Now You See 'Em, Now You Don't

On March 22, 2010 Whitney got braces on her top 4 teeth, not so horrible. Although 4 brackets still equalled a lot of visits to the dentist... as well as poking wires, wax and pain from adjustments. 11 months later the big day finally came!! Whitney and I went to celebrate over a bagel breakfast and then got them off!

Now you see 'em....

With Moka in a Christmas ribbon!

At the beach on Balboa Island.

Whitney Hope in downtown LA.

Playing volleyball... never got hit in the mouth!

With her sister at Halloween... a fellow brace face.

With a future brace face I'm sure... he was thanking her for finding

his lost tooth in his cereal bowl.

On the morning they were taken off!

Now you don't...

That slick feeling of being braces-free!!

Until round 2... some time from now!

Great Job Whitney! You look beautiful as always!



Bittersweet Day

Five weeks ago we brought home Baby-Joy, today we said good-bye. For five weeks I heard, Isn't it going to be hard to let her go? At first I was just so excited to hand over this sweet package to a family who wanted her so badly, that I'd say I didn't think it would be hard. Two weeks into it reality hit. Tennison asked if we could adopt her, Reagan called her her little sista, Whitney would change her diaper and outfit like a seasoned veteran. The kisses were in abundance and the love was thick. So yes, yes it is going to kill me to let her go... it is going to kill all of us.
Well, I'm happy to report it didn't kill me, but I have an ache in my heart and a lump in my throat. Today we handed over our (yes our) sweet little package, our littlest friend. She has a piece of hearts forever. Here is a look into our journey over the past 5 weeks.

At the hospital - we both had colds so we wore masks.

We brought her home to 3 very curious kids!

Our whiteboard on the back door recorded many messages about Baby-Joy these past weeks.

That yummy face, that yummy dimple!

Baby-Joy loved the car seat, her favorite nap spot. And that hat - I could lick her!

Love.

Bliss.

Happiness.

All said and done I took a mere 539 pictures capturing our time together.

From head to wrinkly toe we loved this little girl.

A precious moment... Tennison looks like Peter Pan doing I Love You in the shadow.

We did our best to hold it together yesterday at the placement. We all had our moments of crying. It was either done the night before, right in front of everyone, or in the quiet of our hearts. We met her parents, Ryan and Kim, and know she'll be great. After a hard time getting pregnant they started the adoption process, but put it on hold when they found out they were pregnant. When their daughter Kyla was born, February 5, 2010 she was not breathing. She was flight-for-lifed to Children's Hospital in Denver and passed away on February 10th. In the fall they were in the process of adopting when the birth mother changed her mind. Due to the heartaches this couple has faced the agency felt they needed to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that Baby-Joy was theirs. That is why we were given the honor of standing in the gap. And now she is theirs!! After a one year memorial for Kyla Saturday, we met them the following morning. This is full circle for me as an adoptee.

Kim, Ryan and Makyla Joy!

They kept Joy - I cried.

Scott looking like the dad over all of us. That hand on Ryan's shoulder is squeezing tight saying, "You take care of that baby, I'm watchin' you." Just kiddin'. Look how happy they are.

Our sweet boy drew a picture at the agency of him holding Makyla Joy.

Scott & I are beyond proud of our kids for how they took on this adventure. Not once did they complain. They always helped out, either grabbing a diaper, changing an outfit, putting in the nuk, loading her in the carseat, whatever it took. This was their baby as much as ours. I want to thank Scott for joining me in another adventure in our lives. Without your support it would have never happened. And to our friends and family, thanks for taking care of us through this time - we appreciate your words of encouragement, meals, coffee treats, and prayers. This is a journey we will never forget and hope to maybe do again. If we don't it was all worth it for her!

But for now we shall sleep!!

The Great State of Colorado

Wow, things change fast around here with the weather! One day it's hot, the next it's not. On Friday we were above 60 degrees. I tried to prove it with a photo but in order to get it at 61 I would have crashed, so this is close enough...

After I took this photo we went home and as I rounded the corner to our house I see Scott outside with Whit and Ten throwing the football. Crazy I tell ya!! My poor sister in Minnesota said they'd be lucky to get above 30 that day. Sorry Shelly!!

Then on Monday night we get a phone call from the school district telling us school will be closed the next day due to the cold weather. THE COLD! We have named it a cold day instead of a snow day. I thought it was weird, Scott thought we were wimps. My mountain man husband thinks we're pansies for not going to school because it's cold - sorry if you practically went to school on snowmobiles, but we're citified wimps! When I got up Tuesday to feed the baby I saw the weather at 2:49 a.m. on my go-to site:

Right Now	Next 36 Hours

	Today	Tonight	Tomorrow
Mostly Cloudy	AM Snow Showers	Partly Cloudy	Mostly Sunny
-4°F	5°	-11°	14°
Feels Like: -23°

That is why we didn't go to school!! -23 WOW!! The district claims it is dangerous for kids to walk in that weather, teachers to drive in it and then what about the buses, will they even start? Scott, who thinks we are weak, got to stay home however. The church runs on the schools closure schedule so he got to hunker down with us and stay warm.

Last night we got another call... school is closed again, its too cold. Ok, I'm with Scott. That is pathetic. GO TO SCHOOL! Not that I want them gone, but really. It isn't that cold today... ok, -19 isn't as cold as -23, but still. The church decided not to close, so Scott is back to work.

I guess we get another day in. Baking some more cookies, watching movies, rough housing, bickering, laughing, and maybe today some kids I know will get out of their pj's.

