Thankful November 29

I am thankful for precious memories. We put up our Christmas tree tonight. We like to do it when we have a little more time to have fun with it, but the kids were anxious, we're busy the rest of the week, and we have company coming this weekend... So, we decided to do it tonight! After the kids had bathed, Jock was home with supper. I got the corner emptied of what furniture usually sits there, and we were ready as soon as we were done with supper.

We put up the tree a lot like my family used to when I was growing up. First you have to put on some Christmas music. Daddy brought up the tree from the basement, and put it together. (The little kids were a little disappointed when he brought the top part first - Josephine told Daddy, "No, we want a BIG tree!")We have a pre-lit artificial, so we don't have to fumble with strings of lights, and so none of us are sneezing for the next month. We all helped fluff out the branches, as they get a little smashed going down and back up the stairs. Then I get out the ornaments - each child has their own pile and then the kids help with the non-breakable family ornaments.Then Daddy and I put on the breakable ornaments and did a little rearranging. Here is the finished product:We had a lot of fun... then it was off to bed for the kids. Jock and I are still admiring the tree, remembering the circumstances around our old ornaments, and the kids' newer ornaments. We also are continuing my family tradition of getting a new ornament for the kids each year. We have yet to pick out ornaments this year. Last year I ordered special ornaments from Bronner's for each of the kids, rather than us all going to pick them out:We still have to do the rest of our decorating, including setting up our Nativity set. We usually read the story of Jesus' birth from the Bible when we do that, so maybe we'll be able to do that Friday night before our company arrives. :)

Thankful November 28

I know they were included in the "extended family" post a couple days ago, but I'm thankful for my talented sisters!

My older sister has started a photography business. She has taken photography classes in the past, and recently started up the skillful hobby. She has a great camera with lots of lenses that do things that I don't understand. She also has an eye for what will look good for a background. This past weekend at my dad and step-mom's house, we'd thought about doing my kids' Christmas photos outdoors. However, it was wet and windy and very cold, and that wouldn't have worked. So we wandered around the house, rearranged some furniture, and put together some props in a corner of the living room. My step-mom is very talented also, with decorating, and has lots of Christmassy things around that worked perfect.

Then Jock and I got the kids dressed up in their Christmas outfits, and Amy started snapping away! Getting three kids to smile and look at the camera all at the same time, with their cousins and the television causing distractions at the same time is a challenge, but she did an awesome job! Then we did individual photos of each of the three. They turned out great! I'll be sending them out with our Christmas cards within the next few weeks, and probably posting them closer to Christmas.

Then, on the way home from Dad's yesterday, we took the long way home to stop and visit my sister, who is a very talented cosmetologist. We visited her place of employment, for her to cut my hair. I usually cut it short about this time of year, as the dry weather cause static electricity which drives me completely nuts! So cutting it shorter helps immensely. She did an awesome job - I don't let anyone else cut my hair anymore.

Thankful November 27

I'm thankful for visits to my Dad's but also for home sweet home. We love to visit Grandma & Grandpa for a weekend. The kids have a blast playing outside with the puppies or their cousins. But it's always a long car ride home, and it's nice to finally be home when we get here. We'll have a quick supper, then off to bed in our own beds, for a good night's sleep before starting back at work/school tomorrow.

Thankful November 26

I'm thankful for my extended family. While we don't see each other often, we always have fun together. The kids love playing with their cousins and seeing their aunts, uncles, and grandparents, and we love getting together with our siblings and their families. We're so blessed to have such wonderful families!

Thankful November 25

I'm thankful for the ability to do my daughter's hair. I'm not the best, but I love doing it, it gives us time to spend together bonding, and although she doesn't necessarily like it being done, she loves the end product, especially when there are beads involved. I'll be working on her Christmas style today, since I have the day off, and since we hope to have the kids' Christmas pictures taken this weekend.

Thankful November 24

I'm thankful for Thanksgiving. It's so nice to have a morning to lounge around in our jammies, watch a parade and a dog show on TV, and then go pig out and have fun visiting with the relatives. :) And it gives us a opportunity to reflect on what we're all thankful for, which is a lot!

Thankful November 23

I'm thankful that my husband does his own laundry (well, his clothing anyway), and that my children are learning how to fold their own clothing. Otherwise, we would always be wearing wrinkled clothes pulled from a basket, and never able to find our socks. Sometimes we do still have these issues, but not as often as we would otherwise.

Thankful November 22

I am thankful that my children know how and are able to help with dishes. And even two of them still like to help! For, without their help, we certainly would either starve or go broke buying disposable dishes and utensils. :)

Thankful November 21

In keeping with the adoption theme, I'm thankful for our friends and family who have been such a huge support to us as we've got through infertility, then Kaylen's adoption, then Elijah & Josephine's adoption, and now our current adoption. It's not something that we could have gotten through without the love and prayers and letters of recommendation and commiserating and celebrating visiting and babysitting and preparing meals and thoughtful suggestions and hugs and much, much more.

There are too many of you to list here. I simply could not even name all of you if I tried - I'd be here ALL day and all night, and several more days and nights to list all of you - and I'm not sure I even know all of you. The outpouring of support, friends of friends, etc, has been tremendous. So, if you've helped us in ANY way, you know who you are. We know who you are, and we are grateful for your support. Thank you!

Happy Adoption Day, Elijah & Josephine!

One year ago today, we were elated to finally have a conclusion to Elijah and Josephine's adoption, over 3 years since we started our journey to them. Their adoption was actually final in Haiti on 11/06/2008, but given the circumstances of the earthquake, and their arrival in the United States, we were grateful to have been able to re-finalize their adoption in Iowa. With this, their names were changed to Elijah & Josephine, and we received official adoption decrees and birth certificates (instead of only photocopies of their originals that were buried under rubble in Haiti). We then submitted our adoption decrees with the name change, and received their US Citizenship Certificates in their new full names. What a blessing they are to our family!Like Kaylen's adoption day, this was on National Adoption Day, Saturday, November 20, 2011. :)

We went out for lunch at Olive Garden after church today, to celebrate Kaylen, Elijah & Josephine's adoption anniversaries!