Emery's First Gotcha Day

Cannot believe she is 6 months old, trying to walk, a loud screamer, all smiles, slobbery kisses, more than a miracle, and FOREVER A SHOCKLEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh my lands, were we blessed to have the most incredible Judge Chapelle to do our final finalization! He was beyond incredible and made everyone in that courtroom cry. He said the most precious and encouraging things to Blake and I...we truly left on cloud 9.Getting ready for our hearing!Owen was not in the mood for pictures, so we did what we could! Mommy and daddy getting questioned. Of course I started crying so the boys were worried about me. Cooper wanted me to hold him...so sweet.We finally got a picture of the judge holding our newest member! We thought we'd never have a cool pic like this!The boys and Sadie also got to sign to be Emery's forever brothers and sister. So sweet! I thought it was just a fake copy, but it actually is an official part of Emery's papers!!!Just doesn't get better than this baby girl. Mommy loves you so much and I pray that I can raise you in a way that glorifies God and brings honor to your birth family. I think this picture speaks for itself. So.stinking.happy.

Ca-razy to think that I have spent half my life with this pumpkin. Ever so thankful for falling in love with him, and even more thankful for our relationship today. Love you babe...no one I'd rather walk hand-in-hand with than you.

Emery's grandparents. Big thanks to Noonie and Papa for having everyone over for dinner afterwards and to Noonie for all the great pictures!

Dinner celebration, guess this was the girls table!

I think she's happy!

Me too!

Happy Gotcha Day Cooper!

Another Gotcha Day that makes me teary...my precious Cooper. Cooper's story is one that forever changed our lives and our love of adoption. It was through the deep pain and struggle of his adoption that brought so many wonderful changes in our lives. We pray that by this Gotcha Day next year Cooper's Law will be in effect!

I remember his Gotcha Day last year and how I just faked it all day long. We had a failed placement just two days before. I was still holding onto hope that that was our baby and she would soon come home to us. I knew that if I could just fake certain parts of the day, and cling to my faith, I could make it through one day at a time.

A year later, I see the incredible miracles and blessings of God in our lives. I see how in the last year God has answered so many prayers, especially for what we were grieving this day last year. It was only 5 weeks later that our precious Sadie popped into our lives!

So today was a celebration not just for Cooper's life and what joy he brings us, but a day for our family celebrating his adoption story, the miracles that God worked on our behalf and how God has shaped us through Cooper's life.

So here's a little bit of our festivities of the day! Happy Gotcha Day Cooper!

Owen waiting for his dinner! Seriously, he's getting so big!

Happy Gotcha Day Cooper! We sing it to happy birthday!

Papa Joe and Gigi (Blake's parents) always come over and take us all to dinner for Gotcha Days! Aren't they fun? Cooper got a new OU putter from Papa and Gigi.

Cooper's new love of golf. I love how he wears his bag!

We went swimming this morning! Are they not the cutest kids EVER?

We made train cupcakes and decorated them with candy. Needless to say, most of the candy never made it on a train and went straight into a mouth! Aren't they cute? Yes, we ate very healthy today!

Sadie's First Gotcha Day!

Can you see what her shirt says? "It's official... I am a Shockley!"

Well, this day has been incredible! It started with Sadie waking up to all 4 of us singing "Happy Gotcha Day to you!" and lots of kisses and cuddling.

I have said this to many of you, but I have learned how to enjoy this day more with each adoption instead of fear something might go wrong.

Not that I wasn't a bit nervous this morning, but it was related to thoughts like...

Will my three year old toot during the hearing and bust out laughing?

Is someone going to jump in a huge puddle in the rain and be soaked for court?

Will my boys have a hard time keeping still and quiet during the hearing and make a scene?

I mean, it is a tough age to expect kids to not move and not talk.

But, they both were perfect gentlemen. It was little miss that started squealing, and while I thought it was completely adorable, it made me sweat thinking it might be annoying the judge.

Our judge was beyond incredible. In fact, he was the best we've had. I started crying like a baby when he made us raise our hands and vow to be Sadie's mother and father forever. It was SO COOL!

Cooper went up there with us and even raised his hand too. He told me when we were signing our final decree of adoption that he wanted to sign it too. Oh, it makes me melt just thinking of it. I had to tell him that there wasn't a "bubba" line for him to sign on. Owen was a bit nervous and stayed back with his auntie Laura.

At the end the judge told my sister (our attorney) that he had never had the pleasure of making a prosecutor cry. We all cracked up laughing and she fessed up that she was Sadie's aunt and that she normally doesn't cry in court.
Just outside of the court room. Notice Owen's shirt tail didn't stay in long!

