Today is the Day!!!

We got a call from the attorney's office yesterday to meet with them at 3:30 today to sign the petition for the 4 little kids adoption. Yeah!! We'll get the papers for Shea next week and she will be ready soon also!!

There is no special event for these pictures except that the kids wanted to get a picture of their monster trucks. They are so funny about them!! I could empty the toy box out and leave only the trucks and they wouldn't even notice.

This is it!!

It is clear to me that there is a plan for our little family. We seem to be right on track with the little kids and the adoption process...Shea on the other hand has been with us just since March. It has only been 4 months that she has been here and we got a call today that she has been transferred to adoptions. The little kids worker...Deborah will also be doing Shea's process. We don't usually ask for much - but we have since the beginning of this miracle - wanted to be able to adopt all 5 and take all the kids to the temple at the same time without having to wait for months for Shea's paperwork to be done. These are little things that we are being blessed with in this - less than 2 year - fiesta. We really have loved every minute of it. Last month for testimony meeting our former stake president bore his testimony and talked about the plan of salvation and that we were organized into family units before we came to earth....now I have heard that I have felt that and even taught that as a missionary. But as he said that and as we were sitting there in Sacrament meeting that day...it was real for me. It was the truth and I knew it. In some cases it doesn't seem to matter how we get to earth it is what we do while we are here - are we listening to the spirit when we are prompted to act, are we where we are supposed to be - doing what we are supposed to be doing?? There has been more than one occasion that I have been stubborn and James has been our leader and lead me (or dragged) to where we've needed to be. Some times I am so nearsighted I wonder how we've survived. It has been a blessing for me to see that some of the decisions that have been made for our family have placed us right here where were are right now. This is it...this is what we've been living for, praying for, and the best part is that it is not even the end of it.

We love Shea and we are so blessed to have her here. She has a sweet spirit that is ready to learn. We are having a great time learning together. Shea is anxious to get baptized. We will start the missionary lessons soon. She is already excited to turn 12 so she can go to YW and girls camp. She always wants to go with James mutual. With all the great summertime youth activities this year who could blame her??

BEEZZZZZZZZ...

After living here for 6 yrs we finally had our 1st turn with bees. They decided to take up residence in the overhang in the back by the air conditioner. it would have been 0k if that was where they stayed but somehow they got into the frame of the house and there is an area near Shea's door that has no baseboard and the drywall is broken out (smaller than the size of a half dollar!!) so they started coming in there - if you are starting to get creeped out it will be ok Ihave been creeped out all day!! James is away at scout camp till Saturday so I called the pest control and for no less than one hundred and thirty dollars they came and sprayed them. We have still seen afew around down stairs crawling on their last leg. I'm hoping by tomorrow we won't see anymore. We will never watch the Bee movie the same again.

These are older pictures but as I look through pictures I remember that I still have a lot to tell about!! These are pictures of Memorial weekend. We went to Grandma and Grandpa's for a BBQ and swim...and haircuts for the boys. We had a great time. Jay and Shauna were there with their kids. The kids stayed for 2 weeks I'll have to post pictures with them at the ranch we went down there for a week with them. I love these haircut pictures. Joey still wants to go to grandma's for a mohawk. They ran around the culdesac (sp?) all day with their new doos.

Sister wanted a mohawk but the majority vote won and she had to keep all of her beautiful hair!! -- of course you will not see a picture of Shea---she was in the back all day swimming!!

Our Weekend in Heber

We had a great weekend in Heber/Snowflake. We took the kids...we are almost done with getting sick in the car....for Joey - This trip it was Jesse's turn. We are always ready with a cup bu this trip.......we grabbed the wrong cup!! Stinkin Del Taco!!! Unknown to me they slit a hole in the bottom of the french fry cups - to let cool air in???? Anyway........James cleaned out the car seat. I just need to take it apart and wash it. Other than that we had a fantastic time!! We stayed with some friends of ours who have a cabin up there it was great! We went to attend Boston and Kati's wedding in the Snowflake Temple. What a beautiful Temple!! What a beautiful day!! I love to go to temple weddings it helps me remember our wedding and the blessings we received when we were there. Love it!!

I really wish all young women could be like Kati when it comes to picking a young man to marry!! Great Story!!

Father & Son's Outing May 16th & 17th

I know it was a month ago but since it is almost Father's day I thought it would be fun to put the pictures up for you to see. Really most of the pictures are taken by Joey and Jordan. They love to take pictures.

These are our 2 photographers. Joey and Jordan...Jordan seems to be alittle more serious about taking pictures than Joey. We give him the camera and he is gone until the battery is used up. He has even done a few movies.

This is my favorite shot. Jordan is just hanging out by the fire....I'm sure the thought came to him - why not take a shot of my boots?

These are my favorite shots...look at all the sleeping that is taking place. Jesse - he cant take an afternoon without a good nap. Jordan is the same way if they are playing they are ok but when the just sit around the heavy eyelids take over.

James stopped off at a park for some reason on the way home and the kids got to ride a horse. They loved it they came home and told me all about riding a horse while they were camping. They had a great time.

James has been great to take the kids everywhere - like right now he went up to the shooting range to get some shells and he took everyone. I'm almost home alone. He has been an amazing dad!! I've laways loved seeing him with little people but he is different with these. He is past being in love with them. Samantha has him wrapped around her little finger. He is patient with them. He loves spending time with them. He is always taking them for a ride to "give me a break" I know he is having fun with them. He always says I'm guilty of letting them get away with everything BUT it is James who gets them a treat whenever they go somewhere lets them stay up way past their bed time and who lets them eat whatever - whenever and they own the house when I'm gone!! I'll tell you what is happening...I'm seeing a side of him that - until now was not exposed like it is now and I love seeing him with our litte family - that is heaven to me!!

WOW!! TIME FLIES!

We have made some progress. We have retained an attorney and the process has officially started. We are waiting to hear from them to see if we need anything else - as far as paperwork. I need to take the boys to finish up some lab work from their dr. appts. Other than that we are good to go. Shea's worker sent some papers to fill out for family history info and said that she should be assigned an adoption worker this month so we may be right in the middle of more than one miracle (or a billion). We are hoping and praying to get them all adopted on the same day so we can all go to the temple together and not have to wait to long after the adoption. WOW!!! What a fantastic whirl wind we've been in - in the last year!! We love it!! This picture cracks me up!!! Look how many there are!! They make our family portrait look complete!!! I love this picture!

If anyone is like me with friends blogs I'm sure you've noticed that I have not updated mine in far to long!! The days are slipping by so fast. We went to the ranch for a week then I had youth conference this last weekend so I was a little busy. I don't have pictures of the ranch yet but I have some great ones of the father and son's outing that James took all the boys on they had a great time. Everyone came back in one piece. I'll post those after I post some of the funny ones. I've been looking at pictures that are on the computer and I could use them all but these are some fun ones for now.

I did not teach her this face.....children are born to make faces according to how they feel don't you have to believe that sometimes!! I'm sure I don't make that face. I love when missy toad makes a face...this one is so serious I love the squinted eyes!! What a little lover!!

This is Jordan's favorite thing to do right now... most of the Father and Son's outing pictures are taken by Jordan and Joey. Alot of leg, shoe and ground shots but they are great.

These are some self portraits of Shea...one of these days I'm gonna put all the funny face pictures in their own folder there are so many. The kids love to make faces for pictures.

It's the cross eyed game. Joey is great at crossing his eyes! There is always a face!!

Everybody was kun fu fighting Jesse's favorite pose.