Making up for lost time

Where do I begin?

It's been well over a month since my last post, and with good reason. The last couple of months have brought the highest highs and the lowest lows of our lives. The sweet addition to our family, Lauren, has been such a blessing to us. She can throw a tantrum like no other, but boy is she cute, too! We love her so much and are so thankful to have her in our fam. She has brought so much joy to us in the midst of our trials.

The main trial we've been facing revolves around Brad's job. I've wanted to share all that's been going on, but haven't been able to. Things aren't over yet, but we finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. And things are turning out much better than expected. Brad and I are so grateful for the growth we've been able to achieve, and are so thankful that we feel like we're passing the test of this refiner's fire. We've become so much closer to the Lord and to each other. We've also come to appreciate the incredible support given by family and true friends.

Now on to the fun stuff. In between the stress and prayers and phone calls and crying, we've managed to have some real fun.

We took a weekend trip up to Brenham and College Station with Spencer, Sara, and the girls. I love that they're family, and I love that we're in this Texas Experiment together. Of course you can't go through Brenham without stopping at the Blue Bell Creamery. Honestly, if you haven't tasted Blue Bell, you need to take a trip to one of the 17 states that sell it. You will thank me.

Our little Blue Bell Darlin'

Moving on to College Station, we ate at Free Bird Burrito, toured Texas A&M's campus, swam in the hotel pool, and visited the George Herbert Walker Bush Presidential Library. It was cool.

I didn't exactly know why they had a bunch of stuff about space shuttles, but we liked it nonetheless.


Future astronauts?



Tyler giving a Presidential Speech.





We also took a fun trip to Utah/Oregon. I missed so many photo ops, but did remember to get some. One of the highlights was stopping off in Ontario, Oregon to see Grandma Schultz. My sweet Grammy, how I love her.





In between these two pictures was a whole lot of action that I didn't capture on film. We had a family reunion up at Eagle Crest in Central Oregon, and it was so fun. Little Lauren was such a trooper, meeting so many new faces and being in such strange surroundings.



Ty had a lot of firsts this trip. He caught his first fish, played his first round of mini-golf, went in his first cave (oh wait--we did do a cave in Texas, I guess it's his second cave), his first hike up a mountain, his first climbing a tree, and tons more.






Poor little Lorzy. We stopped in the middle of nowhere during our long drive for a little break. I think she got tired of her carseat for hours on end. I had to show this picture of her in her little BYU outfit, though. So cute! (Thanks for the bubbles, Suz! They were a hit:)



Sweet little girl. You would never guess she had just thrown up in the car. That's when we decided to stop in Twin Falls, get some 7-Up for her stomach, and take a break from the car.






We decided to visit Shoshone Falls. It's kind of a joke because almost every time Brad and I have made the trip to and from Oregon, we have stopped at Shoshone Falls. His Grandma, an Idaho Native, always talked about how they're the Niagara of the West. Only we never ever saw much to the falls. In fact here's what they looked like on one of our trips several years ago:


Not much, huh? But here's what they looked like this trip:

Much better! I will no longer make fun of Brad's Grandma for calling them the Niagara of the West.

Lorzy getting into mischief.

She would not put that 7-Up down!



Back in Utah, we had a lot more fun. Time spent with Brad's siblings and their families was, of course, special. Ty loved playing with his Grandparents and cousins on both sides.

We also got to spend a day with Ty's birth family. One thing that has totally impressed me with both our birth families, is how much they love and accept the other child. Am I making any sense? Both families are so sweet to treat their birth-child's sibling as their own. It's like both my kids have two birth families now. How awesome is that? Hopefully some day we can all get together. What a great party that would be!

Ty and Granpa Dave checking out the Elk. There's an elk and bison farm just in the middle of the city! Pretty fun!

Ty, with TJ in the background



We tried to get a sibling shot, but this is honestly the best we could get! They were pretty wasted by the end of the day.

To top off a great trip, Brad was able to get bumped on the flight back, so now we have a free ticket to use in the future! Only wish they needed more! Brad and Lauren stayed in Denver, and got assigned to First Class on the flight into San Antonio today. Not bad!

Next up: Swimming lessons start tomorrow!

Oh, what do you do in the Summertime, when all of South Texas is green?

Do you go to a small place...

...to watch chihuahuas race?

And cool off in a fountain nearby?

Is that what you do? So do I!!

Oh, what do you do in the summertime, when the temperature's over one hundred?

Do you play in the water?
Have fun with your father?

And soak up the sun in the sky?

Is that what you do? So do I!

Oh what do you do in the summertime, when it's too hot to play outside?

