Ketchikan, Alaska

Paris and I
Brecken and Makenzie
Shawna and Logan
Our group with the trolley

Our first stop was in Ketchikan, Alaska.

Jon went on a private fishing tour with all the men, while I took the kids on a horse drawn trolley ride. The wind and rain was so bad after the ride we got right on the boat. I guess when you are use to the AZ sun, it will take you a day in the rain and cold before you are ready to brave it again~

The town was so cute, green, and the people were friendly. Our first stop of our trip...

First Day on the Boat

I must admit, I think I hit the spa every day we were on the boat! I know that is so bad, but it was addicting, PLUS I met a friend! Her name is Fretzly. She did my facials, massages, wraps, etc etc.. we became close :) I gave her my blog (we will see if she jumps on) and we exchanged emails. I have a new pen pal...she is from the Philippines and works with husband on the cruise boat.

Us girls got our nails done, up-do's, pedis, and enjoyed being pampered for our formal night.

First Stop: Seattle...To the BOAT!

The plane, early morning tired hyper kids, family fun~!

Getting the kids up at 4am was not early, but I managed to pull them out of bed, get them dressed and headed to the airport. 20 family members were on the flight to Seattle where our private chartered bus was waiting to load us all up, and our luggage, and grab the rest of the family (they flew in a few days early) at their hotel!

36 of us headed off to the pier to board our boat... the cruise begins!

The Day We Have Been Waiting For REFERRAL DAY

Jesus said, "If my words live in your hearts, you can ask for whatever you like, and it will come true for you". (John 15:7 )

Today around 10:30am I got a email on my blackberry from our adoption agency with the message that stated "see attached."

I opened the attachment to find 2 pictures of our beautiful daughter from Ethiopia and some information that they had on her.

She was born on June 22, 2008 (3 days before my b-day) She was found near the airport in Ethiopia on July 22, 2008.

She will be 2 months old in a few weeks! We are so excited to meet her and for the courts to re-open in October so we can get a date and find out when we fly to pick her up. Now that we accepted the Referral, we are on the waiting game for the next step.
When I saw her pictures the first reaction I had was to cry, I swear I felt like I saw her before, I knew her already, and I wanted to grab and snuggly her. She looks so alert already, older than a few months old,but I think its the baggy clothes that had her in, the old car seat she sat in at the police station and the oversize booties laced up.
I am glad that now she can be taken to the orphanage and be take care of until Jon and I arrive.
This journey of adoption started out "suppose" to be a long process...but turning out only taking months. Which surprises Jon and I and can only be in the hands of God. I know people have been waiting so long for babies, referrals, and court dates, and for us to get ours so fast makes us so happy, but feel bad for the others that are still waiting and have been waiting for a very long time. BUT I know God has special babies for everyone and I guess our little angel came up at the right time she needed to and for us.
Now we are looking forward to flying out and picking her up and having us join our family, until than, we now know her age and size to buy her clothes and toys and start spoiling her!
Wishing every waiting parent out there a referral soon, and praying every orphan finds a loving home and a set of warm arms to love them ever night and day. God Bless xoxo

Back From Our Cruise

Our Family (8 people could not make it, so almost everyone!)
The Glaciers..Can you spot the 4 of us out?
Makenzie and her cousin Paris!
"white night" Jon and I, Shawna (my sister) and Robb
This week flew by so fast, first we were in AZ, Seattle,Alaska, Canada, and back home in AZ again. It was the best time ever and as you can see from our professional pictures, we had a nice big family group of us all there. We had a total of 36 family members all on the same boat, yes people LOVED as at dinner and excursions!
I wanted to post a few pictures from the boat before I got my camera out and downloaded from the past week. Plus I have more California pictures, and probably stuff I did not realize I still had on my camera. FOR NOW here our the group pictures with the glaciers, "white night" when we all wore white, and the actually route the boat when on.
More details in next post with my camera pictures! xoxo

I MISSED ARIZONA, BUT WOULD RATHER BE BACK ON THE CRUISE BOAT!

Tomorrow We Leave......YIPPY

We just got back from Cali, turned right around with laundry, dug out our winter clothes repacked and now are getting on a plane in the morning to board our cruise boat to Alaska. I know we will be missed but think of all the wonderful pictures you can see and the animals, rain, and glaciers we get to freeze in!

I will be checking my email during my week gone so keep me posted...

Adoption Update

THE DOLL FAMILY, WITH THE ADDITION WE ARE WAITING FOR... WE ALL LOOK SO HAPPY!

Ok so I get frustrated, confused and emotional sometimes. I am unable to have more children of my own, and we feel it is God calling us to adopt a baby from Africa, PLUS we want more babies not just 1 more but more from other countries. Jon has decided he is choosing the name of this baby girl. It is cute that he is intrested as with the first 2 it was always my choice, now he gets to choose and he is enjoying the names he liks to hit me with. As soon as he decides I will throw it out there, but of course I will try to get him to go with my name.. hee hee

My agency Adoption Avenues is saying that my papers have gone from DC back to Portland and now to Ethiopia. From there it should be a few months to hear back and than from there I get lost in translation on what happens next. Do we get our referral from there? does it get translated and than the referral? I know we wont get our court date until at least 3-4 months and than travel about 3 weeks after that, so I am assuming after the new year. We were both looking to bring our baby girl home by the end of the year so we can celebrate Christmas as a family.

