Cell phone pics...

Daiper wedgie, so funny!



I couldn't believe that he had copied the letters so well.



Oak's actualy birthday, she got waffles with a candle. She wouldn't eat the waffles. Silly girl doesn't like pancakes, french toasst or waffles.



On her birthday dressed to impress for her Aunt's wedding reception.




Just a super cute face, love her!




He was showing me what color his tongue was after drinking a smoothy.




The first time she figured out how to suck through a straw. Thank you McDonald's smoothie!



My goofy boy!

Could she be any sweet?!

Seriously I could eat her up!



And him too!



Her new trick!

We had eaten at a local restraunt and this was just outside the doors. It was a super hot day and we live about 1 minute from this place. So I let the kids play in it. They were soaked! And had a blast. When they were done, we stripped them down to undies and diaper and went home.

Really, I could eat her up!

She LOVES balls and we really aren't that suprised since both of her birth parents are super into sports.

Mac really loves for Grandpa to tell him police stories and this day at their house Grandpa got out his handcuffs to show Mac.

When we were visiting my parents one day, I took my eyes of Oak for 30 seconds and she had wandered into my parents bathroom and made herself at home in the shower. She loves little nooks to just sit in.

She was really loving her spaghetti!

Saturday morning when Hubs had gotten up with the kids to let me sleep a little longer, I came out to this. And he even had a smile on his face. What an awesome daddy!

Oak loves to wear hats. Well she likes to wear them for fun, not to look cute and go somewhere. She thinks she is pretty cool in them.

Sweaty, grumpy, tired girl!

"The Therrible Threes"

This is NOT a complaining post, I just wanted to let people know since I wasn't really warned.

For some reason NO ONE tells first time parents that three is WAY HARDER than two, until you're in the midst of it. What?! Why are they keeping this a secret?

Someone commented on my friends post when she was talking about this exact thing saying that no one says anything because they block it our of their minds. Probably something close to labor I would imagine. In the moment it is the most painful thing you have ever done but when it is over and you are holding your reward you forget all about it and think, "I can totally do this again!"

(At least that is what I have heard about labor.)

This last year has been quite the ride with our adorable, high energy, intense, red head!

To say the least...it has been H.A.R.D!

There have been days...entire days of one little guy setting in time outs more times than I have fingers to count.

There have been moments where I have had to put myself in time out closing myself behind three doors (my bedroom, bathroom and closet) and set in the corner hiding and praying that I don't go postal or loose my sanity.

There have been many moments where I am looking at my son and think, "Where on earth is my sweet little boy!"

There are days when my patience was so used up that the moment my husband walks in the door from work I say. "He is all yours, I'm done for the day!"

Thankfully, not every single day was like that.

 And I learned quickly that I had to remember it was his age and not his character.

 I learned to savor the good and great moments and spend those moments giving extra hugs and kisses. And that was mostly for me, not necessarily for him, so that I could remember those moments in the midst of the bad ones.

I also became grateful for other characteristics that Mac has. For instance, he has never been a trouble maker by getting into things when I am not looking.

And one of the very BEST things about this age is the funny things they say.

And three year old logic is really hilarious!

This year I have grown as a Mother. I am no where near perfect or perfect at mothering. But I have learned so much. The greatest thing I learned was that you can't parent alone, you need a greater help than you or your spouse can do individually or together. Pleading to my Heavenly Father through prayer has been my number one source of strength. I daily asked for help at being a better mother and being the mother that Mac and Oak needed me to be. To help me to help them to learn what they need to learn. And that is what really made all the difference.

I really feel like we are coming out of the fog of this last year. Mac has been awesome the last couple of weeks and I have soaked up every ounce of that goodness from him. I notice his cute expressions more, I am hearing more of what he is saying. It has really been heaven.

That is not to say that he/we don't still have bad days...because we totally still do.

But they seem to fewer and far between...and easier to handle.

