HOW MY BRAIN WORKS

Here is how my brain works.....

A few weeks ago we were at a friends house when they told how there dog had lower intestinal blockage. It seems that if they could not get this cleared up then they were going to have to put the dog down. Lucky for the dog all things passed! Flash forward a few weeks when I saw a friend at church. She was not looking good and I asked her if she was sick. You guessed it she said that she had lower intestinal blockage and was not feeling great. The only thing running through my brain was " I hope they don't have to put you down"!

UPDATE ON MOM

Mom is back home now and resting even if she does not want too! The doctors said that she has Vascular Angina. Its where the veins going to her heart collaps and thats when she has her problems. She will be taking medication to help. We are glad that it is only this and that there is nothing wrong with her heart.

YOUR PRAYERS

Please keep my Mother, Kathy Whitman in your prayers. She is in ICU with heart related problems. Greg is taking good xare of her a we appreciate averything that he does for his wife.

HAPPINESS IS.....

Happiness is...

Having your son wake up and the first thing he says is "Happy Birthday, Dad!". A perfect birthday gift!

NATIONAL ADOPTION DAY

It has been a few weeks since we finalized the adoption of the kids on November 15th, National Adoption Day. Life has been super busy since then but I wanted to look back for just a moment on that special day.

To start off the whole day was a blur. It reminded me of my wedding day when something that you have been working on for so long finally comes to pass. It was all a blur and we were emotional overcome that we were finally here on this day and that we would soon be finished. The stress of somehow losing these 2 wonderful children would soon be over! So we just allowed the staff to guide us in the right direction. Liz and I and the kids were first on the list since they were going in alphabetical order so we had to be in Dallas at 8:30 AM. We were glad to be joined by friends and family who came to support us on this special day. The judge, lawyer and staff were awesome. Everyone was helpful and supportive. All of the staff volunteered to be there that day. The judge was nice and allowed me to call my Mother and Sister so that they could listen in. Our lawyer swore us in and then asked me a lot of questions. Once he was finished he asked Liz that if he were to asked her all of the same questions would she answer the same? She said "yes" and that was it, we were done. These kids were ours forever and ever and no matter what! So much time and effort and it was finished! Afterwards we signed some paperwork and then we had our first family portrait taken. They had food and clowns making balloon animals and lots of people. We said goodbye to all of our friends and family and took the kids to Build-A-Bear and to lunch. To top if off we went home and put up our first Christmas tree together. Next year we will plan a trip to the LDS Dallas Temple to be sealed as a family forever!

Thank you for the support of friends and family on this long and emotional journey. We would not have made it without you! We are also very thankful to everyone at CPS. We have had a lot of help during this long process. And a big thank you to all of you who came to Dallas on November 15th to support us. Mom and Dad, Diane and Joe, Kathy, Amie and kids, The Garvins, The van der Upwiches, and Nancy! It means so much to us that you made such a great effort to come down and support us.

RACING

My son loves racing! It started off with the movie "Cars" which he would watch endlessly! Then I got him into "Speed Racer" and then "Herbie". This kid loves it all! Then it happened... We let him watch NASCAR and he was hooked. He will sit and watch 150 lapses of a race and just love it! Liz and I are not big on racing but we are learning quickly! NASCAR is good because we have taught him that you can win the race but if you when the whole series then you get the "Piston Cup". The only problem with this is that he is not too good with saying "piston"! I do have a feeling that we will be going to the races next year!

CHRISTMAS CARDS

While still eating turkey and ham sandwiches left over from Thanksgiving we received our first Christmas card on December 2nd. This year the first card came from John & Carly Goode. Way to go, John and Carly! Today We love to get Christmas cards and goodies from friends and family both near and far. This year we are looking forward to explaining to the kids who all of these cards came from! So, I am off to the post office to get the first batch of Christmas cards and goodies in the mail. I know that all of you will be checking your mailbox with joy and anticipation!

Getting Ready for Christmas

The stockings are hung on the fireplace. The tree is up and presents are starting to appear. The letters are almost ready to be sent out. The CDs are almost burnt! The children won't nestle all snug in their beds because they are too excited for Christmas to come. 25 days left!! We can't wait!

This is our first family picture taken on July 1st 2008. We took the kids and their foster mom to Double Dave's Pizza. I can't believe how much they've changed in less then 5 months. To read the post from this night click here.

http://texasandersons.blogspot.com/2008/07/we-are-happy-family.html

National Adoption Day

Our lawyer and us before we started!

With the judge after it was over!!

Our first family picture.

Taken at the court by a volunteer professional photographer.

Almost Final

Tomorrow is the big day. We have to be at court at 8:30am. The court starts at 9am and we are first on the list of adoption finalizations. It should be a good day. If you live close enough and want to get up early you're welcome to come witness history!! It has been a crazy week full of emotions. I don't even think the kids know why they have been so emotional. They don't fully understand all that is going on.
The best part about tomorrow is that we can post pictures when we get home!!!! So check back tomorrow night to "see" what we've been up to since July!!!!!!!!!

