Snow Play Time

I have to admit we have enjoyed our time off, but come May I will be steaming about it! Anyway, Adam (who is now always known as Dad and yes I am mama all of the time) :) got a new toy. Adam is so excited to have some playmates now! I definitely felt like a redneck as I watched my kids being pulled by a tractor on a car hood! I really had only heard of that, never really seen it done before! They had the time of their lives!! I admit, I got on a few times, can't let the boys have all the fun! Why we waited until most of the snow was gone to do this, I am not sure.



Here is Adam with his new toy, he is so happy! :)




All my boys, from 31 to 8!




Lovin' it!




Action shot! The boys were giggling so loud as they were flying around!




Still smiling so that was a good sign!

The Best Christmas Ever :)

Well we have just concluded the Best Christmas Adam and I have had in our 7 years of marriage! (And yes, we do have a 9 year old LOL!) I just wanted to share a few pics from our special day. Last night we went to Grandmother and Papa's for the Cassady Christmas. Today my family came to our house. This was a special occasion because my cousins from Orlando and Atlanta were in and got to spend Christmas with us. It's not very often we all get together, so that is another great gift we received this year.




Here is the best picture I think of the Cassady Family Cousins! The silly faces are the best because it's the picture the kids don't mind doing!



The lovely morning look picture! :)



Here are the boys with Lauren and Rachel, two of our cousins from Atlanta.




Here's "Little Man" and me :) Now I know everyone says the boys look just like Adam, but I do see a resemblance here!





Here is our family of 4! What a difference from last year to this year :)




Here is our family. Mom said "Finally, our family has grown!" :)




What a way to end the day with a little snow man! We loved our White Christmas and hope you did too!

Meet the Cassady's

I got the OK to say names on here and post pictures, so here are a few pics of our new family! (yes I know, they look just like Adam!) These are just a couple of our favorites. I will be adding more later I am sure. Cody and Brandon have completed our home and made us the happiest people in the world! God has truly blessed us this year! It was just a year ago we were meeting with Anne for the first time to get approved for adoption! We found out that if all goes well with lawyers, paperwork, etc. we might get to have our "gotcha" court date the last Wednesday in February!










These 4 have quickly become the Fantastic Four! Alicia and I have waited a long time to share "the boys" stories!

My First Day as a "Real Mom"

So, we picked up the boys last night to begin our "Forever Family." I took off today so Adam and I could attend the boys Christmas parties at school. This morning I got up, got the boys ready and drove them to school. (yes 30 min both ways, so I am glad that is the only time I have to do that!) I was totally excited to be a parent in the car rider line, instead of the teacher greeting the students getting out of the car rider line!

I then proceed to come home and get more wrapping done since I am seeing so many hours dwindling away lately (imagine that!) As I am wrapping my cell phone rings. I notice it is a school number, so all I can think is "Oh no! What have they done already?" I answer and it is my youngest son's teacher. She said he has been really worried that I don't know what time the Christmas party is. Then she giggles and says "He said he didn't think you knew what time the party started, because you are a first time mom and didn't know these things!" :) She and I both had a good laugh at that one! But I realized he bugged her enough she called me, so he really does think I don't know anything since I am a "first time mom!"

So if you think I don't know anything being a "first time mom," you are probably right, at least according to "little man" as I call him :)

Monday we are having yet another home visit from the agency so hopefully I can start using names and post some pics. :) I will at least attempt to ask that question!

Anyway, just wanted to share my first morning day as a "Mom" (a mom who doesn't know much though!) :) I am sure I will have more interesting stories once we have a full day under our belts!

Still in love with elephants!

