One Step Closer...

This afternoon, mediation is scheduled on J's case with CPS and the attorneys to move his case towards termination and adoption. We thought we were waiting to find out of his birthmother would show up to sign relinquishment papers, but it turns out she already did that!! She won't be coming today, but her attorney will be there to work out the details and get the paperwork ready to be submitted to the judge. We should have some kind of time frame at the end of next month as to when we will be able to go to court to finalize. We are one step closer to J becoming OURS forever!!

Our Little Superbowl Party

If you know me at all, you know I am compelled to make any event a celebration around here! And when you have multiple children, you ARE your own party!

So we put our pj's on and had a little Super Bowl celebration of our own.

We made homemade pizzas and enjoyed icecream cake shaped like a football!

We had no problem polishing off 2 pizzas! Then we put J in Isaac's flag football jersey and took some cute photos of him in all his Superbowl glory! We anticipate that J will be our athlete.

Daddy tackled him as he ran by with the ball.
He even has his offensive stance ready to go!

It cracks us up, because Billy and I are not into sports of any kind. So Isaac has not been conditioned to care about sports either. We have tried basketball, flag football, and karate and each time he played around and socialized more then focusing on any kind of drills. He is more the artsy, performing type which was evident when he couldn't have cared less about the game last night until the halftime show. Then he danced to the performers the entire time, mimicking their every move!We laughed so hard that our youngest may grow up to be Deion S.anders and our oldest will most certainly be the next U.sher!!

Isaac's Homecoming Celebration

Every year the kids get to choose the resteraunt for their special day. We celebrate Isaac's homecoming and Vivi's finalization day. We will likely make J's special day July 28th the day he came home, too. So...much to Billy's joy Isaac chose Pei Wei!

We gave him the traditional cookie cake and a small gift.

I always give him his favorite candy bar.

All the kids are BIG fans of chicken Lo Mein.

He is getting to be such a big boy.

We can't believe 5 years have passed since he came home!!

Homecoming

5 years ago today, a toddler boy much smaller than his age, entered our home...made us parents, and changed us forever.

Here is the first letter I wrote to him in February 2006.

"We got the call about you on a Wednesday and we had to wait 5 days for you to come. The voice on the other end of the phone said, “We want to know if you would be willing to foster to adopt a 15 month old African American boy.” And boy were we! We began to prepare your room and I shopped and bought you some clothes and pajamas, a toothbrush, some toys. You came to us on Monday afternoon. When I opened the door, you looked so scared in the arms of your CPS caseworker, Anne. She had taken you to the doctor that day and discovered that you were severely malnourished. The doctor labeled your condition “Failure to Thrive”. But they felt it was for social and emotional reasons…there is no way to know the many ways you were neglected in your previous foster home. You were wet all over and frightened when she left an hour later. I cleaned you up and changed you into fresh clothes. Then I gave you a bottle of PediaSure…the drink you will take 3 times a day for the next several months to fatten you up. We rocked and I sang to you as you sucked that bottle down. And I cried. I cried for you and all you had been through and I cried for me that I wasn’t there to protect you for your first 15 months and 28 days of life. And in those few moments though I hadn’t carried you in my body, or nursed you, or loved you in infancy. And though I missed your first birthday and Christmas and Easter….in those moments you became my son."

Happy Homecoming Day, Isaac.

You were desperately wanted, are deeply loved, and will be cherished for a lifetime.

Infant Adoption Update

Today, our adoption agency director emailed a really nice encouraging update for those of us waiting. She said that they have "quite a few" women who desire to make an adoption plan and are due between March and August. She said many of them will be viewing profiles soon! This is so exciting. We mailed 5 new letters/picture profiles to them this week, so that they will have J in there for potential birthmoms to see that we are a family of five. We know this holds us back in the selection process as we are likely always shown with couples who do not have any children. But we also know that it is the Lord's will which child is meant to be ours. We would never be disgruntled about a couple becoming parents for the first time, even if it means we are passed up for that to happen! But I do find myself wondering, "Where could our baby be?"

Time will tell...

Snow Pics!

It came down in 4 inches overnight.

It is breathtaking. I went outside for almost an hour to take pictures, and had fun playing with getting them nice looking after I uploaded them. There was hardly any wind and beautifully quiet and soft. Vivi was the only one willing to brave the cold with me. :)

We couldn't do much with it but run and kick a big red ball.

It is powdery and soft and flaky, but so thick and deep that walking in it is a lot of fun!

The view from our alley.

From our front yard.

The sidewalk coming up to our house has disappeared!

Down our street.

Lucy is practically a snow dog. She LOVES it. Now, this is a Texas snow day I can get on board with!

I contained some in the freezer and will be attempting to make snow ice cream later today.

I am ready to go out again, but our gloves are still needing to dry out. I want to soak up every moment because come July I will miss this day.