The Anderson Family
Invites you to witness their beginning
On National Adoption Day,
Saturday, November 15, 2008 @ 8:30am
At The Henry Wade Juvenile Justice Center
2600 Lone Star Drive, Dallas, Texas

National Adoption Day

We just received approval to finalize our adoption on National Adoption Day - Novemeber 15th!! We will post more info as we receive it! We can't wait until they are legally ours!!!!!!!!!!

TURTLE NEWS

Our dachshunds Peanut and Ginger will chase anything that move in our big back yard. Mostly it's squirrels but a few weeks ago we had a lot of rain and on 2 different occasions they brought in dead baby rabbits. Then one morning I was working at the desk when I looked down to see this weird object that Peanut had brought in. I It was a turtle shell! The shell was all sealed up and I thought that maybe it was dead so I put it in a box to show the kids when they came home. Awhile later I heard a noise and it was the turtle trying to get out! I kept the turtle until the kids got home so that I could show them and Liz. See, Liz is afraid of turtles! You know, they might get her! Her toes were curling so I had to release the turtle into the wild to fend for himself!

PS: Now we can add field mice to the list since they brought in 2 of them the other day. One was a live and was was dead.

LIFE OF DAVE...

I called the doctors office to make an appointment for a sleep study for my sleep apnea. The girl explained the details of my upcoming visiting including that I should wear what I would normally wear to bed. I told her that I normally sleep in the nude. There was a long silence.... "Is that alright"? I asked... She replied... NO!

I went to the AT &T store to get a new cell phone. I walk in at the same time as a woman with her 2 kids. The AT &T employee ask us if we were "together" and I said that we were just good friends! With out missing a beat the woman with the 2 kids said "and I do not even know which one is his"!

We came home one night and the kids noticed the Gecko lizards on our garage. "Do they bite" the kids asked. In which I replied "No, they just sell insurance"

This is just some of the stuff that Liz has to put up with on a day to day basics!

HAPPINESS IS....

Happiness is....

Listening to your kids sing primary songs. "J" and "B" love to sing and they know the words. They love to sing while we are driving, at the computer or going to bed at night. Nothing could make Liz or I happier.

TACO BUENO

When the kids get to pick the place to eat it is always Taco Bueno. Think "Del Taco" but not as good which is not saying much. If it is not Taco Buena then next up is McDonalds, Wendy's, Chick-fl-a or Taco bell. I offer Chipotle, Chili's, Jason's Deli anything! I mean I would even eat Taco bell or McDonalds! We do save "kids choice" for special events and since Liz was in McAllen, TX having dinner at Tony Romas (None in DFW area) I got to eat at Taco Bueno! I am going to try to talk them into Buffalo Wild Wings for the Tuesday night wing special before we pick up Liz at the airport.

Time flies when you're having fun...

I can't believe it has been only 3 months since we became a family. It has been a wonderful 3 months - crazy, fun, wild, happy, tough, but soooooo worth it. We are actively working to finalize the adoption early. Tomorrow we will meet with our case worker (who is okay with early finalization) and the kids new case worker (if she's okay we are going for it!!). So hopefully we will have a court date soon. Our wish is to finalize on National Adoption Day - November 15th. Once it is finalized our blog will get much cuter - pictures galore!!!!!!!

Thanks to everyone for your kind words and support. These kids are lucky to have parents with such great family and friends!!!!!

IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT

All of us get hooked on goofy stuff. Mine is the old TV show "In the heat of the night". The show ran from 1988-19994 and like a lot of shows I did not really start watching it until it went into reruns. For years the show was on a lot but then they took it off the air. I am excited to say that WGN is back to showing the reruns and I am filling up my DVR with the shows. The show is not on DVD so I need to find a way to record it to DVD myself. I gotta get back to watching my show!

Things I never thought I'd say...

"Because I said so"

That has got to be the best phrase ever!!!!!!!!!

Ramblings of an old woman!

