an amazing photoshoot

So today i had the privieledge of doing a Photo shoot for the Larson Family with their 2 kids and 2 BIRTHMOMS!!! It was unforgettable and I am so happy for them and a bit envious ( in all the best ways) too! I can't wait to have another amazing birth parent and child as part of our family when It's the right time:)
Here's to waiting and hoping and praying!!!


* This is the shirt B and A wore and IT'S almost an understatement!!! They really do have him wrapped around their little pinkies!

Hope to learn more about our adoption family? Click on the words underneath our picture!

Happy Halloween Everyone!

Hoping you will have a fun-filled weekend and remember to be SAFE!
Love to you all from us and the girls!

works in progress...

...are MANY right now, as we prepare for Halloween! Here's Brielle's Dorothy outfit ( minus tights and possible a COAT the way this week is going ( freakin' freezing people!!!)!

I'm halfway through Aria's Glinda Costume and we found a sweet Green blazer for Brandon so he could be THE Wizard of Oz. I , of course, will be the only other female character... The wicked witch of the West. I HAVE NEVER BEEN a witch before( so i can recall) so, this will be a new experience for me.

We have 4 parties coming up and tons of things to do before then too! My dad, Danny is in town and the girls are having so much fun with Grandpa! He read them stories tonight and i was finishing the outfit downstairs and could here them giggle and getting tickled and it made me think back to my childhood a bit! Man, i wish i would have enjoyed my youth even more than i had! It's so fleeting but so very powerful. What you do and hear in your youth effects you forever. I'm glad i get to spend time with my dad and wish all my family could retire or find jobs here. It's heaven ( kind of a cold one but, still wonderful!)

I Often wonder when Our future Birthmother will find us. I wonder if she looks at our blog right now and is having a hard time deciding to place or to choose ONE family! I wonder if she thinks we look too busy or we have two kids so, Her's wouldn't be as special to someone like us ( which is totally off base and untrue). I wonder all the time if she will just shoot us an email or call today. We pray for her daily and we know her time and our time is limited and so many other pressing matters are asking for her attentions. I hope she spends time really going over what it is that she is hoping for in a family and doesn't rush to pick whoever looks best and has no kids... So many wonderful families are eager to have children and adopt children. We are all equally awaiting a miracle through adoption!
Well, I better get some sleep. People are depending on me to function tomorrow.

Elephant Skin

Just so you know... I am very aware that everyone is going through something different in their journey of adopting a child. Some people are like eggs and crack under the slightest pressure.

When People do Fall apart- they often show their weakest, worst character dimensions. Pay attention to that- searching expectant parents- friends- fellow beings of the world ( okay everyone)

Here's some fabulous quotes on adversity ( or trials)

If you click on that link and read on... You will understand exactly what I'm getting at...
Trials can make you stronger- if you view them as part of natural life and not an event that happened to you...

I've had my share- hence i have thickened up my Elephant Skin and very rarely am i offended by anything or anyone!!! Thank goodness for that!

placement #2

Here's the link to the Sunday Placement Family! Congrats to Mike, Maryanne, Chelly and Little Baby Gabriel or Jacob ( what ever they decided:)

PS... Open Adoption Is the BEST! ( in my opinion)

What a week...

Last week was so AMAZING and long. With 2 placements within 5 days and all the other day to day stuff i do with my girls and husband- it got a bit crazy BUT... I LOVED IT and i wouldn't trade it for the world! I Put up some Placement pics and hospital pics of Jessica on my photo site- so check those out. The 2nd placement will be on there shortly!!!
PS. Birth Parents ROCK!!!

Brielle's Birth mom turned 22 last week. Brielle made her some art and sent her a bag of candy corns b/c she said she wanted Kara to have treats on her Birthday! I sent her a SPA Day package for her to get pampered at a local spa( where she lives)! WE LOVE her and her whole family and miss them a ton but, GOOD NEWS... Looks like we will get to see them around Thanksgiving!!!

We also hosted a B-day Party for our little friend , Cora, who turned 7! She has been so fun to get to know and a bunch of us moms and teachers are rallying around her to let her know of our love for Her! Her bio- mom is an addict and hasn't been around her much since day 1 so- we are filling in!!! Cora deserves the world and we are happy to help give it to her!

