2008 - Now that's a great year!

2008 has been kind to us as a family. I'll be sad to say goodbye to this year. I haven't been able to say that in several years.

IN THE YEAR 2008:

We saw the completion of our new home.

We were able to take a wonderful trip as a family and with 94 of our church family and friends on a cruise to Alaska.

Our agency finally got accreditation (although we'd most definitely still be waiting for a referral if we were still in the Russian Program)

Baby C surprised all of us by entering the world with his Mommy looking on!!


I suppose the only thing that really didn't go our way in 2008 was the Presidential election, but we will just pray for the man who got the job and have faith that God will guide his steps.

2008 was such a great year that I'm almost afraid for 2009 to take its place. How could it get any better???

I pray that each of you has a blessed and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

D! Our Televised Artist!!

Tonight as D and Hubby were flipping channels on TV, she said, "hey, that was my picture." Her Daddy didn't understand what she meant. She said, "that was my drawing on TV" (very matter of factly - as though all children have their artwork televised on National TV!)

A few weeks ago, she drew a picture online and it was shown on Noggin tonight!

(Discomom(m)y is the name she uses to play Webkinz since her first Webkin is named Disco, a pink pony with sparkly feet that look like disco balls, and she is Disco's mommy - get it?)

The most wonderful time of the year

Family Photo Christmas 2008 (with my new super dark hair)

"Glory to God in the Highest and on earth, peace to men

on whom His favor rests." Luke 2:14

Mommy and D in our matching jammies

ready for bed Christmas eve.

D's gingerbread house, she made it with her

aunt and Grandma.

D with her Christmas bounty!

C with his baby sized stash!

"Jolly ol' Saint Nicholas, lean your ear this way.

Don't you tell a single soul, what I'm going to say . . ."

D and Grandpa playing baseball on the Wii!

We were on the news this morning!

We were at Bass Pro Shop for C & D to see Santa on Tuesday night and the news was filming a segment! Here is a clip from the news. You only see us in the background in this clip where he's interviewing the Stroops. I've got on my black coat, hubby has on a black sweater and khaki pants, D has on a red and black dress. I hope you can view it! Click full screen to see D and C's cuteness the best :O)
http://www.ktbs.com/player/player.cfm?video_id=14820&video_zone=11,1

There was another segment on the real news where they show D coloring and writing her letter to Santa and they get real up close. I wish that was the one you could see online.

Replying about some comments

Penny brought to my attention that C's name would be known now by seeing the stocking. My main thing is that it's not spelled out in writing on the blog in order to be googled.

Same with D. I know most of the people who regularly read my blog know her name as well, but I try not to ever type it out. It's not AS big a deal now that we're done with Russian adoption. But still, better safe than sorry.

Gina, I have been saying to Hubby for a few weeks now that I think C looks like the Gerber baby! They have the little face printed inside the onesies and jammies and I'll hold it up to C's face and say, "see, it's him!" Adoption is nice that way, we can totally agree, and not feel bragadocious when someone says our children are beautiful because we had NO part in making them that way :O)

A little more Christmassing

I like this picture because you can really see his eyes here, they're so pretty!

This is my nephew's and his wife's baby who was born just 2 1/2 weeks after C.

We had the idea really early on that we wanted to put them in stockings at Christmas

and take their picture together.

Here is D with her Christmas countdown chain. She takes a loop off every night before going to bed and the last loop comes off on Christmas Eve!

Tag - I'm it!

I've been tagged by Kris to do the "4" tag.

What you do is ...

1. Open the 4th picture folder your computer.

2. Choose the 4th picture and post it on your blog.

3. Explain the picture.

4. Tag 4 people to do the same

This is D backstage before her dance recital in June of 2006. She is 5 years old here :O)

Ok, I tag Jessy, Amy, Lisa and Stephanie