No matter what this last year has been like, I love this boy every second of every day! He is everything I hoped and prayed for for more than 6 years. He is a miracle, and answered prayer. And the little stud that made me a Mother. His snuggles, loves, smiles, kisses, giggles and everything else about him are worth more than the sands in the sea. He is my treasure and my future. And the shining gem in my crown!

Our little Miss Sunshine... {at 13 months}

Oh this girl! She is spunky, funny, happy and sometimes a little bit crazy. She loves to pull hair and scratch/pinch. When you ask her questions she nods or shakes her head, it is so adorable. She loves to rough house with Mac. She hates to be confined in any form. She likes to spin herself around to get dizzy. She loves books but isn't great at sitting and listening unless she is getting ready for bed. Her favorite is Huggle Buggle Bear and any picture book. She really loves to look at picture books and point to things as we tell her what they are. She loves animals of any kind and the world stops when she sees one. She loves cell phones and can be easily bribed with one. She much prefers guys over woman. She loves babies just as much as animals. She gets into everything and loves to put everything in her mouth. When she has her mind set on wanting something and we tell her no she will throw herself on the floor and cry. Her tantrums are so cute! She loves baths and they are getting a bit easier since she is getting better at not standing in the tub all the time. She loves snacks in her snack cup and takes it very seriously. She is not happy if you even think about taking her snack cup away from her. When we are sitting on the floor she loves to come and sit on our laps. She turns herself around and backs up, so cute. Her hair is getting longer and I swear she wakes up with a new curl everyday. It also seems to be more red tinted lately. I get alot of people telling me (whether they know my kids are adopted or not) that my kids look so much alike. This little girl of ours is just amazing and we really can't fathom our life without her.

Happy Birthday Dad!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE VERY BEST DAD EVER!!

Yesterday my parents came down to go to church with us so that they could watch Mac in the Primary Sacrament Meeting Program. Unfortunately they didn't get to watch him since he would have nothing to do with it. Oh well! But we were able to have them for dinner and to sing Happy Birthday to him. I made him No-Bakes because every time he comes over he complains that I don't have any cookies made (specifically No Bakes) and he wants some now. So that was his birthday treat. I also made him a cute framed picture/list of the Phonetic Alphabet ( I think that is what it is called) since he recently got his Ham Radio certification.

Not sure how I got so lucky, but I really DO have an awesome Dad! 

My Dad really has the kindest heart. And he will do anything for me at the drop of a hat.

He is incredibly talented. And I owe him for my love of photography!

I love that we live close enough that we get to see him often.

I LOVE YOU DAD!

 

He is also the very best Grandpa! He will sit on his bed with Mac and spend forever telling Mac police stories (at Mac's request). He will lay on the floor and play trains with him. He has shared his love of trains with Mac and it just seriously melts my heart. He buys fun toys like big remote control cars so that he can share it with Mac.

Sunday Gratitude...

Grandma W and Oak sitting on our front porch waiting for Mac to get done with

Preschool that is at house right across the street in the pic.

I am thankful...

01.   for a fun busy weekend with friends, family and our Ward family.

02.   for my Dad's birthday (that is tomorrow) and that we were able to celebrate with him today (that will get it's own post this week).

03.   that my awesome nephew got his mission call this week (more to come on that this week because I think it needs its own post also). Am I really old enough to have a nephew old enough to go on a mission?!

04.   to be a part of the Primary program at church and for the awesome job our Primary Presidency does. And that we had our annual Sacrament Meeting program today, although Mac chickened out and wouldn't even come and sit with the kids (which made me more than a little bit disappointed).

05.   for fresh garden produce, YUM!!!

06.   for an amazing husband (I know I say this all the time), but lately I have really noticed and appreciated the little, thoughtful things he has done to help me out. Those are BIG, HUGE in my book!

07.   That my cute red head was awesome this week. He just was fun, cute, sweet and just plain funny. Almost no melt downs, temper tantrums or disobedience.

