A Beautiful Sealing

Once Adeline's adoption was legally finalized, we could schedule a date to be sealed together as a family.  In our LDS beliefs, we believe that we can be "sealed together" for eternity.  Meaning . . . that life doesn't end at death, but that we can continue to live forever in heaven together as a family.

Sealing Adeline to us was something we have definitely been awaiting since the day she was born.  We love her SO much and want to be with her forever and ever . . . regardless of what happens to each of us here on Earth!  

This sacred ordinance is performed in our temples and it's symbolic that we all wear white.  White is a symbol of purity.

Once we were dressed, Evie said that all the girls looked like Angels and that daddy looked like Jesus.  Ha, ha!  She says the cutest things.  She absolutely LOVED being an angel!

I have to say that taking my children to the temple and having the sealing ordinance performed has been the crowning moment for the adoptions of both of our children.  This one seemed even more exciting because we have two children that we were able to take with us inside. 

It goes without saying that taking Adeline inside the temple was amazing!  These sweet babies are so close to heaven still, and without a doubt, Addie's little spirit was able to recognize all that was happening.  She was calm and extra happy/smiley as she was with us in the temple and in the sealing room.  This is saying something because she is a true mommy's girl and she was still so happy and calm without me around.   

And Evie . . . I have to say it was so beautiful to watch a 3-year-old Evie get ready to go to the temple.  She has been thrilled for WEEKS!  She has always loved the temple since she was old enough to recognize it (every time we drive by a temple she squeals in delight).  When we bought her temple dress she just couldn't wait to go to the temple.  We seriously had multiple meltdowns because it wasn't the right day to go.  I mean, how can a 3-year-old truly grasp the concept that she can only go inside the temple on one particular day?  I gotta say, while they were meltdowns, I couldn't have been more pleased with what they were about.  She loved her temple experience.  She was an absolute doll the entire time she was in there.  

These two girls love each other so much.  Evie LOVES to make her baby sister laugh, she helps me with her at home, and she loves to show her off to everyone.  Going to the temple with her baby sister was so exciting to Evie.  And, Addie truly loves her Evie.  Oh, how Evie can make her smile, laugh, and brighten up her day.  These sisters are meant to be together . . . and now they are together forever!

It was awesome to walk out of the temple as a full, forever family!  

It was also awesome to share this special event with our extended family.

Addie's Birth Mother was able and excited to be here for this event too.  I love her so very much as, clearly, we wouldn't have our Adeline if Marissa hadn't followed the spirit and placed Addie in our family.  It meant the world to me to have Marissa here for Addie's sealing.  She has been so respectful to our family and what it means to be our own little family unit.  Her support and love have meant so much to me.  She even said that she didn't want to miss this special day.  This was everything she wanted for Adeline . . . to be sealed to her family forever.  It was an honor to have her there with us and to help celebrate such a blessed event.

Marissa and Adeline

Afterwards, we all went to dinner to continue in the celebrations.  I seriously cannot even bring the right words out to express the love I have for my sweet baby Adeline.  I mean really. . . how can a mother adequately express her love for her children?  It's impossible.  Simply impossible.  But, I can say that I look at the following pictures and get emotional every time I see it.  I love holding this baby in my arms, I know she was always meant to be my daughter, and we have a special bond that is unexplainable.  I love my Addie baby and she loves me.  And, we're now stuck together forever.  How lucky and blessed am I!?

Adeline Is Official

Well, Adeline is officially and legally our daughter in the US courts.  In the state of Utah we cannot finalize adoptions for six months.  We have had physical custody of sweet Addie, but not legal custody of her.  Because Utah is so family friendly and such a huge advocate for children's rights, they have a 6-month waiting time to finalize the adoption.  This six months is used to ensure that the children who are placed for adoption are truly being well cared for, loved, and have bonded with their families.

That all being said, the day we brought Adeline home was the day we adopted her in every sense.  When we adopted her we knew we would love her to pieces, care for her unconditionally, and provide for her needs.  She was truly our daughter before she was even born.  Thus, the 6 month waiting time was exactly that . . . a waiting time that we awaited so we could have her legally recognized as our daughter.  So, although the official Finalization is more a formality to us . . . it is also a GREAT excuse to celebrate her life and the blessing she is in our family.

Here we are waiting for the judge to show up in court.

All went well with the judge.  He was able to verify that we were great parents for Adeline and that she was in a safe and loving home.  He approved!

Here's our little family after the proceeding.
The judge was very kind to let us get a picture with him.

We invited our parents to attend the finalization.  They were excited to be there.  We also invited Addie's Birth Mom and she was also thrilled to have been invited and she came.  She didn't want to miss this important event in Addie's life.  It was a blessing to be with those we love as we legally finalized Addie's adoption.

Addie is loved by so many and we're blessed to have her "officially" in our family.  We celebrated the event by going out to breakfast.  This was such a happy day!

Independence Day Fun

We had a great time this year when the 4th of July came around.  Beau went on an overnight pack/camp trip the night before leaving on the 3rd and returning home the afternoon of the 4th.  He had a GREAT time!

