremy said we should "put a pin in it" until this summer (which made sense.)  While attending a friends bridal shower and discovering there were several puppies that needed a home we decided to move up the arrival date.  The kids are so happy with our new addition and Mom and Dad are enjoying him as well.   We feel so blessed to all be healthy and to have a roof over our head, food in our bellies and clothes on our back. We pray that 2012 will be just as blessed and hope that each of you has had a great year and many more to come.

Friday, November 25, 2011

A puppy, Thanksgiving and putting up our tree.....

We got a puppy!  Last Sunday I went to a bridal shower for my friend and ended up bringing home a puppy.  He is a nine week old Cocker Spaniel, Caviler King Charles mix.  Christmas has come early at our house.





Our Bear

Next up was Thanksgiving.  We celebrated with my family and it was a great day. Jeremy once again made an amazing feast. Bubba could not wait to dig into this turkey.

After Thanksgiving we always put up our Christmas tree.



Some lights seem to be not working.

Almost done.

Goose and our tree

Bubba and our tree.

Sunday, November 6, 2011

November is National Adoption Awareness Month

This will be the first year I'm going to take the month of November to write about adoption in honor adoption awareness month.  I follow many blogs that feature other adoptive and foster families and I have been inspired by the blogging community to express my thoughts and muses about adoption.   It's really fitting that this month brings awareness of adoption and foster care due to the increased amount of time I have been thinking about the adoption of my children.

I have spent the last 10 years of my life eating, breathing, and sleeping adoption.  At the age of 24 when my husband I learned that having biological kids was not going the way we planned we quickly started researching adoption.  We both felt that adoption was the way we were going to form our family.  At first it seemed like an insurmountable task.  How would we afford it was of course the first question.  Then there was the endless amount of information available on types of adoption: domestic, international, infant, special needs, sibling groups, and foster care.  Once you narrow that down you have to research agencies and or attorneys to help facilitate the process.  After finding the right path to travel down you enter into the land of non stop paperwork and once that's done you're on your way to receiving a referral of a child.  Easy right?

This process can take months and months for some people.  I was highly motivated, because we had done the unthinkable (didn't know that at the time) and found a baby on a photo listing before completing any of the other steps, and got together everything we needed to complete and international adoption in just under three months.  Our beautiful baby girl joined our family after a total of 5 months.  Adoption made it possible for me to be a mother, ten years ago I wondered if that was going to be possible.
We first met our daughter when she was 8 weeks old when we visited her in Guatemala.

Our daughter is almost eight and we have a 5 year old son who was also adopted from Guatemala.  They are the light of our lives, I couldn't have imagined more beautiful, funny, spunky, loving children if God had let me take the drivers seat myself.  I'm so glad he didn't.

Meeting our son for the first time when he was 8 weeks old.

Adoption today means something totally different then it did 10 years ago.  As we live our lives raising our children the impact of adoption is present everyday.  It has presented challenges I never dreamed of (although I should have,) and joys that have forever changed my heart.  I praise God everyday for allowing me to parent these two amazing children. Adoption isn't right for everyone but for us anything else would seem wrong.  

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Happy Halloween!


Daddy carved this awesome pumpkin.

I was the parent helper at Bubba's school.  Here he is with is buddy "Iron Man."

The craft center.

The parent helpers had to dress up too.

The snack center.

Boo Bingo

Mummy race.

Next Goose came home for lunch and changed into her costume.

Bobo Fett shooting Cleopatra

She loved her eye makeup.


The school parade


Finally time to trick-or-treat.





After a long day of fun, daddy tries to steal the candy.

Friday, October 28, 2011

Fall Photo Shoot

I decided to do our fall photo shot myself this year to save money.  After school today I took the kids across the street for 20 minutes and these are some of the best shots of our mini session.
Shots of just Goose

Love this one

She is beautiful

Love that smile

Now Bubba....

So handsome

Great shot

My favorite

And last but not least both of them....



they are too much



And then some of the beautiful tress.


Not bad for an amature....