Merry Christmas!!!

We had SUCH a Merry Christmas....So much fun....and so much JOY! (sorry all the pictures are so dark and fuzzy- apparently the glow of the Christmas tree was not enough for my camera!) This year our Uncle Caleb got to spend Christmas with us! We started with STOCKINGS...SANTA did such a great job!!! About when we were done with our Stockings Granny and Grandpa showed up to open presents with us- WAY FUN! Our children's face were filled with JOY and excitement as they opened gift after gift... They are LUCKY DUCKS!!

Then we had a YUMMY Breakfast, Bacon, sausage, biscuits and gravy and played with all of our new things! That afternoon we went to Grandma and Grandpa Inman's House and had a great Christmas dinner!

HIGHLIGHTS:

Malachi- Money from China (from our bishop who just got back from a business trip) A belt buckle with a Mercury dime in it, and we joined with 21st century, got rid of our 28 in Tube TV and finally got a 42 in. Flat screen TV with Blue Ray (by the way: the Blue ray was from a secret Santa- THANK YOU secret Santa), and Wii Donkey Kong game!

Layne- Financial Peace University, Mom's daily planner, and Some Snowman PJ's, and "How to train your Dragon" movie

Andrew: Leap frog computer reader (from Granny and Grandpa) Spider man Watch, Marshmallow Gun, Dinosaurs, and Spider man punching bag!

Mallory: "Cookie" the Barking Puppy, lip gloss (make-up for her lips), nail polish, Pink Sparkly shoes, and Training wheels for her bike!

Yep we are very excited with all our new cool stuff...I think we will stay in our PJ's all day and play with all our new stuff! We have one more Christmas party on Friday with the Swift's- since they were out of town....

Hope you had a Merry Christmas Too!

Christmas Eve...

My Family's Tradition (growing up) is to sit around the Christmas tree and read stories, sing songs, tell poems and just chat about Christmas....so I was way excited to include my kids into that- so I asked my Dad if we could come over to his house on Christmas Eve! This is Mallory and I getting ready to go....so we went over there a little bit early and played and watched "ELF" and then we ATE, and ATE, and ATE- SO much yummy food! Then we gathered around the tree to tell some stories....

Isn't this the Cutest Mary and Joseph you've ever seen???

We sang Christmas bells, Rudolf the red nosed reindeer, 12 days of Christmas (Inman Style) and Jingle bells! Then we read the ABC's of Christmas (a STANDARD at our house) and Dad told us a Cowboy poem then we read Christ's birth out of the Bible!

After we got home everyone got to open ONE present-- guess what it was?? NEW PAJAMAS- Lucky kids!! Andrew has BUZZ light year and Mallory has Minnie Mouse!

Pedigo Party!

LAST week we went to a few REALLY fun holiday parties...The one I was the MOST excited about was the "Pedigo party" Since our kids didn't get to come live with us until the first of the year they had never met my mom's side of the family.... So I was really excited for them to meet everyone.....

We went Early and watched a movie so they could kinda see people come in little by little- so they wouldn't get overwhelmed with 30 new people!

And as usual it was way fun, lots of fun catching up and hilarious presents, good food and we got to spend some time with our family....I love that everyone lives so close that we can all get together (at least) once a year!

Sealing Invitation/reminder

We are very excited to soon be an eternal family....

So we still have a little bit of time- but I figured with the craziness of the Holidays I should get it on the Calender quick...SO JANUARY 14th We are getting sealed, Please Mark it on your calender! Check your recommend to see if it is expired (like mine was) and get an appointment to get a new one! EVERYONE who would like to come is invited- Please spread the word to anyone you can think of who would like to attend!

Sick kid and Toliet Paper!

Andrew Boy has been sick for a few days....We went to the doctor and he said he is just fighting a cold! There is no infection, he doesn't have a fever....he is just misrable. Poor boy! He basically watched TV and slept all day today!! Hopefully we are on the upswing so he can feel better for all the Holiday parties this weekend!

On a COMPLEATLY different note- check out this deal>>> a 24 pack of Cottonelle retails for $12.49 at Albertsons! This week they were on sale for $5.99! When you buy 3 you get a $5 off coupon...AND I had a coupon that when I spent $40 I got another $5 off coupon....So I bought 9 packages>>>That would have cost me $112.41, but I only paid $58.91 and got $20 back in coupons, so a total of $38.91 so that's less than $4.33 per package, so that's about .17 per roll! That's a savings of $73.50- And I think we are set on toilet paper for the next 6 months or so!