Yes, I'm old. Well, I'm 40 - not quite yet. I still have about an hour. I was born around 2:30pm. The only reason I know this is that I used to tell all my friends at school I was born just in time to get out of school. So in just a little while I will cross over the 39-40 bridge and my parents will no longer have any kids in their 30s. Turning 40 feels weird because I don't feel like I thought 40 would be way back when I thought 40 was older then I now feel. I still feel like I could go out dancing Friday night to the local YA dance and hit the nearest Denny's after and stay out until 2am. But in reality if I tried that, I'd be home by 10pm and that would be pushing it! The best part about today is that I became a mom before now. I really didn't want to be 40 and not be a mom. And getting approved just 6 months before my birthday really scared me - that I might not make it. But my Heavenly Father blessed me and Dave and gave us the two best kids I could have ever picked out. They are so perfectly normal, with all the normal ups and downs of childhood. "B" is going to be our star student. We are trying to teach her that she doesn't have to be perfect in everything yet. That the reason she is going to school is to learn and sometimes we make mistakes when we learn and our S's aren't perfect (she hates that letter S). And "J", well lets just say his teacher and I are becoming friends because we talk so much!! The good thing is that his teacher loves him and wants to help him find his place in this world. She is so good with him and seems to understand him as much as we do. He totally gets an A for effort. He so desperately wants to be good, but just can't do it sometimes. I love them both more then I thought possible after just 3 months. They are the perfect birthday present!!! I want for nothing more (except more money to get all the things they need and want!) Of course it is all about them now. It's all about helping them become the best people they can be and grow up happy and healthy and strong - knowing that they are loved and wanted! Well those are the ramblings of an old woman - well a 40 year old (@ about 2:30pm) woman at least! Thank you for listening all these years, thank you for being my friends and for acknowledging me as your family. I have a pretty great life with a wonderful husband, two adorable kids, the best parents ever and great in-laws, brothers & sisters, nieces & nephews and cousins and aunts. Love to you all - from this 40 year old!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LIZ!

A BIG HAPPY 40TH BIRTHDAY TO LIZ!


To a great Mom, Wife, Aunt, Daughter and friend!

Love Dave and the kids

The kids and dogs likes to hang out with Mom and Dad in our dinning room that is now an office. We like to watch TV and play on the computer together as a family. Everyone wants to sit in the one and only chair in that room so we want to replace it with something that everyone can use at once. We have a jar full of loose change and our goal is to buy a love sac (see below) for the family to celebrate Mom's birthday.

Dave called a lawyer today...

but it was a good thing. We recently got the name of a lawyer who will bill the state directly (we get reimbursed for our adoption fees). Dave talked to the girl in the office who told him she didn't think we would have a problem finalizing early. The general rule is that the kids have to be in your home for 6 months before finalization. But we found out today that we might be able to finalize this on National Adoption Day - Saturday Nov 15th! We tried to explain to the kids, but there kids and don't pay much attention to their parents. We'll keep talking about it. And we'll post when we know more. And once it's finalized - we'll post pictures!!!!!!!!!!!!

BIRTHDAY BASH

On September 6th we had a 7th birthday party for "B". We had about 60 people at our house and it was a blast! We were able to borrow a big bounce house and the kids loved it! "B" wanted nachos and burritos and they were a hit! Everyone had fun and Mom and Dad were worn out afterwards! A big "thank you" to all of those who help us with this fun event and to all of you who attended and sent gifts. You made "B"s 1st birthday with us very special!

Out of the mouth of babes...

It's been two months (yesterday). It seems like they've been here forever. We are constantly reassuring them that they will be here forever. Tonight "J" said the prayer at dinner. He wanted to do it all by himself. It was a little jumbled but the effort and spirit were there! It was beautiful. And tonight "B" wanted to say our family prayer before bed. After only two months of helping them, she said she didn't want help. We have talked about what prayer is, that we start with "Dear Heavenly Father", thank Him for things, ask Him for things and close "In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen". She asked tonight if she starts by saying "Heavenly Father". I said yes and then she said the most beautiful prayer I've ever heard. It came from her heart. She was talking to her Heavenly Father. Telling Him what she wanted to tell Him, not what mom & dad told her to say. How wonderful to have a daughter who is getting to know her Heavenly Father and starting a real relationship with Him. I love prayer. I hope my children will love it too. I love being able to talk to my Father and tell him the things in my heart that sometimes I can't tell anyone else. I hope my children can learn to do that. I hope they come to know that Heavenly Father loves them and will listen any time they need to talk.

12TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY

July 2008
Our wedding day September 7th, 1996

Today is our 12th wedding anniversary and I need to take a minute and thank my wonderful and beautiful wife for 12 great years of marriage! I love her more today then when I first meet her at a dance that I was Dee Jaying in November, 1995! We have been through both the good and the bad together and I thank her for always being by my side. Now we are parents to 2 great kids and life is even better now that we are parents. Thank you Liz for always holding my hand!

"J" says the darnest things

While reassuring the kids that we want them and they are exactly what we always wanted and perfect, I told "J" that we wanted a boy & a girl. And this is the conversation that followed -

J - "You only wanted two?"
Mom - "Yes".
J "Why didn't you want three?"
Mom "Do you want a brother?"
J "Yes"
Mom "Well, if you get a brother, God has a sick sense of humor"
J (panicking) "I don't want 6, just one!"

We are learning that kids don't always understand us the way we want them to. Especially kids who have had the life our kids have had. Some of the simplest things are completely misunderstood. Oh the fun of having kids!!!

Happy Birthday

On the way to school, "B" asked what today was. When I said Wednesday, she imediately said "Tomorrow is my birthday". She is so excited. We bought a button the says "Birthday Girl" for her to wear tomorrow. And Saturday is the big party. Most people have 7 years to get ready for a 7th birthday - we've had 2 months. She won't have one this big again for a few years. She is a wonderful girl who is the light of our life. I can't post pictures but I'll send out a scrapbook page of the party, so if you don't want to miss out just email me.

