Visiting Cousins...

We are traveling around visiting relatives during this holiday season. Yesterday, we stopped in and visited with my older brother and his family and the kids just loved playing together. We got them all to slow down enough to snap this quick picture. I just love it.

Today we are playing with new toys, games galore and enjoying our time together with family.

Merry Christmas from our family to yours...

From our family to yours, we would like to wish you a Merry Christmas. May God pour out his blessings upon you throughout this upcoming year.

Waiting for Christmas...

Our children here are patiently waiting for Christmas to arrive. They have been counting down for weeks.

Today our adoption agency sent us a wonderful Christmas video. It reminded us that Christmas blessings come in all shapes, sizes, colors and ages.

As we celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ tomorrow, let us not forget those children all over the world that are still waiting for "their Christmas present - their new family".

Next time go with the Crunch 'n Munch...

Has anybody out there tried to make peanut brittle??? Okay, maybe I should have asked it this way...has anybody out there made the gosh-awful evil treat called peanut brittle?

Given the holidays, I thought I would give my family a wonderful treat and make a batch of peanut brittle. Now, here's where I should mention that I've never made it before...apparently there is a reason why. So for the past two days (during nap time) I have spent on the phone with my Mom and my hand stirring a pot of peanut brittle while I ask..."okay, Mom, what's wrong with this batch?" or "is it suppose to look this way?" or my favorite (whining...which I can only do really well with my Mom) "my arm hurts stirring, Mom...do people really like this stuff?"

This was her "super-secret" recipe for peanut brittle. But don't you worry...Mom. I'm not going to share it at all. Because after failing miserably at the first batch (the house smelled like burnt peanuts) and then going out the next day and buying all of the ingredients again and then making it AGAIN. I have to tell you that this recipe should say..."super -secret - EVIL - recipe of arm hurting later from all that crazy stirring peanut brittle". Sure the second batch came out okay, but only because I think the Lord knew I couldn't take making it again. In fact, I had a back up plan...

Sitting on the counter when my husband came home from work...two packages of Crunch 'n Munch...God's gift to those of us smart enough not to make peanut brittle.

Gotcha Day 2010...

Today is our Gotcha day. To our family, it's a very special day. It's the day we became "this" family...a day we will never forget.

Christmas + a Toddler = Super Glue

Christmas is my favorite time of the year. I just love everything about it...however...put a room full of twinkly, shiny objects all around a toddler and you've got yourself a recipe for disaster.

Our newest little one is making his way through his actual first Christmas holiday (where he is on the move I should say...last year he couldn't even sit up) and is seeing everything "up close and personal" for the first time. Here is where I should mention that he is leaving a wake of destruction that only a mountain of super glue can put back together.

Yesterday, it was the ceramic manager scene I had just taken it out of the box when low and behold around the corner he came. With a wink and a flash, he grabbed Joseph and off popped his head falling down and taking out baby Jesus' hand. As I scooped him up within a second, down dropped Joseph's body and took out the staff on the shepherd and one of the sheep's ears. If the stable had fallen in, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have been surprised. I guess I can't blame him though...as I was gluing Joseph back together I noticed that I had super glued his arm back on a few years back...that one was thanks to his older brother and his "toddler years".

Thank heavens for super glue during the holidays...I'm not sure my manager scene (or any other decorations for that matter) would make it through without it.