Waiting and Hoping: November 2012

Dear Friends,

Thank you so much for taking the time to get to know us. We understand that you and your family are going through a difficult time and we pray that you will be comforted and will have peace in your heart. We would like to start off with how we met... Breanna was working for a bank at the time of us meeting. Joe walked in with a friend. While we were chatting, Joe's friend cut in and asked Breanna out on a date for Joe. Apparently, Joe was taking to long to ask her out so his friend did it for him. YES! We know what you are thinking, "Why in the world would Breanna even consider going on a date with him if he couldn't ask her himself?" Well, we will let Joe answer that... To be fair, my friend jumped the gun. I was getting to it. Breanna didn't even answer right away, she made me stand in the corner of the bank while she finished helping the customers. Once she was finished with her work for a bit, she basically interviewed me, like I was applying for a job or something. Brea, do you remember the first question you asked me? Yes, I do! I asked you how old you were and then asked if you had been on a mission. When you said yes, I was sold. Oh and to be fair about the "JOB INTERVIEW", you were applying for a job. You were APPLYING to date me! During our first date we discoverd that Breanna had gone to school with Joe's cousin, which makes family gatherings fun. It is always nice when you have friends that become family. After dating a few months, we were married in the Manti, Utah Temple in August of 2000. We always knew that we wanted to start a family, but after trying to get pregnant, we realized that having a family was not going to happen the traditional way, so we began looking at our options and adoption was at the top of the list. Even though our children may not be ours biologically, we will love them just the same. We know that we are extremly blessed to get the opporunity to have a family no matter how it is created. We know this to be true because we have other adopted children in our extended families. Breanna's sister's oldest daughter was adopted. We all love her just the same as we do the other kids who were not adopted. Breanna comes from a family of three siblings, one brother who she is close to. He is fun and outgoing. She has one sister who is a bit younger, but they are still close. She has a fun and outgoing personality. Breanna also has two parents who love their children and would do anything for them. They support them in all they do. They are all very close and participate in many family activities, such as camping, fishing, and weekly family dinners. Breanna has two nieces and three nephews whom she loves to death. Joe comes from a family of seven siblings (one sister and six brothers). Even though there is only one girl, they still like to wrestle around and tease each other. His sister can hold her own. On this side of the family there are five nieces and three nephews. Joe is really close to his brothers, sister and parents. When the family is all together, there is sure to be lots of energy and fun. Joe served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in the Knoxville, TN mission. Joe loves karate and anything that goes with it. He has a black belt in Kishindo which is a Japanese style of karate. Joe loves collecting guns, swords and knives. He likes to go camping, hiking, 4-wheeling and just spending time with family and friends. Joe is also really good at remodling homes. There is always a project going on at our house that keeps him busy. Joe also works construction which is where he gets some of his ideas. Breanna loves, and I do mean loves NASCAR and Dale Earnhardt Jr. She likes gymnastics and cheerleading especially the University of Utah. She loves doing crafts, but mostly enjoys scrapbooking. Breanna loves to go 4-wheeling with the family, fishing, camping, and hiking. She also loves to go on long drives up the canyon to see the pretty scenery. Breanna has her Accounting Degree, but loves the tax side of accounting the most. In fact so much so that she works very limited hours during the tax season. She is commited to being a stay at home mom once we become parents. Our hopes and dreams for our children are that we can teach them to be honest in their dealings with others. We want them to get an education. We feel that it is important that they experience family vacations, camping and sports. We want them to succeed in whatever their hopes and dreams are. It is very important to us that our children always know that they are adopted. We will tell them stories about their adoption and our experience. We want them to always know where they come from. Adoption is a very open topic in our home and with our family and we want it to stay that way. We are wanting to keep our options open for pictures, letters, emails and possible visits in the future. We will always have a blog set up that will be centered around our family and different activities. Again, our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family at this time. We hope you will find peace in your decision, whatever that might be. Best Wishes, Joe and Breanna

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Ward Families

Today I am extremely thankful for our ward. They have been so welcoming to our kids and have been there to cheer us on the entire way. I truley live in an amazing neighborhood and ward. I hope there never becomes a day that we have to move cause this is where I want to be.

My Dentist Visit

So you know that lovely root canal redo I had done a few weeks ago, well something went really wrong yesterday. I went to my dentist for him to put my permanent feeling in my crown and when he started pulling out the cotton they put in there my tooth is still bleeding. Now they have to remove my crown and root around in there to figure out what is wrong. My teeth suck. So today I'm thankful that my kids won't inherit my bad teeth gene...

