Top 12 from 2012

My top 12 favorite photos from 2012... can you guess who my favorite subject is?

Sean's 4th Birthday

Winter 2012

Not exactly one photo... but still love this series!

Tulips, my favorite flower

Family Portrait for Adoption Profile

Wisconsin Dells

Staycation, Downtown Chicago

Kohl's Children's Museum

Beach at Three Oaks Recreation Area

We found Teddy!

Disney World... nope, I didn't take this one!

Christmas morning... mesmerized by the nabi tablet

The Many Adventures of Jingle

Meet Jingle. He's our elf on the shelf. Santa told us that Jingle is fairly young for an elf, and is still learning to use his magic. This means he got himself into some mischief throughout the month. He has one more night, and then he'll travel back to the North Pole with Santa until next December. Sean will definitely miss him.

Jingle arrives on December 1

Making sugar angels on the countertop

Bet you can't find me!

Milk should be green!

Jingle even joined us on vacation in Disney World... the first night he took a marshmallow bath.

The second night he attempted to order room service

Keeping in touch with Santa

Spa Day

Swinging from the lamp!

Jingle is an expert artist

He snuck out to see the Osbourne Lights at Disney's Hollywood Studios

Pirate Mickey & Friends got tired of Jingle's shenanigans

Home from Disney safe and sound

Feeling adventurous - bungee jumping from the second floor

Clearly he gets an adrenaline rush from extreme sports - zip lining into the tree

Chilling out watching his favorite Xmas movies on Netflix

Hanging out sipping some syrup

Mischievous ... switching out the stockings with underwear

Barricading Sean in his room

Remembering the reason for the season! O come let us adore him.

Day 3 - Memories :: December Daily 2012

Day 3 contains no photo - gasp! It's just that kind of year :-) And I'm waiting for my husband to write up his journaling. Fingers crossed it happens before I send it to print.

Day 2 - Tree :: December Daily 2013

Traditionally, our Christmas tree goes up Thanksgiving weekend. And this year was no different. Daddy dragged it in from the garage, checked the lights, and up it went. The next day you and I decorated it with ornaments. We can’t find the ribbon garland, and honestly it probably won’t go up this year with all we have going on this month.

Neither Daddy or I grew up with live trees, so we’re content  -- and honestly happy -- with the artificial tree. Our tree right now is huge, standing ten feet tall. It definitely makes a statement! And the multi-colored twinkle lights are magic.  We decorate the tree with ornaments from when Daddy & I were kids, and ones you have made, and others we have bought on vacation.

Day 1 Cheer :: December Daily 2013

Yep, it's that time of year again! I know it's been forever since I've blogged, but I made a deliberate attempt to simplify and knock things off my "to do" list. I also ramped up my networking efforts for our adoption. Please continue to spread the news that we are hoping to adopt, and keep us in your prayers.

Now I'm back with the December Daily album. This year I'm going SUPER simple. I'm using Ali Edwards' 31 Things as my inspiration, and have selected thirty-one words that I will write about -- either documenting something from that particular day, something that is on my mind, or telling a story or memories from the past such as when Jeff and I were kids at Christmastime.

As you'll read on this page, we are soon leaving for a Disney World vacation so I will be journaling and snapping photos while we're gone but probably not designing pages. That will have to wait until I'm home. Meanwhile I'm sure I'll be posting blogging about our trip and posting photos. Enjoy!

31 Things :: Story 26 - Desire

In the fifth grade I had to write an essay about the year 2000. At the tender age of 10, I dreamed of what I would be doing twenty years in the future. I remember writing that I would be married and have five boys. I always dreamed I would have lots of kids.

I met Jeff in the year 2000, and we talked about having kids in the same breath as marriage. We both dreamed of our family together. We tried to conceive for five years before we got pregnant with Sean. My body and mind endured numerous pokes, prods, and tests. We tried innumerable intrauterine inseminations, and were successful only once. It ended in miscarriage. We then tried IVF a bunch of times as well as several frozen embryo transfers finally getting pregnant with Sean. Even then the pregnancy was not easy with bleeding throughout the first trimester, and he delivered five weeks early having to stay in the NICU for ten days. But he was perfect. Our dream of being parents had finally come true. Thank you, Lord!

We thought we had it all figured out, and assumed any future attempts to conceive would be a snap. But we were wrong. Four more frozen embryo attempts, all failed. A miraculous conception on our own ended as ectopic. We continue to learn about letting go of the control. You’re only the master of your own destiny for so long. If you really want to fly you need to let go and have faith.

After I found out that our last failed IVF attempt was not a success, Sean found me crying and asked “what’s wrong momma?” I told him I was sad, and he asked why.  I said, “because God hasn’t blessed us with a baby brother or sister for you yet.” He shrugged his shoulders and said,“It’s ok momma. Don’t worry. He’s working on it.” And that, my friends, was the answer. God’s plan is infinitely better than anything we can control.

We are now very excited about growing our family through domestic adoption. After much prayer we believe this is where God is leading us. We’re working with a local agency, and are officially home study approved and licensed to adopt. Sean talks about his baby brother or sister constantly. He desires a baby almost as much we do. Last weekend he climbed into our bed early one morning. Jeff and I were still half asleep and we heard him say, “God, can you bring me a baby brother or sister faster?” I told Jeff later that day that we better get a lawyer lined up quick because God takes children’s prayers seriously!

I want Sean to be the big brother he’s praying to be. I look forward to sleepless nights because I know they are but a few short months, and bring with them endless days of joy. I dream about and pray constantly for our next child’s birth mother, that the Lord brings her peace and joy.

Our deepest desire of growing our family through adoption is completely out of our control. We have no idea who will enter our lives or when that will happen (if at all). Normally we would be a nervous wreck, but we’re not. We have faith. And we have Sean who reminds us that God is working on it. That’s about as good as it gets.

31 Things :: Story 25 - Outside

I like being outside. Notice I didn’t say “love” because I’m just as much a homebody. I love me a cozy blanket snuggled on the couch. I love my air conditioning. I love sleeping late huddled under my covers. I love my computer. Aaack! Did I just say that?

But I do like being outside. I remember playing ghost in the graveyard when I was a kid, and running through the sprinkler, pretending to play gas station with the water hose, and splashing around in the pool. Many of my fondest childhood memories were spent outdoors.

I remember fishing with my dad on our summer vacations. One time we got caught in a rainstorm, and he had a hard time getting the motor started. My sister and I huddled under his raincoat and worried we would sink before getting back to shore. We did finally reach shore and my dad made us all hot bouillon soup in coffee mugs as we wrapped ourselves in towels.

When I got older, my parents owned a summer home in the Northwoods of Wisconsin. It’s an amazing place where suddenly you feel as if you’ve been lifted into a different world. Fewer cars, rolling hills, tall pine trees, eagles soaring, loons calling, lakes as smooth as glass, endless starry nights. Amazing. If you don’t believe in God, you will after being here.

Jeff and I enjoy biking and hiking but haven’t done either I think since Sean was born. I’m not sure if it’s because we’re too busy, but something tells me it’s probably because we’re too lazy.  We have an incredible park down the street from our house with plenty of wooded & open plain trails. I used to walk there all the time before Sean was born. Now that he’s old enough to walk with us I think we’ll add it to our summer bucket list.

We have a great yard, but let’s be honest I don’t enjoy doing yardwork. I enjoy the fruits of the labor but, heck, I hate the labor. We’ve been lucky to have a great spring with plenty of sunny, cool days. I spent one day in the yard weeding and haven’t been out since. I really need to make a commitment to plant some annuals, and spend some time on the deck reading.

Yet, my blanket and the couch are calling my name.