Do you stay in and color

with your sister or brother,

drawing pictures to hang up high?

Is that what you do? So do I!

First Day at Church

Having a girl is just too much fun!!!

Lauren did great at church today. She was just tired enough from being woken up from her nap that she sat quietly through Sacrament Meeting! Then Brad took her in to try out the nursery, staying with her since she still has a couple weeks until she's 18 months. I thought she might be a little shy, but she just jumped right in with the other kids and had a great time!

She is such a joy! Each day she shows us something new about her little personality, and each day we fall more in love with her. Her giggles, her little songs, her constant gabbing, her sense of humor...I could go on forever!

I'm so proud of Tyler. He is such a good big brother, playing with Lauren, and helping her, and laughing at her. He has little moments where he shows a bit of regression (wanting to do things that she does, demanding a little bit more attention), but overall I think he's handling it really well. It's got to be a little bit hard after 4 1/2 years of having Mom and Dad to yourself to all of a sudden welcome a little toddler into your family circle, but he's been very gracious and I think he's really excited to finally be a big brother like all his friends.

Who could ask for anything more?

My Mom:

Always good for a laugh and a hug.

A beach lover--as long as she doesn't have to cook in the sand!

Taught me to read, and taught me through her example to LOVE reading.

A nurse at heart.

A good sport.

Whopper Lover!

Can put up a tent with the best of 'em.

Always a good crowd.

My nurturing, unconditional, always-there-for-me friend.

Happy Birthday Mom. I love you!

Our New Joy

Lauren Ashley

17 months, 1 day

What a crazy week! On Wednesday, May 20th we got an email letting us know that a birth family of a cute 16 month old would like meet with us. On Sunday, May 24th we went up to Austin to meet sweet Lauren and her family. On June 1st, we brought her home with us!

What a blessing she is to us already. We can never thank her birth family enough, and hope they know of our love and gratitude.

After the placement, we went to eat at a Bar-B-Q, and she scarfed down sweet potatoes, brisket, rolls, mashed potatoes, and macaroni! Good eater!

Proud big brother.



Setting up the stroller.

Eating lunch.

Busted

When we lived in Utah, we loved using our Entertainment Book coupons to get buy-one-get-one-free meals. (We have one here in San Antonio, but don't use it as much because the town is much bigger and most of the coupons are for really far away). Anyway, while we loved it, often times we found the places shut down. Sometimes we left feeling like we got a little bit of food poisoning. We would joke that if it wasn't owned and operated by immigrants, they didn't have their children watching TV in a corner, and we weren't the ONLY patrons in the establishment, then it wasn't for us!

Well, I just found a website that would have rocked my Utah world. It's a direct link to all the Salt Lake Valley restaurant inspections. SERIOUSLY! I just quickly checked out some of my old faves...Cafe Rio, for the most part, does okay, but NEVER go to the one on Fourth South. Really bad score. Su Casa on State Street, by our old apartment (TJ, I hate to say this, I know it's one of your faves) not so good, either. Cucina Deli on 2nd Avenue, fairly good.

What's cool is that you can read what each violation is, and how serious it is. What I saw a lot of in my short search is a LOT of dirty ice machines. Ewww....that grosses me out.

Anyway, if you've got a little bit of OCD in you, like me, this will probably not be very good for you. Thank goodness I didn't know about this when I lived there! Hopefully Texas inspections aren't so readily available.

Search here at your own risk!

Inspiration

My friend Caralee posted this inspiring video on her blog, and I've practically been stalking her site as I watch it over and over again. It is so inpsiring and comforting, and it has changed my thoughts and prayers. I liked it so much that I looked up the whole talk it was taken from. Here's the link. Enjoy.

Bugged

Warning: There will be spoilers here. If you want to read this book, don't read this post.

I'm sorry, but I have to vent. I put a good amount of time in this book. It's long--over 350 pages. It started off slow, but I got into it as I met the characters. I felt for the protagonist, a single mom who started her own knitting/yarn shop in Manhattan. I liked the mix of ladies that made up the Friday Night Knitting Club. All was happily rolling along until BAM! The protagonist got cancer. Great, I thought. I don't need this! So I skipped ahead to the back of the book (does anyone else ever do this?), just to make sure she was alive at the end. I didn't want to know all the details, I just wanted to see her saying something on the last page, so I knew she was alive.

Well, guess what? She wasn't! The author killed off the protagonist!!! I HATE THAT!!! I don't read books to learn about death and dying! There's enough gloom and doom in real life. How dare she get you all warm and fuzzy and then just do that to you? Why would I want to read that? I mean, sure--I can handle a supporting character every once in a while biting the bullet. It happens. I don't like it, but I wasn't too invested in them, so it's okay. But the protagonist? COME ON! It's just cruel. I feel manipulated.

