Epic Failure!!!

If you haven't already noticed I totally fell off the THANKFUL wagon! Not on purpose... it just got a little bit busy with Thanksgiving and family and Black Friday and whatever else you can think of. It wasn't because I am not thankful! ;)

I am truly blessed with everything that I have in my life.
The last 12 years haven't been easy, but I have grown and learned so much.
I wouldn't take my trials back for a second.
We have some exciting stuff coming up in our family.
I can't talk about it yet, but just pray that everything works for us.

Until next post... Happy Holidays!!!!!

Sleep

Day #20

SLEEP!!!!!!!!!

There really is nothing to say about this other than

I love my SLEEP!!!!!

I used to be a night owl and I can stay up with the best of them,
but recently I have been getting tired as early as 10!!

Maybe it is getting older.
Maybe it is chasing a crazy 4 year old after working all day.
Who knows, but I have come to really appreciate a good night's sleep!

I also enjoy laying down with little man on the weekends
and taking marvelous naps!
Don't judge... you are probably just jealous! ;o)

Grandma Latham

Day #19

I am so grateful for my Grandma Latham!
She loves puzzles, card games, and of course her Coke.
She can recite the alphabet backwards too!
Doesn't she look amazing for 98?!?!?

My dad was adopted at the age of 5 with his 3 sisters and brother.
Grandma Latham is his biological grandma.

We never treated her like that though.
I always knew my dad was adopted, but I never put 2 & 2 together until I got older.
We would visit her and grandpa every summer and have a blast.

I feel horrible saying this, but Jon and I saw her right before we got married and after that we haven't had the chance to visit her.
Luckily this weekend we were able to go with my parents to see her.
She is the same wonderful person that I remember.
She is fully of spunk and so sassy.
I feel so blessed that she was able to stay apart of our lives after my dad was adopted.

I know I know... I suck!

Day #18

Hurricane Tiger Football!!!
State Champions!!!

Oh what a day! We left early Friday morning to head up North for the game.
It was supposed to be cold with the possibility of snow so we brought everything we could to keep us warm, including ponchos.
After dropping JT off with Jon's parents we headed up to see my Great Grandma Latham.
She will have a post of her own.
We met the rest of our group to eat and off to the game we went.
As soon as we got to Rice-Eccles Stadium it started to snow.
So we bundled up and put on our ponchos.

I stayed warm until the last minute when I got up to cheer after we won!!!!!

This championship was a long time coming.
After losing to Juan Diego 3 years in a row, Hurricane was able to play
Desert Hills... who just happens to be from down here.
It was an amazing game and our boys played their hearts out.
I am so glad we were able to experience this with all of our family and friends!

Little Things

Day #17

It really is the little things in life that make us happy.
To me it isn't about money or material things.
My favorite things are the small gestures.

JT came into the room the other day to let me know he was a cowboy.
He gave me a big smile and said take a picture.
I love my little man so much.
He is the most handsome cowboy around!!!

One more little thing that made me smile.
Little man woke up bright and early this morning and helped himself to breakfast.
Well his kind of breakfast.
Once daddy caught him he told me to get in here and take a picture.
This is what I found.
Remember the "little things" make us smile!

His cars must have been hungry too!

Home Sweet Home

Day #16

I LOVE our house!!!

I fell in love with it the minute I saw it.
Jon couldn't believe that I would even want to go look at it.
As soon as we walked through it he was hooked.
The rest is history!

There is so much more I want to do with it.
Of course it all takes time and $$$$.
Someday it will be exactly how I would like it.
And then I am sure it will be time to move!

Temples

Day #15

Dang... it is hard to remember to post everyday!
I will get caught up NOW!

I am so so so very thankful for the temple.
I am blessed to have married Jon for time and all eternity.
I have also been blessed to be sealed to JT after his adoption.
That day was one of the most amazing days in my life.
If words could describe it I would.
The feelings I felt that day are something I will NEVER forget!

Whether our future children come to us through adoption or biologically.
The temple will always hold a special place in our hearts.

Can you believe little man ever used to be this little?

Prayer

Day #14

I am so thankful for prayer.

I am grateful to know that when I need to talk to god
he is only a prayer away.
So many times in my life I have taken it for granted.
NOT anymore!!!!
We might not always have our prayers answered in the way that we want,
but the Lord KNOWS exactly what we need.
Hopefully one day we will understand what he is thinking.

I am also so thankful to be able to teach
the power of prayer to my little man.

Happy Anniversary!!!!!

Day #13

We celebrated our 12 year anniversary!
I can't believe it has been that long.
Jon is the most amazing guy ever.
I love him more now than the day we were married.

He is the best father EVER!!!
He stays home with JT while I work.
It has been such a blessing to have him home.
It is exactly what JT has needed.

I can't imagine life without him.
I Love You Jon!!!!!

