Round Two...Will Our Family of 3 become a Family of 4?

Josh and I have decided it is time to grow our family.  Our family "grows" differently than the traditional family.  We get to adopt our children.  When we adopted Elsie, our paperwork took us 10 months to complete (that is SO LONG - WAY LONGER than the average couple)!!  Last time it was an emotional journey because of the unexpected.  Now that we understand the process and we are more aware of all the blessings that come, the second time around it has been a little bit easier.  We have started our paperwork and we just completed it all today!!  We hope to be approved (which means all of our paperwork will be approved and our profile will be available to be viewed on the LDS Family Services adoption website) by tomorrow!  This time around our paperwork took us exactly 6 weeks!!!  We are so excited for the journey of adoption again.  We hope and pray that the baby that is meant to come to our family, will come.  We know that the Lord is mindful of us and that he has a plan for us.  We truly do recognize all of the blessings in our lives.  We are loved and we are blessed.  Thank you to all of our family and friends that have shown us so much love and support thus far in our lives.

We Are Still Alive...

For all of you that read my blog.  I have had a few issues with the storage on my blog.  I have been "boycotting" fixing it and I refuse to pay any money to a site that is "free."  Here are a few pictures I had taken of Elsie in September.  I can't believe how big she is getting.  She is so fun and she is the light of our lives!  Josh and I both love everything about being parents.  Elsie has so much personality and is learning and growing so much every day!  I need to write down all the funny things she says.  Elsie talks really well.  She is so fun!!

Here are some funny things Elsie has said lately.

The other morning we were laying in bed (yes, Elsie still sleeps with us....don't judge) and I was telling her what we were going to be doing that day.  Our day was going to consist of shopping for my foods classes, at which point, she immediately cut me off and said, "And I will come with you and it will be GREAT!"  It was pretty funny!

2 Sundays ago, Josh was working and Elsie and I were hanging out.  We had just made dinner (Elsie LOVES to help me cook) and we were getting ready to eat.  Elsie immediately reminded me that we needed to say the prayer.  She folded her arms and immediately started, "Heavenly Father, thankful for this day..." She always says that when it is time for the prayer (whether we are at church, at someone else's house, anywhere! - she even says it when someone else is saying the prayer, she talks at the same time as they do).  As Elsie started to say the prayer this night, she was folding her arms and staring up at me while she talked.  I told her she needed to fold her arms, close her eyes and bow her head.  I showed her how to do it and at the same time I started to help her say the prayer.  As I started, she cut me off, looked up at me and said, "We BONK our heads?"  So funny!  Pretty sure she has NO IDEA what "bow your head" means.  She is such a funny girl.

Back in August I asked Elsie what she wanted for dinner and she told me she wanted "Mac'n'cheese-a'roni." She is so cute!

I have been taking lots of pictures of Elsie.  I have TONS of blog updating to do!!  As I sit here and type now, I begin to feel very overwhelmed with all of it.  I am regretting not at least typing her funny stories and the funny things she says and does.  I promise to do better.

Josh and I feel very lucky to get to be Elsie's parents.  We will forever be grateful to Amanda for her selfless decision to choose to place Elsie for adoption.  We are so glad we get to continue to talk to her and visit her.  We hope Amanda and her family are part of our lives forever!!