Pre-Nesting

School has started for another year and I am pleased to say I have a very good class this year. I find myself smiling all the time and just enjoying how cute their little 5-year-old-selves are. During August I am usually so caught in the whirlwind of a new class that I hardly have time for anything else. This year, I've been struggling to keep up with work, church callings, and the adoption stuff. Still, I have been successful in getting contact cards printed and passed out, ordering the profile book and delivering it to the LDS Family services office, and creating a profile on Adoptimist.com.

While we plan, prepare, work, and wait, I've been thinking about small changes I'd like to do to the house in preparations for the pitter patter of little feet. I am FULLY aware that a placement could take years, but I have also heard stories when it only took a few months. Matt and I are of the belief that if you focus on something, you will attract it to yourself. Preparing for a baby in the house is a sure way to focus on it. So. . .I have some ideas.

This is the room across the hall from our own bedroom. This is more or less what it looks like right now. I've moved my art materials to the downstairs. Hmmmm. What do we do with the drum set that Matt has waited all these years before we bought our house so he could play, but coincidentally he doesn't play them at all anymore? Don't ask me, I'm just the wife. I would love to keep them, I just don't know how to motivate Matt to use it more. We have the TOTAL GYM in the next bedroom so I tried asking  him the choice. Why do men have hobbies that take up so much space? "Why do women have to use up all the space in the bathroom?" (I am arguing his side since he's not here to represent).
So, we have to turn this room into a nursery. Not just any nursery, a GENDER NUETRAL nursery.
My idea is to go vintage and also incorporate any and all fabric patterns so just about anything will match. Kind of like the rest of my house, I guess.

I am hoping to turn it into something that resembles this. The bedding will be different, but I'm going with orange and grey colors. I can make the fabric designs as swirly and girly as I need to but I can keep the color scheme neutral. Heaven knows I've got enough ideas pinned on my pinterest.

As far as baby items go, I've actually collected a few outfits and I am taking anything for a girl or boy. I don't want my baby to be subjected to wearing yellow all the time, and I expect to have more children so why not?

The Big Announcement!

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We would like to take this opportunity to announce to friends and family that we are adding a human baby to add to our little family (in addition to furry babies we care for).
Our next step? Find the baby! We are officially approved for adoption through LDS Family Services, see itsaboutlove.org Profile number 28924822.

https://itsaboutlove.org/ial/profiles/28924822/ourMessage.jsf

 We would like all of our family's support and help if anyone you know might be considering adoption, to pass our information along.

In relation to this announcement, we would also like to let everyone know we are stocking up on baby hand-me-downs and getting a nursery ready. Adoption may take years, but no one can say I don't plan ahead! If anyone is looking to get rid of baby items in good condition, we would be so happy and grateful to take it off your hands for you. We have the storage space available, so why not?

We love and appreciate everyone for supporting us in our journey. Best wishes, and keep in touch.

June of 2013

Happy Anniversary to Matt's parents, Mike and Becky!

One of crowning achievements will be pulling off a fantastic successful surprise party for Matt's parent's 40th wedding anniversary. They were married June of 1973. We felt responsible for congratulating them in a big way, so we organized a big to-do. With the help of our dear friends and family, we planned a fantastic event. We held it at their church, on a Monday evening. I knew Mike worked the swing shift at that time, so I had to arrange that he had the night off without him knowing about it. I called the human resource department at his work and got the cell phone number for his supervisor. She was extremely helpful. She told me she would make sure he wasn't scheduled to work that evening.

Then, I ordered a cake to be made similar to their wedding cake and be delivered that night.
Then, I divvied up the food responsibilities between Matt's aunts, uncles, and cousins.
Then, I got Matt's wonderful cousin and Grandma to sneak into his parent's house while they were out of town and collect photos to scan and make a slideshow.
Then, I got our friend and cousin to gather decorations and rehearse a few songs to perform with her husband and darling 3 year old daughter.

We did not tell Mike and Becky, or Matt's sister that we were coming into town. We made them believe we wouldn't make it until Peach Days. We arrived in town a few days early and spent some time with my cousins who were visiting from my family from California. We spent those days traveling by back roads and ducking under the dashboard for fear we'd be discovered by them before the night of the party. We even spent Sunday night at the camp grounds, even after we found out they were going to be at the same campgrounds having dinner! We wore hoodies and made members of my family escort us around like secret service agents so we wouldn't blow the whole surprise.

Well, it was a lot of work and we were extremely nervous, but we all pulled it off!  Here are some pics, so beautifully taken by Jena.

 We were soooooo nervous before they arrived! Here is our cute little "niece", Jordis, helping us relax while we wait.

 Mike got the call earlier that day that he didn't have to come to work. He showed up at the church thinking that he was going to a special Family Home Evening. This is the moment they walked in the door and saw all their family yelling surprise.

 Tears, laughs, and hugs.

 Family photo of us, Mom and Dad, Aimee and our nephew, Michael.

 
 


Their special cake, a close replica of their wedding cake, and their re-enactment of cutting the cake.










Carrisa made a beautiful slideshow DVD with music. It was so sweet and there was a little dancing. Beautiful.