Time Out For Women "TOFW"

Day #11 & Day #12

I spent the last 2 days at TOFW with my grandma, mom, and sisters!
It was the most amazing 2 days!
They have amazing presenters and musicians.
Their messages touched my heart and lifted my spirit.
It was exactly what I needed to hear.
Funny how the Lord knows what we are struggling with.

One of my favorite talks was from Sister Wendy Ulrich
"Your Personal Plan For Happiness"

1.Stop worrying about weakness - work on strengths.
2. Don't try to get motivated to exercise - motivation follows action.
3. Stop trying to find friends - develop the skills of friendship.
4. Don't try to feel happy - try to feel grateful.
5. Celebrate failure. Failure often means we are taking the necessary risks to grow, stretch, and serve.
6. Don't get help for your problems - instead help someone else.
7. Don't endure to the end - life is to be enjoyed, not just endure. Savor everyday delights.

**The key to happiness is having the spirit with you**

Growing Hair

Day #10

Today I am so thankful that hair grows.
JT got a hold of my brother's beard trimmer.

The following pictures are the results of his mischief.
He looks so much older without hair.
I hope it grows back fast!

Hope & Faith

Day #8 & Day #9

"Never think that God's delays are God's denials. Hold on; Hold fast; Hold out. Patience is genius."

The past couple of days have been totally life changing for me.
I have really tried to have the FAITH that everything
the Lord has planned for me will work out in HIS time.

And guess what...
when I have leaned on my FAITH the most...
my HOPE has been renewed.

I am so excited to see what the next few months have in store for our family.

Date Night

Day #7

I am grateful to have a date night every so often with my man!
Thank you to my mom and dad for watching the monster.
It was just what we needed to forget about everything and relax.
Tonight consisted of...
Red Robin
Best Buy &
Shoe Carnival
We talked about Christmas presents for JT.
We discussed the future.
We enjoyed each other without little man yelling or whining.
It was amazing!!!!!

Smiles & Heat

Day #5

Smiles from my little man.
This morning was a bit hectic and JT pushed every button I have.
The amazing thing is...
no matter how insane he makes me, all it takes is a little smile
and I forget it all!

Day #6

HEAT!!!
I am so thankful for our cute little gas stove.
Our heat pump decided to quit working.
Having some back up heat is a blessing.
Luckily I work for an HVAC company and it will be fixed tomorrow for sure!

Music

Day #4

I am so thankful for music and a few specific songs.
One of my adoption friends posted this video a few weeks ago.
I have listened to it everyday since.
The lyrics explain exactly how I have been feeling.
I feel like something is missing in our family and as much as Jon and JT are my life...
I won't be complete until my family is done.

Oops... Day 2 & 3

So I never promised that I would be perfect at posting every day.
This probably won't be the only time that days are together! ;)

That being said... here is day 2 & 3.

2- My boys...

They are my life. I honestly wouldn't be the same without them.
Jon and I have been through so much and our relationship is stronger than ever.
JT is cRaZy... but I can't imagine my life without him.
He is the most amazing little man ever!!!

3- My parents...

If you don't know my parents... you are missing out!
They are the most amazing people in the world.
The best parents that anyone could have!!!!!
It is mainly because of my parents that JT is in our lives.
I am so so so grateful for everything that they do...
and they do whatever they can for all of us kids.

I love you mom and dad!!!!!

Give Thanks...

November is National Adoption month, but it is also Thanksgiving. So for the month of November I am going to post every day something that I am thankful for.

Day #1

I am so thankful for Halloween! Not really the holiday, but being able to share it with my sweet little man! There is nothing better than hearing a sweet "Trick or Treat" when you have waited FOREVER to experience it.

What really matters.

This past week was rough. I am now at a spot in life where I really have to sit and decide what is most important. After some sad news I was angry, upset, and just plain sad. I said a few things that shouldn't have been said and I murmured. I am far from perfect and this week has proved that. The one thing that kept me grounded is the love of the Lord. It never ceases to amaze me that in the middle of a heartbreak or trial, when all hope seems to be gone, HE is right there. No matter what! Even though I know this, it is so easy to forget. The morning after the news I opened up my email to find this video from Hilary Weeks.

It was exactly what I needed to hear and I felt so much LOVE while listening that everything just seemed to go away. Jon and I have done a lot of talking and things will be changing in our family.

What really matters is that we are happy. That JT is happy. As of right now there has been way too much stress and we need a break from it all. I am looking forward to the new year, but I am also looking forward to spending the next 2 months with my boys.

No distractions! No worries! No stress!

Love

I am so blessed to be JT's mom!!

Grief

Grief is a funny thing. Just when you think you are doing ok, it sneaks up and encompasses you. I have sat down to write this post a million times, but my words are failing me. So instead of writing a novel of stuff that doesn't make any sense... here is a quote that has stayed in my head since the baby passed away.

"Sometimes God pushes us to our limits. It's because He has greater faith in us than we have in ourselves."

I have been so fortunate to have such amazing family and friends during the hard times in my life. You all know who you are! I can not thank you enough. One of these days we will understand why we have to go through trials and pain. Until then, hold on tight, it's a bumpy ride!

