Brian and Elisha Inc.

October 2011

2011-12-18T17:02:00.000-08:00

Our little pumpkin Lizzy Clara was a ladybug but refused to wear the hat.

Abby was our 4th pirate...all the older kids have worn this costume at one time in the past.

Wesley was a Ninja...pretty scary wouldn't you say?!

September 2011

2011-12-18T16:13:00.001-08:00

Maddie decided to go to public school. She is in a local charter school. I must say it was really hard for me. I love having my children home, but it seemed the right thing to do at the time. She has had the opportunity to be involved in choir and take Spanish and PE, which she has really enjoyed. Not sure what the plan will be for next year, but I think it has been a good experience for her.

Our Summer

2011-08-28T13:32:00.000-07:00

Our summer has been enjoyable and a little busy, thus the reason why I haven't written for awhile. Here are the highlights:

- Clara celebrated her 1st birthday on June 14th. We finally received her birth certificate which states that Brian and I are her birth parents. What a joy that was to see.

- Kaylie celebrated her 16th birthday on June 15th. We gave her a little get away for her present. Her dad took her and Maddie up to Provo for a two-night stay at a hotel. Little did she know that two of her dearest friends were up there to surprise her. One lives in New York and the other in Indiana. They had a wonderful time catching up and enjoyed a day at Seven Peaks Water Park.

- Kaylie took her driver's ed course plus did her required driving with an instructor and passed her test. She just has to wait until October to get her license. I am so glad that is over, and am excited that she will soon be able to drive herself to seminary.

- July 4th was spent at our dear friends' home, Worth and Glenda. There was great food, conversation and fireworks. It has become a tradition for us.

- Wesley received his Bear badge.

- Brian went to Germany on business. I don't usually get jealous when he travels, but I must admit that I was a little envious this time. Germany is one place I would absolutely love to visit. I did get some Swiss chocolate out it.

- Wesley celebrated his 10th birthday on July 16th. He was able to take a few friends to see the new movie "Cars".

- Kaylie and Maddie went to girls' camp at the end of July. The first day they were poured on but the rest of the week was pleasant.

- My parents celebrated their 58th wedding anniversary on July 21st. I think that is pretty awesome.

- The 24th of July was celebrated here in our small town. Brian was over the festivities, so he was a little uptight, but it turned out wonderful. We had a parade, dinner at the park and lots of fun booths, plus entertainment. We look forward to it every year.

- My sister and brother and their families came to surprise my parents. They had no clue they were coming. Brian was in Asia on business, so he missed out. My kids and I lured my parents to Ihop, telling them that it was a late anniversary gift. I wish we would have got a picture of their faces when they saw everyone waiting there for them. It was priceless. It was a wonderful day, and I know my parents absolutely loved it.

- We took our annual vacation to Salt Lake City on August 11-13. We visited Temple Square (Brian and the kids got to see the Mormon Tabernacle Choir practice), went to This is the Place Heritage Park, ate at the Old Spaghetti Factory, did some swimming and finished it off with the Jones reunion up at Settlement Canyon in Tooele. We look forward to this every year.

School starts for us on September 6th, so we have one more week before we are on a pretty strict schedule. We are trying to get into bed early and wake up for prayer and scriptures so we have that established when school starts.

Lizzy's Blessing

2011-06-10T17:19:00.000-07:00

Lizzy was blessed on June 5th by her daddy. This is a smile box created by her sister in honor of her special day. Read the story, it is so funny!

This photo slideshow created with Smilebox

"Much Ado About Nothing" and a Birthday

2011-06-10T16:29:00.000-07:00

This year in commonwealth the kids put on the Shakespeare play "Much Ado About Nothing". Maddie was part of the watch...she had to dress up as a boy. Wow, what a transformation! She did a great job. The kids also had the opportunity to go up to the Heber Valley Girls' Camp to perform their play to other commonwealth groups at the Shakespeare Showdown. They had a great time.

Maddie turned "13" on the 22nd, so she is officially a teenager. She was able to have a couple of friends over for dinner then go to the new aquatic center.

Milestones

2011-05-05T13:43:00.000-07:00

Our sweet babies are growing so fast! It is hard to keep up with them.

As you can see, Clara is walking. She started at 10 months. It is the funniest thing to see because she is so little. She can now manage to get around the house quite quickly. Before you know it, she will be running.

Little Lizzy is smiling and cooing. When she smiles, her whole face lights up. Clara prtty much thinks she is a toy. We have to keep Lizzy up, or else she gets extra loved by Clara.

More exciting news is that Kaylie got her learner's permit. She will be taking Drivers Ed. in June, and should have her license in September...Yeah! I can't wait.

Life is Good

2011-04-15T18:33:00.000-07:00

Life is pretty busy at the Jones home, but we wouldn't want it any other way. I usually get a shower by 3pm, the laundry mostly gets done, numerous diapers are changed in a day and naps are a welcomed event. But above all we are having fun, and I mean that with all sincerity. These two babies have brought so much joy to our home.

