Jalen Andrew's Day at the Park

Jalen Andrew decided to go to the park to celebrate his "A" Day. To make it a little more special, we took him to a park that he had never been to before.

He loved riding the dinosaur, but wasn't so sure about the rock climbing wall.

We're so glad that you are a part of our family, Jalen Andrew! You make our family complete, and bring us so much joy and happiness.

WE LOVE YOU!

Happy "A" Day, Christine

I can't believe that it's been 15 years

since you filled our home and our hearts with your presence. I still remember how I had to head off for the store to buy you clothes in between the Saturday sessions of General Conference. You came so fast, and without much warning. We had a crib with sheets, but no extra clothes. I remember trying to fall asleep, the night before we were supposed to pick you up. It was raining, and I couldn't sleep. I was too busy trying to imagine what you would look like, and if you would bond with me, and if I would be an okay mother. I remember holding you for the first time. I lifted you out of the crib there at the agency, and held you - feeling overjoyed at your beauty, and the motherly stirrings that were happening inside of me. I sat in a rocking chair there, and fed you your bottle, as I gazed into your beautiful brown eyes, and marveled at the little miracle bundled in my arms.

I loved you instantly,

and I've never stopped. We've had our moments, every mother and daughter do, but overall I have been proud of you, and amazed at your talents. I am so grateful for your birth mother, for the love that she showed in giving you life, and the chance to grow up in our family. Someday I will wrap her in my arms, and thank her profusely, but until that day I'll wrap YOU in my arms, and love and cherish you. Thanks for being our daughter, Christine. Thanks for making me a Mother, and thanks for opening the door for the rest of your siblings to join our family. Happy "A" Day! (Maybe it's NOT your birthday, but it is definitely the birthday of our family! )

Joseph's A Day

It's Joseph's 10 Year anniversary for being in our family.

We celebrated by watching How to Train Your Dragon.

Don't know what we would do without Joseph in our family!

Glad to have you here buddy - don't ever forget that!

We love you, and happy "A" Day!

Happy A-Day

As busy as the lives of our teenagers have been these past few weeks, we just couldn't find a time for the whole family to get together for some fun. So we celebrated Jalen Andrew's A Day two weeks late, but I don't think he minded at all. We rode our bikes to the park last night, and played basketball. The 2 younger boys and I spent some time on the jungle gym equipment, while the older kids tried to beat their Dad in a game of basketball. We joined in, shooting hoops, once Jalen Andrew got tired of swinging and going down the slide.

Anyhow - Happy A Day, Little Man! We sure are glad to have you in our family!!!

Happy A Day, Christine

Disneyland ended up not happening for our family.

First of all, the day that the band would be performing there, was the first day of Gay Days.

30,000 gays and lesbians all wearing red shirts to get each other's attention,

did not quite appeal to us.

Kind of ruins the innocence of Disneyland.

Also, because the band would be coming back home for another competition that same weekend, we would only get one day at Disneyland.

We vacillated back and forth about going on Thursday instead of Gay Day Friday, to reward James for doing so well at staying dry (that was the original reason we were going anyway), and he had 17 days of dryness. Thursday would have marked his 21 days, which was the goal, but then he shot that whole plan in the foot by dishing out #1's and #2's this past Sunday and Monday. Sigh.

The kids were all upset, of course.

(Christine imagining that she's surfing in Hawaii)

We decided to celebrate Christine's A Day (which had been Tuesday, the 29th) by going camping up near Camp Geronimo. We let the kids miss school yesterday (that's unheard of for us) and had ourselves a nice, although short, family vacation.