Can you believe it?!?!

My baby started preschool!

Is he really old enough?
He is spelling colors.
Writing numbers.
Matching shapes with objects.

JT actually stood still while the flag went by!
We survived the "candy" parade at Peach Days

Jon and I turned one year older!
We enjoyed spending Labor day on Kolob!

JT has the most fun when we visit Uncle Kyle!

We were in attendance at a pretty "ugly" BYU game!

JT wasn't quite sure of the horse at Grandma & Grandpa's house at first.

He soon became "best friends" with it!

I can't believe I haven't shared all of the fun we have had the
past few months. I am now pretty much caught up!

So in Love...

My life has changed so much in the last few weeks.

I went from stressed out to sad to feeling so peaceful.

Today I laid down with this precious little boy.

He fell asleep on my chest.

At that moment the only thing that went through my mind was if he was the only child I ever had on this earth... it would be ok!

He is definitely a 4 year old.

A stinkin cute one at that.

He knows just what buttons to push to make me frustrated.

But he also knows exactly what to do to make me smile.

His hugs and kisses brighten my day.

His smile lights up any room that he enters

He is a miracle and He is my son!

I am so in Love with him... more and more everyday!

Want to help? You know you do! ;0)

Ok... so I know that I have asked everyone to do this before, but I just have to ask again. See the cute button for our adoption website over to your right? If you have a blog I would LOVE if you would add it to it. I feel very passionate about getting the word out about us. The more people who know... the more eyes and ears that are open. If you know of anyone that is thinking about placing a baby for adoption all it takes is sharing our information. You never know how our birthmother will find us. It could be through YOU!

If you are on facebook you can share the link for our adoption website. It is so simple... copy and paste www.waitingforanothermiracle.blogspot.com into the link place and click attach. Simple as that! Just think of how far our information can be spread if everyone shared that on FB.

I didn't think I would be able to jump into the waiting game so quickly, but this cute little face needs to be a BIG brother! He tells us everyday that his little sister is in heaven with our dog Niko. He is going to be just a sweet brother!

Let me know that you added our button so I can personally thank you! :0)
Until then... THANK YOU!!!!!

Moving On, Moving Forward

Throughout my life I have been so impatient. Blamed the Lord for making me wait. The first seven years of our marriage was a hard hard time. Not knowing what was going to happen or when we would be able to have a baby. JT came around and my life was filled. Then came the time to wait again. 10 months went by without anything. Suddenly when the time was right we met "T" We were so excited to add a little girl to our family. After months of dealing with early labor, stressful nights, and emotional breakdowns... it all ended so suddenly. We had her room decorated, closet filled, and JT was so ready to be a big brother. When I first heard the news I fell to my knees. The wind was knocked out of me. I didn't think I would make it to the following day, but I stood up. I kept walking. I have to say that I am very proud of myself! I made it through that day plus every day for the next week.

Today marks one week from the time we found out. In that time I haven't questioned the Lord. I have stayed positive and also have really tried to lean on him to understand why these things happen. There are still tears, but I am a new person. I didn't fall and just give up. I remained strong with a Faith that never waivered.

I have the most amazing family and friends. Honestly... I feel so incredibly blessed right now. My husband is my rock. JT is such a sweet boy. My parents and siblings stuck right by my side through this whole trial. Along with all of my other friends and family. I felt every prayer that was offered in our behalf. I KNOW that is what has helped through it all.

Now as we start to wait again... I feel those feelings of doubt try to creep in. I keep pushing them away because I KNOW that the Lord's hand is involved in the adoption process. Our birth mother is somewhere out there. Hopefully she is searching for us.

I TRUST the Lord. I know he has our best interest at heart.

Trials

When I bought the puzzle for our adoption fundraiser I never thought that it would have a different meaning in just a few short weeks. Last Wednesday my life changed forever. Our little girl passed away at 27 weeks. She is literally walking "Hand in Hand" with Christ right now.

I never thought I would go through anything like this. I thought that being infertile was going to be the hardest thing I would have to bare. I know that God only gives us what we are able to handle. Wednesday and Thursday were very rough days. I had a constant headache and puffy eyes. At the thought of our sweet peanut my tears would fall. I couldn't look in the nursery or see the ultrasound pictures.

I am so grateful for the Gospel. Without the church I wouldn't be where I am today. My faith was not shaken and my hope never dimmed. I made it through this challenge walking upright. It was a hard decision to go back into the "waiting" game for adoption, but we decided in order to move forward that was what we needed to do.

Our little Avery is up in heaven getting her brother or sister ready to come to earth. I am so proud to be her mother. She was too perfect to come to our family right now. I can't wait until the day we will see her again!

Lookie Lookie!!!

Our adoption puzzle is expanding!

Thank you to those who have helped already.

I can't wait to add more!

Check out the thermometer on the side of our page
to see how much we have earned!