Pics of Callie's Birthday!

For those of you who did not get the e-mail, here is a link too A LOT of pictures of Callie's birthday! I did not narrow them down much because I also sent this out of her bio family and I knew they would want to see as many as possible. So feel free to quickly click through a lot of them that are the same thing! She does not mind having her picture taken so I took a lot. We had a lot of fun! She is such a big girl now! Before they turn one you are always saying their age in months. Now I can save some breath and just say I have two 1 year olds! No more infants in our house! Just big girls!

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Callie... a year in Review!

Today is Callie's birthday! Look how much she has grown! It is hard to believe that around this time last year I was in a hospital room with her bio mom anxiously waiting her arrival! Adoption is sort of a surreal experience. It is something you can not explain to anyone unless you have been through it yourself. And everyone's experience is unique, but distinctly special!

Yesterday I had some time to spend just with Callie and I just looked at her and marveled in how love and Heavenly Father's guidance brought her to where she is today. Her bio mom loved her so much that she placed her with us. I admire her sacrifice and although I saw her pain I never felt it and could not imagine what it felt like to say goodbye. I also marvel at the trust she had in us to raise the baby she carried. I honor her for her love and the decision she made for Callie. I know Callie was meant to be ours. Her adoption was one of those life experiences where you could see the hand of the Lord in every aspect of it. I did not just "happen" to be at the right place at the right time, I was meant to be there!

So here is some pictures of my baby girl! I do not call Jovie my baby girl, because she would be offended, she thinks she is 5 years old like brother. Callie is my baby! And she likes it that way!

Today is a celebration of not only Callie's birthday, but of the love all her family has for her, bio & adopted!

Jovie, No Swiping! Jovie, No Swiping!

Not AGAIN! Yes, again! (Sorry to guys reading this, I just think it is too funny to not blog about)! My little pixie girl has a tendency to be a tampon swiper! I had a lock on my bathroom cabinet, but I think she stole that as well and cleaverly has hidden it away! Since there is nothing dangerous in there, I have not been in too much of a hurry to get one back on there. There are just things in there that are a pain in the butt when Jovie gets into them.... like.... Tampons.

She always gets the biggest handful that she can grab, darts out of the bathroom and sneaks past me if I am anywhere upstairs. Then she opens them and dismantles them!

That girl knows how to be sneaky too! When I caught this picture I was on the computer and she came out of the bathroom and quitely was walking past me not trying to draw attendtion to herself! Good thing I had the camera ready when I saw her! Usually she just runs away!

Katie & Chad came to watch the kids once and saw the fruits of Jovie's labor at random places around the upstairs. I came home and saw one laying on the floor upstairs and they said they were wondering about that! I have probably lost a whole box a tampons to that girl! She is quite stubborn, persistent, and easily entertained. Ok, off I go to find the darn child lock!

A Picture of the Lunar Eclipse!

Did you know we had a lunar eclipse? I do not know if the whole country could see it, but my sister called and told me about so we went outside and took a gander at it! I thought it was very pretty, but it was cold outside, so I did not stay out long to see it! I am a wuss! We will not be seeing another one of these until 2010 apparently. Hopefully it will be in the summer and by then all the kids will be old enough to enjoy staying up and going outside to watch it! Levi got out his tripod and took a picture. I thought it turned out pretty good for a digital point and shoot!

The Big Hike!

We have had some wonderful weather lately and it was going to be a beautful day on President's Day, so Levi told Nolan he would take him for a hike! They both were so excited to go! So they went to Reedy Creek Park, which has some beautiful walking trails. At the nature center they found out they could check out a hiking backpack for the kids if you left your ID. So Nolan had a backpack with a compass, binoculars, and a guidebook on the wildlife in the area. I went to the gym with the girls and was a little concerned when I got back home that I did not hear from them. Turns out they were taking a path to the stone house out in middle of the woods (reedy creek used to be a farm a LONG time ago), and ended up taking a wrong turn somewhere and they both ended up hiking for 3 hours. Levi said Nolan was a trooper, but when he got home, boy was he pooped! His dad was too! But they both had a good time and Levi got some pretty pictures! We thought we would share... enjoy!

Nolan on the fallen orange tree by the stone house!

Showing off his hiking gear!

King of the rock!

Looking out for wildlife!

Hitting the trail!

This is my fav. picture Levi took! A lizard with an attitude!

Checking out a cricket! This was also in his hiking bag!

Levi took this picture because he said it was a cool looking trunk!

I said it was neat how there happened to be a lizard on it!

He said, "What Lizard?"

Do you see it?

It makes me laugh because he also took another picture of the

tunk zoomed in, but he still did not notice it!

He is very well camoflaged!

Nolan at the stone house! They finally made it!

The only problem is then they had to walk back!

Another cool picture of the twisted orange tree!

A Mightly Oak of the Forest!

I just think this is a pretty picture!

My Super Valentines Dinner!

For Valentines Day I made breakfast for dinner! We had heart shaped french toast with straweberries and whipped cream, bacon, and pink eggs! Pink eggs look NASTY before they are cooked. When you drop the food coloring in, it looks like blood. But, they are not too bad after. We also made heart shaped sugar cookies and decorated them! Am I super mom or what?

So, here is a picture of my dinner, everyone eating, and then two cute pictures of the babies this morning watching Lettie take her bath! I combined a heart dotted onesie with the devil bottoms from Halloween for Callie, so she was a love devil! I thought they both looked so cute in these pics!

Happy Day After Valentines Day!