Saturday, April 26, 2008

Spring Break 2008-Florida

Here is Samuel at a lake in St. Cloud, FL. He had just barely walked in the sand for the first time and found wading in the water to be just as intriguing. He kept walking back and forth, back and forth just staring at his feet.

How can you visit Orlando without a trip to Disney World? Since Samuel has a habit of running anywhere he pleases, we decided to get him one of those monkey backpacks to restrain him somewhat. He absolutely loved it until he realized it was hooked onto a leash. Try imagining a little 1 year old throwing tantrums on the ground in the middle of long and crowded lines. That part of our Disney experience was not the funnest!
Luckily my dad is a big guy and Samuel finds him intimidating. It was nice to hand Samuel right over to him whenever he needed to calm down a bit. Mason is
just happy to be by Samuel. You put him anywhere near Samuel and he starts laughing hysterically. Forget the characters, rides, and music. All he needs is Samuel nearby and he's entertained. It was so nice to get help from my parents while we were there. I love grandparents!







During our visit we were able to see my good friend Sarah and her daughter Kaley. It seems like just yesterday we were complaining to one another about the glories of pregancy, and yet our babies are so big already! How time flies!
We also got to celebrate Easter with my parents which was really fun. They got to experience Samuel's first easter egg hunt with us which I loved. The best part was that for some reason, after picking up the eggs, Samuel would run over to my sister and throw the egg right at her head. If you knew my sister, you would think this was especially hilarious as well. That is why she is sulking in the corner by the bushes. I probably should have stopped him, but I was too busy laughing.

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Our Family Story

Here, Joe and I are enjoying our last cruise in September 2006 right before our lives turned upside down. In this picture we are trying to decide between steak or crab and what our plans were for the next day. Should we snorkle or relax by the pool? Oh, such hard decisions!!! Little did we know that we were enjoying our last vacation for a long, long, LONG time!!

As many of you know, Joe and I were blessed to become adoptive parents soon after we applied for adoption. When we got back from this cruise, we were soon chosen to become adoptive parents and in December found ourselves in South Carolina awaiting our first son Samuel to be born. Although very emotional, the adoption process turned out to be such an amazing experience and I would not change a thing about it. Samuel was born on New Year's Eve and we were able to take him home from the hospital. Joe and I could not think of a better way to begin a new year. WHAT A YEAR! The blessings continued to pour our way because 2 months later, I realized that I had been pregnant even before Samuel's birth. So in September 2007, just 1 year from when that care-free cruise picture was taken, Joe and I doubled our family size. We thought the whole thing was pretty funny too until Mason was born and reality set in!! (The last baby picture is Mason) So yes, our lives have certainly changed and we are still adjusting to the chaos of parenting two little babies. However, we never forget that they are both our miracle babies and are so grateful for the added meaning that they have brought to our lives.