Love Story

The Daring Duo

Papa and Bella Baby

Can you hear my mommy crying?!?

She can't believe her baby is big enough to ride this!

Chef Ana

Little Drummer Girl

Feed Me Mom, I'm Cute

Disney Dream PJs (thanks Gramp!)

Little Big Sis feeding Big Lil Sis

Ana's masterpiece

giggly girl

as soon as you look away mommy, I'm gonna try to eat this crayon

ohhhh Nana and Gramp - thanks for the ball pit!

livin the life

pucker up

Playing in the kitchen

Yes, we are alive and kicking!!! Posting has definitely had to take a back seat. For this mommy, juggling is something I'm still trying to get the hang of...splitting my time between four children is something I struggle with - mommy guilt is such a crazy, but real thing! It definitely isn't easy, but it is sooo worth it. Looking through these pictures of the kids, I was flooded with just how much love God has for these sweeties, and for each one of us. I know when I look at them that His love is unfathomable. He moved so many mountains to bring us to them and them to us. Our adoption story is truly a love story...a story of His love. I can't begin to describe how many times I questioned His plan. The night before our "gotcha day", I was filled with doubts. Seeing the needs of our kids and the affects of years of life in an institutional setting. How in the world would we become one family unit? How in the world would everyones needs get met? How? How? How? I'm still not sure of how He is doing it, but somehow it all fits. Each child fits. Somehow they belong, we belong - one family unit. Now that's not to say it's all roses, because it's SO NOT. But we have children who feel comfortable enough around us to whine and holler and throw temper tantrums, which is HUGE! Slowly they are learning to trust. We still have screaming and pinching and hair pulling. But we also have giggles, dancing, and LOTS of silliness! We also are fortunate enough to see a little girl, who just 2 months ago spent her entire life in a crib, who at the age of 3 and a 1/2 couldn't even crawl, now STANDING and CRUISING around the coffee table, and CLIMBING in and out of our ball pit. She also has used her first sign! Our Ana amazes us each and every day. I have no doubts she will be walking soon! And Elijah, our boy who at 2 and 1/2 was locked away in his own world, barely able to hold himself in a sitting position (we used to prop him up during our orphanage visits because he would just randomly fall over), or make eye contact for long, having to make sounds and pull/scratch at his ears till they bled just to cope...this little boy is starting to come out! Eli's core has strengthened and he can sit now without falling over! He can do sit ups and bear weight on his legs!!! He knows what the more sign means and is starting to do better with eating at the table (he has really struggled with the idea of sitting as a family and eating - he used to just scream and scream). He reaches for us and smiles at us when we pick him up and he makes eye contact so much more! And Tatiana is more and more a typical 2 year old with definite likes, dislikes and lots of attitude! She's my crazy toe breaking (yes, she broke my toe but it was an accident!), music loving, silly, stubborn girl who just happens to love food and bathrooms (oh the fun you can have with a roll of toilet paper and a potty full of water - ewwwwwwww). This mommy is tired but overwhelming blessed! :)