Christmas Morning Mayhem

Let the unwrapping begin!

Aaaaah! Daddy is attacked by a gigantic T-rex!! T-rex is Jason's gift, but he is a hit with all the kids! I have never seen such a BIG dinosaur toy. So glad we decided to get it-- it was kind of an after thought.

Seriously, Mother...what exactly is going on around here today?

Jason is explaining the finer points of his new toy.

We think Sarah likes her kitchen!

Tried to get a shot of all the kids. You can see how excited Jason and Sarah were to sit for the picture. Pure torture, right? :)

We had a very nice Christmas this year. It was extra special to have Sarah home with us!!! It still doesn't seem quite real that she is actually here! (I know that sounds strange, but it's kind of true.)

Amid all the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, we are especially grateful for our many blessings, and for the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. We hope you all find love, peace and happiness with your families and loved ones during this special time. Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

My good friend Ferrill made this very festive banner and background for my blog! What a great Christmas gift! Thank you, Ferrill!!!

Oh, Christmas Tree...

Sarah: "Can I have that?"

Sarah: "I need to adjust this ornament."

Jason: "Here, let me help you."

Smile!

Future Ballerina (or Shoe Love, Part 2)

Sarah is showing us first position with her favorite shoes and a tutu that she puts on herself! Maybe she'll like dancing and gymnastics-- she certainly is an agile little girl!

Either that or she'll be a mountain climber-- her climbing skills are spectacular! :) She climbs everything-- you'd think after four boys nothing would surprise me... but she is full of surprises! Busy, climbing surprises! :)

We have been home for a month now. The time has really flown by! It feels like Sarah has been a part of our family forever-- the transition for her and for us has been pretty smooth. We are grateful for the loving care she received from New Day Foster Home and her sweet foster parents.

We love her so much! She is a precious, sweet child and she's OURS! Such a BIG miracle in such a little girl!

Shoe Love

Sarah loves shoes. She loves to try on shoes at the store...

and likes to try on her brothers' shoes throughout the day...

then she clomps through the house to show me her new shoes!

(And, yes... that is a vacuum cleaner cord strung across the tile!)

I'm having a crash course in learning to do little girl's hair. This was probably my first attempt at pigtails. I'm getting a little faster at it-- the hardest part for me is getting the parts straight!

I have to do Sarah's hair while she eats breakfast. Otherwise it's a lost cause! She is not fond of sitting still and only tolerates having her hair messed with if she is occupied... so we have found a morning routine that works!

Our Beautiful Girl!

Happy Birthday!

Our sweet Jason boy is now three years old. Jason's due date was Christmas Day, but my water broke three weeks early and he still weighed in at a healthy 8 lbs, 4 oz!
Jason is my cuddly boy and is happy most of the time. He is very observant and already knows most of his alphabet, which is somewhat surprising, because we really didn't teach him any of it!
He always has lots to say and makes us smile.
We love you, little man! (To which Jason would reply, "I'm not a little man, I'm a big boy!")