Weekend Words

It's been a few weeks since I've done a 

"Weekend Words" post. 

It seems like our life is finally getting back to normal after

our roller coaster of a ride during March. 

This past weekend was pretty low key, but very enjoyable. 

Friday night young men's campout for Jason.

 Kyler and I hanging out with my parents. 

Saturday morning soccer game. 

Kyler was more interested this week and even scored the last goal.

He said it was the "Grand Finale."

Saturday afternoon was spent at Opening Day at Lagoon.

We all got Season Passes for Christmas and can't wait to put them to good use. 

There is only a handful of rides that I can actually stomach to go on, but I enjoy watching Kyler

laugh and have fun and it's always entertaining to people watch. 

Saturday evening I enjoyed watching the LDS Women's Conference. 

It is just what I need right now in my life and I'm getting really excited for this upcoming weekend

to watch LDS General Conference. 

Creativity

Kyler loves doing anything that involves

coloring, drawing, creating, cutting, gluing, etc.

Most nights after he is tucked into bed for the night, I will peak

in his room and find him working at his desk. 

Sometimes he and Jason get really creative on the nights

that I'm gone to Zumba and create really cool projects

like this robot. 

I can't get enough of his pictures and it's a good thing, 

especially since I'm constantly picking paper up during the day.

I LOVE the detail that he adds to people. 

The circle that looks like a doughnut is actually our belly buttons. 

A picture of uncle Ty who is serving a mission right now. 

A look into our last 3 days.

14 Hours in the car with a 4 year old. 

 I tried to help the time pass and make it fun for him by letting him open

a little present every hour of the drive. 

Something to help keep him entertained. 

Snuggling with this sweetheart for 2 days.

I hated leaving her in the hospital alone. From what I could see

she wasn't getting the best care. Every time I went into the nursery to hold her she had a dirty diaper

and was just over in the corner by herself. One time while I was in the nursery holding her another baby had to cry for over 15 minutes before the nurse came and checked on him. That doesn't even begin to describe the conditions of the hospital. It was very run down and dirty. A couple times as we were coming and going there seemed to be homeless almost dead looking people sleeping the chairs of the lobby. 

Kyler being sick. 

Kyler has been healthy all season long, but ended up coming down with an ear infection

and bronchitis the day that we headed to Vegas. Not fun trying to find

a clinic that would accept our insurance and then trying to get an appointment and find the location. 

Being out $3000 dollars for travel costs, Birthmom expenses, and Matching costs. 

And getting a phone call an hour before signing papers to be told that the birthmom couldn't go through with signing the papers.  

Sweet baby Khloe was then placed into foster care until the birthmom either changes her mind or is able to get out of jail and regain custody. 

Our weekend in Vegas: 

HEART BREAKING 

A few other activities from our not so good trip. 

Visiting the Bellagio Hotel. I hate everything about the Las Vegas strip, and try to stay away from it, but

we did drive to the Bellagio Hotel to see the beautiful flower gardens and the fountain show. 

Kyler was pretty excited about seeing Bumble Bee. He is so fascinated with 

robots and action figures right now. He was kind of disappointed that he couldn't get a picture with Iron Man, but you have to tip these guys to get a picture with them and I didn't have any thing smaller than a $5.00 bill and I'm way too cheap to waste money on that sort of thing. 

 We enjoyed a yummy dinner at P.F. Chang's. There lettuce wraps our to die for!!!

I thought our fortunes were rather appropriate. 

"A bold and dashing adventure is soon in your future."

"An unexpected payment is coming your way within the month." 

After getting the news that we weren't going to be getting Khloe we needed something to cheer us and Kyler up. Bubbles are always a happy thing. Typically I wouldn't allow him to blow bubbles inside a hotel, but it was already a dump and we weren't too impressed with our stay so we didn't really care. 

To top off our wonderful stay at this hotel we ended up being on the same floor with a whole football team that had no consideration for the people around them. All hours of the night they were knocking on each other's doors, talking, going in and out, and then to top it off at about 1:00 a.m. when we had just barely fallen asleep some one in the hotel pulled the fire alarm as a prank. 

A weekend I would like to erase from my memory:(( 

Seventy-Two

72 hours that the birthmom

has to make her decision.

72 hours that the baby will be in the nursery

all alone, without any one holding her and

making her feel loved.

72 Hours that we get to sit and run

every possible scenario through our minds. 

Yesterday around 2:00 p.m. Karina delivered a healthy

and beautiful baby girl. The original plan was for me to be there in the delivery room when she went into labor. Because of some bad choices in Karina's past and then making a simple mistake she has spent the last 2 weeks in jail for violating her parole.

