It's OFFICIAL!!!

As of 9:30 or so this morning Sweet K and Bubba became officially ours.

There adoptions were finalized and now it's on to the Temple. I love This day in my family's life, because it leads to the Temple. We Have had our Sweet K since she was 12 months old.

Sweet K left us for about four months when she was little. We fought hard to get her back home where she belongs.

Bubba arrived when he was six months old.

He had little to no muscle control and could not even hold his head up. We helped him catch up and he has been the biggest blessing in our lives. They both have!!I love these kiddos with all my heart!!!! A HUGE thank you to all who came and supported our crazy family today!

One Step Closer

To making this little princess ours to keep.

Which means,this guy

will be also.

YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sissy was born at home and bio Mom is not cooperating with the details of her birth.

Making it near impossible to get vital records to issue a Birth Certificate.

We have been waiting 8 months to hear that they are in fact going to issue a birth certificate. and we can move on to our adoption day, and then our ultimate goal,

THE TEMPLE.

Bubba's rights were severed around the same time. We have held off on finalizing his adoption so we could do them on the same, day at the same time.

We have been praying for this birth certificate every day, morning and night since we found out how difficult it was going to be to get it.When our case worker went in person to apply she was told by vital record that getting it would near impossible without more details. We were going to have to appeal to the courts for help, and wouldn't you know it, our miracle came just in time. Another blessing besides the birth certificate itself is that my children are recognizing that a loving Heavenly Father is aware of our family and he answers our prayers. This comes at just the right time because her Bio Mom has been trying to rock some boats lately and I will be able to feel more secure about my sweet Sissy when she is legally and more importantly, eternally ours!

LOVE, is an ACTION word!

Today is my fifth wedding anniversary. Look at us in those carefree days. NO US, not the ripped abs on the lady in the bikini behind us! Layne and I dated for a long time and looking back I am so grateful we did. I married my best friend and that time together made being married so much better. We really had no adjustment period we knew each other to well. We have had a crazy five years and are even raising a little boy who is older than our marriage. I married a very kind man who is tender hearted and loves me unconditionally, which I know is hard to do some days!!:) Love is an action word to him. He shows me he loves me every day He washes the dishes every day.
He changes diapers and dresses children.
He helps with dinner if he is home and sometimes does it on his own.
He let's me get away when I need to and happily takes over kid duty for me.
He rubs my feet even when I won't rub his.
He gets up with kids in the middle of the night with me or for me.
He still holds my hand whenever he can and at home on the couch while we watch our favorite NCIS.
He is a hands on Dad and loves his children.
He does the majority of our grocery shopping
before he comes home from work (Costco)
He is funny and he makes me laugh.
He never misses a chance to cuddle or give me a hug or kiss.
He does this and so much more and I LOVE him for all he does and all he is.
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY LAYNE, I LOVE YOU!!

I'M STILL AWAKE

Because the events of the evening keep repeating themselves in my mind. I love my Sissy with all my heart. I can not imagine loving my kids any more if I had given birth to them. All of our kids come as strangers and as we serve them we get to know them and grow to love them in an instant. This girl stole my heart from the second I opened the door. She was dressed in odd over sized clothing and had the look of fear on her beautiful face. She was barely twelve months old and didn't walk yet. She was chubby and just plain adorable. The memory keeps coming back to me as I contemplate the plan of our Heavenly Father. We went to a Halloween party tonight which was in essence Sissy's final visit with her Bio siblings and Mom for at least a year. We have agreed to one a year as long as it is in her best interest. It was heartbreaking to watch her Bio Mom say goodbye. I buckled sissy in and shut the car door when I turned around her Bio Mom hugged me hard and could not let go. She asked me "please just take care of her?" She had a hard time letting go as if I were Sissy and she just couldn't do it. In my heart I know it's the right thing for Sissy. I know this is Heavenly Fathers will and his plan for her. I know she would not be ok being raised in the circumstances that are her Bio Moms. I know these things and yet I can not stop crying. My heart brakes for any Mother who for whatever reason or circumstance has to loose or leave a child. I know her history and some of what has led her to make her choices right or wrong and it is not my place to judge, but I have been given the responsibility to raise and protect this sweet Daughter of God. Knowing our kind Heavenly Father has a plan for each of his children helps me feel at peace through these hard times and right now I could not be more grateful for my knowledge of it.