Here's Beau on his horse with his pack mule behind him.

He went with his brother, Chance.  Here's Chance on Bella.

These brothers had a great time.

While we at home waited for daddy to return we spent some time with my family participating in their traditional events.

We met up with the aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandma and grandpa for breakfast.

Here's Evie (far right) with her cousins Mollie and Carter.

Here we are waiting to eat breakfast.

We then all met up at the pool for some swimming time.

Daddy then got home and we all went to a neighborhood BBQ and party together.  Evie has seriously hated the fireworks every year thus far because her hearing is so sensitive and the all the pops, cackles, and whistles have sent her into tears.  This year she really wanted to love the fireworks, but the noise was still too much.  She would watch a street firework and cover her ears until it was over.  She loves to watch them, but hates to listen to them.  

Thus . . . the sparklers quickly became a HUGE favorite this year.

We had a great time.  We are lucky to live here in the USA.  We have a lot of comforts that many people in the world can only dream about.  We are blessed people!

And . . . I feel extra blessed to have these babies!  I love them to pieces.

Adeline at 6 Months

I seriously feel like these past six months have flown by.  I also think that Addie is in the middle of a growth spurt because I pick her up in the morning and can tell that she's grown overnight (for reals!).  I love that she's growing healthy and strong, but why SO fast!?  This is a stage I do wish would go in slow motion.  She's so much fun right now, so sweet, sleeping more at night, and so happy.  Oh, how I love this baby girl!

Here's what she's doing now:

• She's getting much more consistent on sleeping through the night.  She'll now give me 8-11 hours most nights.  Occasionally she'll wake up sooner and want to be fed in the night, but that's happening a lot less now days.
• She's still eating about 4-5 ounces at each feeding, and will still eat 6 ounces before bed.  
• She started grabbing her toes a month ago, but now she'll grab them and often suck on them.  It's such a cute baby thing to do, isn't it?
• She's definitely mastered the rolling.  She can pretty much roll or scoot to where she wants to be. If she sees something she wants, she can get to it now.
• She is super grabby.  She wants to grab and/or touch anything that's in front of her.  This goes for toys, but it also goes for anything else.  For instance. . . if I'm holding her while eating, she'll go for my plate/cup/silverware/food.  
• She's really starting to put things in her mouth.  She particularly loves to try out the texture of fabrics.  If her binkie is missing, she'll just chew on her blanket.  :)
• She is definitely a tummy baby.  I've never seen a baby love to be on her tummy like she loves it.  She is most comfortable there.  She'll play on her tummy and loves to sleep on her tummy.
• Because she loves to sleep on her tummy, she is no longer swaddled.  Being tucked in tight didn't allow her to roll to her tummy and she would get so frustrated.  So, we ditched the "Miracle Blanket" and swaddling and she sleeps a ton better on her tummy.  It made us nervous at first, but she is sleeping great and can adequately move around so she should be just fine.
• She loves "Peek-a-Boo" now.  It's fun to pull out the smiles with this tactic.
• She can't sit without support yet, but she is definitely getting stronger in this area.  She can sit with little support, but she definitely still needs support.
• She looks for dropped objects now.
• She's SO close to having the gross/fine motor skills to grab her binkie and put it back in her mouth by herself.  She practices a lot during the day.  She gets it sometimes, but most times I end up helping her.  This is the same with her bottle.
• We started putting her in the bumbo.  She doesn't love it.  She'll sit it in for a little bit, but ultimately would prefer to be on the floor and on her tummy with toys.  
• She does however, still like the swing.  She's pretty darn close to outgrowing that thing, but I'll keep her swinging for as long as she'll fit.
• She still loves to be held.  More than anything this is what she prefers.  She loves that one-on-one interaction.  All you have to do is tell this little sweet pea how pretty she is and she's as happy as can be.

Half Marathon Cancer Run

I made it to the Half Marathon that I love to run every year.  I kind of wondered if I would make it this year because I was having such a hard time getting my training runs in.  My sweet little Addie just hasn't loved sleeping through the night (until lately), so training for a big run was pretty tricky.  I mean, I was exhausted from getting up during the night and being a mom all day.  Running just took a back seat.

But, life began to settle a little bit about 8 weeks before the race and I was able to get at least 2 runs in each week (which, when I'm serious I try to get 4) and in a good week I would get 3.  I definitely didn't have the chance to work on speed, but I did log enough miles to not bonk out on marathon day.  I was sooooo happy I made it to race day without wanting to die!

There was another first for this run.  Last year it was just me and my brother, Tyler.  This year we recruited two additional family members.  Tyler's wife, Jill and my sister, Traci.  We had a big sleepover at my house the night before the race because we had to catch the busses so early in the morning.  

We totally woke up at 3:15am to catch the busses for our ride up AF Canyon to the starting line.

This is us at the starting line.  So pretty, huh?!  I love this run.
Me, Traci, Jill, & Tyler

Tyler and I are pretty evenly matched when it comes to pace, so we stuck together the entire race.
I love having a running buddy!!  

After I had finished, I walked back about a half mile to wait for my sister.
I ran the last half mile to the finish line with her.  It was awesome.

