My apologies...and some cuteness!

So, first off, I need to extend my huge apologies! I have been such a horrible blogger lately. But I do actually have an excuse! See, my computer died a few months ago, so the only computer I have access to is Chris' laptop that he takes to work every day. Which means that the only time I have a computer to use is at night when he gets home and to be honest, that is the LAST time I want to be getting on the computer! It's the only family time we get, other than weekends, so I cherish my nights with my hubby too much to be on the computer all the time. Soooo, I really am sorry for being such a slacker with my commenting and keeping up with everything. I am hoping that Santa will bring me a computer for Christmas, so until then, I may be kinda sparse. But I love you all anyway and will catch up someday!! Oh and one other apology, I am not a facebook-er. Or a tweeter. So, if any of you have tried to contact me through that, I'm really sorry, but I would never know because I never get on those! I really just added my name to Chris' account, but that's about all I got around to doing. Ok, so there's my apologies! Please accept them!

Anyway, I can't have a post without some sunshine, so here's some recents of the kiddies! (Most are of Tay -- she has to sit still for me, Kai -- not so much!) And look who's sitting up all by herself! What a big girl! Nothing like a ride in a gift bag, especially when daddy's driving! She could eat her toes all day long...and literally does. CLASSIC -- cousin Kaipo just wanting to give LOTS of love, and Kai has had enough! She adores those boys, though! I die over Tay's face in this one! This just drips cuteness all over!

A New Baby H!

I wanted to wait for my sis to post her news on her blog so I didn't spill the beans! So, since she has, I can also introduce my newest little nephew!! And oh is he adorable! Beautiful soft, snuggly skin, lots of dark hair, long fingers, adorable lips, and bright eyes! He doesn't have a name yet, so we'll just call him Baby H for now! I'm so in love with him already! My sis knows how to give birth, I will tell you that! Maybe the practice with the other 3 prepared her for this, but it was the most interesting delivery I have ever heard of! You can read all about it on her blog, but needless to say, if you blinked, you could have missed it! I was lucky enough to be in the room when the little mister entered his life here and though I have had this experience before with my sis and also at Kaiya's birth you never ever get used to it. Each time, I have felt that overwhelming sense of wonder and amazement at the start of life on this earth for these special babes. It is incredible. And so spiritual. This particular time, I almost didn't have time to take it all in, but it was just as special nonetheless! It is such a bonding thing that I get to share with my sister that we have been able to share in the births of our children with each other and it makes me feel so proud of her and so grateful that I get to have her as my sister. She is a wonderful, patient, thoughtful, and loving mother and I know little Baby H has already experienced that love from his mommy. I know I have experienced that love as her sister and I am so lucky to have it!

So, welcome to the world, little Baby H and way to go Britt! You did amazing!

Tricks, treats, some tears, and lots of FUN!

We had a really fun Halloween this year! Since one of Tay's nicknames is "ladybug", I thought it would be fun to let the girls be twin ladybugs! That's where the costume idea came from!

First off was our ward carnival, which was lots of fun, especially for Kaiya! She got LOTS of treats -- got to decorate her own sugar cookies, went fishing for prizes, got to THROW beanbags (heaven for our little baseball player!), and stuff her face with treats. She learned quickly that if she snuck treats while mom and dad weren't looking, she got to eat as much as she wanted. We learned quickly that we had to keep our eyes on her, so she wouldn't eat every piece of candy in the entire place! And Taylor, oh what a little doll. She is just content going with the flow and along for the ride! On Halloween day, we got to attend a baptism of the daughter of some of our really good friends. Then we spent the rest of the day up in Logan, hanging out with Jason and LeAnne and their family. Kaiya and Tay had fun playing with their cousins and enjoying the BEAUTIFUL fall day! We got lucky after all the cold rain and snow this past week! Kaiya really loves her cousins! She has a special love for her boy cousins, because I think it's something she doesn't get here at her own house. She loves to hold hands with Jake, to give hugs to Zack, and to smile and laugh with Ry. It is quite cute, and they are all so good to her and so sweet! Ella is a lucky girl to have all those doting boys around! And she talks about Ella all the time. I think she has actually even named some of her dolls after Ella! Sometimes she is shy and still learning how to SHARE, but I know those two will be great friends! Dirt and a bloody nose...and yet she can still look this cute!the result of some serious trampoline timethis is how kaiya gives hug -- we call them "head hugs" because she only uses her noggin!We got all the kids in their cute outfits and tried to get some pictures, but of course it never works when you want the kids to be good for pictures! Kaiya threw a royal tantrum because we asked her to smile. Hmmm, that's a logical reason to be so upset...ha, ha! What a funny girl. We got her calmed down enough to get a few smiles out of her with candy bribes -- whatever works, right?! Can you have a group of cuter kiddies?!
that is one soft hug! another fit for some reason! luckily they don't last too long!could you just eat those cheeks?! seriously! i hardly had to work for these poses -- they were so in character! Something set Kai off -- look at those hands hiding the tears!But now she's ok again! After pictures I laid Tay down for a minute to go take care of Kai and when I came back, this is what I found! Poor thing, it's a lot of work being so cute! Apparently all that soft cushion in her outfit made for a comfy bed! Then we were off to trick or treat. It was a whole new experience this year with Kaiya! It was sooo fun! She actually got into this year and kinda knew what was happening! She would walk and hold my hand until we got up close to the door, and then she would take off and literally RUN to the doorstep, knowing that she was about to get some more of the good stuff. It was quite funny! She was such a good girl and I think really had fun this year. Tay stayed warm walking with daddy and smiling at everyone!these two were the cutest things, shimmying around in all that tulle! So, it was a very fun Halloween for my two little ladybugs!

