A magical time at Disney!

We spent last weekend at Disney!!  We hit Mickey's Very Merry Christmas party Friday night and spent the day at Downtown Disney on Saturday.  Over the years, I have imagined what it would be like to take our children to Disney World and see the joy on their little faces.  My family heads to Disney each year and last year we decided it wasn't a priority, because we were in the middle of our adoption with Ethan.   Let's be real, in any adoption, any extra money goes to that baby.   So, I had faith that this year we would be taking not one, but two boys on their first Disney trip.    It was everything I hoped it would be and more!!  Ethan loved the parade and even got a kiss from Ariel.  Aiden was practically skipping the entire weekend and loved, loved, loved the Tea Cups.

My favorite part, aside from being with my family & our wonderful friends, was the free hot cocoa and sugar cookies throughout the park!!  It's was chilly for us Florida folks, so I enjoy many cups of hot cocoa.   Aiden and I  picked out our 1st family of four ornament at the Disney Christmas store.  Everything about the weekend was sweet and perfect.   

Getting ready to have fun!!

Daddy & Aiden

Free hot cocoa and cookies throughout the park! Yum!

Aiden & Donald Duck!

Ethan rockin' his cool hat!

Bring on the Holidays!

I absolutely love the holidays and the fun has already begun!!  This season I have two little miracles in my life to celebrate with.  I continue to have moments where I am overwhelmed about how blessed I am to be Aiden and Ethan's mommy.   

As we begin this Holiday Season there will be times to be frazzled and moments of craziness, but I encourage you to seize each day with your children, spouse, and all your other crazy relatives! Choose joy and remain in it!   As for me, this holiday season, I want to see it through the eyes of my boys.  Sometimes we forget the magic of the season, because we focus on parties or that perfect gift.  Allow yourself to get lost in everything that this wonderful time of year has to offer.   

One year with Aiden!

Today marks our one year anniversary with Aiden.  It's hard to fathom that one year ago today we  became parents to a 5 1/2 year old and now, we have two boys.  I am in love with my boys.  Parenting has it's challenges, but I can't imagine life without these little guys.  In fact, being a parent is one of the hardest things I have ever done! 

Aiden has grown so much in the last year.  His speech has improved, he passed Kindergarten, he is more confident, and I truly believe he understands that this is forever.  His foster parents, Mike and Deena, were here over the summer for a short visit and it was good for Aiden to reconnect with them.  Hidden Treasures Home was a very positive time in Aiden's life and he needed to rekindle some of those very wonderful memories.   His foster parents are some of our greatest friends and will always be apart of Aiden's life. 

Over the years of pushing forward to start our family, we have had many opportunities that have changed us forever.  We pushed on many doors for adoption and tried for years to get pregnant.  We had a failed adoption in China, which broke my heart.  We kept getting pushed off the list for Korea, because of finances.  But we persevered and I am overwhelmed at times thinking about how God has poured out such a blessing of children in our family.  


Tomorrow night we are going to celebrate and Aiden got to pick what we are having for dinner.  You guessed it, Chinese food!!

First time holding our baby boy, Ethan Matthew

Boys meeting each other for the first time.

God's blessings!

Quickly becoming a Florida boy!

Ethan

Time....where does it all really go?

It has been six weeks since we came home with Ethan from Taiwan.  I am in disbelief of how the weeks have gone by so fast.  Ethan is doing fabulous, just absolutely wonderful!  He is my sweetness and I could not imagine life without him.  He is truly a gift from God.  He turned 8 months on Monday.  When he came home he was not sitting or crawling, because his muscles were tight from little use.  Now, he is crawling, sitting, and trying to stand up wherever and whenever possible. Can't he just stay small and tiny for me? ...please?  I love, love, love him!!

Aiden is doing well as a new big brother.  There's a big age difference between the boys, so I look at that as a factor with Aiden, but all in all he's adjusted well with our new little addition.  Bringing Aiden home in August and Ethan home in May has totally rocked our world for the best!  Don't get me wrong, this Mama could use a break right about now, but I'm strong I can take it.  Haha!

This is just a little tiny update from all that has happened in the last six weeks.  We are good and lovin' life!!  Please pray for us as it looks like we might be getting closer to finalizing Aiden's adoption!

Need Sleep,,,,,

We leave in 3 hours to head to the airport and make our way to Taiwan.  I am so excited about visiting a new country!!  It's late and I'm exhausted, so I don't have much to write and even if I did I don't think my mind would be working at it's highest potential. ;)  I am overwhelmed by the fact that on Sunday morning I will be holding my second son.  God is wonderful!  I mean that, not because of the blessings in my life, that I know can only come from Him.   I would serve Him and surrender my whole life to Him just because of the gift that was given when Jesus hung on the cross.  However, God is such a good Heavenly Father that His love is so great for all His children.  I know that when I am holding my son and Dave and I are in the moment, God will be in that moment with us.  He will be with us looking with eyes of delight for His gift in our lives.  The Word says, that He delights in the prosperity of His servant.  I really believe.  I delight in giving gifts to Aiden, I can't imagine the joy the Father has with us.

Well, I am off to try and get a couple of hours of sleep or I wouldn't be a very good "travel buddy" for Dave.   I hope to post pictures from Taiwan.  