I'm not exactly sure why, but I got pretty emotional at the close of this run.  I teared up BOTH times I ran over the finish line.  Perhaps it could be that I'm a true cancer survivor and this was a cancer run. I've had melanoma.  It was caught SUPER early (I had a bad mole) and I didn't have to have any major cancer treatments (I just had the mole and the surrounding skin cut out), but I still had it.  At one point in my life I didn't think much of it (probably because I didn't have any major cancer treatments).  However, lately I have really grown to appreciate the fact that I'm still here.  I mean, Melanoma is one of the fastest growing cancers and had it not been discovered, I wouldn't be here today.  I am checked every six months to ensure I don't get any more bad moles.  Along with my doctor, I am WAY on top of everything and I don't fear much because he and I catch it all (if there's ever a mole in question, he just takes it off).  That being said . . . I look at my sweet family; I think about my awesome husband and my darling girls and I can't help but tear up in gratitude for the opportunities I've had post-melanoma. 

This is what these sweet girls were doing while I was running.
They both ended up in bed with Beau.  :)

As mentioned above, I also have had such a hard time training since Adeline came.  That being said, I finished strong.  I thought the last few miles would be SO hard, and they really weren't.  I mean, I was ready to be done, but I wasn't dying.  I'm pretty sure that got me a tad bit emotional.

And, that being said . . . while it was a little frustrating on the exercise/training side of things . . . I wouldn't trade a thing for that sweet baby Addie.  Oh my word!  I'm so blessed.  I'm so blessed to have her in my life.  

I was also so happy to have more of my family members join me.  I'm such a promoter for healthy living and fitness and it makes my heart happy to have others on the trail with me.  

And . . . I'm sure the song playing through my earbuds as I finished the race definitely helped to contribute to the emotions.

This is my fight song

Take back my life song

Prove I'm alright song

My power's turned on

(Starting right now) I'll be strong

I'll play my fight song

And I don't really care if nobody else believes

'Cause I've still got a lot of fight left in me!

Here's to another half marathon down and MORE to come.  

Oh!  And, I may have finished the half marathon with this.  Heaven knows I earned it.  LOL!

A Good Daddy

Father's Day came and we had the chance to honor our dads.  We paid a special visit to Beau's dad, his stepdad, and to my dad.  They are great influences in our lives and the lives of our girls.  We appreciate all they do for each of us.

We also had the chance to honor Beau.  He seriously is a good daddy!  He loves his two girls so very much and it's sweet to watch how he loves, teaches, and plays with them.

The girls LOVED helping Beau open his gifts.  

We gave him a new iPod, some gloves, a BBQ tool and a game that we can all play as a family.

I know I've said it before, but I'll say it again.  These girls love their daddy.  You should see the lit-up faces of these girls when their dad returns from work (or the tears in Evie's eyes if he is gone for a night).  Evie loves to be comforted by her daddy when she gets hurt and she loves to snuggle with him at bedtime.  Addie loves to be held by her daddy and loves it when he smiles and coos right along with her.  I am so grateful for adoption and that the birth moms of these girls craved the importance of giving their babies a stable two-parent home.  I KNOW that the lives of these girls are greatly enriched by having a stable, loving, caring, and supportive dad 24/7.  It has made such a difference in the lives of Evie and Addie.  I'm even more grateful that the dad that these girls have is Beau.  He is a true gem.  

Lagoon - That's What Fun Is

To some, Lagoon is not fun (Beau!).  But, to others it is.  Evie and I had a great time as we joined some of my family for a fun day at Lagoon.

My parents challenged us all to read the Book of Mormon by a specific date.  Those of us who read it, were rewarded with a trip to Lagoon.  Evie and I made it.  I read the actual Book of Mormon, and Evie read an age-appropriate one. 

And, I've meant to mention this before for those of you who could use some help with reading scriptures with your littles.  Evie has LOVED "reading scriptures" because of a couple of books I found.  They are awesome and I picked them up when she was just over two-years-old and she still loves them.  We read:

"Who's Your Hero?: The Ultimate Collection."  We have Volume 1 and 2.  Each night when we go to read scriptures as a family, we let Evie look at the cover of the books and choose the Hero we will read about.  Usually we end up reading more than one scripture story because she loves them so much.  It's great.  (I also picked up a similar book that covers bible stories.)  

Anyways . . . We got to go to Lagoon!  It was super fun!  

Evie SERIOUSLY loved it so much.  She had a ball on the rides.  

This was her favorite ride.  It took us pretty high and then just dropped us.  When we went on it for the first time I knew she would either LOVE it or HATE it.  She LOVED it.  She was smiling from ear-to-ear and requested to ride it again and again.  I think we rode it four times throughout the day.  It was so fun!

We also rode several other rides, the train included.  Evie told me that it was James who we were riding because he's a steamy and that's what this train was (it truly was a steam-powered train and it was red . . . so, James it must have been!).  The train takes you through the little zoo they have there.  Evie loves animals, so that was a treat.  She also loved going to an entertainment show where people sang and danced.  

We had a blast!