For Good Video of Nevaeh

This video is dedicated to all my Angel Family Friends who have had to love and let go. To everyone who has had an Angel baby leave a handprint on their heart and cried because they might never know how their story ends. To all who have been changed for the better and for good by the smiles and laughter an Angel baby brings to your home. And to everyone who knows they have made a change for good in the life of a child by providing unconditional love at a time that is so crucial in a baby's life.

I made this video for our family one year ago when we thought our Angel was going back to her birth parents. I had my friend take the last set of pictures for me right before Nevaeh started having overnight visits. This Angel baby gets to stay with us forever but I will always hold a special place in my heart for the other two who returned home.

Thank you Angel Family for your love and support and for all you do for these beautiful children. May you always know you have changed a baby's life for good even if you only loved them for a short while.

Happy Mother's Day

So I told my husband the other night that I think I am an amazing woman. I know at first this may sound like a joke. Who would actually brag about such a thing unless you were kidding? The thing is that I know a lot of amazing women who don't realize they are amazing. We think of amazing women as those we here about on the news or interviewed by Oprah. But I know women in my life who do amazing things everyday.

So why am I amazing? Is it news worthy? Maybe not to Oprah but to me it is. Why should I only look up to everyone else thinking that they are amazing and that what I do isn't good enough? Have I been burned in a plane crash and write an inspirational blog? No. Have I overcome some debilitating disease? No. Do I have a career that saves people's lives? No. But I took the time to save one starfish in the sea. I put my heart out on the line and took the risk of loving someone else's child while they tried to get their life back on track. I am a loving wife and dedicate mother. I am amazed that I made it through the last year of my life as well as I did.

So this post is for all the women in my life who forget to realize they are amazing. Why? Because you are a daughter of a Heavenly King. Because you are compassionate, understanding and helpful. Because you have your own trials that your are going through yet somehow manage to think that everyone else's must be so much more difficult. And because you are my friend and find ways to lift me up and make me smile when I am not sure I can make it through another day. You truly are amazing just the way you are.

Mormon Helping Hands Day

Every year our church sponsors a community clean up day. This year we were asked to help clean up a park in our neighborhood and replant and paint. The boys worked hard and I chased Nevaeh around the park. She thought she was helping too but mostly wanted to run around and play on the slide. We got there late so they had ran out of the fashionable yellow vest.










Jacob worked hard carrying woodchips to the playground and Nevaeh took a break to ride a toy.




Josh and Jared worked hard pulling out old plants so that new ones could be planted. Jared also went to paint and was sad that he got paint on his favorite pants.

Adoption Celebration

Last night we celebrated Nevaeh's adoption with family and friends. I was so busy rushing around the house that I forgot to take pictures of people who came. I am so grateful to have had so many people supporting our family during the process. Amy made this beautiful cake for Nevaeh and matched what she was wearing for the day. My mom and sister/sister-in-laws came and brought gifts. My mom gave her a new bike which she absolutely loves. We asked friends to make a donation to Angels Foster Family Agency instead of bringing gifts. This is the agency that we fostered Nevaeh through.

42 years

Happy Birthday to Me, Happy Birthday to Me. Happy Birthday Dear old wrinkled woman. Happy Birthday to Me. Okay, so maybe not too old and wrinkled but I am definately feeling my age. Maybe having a toddler at 40 will do that to you. I had a great night out with my wonderful sweet husband. We went to El Torito to celebrate because I am the coupon queen and received a free meal coupon from them. I then was sung to and had this beautiful sombreo place upon my head and I received a free ice cream. The boys watched Nevaeh for us and it was nice to get out for some alone time with my sweetheart. He is away at work so much and I am busy with the children so we don't get out a whole lot by ourselves. Of course, I couldn't help remonise about how depressed I was last year on my birthday. What a difference a year makes.

Celebrating at Disneyland

We checked into the Paradise Pier yesterday and then headed over to California Adventure. We had stopped to eat at Islands in San Diego after the adoption was finalized and so we got a little later start getting to Disneyland than planned. Nevaeh enjoyed lunch but it was extra special when she was allowed to sit on Steve's lap and share his.

Joshua, Jared and Jacob enjoyed their lunches too. The hambugers were so big we had Josh and Jared share. Steve decided he needed to be silly in Jacob's picture. Steve's true personallity comes out when he is with his family. Don't let him fool you into thinking he is this shy, quiet guy. We all know differently.


It took longer to get to Disneyland than I had thought and we did hit a little bit of traffic. I knew that California Adventure closed at 7:00 p.m. so I was anxious for us to get to the hotel and get checked in. The cast member who checked us in was very sweet. When I told her what we were celebrating she came back with a bunch of balloons for Nevaeh and a certificate to take over to the gift shop and purchase a stuffed animal. Nevaeh had a hard time deciding but she finally chose Minnie Mouse.









After getting up to our room and changing our clothes, we rushed out so fast that somehow the security lock to the room shut behind us. The problem was Steve had not brought the diaper bag in from the truck and the passes were in the diaper bag. The keys to the truck were in the hotel room. So our trip was delayed another 30 minutes. We finally made it into California Adventure and had just enough time to stop by "The Bench" and take pictures. The boys rode Mulholland Madness and Nevaeh and I sat on "The Bench". We had come back to were it had all started 2 years, 4 months and 10 days before. We had finally come full circle. No more wondering, no more worrying, no more trips to Disneyland thinking they could be her last time. Our journey to adopt "Nevaeh Heaven" was finally over and the journey of our lives together with "Nevaeh Arlene" were just beginning.

It's a Girl - Officially

Well I didn't think this day would ever come and now that it has I am so tired from all the events of the day I really don't feel up to blogging. Nevaeh, on the other hand, is keeping everyone up with her singing and saying hi to all of us. Apparently, the two 15 minute naps she got in the car was enough to make her want to stay up all night.

Anyway, our day started out by driving to San Diego in the rain. We had to pull over because I was afraid the stroller would be too wet to use if we left it in the back of the truck. So it ended up in the cab next to Nevaeh. I was hoping she would fall asleep since it was 12:00 p.m. But instead, she played with Jacob until about 15 minutes before we arrived at the courthouse.

I had wanted to come prepared because I wasn't sure how long we would have to wait before we saw the judge. But the longest part of the whole courthouse experience was getting through the metal detector with all of our belongings (computer, stroller, diaper bag) We kept making the alarm go off. I think it took about 10 minutes for us to get through the dumb thing.

We checked in right at 1:30 p.m. and I wasn't sure how long we would have to wait. We barely sat down when they called our name. I was not prepared for that and it seemed like the whole process with the judge was just a blur. We went in, Nevaeh immediately jumped down and went over to the toys they give to the children being adopted and we signed a paper. Then they took some pictures of us with the judge and shoved us (well not really but it felt like that) out the door.

We went outside and took a few more pictures with all the social workers who had been involved with the process. And that, my friends, was it. It was almost anti-climatic. Maybe because all the real drama and the knowledge that she would be ours forever happened back in July.

I had been emotional all week and even broke down when the lady at Kohl's asked me why I was purchasing coordinating outfits for my family. I had listened to some of my Wicked songs again and cried during them. I thought for sure I would be very emotional at court today. But I think it all happened so fast I didn't even have time to blink.

Picture with the judge.




Nevaeh with her people (Karly, County Social Worker, Maggie, Angels Social Worker, Jill, Walden Adoptions Social Worker)





One tired baby on her way to Disneyland. But I am too tired to blog about that tonight so maybe after we our finished tomorrow I will take the time to do that.