Lizzy is getting to be quite the chunk. As my dad said to her, "Your mom is agreeing with you." She really likes to eat. She will pass up Clara in no time. We make the joke that she will be handing her clothes down to Clara. She is a very good and quiet baby. Basically she eats and sleeps. I think she is going to be quite layed back. I love to kiss and squish her.

Clara is growing...just not very fast. She weighs in at a big 14 lbs. and is about 26 inches. As you can see by the picture, she can now reach the piano keys. We are waiting for her to walk at any time, she is so close. Her smile melts us, especially her version of "Popeye". She is also a great little dancer. Whenever she hears a beat, she nods her head back and forth and jerks her body. Even the sound of the washing machine can get her going. She keeps us laughing.

Abby is just growing up too fast. She just lost her third tooth, but I think it is adorable. She wears this wrap I am supposed to carry the baby in as a dress. She has also worn it on her head to be Rapunzel, she would even carry the excess just like Rapunzel did in the movie.

Kaylie and Maddie went out in a snow storm to take pictures. I loved how this one turned out! I know I am bias, but I think they are beautiful. Kaylie is really getting good at photography and if it wasn't for her, I wouldn't have all these great pictures to put on my blog. Maddie just got her bottom set of braces. Her teeth are looking great.

Here is Wesley with his "Cool Creation" design that he sent into Lego. He labeled it "Blade Dragon". He absolutely loves Legos. He now has decided that he no longer wants to be a garbage man but a Lego designer. I think it sounds like a great idea!

Happy Birthday Nicolas!

2011-03-18T12:53:00.000-07:00

It has been 2 years since our sweet baby boy left us. I have had a lot of mixed emotions with the birth of Lizzy and the birthday of Nicolas. After I gave birth to Lizzy, I kept worrying that something would happen to her. She seemed so fragile. On our ride home from the hospital, I expressed to Brian how nice it was to be bringing a baby home from the hospital instead of coming home with empty hands.

Looking back at the last 2 years, I see the Lord's hand in it all. If Nicolas would have survived we wouldn't have Clara and maybe not even Lizzy. There was a purpose in his leaving us, even though it was terribly difficult. Clara needed a home, Nicolas made that possible.

Our little Lizzy looks just like Nicolas. I will be looking at her and see Nicolas' pictures and think what a tender mercy from the Lord. Now as she grows up, I will know what he would have looked like.

Abby still wants to make sure that we have everything for Nicolas, such as a bed, clothes, car seat. She still doesn't quite get where he is, but she knows he is coming back, and that is the important part. I too know he is coming back, and then I will have him to raise. How grateful I am for that knowledge, to know he is only gone for a short while.

Lizzy is Here!!

2011-03-09T16:39:00.001-08:00

After a long labor, she is finally here, and she is beautiful!

We went to the hospital at 1am for my induction, but they didn't actually start me until 2:30am. Let's just say my body wasn't ready, and she could have stayed in another week. She had a lot of vernix on her when she came out. But with my history and us all being on pins and needles including my doctor...it was a good thing she was delivered.

We had a little scare. Around 2:30pm my doctor came in to break my water. After he left, Lizzy's little heart rate went down. I could hear it, then noticed that my nurse looked concerned. She turned me to my other side hoping for a change, but it then stopped then came back slow. I started panicking and crying, not wanting something to happen to this little one. She called my doctor STAT then put me on oxygen. He came running back and put a fetal monitor on Lizzy's head. Her heart rate came back up and was stabilized. The oxygen remained for the rest of labor, just to make sure Lizzy was getting enough.

Here I am sporting the cute oxygen mask.

It took so long for me to dilate. They would come check me and I wouldn't have changed or have only gone up one centimeter. It was getting a little frustrated. I must say how grateful I was for the epidural. I couldn't have stood laying on the bed in that much pain for that long. Then we found out she was posterior, so I would have had back labor, which I hear is horrible. My back was very sore after the epidural had worn off.

When I got to an 8, my doctor said it was time to get her delivered, so he had me start pushing to try and get me to a 10, but my body still wouldn't cooperate. He left me to labor for a little longer. My nurse left the room as well, saying that when I felt pressure to let her know. About 15 minutes later the pressure came...the nurse was called...the doctor was called...and pushing began. She still didn't come. Then my doctor could feel that she was face up. He turned her and in one push she was out. She came into this world at 3:54pm, only 15 hours after being admitted to the hospital...ha! ha! ha! She had the cord wrapped around her neck twice and her arm once, but she was fine.

Here she is soon after delivery.

Weighing in at 7lbs. 8oz (our biggest baby) and 20 1/2 inches long.

Me looking a little worn out. It truly was a long day.

First bath

Look at those fat chops!

