The College Guy

Well school is out for the kids, but it has only begun for Steve! Yep, it is official, Steve has started school! It is really exciting, but also a big change in our everyday lives! His plan is to go to Salt Lake Community College for the next few years and then transfer over to University of Utah. In the meantime life is crazy and about to get crazier as Steve picks up more classes. I am really excited for him to open this new chapter in his life and see him accomplish this awesome goal! I am so proud that he is taking this step in his life. He is such a hard worker and does all this all for his family! Not only is he going to school full time, but he is also working full time. Still after a long day of school and work, he comes home and helps with the kids, does things around the house, the yard, and then goes in and tackles his homework! I have to say he is a pretty amazing guy!

Family Pics

Well we finally had some updated family pictures taken! WE haven't had any professional ones taken since Jace was born, so we were really excited! We are so excited with how they turned out! We had a lady here in Salt Lake take them. She did such an awesome job! She is so good with working with kids! Even my grumpy ones! :) We had her take them at Wheeler Farm which is just around the corner from our house. I will post some of my favorites, although there are so many cute ones. Thanks Mary Kim!

Jace is walking! Well sorta...

 I was so excited when Jace began walking almost two weeks ago and I thought for sure he would be cruising by now ( he is after all almost 15 months), but nope!  That kid is a stubborn one and would totally rather be crawling every where!  Why not?  He can get to where he wants to go so much faster!  I am pretty sure when Kennedy began walking that it didn't take her long to take off!  I know I shouldn't worry, but that is a moms job right?  I am sure he will do it when he is ready!  Until then I guess mama will just have to be patient. 

Jace turns one!

Wow really?  My baby boy turned one?  I know everyone says the famous saying, "It feels like only yesterday," but it truly does!  I think time just keeps going faster and faster every day and my kids are growing up way too fast! 
His birthday was a fun and exciting day!  We planned a party with friends and family and were very surprised when grandma Tami showed up after telling us she couldn't come!  I was so glad!  Kennedy came running in the kitchen and told me that grandma was here and I thought she was being silly and told her that she wasn't, but I was wrong when to my surprise she got out of the car and walked up to our door.  I have to admit I was kinda sad that she wasn't going to come, so I was very glad she was able to make it and celebrate with us. 
For his party we just had him open presents and boy did he get quite a bit.  After opening presents (or should I say after Kennedy opened his presents) we did the birthday cake.  It was funny seeing the look on his face with everyone gathered around him.  I think he was a little overwhelmed.  At first when the cake was sat in front of him,  he kind of just played with it and then slowly he tasted a little bit until finally it was all over the place.  It was so cute, we were all laughing so hard!  Even the next day we were still getting chocolate cake out of his nose!  Happy Birthday my beautiful, little boy!!!

Pictures from the airport

Coming Home

There are no words to express the relief and excitement that my family is feeling after these last few weeks of ups and downs! The kids are finally home! Trevor and Lindsay put so much blood, sweat, and tears into getting them home and never gave up! They even traveled to Haiti after the earthquake and fought to not only get their kids home, but so many others adoptive parents children too! I am so proud of them! They arrived at the airport with all 5 of them on Monday and we were all there to meet them. It was such a humbling and amazing experience to see them and although tired and overwhelmed, you could see how happy they were to be 'home." Madalyn is 16, Sofie is 6, Sawyer and Gracie are 4, and Kenyon is 14 months and they are all beautiful! I cannot wait to see them again and hug and squeeze them. But for now Trevor and Lindsay have a lot of work to do to get them used to a new life here with them and we will patiently be here waiting! They are so lucky to have parents like Trevor and Lindsay! We love you guys!!!




Here is all of the kids at home on the couch. I think they have already bonded! :)

Christmas

I have to admit that I wasn't too excited about Christmas this last year because Steve had to work on Christmas Eve and it was going to be the first Christmas that we didn't spend it with family. But, it actually turned out to be an awesome Christmas! I decided that we also needed to start some of our own traditions so I did just that. This past Christmas I thought it would be fun to have Nana and Papa Kay over to celebrate with us. It was also the first year that I made a bunch of goodies. They all actually tasted delicious! I was quite proud of my self! I am going to have to make goodies every year. Another tradition we started was reading the Christmas story, (which we also did at my home growing up). I think it is very important that my kids understand the true meaning of Christmas. A few other things we did was read, "Twas the night before Christmas", watch a Christmas movie, and I described the symbolism's we use on Christmas and what they each represent. It was fun for all of us, but we did miss daddy! After we set out the cookies and the water for the reindeer's I tucked the kids into bed and "Santa" got to work! Christmas morning came and daddy got home from work and woke us up and we opened our presents! It was so much fun seeing the looks on the kids faces. Even though Jace didn't know what was going on he was still excited to tear open the wrapping paper and Kennedy was ecstatic about all her presents! All in all it was a great Christmas with just "us"!