Thank you, Jesus

I have made it a way of life to always be in remembrance of what my Savior did for me, for us, for the world. However, during this time of year when we celebrate the Resurrection, when we celebrate when the Veil was torn....I am in complete awe of my Father and the the sweet love of Jesus.  We have this weekend to celebrate, because of Love.  He is love and all that the Father has done for us is because of Love.  It is really overwhelming when we actually sit and meditate on it.  The whole cross experience was look at with joy and a deep love.  

So, as you celebrate and have fun dying eggs and creating Easter memories, celebrate like you never have on this Resurrection Sunday!!  

Taiwan Here we Come!!

I haven't been able to post about some very exciting news per the request of friends, but I figured timing is close and well, only 15 people follow my blog, now would be a safe time.   Drum roll please.... We leave next Friday to pick up and bring home our 2nd son!  Ethan Matthew will be coming home from Taiwan with us in about a week.  Woo-hoo!!!   We were matched with Ethan back in November, after we were told six weeks earlier that the foster home had no babies and even if they did we were on the bottom of the list.  The whole process to bring Ethan home has been a miracle that could only be orchestrated by the sovereign hand of God.  He is 6 months old and we can't wait to hold him!!  

Hopefully, I will be able to update my blog as we travel to Taiwan next week.   We will only be gone for a few days.  

Ethan Matthew

Life is GOOD!!

Life is good.  I mean how could it not be?  I serve an amazing and faithful God, I am His beloved daughter.  I am married to my Love and was blessed 7 months ago with our 1st son.   Yes, my first child was 5 years old when he came home.  That was not what I had ever imagined.  When you think of having your first child the thoughts of cute little onesies, bottles, pacifiers, cuddles late at night all come to mind.   I think sometimes God likes to shake me up, but I trust Him no matter what, so if He chose my first little guy to be 5 years old, then so be it!  

Aiden is doing great!  We still haven't hit a "groove" yet with family life, but that will come.  I think trust is still a big issue for him, but good thing Dave and I are relentless when it comes to loving him!  I have noticed for awhile now that he doesn't really converse with us at all.  So, I am intentionally pulling him into my everyday chores or work and starting to chat with him more.  I can see him opening up more and I believe it will only continue to increase.   We are sowing into to Aiden everyday, showing him boundaries, showering him with love, teaching him, playing with  him and we as a family are going to reap a huge harvest off of what has been sown.  

Aiden is in soccer right now and loving every minute of it.  He is really goofy out on the field and he loves to run.  I have to contain my frustration at times and remember he has only been playing for a month.  I am Ms. Competitive and want him to be the best of the best right now.  I know, it sounds ridiculous, but you all have your issues too!  Ha ha!  

I am overwhelmed with joy and peace in my life at the moment.  I have my faith working on a few things and can't wait to share them with you all.  Soon, very soon!  

6 months!!

Six months ago our little guy, Aiden, came home.  I can't believe it has been six months already.  There are moments that when I look at Aiden I am reminded of all that he has gone through in his little life.  From his birth mom, to the orphanage, to his foster family, to his 1st adoptive family, and then us.  He is a strong child and our Heavenly Father has great plans for my son.  I look at him and I see forgiveness, strength, determination, joy, love, and so many other beautiful character traits. 

Being a parent has changed my world and it keeps changing.  I am learning new things about myself as we grow together as a family of three.  Dave is such a good father, I just love watching him with Aiden.  I can't wait to see what the next six months hold for us, I know more healing for Aiden will happen and a deeper attachment to Dave and I will occur.  And lots of fun!!

On February 5th Aiden celebrated his 6th birthday!  It's hard to believe that we missed five other birthdays, but we have many more to look forward to!!  

Laughing at his daddy sing "Happy Birthday" to him.

Aiden, Uncle Tommy, and Aunt Andi.  Aiden loves ALL his aunts and uncles.

Every 6 year old little boy needs a Transformer birthday cake!

Check this website out....

I have friends who have just been matched with a little girl!  They are trying to raise the remainder funds for the adoption.  Check this website out, www.adoptionbug.com/shaw.

Happy Chinese New Year or Xin Nián Kuài Lè!!

Tonight we celebrated the year of the Rabbit with some yummy Chinese food.  I went and bought a few decorations and we had a great time.  I don't think Aiden totally understood, but he still had fun! 

Happy New Year!!

2011 has been exciting and busy so far!   I say busy, but I don't know a season in our lives that hasn't been busy.  It is good to be active, but this year I'm looking for opportunities to rest and relax with my family.  No complaints, I know it is something we need to add into our lives in a greater measure.  The Word of God talks about rest and it is necessary for our bodies and soul.  I wouldn't change what we do for anything, are there days that I want to move to some place where I don't know anyone, of course!  Would I?, not in a million years.

On the home front, we are continually molding together as a family.  January 24th marked 5 months since Aiden has been home.  He is excelling in school and has recently started speech therapy.  His language and speech have greatly increased over the last few months.  I think a majority of his speech problems are bad habits and being lazy about speaking.  Dave and I have a lot of grace, but also challenge him and refuse to let him speak with incomplete thoughts/sentences and also to speak like a baby.  We are still overcoming behavior issues and attachment, but I have great faith that all that will change.  Some days I feel more like his babysitter than his mommy.  When I try to cuddle with him he moves away and snuggles closer to Dave.  I know these things will change, but some days  it is a tough road to walk when all I want is for this little boy to want my arms wrapped around him, to come to me when he is hurting, and to tell me about his joy.  My God is great and mighty and I know what we are going through right know will be a faded memory of what was.