Goofy Kids!

Not sure what Rylan was trying to express here, but he kept saying Beefaroni??? He loves dressing silly and acting even sillier!

Well, a train conductor holding Polly the parrot... and a mix of Harry Potter/magician. Hmmm... they must get their sense of dress from their daddy : )

My 1st Grader!

We got Cameron's 1st Grade pictures back and I thought I'd share! I love them! John picked out the background of old barn boards. I wasn't sure about it at first whether or not I liked it, but after we got them back it suited Cameron perfectly!
This year he has grown leaps and bounds. He is 97th percentile for height and 55% for weight. He's quite a bean pole! His school year started out a little rocky as he wanted nothing to do with going back. But now... he loves it! He's coming home with 100% on his spelling tests and really giving his best efforts at learning. I can see the independence coming forth and the things he's learning are amazing. I mean, some of this stuff he's learning in 1st grade we did in 2nd or 3rd grade for sure!
Life is never dull around our house though. I'm preparing another post of fun pictures of the boys. They love to dress us in the most creative of ways... I'll let your imagination do the rest until I get the post done : )

I'm Still Here!

Cameron's first day of 1st Grade! I still can't believe the time has gone this fast. He's doing a great job this year and has learned a lot. Amazing what you now need to know at that age!
A picture from Rock City in Chattanooga, TN over Labor Day. We had lots of fun and always enjoy our family vacations!

Coolige Park in Chattanooga! We walked over the Walnut Street Bridge crossing the river to this neat park. They had an old carousel the boys rode and I had brought their swim trunks with so they could play in these fountains. They were the only ones there! School was back in session there earlier than us, so it worked out kind of nice!
A picture of me with the boys at the Tennessee Aquarium. One of the neatest places ever!
Cameron and Rylan LOVED the penguin exhibit! It was wonderful and a neat way to see them up close!

Rylan's Birthday Party!

Wow, I can't believe it's been nearly a month since I've blogged! The summer sure has gone fast. Cameron starts 1st Grade on Sept 1st! Rylan, if we can get him 100% out of diapers, can start a 3yr old program at our public school too... but that's a big IF right now. He goes when he wants but isn't all that interested yet unfortunately.

I thought I'd share some pics of Rylan's birthday party. He seems to like so many things, but Pirates are in his Top 5 for sure, so we went with that for theme! As you can tell, he had a ton of fun. We did a picnic at the park and enjoyed a beautiful day! I can't believe my baby is 3yrs old!

And yes... that is a face full of dirt!!!

More Minneapolis Fun!

I wanted to share some more pictures from the trip with my fellow adoptive mom's to Minneapolis! Looking back at the pictures makes me miss the kids and mom's a lot!!! I wish they lived closer so it was possible to see each other more option. Here are two of the sweetest girls in the world, Lexie and Libby! Instant bonding here!
My son Cameron on the right, with Anna's son Jamison. It didn't take these two long to become two peas in a pod!

Rylan and Lexie checking out the horses at the Minnesota Zoo!

Cameron in the Farm area of the Zoo!

If you look closely at Libby's face (pictured with her mom and brother) you'll see she's crying in terror of the goats!Kayla loves animals and it was hard to tear her away from her new buddies!

We had to make a stop at the park in the zoo where I caught Rylan doing what he does best... climbing up a slide instead of going down it!

Our little Lexie having a good time! This girls is SO squeezably cute!!!!

I love this picture of Libby. I started messing around with the color because the background was dark and this is what I got, a gorgeous little princess!

Wow, there not moving for once! They were all checking out the wolve exhibit!

Happy 3rd Birthday Rylan!

Happy Birthday Rylan! You will always be our baby boy. We are so incredibly blessed to be your parents... and there are no words that can even come close to how we feel about you. Simply put, we love you!!!

Someone Call Security!

This last weekend a reunion took place that was nothing short of a miracle... and what seemed like would never happen! It was a reunion that's been talked about since the collapse of our "agency" during our Guatemalan Adoptions in April 2007. After receiving that horrible news, we found each other via the internet. From then on out we've stayed in close contact and there hasn't been a week that's passed (or rarely a day to be honest) where we haven't emailed with one another! It's amazing what turned out to be the hardest time of my life, was one of the best too! We came together as a source of support to one another. To try to figure out how we were going to get each and every child home to their families. We talked about our lowest moments, our fears, our love for the kids, and our broken hearts. The love and admiration I have for all of the mom's and their kids is something I can't put into words. A couple of us had never met one another... and a couple in brief passings or visit trips in Guatemala.

I have several posts of pictures I will do, but I wanted to start with one from the first couple hours we were at the hotel with the kids warming up to one another! We were waiting for Michelle and her daughter Lexie to arrive. And oh yes, it was only a matter of time before we had security calling our rooms with a noise complaint at 6pm! With 4 mom's and 6 kids... we were surely out numbered the entire time! In all seriousness the children played together well, and bonded instantly! And I know that I was so happy to see them all. They are the most beautiful children and have the most wonderful mommies! I really hope to make this an annual event!

