We are homeschooling now through a virtual school and they had a field trip today to the ice rink. I was a little uncomfortable with the idea, roller skating did not go very well. I am here to tell you that ice skating is where it is at. They have these walker things that the boys could use and they got to go around and around with everyone. I would highly recommend this activity for busy boys. Johnny had no problem, he took to it like he was born there. Jaxon and Zane used the walkers and were doing tricks and gymnastic type moves, it was fun.

Jaxon is the far kid and Zane is up close.

Johnny was trying to do spins and skate backwards.

This was our pour attempt at a gingerbread house from scratch. I tried to pass it off as asian inspired but alas nobody bought it. The boys had fun decorating it though.

On Friday the boys went up to the property to go camping for the last trip of the season. I was going to go but then the snow started falling and I didn't want to drive home on the ice so I bailed out before we got there. Anyway, here is our tree, the boys hunted the woods long and hard to find the perfect one. Look at the pride in the prize.

Our Mathew is One................On Thanksgiving we got to celebrate our little guy turning one. He was not at all sure about the cake, I am not sure he even tried much. I do the strip down to the diaper because I have learned there is no getting the colored food coloring out of clothes. He was the perfect little gentleboy, he only threw the cake around Grandma's house a little:).




For a while you couldn't tell whose birthday it was, Mathew was way more interested in eating the paper than playing with the toys. Hadley knew just what to do with her whole 8 months more experience. It was fun to watch. These two are going to be famous friends, I am so blessed.

So here is my future..........My Hadley is a little girly girl to beat all. She loves this sweat shirt, I found her screaming in her closet and pointing up at the clothes, there were several things we went through and finally she had it. Wow what a moment. On the Friday after thanksgiving my sister Debbie and I went shopping, we had our Haddy and Maty with us. Hadley descovered the jewelery section at walmart, she really liked the chunky bangled bracelets pink with white polka dots. We then went to the little girl clothes section, she has a opion on what is pretty and what is not. She is a pink girl by all accounts. We would ask her if something was pretty and she would tell is if it was "pretty" or "no pretty". Gotta love a girl with and opinion.

Our sweet Jaxon started kindergarten this year. He was excited but has since changed his mind, "It is not as fun as it was in preschool, we have to do work." Zane and John like there classes OK but ya know how it is, school is school. Johnny gets to set a rocket off pretty soon in his 5th grade class. Zane is in the 2nsd grade and is just excited to get home and play on the computer. Before I know it Hadley and Mathew will be off on there first day of school. I know now how fast time goes, I will hold on as long as I can.

Hadley loves to eat things out of the garden weather they are ripe or not. We are going to have lots of tomatoes (if she doesn't pick them all). Mathew loves the swing. We don't take him out as much as we should but we snapped a few of the happy boy. We are so blessed.

OK, so I am a bit of slacker when it comes this blogging thing. I have been a little busy. We did not have the opportunity to do any thing extra fun this summer but I did get to take the kids to the air show. I didn't however take into consideration the amount of noise a F-16 could make and thus we had to make a early and hasty exit. The older boys got to do the Army climbing wall. It took Zane a little longer to get going but he didn't give up. He made about the same distance as the other boys. They had a lot of fun and had the anchor ladies laughing.

On June 11, Johnny got to go to the Bing Crosby theatre to watch some professional violin/fiddle players. Grandma got tickets and took him, it was there special time, not a date. Most of musicians where in there teens and he had a lot of fun. He was very excited to get his first (clip-on) tie. He felt so grown up. I am noticing the time is really flying by, this will be his last year in elementary school. It is very sad. He looked so handsome.

So I have been getting nagged from some of you that I haven't updated in a while. I am sorry I have been a busy girl. John had to do somethings outside with the truck so he put Mathew in the co-captain spot. He loved it he sat there so content and happy then big brother Jaxon had to get in on the action. He is such a good baby. He doesn't really care for the food yet, he prefers the bottle but I am hoping that it will help he sleep better at night. I soooo need my beauty sleep. All in all he is doing very well and it seems hard to believe he has only been here for a month and a half, it seems like he has always been here. We just love him to pieces. We are trying a new nick name out on him, what do you all think of "Hulk"?

The picture doesn't really do his feet justice but they are huge, and his hands are big and beefy too. He is a big boy, closing up on the same weight as Hadley. He may eat us out of house and home.
The first time Mathew got to see Grandma. He was so smiley. I think he may like the attention of the camera.

This was the first kind of play time that the two babes had together. This was a good ice breaker for them. Hadley was a little less threatened by him after this. She was just talking away to him and he ended up bouncing around the circles a couple of times. He loves to jump. On Monday Hadley was mimicking his cries and wanting to be held a lot (understandably). The second day was a lot better she even played peekaboo with him during a short car ride. Mathew has such a good personality,very easy going. I am really enjoying him.

