Lovin the sunshine!

My first Mother's Day as a mom of 4! You can't really see Cooper, but he desperately wanted to hold Emery.

Trying to get pics taken for her birthday invites! Cannot believe she is going to be one soon!

She had a hard time sitting still, but gave me lots of smiles ;o)

We had so much fun making our Mother's Day gifts for our birth moms and mamas.

We went to the zoo last week with some friends. It was gorgeous weather. Emery LOVES the swing about as much as her bigs like pushing her in them!

Peek-a-boo sweetie! I see that tooth poking thru.

Watch out world, I am almost walking!!!

How is my big guy old enough to hold hands with a girl?

Cool stuff **edited**

I finally made Emery her letters to match Sadie's. I can't wait to hang them in their room! **I found these letters at Hobby Lobby and then use spray adhesive to attach scrapbooking paper to them. Use an exacto knife to cut around the edges. Super cool and super cheap!**

Man, we've been blessed with some cool gifts! Some of them I had to share because they were super creative and I thought you might likey.

First, from my incredible husband and my FOUR children for my 31st birthday! I have been dying for one of these and LOVE, LOVE, LOVE how it turned out. Seriously want to cry every time I feel it around my neck and the kids love finding their name ;) Thank you honey for such a wonderful gift! **We ordered the necklace off of Etsy using an alchemy request from TheRHouse Shop. I bought Sadie's birthmom's necklace here from Mother's Day and was very impressed. They are reasonable too, at least I think!**It has one tag with all 4 kids and another with B&M. I really wanted Blake to be on it and I loved when I saw it like this! (sorry...my pump is peeking out-oops**I mean insulin pump, not breast pump, sorry to let ya down, we bottle feed!**)

One of my besties growing up (since 2nd grade!) and a roomie in college sent us a package from Boston! Her and her husband got the kids matching Red Sox shirts. I only managed to get 2 to pose, but aren't they cute? We also got some cool books, one of my favorites "Its Okay to be Different" and some pampering stuff for mama!!!

A friend from nursing school sent us a package today with these goodies! How stinking cute! I think she might fit in these onesies now! They even have stuff on the bum!

A family from church and Chosen that we have come to absolutely adore MADE this for us. I couldn't believe it and still can't get over what she thought up. That's right folks...a book about love that has a family just like ours!!! **The book is by Marianne Richmond**

The book comes in both black and white versions. So she bought both and lovingly created an interracial family!
The kids will treasure this forever!!!!
Every page looks just like us! She even took a marker and colored one little girl darker. Thank you Ursula! I love you sweet friend!

And because I rarely get pics of my camera shy dude (could not be more like his father), I had to add this. They are not tiring of their sister. Quite frankly they make me teary the way they dote on her. Even Sadie who is struggling with sharing me, is simply ECSTATIC when she sees Emery. She still wants to hold her and says "mine" when she sees her.

We certainly didn't expect any gifts seeing that we've managed to have 4 kids in under 5 years....who does that? So it's been fun getting these surprises and knowing how so many people are praising God with us for this miracle.

Oh Happy Day!

This is gonna be random, but I want to post some stuff.


This came in the mail today! Wahoo! I ordered this last week and was sure I had waited entirely too late for Mother's Day for our sweet Momma G. I can't wait to give it to her!



We have had some Duke's of Hazards moments lately. It's been fun all the looks we get when this happens at school, the store, etc. Some things I just think are not worth making a fuss about. They are kids and this IS fun. I would do it if it were socially acceptable.



Sadie bug has been a bit under the weather. Bwess her wittle heart. This girl has no extra pounds to spare, so it's been sad how much she has puked over the last week. I am just glad she was up and and running with the boys this morning. She spotted a bird and is chasing it!




Tomorrow is the birth mother retreat that our agency does so please keep the 13 moms in your prayers that will be attending. We pray they can feel as loved and cherished as they are!

Thanks for stopping by!

Birth Mothers Day

Oh this is such a wonderful time of year as Mother's Day approaches I think about all of the mamas out there. Those that are moms for the first time will be filled with so much pride and thanksgiving on this day. Then there are those that are struggling with the loss of a child on this day...oh what they wouldn't give to just hold their baby/child one last time. There are those that are waiting for a placement to happen...they might have been waiting just weeks, or months, or maybe even years....this day will be filled with ache and wonder if their hope for a child will always be void.

But the Saturday before Mother's Day, May 8th this year, is dedicated to those that have placed a child for adoption. It's Birth Mother's Day. No, I still haven't found this to be a priority for Hallmark...but I have figured out ways to make our own cards for these precious moms in our life. I wanted to share a couple of things we have done in years past for Mother's Day for our birth mamas. And I was hoping that you could share yours. I am always searching for cool ideas for our birth moms and thought this would be a great way to come up with new ideas.

• Memory Book


• Family Picture framed in recordable frame-record kids saying "I love you Mandy"


• Mark Schultz's song "Everything to Me" typed out with handprints/footprints of child framed


• Piggies and Paws


• Adoption Jewelry-You can't really see this, but it's to die for cute. It says, "Forever in My Heart" and then we put Skielar on the other tag...Sadie's birth name. I got this on Etsy from The R House. (The cutie patootie baby w/ onesie above is from them too!)

• Max Lucado's Gift Book-God Thinks You're Wonderful
• Gift card if they like to shop (and what girl doesn't?)

Our incredible agency, Deaconess Pregnancy & Adoption Services, has put on a Birth Mom Retreat for the last 3 years for it's birth mothers over Birth Mother's Day. I love that they do this...especially as an adoptive mother to know that these women are cherished, pampered, and nurtured over this special weekend.

Please remember all of these women in your prayers over the next few weeks and especially in your church over Mother's Day. It is such an incredible day, but for so many women, it comes with deep pain and it may make all the difference in their world if someone remembers their loss and void on this day.

Any other gift ideas??? Please share!