Brielle has perfected CUTTING shapes this last week and even made me some shapes and played Teacher with me. When she would show me a shape and I'd say the right answer- she would put a check mark on it and say " Good Job- you got it right!"
She has also been singing all kinds of songs about composers of classical music. To the tune of the Blue Danube she would sing these words : " The Blue danube waltz- by johann Strauss"... ( repeated all the way through the tune) or this one to the Can Can Song : Jacques Offenbach was a nice man, he wrote the Can Can, wasn't he a nice man ... She obviously Loves Learning at the Montessori school she's at!!!

Aria has
been really cuddly lately and I am eating it up. She and Brielle have been best buddies and have barely had any spats ( knock on wood). Aria is liking Preschool too but is more on the average learning curve. She is super vocal and can talk your ear off with big sentences but, she is still a young 3 yr old! She's fully potty trained and rarely sleeps with a pull up on at night which makes us all happy! She has a thing with SOCKS lately. Seriously, i have no idea why. She has many many dolls and toys but she likes stuffing socks inside other socks and toting them around- It's silly but cute! Both girls say silly things so very often as well. Here's a bit of the comedy in our house:

I was watching a movie about ancient Persia and Brielle says " Mom, are those the REAL stripling Warriors?"

Brielle also decided to take black marker to one of the barbies this past week and make her anatomically correct and mature. ( if you get my drift) Dude.. I was cracking up and have since decided that Bathing together is OVER for good. I think 3 is the cut-off age now. Oh, she also drew skull bones on her Barbie's face and blacked out the eyes. W-T-Crap? She has been drawing lots of Halloween related things lately and today she drew a mushroom with a flower on top ( kind of looked like the kind the Smurfs would be hanging around!)

Aria has all kinds of crazy obsessions with getting TONS of wet TP ( sink water) and leaving it on the floor or counters- Dumping a whole container of Shampoo out in her bath water, smashing up bananas, ripping up papers and transporting her doll house dolls all over the house. Not to mention her sock-ball things! She Has been super great this week but HATED losing at Musical Chairs at Cora's B-day Party. She would get out and stomp off all mad and say : " You guys aren't nice- I'm not playing with you" all while pouting or crying in a mean tone. It's kind of hysterical! She's got a BIG personality in such a little package.

Well, I better get some rest! More pics to come! Thanks for reading about our families adventures and our desire to adopt again! Our miracle will be one that is met with So much JOY and Love- When It's God's will and time!

welcome to the world

little Madison!!!

This is Jessica's Baby Girl! She is a birthmom placing with Jeff and Ciara!


And has been so good to her mommies!!!
Can't wait to see her again. Jessica had her today! She had a pretty fast labor and delivery and many visitors:) This family will be LOVED by all!!! I LOVE OPEN ADOPTIONS! Congrats Jessica, Ciara & Jeff! You are all so blessed. God has sent an angel to us today!!!

today...

...my friends and i made hair clips for our girls ( mine have a ton already but, it is fun teaching others) and for upcoming holidays! I also got the chance to speak at the LDSFS Adoption Core training today. There are some awesome couples going through the process and I hope they all go where they are led in their search for a child to adopt!

My advice to them was:
Be HONEST with birth parent commitments
Be Yourself - flaws and All- BP want to see who you are- not some plastic Ken and Barbie
Have fun while you wait
Advocate for the Cause- everywhere- not just their adoption but Adoption in general!
Get involved with FSA- you will be so glad you did! It's for everyone and we NEED your energy!
Don't get discouraged and do not fear- both of those are tools from the adversary!
Know that God knows what you need when you need it- trust in him and DO all you can do to facilitate: faith without works is dead!

Tomorrow we will go to the FSA activity at a historic farm with pumpkins and wagon rides etc... The kids should LOVE it. Followed by Ciara (adoptive mom) and Jessica's (birth mom) baby shower for sweet baby Madison! She will be so loved and supported! What an exciting thing! I LOVE Saturdays and Sundays!!! I'll bring my camera so more pics are on the way!

I'm ready to rest now.but wait... I have to catch up on all the birth mother blogs:) LOVE THEM!

Oh and this is my latest photography client- Lee- She's gorgeous! I Love Senior Photos- brings back so many memories!

Okay- updates...

Aria is just getting over bronchitis and I'm not too happy about that. It all started when she caught a cold from some kids i sat a few days back. All 3 were hacking up. Then A gets a cold and B but, only Aria's turned into nasty bronchitis. Such is life- she is on the mend now! And is mostly happy lil' girl!