Oh the two packages on top are from Walgreen's- I had some extra register rewards so I got both of them for $1.50 each!

"Baby blessings"

So Andrew and Mallory got blessed this Sunday. Malachi was really nervous, but he did just fine! The kids were REALLY well behaved- we went early and practiced what was going to happen....they were really excited! These are the Two most Beautiful children dressed in white I've ever seen (but I am a little bit bias) .....

Thank you to everyone who came to support us.....We have felt so much love and support throughout this entire process, it was a long road but I LOVE celebrating all these triumphs at the end of this part of the journey!

Christmas Parties!

We LOVE Christmas and try to squeeze as much of it in as we can.... Friday night we invited ourselves to the Swift's ward party! The food was WAY yummy and they had a lovely little Christmas program for entertainment.

Aunt Talitha, Tucker and Penelope were there too...so you know it was a party!

AND those the kids were SO lucky they each got a Candy cane from the Bishop after he read them a story about the true symbolism of the Candy Cane!

Then Saturday was our Ward party "A Night in Bethlehem" the whole ward dressed up in "Bethlehem outfits" and we ate lentil soup and pita chips and sat on blankets on the floor....

We got out water from a well and had a HUGE musical program depicting the birth of Jesus...It was pretty cool!

The whole gym was decorated (the pictures REALLY do not do it justice) it looked GREAT and everyone seemed to have a really nice time!

Reminder:

Today we are blessing Andrew and Mallory in Church!!

Pictures from the Attorney

He finally send us the pictures that the Professional photographer took on our court date!
So this is our Official first family picture...taken only seconds after our adoption was approved! The judge was so nice to take a picture with us!

525,600 minutes

Today is a really special day for me....A year ago today we drove down to meet 2 children to see if they would fit into our family! Weeks before we met them we prayed about it and read 2 HUGE files about how hard their life had been so far! We were REALLY nervous, especially since they lived in another county....how we went forward (how much to visit, when to place in our home) all depended on if they responded to us...I have Never been so scared in my whole life!


I think I prayed the whole way down there...... As you can probably guess everything went GREAT- better than great! They clicked with us instantly and the social workers were so comfortable with us that they let us take them on an outing the FIRST time we met them.... We were guided on what to say and what to do!

(December 2010)

On the way home I felt such a relief!!! All this pain, torture and struggle we had gone through for years was finally over...we had found our children and the rest was just cake!

(December 2011)

Andrew and Mallory have grown SO much in the last year (I know I post that on here a ton, but it's true) They are amazing kids and I love teaching them and watching them grow!

TRUE

That is all....

Quotes for my life!

I love Finding Quotes That speak to me......that Someone else came up with that sounds like what is inside my head!

Going through Infertility and the whole process of adoption has changed my perspective on life. I have always been a "This is the plan" kind of person....I have learned that life DOES NOT turn out the way I planned- but it's wonderful!

I feel so Lucky that Heavenly Father was watching over me!

I am so Grateful for my Children....Especially during this special season I cannot imagine my life without them!

Christmas Cookies!

We are SO HAPPY that Malachi has a job!! And we wanted to send some Christmas cheer to his office....I made sugar cookies all day and for FHE tonight we decorated them so Malachi can take them to his meeting tomorrow morning!

(the funniest part about this picture is that in the lower right-hand corner someone is getting a little lick of frosting off of Andrews fingers)They made BEAUTIFUL cookies! All of Malachi's Co-workers are going to be amazed at how cute all of our cookies at!!I love decorating Christmas cookies! We did 50 tonight (enough for all the boys) and we will have to do a few more for my Visiting teachers and Santa.....although.... Malachi said Santa doesn't like sugar cookies...He said Santa likes White Chocolate chip macadamia nut cookies....hhmmmm....What kinda of cookies does your Santa like???

Then (Of course) we had a little taste before bed!

Just a December Weekend!

Friday night we went to the Festival of Nativities over in the Tacoma stake...It was AMAZING! They had the whole church building decorated with white Christmas lights and had probably a thousands Nativities depicting the birth of Christ.... There were Nativities that were hand made and some that were obviously VERY expensive. There were Nativities depicting a Native American Version, a Chinese Version, a Lego Version- Basically everything you could think of- it was a great way to start off the Christmas season!

