Alex's Birthday and Reinventing myself

 Alex turned 15 on March the 15th (again, his golden birthday).  Our dear friends Adam and Crystal Zurligen  made this cake for him and I thought it was the sweetest thing ever.  Not only that, but it tasted delish!!!  Carrot cake is Alex's fav so that's what the field was and the baseball was white cake for the kids (who prefer white cake).  I was touched that our friends would do that for us.  It was a fun night and Alex really felt spoiled, I think.   He also got a basketball hoop for the trampoline, which he spends every waking moment on, unless he's playing baseball :).

Adam presenting the work of art

So my fifteen year old is growing up and I'm falling behind in keeping up with him.  He started baseball recently, is on two teams and is busy as could be.  Oh, he also has maintained his honor roll status and recently finished learning a song on the piano that is, in my opinion, very difficult.  It took him most of the year, but hey, it was worth it, and is beautiful.  He is also playing the guitar and has quite a bit of talent.  He is always writing songs and coming up with new things to play on both instruments.  He is the light of my life.   My first born and my dear friend.  He is a teenager, so don't get me wrong, we have our tiffs, but this kid is a dream!  He starts drivers ed in a few months (once baseball is over) and is excited to drive...his mom is excited too, I must say.  I will be happy when he can drive himself to all these practices!

All of us on Alex's birthday (except me--someone needed to take the picture!)

Crystal and little Radley having bouncing fun on the trampoline.



My sweet friend Crystal, who knows way too much about me for how little we've known each other.  She tolerates me well,  and beautiful boy Radley.



So what's new with "Reinventing myself" you ask????  WELL.....I have taken up quilting.  I got a fabulous new sewing machine from a sweet undisclosed source and took some lessons.  I love doing the quilting and have already finished 3 pieced tops.  It's very fun and lets me be creative.

A quilt I made for a friend's new baby.  It turned out okay, but it was hard to sew on flannel that thin!!!

My first quilt I started at my class.  I wish you could see the print of the fabric.  It's all birds and bird-related it's beautiful if I say so myself.

What else is new this last few months?? Well, I have started to swim a lot.  I am at the pool almost every day and I'm trying desperately to teach myself to swim....you know, the "real" way with breathing and the whole bit.  It's something I've never been able to do.  I'm getting better.  I usually just use the kick board a lot and snorkel, but I can feel my lungs getting stronger, not to mention my legs and arms.  It's something I look forward to everyday.

One more new thing is that Martin and I have almost completely got our adoption work started and going.  We haven't got an agency officially but have done our home study through LDS Social Services.  It's taken a lot of paper work and a lot of classes and a lot of fingerprinting down at the police station (which is the closest I hope to ever get).  It has been an eye opener.  The classes especially have been fun and we have learned a ton.  So how do we adopt without an agency?  Well, if we get a designated adoption we would be allowed to go through LDS, but otherwise we might be paying some major bucks, but it's worth it.  We hope to be ready to start with our adoption blog and pass out cards (yes, they have pass along cards for adoption) and hopefully putting a profile on "Parent profiles."  So look for that coming up.  In the mean time word of mouth is our best friend.  If you have any leads for a birth mother who is looking for a loving family to adopt please pass on our name and even this blog.

We love you all and hope everyone is doing well!!

Heather

Dear Family and Friends


It is with great joy that Martin and I would like to share with you the recent decision our family has made to pursue adoption. We are sure this may come as a great surprise to many of you, but after much prayer, fasting, and confirmation we feel certain that this is a road we are meant to now travel at this time. This letter will share a few of the things that have led us to this monumental decision. We hope that you will read and consider these things with an open mind and heart.
We have felt for a long time that there is a fourth child meant to be in our family. I have known there was a fourth since the minute Isaac was born. Our family is not yet complete. The spirit has over and over again reconfirmed this feeling. Yet we have been confused as to how best welcome this spirit in to our home. I have some health concerns, and as you know pregnancy is extremely difficult for me. Those avenues have not led us to where we want to be. We have spent agonizing months and years trying to make sense of how to deal with health issues and how in the world I would be able to have a healthy pregnancy. We feel this is no longer a feasible option.

We have spent a great deal of time researching adoption, talking to friends and professionals about the process and what all is involved. We apologize for not keeping you in the loop about our thoughts on this topic, but as it is such a personal decision we decided to keep the decision between Martin and I until we had received confirmation about what we are supposed to do.
We are certain that you may have opinions on the decision we have made. Please know that we love you and value your input. But also realize that we have already made a decision with the Lord’s help, and ask that you respect our decision to move forward with adoption. This is a highly sensitive topic for us obviously.

The next steps for us are to choose an agency to work with. We will most likely choose LDS Social Services. We then will need to complete an extensive home study designed to certify us as “good parents.” I wish I could tell you what kind of a timeline to expect – we have been told the process can be very quick (from a matter of weeks) to several years. We are in this for the long haul, and however long it takes we will be glad to welcome one special, chosen child of our Heavenly Father's into our home.

We love you all and are grateful to share this amazing, and somewhat scary, new chapter in our lives with you. Feel free to ask us about the process at any time as I’m sure we will be eager to share details. We know you will welcome this beautiful new baby into your hearts with the same love you have Alex, Olivia and Isaac.

All our love,

Heather and Martin

My Daughter, the Twelve-Year-Old

I'm a couple of months behind on my blogging.  I regret that but onward and upward, right?

Olivia turned 12 on December 11th, 2010.   She had a great time inviting some close friends to her favorite restaurant, California Pizza Kitchen.  I think they all had a fun time.  I wasn't feeling great but I was so glad that I was able to go and see her with her friends.  I liked seeing how they relate with each other and the differences between their personalities.  That's a fun thing for a mom.

I also remember the day she was born and how happy I was to be over the sickness that had racked my body for nine months but also to see this beautiful, fat little girl that has become the sunshine of my life.  She has always been positive and happy, which is something every family needs!

So, now I have a girl in Young Women's, loves makeup and "her" music.  She keeps growing and that's just bitter sweet for me.  I think I will blink and she'll be graduating, going to college and getting married.  I want it to slow down a bit.  She mentioned to me the other day that she tells me everything.  That was so amazing to hear and I am thankful that she is so patient with a mom who sometimes gives her less than she deserves.

Some cool things about Olivia (the 12-Year-Old Version)

1.  She loves Taylor Swift.
2.  She loves art and being artistic
3.  She is an accomplished pianist and is continuing to gain knowledge and talent in her music
4.  She has a roommate named "Tinker," the cat.  Tinker loves her so much that she lives in Livi's room and never leaves.  Partly, this may be because of the mischievous "other" cat that inhabits our house and torments Tinker.  But with Livi, Tinker finds peace, happiness and contentment.  I know she is grateful to Olivia for that.  I love to see them at night snuggling together while Olivia reads.
5.  Olivia loves kids and babies.  They are drawn to her because she hangs back and lets them come to her.
6.  She is an awesome big and little sister...no matter what her brothers say!
7.  She continues to be an "A" student and I never have to remind her to do her homework.  She is a self-starter and responsible.  She really barely needs me.
8.  She recently has left her fear of swimming behind and become confident in the pool, something she has struggled with in the past.
9.  She gives me a hug and says she loves me every night without fail right after she reads her scriptures (she never misses).
10.  She is a planner and a journalist and is always writing something.  She is a talented writer.
11.  She is confident and has much integrity.  Nobody will get her to do anything she doesn't believe in.

Livi got a new haircut over the Christmas break and it's funny how all of a sudden she is this grown-up Young woman.  I love you Livi Bug!