Our baby boy is 3!!!!

Jacob celebrated his 3rd birthday in 4 states!!! Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and finally Colorado



These beautiful pictures were taken near Nonnie's house in

Estes Park, Colorado

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas from our family to yours

The love of Jesus Christ

......there is no greater gift

Thanks Angel

Angel, a very special mommy with a huge heart, made this beautiful slideshow. The families in this show were created by the miracle of God called adoption.

You may see a familiar face towards the end :)

Thanks Angel for your huge heart and awesome faith. You can read all about Angel and her precious family here http://thevoiceofadventure.blogspot.com/.

A peek into our house at Christmas

Mommy's favorite ornament
Jacob's new favorite...Santa's gonna bring him a big chew chew twain if he's a good boy :)

Jacob's favorite last year

Our tiny manger scene. We are going to a blessing tomorrow of our baby Jesus. We bring him and a box to mass with us. After the blessing, the children will wrap our Jesus in a small box. On Christmas day, we open the "present" and place him in manger.

Our Advent Wreath. I won't actually light it, because it is within Jacob's reach. We do pray the daily Advent prayer, we just don't light it. (Gotta straighten up that pink candle)
I didn't do any garland around the tree this year. Looks like something is missing. I think next year Daddy, Jacob and I will make some popcorn and cranberry garland for the tree.
I bought that snowman screen online. I didn't realize how small it was. I think it looks good in front of my acutal screen though. What do you think?

IT'S SNOWING!!!!!!!!!!!

IN SOUTH LOUISIANA!!!!!!!!!!

My boys aren't as excited about it as I am. Jacob wouldn't let Daddy put him down....too cold he said!!!

Ornaments

Not a great picture, but I love this Forever Family ornament from Hallmark.





I bought these personalized ornaments last Christmas and forgot how much I loved them until I unpacked them last weekend. I also bought a few for family members as Christmas gifts, they are of high quality...and they're cute! I got them here http://ornamentshop.com/


I'm still working on getting everything together for this year. When I do, I'll post some pictures.

Fun at the Aquarium

Confession..

I'm using Santa!

Someone in my house tends to be a little "naughty" at times. He feels compelled to hit his classmates almost everyday (his teacher says he's never really hurt anyone). Not sure where this comes from, he is a perfect angel (*wink, wink*) at home. In a desperate effort to curb his "naughty" behavior I've told him that Santa is watching him. Further, if he keeps hitting his friends Santa won't bring him the the Thomas chew chew train he so desires. His reply to this revelation was, "but mom, Santa is at his house?" I explained that Santa has super powers and is able to see EVERYTHING he does.

This morning when we were getting ready for school, I reminded him that Santa was watching. His reply today was, "but mom, I didn't hit anybody with my color box yesterday". Hmmm...now he's taken up lying!!! :)

If this works, I guess we'll have to have the same talk about the Easter Bunny!

P.S. In good old Catholic guilt fashion, his Daddy reminded him that "Baby Jesus" was watching too!

Shhhh..don't tell my husband

but, I'm madly in love with a cowboy!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh, you can tell him, he's crazy about this cowboy too!

Tomorrow is cowboy and indians day at school!

National Adoption Day

“Adopting children, regarding and treating them as one’s own children, means recognizing that the relationship between parents and children is not measured only by genetic standards. Procreative love is first and foremost a gift of self. There is a form of ‘procreation’ which occurs through acceptance, concern and devotion. The resulting relationship is so intimate and enduring that it is in no way inferior to one based on a biological connection. When this is also juridically protected, as it is in adoption, in a family united by the stable bond of marriage, it assures the child that peaceful atmosphere and that paternal and maternal love which he needs for his full human development.”

Pope John Paul II

How did we spend National Adoption Day?

Well, with some friends from Guatemala, of course. A very generous couple and their three children from Guatemala host a picnic at their camp every year. It's a beautiful spot out in the country. Usually the picnic is in August and everyone enjoys fishing . This year the picnic had to be re-scheduled because of Hurricane Ike, so the crowd was much thinner. It was also cold and windy yesterday, so the fish weren't biting, but we all had lots of fun. Enjoy the pictures of our precious Guatemalan children. You just might see someone you recognize in a blue knit hat :)

"Freedom of Choice"

The post below was copied from the Apostolate of Hannah's tears website (http://theapostolateofhannahstears.blogspot.com/2008/11/save-lives-petition-to-fight-foca.html).

Please educate yourself about the FOCA and sign the petition to block the passage of the act.

***********************************************************************
Hello everyone!



I'm writing to let you know about a terrible piece of legislation called "The Freedom of Choice Act" (FOCA).FOCA would establish the right to abortion as a fundamental right (like the right to free speech) and wipe away every restriction on abortion nationwide.



It will eradicate state and federal abortion laws that the majority of Americans support and prevent states from enacting similar protective measures in the future.



Please read the expert analysis by Americans United for Life (AUL) and sign the Fight FOCA petition at: http://www.fightfoca.com/--





"Many people are concerned with children of India, with the children of Africa where quite a few die of hunger, and so on. Many people are also concerned about the violence in this great country of the United States. These concerns are very good. But often these same people are not concerned with the millions being killed by the deliberate decision of their own mothers. And this is the greatest destroyer of peace today- abortion which brings people to such blindness." "And if we can accept that a mother can kill her own child, how can we tell other people not to kill one another?" -- Mother Teresa

Bumper Sticker

"Don't let the car fool you, my treasure is in heaven"

I voted for the baby, how about you??

http://maryellenb.typepad.com/tales_from_the_bonny_blue/2008/11/vote-for-the-ba.html

Homecoming

GO BIG RED

Drum roll please.......

We're Buzz Lightyear aka buzz whitear this year.......

Oops, gotta remember to take that price tag off!

Hopefully, I'll have some cute trick or treat pictures to add later tonight!

Brrrrr...it's cold!

Check out the shorts! :)

We don't get to light the fireplace much, but we are in a little cold snap right now.

It'll be warm again by this weekend

WHY WON'T THIS KID SMILE WHEN I TAKE HIS PICTURE??

Little stinker

The tradition continues...

Jacob insists on looking like he hates the pumpkin patch! He is so silly!!! :)

Below are a few of the little stinker last year!

Ooops, I forgot he had fun for his 1st pumpkin patch!!

Actually, we had lots of non-smiling pics that day too!