Christmas

Really??

Its already done. Hard to believe Christmas has come and gone...well we have one more celebration on my side on New Years eve. With some of us working professions that require working different holidays its hard to plan for anything on the Holiday with everyone. Anyway we did get our own family celebration done as well as with Dan's mother.

Our celebration.....

 Dan's mom's celebration....

 NeVaeh is more comfortable sitting outside of a crowded room and opening presents.

goofball!!

Andres and Aaliyah model their new jammies from Santa ;)

 Must say I really felt the holiday cheer this year. I appreciate what Christmas means. 

Hearing the music makes me miss brother Paul but it really makes me appreciate all he taught me about appreciating life and holding onto everything and one that's dear. I also feel my Dad near to my heart. I see him in me so much. It reminds me of him when I searched for clothes the other day to realize I they are almost all wore out. He would wear clothes that nearly fell off of him even if he had new clothes in his drawer. He told us there was more life left in them. Realistically he literally would take the shirt off his back for us. Now I don't see us as tight with funds as Mom and Dad were some years but I just don't find time to get anything nor is it any fun to get things for myself. Dan gave me a $100 gift card and told me to buy some clothes :)

Christmas is a wonderful day celebrating the birth of Christ! Our kids are learning about it. Not certain Andres knew anything about it before he came to live with us but Gramma does a nice job explaining it to him too.

God has blessed us with a lot!! He blessed us with each other! A perfect match!

He blessed me with infertility and there hasn't been a day I dwelled on it. We marched forward to seek adoption. Then God blessed us with Three beautiful children!!

Has it been easy....well no! Nobody said it would be..... But then what is life without challenge! It was a very difficult struggle to get to our second adoption with our last two kids. We were on a rollercoaster for 3 1/2 years seemingly like we were never going to get matched!

Now we have these two rascals they give us the run for our money. No two kids are alike!

NeVaeh is the quiet, Happy go lucky kind....yes she's non-verbal but she's also usually quiet...unless she's upset then well....She gets her point across LOL. 

When the other two came along we had to learn how to deal with kids that could talk back LOL....

Andres is the sweetest gentle teddy bear! A very kind, Please, Thank You, I Love You, and always is concerned about everyone else...unless his meds wore off then the little grizzly bear growls through. Usually short lived Now but we get through it.

Aaliyah is a bubbly cute smiley little tricky fire cracker. When she says "I love You" hmmm....unfortunately its usually covering for something. She's  a beautiful sweetheart but she usually has something up her sleeve.

We love our three little sweet hearts. Its a life long learning process. We are greatful that God has blessed us with each and everyone! There is no other family that would be just like ours cause ours is unique and beautiful!

I look at others and see how prim and proper they are.Look at the dance and sports and all. Envy the activities they bring their children too realizing that NeVaeh will never be able to do any of the activities and not certain Aaliyah ever should with her PHACE syndrome and MoyaMoya making her an increased risk for stroke. One look at her MRI and I've had doctors tell me they are amazed she can talk and walk! Andres should be able to do activities if his ADHD is managed and allows him to do so. 

I make sure when there is an activity my children are going to that I have them dressed really nice. Dan told me it wasn't necessary but I said yes! These three are as good or better than the children sitting next to them. I realize many people know they have been adopted and the youngest two came from foster care. I don't want anyone to look down on them. They all three had a rough start on life and I want to do everything in my power to at least make them look better than the kid sitting next to them.

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and Has a Great New 2014!!

The kids had their Christmas Concert at school December 4th. Here's some tidbits of the program. Its amazing how much NeVaeh enjoys it.

      

 

Andres had their Sunday School program a couple sundays before Christmas. Here's a couple pictures of them up front of the church.