bring it on....

2010 that is.....yep, it's not even midnite on new years eve, and i'm at home with my family, my sweet kids are both fast asleep(yet coughing uncontrollably, and will soon request a drink of h2o or two!!) but i'm so content, and couldn't be happier with my decision to call it a night, i mean, what's better than hanging with the fam?? Anywho, i'm having a hard time concentrating, thanks to fergie's obnoxious boom boom song.... 2009, a year full of love, family, friendships, birthdays, births,....and our decision to adopt. 2010...what an exciting upcoming year, hope to be filled with a little more love, fun family times, new and old friendships, birthday celebrations, and 2 more precious babes!!! Happy New Years!! May 2010 bring you good health, overflowing love, contentment and joy.... xo kristen       

christmas memories....

Merry Christmas a day late!!(better late than never...) What a fun few days we've had, regardless of the wonderful winter weather we have...yep definitely not impressed with this cold...ugh...however, it does make for some fun family time, watching national lampoons over and over, hanging in our pj's, playing with the kiddos and their new toys, basically just being together!!!Christmas eve, we were able to spend time with kasey's parents, siblings, and their kids,  so good to see all of them, and even better to watch the cousins play and love on each other!! Christmas day we spent with my parents and siblings and of course their kids, shared delicious meals, visited, watched christmas movies, and relaxed...oh let's not forget that yesterday morning the kids woke at 5:45,yep a.m.!!! Soooo excited to see what santa delivered, and so thrilled they heard santas bells, how sweet!! We sat in front of the fire, opened their socks, and oh boy was the magic there!!(even though grant said, " mom, santa didn't wrap these, you did!") oh man, he's only 7! I believed in santa till probably 11 or so!!! I know santa isn't the reason for the season, but the magic of santa and his reindeer...the cookies and milk..the reindeer dust....what fun it is to our children, their imaginations run wild, the excitement it brings is contagious... i hope these things live in their imaginations for years to come, and the true reason for the season lives in their hearts forever...Well, a fun christmas season had by all...and by this time next year we hope to be sharing this excitement & love with a couple of more kiddos!!!! enjoy a few pics of our last week...kids' christmas program, family etc...xo kristen

now what??

Well, so very exciting to be on the "waiting list", but now getting impatient( i know, it's only been a week!!!, i'm just so excited!!) anyhow, now we do just that....wait....but how exciting and worthwhile is that long-awaited wait....... with christmas just around the corner, our house has been full of sweet little voices practicing their songs for their program, hot cocoa,wrapping paper galore, and as of tomorrow, some baking going on!!! like i've said before, i just love christmas, the lights, tree( oh, the tree, you see we had to get rid of the real one per dr's orders, mr. g has quite the allergies... but don't feel bad, we now have an artificial tree up, decorated and all, and now we really look like the griswold's with our real, 9 ft. tree on our front step!!) memories, old and new,music, and the best...the reason of the season....jesus! like i said in our christmas card, it is amazing that our kids, ages 5 and 7, know the true meaning of christmas, and already have such a love for our god. But, we still enjoy all of the other fun things that surround this exciting holiday, including mr.C, himself!!! Oh, and i just love holiday break...nothing better than having the kids at home, not rushing off in the am, enjoying each and every minute of togetherness...may you have a fun week ahead, full of hecticness, music, and lots of memories!!   xo kristen 

:)

quick update!!! soooo our agency had a referral today, so that means we are getting closer!!!!! but, just to clarify... we are on all 5 lists, which means we are eager to adopt 2 children under the age of 4, NOT 5!!!(even though, would not object to that!!) so, we are open to siblings, babies or toddlers, so why not be on all of the lists!! getting that much closer to seeing our childrens faces...yay!!!!!wonder who god has planned for our family???? keep warm...xo kristen 

IT'S OFFICIAL.................

We are on the wait list!!!!!!!!!!!Baby Girl-#22, Baby Boy-#11, Toddler Girl-#5, Toddler Boy-#3, and Siblings-#4!!!!!!!!!!!!! how exciting....even though i know we are still waiting, it feels so great to be on the lists, and it feels so real and so right!!! can't wait to see some sweet faces soon!!!!( i know, im a bit optimistic on the time frame...) so, what a great way to start off our week......lots of smiles at our house:) happy monday xo kristen

hip...hip...hooray!!!

all of our paperwork has officially been sent to IAN, and we should be on the list on monday, or tuesday!! It feels so great knowing all of this paperwork is done and out of our hands!! Can't wait to get our #'s, and then i think i'll be going a little crazy for a bit(ok, i think that's un understatement!!!)...what an exciting process!! Just an fyi... some great friends from our church who are also adopting, are organizing a fundraiser/benefit/dinner/auction,etc. for our family on jan.30th at our church...details coming soon....oh, and i am an aunt again!!! he is so very precious, i could just eat him up!! And since we live in the state of ND, we already have snow, so yesterday we played outside, made snow angels, shoveled, and just enjoyed being together!! Like i've said before, this cold weather stuff does not thrill me, but at the request of my children, i had to act like a kid again, running around, hip-hip-hoorayin!! jumping in the snow, making snow angels, but the best of all, hearing my kids laugh uncontrollably at their kid-like mom!!!You know, at times i wish were a kid again, all of those simple joys, not caring if the temperature is -15, laughing so hard you could cry, etc... i have such great memories from my childhood( i think thats why i wish i could go back at times!!) and i hope that my kids will be saying the same some day...so if that means i have to go out in this freezing cold...i will, just to hear their laughter...how sweet the sound!!! wishing you a fun weekend with family, fun and lots of laughs.....and a good christmas movie or two!!! xo kristen