All prettied up. The pictures are mostly in black and white because the picture taking was left up to me and Brian. We had the camera on the wrong setting. I am so grateful for my girls when it comes to picture taking.

With her big sister, Maddie

Me and Kaylie

Me with my little Clara, who isn't quite sure what to think about this new little baby.

In color (the girls had showed up to save their parents)

With her big brother, Wes

Abby was so excited to meet Lizzy.

My two babies

I am so grateful that she is safely here. I am so thankful for such a wonderful doctor who has helped me through the last 2 1/2 years, through a Placenta Previa, the loss of Nicolas, two miscarriages and finally a happy ending. Later in the evening he came to visit us in our room and told us that the heart rate dropping and the cord around her neck are things that happen, but we were just all on edge with what had happened in the past. I was also grateful for the tender mercy of the Lord. I prayed that I would be able to have the nurse that was with me through the last hospital stays. How happy I was to see her that day. She was able to be with me through the whole thing. I can't tell you how wonderful it is to have these sweet little babies in our home. The Lord has truly blessed our family and taught us a lot in the process.

No Baby Yet

2011-03-03T17:10:00.000-08:00

This little one has decided she doesn't want to come into this crazy world...and frankly, I don't blame her. My doctor has been having me come in for monitoring twice a week for the last 3-4 weeks. Needless to say, he just wants everything to turn out okay this time. He is a great doctor. All is well with little Lizzy, I have had no need for concern. He won't let me go past 41 weeks, which means he has scheduled me for an induction...AT 1AM MONDAY MORNING! Who has ever heard of being scheduled that early? I am praying very hard that she decides to come on her own, so I don't have to have the Pitocin nor go in at that ghastly hour.

Other than that, I feel great, no contractions, no aches or pains. Sometimes I still forget that I am pregnant, except when I bend over or try to fit betweeen something that is a little too tight. I am being patient, and have handed it over to the Lord. He knows my wishes, but He also knows what is best for me and the baby. We will just see what happens. I will post after the sweet little thing arrives.

Clara's Sealing & Blessing

2011-02-08T20:01:00.000-08:00

This was the most amazing weekend! The sealing was more than I ever expected. Just walking into the temple, I started getting tears in my eyes. I had waited for that day for almost 8 months. It was one of the hardest journeys I have ever taken, but so very worth it.

The temple workers treated us so special. The sweet sister who was assigned to me wouldn't let me carry my bags, she held my hand, continued to ask me if I needed anything...I felt like a bride on her wedding day. I was so grateful for all their kindness.

Walking into the sealing room and seeing family and friends there, I couldn't help to get emotional. But when our children came through the door all dressed in white, it was almost too overwhelming. They were all so beautiful...tears just started to fall. Clara was all smiles, like she knew exactly what was happening. It didn't last long though. The room was very hot, and she had had enough of her dress. She started crying which caused the sealer to make it short but sweet.

What an amazing feeling to know that she is ours eternally. She has brought such a sweet spirit to our home and such healing to our hearts. Her brother and sisters just kept telling her, "You are ours now." How grateful I am for these experiences, for they have strengthened my children's testimony of the Plan of Salvation. They know that families can be together forever, that Clara is ours and that we will see Nicolas again. What a blessing that is.

Her blessing was sweet as well. When Brian took her up to the circle, she just kept looking at him as though to say, "Dad, what is all this about." She again cried through that, but luckily the microphone was working well, and we could still hear him.

I couldn't ask for a better weekend. Here are some of the pictures. Just for your information, it was a windy day, thus the nice hairdos. I uploaded more of them on Facebook.

Only 5 1/2 Weeks Left

2011-01-20T20:09:00.001-08:00

I can't even believe it....the time has flown incredibly. I have never had a pregnancy go by so quickly. I am sure most of it is due to little Clara keeping me so busy, and I am grateful for that.

I had my prenatal yesterday and my doctor decided to have me monitored once a week. I am sure it is just to keep me calm. I have to be hooked up to the fetal monitor for 20-30 minutes and then a quick ultrasound to make sure that there is enough amniotic fluid. Little Lizzy was a trooper; heart beat strong, plenty of fluid, cord in the right place. It will be fun to get to see her each week until she gets there. I am just happy that everything looks good. She is head down, but doctor said that it really doesn't matter at this point because babies continue to move around a lot. I just hope she stays that way.

We just moved Clara into Wesley's room, making room for another crib in our room. Our little house seems to be getting smaller and smaller. Every nook and cranny is filled, but what fun this will be. I also added more frames up on the wall for Clara and Lizzy. I even put Lizzy's latest ultrasound in her frame. I just keep looking up at the wall and thinking about all these little treasures that Brian and I have. I feel so very blessed. Even though the path has been hard at times, I see the Lord's wisdom and am ever so grateful for His love and guidance through these last 2 1/2 years.

SHE IS OURS!!!