They also had a dress up room, so we all dressed up and took a family photo in a GIANT Nativity set! (I'll post that picture when I get it!)

Saturday Morning I had to go to church so Malachi and Grandpa Swift took Andrew and Mallory to Lowes to do a "building thing"....This month they are doing a Christmas train. This weekend they did the caboose, next week is the Cole car and then the Engine on the 17th!

Two Cute kids ready for church on Sunday!!

NEXT WEEK we are going to bless them in sacrament. Anyone who would like to come is completely invited. We have sacrament at 1 o'clock!

Ready for Christmas?

25 days till Christmas!!! I love this time of year!! I love the decorations, music, food, clothes, but NOT the stress...Some people call me crazy but I start my Christmas preparations after Halloween. It's not that I don't LOVE Thanksgiving (I do) but there is just not enough time to soak in all the Christmas time Joy in only 31 days! So My Christmas Decorations have been up for 3 weeks, the lights are on our house, we have been listening to Christmas music, reading Christmas books, and Watching Christmas movies (ELF!!!)

I have Almost all my Christmas presents bought, wrapped and under the tree! I have a few last minute Christmas "candy" things to buy and I have one Run to the post-office so send off a few presents...but besides that everything is done!

I went to the grocery store yesterday (last day of the month, it was SO quiet) and got all the Food stuff I need for the season. Stuff for punch, chex mix, Breakfast Christmas morning.... Now I won't have to fight the crowds for that last can of french fried onions!!

Now we are ready to have 25 days of Christmas CHEER....We already went to the "bridge lighting Ceremony" and the old Cannery. I am planning out our calender so we can fit in looking at lights, decorating cookies, going to see Santa, playing in snow, parade of Nativities, Christmas parties, Making gingerbread houses, Night in Bethlehem, singing carols and spending time with family!!

Merry Christmas!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving! We spent this Thanksgiving at the Swift house... We are so Thankful that so much of our family could be here together, but we really missed those that are far away! Andrew and Mallory had so much fun playing will all the cousins...

While all the Adults were being CRAZY in the kitchen we snuck off and made these BEAUTIFUL centerpieces for the table...They are Turkeys, Can't you tell?

Then it was time to eat...Mallory loved the "Chicken"! Happy Thanksgiving!

Passing on my Love for couponing...

I love to coupon....I love the rush of finding a good deal, combinging a store coupon with a manufactured coupon!
My favorite is find a good deal on somthing I really NEED! Often you can find free toothbrushes, but how many toothbrushes can a family use? But the other day I got 10 (yep 10) Yo-plait Yo-gurts for 50 cents TOTAL!! And we really eat a TON of Yo-gurt so this was great!
The other really fun thing about couponing is when I get to share my good deals! A few weeks ago I found an Amazing deal on Cream of Chicken soup and Del-monte peaches! I had to call my Dad- He gets as excited as I do about double coupons!! So he went out and got some too!

Now that I have kids I am starting to pass along my passion for saving money (wahoo) When I tell them we are going shopping, Andrew will often ask "do you have your coupons?" They help me look for the stuff thats on sale, and they know if I have a coupon we get to try somthing new!

They love finding money on the ground and saving it into their piggy banks! We are going to open saving accounts for them soon and start putting their money into a real bank! Andrew is already starting to help me fill out my deposit slips and they know when they put money into the bank they get a Dum-dum lolly pop (They have them at our bank!)

I hope we can teach them how to manage money and avoid the pitfalls of debt...it's so important and will help them their whole life. So many people don't teach their kids how to Save, Spend and Give, thats why so many people are up to their eyeballs in debt!

Malachi's famous..well kinda!

If you are ever in Puyallup (Pew-al-up) Washington and happen to go to the Library downtown I have a little "I spy" game for you to play. Two places in the court yard Malachi's name is written in stone.... One is this plaque with all of his family on there by the library...see if you can find it!

Another is over by the statue courtyard (on meridian) on a brick- That was his Eagle project and so EVERY time we go to the farmers market, daffodil parade, or fair we have to go down and see Daddy's name! Happy spying!

Backtrack a little!

So I know Halloween was a little while ago and I have posted more recent pictures...but you guys didn't get to see our cute Snow white and handsome Buzz lightyear! Happy Halloween!