Sunday, November 4, 2012

Freaking Out

When we got home from church today, my sister had left us a bunch of toys for our boy, so I made him call her and say thank you and this is the conversation...

3 yr old: Thanks Aunt Britt for my new toys, I am just freaking out.
Britt: Why are you freaking out?
3 yr old: Cause I just am
Me: He is just a bit excited and doesn't know what to do with himself.

Because That's What We Humans Do...

So last night we sat down at the kitchen table to eat dinner, when the usual happened. Our 7 year old always has to go to the restroom right when we sit down to eat, so I posed the question, "When you know that we are cooking dinner or are about to sit down, why do you wait until then to go to the bathroom instead of going before?" Instead of our 7 year old answering me, our 3 year old did and his response was this..."Because that's what we humans do mom."

Saturday, November 3, 2012

Today was my little NASCAR buddy's baptism. I am so proud of him for making the decision to get baptized. I love you little buddy.

Photo: My nephew Aiden on his baptism day http://instagr.am/p/Rk1IbaKBR3/

Continuation of Girl Cars vs Boy Cars

Yesterday we went up to Salt Lake to get a rocking chair from a friend. While on the way up there, our 3 yr old was still on the kick of girl cars vs boy cars, when all of a sudden he said:

"Daddy, when I get big and can drive myself, you are going to get little and I am going to put you in my carseat and drive you around to Toys R Us and I am going to buy you a toy."

Friday, November 2, 2012

Dentist Visit

So I took all three kids to the dentist yesterday and our poor boy was completely traumatized the last time he had to go because they had to put him under to do his dental work. Before we ever left the house, he was crying and saying, "I don't want to go to the dentist because they hurt me and my feelings." Poor boy!!! But the outcome was great. He did great and was very brave and didn't have any cavities.

Our 5 year old did great until they had to put the sealant on her 6 yr molars that had come in since the last visit. She didn't like that at all which meant that she was going to make it difficult to put the fluoride on her teeth, but we all survived and she made it through. She also didn't have any cavities.

Our 7 year old she just goes with the flow. At the dentist the kids are able to watch a movie while getting their teeth worked on and so while the dentist was working on one of the other kids, she was watching a movie when all of a sudden she burst out laughing. Her laugh is so contagious that you can't help but laugh with her. She brings a smile to my face and she is a great help around here.

We just love all three kids. They are all so different and have their own little personalities and each bring a different dynamic to our lives.

Little Miss Sassy Pants

So a few weeks ago I was talking to our 5 yr old and this is the conversation...

Me to our 5 yr old daughter: Hey you need to go turn off the TV downstairs and get in your jammies because it is time to get ready for bed. If the TV is still on when I go down to check on you in a few minutes, you are not going to be able to watch TV tomorrow.

5 yr old: Well if you come down and the TV is still on, I guess I will just be grounded then. (with the little head shake side to side effects going on).

I tell you what, if she is already talking like that now, we are in trouble when she becomes a teenager...LOL...

These kids mean the world to us. We have fallen so completly in love with them. I can't imagine our home without them in it. They have brought so much love and happiness to our lives and our families lives. They are truely amazing kids and we are thankful to have them in our lives.

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Girl Cars vs Boy Cars

So the other day while looking for a van Joe and I had a conversation with our 3 (almost 4) year old and it went like this....

3ry old: "That van is a girl car daddy"
Joe: "Why is it a girl car?"
3 yr od: "Because girl cars are FAMILY cars daddy"
Joe: "Look buddy there is a sports car, can daddy get that car?"
3 yr old: "No daddy you can't get that car, cause I want that car"
Joe: You want that car? How about daddy gets that car and you can ride in it?
3 yr old:. No daddy I want to drive it cause it is a little car with a big motor and it goes fast like lightning McQueen.

SO I have come to the conclusion that girl cars are family cars and only girls can drive them and boy cars are things like trucks and sports cars and only boys can drive them.

Thoughts On Open Adoption

Let's be honest, open adoption was a scary term for us at first, but the more we have attended our adoption training classes, the more comfortable we have become with the possibilities of an open adoption. There are so many advantages to have an open adoption: Our child will always know who their birth family is, we will always have access to the birth families medical history, our child will always know that their birth family love them and they will never have to question that. They will always know their heritage and for us, these things are very important. Every adoption is different. Everyone has their own expectations to what they want out of their open adoption and everyone has boundries and a bottom line for they are comfortable with. For us, our bottom line is: 1. Pictures and letters often 2. Have a blog set up just for the birth family 3. Correspondance through emails 4. Calls/Text 5. Depending on the relationship we have with our birth family, we are open to possible visits. (How often is still undecided)

Waiting and Hoping