2011-01-10T12:46:00.000-08:00

Today the judge granted our adoption, and she is now legally Clara Paulina Jones. It has been the hardest 7 months for me, but so totally worth it. I was so nervous going in this morning, but it ended up being quick and painless...only about 10 minutes and I didn't have to answer but probably two questions. The judge could see that Clara was in good health and was bonding well with her siblings. He found it in the best interest to grant the adoption.

I think Clara even knew that what had happened today was special. She was in such a good mood and so very happy. She was on her best behavior in the courtroom.

I can't express the weight that has been taken off my shoulders. Now we have the fun stuff to look forward to. We are hoping to have her sealed to us on February 5th and blessed on the 6th. Then in approximately 7 weeks we have another little blessed package coming to our home. Things are looking wonderful, and I can't even express how happy we are and how blessed we feel.

I forgot to mention that we have a name for our newest addition to be. Brian likes to surprise the kids with the name by putting it in their stocking at Christmas. He did this with Nicolas as well. The name he picked out is Elizabeth Rae, and we will call her "Lizzy". I love it. We had another ultrasound a couple of weeks ago, and I must say that she resembles Nicolas quite a bit. Especially the cute little button nose. Looking so forward to meeting her!

It was an early morning, but they were happy to be there to witness this happy event.

Here we are with the judge who couldn't have made us happier!

Sitting in the Plaintiff seats.

28 Weeks

32 Weeks

Me and my two babies.

Court Date

2010-12-02T17:46:00.000-08:00

Well my hopes to have Clara sealed to us on my birthday will not be a reality. My lawyer called into the judge's office hoping to get us in on the 16th of December, but Judge W. is booked all of December, so we won't have our hearing until January 10th...Ugh! I have to admit that that put a damper in my day. But I know the Lord's hand is in this, so there has to be a reason. Maybe it is better that it isn't right in the middle of the holidays. The funny side to this is that because of how long this is taking, I actually could just wait and have both of my babies blessed at the same time. Wouldn't that be hilarious! We are always joking that Clara will be walking up to her dad for her blessing...it may not be a joke.

Update

2010-11-23T18:14:00.000-08:00

Wow, it has been over a month since I have written anything. I am now 26 weeks pregnant, and I must say that this pregnancy is going incredibly fast. I had a doctor's appointment yesterday and realized that it was 2 years ago that night that I was rushed to the hospital because of my placenta previa. Who would have thought that two years later I would be holding a sweet little baby girl and expecting another one. How blessed can one be! Everything is good. The baby is healthy and moving often. It is kind of a funny feeling when I have Clara laying on my stomach kicking, while the little one in my womb is kicking as well. I hope that they will be the best of buds.

Brian has been traveling like crazy. It started when I left for Wyoming back in June and really hasn't let up. He has been gone away from us more then he is at home. I try to not complain, because with this economy we are living in, it is a blessing he has a job. So we enjoy every minute that he is at home.

Thanksgiving will be spent at home this year...as usual. I really like it that way, I am quite the home body. I think we will have about 21 here in our little home which will be wonderful!

Just for fun, I thought I would post some pictures of my sweet kids. Kaylie is really taking a liking to photography, so she is always snapping someone's picture. I think she does a great job. Here are just some of the ones she has taken of her siblings.

My up and coming photographer, Kaylie, with little Clara

My darling little preteen, Madeline, sporting her braces that have brought her nothing but pain. What we do for straight teeth!

My handsome Wesley.

My sweet Abigail.

Oh My!!

This is Clara on Halloween. We didn't have a costume for her, but at the last minute remembered we had some Build A Bear outfits that just might work. Here she is...our little cheerleader!

It's A Girl!

2010-10-12T20:00:00.001-07:00

I had my 20 week ultrasound today and was surprised to find out that we are having a little girl. I have never felt girl this pregnancy, just boy. I had his name picked out and was calling the baby a "he". Sometimes the Lord works in mysterious ways. I am happy with whatever we get, I just was so hoping for a little brother for Wesley, because he has so wanted one. But the Lord knows best.

She is perfect and everything looks good, which makes me truly happy. I hadn't even taken a thought to girl names, so I will be working on that. It will be fun for Clara to have a sister so close in age. I am just curious how we are going to get 5 girls in one room. Do they make triple decker bunk beds?

Double Rainbow

2010-09-28T19:36:00.000-07:00

My friend reminded me when I read her blog about the title of rainbow baby. The baby that comes after your angel baby is called a rainbow baby. I got to thinking about it, and thought that I get a double rainbow. Clara came to us and soon after we found out we were expecting. What a sweet blessing that is.