Sadie giving her daddy a high five after court! We're pretty psyched about today baby girl!

Filing our papers in the clerks office! We're almost done sweet thing!

After court we went to lunch with the family to celebrate.

Waiting for our table at Ted's...it's a tradition that after every finalization we eat at this local mexican place. Yummy!

Owen enjoying some chips and queso with Noonie!

Little Miss got some gifts. My parents got her a Life Box.

For those adoption buddies out there, I love these! They are cool keepsake boxes that I put personal stuff about their adoption in. I have loved having these for the boys when they are asking about their adoption. We pull them out and go through pictures and gifts from their birth parents.

Cooper showing off Sadie's silver cup engraved with her new legal name and her Gotcha Day date!

After lunch our family had the pleasure of meeting Mama G for the first time. It was incredible for them to be able to love on her and thank her for her love for Sadie and her sacrifice. What a blessing!
She's totally pooped from such an exciting day! I am too! I need a nap!

Be still my heart...

My heart is so full that I think it might pop straight out of my chest if I don't be careful.

Even though our whole house has been snotty for entirely too long, and we now have some puking...I will not let it spoil my joy.

On Friday, my precious sister and attorney filed our intent to adopt our Sadie Skielar. Can I tell you that I cried just reading her documents before we signed our stuff?

You guys, this process of adoption is so amazing. And, incredibly, it doesn't seem to lose any excitement the more you do it. I know it's a long process. I know that it pulls me and stretches my faith in more ways than I would ever ask for. But, because of that, when it comes to placement, relinquishment and finalization I can't help but just cry and praise God for the miracles He's worked to create our family.

So, on Tuesday, May 12 @ 10:00 in the morning we will stand as a family of 5 in front of our judge and he will tell us that we can have our sweet baby forever and ever! Seriously, I am crying just thinking about it.

It's exciting to be able to take the boys and for them to understand more of what we do in adoption and what we did with them. Owen keeps saying, "I cannot believe it's gonna be Sadie's Gotcha Day!"

I promise to take lots of pics and document it all for those friends and family members that can't come to court with us.

On another joyous note, we've had Blake at home all weekend!

We even got a date in last night thanks to my tremendous in-laws who called yesterday and asked if they could come and play so that we could go out! Hot dog! It was fabulous to get to talk without interruption and have a nice long dinner. No pictures, you'll just have to imagine us gabbing at the Cheesecake Factory! Yummy!

Blake took the boys to the golf range to try out their new clubs. They were so excited, I think Owen about wet his pants when Blake asked him if he wanted to go play golf.

They let me take this super cute picture of them before they headed out. Cooper was sure to tell me that I could not come play golf...it was boys only! I giggled. I can't tell you how cool it is to have boys that LOVE to do boy stuff with their daddy!

Happy Gotcha Day Owen!

In our family we celebrate Gotcha Days...

For us, this is the day we finalize our children's adoption since we typically "have" them from birth.

It's a big day...so we'll forever celebrate it.

On finalization day we go to court and stand before the judge as he tells us we can parent our children FOREVER!

We work really hard to prepare for this day. We've said a million prayers and asked everyone to pray for us that all will go smoothly as we await this precious day. Then we get all gussied up and stand before the judge and promise to always love this child unconditionally, to do everything to protect them and provide for them, and mostly to strive to honor and glorify God as we parent them.

It makes me teary just thinking about it!

Then we get to go and apply for his new birth certificate that say our names and his new Shockley name!

We get to apply for a social security card and everything! It's stuff that some people take for granted because it just happens!

Owen and Blake right after we got home from his finalization! Don't they look handsome???

Owen blowing out his candles...notice there are 4, one is for Cooper to blow out!

He wanted an ice cream cake and boy was it yummy!

He looks so big here! Who am I kidding, he is big! I can't believe it's been 3 1/2 years since we first fell in love with this guy!Papa Joe and Gigi came by after naps to play. They got Owen and Cooper matching OU basketball jerseys. They were a huge hit! They took us to dinner then had cake with us! Thanks for celebrating this fun day with us guys!

Sadie making Gigi laugh! She's probably getting soaked too with her slobber bubbles!

So, Happy Gotcha Day buddy. You have no idea how much I love you and how much you've taught me! You have taught me how to be a better mommy. You have made me laugh more than I could have ever imagined and you've made me cry happy tears too. I love the way you adore your daddy and want nothing else but to be like him even down to his eating habits and mannerisms. I love how you prefer to be at home more than anywhere else.

I thank God that I can be your forever mommy!