Approved!!

Its official! Our adoption application has been approved! Well its been official for about 2 weeks, but I'm just getting around to sharing it on here, I meant to share it yesterday but the ipad was not cooperating with my link posting efforts.

Here is a link to our profile: https://itsaboutlove.org/ial/profiles/26284780/ourMessage.jsf

A few people have asked me what it means that we are approved to adopt. It means that we have a current homestudy and we are legally able to adopt a child at any time. With LDS family services, the agency we are going through, the expectant mothers choose the best family for their baby. Because of this there is no specified wait time or list. I know one adoptive couple who had their baby placed with them just 4 days after approval and I know another couple who had their twins placed with them about 2 years after approval, so the time that couples wait really just depends on the situation.

A lot of times the adoptions that LDS family services facilitates are what is called a 'designated adoption' (let me tell you, I have a whole new vocabulary since entering the adoption world!) a designated adoption is where a couple and expectant mom find each other outside the agency but then the agency does the paperwork and everything. One friend made some cards with their picture on it and passed them out to family and friends and one of them got into the hands of their twins' birthmom. Their adoption was finalized today in fact! So really many times adoptions can happen by 'word of mouth' so to say. So, if any of you know anyone who is considering adoption, please pass on the link to our profile.

We appreciate so much all the love and support we've received from family and friends, all of your words of encouragement are definately appreciated!

Fall is here!

It's official, fall is here, finally. The school I work at has no air conditioning so I have been highly anticipating the cooler days, but it still makes me sad that summer is really and truly over. Allie started kindergarten this year and Hannah started preschool. I am so amazed at how much they have both learned in such a short time. We are so blessed that they both have fabulous teachers that care so much about both of them. A few first day pics:

Hannah's First Day of Preschool




Both girls were exhausted that first week!
Allie in front of school on the first day, I have a picture of me in the same place on my first day of kindergarten <3
Before leaving the morning of, I'm already missing those warm mornings!

An announcement...

I'm probably the worlds worst blogger, and truthfully, that likely won't change in the near future, but I am going to try to update at least every other month coming up, so here is a little catch up info on us.

Ricardo just finished his MBA, we are so so proud of him and excited for him to be done with school! He is enjoying all his free time by doing projects around the house, including building one awesome chicken coop (or chicken mansion as my mom calls it) for our 4 new chickens, Harriett, Cubby, Fluffles, and Lady Gaga (yeah, we aren't even fans, but we thought it was a funny name for a chicken.)He is working for IHC in West Valley doing some accounting work for them and he really enjoys it.



Allie just finished preschool, she turned five in January and she will start Kindergarten in the fall. Where did all that time go? I swear just yesterday she was a baby. She will be attending Gramercy where I work so I am looking forward to being able to see her during lunch and have her with me before and after school. She is such a smart kid (though I am a little biased) she is already starting to read, which makes her school teacher mama proud. She is also taking ballet and will have her first recital next week, and she played soccer this spring and kickball this summer.




Hannah just turned 3 in April, she is our bubbly bundle of energy. She makes friends with everyone she meets and makes them laugh. She will start preschool in the fall, which is really hard to believe, she is so so excited to go to school just like her big sister.




As for me I am home for the summer, which is fabulous! I'm loving spending time with my girls, and having a break from getting up early and the school year rush. I'm also enjoying the extra time to work on my yarn and knitting business a bit.

And now for our big announcement! We have put in our adoption application with LDS Family Services. We are hoping to have our adoption application approved by mid August, and for now we are just working on paperwork and getting ready to attend the required classes. We are so excited and also nervous for the road ahead of us.

Once we are finished with our paperwork and approved we will have an adoption profile on itsaboutlove.org. With LDS family services there is no wait list and no set time frame to wait for an adoptive placement. The expectant mothers choose the family that they feel will be best for their baby. We would like to ask for your prayers during this process that has so many ups and downs, we can really use them! We are so grateful for supportive family and friends, your thoughts and prayers are really very much appreciated!

Spring is here!

Wow, I'm really great at updating this blog huh? I wanted to update a little on what is going on in our lives. The biggest event right now for us is that Ricardo is graduating on Friday!!!! I think that I am more excited than he is. I am unbelievably proud of him and how hard he has worked to get here. It hasn't been an easy road for either of us but we are glad we made it!

With graduation comes hunting for a job, what a wonderful time to be looking for work huh? We've been lucky though that Ricardo does seem to have one company so far that is interested in him. The bad news is that if he is offered a job with this company it would be out of state. The good news is, a job is a job. He has had one interview so far and will find out on Friday if he gets a second interview. We are keeping our fingers crossed!

I'm surviving the last few weeks of school (is summer really almost here?) Its been an interesting year, and I've learned a lot. Although they are cute and often quite funny (they wanted to name our betta fish 'pie' today, but settled on the name Rylee) my little kindergarteners are wearing me out. I am hoping for a change next year, although nothing is definate yet.

As for the girls, they are getting so big. We survived the terrible twos and are now on to the threes, which are not as terrible in some ways, but challenging in others. Allie is such a smart little girl she amazes me. She is learning to write her name (yeah can you tell she has a kindergarten teacher for a mom?) I am, of course, very proud, and probably the only one who can actually read it.

