Sunshine and Ice Cream!

Today is absolutely gorgeous! Sunny and very warm! I got

these really cute pictures while we were enjoying the sunshine

out in our backyard. I am so thankful for our wonderful

backyard. It is very big and very private! We enjoy lots of

time out here. Aiden is slowly getting use to the big pool. He

is still not very comfortable in it and would rather just play

in his little kiddie pool. We are hoping to teach him to swim

this summer:)

Shae's Project / Report

Shaelyn had to do a project for school and she chose to

report on Poison Dart Frogs. She (uhumm, "we") searched

online for some informational facts and found out some

pretty interesting things about these little critters. She

wrote a very nice report and made a panoramic of their

natural habitat (tropical rain forest). She was very proud

of her project and received some nice comments from

her teacher and fellow students. Her project is now on

display at school.

Proof!

For those of you who think I may exaggerate that Aiden

is into everything....here is proof! This "mess" occurred

in approximately 5 minutes. I had the living room nice

and neat and went into the kitchen to start supper. I

chopped the onion and but the ground beef in the skillet

and returned to the living room. Again, maybe 5 mins

had passed. This is the scene I returned to. Imagine

what he could do in 30 minutes!! lol

Aiden's Big Boy Room REVISED

Until further notice, Aiden's big boy room will be

sportin' his little boy crib:) Oh well, I guess we

will know when he is ready to go to his toddler bed.

One thing for sure...he's not ready yet! Here is a

cute picture of him "vacuuming" his rug.

He was so happy to see his crib back up! So sweet!

Big Boy Bed Update

The big boy bed idea DID NOT work tonight!! Apparently
Aiden is very attached to his crib. He screamed and screamed
when we put him in his new bed. So, I finally brought his pack
and play out and put it beside the bed. He quit crying as soon
as I put him in it and was asleep within minutes. So, I guess the
crib goes back in his room tomorrow:)

Aiden's Big Boy Room

We have been talking about taking Aiden's crib down for a

few weeks now. Well today we were fortunate to find a

toddler bed at a yard sale for $5. After a good cleaning and

a spray paint job, it is good as new! We found the cutest

little comforter set and wall art for a really cheap price too.
So, tonight will be Aiden's first night in his toddler bed/

big boy room. He LOVES balls and keeps going around

the room pointing at all of them and saying "baaalll". It is

so sweet. I asked him if he was going to sleep in his new

bed and he shook his head no! We're not sure how he will do

but are praying that he does well. He is growing so fast.

It's hard to believe that he is now 28 months old! Here

are some pictures of Aiden's "new" room!

Painter Boy

Maybe, just maybe Aiden, will be as artistic as his sister! He loves

to scribble with crayons and his latest love is ....paint with water!

Here are a few pictures of him up at the table having a fun time

with his little brush and glass of water! He had so much fun and

cried when it was time to put it up. :)

Happy Mother's Day

Today was a special day for me as I celebrated being a Mom

to two beautiful children this year. Rob got me a porch swing

for Mother's Day and put it up for me yesterday! I was so

excited as I've always loved a porch swing. The kids

and the dog love it just as much as I do. I know we will get

lots of enjoyment from it. I also had flowers and several

cards spread out on the table this morning! I even had a card

from the dog! Rob had taken paint and put Sophie's paw print

in the card. It was too cute:) To make the day even more

special, I also got to spend some time with my precious Mother.

I took the kids and went to church with my Mom this morning

and then ate lunch out with her and my Dad. I am so very

fortunate to have had a Godly mother who taught me so many

wonderful life lessons. Knowing how much I wanted to be a

Mommy, she longed for the day that I would be blessed with

a baby. She has embraced by two little China babies as if they

were biologically mine and has loved them dearly. I thank God

for my Mom and hope that I have many more years with her!

Happy Mother's Day everyone!

My Journey to Motherhood

As my 10th Mother's Day as a Mommy approaches, I am finding
myself reflecting back over a long and arduous journey. A journey
that started out with heartbreak and shattered dreams only to be
replaced with immeasurable joy and not an ounce of regret! This
journey has not always been easy and there were many times
along the way that I questioned God and cried out in anger.
My desire for a biological child once consumed me and I struggled
to understand the reason that my dream of motherhood was so
elusive and unattainable. I couldn't see beyond my grief and I
certainly could not see the beautiful plan that God had in store
for me. Fast forward 10 years and now I SEE! I now can see
that the plan God had for me from the beginning was far better
than my own ideals. God handpicked two beautiful children from
half way around the world and placed them in my heart for me to
love and Cherish for as long as I have life. Through the miracle of
adoption not only did I became a Mom but I saw the beautiful
story of Christ's redemption revealed so vividly. I am so
undeserving of God love but because I have accepted Him, I am
adopted into the family of God and am a joint heir with Jesus.
At the very moment I was handed my beautiful children, they
went from being orphans to being cherished members of our
family and an heir to everything we own. Throughout this
journey to motherhood, I have learned a valuable lesson.
God's ways are far better than our own!! How could I have
wanted it any other way! I can honestly say that I would
not change the outcome of my journey even if I could. I feel
like the most blessed Mother in the world!! The love I have for
these two children that God blessed me with is indescribable. I
thank Him for choosing this path of motherhood for me!

Bubble Boy

This is the scene one can expect when you leave the

bottle of baby wash on the side the tub and leave the

bathroom for 1.5 minutes with a 2 year old in the tub!

I could hear Aiden jabbering, kicking and splashing

the whole time and knew he was okay so I made a

quick trip to the kitchen. When I returned, I noticed

that 3/4 of the brand new bottle of body wash was GONE!

Soon the bubbles began to multiply! He had a blast!