A DECADE!

It's been ten years since these two came on the scene 

and we are very glad they did.

 Happy Gotcha Day!  We love you guys and always will!

Three Years Ago...

Three years ago, today we were standing in a court room 

 

making this little person our legal daughter.  For Ever.

We are so glad we did that!

Happy Adoption Day to one of our four favorite daughters!

8 YEARS!

Eight years ago these two scared and excited 

 little kids walked into the lives of our scared and excited family.

 Things haven't been the same, since!  (that's a good thing)

Truthfully it seems like it's been a lot more than 8 years because it's hard to remember when they were not here.  The important thing, though, is that we are grateful they are part of our family forever.

We love you guys! You make us proud!

he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 

                                                      Ephesians 1:5

GOTCHA DAY NUMBER SEVEN!!!

David and Evonne,

The Bible is saturated with the number seven.
 It symbolizes completeness or perfection.

Seven years ago, today, you two little characters came into our world and turned it upside down in so many ways.

 It's been a wild ride for all of us, but one we wouldn't have missed for the world!

 We are family brought together by adoption, which just happens to be the way we were brought into God's family. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”Romans 8:15 
IT DOESN'T GET BETTER THAN THAT! 

Our family has grown, not just in size, but in so many good ways in the last seven years. We are so happy that you are finally home where you belong! And, like it or not, you are each a perfect walking advertisement for adoption.  

We love you always and forever,
                                              Your Family

P.S. You were the best birthday present I ever got. Love, Mom

The Pool is Back!

    Last year was a pool-less summer for our family.  Last year we were temporarily foster parents to a certain little girl.  The state requires foster parents to have a 12 ft fence encircled with razor wire around the pool to keep children from accidentally falling in.  Well, that may be a slight exaggeration, but the requirements were cost and time prohibitive so we opted to take the pool down until we finalized the adoption.  We had the choice between the pool or Alanna.  We absolutely made the right choice! Now that we finalized Alanna's adoption, we are the ones who get to make the decisions that we feel are appropriate for OUR daughter.  We decided to put the pool back up!  We finalized in December, so we did make the responsible decision to wait until July to put it up.

                                  It was definitely a group effort!                         

The first swim (trying not to act cold)

Don't fall in, honey!

Rickey had to check it out, too

WE ARE FAMILY!

   It's legal!  She's really our DAUGHTER!  FOREVER!

                                 After anxiously waiting, Guinea Pigs in hand (yes, Guinea Pigs),

 

and visiting with two very special social workers who were there for her every step of the LONG way home,

                 We finally had our turn in front of the judge, Guinea pigs in tow.  Doug and I raised our right hands and said, "WE DO" to all he asked!

    Then Alanna asked the judge if he would sign a decree for her to officially adopt her Guinea pigs.

   So the judge asked Alanna to raise her right hand and promise to be responsible for the love, care, and education of her Guinea pigs.  She said, "I DO", and the judge signed.

   


                                    Now we are legally a family, Guinea Pigs and all!

                            


         With a very beautiful little girl who will celebrate her 11th birthday, next Wednesday, finally HOME with her FOREVER FAMILY!

      So what do you do after you finalize an adoption?  Well, you go to your dance class (where the  teacher already knows because Stephanie has put it on Facebook), then you come home and decorate a gingerbread house,

                    and have tacos for dinner with banana splits for dessert!

                                 WELCOME HOME FOREVER, ALANNA BANANA!

Adoption Month

 For Stephanie's senior music project she chose to do a celebration of adoption for National Adoption month.

                                                                                      


                                      It was a family affair with Evonne reading a poem she wrote.

                                                                               



                                           The girls put  programs together

                                           Mandy did a Power Point and Alex set it up.

                                                   I spoke:

                                                     



                                        The band from Stephanie's school came to help with music.

And Stephanie and five beautiful little girls, who will never again, have to worry about where they belong, sang:

ALL I REALLY WANT FOR CHRISTMAS!

Rehearsal video with Stephanie, Evonne, and Alanna J. and Meigan, Kailee, and Leianna K.

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Happy Gotcha Day, David and Evonne!

Five years ago, today, we got to hug our 9 year old daughter and 10 year old son for the first time.

  Look how they've grown!

                                              We love you, David!   FOREVER!

                                              We love you, Evonne!   FOREVER!