Meeting new cousin, Morgen ~

Eli met his new cousin (sister to Ava) yesterday.  He told Morgen "play?".... while he was very sweet to her, he quickly lost interest since she didn't do anything but sleep.  How boring! ha ha

FIRST MOTORCYCLE RIDE!

Last Thursday, 9-13-12, Eli got to take his first "cycle" ride with Mommy and Papa.  He LOVED it.  Can't you see how comfortable he looks?  He talked non-stop the entire time we were moving (in Eli babble and barking at dogs along the way) and cried and threw a fit when we took him off.

Our Corn-y Kid

Sorry for the pun... but it was too good to pass up.

Our kid loves corn on the cob... I mean, REALLY LOVES IT!!!  We eat it often just for the pure pleasure of watching him devoure it.  It's really hysterical.  These pictures don't do it justice... but enjoy his facial expressions all the same.





Another wedding…

Sometimes I wish our kid wasn’t so cute so that way he wouldn’t be in all these weddings!! HA HA

Saturday (on my birthday) we spent the day marrying Sam’s brother and his new wife, or as Eli calls them “Uncle and Abby”.  It rained all day only to stop shortly before they had to find an indoor location.  While Abby was thrilled to have her outdoor wedding as planned, the rest of us had to endure sweltering humidity and muddy/wet ground.  Oh happy day!  It did turn out to be quite a pretty wedding and Eli did great.  Sam did pretty good too as the best man.  Here are a few pictures of the day:

Relaxing in a massage chair at Brush and Blade before wedding - Eli running the controls!

Missed nap time... are we going to get through this wedding without a melt down?

Handsome!!

THIS is how you dump the petals, Kaylyn!!

Yes, our son is sticking his tongue out at the flower girl behind the camera (who is sticking it out back at him)!

Dancing with Momma

Dancing with cousin Maddie

and of course, playing in the water fountain!

We’re BACK!!!!

We are happy to announce that as of September 4^th, 2012, we are once again waiting adoptive parents!  We chose this date specifically for the special meaning of Sam’s birthday and in honor of our little Kenian’s 3^rd birthday.  It’s hard to believe that it has been more than 2 years since we opened our heart to him and then had to give him back.  We are so thankful that didn’t happen with Eli!   

We re-opened our contract with Adoption Answer (the same agency we were with before we got Eli) and we have been working with them over the last 4 months re-doing all the paperwork needed to start again, i.e. new home-study, new background checks, fingerprinting, new family profiles, etc.  The paperwork is done and now we are just starting the fun process of waiting and praying.  We are not specifying gender or race – we just want happy and healthy. .. and a good sleeper, good eater and generally content child would be even better!  As of Monday, September 10^th, you should be able to see us listed on the Adoption Answer website.  We’ll try to list monthly status updates (which is all we will get too – 1^st Thursday of every month).

In loving memory

Regardless of it being my birthday, Saturday was not a really great day for us.  Really, the whole weekend was very hard and filled with tears.  Rascal, Eli’s puppy, fell prey to a car tire Saturday early afternoon and didn’t make it.  As mad as I was at Sam for bringing that little dog home, I’d really grown to love him, and this broke my heart.  Sam and I both had and are having a hard time accepting he’s gone.  Eli asks for him and it breaks our heart all over again.  Rascal is lovingly buried in our backyard under his favorite toy and a wooden cross.  I truly believe that Sadie and Duke miss him too because they don’t play much anymore and haven’t even touched the toy on his grave.

Our time with you was fun and special ~ we miss you lots ~ love you, little Rascal

First time Eli met Rascal

Rascal - patient, tolerant baby entertainer