We are back...

We made a trip to Utah with my parents and we are finally back. We were gone about 12 days-ish. It was a long time. But we had so much fun!!

Pictures and highlights to come of:

*our eventful drive there
*seeing a friend I haven't seen in a very long time.
*seeing Hubs's sister and her husband.
*going to the dinosaur museum.
*visiting with our best friends.
*lots of time with family
*Thanksgiving
*my nephew going through the Temple
*lights at Temple square.
*and sick kids.

Giving Thanks...

I am grateful to know how truly blessed beyond measure I am. And I didn't want this day to go by with out sharing those blessings with you.

I am grateful...

01.  for my beautiful family

02.  for the Temple and the Priesthood that allow me to have them forever.

03.  that we get to grow our family through adoption.

04.   for the Birth Families of my two beautiful children.

05.  for all Birth Families and the great sacrifice they make for their babies.

06.  for my husband who works so hard for our family.

07.  for all that is provided for us from Hubs' hard work.

08.   that I get to stay home with my babies every day.

09.  that I get to be the mother to my beautiful babies.

10.  that we were able to spend Thanksgiving with my brother and his family and my parents.

11.   to get to see so many friends and family while visiting Utah.

12.   that we are able to go the Temple with my family tomorrow when my nephew goes through for the first time.

13.  for my knowledge and testimony of the restored gospel.

14.  for a living Prophet to lead and guide us.

15.  for my Savior and Redeemer.

16.  for my Heavenly Father who knows me and listens and answers my prayers.

17.  to live in a wonderful neighborhood with wonderful neighbors and friends.

18.  that my children and husband love me.

19.   that we live so close to so much family.

20.  to feel gratitude in my life every day.

I know so many of you have taken the time this month to think about and even write down the things you are grateful for. But I challenge you to sit down daily, weekly, monthly and write down what you are grateful for at that moment. You will be blessed with a grateful heart that will truly change your attitudee and life.

Keeping it real...

Just so you don't think life is all "sunshine and roses" from my Sunday Gratitude posts.

My day yesterday consisted of:

... waking up at 4:30 to a headache only to not be able to go back to sleep before my kids got up.

... figure out how to line a diaper with saran wrap to make sure that Oak's poop doesn't get contaminated with diaper fibers for specimen samples.

... dig through two poopy diapers for specimen samples.

... catch up on laundry

... avoided doing the dishes from Sunday.

... ate almost a whole pan of Chewy Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars by myself.

... finally putting together a package for Mac's Birth Mother after finally getting the last few items I needed for it, only to find out that I was out of packing tape. (thankful for a neighbor who saved me).

... ran three errands with my kids.

... finally got sick of how messy and cluttered my house was and cleaned it.

... got dinner going a little late, then finished it just when my kids were at the brink of starvation, only to realize that I forgot to start the rice cooker for our stroganoff.

... Mac had a tummy ache and did to not make it to the toilet in time and there was literally poop ALL OVER the bathroom. (thankful for my saint of a husband who cleaned it up since I already had to dig through poop that day).

... folded all the laundry while FINALLY getting to watch the season premier of Bones.

... went to bed only to wake up a couple hours later with a massive migraine that never really went away the whole night.

Sunday Gratitude...

I am grateful...

01.   that Hubs and I were able to attend all Stake Conference meetings. I actually LOVE Stake Conference!

02.   that Mac and Oak did awesome for the two hour meeting today!

03.  for awesome neighbors, who are also great friends, that I can trust and who are willing to watch my kiddos.

04.  that day light savings was actually really good for my kids' sleep schedules, this time around.

05.   for the birth families of both Mac and Oak. They are like a drug, I can't get enough of them!

06.  that I will be getting new contacts this week. the permanent smudge on one of my contacts is driving me nuts!!

07.  for the sweet moments I have had with Mac this week. I really love his sweet side!

08.   that I get to be Mac and Oak's Mother. It really is awesome, even though it is incredibly hard sometimes.

09.   that I decided to marry Hubs exactly eleven years ago on 11.11.11.

10.   for the treat recipe I tried out tonight. I can't wait to eat them!!

Mac funnies and sweetness...

Still working on cutting out naps.

Funnies...

* He was helping me get out the Halloween decorations and he pulls some out of the box and exclaims, "We haven't seen these in ages!!"

*I let him have one piece of candy after breakfast and told him he could have another after lunch. A little while later he asks if it is lunch yet. Of course I said no. And he asked when it was. And after telling him it is in a couple of hours he says. "Let's just pretend it is lunch time!!"

