Starting the Adoption Process Again

So,
We have started the Adoption Paper work, just within the past few weeks. Ivy is becoming more and more independent and we are starting to feel that there is another baby that is suppose to come to our family. The Adoption process is a lot of work just to prepare to start showing birth moms our profile. We almost have all the paperwork done. We just need to schedule to do a home study and create a family profile. I know I know those are both huge things. But, we don't plan on showing birth moms our profile until March. So, we have some time. By then Ivy will be 18 months. It took us 3 1/2 years to get her. Hopefully it won't take us that long to get our next baby. Now we know by our experience that whomever is supposed to be in our family will come when they are supposed to and we need to just have faith.

In the mean time we are going to continue to have loads of fun and enjoy our sweet children. They are all growing up so much! I can't believe our oldest is going to be 11 soon. Oh how time flies.

Baby Ivy is One!

Wow! How quickly this past year has gone. As you can see (by me not posting since we announced Ivy's birth) we have been busy. We can't get enough of our baby Ivy. She brings so much joy to all of our lives and we can't imagine life without her. We love you so much sweetie and can't wait to see how much you will change this next year.

Isn't she just adorable? It's crazy to look at her pictures when she was a newborn because she looked so different. 

Ivy has such a cute personality and we just adore her. 

We welcome Baby I to our Family

We feel so blessed to have a new sweet little one join our family. For the complete story click on the link for our Adoption Story over to the right. She has such a sweet spirit and we feel like one in a million to have her.

What a great summer this has turned out to be!

So, June was just about survival for me and I guess all of us. Every day it was just about going to appointments for the foster kids, making sure they didn't get into trouble, keeping my sanity through the craziness, etc. We let our foster kids' case worker know that we didn't feel good about pursuing adoption with these kids and that they needed to find a new foster family for these kids. To make a long story short, it took them a month to find a good fit for them, which seems fine to an outsider, but for me it seemed like an eternity. Every day was so hard and my nerves were shot. Foster care is the hardest thing we have ever done in our lives. We learned a lot, but that chapter has sailed for us. Now we are with a new adoption agency and will pursue adoption with them until we show 20 birth moms, then if we don't have a baby after that, we will just move on with our little family and continue to enjoy the life we have. We have had a great summer. We have gone swimming a lot, visited family and friends, and enjoyed each others company. I think my kids are ready to go back to school, and I'm getting ready for them. Lilly still has 1 more year of preschool and then she will be going to Kindergarten. I have been doing my preschool prep and am pretty much good to go. I will probably have my open house next week! I can't believe summer is coming to an end. It has gone by so fast! Here are a few pics from our summer:

Baby Fever

I guess it is about time that I actually post something on our blog. I have been pretty busy with life and haven't made the time to update you (the reader).
Our foster kids are still with us. Can you believe it? I seriously didn't think we would still have them. Their birth mom had the opportunity to have them back with her since January. She still hasn't gotten housing and done a few other things and therefore we still have them.
I wish I knew what her plans were. But, soon enough (by May 1st, their permanency hearing) we will know. Unless the judge decides to extend their case.
It's so hard to be patient! I love being a foster mom, but their are a few things we want to do. And can't really plan, until we know where our foster kids are going. Like go to DISNEYLAND. That was our main trip we were going to go on this year. We will be flying, so I guess we will just have to wait. Plus if we still have our foster kids we will probably need special helpers with us or something. Can you imagine having 6 kids under the age of 9 at Disneyland with just Wes and I?
I have been thinking a lot about Adoption lately. I get really baby hungry around this time of year. This year especially because, last year at this time we had our foster baby T. I have been missing her so much lately. She is over a year old now, but I still imagine her as a new born in my head.
I have been doing a bit of research into the agency we want to pursue if we don't adopt our foster kids.
Some people get spring fever around this time of year, but I get "baby fever".
I can't imagine having to take care of a new born having 6 kids already, but I like to plan for the future. I guess I'm trying to protect myself and plan for something that will give me comfort if we have to say "goodbye" to our Foster kids. I do have comfort in knowing that we still have 3 beautiful Biological kids who aren't going anywhere. But, I know we can provide for more.

I'm not really sure what I want. I know that our Foster Kids would probably be best off with us. They would have a loving Dad and Mom, a safe home, opportunities, routine, etc.
But, they still love their mom. I think that if their mom is going to change her ways, and be able to provide for them...she might deserve them back. They are her kids and all. But, I don't really see that happening.
I think I am just split because these children are a lot of work to take care of, but we love them a ton too.
So, here's to the future.....I will keep you posted. (Even if I am just writing to the future me who will be going back and reading my online journals).