I guess I'll just have to stick with Mary Higgins Clark. Her protagonists never die. They always are in some great danger, and always the new romance partner finds her just in time. Love it! Nice and predictable.

Anyone have any favorite books where the main character DOES NOT die?

Super Guests

This last week has been so crazy busy that I didn't get a chance to blog about my sister and her family coming out to visit last weekend. For their spring break they flew out to San Antonio, then left for a Carnival Cruise out of Galveston, TX, and came back for a few days of touring San Antonio. It was great fun! Hopefully next time we'll be able to go on the cruise with them!

SusieQ still with her Mexican braids, with Hank and JJ on the trolley.

The children sitting on the exact cannon Davy Crockett used in the fight at the Alamo.

One day we went to a little amusement park in a town called Seguin. Here Brad, Reed, and JJ are racing to the top of the rock wall.

Even Tyler braved the rock wall!

Uh-oh. I'm afraid this picture could be used as evidence if the Amusement Park knew about it. You see, this is Brad and Hank racing down. You can see Hank lying down on the slide. He's not supposed to do that. At the end of the slide, Hank had a lot of momentum. Although Brad still won the race, Hank didn't actually stop when he got to the end of the slide. He kept going. Over the green carpet, and through the gate. In fact, he shattered the gate. The hinges were blasted to pieces. It was quite amazing to watch. And he was a little famous that day among all the workers.

Ty, Montana, and Hank get ready to go high up in the air and be dropped--over and over again. This was Ty's favorite ride. He loved the butterflies in his stomach.

SusieQ was just happy to bask in the sun. I guess it has been a pretty cloudy spring up in the Northwest.

So Grateful

Is it kinda strange that I actually feel sorry for people who don't have adoption in their lives?

I know it seems strange, but being in an adoption where everyone involved has the best interests of the child in mind cannot be beat!

Look at this happy little boy. He has so many people that love him, and he knows it.

The above picture was taken this morning, just before TJ (Ty's birthmom) and Donn (TJ's awesome husband) had to go. We spent an incredible weekend with them playing, reading, talking, eating, touring, laughing, and loving.

My heart is so full today--grateful for this wonderful young woman and her supportive family who gave us a gift we will never be able to repay, and grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who has turned all our sorrows into hope, and pains into joy.

I'm stealing the following link from my friend Lindsey at the r house.

It reminds me of this day...

...and why I love Ty's birth family so much. I think birth families sometimes get a bad rap. People judge them and wonder how they could do that? Wonder if their hearts are made of stone. No, just the opposite, in fact. These are the brave people that do the hardest thing on earth to do, all because of true and pure love.

Click here to see the truth about adoption and birth families.

After you watch, you'll understand why we're so excited for Ty's birthmom to come visit us next weekend!

Builders

In Primary this month we're learning a song about being a builder.

The words are as follows:

I am a builder working each day
To build my family.
And I will do the best I can
To serve them lovingly.
I am a builder growing so tall
And learning every day
To speak with kindness in my home,
To help at work and play.

My Heavenly Father sent me here
And he knows I can be
Strong and righteous as I build
My eternal family.

I am so blessed to have grown up with a very special builder in my life. He literally built the house that I grew up in with his own hands.

Under construction, around 1976

I felt so safe in this house. I was always so proud to call it home.

But so much more important than its physical construction is the building that went on inside its walls: half-awake scripture studies; piano recitals and dance performances; Father's blessings; basketball hoops and tetherballs hung from the ceiling for easy practice; heartfelt and understanding discussions; prayer, prayer, and more prayer; yes, some forced Johnny Mathis listening and Lawrence Welk watching; hard work and early mornings; apple peeling and coring; picture-taking; celebrating; schoolwork-helping; family-history digging; and so much more!

Thanks, Dad, for not just building our house, but--with Mom--building our Eternal Family.

I love you. Happy Birthday!

Our Scout Troop had a big yard sale today in the church parking lot. Brad got up at the crack of dawn to help out.

As they were sorting things, Brad saw what looked like Mosquito Netting. He asked Sister Robison, who was in charge, where to put the netting.

She was a bit busy, and without looking at it she said, Sporting Goods. So off Brad went to put it in Sporting Goods. On his way over, she actually looked at he was holding.

"Tulle," she said.

"What?" Brad asked.

"Tulle."

"Tools? Okay, I'll put it by the tools."

"No, it's tulle."

"Huh?"

"It's fabric. It's called tulle!"

I guess it's pretty obvious I don't do much sewing around here.