Hannah turned one on the 14th (I can't believe it!) she had a great time on her birthday. She got a little ride on pony and she rides on it every day. She has reverse down, but hasn't quite figured out how to go forward. She is almost walking, not quite, but almost. I am actually looking forward to her walking, I'm hoping it will mean she won't get so dirty all the time and I won't have to change her outfits three times per day! Here are some pictures of them as we got to get out today in
the nice spring air. Please excuse my lack of photography skills.






And a few of the birthday girl

Here they come!




Playing with Grandma



MMMMMMMM



Also, my sister Becky is leaving for Africa on Thursday. We are excited for her and hoping she has a great time and is safe while she is gone. We'll miss you Beck!

It's been awhile

I haven't updated in, forever, and it seems that night time is the only quiet time I have to really think long enough to write. So here goes, be prepared for picture overload, and you all know I talk to much so be prepared for that too. First, Disneyland was a lot of fun, thanks again Mom and Dad! Allie has talked about it nonstop since we got back, and asked several times to go back. You wouldn't have known she was enjoying it though while we were there. She has such a funny little personality, once you know her and she is comfortable she is just like me and never stops talking, but until then she is just like her dad, quiet and takes things in from the sidelines. Here are some pictures in a random order because I am still figuring this blog thing out.

Hannah loved the parade in California adventure, that little girl is such a trooper, she was so good the whole trip!

Little Girls in their matching hats

Grandma, Grandpa, Megan, Makenzy, Becky and Carol all rode the carousel in an attempt to convince Allie that maybe it really isn't all that bad, It worked because she did ride it and even asked to go a second time!

One of Allie's favorite's, face painting.

The following picture shows her expression through most of the trip.

We were lucky enough to have my awesome parents who would take the kids while we rode a few of the rides. I went on the tower of terror with my mom and sisters and wow is that a fun ride! Definately my favorite. Ricardo's favorite was Space Mountain, and Allie's favorite was Pirates of the Caribean. Yep she was scared of the teacups, scared of the caterpillar that goes -1 miles per hour, and scared of Winnie the Pooh, but she loved Pirates, go figure.

Well it is getting late and apparently blogger thinks I've added enough pictures for the night, so I am off to get some sleep and I will update with Halloween pictures later.

Heading to Disneyland!

So we are off to Disneyland on Tuesday! We are all very excited (especially Allie) and are preparing to head off on our adventure. Allie asks me at least 10 times a day 'Mom, are you excited for Disneyland?' And she has started to make a list of things she is taking to Disneyland. I can take my princess dress, and my monkey costume (we are going to Mickey's Trick or Treat party) and my cramra to take pictures of the princesses.....etc.

I'm a little nervous about traveling with two little ones, although I know I'll have the help of my whole family. Hopefully they won't scream the entire plane ride. Thanks so much mom and dad for taking us :) I'll update Saturday night when we get back with pictures and hopefully some fun stories!

Happy Birthday!

Today is Ricardo's birthday, so I'd like to take a minute to tell him happy birthday and let you all know what a great husband and father he is. I am really blessed to have him in my life. He is a huge help with the kids and the house, he isn't above cleaning the bathroom or doing the dishes, or changing dirty diapers, and is great at helping me. He works really hard in school and in everything he does. He also is a great listener, he really pays attention to what people are telling him, and remembers it. He is such a great father, he plays with the kids, gives them baths, reads them stories, and even bakes banana bread with Allie. I love you and hope you have a happy birthday today!

It has been a while since I have updated so I thought I'd also include a few new milestones in our lives lately. Allie is starting to get potty trained and went for her first accident free day yesterday! Her reward was a princess dress which she is in love with, it is a battle to get her to take it off, I think she would bath in it if I would let her. We are hoping that soon she will be 100% out of diapers! She has also gotten to be curious and has begun asking a million questions. As Ricardo was watching a show where several political analysts were sitting around discussing the upcoming election she asked who one of them was. I answered that he was a political analyst and she replied 'oh I like political analysts.' She has also expressed her opinion frequently that 'I don't like Barack Obama.' Who knew we'd have a two year old with political opinions?

Hannah has mastered the art of rolling back to front, but can't figure out front to back and despises being on her stomach, so while she loves rolling she frequently gets stuck on her stomach and screams until we put her back on her back. She has also learned to give 'fives' and 'pounders.' I can't believe she is almost 6 months old already!

Ricardo has been working away at his classes, he is doing well in all of them and spends a lot of time in his study and up at the university. We are counting down the days (well I am, he says not to tell him how much time is left) until he is done. Only 7 months left!!

And I have survived (barely) the first month of school. I have had many challenges in my class this year, and I am learning a lot about trying keep a positive attitude when situations aren't ideal. I am grateful though for the opportunity that I have in my job to make a difference in the lives of the children in my class, some of whom really need a difference made in their lives.

And here are a few pictures from a couple of weeks ago, Allie has really enjoyed our garden, and loves to pick tomatoes, even though some of them are a little green. We have harvested pretty much everything in our garden except for some butternut squash.


This is my favorite picture of Hannah, she loved laying in the grass and playing.

Allie loves her little sister.