STAY WARM WHEREVER YOU ARE!!

Thought I Better Share

I just had a boatload of photos from Christmas break printed and realized I forgot to share something very important. During the week Julie and her family visited, my parents were able to sit down and chat with Julie & Jerry. It was one of those moments where I just sat back and absorbed. I think everyone was unsure of what they were feeling, how to act, and what would happen. Overall I think it went really well.

The common ground during their conversation was Iowa. My parents lived in Cedar Rapids for quite a while, including the first 5 years of my life, before moving to Dallas. Later, after Colorado, they moved back for the last 10 years of my dad's career. This happens to be 30 minutes from where Julie has been living. Wonder if our paths ever crossed? 

Of course the other common ground was moi! It was very sweet when my dad told Julie how thankful he was for giving them another daughter. He reached across the table and shook her hand with a thoughtful thank you. It was a very unexpected and touching moment.

Here are photos from that morning. I'm not sure I ever thought I would have these pictures in my album. Chalk it up for an new experience before I turn 40.

My mom, me and Julie.

My dad & mom, me and Julie.

I am so thankful God knows the desire of our hearts. He allowed me to meet Julie and fill in some of the puzzle pieces of my life. And an opportunity for everyone to meet.



Views From The Road

Today was the day of Moka's first haircut. She cried the entire way there and couldn't wait to get in the car on the way home. Normally she doesn't want to be in the car, so this was her way of saying, Let's run for our lives.

Our groomer works out of her house about 15 minutes east of here. The drive is so great, you feel like you are out in the country so quickly. On the way there I thought, man I wish I had my camera. Up in a tree I saw a huge eagle looking over the field, probably looking for lunch. So on the way back I brought it and got some shots I thought I'd share with you.

This tree was just so pretty. The white trunk was beautiful.

This dirt road leads to some place magical I bet.

Around each corner I kept finding John Deere tractors...

that is true country living for you. They live next to the dirt road above.

Aren't they lucky?

This view was all I saw on my way home!

I never take these mountains for granted.

Just as I turned I saw the Poudre River -

partially frozen with some ducks enjoying a swim.

Now these guys were hilarious. On the way out there was one dude standing to the left of the irrigation ditch. He looked like some kind of bovine chief... all the others were on the right walking toward him. It was some kind of power! Although not everyone was convinced to cross I see.

Just past the elementary school I found these pills. They are such

a nuisance. Who can stand the goose? With all that poop

and that attitude of, "Um crossing the street,

just hang on 10 minutes while I cross."

This last picture is about 3 blocks from our house. I have pulled over at this spot countless times to take pictures, mostly of sunsets... just ask my very patient family. God has painted many beautiful pictures for us including these mountains. What a creation!

Houston We Have A Problem

I wish life's problems were this "simple" for us adults: When we got home today Whitney told me her zipper had broken... apparently it happened after she put her coat on to leave for the day. She asked me to unzip it for her and I couldn't. She then handed me the pull as if I was a welder and could reattach it right then and there. Sorry, I know I'm a closet genius but that sucker plum snapped off, no fixin' that. She asked me to try to unzip it anyway. I go to grab the coat, I bunch it together to loosen up the situation so I could unzip it. That was when she flipped. This is the child we think we forever scarred with Scott swaddling her too tight in the early days. Because at this point she can't stand turtle necks & tight spaces, and the fact I tightened her coat ever so slightly made her wig out. Unfortunately, in the process the zipper went higher, which equals tighter. I told her the best way out was taking it off over her head like a shirt. This is what happened next...

Under that grin is a "Why didn't you major in welding?" comment.

I'm really surprised she is even smiling. Maybe the camera helped her keep her cool.

Whew, that was a close call. All that flipping around the floor probably helped.

Victory, Sweet Victory!

The culprit... those darn pulls, they don't make 'em like they used to.

Ok, it is a hand-me-down, so it was probably time for it to blow.

That was our drama of the day. Be thankful I didn't send you pictures of the wet stains on my shirt from the baby's diaper leaking through. The kids thought is was hilarious. I'd much rather share Whitney's drama then mine... with permission of course!!

I'm Your Aunt Krissy

I don't know how many of you were fans of the show Friends, but Scott and I loved it. There was a line I love when Monica holds Ross's son Ben for the first time, "I'm your Aunt Monica... and I will always have gum!" I've used that line so many times. I couldn't wait until my friend Kendra's son could chew gum. I kept asking him to ask his mom if it was time. Finally the day came and Aunt Krissy showed up with gum. We have been calling ourselves Aunt Krissy and Uncle Scott to the baby. I've had a cold since she has been here (mostly gone now), and after a coughing fit Scott told her, "This is your Aunt Krissy, she will always have a cough." I died, too funny.

We have ownership in this baby. I didn't realize that would happen. I know, you all did. I kept saying it will be fine when she goes, and it will. But I also didn't realize just how hard it will be. I think about her first night away and... I can't. I want to cry. But I keep in my mind that the family who will receive this precious package cannot wait to have her. They will take care of her, give her a good Christian home, and love her with everything they have. Just as it should be.

I learned that the legal notice was published for the birth father - his opportunity to step up, otherwise his rights are relinquished. Can I tell you how hard that is for me? That the man who has blood ties, but no emotional ties, could come for her? I have been keeping a journal for Baby's mommy and I put in there that my heart physically hurts when I think of that. That I'm praying like crazy for him to never come up. That if he does I'll be fleeing to Mexico with Baby and I'll hand her over there. God help us.