Sisters

I often think about how evident the Lord's hand has been in the formation of our family. For so many years, I could not even begin to imagine how things would turn out, what our family would look like down the road, and a lot of times, it was too painful to hope too much. And now, I sit here with the most beautiful, perfect little girls, a family I could never even have dreamed of, and I can see so clearly that it has all turned out EXACTLY how it was supposed to. The Lord provided the miracles and here we are!

One of the things I see His hand in every single day, is in having two girls, so close in age, SISTERS. I think Heavenly Father knew how much Kaiya and Taylor would need each other. How close they would be throughout their lives, the kind of bond that only sisters can have. It is evident to me in the way that Kaiya has NEVER once struggled with jealousy of Taylor, but instead has loved her from day one. I mean, REALLY loved her. Adores her, actually. And Taylor is the same way about Kaiya. They watch each other, they laugh at each other, they snuggle with each other, and they interact with each other differently than they do with anyone else. It has been such an instant bonding and I know without a doubt, this was all part of the Lord's plan for our family, for these two special girls. I am grateful every single day to witness the beauty of how it has all turned out. And hopefully it's not over yet! The future for our family is still in the making!! Here are some pics of these two SISTERS over the past few months. I love to just be a fly on the wall as I see how these two love on each other! So sweet!
(playing chase -- kai loved it, tay had no idea what was going on :) (kai loves to help feed tay, sometimes she's a little too eagar!)(it is so nice that they can take baths TOGETHER now. saves a lot of time, and kaiya is so gentle when she helps wash tay!) Sooo grateful for my girls!

We've got some milestones!

We've hit some big milestones at the G house lately! It's pretty exciting!

First off, our little Ya-ya took another big leap to becoming a BIG girl! WE FINALLY GOT RID OF THE BINKY!! Hooray!! I can't even begin to express how huge this is for our girl! If you notice, many, if not most of our pictures of Kaiya over the last 2 years have a binky in them. She was soooo attached to those things! And to be honest, mom was pretty attached to them too, because I always knew that was the thing that would calm her down when she was upset. It was almost as much of my security blanket as it was hers! But I knew it was time. So, a few nights ago, we were all hanging out and Kaiya was trying to tell us something that we could not understand because of said binky in her mouth. So, Chris says, "we really need to get rid of that thing". I agreed. So, I said, "let's just do it now". So, we picked it up while Kaiya was playing with something else, and hid it away and that was the last time she saw her binky! It has been a couple of days now and honestly, it has been NO BIG DEAL! She has asked for it a couple of times, but we simply tell her it's all gone or we don't know where it is, and she is totally fine and on her way. We've had no tears, we've had no fits, and I'm left sitting here wondering why we didn't just do this sooner! It has been sooo painless and I am thrilled! Buh-bye binky! YAY!!!
(and as a little reward, we let her watch Shrek -- she was IN HEAVEN!!)
And little Tay Jay, she has been grubbing! Yep, it was time to start her on solids, so we have been giving her the yummy rice mush she never knew she was missing! And she actually seems to like it! She eats really well, and finished off her whole bowl tonight, without too much drooled out! She is so stinking happy about everything, that she just smiles through the whole feeding! I've heard from a few people who have reflux babes that it really improves once they start eating solids because it stays in their stomachs better, so I'm really anxious to see if that's the case with Taylor. She didn't spit up at all after her mush tonight, so that was a positive sign! I hope it continues to improve! It's sooo exciting to step through these milestones with my girls. They continue to amaze and excite me with how they progress and change and conquer new things! And it is JUST as exciting the second time around with Taylor. That's the really cool thing! It feels like such a long time ago that Kaiya was doing these things, so the newness and excitement of it all is still very much there! And to experience all of Kaiya's firsts is just amazing too! I feel so lucky, every day!