*One morning Mac really wanted to go to the library and check out a book on space and astronauts. I told him we couldn't go that day but we could go in a couple of days when they had story time. He got really mad and stomped to his room and got some socks, put them on by himself (which he usually claims he "can't" do) and then went and put on his shoes (which he also usually claims he "can't" do). I asked him where he was going and he said, "I am going to the library all by myself!" He was going to run away to the library. I was laughing so hard.

*He was throwing a fit at Target because he lost his privilege of looking at the toys when we were done shopping. He is really into wanting to say mean things when he is mad and said in a very pouty/angry voice, "I don't think things are cool anymore!!!" The lady right by us was trying so hard not to laugh, as was I.

*I had been helping him clean his room and left to go feed Oak. He comes out a few minutes later and says, "Moooom, I trusted you to help me clean my room!" Talk about a guilt trip! Oh how I love this boy!

*lately when he wants to tell a story he will say, "When I was a Grandfather...". I laugh every time he says it!

Sweetness...

* Daddy was home for lunch and was taking a nap on the couch. Mac decided that he would quietly get a blanket and put it on daddy then go and get one of his own stuffed animals and put it in Daddy's arms and then gave him a kiss on the forehead. So sweet! And Daddy slept through all of that!

*I woke up with a headache and was still laying in bed. Mac and Daddy were in the kitchen and Daddy told him that Mommy had a headache. He comes running into me and asked me if I wanted some water to help my headache. It was too sweet to refuse. So he went and got me a cup of water.

*We were talking about his birthday and how last year a friend brought a fire truck for him to ride in. And I tell Hubs that we won't be able to top that this year and out of the blue and immediately after I said that, Mac says, "I want to go to Disneyland for my birthday!" Well that would definitely top it! So we told him maybe for his 6th birthday we could go. He has reminded us numerous times since then that when he is 6 he can go to Disneyland. I think it is adorable and really wish Disneyland was foreseeable in the closer future, because I think Mac would have the time of his life!

his drawings...

I seriously can't get enough of his little drawings. We have so many papers with his drawings around here that I can't bear to throw away. But I have been trying to take pictures of my favorite so I can remember them and not have to keep everything.

Mac fishing! I love the details like the fish hook and the actual fish in the the water. I think this is his first coherent drawing of a scene and not just people.

How he draws his monsters now.

He loves to pretend he is spelling something when he is writing all these letters. He did spell one word, his  name right in the middle.

His pumpkins with  ghosts carved into them.

Sunday Gratitude

I am thankful...

01.   for the opportunity that Hubs and I had to spend the weekend with others who have adopted.

02.  that Hubs and I can literally talk non stop (when we are without kids) for the entire 2 hour trip to Portland. (We have done this numerous times, and it always makes me smile)

03.  that we have the opportunity to grow our family through adoption. Seriously, it ROCKS!!

04.   that I was once again able to go to the Temple with Hubs.

05.  for awesome parents who are willing to watch my kids and who take such great care of them when we are gone.

06.   that we were able to meet the attorney who worked on Oak's adoption. He is very inspiring and has been through so much himself.

07.   that we were able to finish our required adoption education hours this weekend and have that out of the way.

08.   that we have friends who are willing to be references for us for our adoption application.

09.   for awesome friends who gave us their couches before they moved. I love that our old couch is long gone, and we love our new ones.

10.   that November is National Adoption Month. Maybe if I have a moment to think, I can write something profound. Don't know if it will happen, life is freaking crazy, busy right now.

Casualities and one year olds...

Casualties from the hands and teeth of a one year old!

She has eaten two books (see the corners of the story books above) and torn apart two of her favorite picture books.

In her defense, the picture books barely survived Mac, so they kindof were already a bit falling apart. But she finished the job for sure.

I forgot what little stinkers one year olds can be. And honestly I love it and think it is so funny!

Oak is no exception!

She is the funniest little thing and makes me laugh constantly. She has become my little shadow/tornado lately. She comes up right behind me and undoes what ever I do.

She also has an opinion, and if you are doing something she doesn't like or you don't let her do something she wants to, she gets mad, screams and then head butts you.

On another note,

I was looking through Oak's outgrown clothes bins to find something. And as I was looking at all these cute clothes I remembered her wearing, it made me sad that she wasn't that little anymore. Not in the way that I miss having a baby in general (although I do), but I just missed Oak as a baby. So much so that I was on the verge of tears and a panic attack. I had to hurry and put it all away before I turned into a total mess.

