Frosty the Snowman

This past weekend, we got about 2" to 3" of new snow on the ground. The kids are out of school now for the Christmas break and it was cute seeing all the neighborhood kids out in their yards building snowmans! Ethan was no exception and Jason helped him to make a really tall snowman. Ethan loves being outside when his daddy is outside and doesn't seem to mind the cold! I truly am blessed to have these two wonderful guys in my life :)

Ethan likes eating the snow

Rolling up the middle section of the snowman

Almost there!

Now for the head

Just about done

All done!

Jingle Bells, Jingle All The Way

Yesterday, Ethan's kindergarten class put on a Christmas program for all the moms and dads. They got to dress up in their nicest clothes and sing us some songs that they had been working so hard on. We heard favorites like "Jingle Bells", "Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer", "The Twelve Days of Christmas", and "We Wish You a Merry Christmas". They even sang one that I hadn't heard before about baking Pumpkin Pies and eating Peppermints around the tree - So cute!!

So cute in his Christmas outfit!

My little "chef"!

"Jingle Bells Jingle Bells Jingle all the way!"

Getting ready to be a "partridge in a pear tree"

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

It's December and Christmas is coming! I always love this time of the year because there are three holidays that we get to celebrate during the fall: Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. This also means I get to decorate our house which I enjoy :) I thought that I would share just a few pictures of some of the decorations that I have put up in celebration of Christmas. Enjoy!

Ethan in front of the our Christmas tree

The decorations on top of our entertainment center.

Christmas Nativity set

I love the lights and pine bow on our banister. So pretty!

What adoption means to us

Since the purpose of this blog is to share with potential birth parents a little more about our family beyond what they might see on an online profile, I thought it would be a good idea if Jason and I were to share our feelings about adoption and what it means to us.

Laura

I will admit that when Jason and I first started down the path to building our family, adoption was something that was just there for me. I guess I should explain further by saying that I knew that I wanted to be a mom but didn't really care how I got there. Either we would achieve pregnancy by natural or assisted means or we would adopt. I hadn't really given adoption any thought beyond that it was just a way for us to build our family. I have known many people in my life that were adopted including Jason's mom is as well as his sister's husband, and it didn't seem scary or strange to me. Of course, now I can fast forward five years and realize just how important adoption is and, what a selfLESS decision it is, because of the joy I experience every day being a mother.

Adoption is a most wonderful blessing. It is also one of the most selfless things a person will ever do. It is not selfish to think of someone else's needs above your own. I am truly grateful each and every day for the decision that Ethan's birth mother made in not only giving him life but giving him A life that she knew she wouldn't be able to give him. I do look forward to being able to bring another child into our home. I don't know when that time will come but I am excited.

Ethan and Mommy on the Ferris wheel at Santa's Land

Jason

I have been around adoption my entire life with my mom and my aunt having both been adopted by my grandparents.  Growing up talking about adoption with my mom, I thought adoption was the “cool” way to come to a family since it meant you had a lot more people who loved you right from the start.  As I’ve gotten older and Laura and I have gone through the adoption process ourselves, my enthusiasm for adoption continues to grow.  I see it as a win-win-win for everyone involved—the child, the adoptive parents, and the birthmother. 

The child receives the blessing of joining a family and being loved by parents who have been waiting and preparing especially for him while also knowing he has a birthmother who loved him enough to give him more than what she could provide alone.  The adoptive parents receive the joy of welcoming this special child into their home and experiencing the increase in love in their hearts for the child as well as the birthmother who has given them such a wonderful gift.  The birthmother receives the satisfaction of knowing she sacrificed her own needs and desires for the benefit of the child she gave life to, benefits from increased opportunities in life that may not have been available otherwise, and expands her own circle of love with the adoptive family.

Adoption certainly isn’t the easy way out for the birthmother, especially in the short term.  However, I know from my own experience it can bless everyone involved.

Jason and Ethan shoveling the driveway