Flowers!

I LOVE flowers growing in gardens, yards, etc. It looks so nice! Tulips are probably my favorite, because after a cold winter, they start to poke through the ground and remind me that Spring is coming soon. They are LOVELY! I, however, have a hard time growing them in my yard! I need to work on that! I have dreams of having lovely flowers in front of my house, in my backyard, etc. I looked around at all the flowers and tried to notice which ones bloom all Summer, seem to last well, etc. Last year I bought this bag of lily bulbs and planted them in front of the aspen in the back yard...then I hoped for the best! They actually grew fairly well and I had maybe 1-2 flowers last year. I was so excited!

I was even more excited when this year I have had a lot more flowers!! Our first one bloomed the day that we went to the Rockies game. Caden and I ran out to take pics of it! Since then, we have had at least 5 other flowers bloom. Caden knows how much I love them and will get just as excited as I do! When he is playing outside, he will water our flowers with his squirt bottle. What a sweetheart! Maybe next year I will branch out and find another flower to add to our collection!

FSA Birth Parent Appreciation Day and Rockies Game!

We had a great Families Supporting Adoption (FSA) activity where we got to honor and celebrate birth parents! We all went to the Rockies game and wore our matching shirts from the 5K in May. We were able to meet and talk with so many great birth parents, and spend time with our friends from FSA. There was a huge rain storm that came through, so during the 1+ hour rain delay, we talked to everyone from the group.


Caden got to play kickball on the field with Dingger! So awesome!! (Clearly from the video, he didn't really know the rules of kickball, but he still had fun!)
Caden was so excited to catch a ball and he wore his mitt for most of the game. He never caught a fly ball, but he had a blast. He loved splashing in the puddles during the rain delay. He was such a good sport, even though it was a REALLY late night!
We loved this activity and look forward to repeating it every year here in Colorado! This will be easy to do since our adoption supervisor, Kelly (on the left with his rally cap on) is a HUGE Rockies fan! Here he is doing the macarena! We love Kelly!

ESL Testing

When I registered Caden for kindergarten, I had to fill out what languages Caden speaks, what languages we speak in the home, etc. Since he is bilingual, I wrote down English and Spanish. As a result, he had to get tested to see if he qualified for ESL assistance. I laughed so hard when I got the email! I told Caden that since he knew both languages, he got to have a special meeting.

A few weeks ago, I took him to get tested. I was hoping that I could see the test, but he took him to a different room. After wards, he came and talked to me about how Caden did. He said "it looks like he is at least familiar with the capital letters and he could write his name well...". I wanted to laugh and tell him that Caden is reading full books, but decided to just listen. He told me that Caden did great in all areas, but he missed a few questions in the "listening" portion. As a result, he told me that he did qualify for ESL assistance. I almost started laughing! He explained that Caden would have to go to another school, that they could work with him for 45 minutes a week, etc. He said I could decide to do it, decide to sign a waiver, or think about it for awhile. I immediately signed the waiver. However, he told me that since he qualified for the program, he has to be tested every year until he passes "proficient".

It was a very interesting experience. Russ and I just kept laughing about it. I don't think school systems can handle a child that is literally fluent in two languages. We are proud that our sweet son can talk in both English and Spanish, and is excelling at the things he does! Now I just need to get myself ready for him to start kindergarten....what am I going to do without my sweet sidekick by me all day!? He is SO excited, though so that makes it easier.

Media Monday: Bryan Kehl's Big Family and the Blessings of Adoption

Russ found this article on adoption the other day. I was so proud of him! Really it is because he LOVES BYU sports (Bryan Kehl used to play football for BYU) and found it on a BYU sports website. :) Either way, I loved reading it. Here is a link to the whole article that was in the Mormon Times on June 16, 2011. http://www.mormontimes.com/article/21206/Bryan-Kehls-big-family-and-the-blessings-of-adoption#

Our Thoughts: First off, it drives me nuts when people say they "gave up their baby for adoption". Birth parents are not giving their babies up! They are placing them for adoption, because they want them to have things that they can't offer at that specific time in life. We love that his mom helped him find his biological father! It is natural to be curious about where you came from, and we love that they embraced his curiosity and helped him to find his biological father! We love how the biological grandfather gave him a kiss and a blessing before she placed him for adoption. What a touching experience and a great article!

Media Monday: Family Connections Magazine

I graduated from BYU with a degree in Marriage, Family and Human Development. The department has changed since I went to school and is now called The School of Family Life. They are trying to reconnect all of their alumni and current students, so they put together a magazine called "Family Connections" that came in the mail a little while ago. I was excited to read it, and loved the story of adoption that I came across.

It was an alumni profile about the Lundell Family. They adopted three children of Asian, African American and Samoan descent and then they were able to have two biological children. The husband entered the military and ended up getting deployed for Iraq, leaving the wife with a 6 week old baby and 3 kids that were having separation issues from adoption. She writes that she has been able to use her training as a family therapist to help their family. I love this paragraph, "Catherine feels a sacred obligation as a parent to an adopted child. 'How would their birth mother feel about my interactions with this child if she were watching?' is a question she often asks herself. Catherine feels a deep responsibility for the trust that was placed in her as a mother to someone else's child."