World's Best Husband

I have to brag about Dave. Tonight when the kids and I got home, "B" was helping me clean up some things in the kitchen to get ready for dinner. She said that the girls at Kid's Club - their after school care - said that girls rule. I said yea girls were cool. She asked me if I liked boys or girls better. Giving an adult answer I said because I liked Dad I'd have to say boys. Well the child who's been through the things she's been through interpreted that as I don't like her. She ran off to pout - she's done this before so I let her go. After a short while I went into her bedroom to assure her I loved her and dad and "J". She wouldn't look at me. When Dave got home I told him briefly what happened and he went in to talk to her. I just walked by and heard him talking about love and loving mom's & dad's different then loving your brother or the dogs. He is so good. He knows what to say. These kids are not used to having a dad so sometimes I wonder if they know what to do with him. But I think they realize how great it is to have a dad and how great their dad is!!! Dave is just so dang wonderful. I have really enjoyed watching him be a dad. He is wonderful with the kids and not just the fun loving guy, he knows when to get down to business and can lovingly lecture "J" when his behavior takes a turn for the worst.

So I just had to let the world know that I have the best husband ever. I'm sure some of you feel the same about your husbands but this is my blog so I get to brag!!!!

Lucky #7

Once upon a time there was a 10 year old girl who had two little sisters and desperately wanted her pregnant mom to have a boy. When a beautiful little girl with tons of dark hair was born she asked if we could send her back because she wanted a bald baby boy. She soon fell in love with the her little sister. But 10 years later the now 20 year old girl would have her own little baby - the boy she always wanted and then she would have another, and another, and another, and another, and another until finally early one Sunday morning (August 24th, 2008) she would have her 7th boy weighing in at 7lbs 7ozs.

Moral of the story: Be careful what you wish for. You just might get 7 of them!!

Congrats to my niece Heather on her lucky #7! Can't wait to meet him!

Life is moving along

Last Thursday we went to our first "Meet the Teacher" night at school and met the kids teachers. I think they will have a great school year.
Saturday we went to the park for a "shower". Some friends from church threw the whole family a shower and the kids got to play at the park. There were two basketball courts (smaller then half court) and it inspired us to buy a basketball. Both kids had fun shooting baskets and with a little practice they could be pretty good!! We went to Target to buy backpacks for school and our brilliant kids picked the cheapest!!! No fancy character ones. They wanted the ones with only one strap!!
Sunday was pretty normal. "J" had a meltdown and had to go to bed early. He did not like going to bed before the sun was down. "B" had trouble sleeping. When I told her she just needed to fall asleep she said "I don't know how to". She climbed in bed with us for a little bit and then cried when I took her back to bed. I told her she didn't have to sleep but she had to rest her body. That seemed to work.
They both woke up ready to go to school. They walked right into their classrooms and hung up their backpacks. "J" has to leave his lunch outside the classroom because there are kids with peanut allergies. We know all about them. The kids have a cousin who's allergic to peanuts, so we know to be careful.
I can't wait to pick them up and hear all about their day. I took pictures but you'll have to email me if you want to see them - sorry can't post them yet!

What is...

Lucky?
Prepare?
Brave?

Everyday I say at least one word that the kids ask me "what's that?" So I thought I'd start posting them and see if you have any idea how to define them. Post a comment and let me know your best definition.

10 things I've learned in the last month

1. NEVER be late for church. I didn't think after only 4 weeks they would even notice. Well, yesterday was our worst Sunday yet because Mom didn't get ready in time. We missed most of Sacrament Meeting (the main meeting). They didn't get to eat the bread & water! I thought we'd be okay because they still got to go to class, but nooooooooo. So Mom learned to be on time from now on!!!!!

2. 6 year olds can read - the computer!!! I have to be careful what I type in an email if "B" is standing nearby. She's got good eyes!!

3. "Mom (or Dad) I love you" are the best words in the English language.

4. Don't even try to get out of reading a bedtime story - don't even think about it, no matter how tired you are, just read. It will make bedtime a lot easier.

5. Don't say maybe - they think it is just another word for YES.

6. When trying to teach the "some people win and some people lose" don't follow up with your kid winning the game! It doesn't really help them learn the lesson.

7. Sometimes God intervenes and the trophy thrown at the window by the angry kid doesn't break the window that you couldn't afford to replace.

8. Not letting the kid go in the grocery store is the end of the world. Who knew that a trip to the grocery store would share the excitment level of going to Disneyland. But for my kids, especially "J", they love it. So when we needed to stop my Kroger for dishwasher tablets and Dad got the cart with the car on front instead of letting "J" push the minature cart, his entire world fell apart and he got to sit in the minivan with mom while dad & "B" ran in. The worst part was when he finally calmed down and told me that he had changed his attitude and flashed me one of those smiles thinking we could go in, he looked over to see dad & "B" coming out of the store and realized he was too late. His world crumbled all over again.

