June pictures

I brought out the kiddie pool and they loved it!
This was the first year Caleb really enjoyed the sprinkler.
Isaac wanted nothing to do with the "rain."
Cardale would periodically run to the sprinkler
Eating campfire marshmallows, in our backyard:)
Cardale is the only one of the kids that will eat s'mores
We went camping for a night with friends, Caleb was tired by the end of the evening
There was a pirate themed birthday party- isn't he cute?
We took the boys canoeing-a very short canoe trip
Again, another cute picture:)
I took a train into Chicago for a day to see my high school friend, Deb
We went on the architectural boat tour, here's the Sears tower
We also walked thru Taste of Chicago- crazy amounts of people!

Cottage pics

Caleb spent alot of time fishing
Caleb enjoyed playing with my cousins, Ian and Emma. Ian and Caleb look a little bit alike.
Nate with Colleen's son, Jack.
Lots of space to play at the cottage!
Caleb and Jack

Here are a few pictures of our time at my grandparent's cottage. My sister has better pics of all three kids, so I'll post some after I get them. We had a great vacation. The weather was nice the whole week and the kids could play outside all day. Caleb was also very brave this trip. He went on a couple boat rides and was not terrified of my relative's dogs! Colleen and her son Jack were able to come down for a day to visit. Jack is such a cutie. He is about 9 months old. I was starting to get the "baby itch." It was also a reality check to be around him. Our baby will be about 10 months old when we bring him/her home. Jack was beginning the separation anxiety stage where he would whimper/cry if I held him and Colleen walked away. I kept thinking our baby is going to experience something 10x worse. We're going to take him away from his foster home, put him on an airplane for 12 hours, and bring him/her to a new country where the language, sights, and smells are all different. Poor baby. I just pray that we will have extra measures of compassion and love for our new child.

Anyways, back to our trip. The kids traveled great! My sister came along for the trip out, so that was a big help. Thanks to Steph and Bec for all of their help that week! I love being at the cottage, it brings back memories of my own time there as a child. It's fun to see my children enjoying the same place.

He passed!

Nate passed his test today! Now he is a licensed Senior Reactor Operator. Basically he can operate a nuclear power plant.:) I am so proud of him! He has put in a lot of effort these past 18 months and today it paid off! We're going to celebrate with his other classmates tonight, yea! Tomorrow we're heading for the cottage-vacation!

One Year Ago Today

Trying to recreate the picture from last year. Caleb didn't want to and these two kept wiggling!
Brothers for one year now
One year ago-One uncertain Mom
Cardale's 1st day with us

One year ago today a little boy moved in with us, and he has impacted so many lives. I remember driving to Bethany and picking him up. I was handed a bag of his clothes, some baby formula and a piece of paper with very few instructions about his schedule. We were all nervous. When Cardale moved in with us he was 6 months old. He didn't eat baby food, had some low muscle tone, didn't make eye contact well, and would curl himself into a fetal position often. He was such a sweetheart though and really, he adapted to our home quite quickly.

Cardale has achieved so many milestones in this past year. On Friday we had his last swallowing appointment, yea! When we started therapy for his eating issues, I was quite discouraged. He was 11 months old and wouldn't eat any solid foods. I thought he would be eating baby food forever.:) Now though he eats like a champ! There are some textures he won't eat and he still won't try Cheerios, but I think we tried too many of those when he was younger.:) Cardale turned 18 months old on Saturday. He is a happy little boy. His vocabulary is growing, he is a people person, and he has some impressive large motor skills. He can jump, run quickly, and loves to dance. Tomorrow he has his 18 month checkup.

So many people, beyond our family, have been impacted by Cardale. People in our church and community have grown attached to Cardale and want to see how God works in his life. One year ago I never would have guessed that Cardale would still be living with us. The direction I thought Cardale's life was going, has completely changed. But, I know that God has great plans for Cardale. It is exciting for us to watch Cardale's relationship develop with Ryan and Jenn. God has good plans in store!

Reading Frenzy

Playing with Grandpa DeMaster- April 2009
They prefer playing in the bins instead of with the toys

I received these pictures from Nate's Mom, so I thought I would share them. I just completed my latest reading frenzy. I finished the last book in the Twilight series last night. My family just breathed a sigh of relief. No longer will I be trying to read every chance I get, at least until my next good book. It's funny how many adults I've talked to who are also reading the series. However, we're all slightly embarrassed to admit it.:)

We also received an update today on our adoption. We are number 11 on the waiting list! I don't know what to think. Our adoption worker kept saying, "I'm so excited for you guys." And I kept saying, "I'm just so surprised." There were 11 families that received referrals in the month of May, which is a really high number. It is HIGHLY unlikely that there will be that many in one month again. It's usually 2-3 families per month. So, it could still be September or later when we get our referral. It's just hard to predict. I just don't feel ready yet for our baby. I feel like a pregnant woman who suddenly realizes the baby is actually coming and doesn't feel prepared. I kept telling myself we'll have a couple of relaxing months between Cardale leaving and our new baby coming. And, most likely, we'll still have those months. However, the adoption is starting to seem very REAL right now. Exciting and scary. I'm so glad we can trust God with the timing of everything. He knows what is best for our family. So, keep us all in your prayers!

Recent stories

Let me start by apologizing for no pictures in this post. Maybe I'll take some this weekend.:) Two weekends ago we celebrated my sister's graduation from Calvin. It's a little weird to think my little sister is all grown up. We have become much closer over the years and I really enjoy the time we spend together. She was just at our house for a couple days to help me out, I so appreciate that! Steph is studying to take her nursing boards next month and looking for a job. All grown up.:)

Nate is in the homestretch at work! He is taking simulator tests this week and his final written test on Monday. He is feeling confident about the test on Monday. After the big test we're leaving on Tuesday for my grandparent's cottage in WI. Hopefully we can all enjoy some relaxation.

Cardale is still visiting Ryan and Jenn on the weekends. He really enjoys the time he spends with them. We found out today that the termination hearing will not be on the 11th and has to be rescheduled. We don't know yet when the new hearing will be. I have to admit this is very frustrating. We're confident this termination will go thru, but I'll still be uneasy until it actually happens. So keep praying for everyone involved!

Here is a story I find funny. I had to meet with Cardale's court appointed lawyer. She has to share with the judge what she thinks is in Cardale's best interest. (She believes termination is in his best interest.) We were talking about Cardale and my other kids and their ages. She was surprised that Cardale is only 4 months younger than Isaac. Then she stops suddenly and says, "Wait, you stay home with them?" I said, "Yes, I stay home with the kids." Her response was something along the lines of "Wow." I could tell she assumed my kids were in daycare and when she realized they weren't she was impressed. Or she thought I was certifiably crazy.:) So I felt pretty good about my job as a Mom after that meeting!