Our Thoughts: We love that she used what she learned in school to help their family grow. I have definitely remembered different things I learned from my major to help our family, and love that I have that knowledge to draw upon. We especially loved how they feel such a sacred responsibility to care for her adopted children the best they can because of the trust that the birth parents had in them. We, likely, will feel the same way!

Wo-Mimi!

This past weekend, Russ' grandma came into town from Canada with his aunt and his cousin. We LOVE Russ' grandma. She is an incredible woman and so talented. Russ' mom goes by "Mimi" instead of Grandma, so Caden's oldest cousin decided to call great grandma "Wo-Mimi". The name completely stuck!

We had to run a lot of errands on Saturday before we could go see Wo-Mimi. While in the car, Caden kept saying "Wo-Mimi! Wo-Mimi!" and then smiling a huge smile! He was very happy when we finally got to see her and insisted on sitting by her at Costa Vida for dinner. We went over on Sunday after church for dinner to see her one last time.

All the boys ate outside. Russ and Caden are in the front. Russ' Dad is behind Russ, with his cousin to the side.
It was a little breezy outside for the girls, so we ate inside. I am sitting by Russ' mom and his Aunt Di and Wo-Mimi are on the other side.When we were leaving, Caden started crying. He didn't want to say goodbye. We tried to comfort him by saying that he will see Wo-Mimi in a few months when we go to Disney World! It didn't help much, but it got us excited!

Preschool Graduation

Caden graduated from preschool!! With a few friends, we bought a preschool curriculum and each took turns teaching. I have done this for the past two years and loved it. We had a little graduation party at the park for the boys. I put together a DVD with all the pics from the year, showing all the boys had done. They loved seeing their pictures come up. Each child was spotlighted by a teacher and then given a diploma. Then, my friend brought treats that went along with the letters A, B and C and she used the letter crafts that her son had done to display them. It was so creative and fun! The kids then played while all the parents talked. Caden is BEYOND excited for kindergarten, and I am trying to prepare myself to let him grow up.

Russ turns 29!!

My sweet husband turned 29! He is just 16 days older than me, so I always tease him that he is so much older! Caden has picked up on this and when Russ got an eye infection a few days ago, he said "maybe it is because Daddy is so old". I laughed so hard!

Caden and I made cards for him and decorated the house.
We opened his presents and yes, I made him wear the funny hat! :) He got a dutch oven to cook with when we go camping. We have wanted one for a long time and finally got it!

*That morning, Caden and I went to a garage sale and found the Cars life jacket. He was SO excited to wear it swimming that he wore it around the house for about an hour.
We went swimming as a family in our neighborhood pool. It is a tradition from both of our sides that when it is your birthday, you get to choose your favorite meal for dinner and you don't have to do any work. So, I made him a dinner of chicken broccoli crepes and raspberry jell-o (both are his favorites). Then, we went to the driving range to play some golf!
Caden played with his plastic clubs that are all falling apart, but he had a blast!Golf is not my talent, but I can do a decent job at mini golf! :) I totally wiffed it a few times and laughed so hard! Then, I resorted back to taking pictures!
We also went to Krispy Kreme to get a free donut before heading home for angel food cake with raspberries and whipped cream. Happy birthday, Love!!

Media Monday: Ancestors

Russ and I were asked to serve as "Ma and Pa" for the Stake Trek with the youth. Trek is an incredible experience where we go and reenact the pioneers walking across the plains with handcarts. We wear traditional pioneer clothing, cook over a fire, etc. We are really excited for the opportunity! One part of the trek is that you have to choose a pioneer that walked across the plains that you want to walk for and learn about. Russ and I both turned to our genealogy books that our amazing grand parents have put together. In sorting through mine, I found an adoption story! Here it is:

My Grandma's, Glendon, married a woman named Bobette. They had 2 sons, but after 5 or 6 attempts to have another child resulted in miscarriages, they turned to adoption. After a little bit (not sure how long), an attorney friend of theirs from church told them that he had a 2 year old girl who needed a home. She got there as fast as she could. She writes "With a pounding and anxious heart, Bobette arrived at the office. She opened the door, and Gibbons picked up a beautiful, sweet faced, brown haired child withe dark eyes of beauty, depth and alertness that Bobette was instantly captivated. For Bobette, the search of years, the longing of her heart were over. Her child had arrived". Bobette writes that there had been spaces in her heart reserved for Tawny, the child they adopted. That night, she waited for her husband to come home and she kept checking every 15 minutes or so on her sleeping child. "It was after midnight when he came, and not wanting to disturb her sleep, the two of us looked at this perfect and beautiful little girl who miraculously had become ours." She writes that "the boys were as crazy about her as we were". I love that the older boys just adored their new baby sister.