I went into the doctors yesterday. Everytime it gets close to an appointment, it seems that I get anxiety. I start getting nervous that they won't find a heartbeat. Between losing Nicolas and having two miscarriages after, I really struggle each time that they put that doppler to my stomach. The first time I went in to the doctors, he had to talk me into having the doppler. I just wanted to wait until I felt the baby move, then I would know that it had a heartbeat. He said, "Elisha, if you are this big, there is a live baby growing in there." I consented and then allowed an ultrasound to be performed. The sound of the heartbeat is one of the most beautiful sounds I could ever hear. Yesterday it was strong and perfect. He decided to scan me because he thought I felt a little smaller than 18 weeks. It seemed like forever until they finally got me into the ultrasound room. While waiting, I had all kinds of thoughts going through my head, just trying to imagine why my baby wasn't growing. When it finally came time to scan me, everything was well, I was just carrying this little one really low. I am 18 weeks and measured right on.

Besides having a doctors appointment yesterday, I also had a hearing in the morning with my lawyer and the judge here. My lawyer was trying to have the 6 months that an adoption usually takes waived, but the judge said no. I was disappointed, hoping that it would all be over. As I was on the phone with them, all the ugliness of what I had to go through in Wyoming, came back. Doubts started coming to my mind, wondering if she would still be ours. Thinking how horrible it would be if they took her away from us. My lawyer is confident and told me not to worry. I am really trying not to. I am hoping that the adoption will be finalized by Dec. 16th and we will be able to go through the temple on the 18th...my birthday. That would be the best birthday present ever. It is all in the Lord's hands. All has worked out so far, I just need to continue to have faith.

Needless to say, yesterday was quite an eventful day.

Double the Blessings

2010-09-08T19:08:00.000-07:00

As you can see from the ticker, we are expecting. About two weeks into the adoption, I found out. I am now 15 weeks and everything looks good. We are very excited, but a little overwhelmed.

Clara is doing so well and finally gaining some weight. She is a really good baby.

Finally Home!!!

2010-07-25T17:06:00.000-07:00

I can't express how great it is to be home, though I did love spending so much time with my sister and her family. The ride home took us 12 hours, but I have to say how wonderful both Clara and Abby were. They just couldn't have been any better. I came home to pink balloons in my front yard (Thanks Patricia!) and a sweet welcome home sign from my kids. Grandpa and Grandma were there to meet us. The rest of the family were at pack meeting, so we had to wait a while to see them.

I had another surprise when I walked into the house...it smelled horrible! Two nights before I got home, the washing machine flooded over and soaked the whole hallway. The kids and Angie cleaned it up, but the pad underneath the carpet was still wet, thus the horrible smell. It was really bad. After talking to my insurance agent and a company who cleans up disasters, we decided we would rip up the carpet (I have wanted to get rid of it for some time anyway)and work on putting wood flooring down. Not something we planned to do so soon, but need to out of necessity. And since we are doing the floors, it would seem logical to do the painting as well, don't you think? So here we go. I am quite excited.

Anyway, the rest of the family arrived and were thrilled to see us. I just love how they have all fallen in love with Clara. Wesley's words were, "I am addicted to her". Now we have something new to argue about, "I want to hold her!" and "I want to feed her!" and "I want to sit by her!" They really are so cute with her. I think Clara had a hard time coming here with all the new people and new surroundings, but she seems to be okay now.

It really does feel good to be home and be "MOM" again. Friday night I cooked dinner, and we sat down as a family to enjoy it. It was such a great feeling. I missed them so much, and I know the feeling was mutual.

Newest pictures of Clara

2010-07-21T16:32:00.000-07:00

This one is for my friend Dawn, who loves Bret Favre.

Big sister Abby with little Clara. Abby loves her new baby sister and is a huge help to her mom.

Don't you just love that hair and those big eyes. She is just beautiful!

I'm Coming Home!!

2010-07-21T15:46:00.000-07:00

My lawyer in Utah called me today and said, "Come on home!". I have been waiting for those words for weeks, and somedays thought they would never come.
I picked up my dear friend, Angie, today at the airport so she could ride back with me tomorrow on my trip home. She has been an absolute angel for me through all this, words can't begin to thank her. Also, I have the greatest sister and brother-in-law. They took me into their home for all these weeks and took care of me and supported me through all this. They are true gems. My dear parents have helped out with all the yard duties and with taking care of my children. I have had so many e-mails and phone calls of support and encouragement from friends and family that helped me get through all this (Thanks Dawn!) I am so blessed to have so many who love and care for me and my family.
This truly has been one of the hardest trials that our family has had to go through, but the blessing of having this sweet little daughter in our home has made it totally worth it. She has already brought so much joy.
Everyone knows that I am a terrible picture taker. Angie is back on the project, so we will have pictures posted soon.

Still here

2010-07-15T12:42:00.000-07:00

I am still here, going on my 5th week. I had some major developments, now it is just getting through the ICPC (Interstate Compact for the Placement of Children). Basically, I hand in all the paper work to Wyoming ICPC, they look over it and hopefully approve it. Then they send it to Utah for approval. Then if all goes well, I can go home. I am really hoping for the end of next week, because I so want to spend the 24th of July with my family. Wish me luck!