Kiddie update

Well, since both of the girls just had their doctor's appointments a few weeks ago, I guess I should get caught up give a little update on the sweeties! (sorry, probably not all that interesting to read, but it's good for our family record!)

First, little Taylor Jayne at 4 months old:

She weighs 12.3 lbs. and is in the 25th percentile. And her height is 24.8 inches and in the 80th percentile. She's a tall, skinny one, this little girl!

Little Ladybug has rolled from her stomach to her back and she is sooo close to rolling from back to stomach. She LOVES to suck on her hands so most of the time, she almost rolls over just trying to get to that hand! She is starting to really love her tummy time and can hold her head up really well. She is drooling and gnawing on things like crazy and I have felt a tooth once, but I think it went back in, so we'll see when the teeth are around to stay. She is sleeping 10 hours at night, which is FANTASTIC and heaven-sent, but it also means she doesn't sleep much or well during the day. I guess I can't complain! We have tried rice cereal a couple of times and most of it still ends up on her bib, but she'll get there! She still has reflux, but we have taken her off of her medication and ironically, it seems to have made her show signs of improvement. Go figure! So, yeah, she still spits up, but not nearly as much and doesn't appear to be in any pain from it anymore! YAY!! And we got the green light to start giving her Miralax (MIRACLE powder), and it has TOTALLY helped her in that department, just like it did with Kaiya!

Tay-tay is getting very close to outgrowing her bassinet (she's so long), but since big sister is not even close to giving up her crib, little Tay may just have to settle into our port-a-crib for a few months! She is still the smiliest baby on the planet! I think she would smile at a bee if it was getting ready to sting her! The second you even look at her, she is grinning from ear to ear! And her laugh, ohhhhh, it is to die for! It makes my day! She is also such a talker -- a loud talker. She gurgles and grunts and squeals, just to hear the sound of her own voice! It's pretty funny! She LOVES her big sister and watches her every second that she is in the room. She smiles so big when Kai gives her kisses and Kai is a great distraction when Tay is in a sad mood!

This girl has brought so much sunshine to our lives. She is just sooo happy and pleasant and sweet! Every day I am grateful to be her mom and feel blessed beyond belief that she is in our family! What a beautiful, sweet, sweet babe! And now Miss Kaiya-bear, at 2 years old.

She weighed in at 24.3 lbs. and is in the 20th percentile. And she finally broke the 50th percentile mark for the first time in her height, at 34 inches. Tay may just pass her up at some point, but that's ok, she has got more personality than you can believe in that little body of hers!

Ya-ya is growing and progressing at such an unbelievable rate! I had always heard that kids at this age grow and change so fast, but now that we're actually here, I really can't believe it! It seems like she learns a million things every single day and just soaks it all up like a sponge! Her vocabulary is growing so much and it's getting to that point where we are becoming VERY conscious of what we say, since she seems to pick everything up! Some of my favorite phrases of hers right now, "Here ya-go", "Get in the car", "Night-night time", "Come on, Chase", "It's ok", "Kisses, please", "Hugs, hugs", "Nope", "Cooool". She still loves to say her ABC's, but sometimes gets a little too anxious to sing the song at the end and says, "H, I, J, X, Y, Z". She can also now recognize all the letters too, when they are shown to her and counts to ten. Little smarty-pants!

Kaiya is so passionate about books. I love it when she disappears upstairs and I sneak up there and find her with a pile of books around here, just blabbering on and on as she turns the pages. She even changes the tone of her voice at various parts of her stories or throws her head back and does this funny fake laugh when she gets to a funny part! She is still our little thrower. She just can't seem to stop! She spends chunks of time just throwing things over the couch, picking them up and then throwing them back over the couch! I've learned to just get used to it, except for when she accidentally hits Tay with something. Then we have to practice being very soft! Poor Taylor!