Tawny came down with leukemia and after battling it for 3 years, she passed away. She often reminded her parents (even before the sickness) that she was sealed to them (in an LDS temple). They will be able to live together forever, even though she passed away when she was only 12 years old.

Our Thoughts: We loved reading about the feelings and excitement from an ancestor in Kylee's family that was able to adopt. We love that there were spaces in their hearts reserved for this girl. We definitely feel that our family is not complete, and that there is a special someone that is supposed to come to our family. We love how much they were all immediately taken with her, especially the boys. Caden is SUCH a caring, loving boy and we know he is going to be a great big brother! We are excited for the day when we can write our own adoption story.

Memorial Day fun!

Russ and I love backpacking, but it isn't feasible with a baby/toddler. At the end of last year, a friend told us about this place that you only have to hike in 1 mile and there are bathrooms and firewood provided. We were so excited to go, but couldn't fit it in last year. Every memorial Day we have a traidion of going camping. Since Caden is a good hiker, we took advantage of the chance to go on our first backpacking trip as a family! We were SO excited! It was a beautiful place and it even overlooked Denver. It was so peaceful to sit in the wilderness with our family under the stars and see the lights of Denver in the distance. So great!

We started off for the trail SO excited! Caden's adorable face tells it all! He picked two dandelions for me which I wore behind my ear almost the whole day. So sweet!
We followed his map. :)
We found a geocache with a beautiful view. Caden traded a toy for a silly band.
We pumped water...or tried! I love his legs dangling in the air!
We climbed on rocks. Caden was in heaven!
We savored the beautiful views!
Much to Caden's delight, Russ helped Caden search for grasshoppers in the HUGE open area.
and searched....
and by some miracle, they found one!
We loved seeing all the pretty flowers.Caden drew in the dirt.
We are not big s'mores people, so instead we roast starburst! Most divine thing ever!!
the Denver city lights
In the morning, we ate breakfast and then hiked back to the car so we could see Ryan and Rose (Russ' brother and his family) that came into town. It made it so perfect to hear Caden sing "pioneer children sang as they walked....and walked....and walked...and walked...". He was such a champ! We were proud of him!

Mr. Talkative

Caden is quite the talkative kid! He is ALWAYS talking to someone, and he loves it when people will listen to him. He will always talk to the cashiers at stores, the librarians, people walking on the street, other shoppers in the store, etc. It keeps our life fun, because you never know what he will say. In our home study to get approved to adopt, our case worker wrote in there twice that Caden is a very talkative kid. It made us laugh when we read it, because it is so true!

Since it is Summer and we have a neighborhood pool, we enrolled Caden in swimming classes. He was SO excited for the first day! The first day ended up being rough, because we put him in a harder class that he wasn't ready for. We switched down to the lower class for the rest of the time, and he is LOVING it! He is always trying to show his teacher everything he does. She is very patient and kind to him, which I appreciate. Today, while his teacher was helping another boy in the class, he noticed the life guard was a captive audience and started talking to her to show her what he could do. I was laughing so hard! He is such a fun kid to have around.

Here he is showing off how he can get a ring from the bottom of the pool. He was really scared about this before his lesson, but he totally did it right off the bat! I was so proud of him! (in case you couldn't tell!)

Media Monday: The White Swan Express

The White Swan Express by Jean Davies Okimoto

We gave this book 2.5 out of 5 stars.

You can read it here on Google Books.

Here is a summary from the book flap: In China, the moon shines on four baby girls fast asleep in an orphanage. Far away in North America, the sun rises over four homes as the people inside get ready to start a long, exciting journey. With tenderness and humor, this lyrical story tells how they are all brought together, and how they become four happy families on one very special day.

First of all, there were way too many words on the page to keep a child's interest. We liked that the author did a good job describing all the emotions and feelings that these four different couples had. This wasn't a very interesting book, even for us to read. We aren't doing international adoption for now, so I think many of the experiences don't necessarily apply directly to us.

In the family

My sister and her husband were recently approved to adopt through LDS Family Services as well! It is fun to experience the adoption process and the wonderful world of adoption with my sister! It is fun to think that when we adopt, he/she will have cousins that are also adopted. What a blessing!

My sister spoiled me rotten when I was younger and we have always had a special relationship. She married an incredible husband that LOVES kids! He will be a great father sometime soon. They love to travel and love to spend time together hiking near their house, skiing, etc. They have a dog, Nutmeg, that all my nieces/nephews adore. They are a very talented, fun-loving couple and we think the world of them.

Check out their awesome profile here: https://itsaboutlove.org/ial/profiles/25589617/ourMessage.jsf

The pic below is from a cruise that we went on with Russ' family. Last minute, Erika and Jared decided to join us! Russ' parents were so excited to have them there and we loved hanging out with them. They even joined us for a fun stop in Puerto Rico, where we drove past the last area I served in as a missionary!