We've pulled out the Halloween Decorations and i must admit... I'm a total Scaredy Cat! I can't do the cob webs, skulls and ghosts. I prefer fall leaves, pumpkins and other gourds, stalks of wheat, hay and just a few jack-o-lanterns. I know it's because of childhood bad dreams and i just don't like putting a BAD-ish or scary things around me or giving off a Yucky image of fright! So not me! I never dressed up as a dead something or other. I think i was only a witch once and that was the scariest thing i ever was. I was a gypsy, a grandma, Jazmin, cheerleader, princess, etc... Nothing really spooky ever! Sorry to disappoint anyone but that's how i roll!

It doesn't mean we don't celebrate All Hallows Eve. B/c we do! we are rockin' out a party with our friends here, I'm making my girls costumes and just might actually dress up this year- who knows!

Brielle is wanting to do art ALL THE TIME! She loves drawing and painting so, i think for her b-day i will sign her up for a special Art course at the Rec Center or a Special Art school for kids in the summer! She is writing a lot too. She LOVES taking pen to paper.

I signed both up for gymnastics again and they will be going shortly! I'm sure they will love it!
I need more leotards now- hopefully I'll find some cute ones and gym shorts!

I have to edit some senior pics here over the next few days and I've been getting ready for the Regional FSA call and our upcoming Sat. activity with CO FSA, at a local historical Farm! It will have a mini hay bale maze, pumpkin patch, animals etc... The girls will love it!
Followed by a shower I'm Helping put on for my friend Jessica- the one who is placing with Ciara and Jeff! It should be so wonderful. The shower is at Ciara's home and All those who are supporting Jessica are coming. Such an amazing addition to the story of this wonderful family! What an eternal Bond both parties will have!

Brandon is working a lot (has 2 house under contract in his first month and multiple loans closing:) and fishing or practicing casting. He's been a huge help around the house with chores and the girls and He is so excited for the FUN activities we get to do with our girls! It's nice to finally have SEASONS!He like to get his workout on and lift or throw around the ball and he's been helping with the missionaries in our area too! He's so awesome!

My Dad will be coming on the 23rd! And we will get to have a great times with him as well!

Well, That's what's NEW or what we are doing lately! I'm looking forward to the FSA fireside (oh, I'm singing in it- the part of the adoptive mother-be nervous for me) and i hope all who can attend- will!

Things we want our Future Birth Parents to know...

Although we have not met you yet, we already feel a closeness to you! We want you to know that we are people who KEEP our promises! We prefer openness in every situation (if possible) and we won't HOLD back from letting you know how we feel. We hope you choose to do the same. Brandon has more of grasp on adoption that i do (being that he is adopted) but, we both equally have a hold on birth parent ?'s and overall adoption culture. We LOVE celebrating everything about adoption and birth parents! Brielle is currently working on a Birthday package for her Birth mother, Kara. She has been making Art and I'm including a few surprises too! She and her Family are part of our family now and forever! You can even call them, if you don't believe us. (I'll email you their numbers:)

We know placement will be so hard and i remember the feelings we had at the hospital and in the placement room over 4.5 years ago. It was terrifying and so Heavenly all at the same time. I felt so undeserving and so elated. We cried for many, many days for Kara and admired her courage and strength to place this tiny infant in our care. Both of us will never forget that day!

Brandon and i balance each other out so well and of course, we don't see eye to eye all the time, but we always work it out! And we grow stronger from our trials! He's my Man and I have so much love for him! He makes me crazy in a GREAT way! And He is a terrific father! Ask anyone who REALLY knows us and they will tell you! I am the luckiest lady ever!

We hope and pray for you and for your future. We hope you strive for only the BEST and never settle! We hope that after placement- we get to see you often! We hope for family events and special occasions together. We also know- you will need time to heal and we won't force you to feel obligated in anyway!

We love the Gospel and live it and are very honest with ourselves and are a bit WILD and Crazy from time to time (all in moral and proper ways:) and love to have fun together! We hope you may see How Much God Loves His Children through this process and How much HE LOVES YOU!

In our family you will be surrounded with loving arms and true personalities. We don't put on a show for anyone- we are just US from the get-go! That's the only way to live! We hope that reading this gives you a better idea of our character and our promises to you about openness.
Thanks for reading this and Enjoy searching for YOUR family - if we are NOT the ones for your child! God will lead you to them!

another amazing Poem!