I love my baby girl, and she is just growing up way too fast!

Helloooo?!?! Is anybody there?

So I don't know where everybody is, but NO ONE comments on my blog anymore. It is kindof sad!

Here are just the latest pics on my cell phone. They are always mostly of Oak because Mac doesn't like to cooperate for pics very often.

First piggies!

Just being super cute!!

Cute necked baby!

Mac's favorite place going anywhere with Daddy!

Go BEAVS!

She tried taking her shirt off, hahaha!

Mac and his new buzz cut, badly needed and there was ALOT of tears and screaming and bribing to get this hair cut.

Eating a banana whole for the first time.

Just reading, so cute!

My sent this to me when she was watching the kids. This is a tradition with Mac and his Grandpa, and Oak was able to get in on the fun. It is called "pillows" (although I don't Mac calls it that anymore). It is just basically rolling around on the bed and playing with the covers and pillows. Mac has a serious obsession with beds, he has since he was a little baby.

sitting in her book basket.

Halloween Day fun!

We started out our morning with pumpkin and ghost shaped chocolate chip pancakes. Mac is funny and prefers his without syrup, crazy kid! And Oak in general is not a fan of pancakes, but she obliged me a bit by eating a few bites.

Mac putting the face on his ghost.

We didn't do much during the day except go buy diapers.

But when daddy got home with the pizza, we downed it then got costumes on...

Walking like a mummy.

My cute little witch and mummy!

 

THe only picture I got of him trick or treating.

Funny story:

So Hubs helped me get Mac dressed like a Mummy. I did his legs while he did Mac's upper body.

Hubs just started wrapping and wrapping without much thought. We went to one house and it was all falling off, so we stopped back at home and tried to fix it. Mac did not want to do that, all he wanted to do was go trick or treating. While we were trying to convince him that we would still go trick or treating after we fixed his costume his friends came and knocked on the door. He gave them all candy and then wanted to go with them, but his costume wasn't fixed. So he threw a big fit. No matter what we said he just wanted to go. So now the funny part. His friends left and we closed the door so we could get him calmed down and get his costume fixed and he takes his trick or treat bag with one piece of candy and throws it on the ground and yells, "I'm through with Halloween!!!" and stomped off and shut him self in the hall closet. I was laughing so hard, because it was so dramatic! Daddy tried to console him and gave him a hug and Mac just started crying and saying that his friends didn't want to be his friends anymore because they left him. That was sad! So we tried to tell him that if we hurry we can catch up to them and that they still wanted to be his friends they just needed to go with their parents. We got him fixed up and hurried just down a couple of houses and found all of his buddies.

pumpkin carvin!!

Carving pumpkins almost didn't happen. Our week was so busy, and when we weren't busy with other things, I was busy trying to get my talk written. But Saturday night late, Daddy and Mac got it done while I finished up my talk and Oak was in bed for the night.

Pumpkin head!

We have entered the cheesy, fake smile phase of picture taking. Which I am totally ok with, because it is way better than not getting a picture of him at all.

THe boys and their pumpkins.

They turned out pretty cute. At first we thought Mac's pumpkin might be too small to carve, but Mac was insistant it get carved too.

Cookie makin' and more...

We have been trying to do a service for someone every week and so we decided to make some Halloween cookies while Oak was taking a nap. Mac was a very good helper and did a great job at following directions this time. We made enough to take some to his friend J for his birthday, to someone I visit teach, and to a friend who to thank them for helping me out with something.

I love how you can see how covered in flour he was. So cute!

Love the flour hand prints on the cupboard.

Mac was very rewarded for his service. The last person we dropped the cookies off to is a new family in our ward and the husband taught my class in a pinch when Mac was sick. So when we knocked on the door the mom came out and said all the kids are in the back, lets go find them. So we walk with her around the back of their house and through the woods and a gate to the neighbors house behind them. It opened up to this huge field with a couple of very beautiful house and a ton of kids playing on zip lines, a trampoline, slides, swings, sand box, forts. Mac was in heaven. He even did the little zip line that has a kiddie swing attached to it. He just really loved every second of being there. Oak loved it too! In fact I had a harder time getting her to leave than Mac. So the property belonged to our friends neighbors and it was two sisters and their families and their mom. When I left I said, that if I lived on the property I would totally love living in the country. The neighbors were nice and didn't care that we came to play. It was alot of fun!!