Trip to Evanston

2010-07-07T12:34:00.001-07:00

I never thought that I would be taking a trip to Evanston, but you do what you have to do. The 5 hour trip there wasn't too bad, I only had to stop 3 times. I actually was able to stop in Lyman, which was really quite a detour, but it was a cute little town.

Brian was the first one to greet me and his first response to Clara was priceless, "Oh my littleness!" How quick we forget how small these wee little ones are when they come into this world. She is little and teeny. We then went to surprise the kids. They were so excited and everyone wanted to hold Clara. I was showered with hugs, kisses and gifts. It felt so good to be reunited with them.

The one that I was most nervous about was Wesley. I didn't really know how he felt about getting yet another sister. But he just loved her and wanted to hold his "little baby sister". It was too sweet.

I can't make an entry about Evanston without telling about our accomodations. We went a little on the cheap side in order to get two rooms, so we wouldn't all be squished in one room. Well, you get what you pay for. I won't mention the name of the hotel, but it was absolutely horrible. Brian explained that we were on a Chevy Chase Vacation, and he wasn't exaggerating. We couldn't get out of there none too soon. We did enjoy swimming at the Rec Center though.

We parted the next day after breakfast. Abby came with me. Just as we left, she started crying and said, "I am going to miss them." She pretty much cried all the way past Rock Springs. I had her call her dad, but she could hardly talk because she was so upset. I then gave her a Werther's candy and that seemed to change her mood. Sugar can really come in handy sometimes. I only had to stop once on the way back, which was awesome.

All in all it was wonderful to be with them and hard to come back. I am still hoping to be home next week, but it is in the Lord's hands.

Here are some pictures we took of Clara meeting her family. I realized that we didn't get any pictures of Clara with her dad...oops! We will make sure we do that when we get home. Sorry about the side picture of Maddie. I tried fixing it, but it didn't work.

A new perspective

2010-07-07T12:29:00.000-07:00

My sweet Maddie had our dear friend Lauren transform me and Clara into royalty. It really makes me think of things on a more eternal level. I thought it was quite sweet! I especially like my dress.

Progress

2010-07-01T14:55:00.000-07:00

I guess you could say that I am not a very patient person, I really hate to wait. I had been here in Wyoming for two weeks and really nothing had happened in the progression of this adoption. Feelings of hopelessness and doubt kept coming upon me, as well as always wondering if I would ever get to go home. Well I am happy to say that things started to move this week, and we have made some progress. It looks like I might be able to come home in two weeks, which still seems like a long time, but atleast there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

I have to admit that I have truly felt the adversary trying to stop this whole process, and through my natural eyes I didn't know if it would ever work out. But the Lord has been by my side the whole time, and I can always feel Him pick me up when I start falling. Anything that could possibly go wrong seems to do so, but then by some miracle it all works out. It has been quite the roller coaster ride.

Clara is doing very well. I am grateful for this time that her and I have had to bond with one another. I wouldn't have been able to have so much one on one time with her if I would have been at home because of all my other responsibilities, so I see the blessing in this time away, even though it has been hard. I am truly grateful for this experience, it has humbled me and strengthened my testimony more than I could imagine.

Our New Addition

2010-06-25T10:40:00.000-07:00

On Monday June 14th, I woke up to as normal of day as any. I went walking with my friend Angie, and we had been talking about how something can happen in your life to change it so quickly. Little did I know that that would be happening to me that morning. When I returned home, my sister in Wyoming called me to see if I would be interested in a little baby girl just born that morning. Shocked would be a good way to describe how I was feeling. Brian was away on a business trip in Texas, so I needed to get a hold of him, this definately wasn't a decision to make on my own. He called me back and was very supportive.

By 8pm that night I was on the road with my friend Angie for an all night road trip to Wyoming. I must confess I drank my first coke in I don't know how many years to try and stay awake. We made it to my sister's home at 6am. We were able to get cleaned up and then head to the hospital to see this precious baby.

The process of finding a lawyer was a roller coaster. So many gave me no hope, but the Lord was on my side and led me to two wonderful lawyers, one in Wyoming and one in Utah. Plus the social worker who will be doing my home study is a dear friend in my ward.

I have had this sweet baby girl with me since June 16th. We have decided to name her Clara Paulina Jones. Clara has been a special name to me. Paulina is the name of her birth maternal great grandmother. She is absolutely beautiful and such a good baby.

I am not sure how long I will be here in Wyoming. The legal side of this takes quite some time especially since me and the baby reside in different states. I sent my dear friend Angie home on the plane Monday, so she could get back to her family. It has been very difficult being away from my family. I miss them so incredibly that it hurts. Brian has been gone this week as well to Taiwan, so our children have been on there own for the last two weeks. My dear parents are next door and we have so many friends and neighbors that are helping us which is such a blessing. We are going to meet in Evanston this next week, so we can see one another, and they can meet Clara. As long as I stay in the state I am okay to move about. I will be bringing Abby back with me.