08. that I was able to spend some time with Oak's Birth Mother this week, I really love that girl!

09.   to have gotten my pantry completely cleaned out and organized (not just one little section of it).

10.   for the cooler weather we had this last week. but kindof excited that the temps will be back up in the 80s this week. WHAT?! It's close to the end of September!

Sunday Gratitude

I am grateful...

01.   to have wonderful, amazing people in my life.

02.  that there are heroes willing to sacrifice so much to protect our freedoms.

03.   that my amazing husband works really hard to make sure we are taken care of in every way possible.

04.  that there is no other place I would rather be than with my own little family.

05.  that nearly 11 years ago I met my Hubs and the moment I first saw him I KNEW I was going to marry him.

06.  for Mac's Birth Mother and that I get to read about her latest adventure on her blog. So proud of her!

07. for Oak's Birth Parents, they are just awesome! I just really love them.

08. for the wonderful supportive people that Mac's Birth Mother, and Oak's Birth Parents have in their lives. It really makes all the difference when making such a huge decision and sacrifice.

09. for the gospel and my testimony and that I get to teach my little one's that they are children of God.

10.  for awesome parents. I am so grateful to live so close to them and get to see them as often as we do. They do so much for us and my kids adore them!

Mac Funnies

 ~We were playing super heroes and Mac gave me the bad guys to be. I told him that I wanted them to be good guys. He picks one up and looks at it and says, "They are bad guys, see...their eyebrows go down."

~Mac was playing with some change on my nightstand. And I over hear: "This one is for my piggy bank and this one is for the Bishop (Tithing)." I am a proud Mama!!

~He was in bed looking at a book that had spanish words in it. I told him that when he was done looking at it I would come and snuggle him. A few minutes later he yells to me, "Mom, I'm done spanishing!!!"

~Mac had just walked in the door from playing outside. He tells me, "I fell on the step but I'm a tough guy so it's ok! ... OH! And I have to go potty SUPER bad!"

~No nap = a very tired boy sitting at the dinner table crying "I don't want to eat bizagna (lasagna)!" I couldn't help but chuckle to myself every time he said it. 

~Mac's prayer one night, "Please bless that we don't eat too fast and get a headache. Amen" 

~ He was playing with cousins and I heard him crying. When I asked him what was wrong he said "Tate tickled me too fast!" Tate is much younger and smaller than him by the way.

~We were giving Mac some chocolate as a bribe while doing family pictures. I said something about there being nothing better than candy as a bribe (or something like that) and Mac says almost immediately "uh-uh...ferris wheels!!" Since his other bribe was that we would take him on the ferris wheel if he was good for pictures and errands.

~ Everytime I asked Mac about his favorite part of the fair (or the "ferris" as he calls it) he would say something different. My favorite was when he said he loved the roller coaster. He said, "It was really bumpy...I LOVED the bumpy!!"

~Mac out of the blue asked me, "Mama, what are you going to do when I grow up and go to school?" I was totally fine with him starting preschool until that moment.

~ He had been in bed and had been begging for some water. I told him numerous times NO (I am the one he wakes up in the middle of the night when he has to go potty). When daddy got home and he was in bed talking to him. Mac told daddy, holding up his hand, "Tell mommy this many times that I want some water...and then tell her again."

Sweet Creek and Labor Day...

We decided to go on a hike on Labor Day. We invited Hubs's parents and then a happy surprise was my mom getting to come too. This really has to be my favorite hike, it really is breath taking. Mac kept on telling his grandma's and grandpa, "We are going hiking at a beautiful place that has water falls and bridges."

At the trailhead. Mac would not get in a picture so we had him take the picture.

Mac is a totally great hiker! He was at full speed the mile to the falls.

My little water lover! He can never get enough!

I don't think that actual falls is that impressive, but the whole hike is what makes this place beautiful.

Mac and the water again. Love this boy!

Mac taking pictures again. Most of his pictures end up being blurry because he moves the camera before the camera is done taking the picture.