(Jon putting the dresser,crib and changing table together with the kids, and YES Logan is naked... thank God for that power gun huh? HA HA.... he is potty training, so its a pants free home!)

Of course the nerd that I am we have started on the baby room. Its adorable. Makenzie wanted the other room upstairs, and so we did chair rail, crown, and Wayne's in it and she got to pick out her new pottery barn bedding and the colors of her walls. The muralist should be here this week or next, so I will post pictures when she is done.
The baby room is Makenzie's old room that is across from Logan's room in between his and the playroom. Since it is decked out with the whole muralist in the Chloe pottery barn pattern on all the walls, I tracked down the baby pattern of the theme (amazing what you can find online since Makenzie only used the pattern in twin size) and got it all done for the baby room. I got the crib, changing table and as I type Daddy Jon is putting the crib together. LOVE IT.... NOW when the muralist comes, all she has to do is change Makenzie's name to the babies name, which means we are going to decide. YES we have tons of time BUT if you know me well I am a now person and want to personalize EVERYTHING and want to know now what her name will be. The room is adorable and goes with the theme of my house. Which if you have never been here, looks like a pottery barn catalog.
I got these custom made dolls from etsy, they are to die for. Logan is not thrilled of the African American Doll that we call the baby. He hides it and pulls her hair out. Jon (God Bless him) holds the doll, rocks it and kisses it. Logan is warming up and even asks to lay in the crib, HA HA. Its too funny.
We requested a baby from Ethiopia from the age of 0-12 months and now I am hoping she is closer to 12 months so that Logan does not feel like I am replacing him or giving her more attention than him. Plus a playmate would be good for him. Makenzie is so excited. She looks everyday in the mail for the baby even if I tell her we have to fly and get her. I hope the stay in Africa is short as I don't do well away from my 2 kids.
I have a mission with hope for kids planned in November with my sister. I need to either get over my co-dependency with my children, but 19 days is hard to be gone away from my chickens, or cancel my spot, which I would hate to do to Shawna but I know she would understand, and my cousin would go with her. I need to make my mind up. Its hard, and I pray daily for God to give me a sign and show me the road to take.
I don't think my family is taking me seriously when I talk about the adoption and that I am really doing it.Its kinda funny but sad in a way. I want them to know how much I want more kids and that I am ready. Logan will be 3 in Oct and its TIME BABY!
Hopefully we will hear something soon from our Agency and some time frames or some news. I am so impatient and hate the waiting game. I like to have things told like it is A. B. C. and done exactly like it is. BUT of course it does not happen that way, BUMMER huh!
Makenzie took this picture of her doll and the new baby's doll together on the changing table! Thought it was adorable, so had to post!

2008 Beach House Trip

California Vacation 2008...I love my family Pirate kids
Shawna and Mirage
Paris and Makenzie...too cute cousins
Aunt Trystan and LoganShawna my sister
Logan going out on the boogie board

My Family...I am blessed
Strike a pose Logan
Water play
Makenzie all wet
Pluto

Private Fireworks, the kids loved it
wonderful right in front of our tables
the tram rideShawna and Robb
Logan and Makenzie
Me and my sister Trystan

Me and snugga Jon
Amber and I,I got so cold I had to run into the Del and get a sweater
The Del is behind us but it was so dark you cant see it
Ice Cream and it was freezing out!
Happy 50th Birthday Daddy

Mommy and Logan bug
Daddy and Cheesy smile boy
Daddy at lunch bday
Straw up nose, gotta love boys
throwing money in the pond, wonder what a 2 yr old wishes for?

Just got back from our annual beach house trip. It was a blast this year, but flew by so fast I feel like we did not see all of the family. I did not get as many pictures as I would have liked to so I will post mine and when Shawna sends me hers, I will share those as well. We hit the beach, had a surprise 50th party for my father on the beach at the Hotel Del Coronado, private fireworks, friends and family flew in from all over, did professional pictures (when we get those back I will post), Disneyland, and a million more things I just cant even think of. I finally got to meet Tonya in person as we just blog and chat all the time so that was fun. The kids had such a great time and a week with Jon is always priceless. The weather was perfect, the family was perfect, and we kept thinking that next year we will have our little addition to share all our special moments with us. Alaska cruise is Saturday! The countdown is ON baby! Washing laundry....just to pack it again, plus shopping for formal nights since I want to dress up at the dinners hee heee

I need to start taking more pictures of the moments, the kids were catching all these slimy snails it was nasty, kenzie was smuggling them over the boarder, and we were to tired by the end of the trip. Makenzie starts Church of Joy Kindergarten when we get back from Alaska, so sad, full time! sniff sniff, the fist day of the rest of her life, my little baby... I think I am the one that is dramatized not her...boo hoo