9. It's important to teach independance, but it is so nice to be asked to do her hair or what outfit I think she should wear!

10. The louder you yell, the louder they yell.

We're Registered!

We've been asked if we were registered anywhere. So I went online and registered at Target. I used the baby register so I had to be creative in signing up. This is a good list for us too! It is a little overwhelming to think of everything we need. We just keep shopping every Saturday and the kids are getting a little sick of it!! Hopefully the list will give you some ideas if you we're looking for something to give. You don't have to stick to the list or even buy something. But since some were asking...

HANGING IN THERE....

I haven't posted anything in awhile but we are hanging in there as we spend our time buying clothes, toys and lots of milk! We go through more milk, cereal, pop tarts and pudding then ever before. I am trying to get them to try "better" food but they prefer all that and mac & cheese! I do get them to try a bit of "Dad's food" now and then. We spend a lot of time watching "backyardagains", "Dora" and "Cars". This is all new for a 41 year old! I am trying to get them into "Star Wars", "Speed Racer" and "Batman" cartoons. "B" always asks me everyday how many customers I am going to see when I go to work and when I am coming home. We also do a lot of swimming and my workouts are filled with carrying, hold and playing with 2 kids at once. We now go to bed every night exhausted, but little by little we are building bridges and laying fountains that will last forever.

Italy, Holland or Germany

Check out the Call Family Blog. Read the story about Holland. It really made me think. We didn't make it to Italy or Holland. I think our travel agent booked us on a trip to Germany. It's definitely different from Italy, but wonderful just the same!!!

Heaven is...

Coming home from work to find your husband and daughter making "piggys in a blanket" for dinner.

Invasion of the Mini Van

Yes, we own a mini van. I'm sure a dark day in Dave's life. But now that he has kids I think he has seen the advantage of it. We bought it from a friend of a friend for a good price. It's a 2000 Toyota Sienna. The kids like it because it is easier for them to get in and out. And lots more room to put stuff.

We survived another week of parenthood. A lot of the some old stuff. We rode bikes, had a picnic and played at the Spray ground, went shopping, went to Chili's with Kari & Kenzie, went shopping at a second hand kids store and found some cute & cheep Doc Martins for "J", found a couple of cute dresses for "B" and even found a new shirt for Mom!

Dad got them to watch Star Wars Episode 1. He's now trying for #2. They're more interested in Backyardigans. "B" likes High School Musical 2 - I made her watch #1 before we watched #2. We'll have a girls day out in October to see HSM3 at the movies!!

Today they are going swimming so they had no problem with Mom & Dad going to work. Dave's taking Tuesday & Thursday off to hang out with the kids.

This week we will try to survive the record breaking temps in the DFW area. Everyday on the forecast it is going to be over 100. This past weekend was 105 - without the heat index. We were spoiled last summer. Lots of rain in the spring, full lakes and mild temps. Not this year, lake levels are down and we have already had several over 100 days and it's not even August!

4 weeks til school starts. School opens back up next week so I can register them. Not sure how that will work out since I have different names on different paperwork. I hope someone at the school has done this before or can call someone who has.

"B" was asking last night when Grandma from California was going to come visit and when Grandma from Texas was going to be back from vacation. She really seems to like family. I hope that stays with her the rest of her life. She loves telling people she has lots of cousins!!

Both kids seem to be settling in quite well. Of course there's lots of little things and we have to analyze to see if it's just normal kid behavior or if there is some underlying issue that we should be concerned with. So far they just seem to be normal kids who need lots of love and reassurance that they have a future with us. We talk about going to Disney World when they are 9 or 10. We talk about high school and college. I don't know if they understand what we are doing, but I hope it will give them a future to think about. "B" wants to play basketball so we are going to sign her up next month. We think "J" would have fun with soccer. He's a good runner.

For now we just enjoy each day, each hug, each kiss, each "I love you" and each "mom" & "dad".

Trying to pass the test

The testing has begun. "J" is trying to see how much attention he can get and how much he can get away with. After making sure he knew what behaviors were wrong - saying "no" to Mom, calling people stupid and ugly, kicking the walls, throwing pillows and disobeying - we just put him in his bedroom, tell him we love him and leave. It is getting better but I'm sure it will go on for a while. Today at church he didn't want to go to class and started one of his attitudes. I took him out, sat in the hall and tried to ignore him as much as I could. Of course everyone else wanted to say "hi", so he was loving it. Then my miracle worker came by. A 14 yr old girl that is one of the nicest, sweetest girls I know. She started talking to "J" and said lets go to class. So he got up as if he were the most well behaved boy in the world, took her hand and walked into class sat down and she left. After church he saw her again and hugged her. She invited them to come over and go swimming. Anyone who invites them to swim is their best friend. We are adopting "fish". We are looking into swim lessons. Other then the test, we are doing great. We are tired but very happy. We'll see how a full week of work and babysitters goes!! Stay tuned for further adventures of the Texas Andersons!