I just can't get enough!
here's another stellar birth mother poem! I believe this with all my heart!

BIrthmother's Poem

a fabulous poem is on this site.
What an awesome Birth mother and individual!

So be it...

Today, during a broadcast conference from leaders of our church, a phrase was repeated or paraphrased a few times over. This same theme was said in the conference for the 18+ female crowd at our RS conference, a week previous. This quote is one of my favorites and i have heard it for years and years. I first read it in a book by Stephen R. Covey - Spiritual Roots of Human Relations and I'm reading a book of his called the 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families- and he quoted this again. I finally found out where it originated from and here it is:

David O' McKay, a prominent religious leader in our church,in 1954 stated that, "No success can compensate for failure in the home."

This is one of the wisest things i have ever heard- ever!

Because- if you FAIL at being a GOOD and loving parent to your children- You will have God to deal with in the end. If you fail at work or making money but are a good parent- you just have creditors to deal with till you die. You may not take your riches, if you are one who excels in business. You cannot take your possessions. You do take your guilt and your sadness that you chose to Love WORK more than your family. You made MONEY your GOD instead of the Father in Heaven who loves you. And really no success will make up for crappy parenting. I've never heard anyone quote their dying parents or friends and have them say things like: If i only would have worked more. Or... If i could have made just a little more money. More commonly it's things like: I wish i would have spent more time with you/kids and family.

So, if any of you are thinking IT'S OKAY to NOT be there for your kiddos or it's FINE if someone who really only cares about the money you are giving them- is decent for RAISING your babies... THINK again! YOU are the MOST important part of a child's ability to succeed emotionally, behaviorally, physically, and spiritually! If you are not able to MEET a child's basic needs everyday- consider the impact you are making on your children by not being present in their lives. Who is daily teaching them MORALS and VALUES and reminding them of their inherent WORTH in God's eyes? If it's NOT you- then how do you know what is being taught to your little ones daily?
In our adoption classes we face topics dealing with attachment after placement with Babies who have been neglected or abused (most of those children come through the foster care avenue of adoption) . We talked about a child's ability to internalize such HUGE emotional changes. We talked abut building TRUST with babies and kids, as a part of BONDING. The speaker hit on the fact that a child may not tell you " Hey because you makes promises that you don't keep- i cant trust you" Or " You must not love me very much b/c i hardly see you all day- work must mean more to you than i do." Kids will just lash out, throw fits or do destructive or disruptive things to get attention any way they can!

Barring you HAVE to WORK (many women do or do temporarily) b/c your husband is disabled, injured or you'd be homeless if you both didn't work. I believe most women CHOOSE to work now more than ever! They CHOOSE work over their kids. WHY? I'm not totally sure but, i think these women do not understand how VITAL the role of a Mother really is. They must LIKE having work to do more than doing the daily grind of parenting. Yeah, it may not be as glamorous as getting all fancied up to look good around your business cohorts but, IT'S way more IMPORTANT. Jr. may not know how to tell you that He hates going to daycare and he'd rather be with you- he's too young! BUT don't tell me that a child doesn't feel it- every time you drop him off with strangers- you bet he feels it!

So... I'm advocating today, for Women to LOOK into being a full time mom and a part time employee or be employed solely in the work of raising your children into fantastic young adults!
Look over your finances- see what you can give up- in order to stay home. LOOK at what necessities really are and clean up your spending and budget more. You may find you spend more money on daycare than you thought! Your kids need YOU- the living, breathing, loving nurturing mom! They need to know that no matter your income level or the amount of stuff you attain- that YOU will be there to lead and guide and love them.
If you have them form superficial bonds with daycare workers- they will want to form those with classmates in elementary, middle and HS. Then they will yearn for attention and approval from kids in HS b/c they don't have your full attention at home- then they will do anything to get that attention from you by getting into trouble with the wrong friends- any attention from you is better than none. And so on...
I've said enough...
"No success can compensate for failure in the home."
that's exactly what i mean!
And if some of you don't like what I'm saying b/c it's HITS a Nerve with You and your lifestyle- SO BE IT!

p.s. these pics are of a cute 5 week old baby i took a few weeks back. and NO, we haven't been chosen yet. Our miracle will come when it's meant to happen!