OCTOBER MADNESS

This has been the busiest Oct. I feel like life has gone from a sprint to a marathon. It has been fun, happy, and busy so I have no reason to complain. I have been happily entertained by my cute kids. We have had so much fun spending time together as a family on our vacations.

I really notice a difference especially in Lightning, when we make memories together. Bubba has been so entertaining lately. I can not get enough of this fun kid.

Check out this fun guy. I am sure he is confused as to what part of our body is supposed to meet with the lightning Mc Queen toilet seat. Potty training is in his near future and so I am getting prepared and trying to teach him about underwear and since he thinks you wear all pairs at once over your diaper, while adorning you head with the toilet seat we may be waiting a little longer to get into those big boy pants. Poor guy has all sorts of clothes issues these days. He is trying so hard to get himself out of the girly get up Sissy made him put on and parade around in this morning. She made him show off his girly style outside and I don't think he cared at first but towards the end he just had to be a boy again. Poor kid, just could not figure out how to get out of this frilly swimsuit:)

I have had a chance this month to try and improve my photo taking skills. Most of the time my kids are more than willing to be my models and sometimes it's fun to have a chance to do something different.
Melanie let me take pics of her sweet little girl. Thanks Melanie. I sure hope you find a few you like and that I got a few shots of what you were hoping for. I immediately saw things I could have done different. Thanks again for being willing to let me practice with your cutie pie!!

This sweet girl is always willing to pose and actually trys to find things for me to take pictures of. She actually suggested this umbrella that goes to her camping chair. I happily grabbed my camera. Halloween and all that goes with it has taken up a lot of time this year we have had and still have some fun parties to go to. I am trying my best to have a low key Halloween night Lightning can not wait to trick- or- treat. We have been in court for our kids a lot this month and tomorrows court date hopefully marks a beginning to a long awaited end and we can get Sissy and Bubbas files to the adoption unit and get on with the business of being an eternal family.

HAPPY TEARS

Today was a day we have been waiting for for a LONG

time now.(2yrs) I went to court today and found out that

we get to add another kiddo to the ETERNAL line up.

This has been a rocky road. We got Bubba when he was 6 months old. He had no muscle control, could not hold up his head,and hardly made a sound. We worked hard to help him and he quickly caught up.This kid has held a special place in my heart since day one. We were told not long after getting him that he would stay and then the tables were turned in an instant and we went to coping with saying goodbye. It broke my heart and though I put on a brave face, it was killing me inside. At this point I decided to be as helpful as I could to his bio parents so that I could be there if they needed help and also to hopefully never loose track of him. I watched him struggle and could do nothing to change what was happening. He would throw monster fits and not talk while in his bio parents care. He was a early talker and I just knew he was confused and scared. We were a month away from the final goodbye and the tables turned just as quickly as they had before. We knew when his little brother (Wild Thing) showed up after a very scary phone call that we had our chance to keep him. The powers that be put the wheels in motion and today we got the word that for sure he will be ours. We have to wait on some red tape and a official adoption court date.There were several people in our ward fasting and praying for him and they did not tell me until afterwords. I was stunned and grateful.

If you had told me when they dropped this little fellow off that on the day I found out he was going to be ours I would gratefully hug his Bio Mom in a court room. That I would thank her with tears in my eyes for sharing this sweet miracle with me, I would have said you were nuts. I do not agree with her life's choices but it is not my place to judge (which I do a lot of with these parents) and I am grateful for her willingness to talk it over with me before court and spend some time after court with me. I took her to get a drink and a bite to eat. It was an amazing experience for me. I will always be grateful. It feels like a weight has been lifted and Layne and I are so grateful this guy will be ours forever!!!!!!!