What a Hottie!!

Our first sick kid experience. He was moping around this morning but we just thought it was cuz they didn't want us to go to work. So finally a little after 12 I went to work with "J" asleep & "B" watching Sponge Bob :(. About 20 minutes after I got there, my mom called and said that "J" was awake, crying and hot. So I shut down, packed up and headed to the store for a thermometer and Tylenol then home. By the time I got home he had settled down and fallen asleep. I logged onto work and started getting a few things done when he woke up. I took him temp - 100.4 - and gave him Tylenol and he settled down. He wanted me to stay with him so I moved my work onto my bed (where he'd been sleeping) and "B" climbed in on the other side. So for 3 hours I had a kid on either side. "J" slowly got better, decide his tummy hurt and he needed Sprite, and suddenly got tons of energy. He says he's feeling better and I'm trying to convince him that he still needs to rest. That's a hard sell to a 5 year old. We took another temp and it was down to normal. We'll check again later. What a day! This mother thing is crazy! It is kind of nice to have a sick kid calling out for his mommy and knowing that I'm the mommy he wants.

Legal Notice

We have just found out that we can't post pictures on the blog until after finalization which should be sometime after the first of the year. So if you haven't seen a picture yet and want to, email us and we will be happy to forward you a picture. But please remember, they are only for you - don't forward them to the world (even though we do think our kids are the cutest in the world, we don't want to make the rest of the kids in the world feel bad!) :) Thanks for understanding and helping us follow the rules.

Also, please don't post any identifying information about our kids on your blogs or websites. No names, birth dates, etc.

And if you really want to know all about the kids...just drop in and say hi!

What a weekend. Started on Friday with a trip to Mom's work. I thought we were just going to pass out the pay checks. Everyone surprised us with a tree with cards tied all over it and goodie bags for the kids. I think the little fans were their favorite. Saturday we went shopping for new church clothes - we wanted them to look their best and we just wanted to buy kids clothes, it could be an addicting habit!! We also bought Thank You cards so the kids can say thanks for all the cards we got at work. Today we went to church. Everyone was so excited about meeting the kids. Now we need to get into a routine and get the house cleaned!!

Life

We are settling into life! Grandma & Grandpa came to visit yesterday and I went into work for a couple of hours and got some work to do at home. Today the kids and I are going to work to pass out the paychecks. I pass them out every payday and thought this was a great way to introduce them to everyone at my work and show them where I go everyday. They are getting used to the dogs. They were in all day while Gma & Gpa were here - with no leashes on! Last night we had some dog struggles and Mom & Dad were both frustrated and nearly had a meltdown! But we all calmed down took baths, watched Batman, read a story, said family prayer and went to bed.

Things are going well. I think Mom & Dad have the biggest adjustment - we aren't allowed to sit still!! They are not kids who just want to sit and watch TV. They want to play a game, read a book, go to the park, swim, etc. They are on the move kids!!!

Feel free to stop by and say hi if you can catch us at home!!!

They're Home!

Our kids came home today at a little before 11am. We signed the papers saying we intend to adopt them. Texas law requires they are in our home for 6 months before we go to court and it is final. A case worker will come and see us at least once a month until the adoption is final. But that is just a formality. They are ours forever!!!!!! So if you want to visit Texas we'll be having a Dora birthday party for "B" the first Saturday in September, we'll be celebrating Thanksgiving by giving Thanks for these awesome kids, we'll be having the BEST Christmas ever and then we'll be going to court in January or February. No matter if you're far or near, you are welcome to stop by anytime to meet the kids. They would be happy to show you their rooms & toys!!!

Well this mom is busy!! I'll keep you up to date on the kids whenever I can. And I'll post pictures as soon as I'm allowed. Thanks for all your prayers.

Happy Days are here again..

They are coming home tomorrow. We're off to visit tonight and then their case worker will bring the home tomorrow morning and we'll sign the official papers that say we intend to adopt them!!! Forever has finally arrived!!!

Change of Plans

A little disappointment today. "B" is having a tough time and her case worker will be talking with her this afternoon. They probably won't be home tonight, but hopefully soon. They seemed so comfortable with us and it's hard to not have them right now. But it's all about the kids and what is best for them. We'll know more this afternoon and make new plans. We'll at least visit them tonight. We've talked with them on the phone Sunday & Monday night and they seem good and talkative! "J" is ready. I think we just need to reassure "B" that by wanting to be part of our family she is not hurting her foster mom. We just keep reassuring her that she can call, write or email anytime. I'm trying to see the little blessings in this - at least I have another night to get things done. :) I'll post more as soon as I know more. Keep ALL of us in your prayers!
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And to top off the day,Dave didn't get the management position. :(