He took this one too!

On the way back we found a great spot where he could walk in the water.

His cute little wet footprints on the rock.

Getting his socks and shoes back on.

Love this pic because it just shows what an awesome daddy this man is!

On the way down. You could tell Mac was getting tired because he was slowing down alot. Then all of a sudden he had like a second wind and he was going at full speed again. Then the last five minutes of the hike he just wanted his daddy and because Hubs is such an awesome daddy he carried him the rest of the way. He was laughing because he was carrying about as much extra weight (from the kids) that he has lost in personal in the last 7 months.

It was a great day and I loved that we got to enjoy it with our parents.

And then the day ended by Hubs being willing to put the kids to bed so I could go to see The Help with my Mama.

Sunday Gratitude...

I am thankful...

01.  for my sweet little family that we fought so hard for. They were so completely worth every pain and heartache!

02. that I got to see my parents today for the first time in nearly a month. I was getting a bit homesick not seeing them for so long.

03. for a pretty amazing and awesome husband. yes he is!!!

04. for the cooler evening temps. so much easier to sleep.

05. to have gotten most of the garage cleaned. and I mean three full car loads to goodwill and just about every single box gone through that we haven't touched in years.

06. that Mac has finally taken to riding his big boy bike and will even ride it on evening walks through our neighborhood. I have never seen him so determined about anything with our complaining and giving up. And a great way to wear him out before bed.

07. for the one and only cucumber that our garden produced. It was so yummy! We go for quality, not quantity here (just look at my beautiful kids)

08. for the little tradition that we have on our way to church every Sunday. Every one gets to choose a Primary song and we sing it. If not every one is singing the car stops, it will only go if every one is singing. And our last song it always "When I go to Church" and we make sure it gets finished just as we see our church building.

09. for the yummy apple crisp that we had for dessert tonight.

10. that my kids' grandparents will get on the floor and play with them. Something I never had and have wanted for my children.

First Day of Preschool...

 

**Post Edit below

So today was the big day! Mac's first day of Preschool. He was really excited about it too, which makes it so much easier to let them go. He loved his chalk board countdown and it really helped prepare him as we talked about it everyday when we took a clothespin off and he traced the number of days left. Today when he took off the last clothes pin, he looked at me SO excited and said, "I get to go to Preschool now!" It made me feel good that I had prepared him for it.

We tried to make the morning special. So daddy decided to go into work late so we could make Mac breakfast. Smiley-face pancakes. He is always asking for these, but we never have anything to make a good smiley face when he asks. Then when he was done he was excited to get dressed and brushed his teeth, get his shoes on and I never had to ask him twice for any of that. He even cooperated for pictures. All of that is a very rare thing. When we had some time before it was time to go (since it takes about 5 seconds to get there) he was getting very impatient. When I finally told him we only had 5 minutes left, he said, "I don't want 5 minutes I only want two!" **A few minutes before we took him for his first day Hubs gave Mac a Father's Blessing. And Mac sat for the whole thing. It was very sweet and I am glad that my husband is worthy to do this for our children to help them get through their lives.**

He is going across the street (literally) to our neighbors house for Preschool and gets to go with two of his other neighborhood friends. G, his teacher, said he did great! Which melted away alot of fears I have for him and going to school. He came running out full of energy acting like a crazy kid, I think because he had to control all that energy he has for 2 and half hours. I am very proud of him and I hope he enjoys learning as much as I think he will.

When we finally went in our house and sat down for lunch, he pretty much talked non stop about everything that they did. It was really cute! We even called daddy at work to tell him.

And as for me, it really wasn't that hard. And Oak took her morning nap the whole time and I had 2 and a half hours all to myself to get housework done and not feel bad about neglecting my kids while I did it. I think this will help me to be able sit and play with them more, since I will have the added quite/personal time.

And

Special smiley face pancake breakfast.

Daddy is always awesome at making Mac's food fun!