This is little Mathew at the airport, with grandpa, on what would be our first attempt at leaving San Luis. I looked at the wrong flight time and as it turned out we got to spend another night in lovely California. It was nice to be able to get to know the little man just a little bit more before bringing him home. As the fire raged on and fire truck, police cars roared onto the seen of the accident at In and Out this is how the event unfolded for Mathew. Someone who new him called his foster family to ask why he was at In and Out, I thought that was great, so many people looking out for him.
Mathew and Uncle Walter at the airport. What a precious boy.
We finally made it home on Monday. A day later then we had planned, the second attempt went off without a hitch, we are so happy to be home. The boys are having fun with Mathew and we let them stay home on Tuesday because we missed them and so the could get to know Mat a little bit. Zane did the introductions for the dogs, so now he has formally met everyone.

So, we are getting ready to eat lunch at In and Out when John Sr and I hear someone run into a tree coming off of the freeway off ramp. He ran over and was able to get the elderly woman out of the car. The car was starting to smoke and he was concerned that it would catch fire. When my John came out with the food and saw what had happened he went over to see if he could help. The car had stated to catch fire by this time and John had someone use the fire extinguisher on the grasses below the car so theat he could get in the car to save the dog. My hunny was able to save the dog (who had just had surgery) and John Sr. walked the woman to the top of the hill where paramedics could attend to her. I had lunch with two very good looking hero's, Mathew slept through the entire event.

Well, we finally got the confirmation for our tickets and we get to leave next Friday morning to get the little man. I love the second picture, he looks like he has got just the right amount of attitude to fit in here. I would appreciate your prayers as we get him and start the adjustment. I am prepared for a possibly difficult adjustment period but I am all for it being smooth as silk as well. We have set up his things and are as prepared as we can be. This is such an exciting season to see how God is going to work this out and how our family is growing in ways we didn't expect 6 months ago. It doesn't take God long to do something (although at times 5 months seems like an eternity). The boys are real excited for him to come and they are looking forward to staying with Grandma Diane while we are gone.

John and I will actually be able to have a date on Friday, something we haven't done since October. Maybe we will even go to the beach. Imagine that adult alone time, YIPPEE.

With the first day of sunshine came the first pinked coloring of the angel face. We kept her out of the sun but I guess just walking from the play pen to the house and back was enough to put some color on her. She sure loved being outside though, she was learning how to till the garden with dad, here comes the garden. I am going to have to pick up some sun lotion the next trip to the store. The news did say that we could still get some snow this weekend though, so I have got some time. When will the snow end?

After our first day of real sunshine and our first little sun burn it was time for movie night. I had gone over to talk with a neighbor and came home to all the boys snuggled up watching Empire Strikes Back. It was pretty cute.

So this was John's idea a good idea. He thought it wouldn't be all that snowy once they got up to the property. I think he was wrong. They had a lot of fun freezing there toes off and trying to catch there boots and beards on fire. What a trip!!!!!!

Hi. Mom thought that I (John)should be talking about how it felt up there. The first thing I felt up there was horrible tires. The scout got stuck in the snow about 7 times!! The second feeling I hated was that snow got in my shoes (when I mean shoes I mean shoes)and for the rest of the two days I thought that maybe it wasn't too late to go home. I won't ever ever go to that retched property ever again!(but maybe untill summer.)

Hadley has descovered her throne. She sits up here and watches all the boys and screams at them. She didn't know how to get down but after a few tumbles she figured it out, such a smart cookie.

Here are my little goof balls. I was looking for a more recent picture to replace the main one on the blog, this is what I had to work with. I tried, I will try again at some other point but here is a update of what they all look like as they are getting older.

Here is Jonathan Matthew from a couple of weeks ago. He is just 4 months and is a hefty boy from all accounts. He will fit in nicely. We just got word yesterday that we will be able to bring him home soon. I am hoping with in a couple of weeks but we know how those plans can change real quick. I am excited that this is almost over. My Johnny said yesterday that "when he gets here he will be our cousin and then he will be our brother." All the boys are excited to have another boy in the house and now Hadley will have someone her own age to play with. So that is the latest on the little sweet heart.

I have also heard that Beka is going to go into a treatment house and try to get her stuff together. I am thrilled to hear that and I hope and pray that she is able to follow through with it.

So this is what the fist day of spring looked like here in the Inland empire. My kids were going nuts. Even the first few days of spring break looked real simular. I am so excited for some spring weather.

Hadley's First Birthday

This was Hadley's first birthday party. She performed wonderfully and the sugar rush was fun to watch, there was cake everywhere.