Thanks for all the concern, words of encouragement and prayers. I need them. Somedays I think that I am not going to last. I am still not sure if she will be ours, but I have faith that the Lord will do the best for this precious daughter of His. I feel it an honor to be able to take care of her, and give her a good start to her life here on this earth.

I will keep everyone updated on the happenings here. My lawyers our out of town until next week, so hopefully something will transpire then.

March 2010

2010-06-02T19:14:00.001-07:00

I really should just close up my blog, I am so pathetic at it. I am going to play a little catch up here. On March 18th Nicolas would have been celebrating his 1st birthday. I struggled with what to do, because I knew whatever it was it would set the tradition for years to come. I didn't want to have a regular birthday party. I know that some do, that is what comforts them, but I just wanted something simple. I knew if I made it too focused on him, then I would just be unhappy the whole day and I didn't want that, so this is what we did. We bought a sweet bouquet of balloons to put on his grave. Then we decided to go serve someone who needed help. I knew that by concentrating on others in need, I wouldn't feel so sorry for myself. There was a family in our ward that was moving and in need of help, so we went to assist them with their packing. We made dinner and took it up to eat with them. Lasagne, garlic bread and salad, which was the same dinner some dear friends had made for us when we came home from the hospital, was our menu.
The day went well. I didn't shed a tear until I was in my bed at night and everyone else was asleep. I finally broke down. It was a cry of one who has had a big weight taken off their shoulders. I had made it through the first year. There were many ups and downs, but it was good. I have felt the Lord with me through it all, and I have grown so much. Trials are good for that.
We miss Nicolas more than words can say, but what a beautiful day it will be on Resurrection Morning when our little one is handed back to us. So until then, we have a sweet little Angel watching over us.
We love you Nicolas!! xoxoxo

This is our "Nicolas" tree. Some sweet friends in our ward gave it to us when we lost him. It will be a tradition of ours to take a picture of the kids each year on his birthday. How fun it will be to see it and the kids grow, and also watch as we add to our family when our children marry and have children of their own.

2010-02-23T19:13:00.000-08:00

I just had to post this. The other day out of the blue, Abby says to Wes, "Oh my Wesley, you're handsome!" We all just started laughing. Wesley was blushing. I have to agree with her, he is handsome.

Sewing Class

2010-02-23T19:03:00.000-08:00

Kaylie and Maddie had a great opportunity to take sewing lessons from a dear sister in our ward. Their first project was a headband, then they made some darling skirts to wear to church. Their last project was pajamas. To celebrate their final accomplishment, they all wore their new pajamas and had a video/pizza party. I was so grateful to this sweet mom to take the time to teach my girls this important skill. I really wished I liked to sew, but I really just don't! I am so glad when others can share their talents with my children. By the way, the pajamas turned out adorable as you can see.

Abby's 5th Birthday

2010-02-23T18:51:00.000-08:00

Abby celebrated her birthday by inviting a few friends over for a play-do party.

Wesley dancing

2010-01-29T06:19:00.000-08:00

I just had to post this. Brian got a new Blackberry and was checking out all its new features. He decided to video me and Wesley as I was having a conversation with him about his Cub Scout requirements. As soon as Wesley sees that his dad is videoing him, I have lost all of his attention. So here he is showing a few of his dance moves and throwing in a karate move at the end. This is truly what Wesley's personality is like. He is so cute!

2010-01-25T08:58:00.000-08:00

This is the second night as a Pick-A-Little lady. After the play everyone was kissing one another to make kissy marks on their faces. I even got one.

2010-01-25T08:57:00.000-08:00

Here is Maddie's first night as Eulalie Mackecknie Shinn. She did a great job and kept a straight face the whole time!

Music Man

2010-01-22T18:18:00.001-08:00

We had the opportunity to see Madeline perform in the musical "Music Man". Three, sweet, homeschooling moms decided that they wanted their children to have the opportunity of performing and opened it up to other homeschooling families. I am so grateful for all the time and effort they put in to this. There were countless practices involving the learning of lines, dances and songs not to mention the costumes and everything else that goes with putting on a production like this. They were able to perform at the Parowan Theatre. All I can say is "Wow!" They did such an incredible job. Madeline played the part of Eulalie Mackecknie Shinn, the mayor's wife, for one night and then a Pick-a-little lady for the other performance. This was her first opportunity to act, and she did a great job, and I think she really enjoyed it. All the kids were wonderful. This is a picture of the whole cast, but I have more individual shots on there way.

Christmas 2009

2010-01-22T18:13:00.000-08:00

We had such great Christmas! It was very simple and not rushed. In fact, I was really sad when it was over. I felt it was spent focusing on the true meaning rather than the commercial side that the world seems to try and suffocate us with.