My oldest son Cameron and Anna's daughter Libby running from the closest in hysterics!
Umm hmm, looks like a ring leader here! More screaming and laughing!

Here comes Sonja's daughter Kayla out!
And my youngest Rylan, not to be forgot of course!

Isn't that a gorgeous smile, full of mischief!?

How many kids can you fit in a closet and what did you do with Anna's older son Jamison?Double Trouble!

Stay tuned because I have tons more pics... after Michelle and her daughter Lexie arrived!

Kindergarden Graduation!

I am still amazed that we have a graduated Kindergardner! I have to pinch myself just saying he is now a 1st grader! Cameron's been out of school for just over a week. He's off to a good start this summer. He's in a program that is very active. Lots of swimming, sports, and other fun activities. Some days you can tell he is so tired that he can barely handle any more! It's just what he needed though. A good place for all that energy! Rylan is still in an in-home daycare. He gets really mad each morning because he can't stay with Cameron but we told him it's "Cameron's summer school". That's helped him cope with his disappointment in not being included. Cameron is in the youngest group in his summer program, so it will be a couple years before Rylan can stay.
Rylan's doing great too! His words are coming more and more! Just today I counted 5 words he used in a row. Now, the words he used were "mom, take picture my butt". Oh yes, a proud mother here!!! We've been outside most the day playing in the water and mud and just enjoying this gorgeous day! So he wanted me to photograph his naked toushie! That's my boys!!! Running around naked in the country!
Both kids are doing great though! We have a few minor tiffs here and there, a few minor melt downs with some little people trying to assert their independent opinions... but over all much better than even a year ago! Listening skills are always "in progress" in our house, but we do follow through on consequences much better than we had... and that's made a world of difference. I truly believe endless threats are what cause out of control kids.
Anyway, hope you all are enjoying your summer's too! We have lots planned. The first trip is just next week. I'm going to meet some wonderful friends that were a HUGE support to me through our adoption experience with Rylan. We all used the same agency (if you can call what we had an agency)... We've talked every single week, sometimes daily, for over 2yrs now and most of us have never met one another. I am so excited to meet these ladies and their beautiful children! I hope this is one of many, many visits in the future. I'll be sure to post pics when we get back.
Cameron is in the bottom row, far right. The most handsome little guy in the class I might add! They gave several cute performances before we had some cookies and refreshments in the lunchroom! I choked back tears the ENTIRE time. Especially during the slide show!!!

Rylan and Cameron having an "end of the year" photo with Cameron's teacher! Rylan insisted he be in the picture with his brother! He too was really proud of Cameron!

National Train Day 2009

Oh yes, we celebrate National Train Day at our house! We went to the Amtrak Depot in LaCrosse, WI where they had a little celebration. The depot is not large by any means, but they had cake and refreshments along with door prizes. Cameron and Rylan were pleasantly suprised when they each got a new and free Amtrak hat too at the registration table! They held the celebration so that the tail end was with the actual Amtrak Train coming into the station to load/unload passengers. So we got to watch that, which was really exciting ; ) Adjoined to the depot is an eatery called Train Station BBQ. Yummy food so we ate there afterwards! Nothing is better in our family than a restaurant right next to the train tracks!

The boys had a blast and we had fun watching them. How Cameron came to have this passion for trains I will never know. But I can tell you this... I encourage it! It's a great hobby to have and would also make a great profession some day!

In our summer pictures you can actually see my husbands face without all that horrible winter hair he insists on growing each year!!!

Happy Mother's Day!

A view out our front door looking across our yard.... It's one of those moments where you can stand in awe of how gorgeous nature really is. I just loved the picture and because Mother's Day is one of my favorite days of the year, this seemed to fit well with today! I am so incredibly thankful to be MOM!And I know every day how much of a miracle it is that I have Rylan in my life. It still amazes me that we made it through that adoption, along with every other family who used our former agency. The determination of all these mothers has finally brought each and every child home!
And for Cameron,..... he gave me my first taste of motherhood. It was so wonderful that it brought us to Rylan. His adoption was also a sheer miracle as there were lots and up and downs until we were united forever! I am the luckiest mom ever!
And I am so grateful for my mom (in the white sitting) and for my sister who is a mom (in white kneeling), and for all the other incredible ladies in my life... some mom's, some not yet! Because even if your not a mom, as a woman you are an influence in the life of a child somewhere. Maybe as an aunt, a cousin, or a friend... all pictured with me in this photo!
And to my mother-in-law (on the far left) and my sister-in-law (on the far right), you have set some real examples of what mothering is all about!
And to the mother's out there who have loved our children while we were waiting for them. I wish I had a picture on my laptop I could download of the foster family Cameron stayed with during his adoption process, because they like Corelli were absolutely wonderful! They put their hearts on the line knowing that they were helping to raise these children only to see them leave to their forever families. Something I'm not sure I could ever do.
And to the birth mother's of my children. For their selfless sacrifice to bring these children into the world. My kids will always know these wonderful ladies and how much they loved them. I can only hope that they have the piece of mind knowing that we love these boys unconditionally, and them too! Some day, we will find them again to tell them in person!
HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to all!