Since she went into labor before she was released from jail we aren't able to have any access to her or the baby. Our caseworker is keeping us informed with all the information that she can get, but because of the situation things are really tricky!!!

Karina is really struggling with her decision. Although she knows what is best for the baby her heart is breaking. Since she won't be released from jail before the baby needs to leave the hospital she has two choices:

1. Go through with her adoption plan and sign over her rights.

2. Decide to keep the baby, but it will be put into foster care until she is able to meet all the

requirements to get her back.

We are praying for option 1, and know that if it's meant to be then things will

 work out the way they are suppose to.

The next 72 hours can't pass quick enough!!!!!

The waiting game

The past 2 weeks has really tested my patience and faith.

It was 2 weeks ago yesterday that we found out that we were chosen by a birthmom to adopt. Not knowing when the baby would arrived we have worked non-stop trying to get everything ready. 

I have made more check lists in the past couple of weeks then I do all year. I can't turn my brain off at night thinking about all of the things that have to be done, which results in the lack of sleep which I so desperately need, especially with a newborn on the way:)) 

Things checked off the checklist:

Car Packed

             Suitcases Packed                              Birthmom gifts ready

Shopping started

(I don't think with a little girl this part will ever end) 

Nursery set up

And 5 out of 8 preschool days taught

Even thought all of that took a lot of work that has been the easy part of the past 2 weeks. 

The hardest part has been the unknown. 

Will the birthmom be able to go through with her plan?

Will all of our hard work and money spent be for nothing?

Will the baby be healthy when she is born?

(she has had no prenatal care the entire pregnancy) 

When will she be born?

Will the birthmom get out of jail before she delivers?

(that's a whole different blog post)

These are all of the questions that have really been stressing me out and causing some major gray hair the past few weeks.

Luckily, I was able to teach my young women girls last week about having Faith. It was the perfect lesson for me and as I read through talk after talk I was reassured that Heavenly Father does know us personally and knows what we are going through. 

"Faith, it does not make things easy, it makes them possible." 

"Faith is not believing God can , It's knowing that He will."

"Stop being afraid of what could go wrong and focus 

on what could go right." 

60th Wedding Anniversary

This past weekend we got together as a family to celebrate

my grandparent's 60th Wedding Anniversary. 

 It was a nice evening honoring these two great people. 

I feel blessed to still have healthy grandparents in my life and

wonderful "great" grandparents for Kyler. 

My grandpa is one of the most photogenic people that I know.

He never looks bad in a picture, even when he doesn't know he is in one. He always has this cute little smile on his face, such a positive happy person:)) 

That same night we had Kyler announce to our extended 

family the good news about getting a baby sister. 

An end in sight...

A week and a half ago we got a call from our caseworker telling us that she had a birthmom that was really interested in us.

Of course this is the best news we have heard in awhile, but it also  comes with a bunch of different emotions!!! 

The timing couldn't have been more perfect!!! 

We found out this news the day before we had plans to head south

for the weekend. We set up a face to face appointment to meet and spent 3 hours visiting with this wonderful birthmom. 

Our  meeting couldn't have gone any better and we instantly clicked with each other. We were feeling very hopeful and good about the situation. Our caseworker asked "K" how she felt and if she had made a decision? That is when she told us that she loved us and couldn't have found a better family to place her baby with:))

We heard that wonderful news over a week and a half ago. 

We have felt EVERY emotion possible!!!!
Excitement, anticipation, blessed, happy, scared, disappointed, 

anxious, and nervous just to name a few.

So this past week I have tried to live by this quote,

"We must live by Faith and not by Fear"

Quentin L. Cook

Over the past 9 years of trying to create our family I have learned

that things happen for a reason and we are blessed even though

at times the trial seems it will never end!!!

I feel like we still have a LONG road ahead before we bring home

this sweet baby girl. There is always the chance that "K" will change her mind and not go through with it (we have experienced that before), which would break our hearts:(( 

But we are moving forward with Faith and have had a CRAZY 

week trying to get everything in order. 

(Travel accommodations, financing arranged, insurance coverage, preschool scheduling, SHOPPING, nursery transformation, packing, buying gifts and living a normal day to day life). 

I can't believe I finally get to shop on the other side of the stores.

It is so fun, but also very dangerous!!!! 

We now just sit and WAIT!!!

(not like 3 years as been long enough)

Her due date is March 19.

She has invited me to be in the delivery room, if I want, and then

we will be staying in Las Vegas for 7-10 days while we wait for

paper work to processed between Utah and Nevada. 

Wish us Luck!!!!!