Happy Birthday Grant...

Grant turned 3 on the 29th...He had a Curious George party!

 Birthday breakfast = pancakes with a candle

 Playing "Find the Bananas"

 The box is still more fun than the present!

Poor guy fell asleep before the party was over (silly mom scheduled the party during naptime...)

Grant has changed so much this year!  He is adored by his siblings and really seems to be the glue that keeps them all getting along together.  He is way OFF  the charts for height and weight.  He knows most of his colors, he recognizes the letters w, p, x, and t.   He knows what a circle is.  He is super shy and still loves to cuddle.  He loves to play basketball and soccer.  He is great at feeding our dog.  He went to Sunbeams the first day but hasn't wanted to go back since.  He has NO interest in being potty trained.

He has learned the ABC song...

He thinks "Itsy Bitsy Spider"  ends with an AMEN...

 

Merry Christmas

Christmas was great this year!!

Happy Turkey Day!

We had so much fun at Grandma and Grandpa's house this year.  So grateful that we could be with family!!  It was fun to see our kids playing with their cousins.

The table was beautiful...

 A little fun in the kitchen...

 My beautiful sisters....

Nina with Great Grandma...

The whole gang...

After dinner the kids played...this marble game was a hit...I remember playing with it when I was little as well...

While the kids played...some of the adults napped...

After dinner and naps Grandma and Grandpa helped the kids put on a play about gratitude...

We have so much to be thankful for...

If you haven't got enough pictures yet...click on over to my photo blog to see the cute pics I got of my sis and her fam...

www.noisysmiles.blogspot.com



A Look Back...

I have loved taking the time to think back to each of our kids' adoptions.  It seems so long ago...but at the same time just like yesterday...

Matthew was adopted on August 3, 2005...he had been in our home for just over a year...He was 5 1/2...It was such a great day!

 We were sealed in the Mesa Temple on August 6, 2005...What an emotional day!  We were blessed to have a room full of family and friends...Matthew's favorite memories of that day were the mirrors and the toy room...He remembers bowling :)

Christian was adopted on National Adoption Day, November 19, 2005.  He had been in our home for just under 6 months...He was 2 and a ball of energy!  The courthouse had a lot of fun activites...balloons, clowns, cake, etc.  Such a fun day!

 We were sealed in the Mesa Temple that same night.  It was a small and short ceremony...perfect for Christian!!  Matthew was also there all dressed in white...

Nina's adoption was final on August 4, 2007...she was about 2 1/2...(It was also our 6th anniversary!)

We were sealed in the Mesa Temple on August 11, 2007...What a special day...lots of family...even my parents were able to get permission to leave their mission to come!  Matthew and Christian got to be there as well.

This picture was taken before Nina was part of our family...

Here is Nina in her beautiful white dress...

And all three in their whites...

I am SO grateful for adoption...but even more grateful for the temple.  I know that our family is forever...

Happy National Adoption Month!

I love adoption!!  My life has been changed FOR . EV. ER because of adoption.  We adopted our 3 oldest through the foster care system in Arizona.  We know that our family wouldn't be "Our Family" without them.  We know that they were meant to be part of our forever family.  We are grateful for the challenges they have faced, are facing, and will face.  These challenges make them who they are and make our family who we are!!  Love them...

love Grant too!! :)...How blessed we are to have 4 miracles!!