Oooohhhhh GGGaaaaawwwwwdddd

Saturday I drove to Austin (3 hour drive) for a 1.5 hour meeting. It was mandatory in order to host our upcoming district meet. Adam had so much fun with the kiddos at a science center and kept me informed with photos all day long. The first photo was proof that he had buckled Baby Boy in to a cart....something that I overly obsess about :). When I got home later that night I asked me two older ones what the best part of their day was and this was their answers....
Goober ( my sweet sensitive boy)- ....when you came home Mom :)....melt my heart.
Ribbit (my sassy little thang)......when you left Mom : /....I took it as a compliment to Adam :).

Ribbit has also been looking for God lately. We keep talking about how he is everywhere and how he lives in Mommy, Daddy and Goober's heart. In a very high pitched voice she will say "OOOOHHHHHHH GOOOOOOOOODDDDDD...sounds more like GGAAAWWWDDD"...and look around for him :).

We have been dealing with a lot lately for our adoption. It's almost like Satan is trying his best to keep our adoption of baby boy from becoming final. Today we were told that our 4TH COURT DATE is now not going to happen. I've stopped asking for days off because I just have to retract it the next day. This means lots of communication between us, our attorney, Baby Boys attorney, CPS and our adoption agency....apparently they all don't know how to contact one another so that leaves Adam and I to be on the phone and email all day. It also means more paperwork and more stress.

We want this adoption to happen so bad, so soon for several reasons.
1-we have been in this adoption for almost 1 year......thats a long time waiting to be legally recognized as your son's mother....letting others (cps) make decisions for you.
2-WE REALLY WANT him to turn 1 (on feb. 24th) as a Harvell....with a new middle name and his first name spelling changed. He won't remember it but its something that Adam and I have our hearts set on.
3-Baby Boy has to have surgery on his eyebrow soon. We have been watching a mass get larger and larger on his face and a pediatric surgeon confirmed our thoughts. However, we want this surgery to happen when Baby Boy is legally ours so that WE get to call the shots and we are recognized as parents to make decisions and be with him.

Wonder what I got for Christmas? Well I always talk about how I love the kids separated plates and how it keeps the food from running all together. Sooooo...Adam found me big girl plates that are separated....like cafeteria trays :)

One of my favorite pictures from this years christmas ..... ready to go to church with Papaw and CC.

1st Annual Gingerbread House Contest.....boys vs. girls. OF course the girls won :).

Look at that concentration...gotta get that gum ball on there just right.

The boys went big....a double decker house!

The Winners.....can I add that my children stayed up til 9:30 that night....2 hours past their bedtime....and only went to bed after Ribbit got a spanking.