Somethings just don't change and I know I will forever be in love with elephants! I just wanted to share that one of our boys sleeps with the elephant that my dear friends got for me when so many cards were sent to Adam and I along with prayers! Who knew in just a few months after receiving it, a 7 year old sweetheart of ours would be sleeping with it?!?!How ironic is it that? When I am allowed upload pics, I will show you how adorable he looks with it! :)

Now, check out my favorite costume of this Halloween season! When I saw Elliott in this costume I couldn't stop smiling! (Yes, I think Elliott is getting ready to smile, don't you? :) )If the boys would have let me, I would have dressed them as elephants! Elephants still symbolize what all we've been through and how much prayers of dear friends got us through such a hard time in our lives. Any time I see one, I still smile and am reminded of how prayers and faith can get you through the darkest hours. Just wanted to share that elephants are still the coolest animals around! :)

God Still Answers Prayer

I am sure most people have heard our wonderful news. There are a lot of rules going on, so I cannot reveal too much on the internet but I just couldn't wait any longer to share on my blog how much we have been blessed!!

Let me start from the beginning, but again I cannot say names, etc. but I do want to share our story.

Before school started Neesa, Katie and I were at Target when we saw two brothers who had been at our school previously and they came up and asked us if we had seen them on TV, because they had been on MidDay live and were wanting to be adopted. That stuck with me. I prayed for God to send a sign if I was supposed to do something about this because I couldn't stop thinking about these two boys. I knew a baby was all Adam and I could think about and wanted at the time, but I just felt so strongly about this. I never told anyone about it. Well, about 4 days later Allie and I were out to eat and she started telling me that our aunt had seen two boys on MidDay and she wished we could adopt them. I immediately started to search for a video or something I could show Adam.

Finally, I found a video on WBKO (no it's not on there anymore) of the boys. I showed it to Adam and I said "Adam I want them." He in turn said "call." We then began calling and went through a lot of meetings, etc. and decided to adopt these boys. (That's a shortened version.)

So, for the last month, we have been on a visitation schedule, where we get to be with them twice a week and then they are staying the weekends with us. They are 7 & 9 and we are completely in love with them. I love them just as much as if I had carried them for 9 months. And yes, they look exactly like Adam!

Things are going exceptionally well, which I believe is all because this is God's plan. Adam and I have never been so happy and the emptiness we felt in our hearts for so long has been filled. As of December 17th, the boys will be in our home all the time. Then everything should be finalized by the end of February or beginning of March, meaning they'll take our last name and we'll be "officially" their parents.

When I am allowed to, I will post pics and much more about the boys. There are so many rules, etc. so this is all I can share at this time, but I want to thank everyone for the prayers you have prayed for our family. We continue to need those prayers that this will all be as smooth a transition as possible for our boys and us.

Love to you all!

Thank You Might Never Be Enough

After returning home from a LONG first day of school, I walk in my kitchen and on my counter I found this gift bag that said "I said a prayer for you today." Inside I found the sweetest little elephant rattle and big elephant with a precious bracelet, and a CD with inspiring songs. More than that, I found 19 cards from people who have been praying for our family. Some from family and my best friend, dear friends, and then from some people I know, but I had no idea they knew of our situation or had been praying for us.

I sat in the middle of the floor reading each and every word that was written. I had to get a tissue half of the way through because my tears were blocking my ability to read. Our situation can be extremely difficult and there are days I feel so alone, but today my heart was full of joy knowing there are so many of you out there praying for us. This was the sweetest gift because I know it was from the hearts of all who wrote in it.

I love each of you and "thank you" truly couldn't be enough for the joy I feel in my heart and the thankfulness I have for each prayer you have said for us. I appreciate the gift and prayers more than you will ever know. Please consider this my deepest thanks for everything and I am asking that you continue to pray for us that we'll be blessed with a family and do everything we are supposed to do. There are so many unknowns and uncertainties along this journey, but I know in the end God will provide the family we are supposed to have.

I am so thankful for getting the courage to begin this blog as I believe it has opened people's eyes to the fact that not evereything in life is Mayberry or Leave it to Beaver. I feel I have had contact with people I never would have before and they have strengthened me in ways I never thought possible. Thank you again for your kindness, words will never express the joy the present brought me.

Our future family may not be a "traditional" family but it will be ours and perfect for us and for that I am extremely thankful.





Here is the sweet bag.




The sweetest elephants with a "believe" bracelet, which I will wear A LOT!




The cards & CD before I opened them :)