Temple Lights

2010-01-22T17:43:00.000-08:00

We went to see the Christmas lights at the beautiful St. George Temple. I just love this temple, not just because it is the one I attend, but because of its pioneer heritage. How amazing it looks with all those colorful Christmas lights up against that striking white building. It is quite breathtaking. Abby was a little upset when she found out that we weren't actually going in the temple. The visitor's center just wasn't going to do it for her. I am sure she feels the special spirit there, and I hope that she will always have a strong desire to want to go there.
The reason that Kaylie isn't in any of the pictures is because she was our photographer. She loves to take pictures and she is getting really good at it.

Christmas Light Parade

2010-01-22T16:45:00.000-08:00

I am really pathetic when it comes to this blogging thing. Here are my Christmas pictures in January. Anyway, this is from our annual Christmas Light Parade that we have here. We have lived here 12 years and this is the first time we went to it. Reason probably being that it is just too cold, but the kids were asked to be in it, so we made it a fun night. We have a dear man in our ward that has put together a train pulled by his Ranger. He goes around our neighborhood offering all the children rides, and they love it. He asked the kids to ride on the train in the parade. We bundled them up in their foam clothing. They couldn't move, but boy were they warm.

2009-12-12T14:16:00.000-08:00

While Dawn was here, we decorated Nicolas' grave for Christmas. She had picked up some cute items. I was grateful because the only thing that we have had there is a pathetic bouquet that blew off someone else's grave...sad, I know. I just wasn't sure what to put on it. I think it turned out nice.

The highlight of the weekend...Bret Favre jerseys for the whole family compliments of Dawn. What do you think? We love them and we love Dawn. Thanks Dawn for a great Thanksgiving weekend!

Please don't look at my formatting. I am still trying to figure out how to do this blogging thing. One day I will get it.

Our Friend Dawn

2009-12-12T14:04:00.000-08:00

Our friend Dawn came to visit over the Thanksgiving holiday. Her and I have been friends for almost 19 years. We met while attending SUU. It is always a great time when she comes. She let the children experience their first "Black Friday". They went to stay at a hotel in St. George, got up at 4:30am and hit the town. She basically gave them an early Christmas, and the kids loved it. When the shopping was done, it was time to play, so they enjoyed themselves at the Fiesta Fun Family Center. Brian and I decided to bypass the crowds and go to the temple instead.

My New Calling

2009-11-26T16:45:00.000-08:00

I knew this call would come when Wes turned eight, and sure enough it came. It was one of those callings that I never wanted, but surprise, surprise, I absolutely love it. I am the Wolf Den Leader to seven active, excited and sweet boys. So far I have experienced taking a trip to the police station, making Indian drums and our newest adventure this month...building book ends! The greatest part is being able to spend time with Wes doing things he enjoys and helping him to earn his badge. Cub Scouts...I love it...Who would have thought?!

Abby's Haircut

2009-11-13T15:04:00.000-08:00

Well this is Abby's fourth unscheduled haircut. She had cut her hair twice in the past. Her hair was finally growing out and looking so pretty. But it got in her eyes so she decided to cut it. We took her to the beautician, and she fixed it by giving her a shorter cut and some bangs, and it looked really cute. Well on Monday, Abby decides her hair is in her eyes again and asks her friend to cut it for her. They are certainly not in her eyes anymore. Not quite sure what we will do with it on Sunday for church. It kind of reminds me of a mullet from the '80s. Bless her little heart!

HALLOWEEN

2009-11-06T19:36:00.000-08:00

This year for Halloween we spent the evening with our friends, the Cravens and the Frees. The kids were able to go trick-or-treating around the neighborhood, something I have tried to boycott for the last two years (I really don't care for Halloween). Obviously I didn't win. We enjoyed dinner, playing cards and eating our year's worth of sugar.

Abby dressed up as the blonde version of Snow White. She didn't last very long in those shoes. She had to trade them in for tennishoes before the end of the night.

Wesley was supposed to be Indiana Jones, but his costume ended up looking like a fisherman instead. Dad saved the day with this version of a US Marine...HOORAH!! Wesley was pretty upset that everyone kept calling him GI Joe.

Maddie and her friends, Ashlyn and Wendy, all wanted to be the Barbie Three Musketeers. We ended up finding them these three wedding reception dresses from the DI, then Sister Free added the sashes and tiaras. I think they were pleased with how their costumes turned out.

Sister Free also had these darling coats to complete the ensemble. I think they turned out adorable.

Kaylie didn't really dress up, but enjoyed going out to help her younger siblings with the trick-or-treating.

Just Getting Started

2009-10-03T19:28:00.001-07:00

The whole reason I am blogging is to possibly get me out of scrapbooking, which just stresses me. I love to journal though, so this is a way to combine the two. So welcome to our blog. Don't expect too much. I am still trying to figure out how all this works.