(In true teenager-style, Christine slept whenever she could)

Camping was complete with all the things that make it exciting, like setting the tent up in the dark, killing the van's battery because we used the headlights to see to set up the tent and because certain kids left the van door open, James acting totally hyper vs. Joseph who was seriously tired, teeny-tiny walking space in the tent, complaints about who got to sleep where, Jalen Andrew awakening in the middle of the night a little freaked out so that I got to stand up and rock him in the cold night air, other kids waking up with full bladders - same cold night air, and of course dirt, dirt everywhere. Other highlights were very delicious tinfoil dinners, quite sweet chocolate strawberry cobbler, a warm night for all - when there's that many people in the tent, it stays well heated, a great blazing fire, gorgeous stars, going to sleep to the sound of elk making a very peculiar sound, Jalen Andrew falling asleep quickly, beautiful weather, and being together away from the phone, the computer, and the t.v. The next morning we enjoyed a little hike around the stream bed, and then headed off to find geodes. We found quite a few, not really big ones, but still it was fun to hunt for them, and then crack them open. Before heading home, we found a place that had lots of petrified wood with sea life fossils encased in it. That was pretty exciting as well. Joseph summed it up best when he mused, "Isn't it incredible to be holding all this history right in your hand?"

(Mom- the butterfly whisperer)

(Although Rebekah commented early on "Wonderland to wilderness?!"

she really did have a great attitude)

(Happy A Day, Christine! Can't believe it's already been 14 years!)

(We're pretty lucky to have such a good driver, tent setter-upper, fire maker,

and marshmallow toaster. Thanks for all your hard work on your day off!)

(Happy Campers.)

(Joseph wanted me to take a picture of his clean hands that he had just washed.

He cracked up when he saw the picture, realizing for the first time that it hadn't

just been his hands that were dirty.)

(Jalen Andrew discovers the joy of throwing sticks into blazing fires.)

(On our way to find the fossils, we ran into a very smelly, dead coyote

that had been skinned. As we approached it, James commented

"Now that's definitely a dinosaur!" You can thank me now for not showing you the

picture that Rebekah took of the dead thing.)

James' A Day

July 23rd - Hard to believe it was 5 years ago that our family changed so dymanically. James, and his siblings Jonathon, Ashley & Jacob came to live with us - James, staying forever. So to celebrate his adoption/arrival day (A Day) we went as a family to the Arizona Science Center to see the Lego Exhibit that they were featuring.

James - King for the Day, on his throne of Lego blocks.

I've found my Knight in Shining Armour . . . No! Not the one I'm gazing up at . . . the one who is taking the picture!

The statues of Lego were incredible - mind boggling to look at. The boys were suitably impressed, they are a bit of Lego-maniacs themselves, . . . and yet . . . I wonder . . . if somewhere in those little minds of theirs. . . if they weren't secretly wishing they could knock the knight down, just to see the great Lego crash it would make. And then of course, if such an accident should happen, there is only one thing left to do . . . pick up all the pieces, and start building something new.

James thinks that he has found his treasure . . . but we know that the real treasure is standing there in yellow, with his hand on his hip. Glad we found you, buddy!

They even had toddler friendly Legoes - you know, the ones that don't hurt when they're thrown at you.

And their off . . .

racing to make the most spectacular Lego castle.

An impressive start . . .

The kids (that includes Erik) spent a long time sitting at the table building with the Lego pieces.

3 kids + 2 dragons = one cute picture!

Besides playing with the legoes, it was also fun to play around with "science" in the rest of the museum. One of the favorites for everyone, was the weather experience, where we could feel the rain, the wind, the heat, and what the rumbling of an earthquake feels like. Well, almost everyone, Jalen Andrew didn't like that one too much.

He did, however, like trying to climb the slick wall with James - an extra bonus since that wasn't even an exhibit here. Here are the girls trying to pull their own weight, and here's Joseph laying on a bed of nails, which doesn't at all feel the way you expect it to feel.

And here is Jalen Andrew's and my favorite exhibit - throwing balls past the nose hairs hanging down and then . . . Achoo!

12 Years Together

Happy "A" Day, Rebekah!

With Dad gone for Trek - he left several days early to help chop wood, dig holes, etc., Rebekah didn't feel like going somewhere to celebrate her day. It wasn't the same without Dad. So, she opted to rent a movie "City of Ember" and pop some popcorn.

Can't believe you've been with us for 12 years! My, how you've grown!