I didn't know I could feel this way

Today our kids went back to their foster home for some good byes. They'll be there until Tuesday when we pick them up forever. We talked a lot about coming home. It just seemed so natural to have them here. After we dropped them off, Dave didn't want to go home. Dad has a heart the size of Texas and he is the best dad ever. It was the first time I cried this week. I've been so happy and suddenly my kids were gone. I know it's best for them. They need their time to close one phase of their young lives and get ready to move on to the forever phase! But oh how hard it was to let them go. We went to the book store - bought them books. Then went to the movies - last chance without taking out a babysitter loan. :) Then went to WalMart to get some food for next week (now that we know some of their favorites). I found myself in the kids clothes while Dave took a detour. I felt like a kid in a candy store!!!! My heart was racing with excitement!! Oh what cute 5T little boy clothes - I found a pair of shorts and shirt for only $3 each. And the little girls 6x - I'm in trouble!!!! I settled on a pair of Dora PJs. This could be addicting!!! We bought a few other things for them and got out before we went broke. We are trying to find the good in having some free time until Tuesday, but I think instead we will just count down the minutes until we see our adorable children again and hold them forever and ever!!

4th of July

We went to WalMart & Target looking for a swimsuit for "B" on Thursday night and then had a quick dinner at Chick-Fil-A. Both are night owls like their parents - we'll have to work on that. They got up earlier then we thought - 7:30 - so much for sleeping in. We started our Independance day with doughnuts at the shop on the corner with some friends. They both like the chocolate covered doughnuts and "B" likes doughnut holes. We then headed to Grandma & Grandpa's. Hugs all around when we got there and then off to meet cousins and play in the community pool. After spraying them down with sunscreen (and later learning the Mom & Dad need it too!) we got in the pool. They each had a swin ring and big smiles. A little scared at first but soon were following their cousins jumping off the side of the pool into Dad's safe arms. The braver they got, the more they asked Dad to back up - but he has assured them that his arms would always be there to keep them safe, no matter what. Homemade pizza cooked on the grill, homemade root beer (a Brown family tradition!) and cake and ice cream. We saw tons of fireworks on the way home and then they fell asleep. "J" didn't even get into him jammies when we got home, just crawled into bed. "B" on the other hand woke up and wanted to stay up. Dad was going to watch TV for a little bit before he went to bed, so she stayed up with Dad and ate peanuts and watched TV. Now we are getting ready for a busy Saturday. They'll stay with their foster mom for 3 nights and then be back on Tuesday forever!!

Oh what a night!

They came over tonight to see their new house. They liked their rooms. Thanks to my "angels" for all they did while I was at work. "B" & "J" loved their rooms but had some anxiety about the dogs. We'll work on that. We went to La Finca for dinner. How fun to order off the kids menu. They both love their "new" legos, elmos & stuffed animals! I now have an excuse for all the toys I own!! They both called us Mom & Dad. "B" wanted to sit next to mom at dinner. The magician stopped by our table. "B" loved the tricks, "J" not so much. They both LOVE to take pictures. I think we need to start looking into those little kid digital cameras before they break ours. For those that keep asking, "B" is size 6x and "J" is size 5.

Sad Day

In the midst of a very happy time, we had to make a decision that we have been putting off for months now. Last night on the way home we decided it was time for Gracie to go be with George. We let her sleep in our bed with us last night. It just wasn't the same. She just wasn't the same dog we got over 6 years ago. She lost her hearing, her eye sight was going and she didn't have the energy she once had. We took her to a wonderful vet this morning and told her it was time for her to go see George who passed away almost 4 years ago. I told her they have big sunny backyards in Heaven. She used to love laying out in the sun in California and on our balcony when we moved to Texas. She would find the one little patch of sunshine on the balcony and lay out. She used to greet us at the door sitting on the back of the couch - sometimes I thought she thought she was a cat! It was a hard thing to do, but I know her little spirit is better off without that old body that wouldn't let her do all the things she wanted too. We will miss her very much.

We are a happy family...

We meet them!!!! We spent 5 hours with them tonight. We meet them at their foster moms house, then went to Double Dave's Pizza, then to the park. "B" is my little model. She kept asking me to take pictures of her. Neither of them seem to know what a camcorder is. They would just smile. We told them they could move, dance and act crazy. "J" is our weight loss plan. He will keep us going non-stop. But the most wonderful sound is that little boy yelling "Dad" across the play ground. He is attached! "B" on the other hand is warming up. She will take longer but I can see her and I being good friends. "J" gave us both hugs before we left. In fact he asked if he could hug us - twice. "B" gave me a hug and gave Dave "5". We are head over heals!! Their coming to our house tomorrow night. Then they'll come on Thursday and spend a couple of nights and we'll see how that goes.

We talked to them

We just got off the phone with "B" & "J". They are adorable. "B" is very much the older sister. We talked mostly with "J" and if I talked too much he would say "I wanna talk to my dad". Oh how life just suddenly changed. We will meet them tomorrow night. They are looking forward to going out for pizza. "J" said his favorite is cheese. They both have their books. They both commented on the fact that "J" has a lot of elmos on his bed. Wait till they see the other half of the room. We are smiling from ear to ear, but we desprately need to get to bed. We'll let you know how tomorrow goes!!

Thanks for all your prayers. Keep praying for the kids and for Dave. He has his interview at 8am tomorrow!!

Moving Forward...

Today was a great day! We meet our kids foster mom today and got to talk all about the kids. She's all girl and he's all boy!! We are scheduled to meet them tomorrow at about 4pm. Life is turning upside down a little quicker then we thought. A lot of you have asked what we need. So far it sounds like they are coming with a lot of stuff. If we think of anything we needs we'll get the word out. We are definately "joyfully overwhelmed" right now. The 4th of July has always been a big family holiday in both of our families and now it will be one of the best ever!!!!!!!

Playing in the fountains in downtown Dallas!

He needs kids!!! He just looks silly playing all by himself!!! But ya gotta love him!!!

Holy Cows!!

Brag Books

We were asked to put together a little book for each of our kids to introduce them to us and family. This will help them inbetween visits before they move into our home.

Our Sons Brag Book

Our Daughters Brag Book

We've finished our reading...

Yes we are done. Today we picked up the final pages of the file on our kids. We've read all about them and can't wait to meet them. Next step is meeting their case worker and foster mom and then the kids!!! I can't even began to describe what I am feeling tonight. I'll quote a great man who recently said he felt "Joyfully Overwhelmed". I know the road ahead won't be easy but I know it will be worth it and with Heavenly Father's help and guidance we will be able to raise these children in a loving home. Once they are officially placed with us it will be about 6 months till we go to court and finalize the adoption. So if you don't live in Texas start planning your trip for the party of the year!!!

THE POSERS

A rare picture of the band "The Posers" (Dave - bass and back up vocals, Jim - drums, Sean - lead vocals and John - guitar and back up vocals) at their one and only performance of "White Wedding" at Youth Conference 1984. They have not been "heard" from since...

BE GOOD JOHNNY!

On June 5th John Mauss had another birthday and I always try to give him a call. John is 6 months younger then me and each year I would ask him how it feels to be... And he would reply asking me how it feels to be almost... Yup!

I need to stop and thank John for almost 30 (yips) years of friendship. We have been friends since we were both around 12 and went to church, boy scouts, high school etc. John has endured me singing off key every "Johnny" song that I knew when I would pass him in the hallways in high school. John was a good sport when we moved his car from one parking lot to another, another time Lary Carlton and Brian Richards helped in moving his car so that it was parked perpendicular between 2 other cars and the time we took (hey, he had 2 girls that night) his distributor cap (with help from Charles Jones and Robert Wiser) so that his car would not start ...each time while he was on a date. I think that we were just jealous that he had dates! Speaking of dating, when John returned from his mission he dated and married Cheri who he (and I) had known since he was a teenager. You never know who you are going to end up marrying it just takes us guys a little longer to figure it out!

John and Cheri have 3 great kids so it is only right that I post this on Father's day. We always fun visiting the Mausses in Utah and they always feed us something good! Happy birthday John!

HAPPY FATHERS DAY

HAPPY FATHERS DAY!

I would like to get a shout out to all of you Dads out there. I have a lot of love and respect for all of you and I hope to join your ranks soon. I have had a lot of great examples of Dads out there. From my Dad, Step-Dad, Father-in-Law, Granddads etc. I have watched in awe as new Dads take on the role of fatherhood and I am touched by the example of older guys who deal with teenagers, older kids and grand kids! Lastly I have had a lot of great men be "father figures" to me in my life. I do believe that we do not know how much of an influence and example we can be to each other and these men have been a huge influence to me at one time or another in my life. I could use countless examples but to save time and protect the innocent I would just like to share two stories of fatherhood.

The first is about an old friend of mine who did something awesome. His daughter wanted tickets to see Hanna Montana but they were sold out. He and his wife heard on the radio that they were having a "Hanna Montana" look a like contest and the winner would win tickets to see Hanna Montana. So off they went... They had a entry for the girl that looked the most like Hanna Montana, The Mom and... the Dad. At the last minute my friend entered the contest as the one and only Dad who looked the most look Hanna and won! He had to wear a wig and play a guitar just like Hanna would on stage and the crowd went wild! He won and took his little girl to see Hanna Montana in concert!

The second story deals with my Dad. Years ago when I was a teenager I bought a model kit of the USS Enterprise from Star Trek. I did not follow the directions when putting it together and as a result the part that holds up the engines would not stay up. I was very sad about this since I had spent all of my money on this model. I came out to the garage one day to find my Dad (who hated Star Trek) trying to use wood to make the model stay up right. It did not even look right but I appreciated the effort more then anything! I have a lot more stories of my Dad but this one stands out today.

I hope that all of you will say "thank you" to your Dads on Father's day. Remember the good, forget about the bad. They have all done the best that they could do! Happy Father's Day!