Kaiya is very independent and like most 2-year-olds, very strong-willed. When her mind is made up about something, only a tantrum and then a time-out can change it! Her latest form of fits is quite convenient, though. She lays on the floor and covers her eyes and doesn't make a peep. After she gets over whatever she's mad at, she is up and totally normal again! That's my kind of tantrum -- quiet and not hurting anyone! She still loves to dance and shakes her groove every time she hears music. And if you don't dance with her, she is quick to let you know! She loves Shrek, (even though she doesn't get any of the humor) and seriously CRACKS up at the donkey! And loves Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Little Einsteins while she eats her breakfast in the morning. She loves fruit, dipping anything in anything, raisins, animal crackers, yogurt, turkey, bread, and string cheese. And she has to eat everything with a fork and BY HERSELF, no help, please!

This girl is so shy, but passes out hugs and kisses very freely. She is VERY timid about trying new things or being around new people, but she warms up pretty quickly, if you just give her some time! She definitely has to do things at her own pace and in her own time. She really likes being with other kids, though, and it's fun to see her learning social skills. She loves her dog, she loves her sister, and I'm pretty sure she still thinks mom and dad are ok too. She loves soft pajamas, soft blankets, soft toys and anything soft snuggled up against her face. If you saw her crib at night, you might just think it is a little ridiculous. She has to have ALL her toys with her, which makes about 25 soft animals stuffed in with her. Surprised SHE can even fit in there with them!

As always, this girl continues to melt me. I fall in love with her over and over again as I watch her grow and change and become a little grown up girl! We could not feel luckier to have Kaiya in our family and know each and every day that she was MEANT to be here.

A "JOY-ful" visit!

A few days ago, I got the best treat! My old college roommate and GREAT friend, Joy, was in town from Texas on her yearly recruiting trip to BYU. This is a highlight of my year whenever Joy is in town! She made the drive up here and spent the day with us and it was soooo fun catching up with her! We spent the day talking (like we do best), and Joy got to meet Taylor and see Kaiya again! I only wish our visits could be more frequent and longer! But I am so glad we get these annual visits and whenever they come around, it's like no time has passed at all! That's how you know you've got a really great friend! Joy, thanks so much for the visit! I can't wait till next year!! Love ya, Miss Joy!

Another fun (and very cold) weekend!

Brrrr! What the heck happened? All you fellow Utahns know what I'm talking about. How you somehow go from the 80's to the 40's in one day! It snowed where we are, but didn't stick. Yikes!! I usually hope that we can at least make it to Halloween before the first snow, but I guess not this year! Oh man, it has been cold!! But not too cold to stop us from having some fun!

On Friday night, Chris' parents invited the whole family to go to Thanksgiving Point to the corn maze with them. It was such a fun night!! We bundled the girls up and then went out to enjoy the fun! There was so much to do there for Kaiya and she had a BLAST! Slides, trampolines, a train, a kiddie corn maze, and most importantly, getting to spend time with Grandma and Grandpa and her aunts and uncles and cousins! She is always really shy when we first get anywhere, but she warmed up to everyone and had such a good time! It was really nice for us to spend time with family too! We are so grateful for Chris' parents in providing such a fun time for the family! (Chris' sister and her daughter)(Shooting corn cobs)(Chris and BIL, Brad) (Newlyweds, Wes and Tiffany)(Kaiya taking a ride with uncle Brad) Then, the rest of the weekend we got to participate in our Church's General Conference. This happens twice a year, in the spring and in the fall. It is broadcast here in Utah and all over the world in many different languages so that our worldwide church members can all participate. Even my parents in India will get to see it! Anyway, the leaders of our church speak on a wide range of topics including gospel subjects and things that are pertinent to our lives in the world right now. I have to say that I look forward to this every time it comes around. I love to hear the words of these spiritually strong men and women who lead our church. There is always soooo much that seems to speak directly to my heart and is just what I need to hear, according to what I am going through. It is strengthening, provides so much peace in troubled times, encourages me to be a better person, wife and mother, but most importantly draws me closer to my Savior and my Heavenly Father. I always end conference weekend with much to work on and a determination to be better. I am sooo thankful for these semi-annual opportunities to listen to our Prophet and other inspired leaders! It was all just AWESOME, as always!

We went up to my brother, Jason's house on Saturday night to spend the night and watch some of conference with them. We went out to dinner without the kiddies and enjoyed a delicious breakfast this morning while we all cozied up in our PJ's to escape the big storm going on outside! We also got to talk to my parents on the webcam, with an added treat! When my parents lived in China a few years ago, they met and became very close with a young woman named Helen, one of their students. Anyway, when Chris and I went to visit them, we got to meet Helen and spend a lot of time with this incredibly special and amazing person! She is one of the kindest, funnest people I have ever met! Anyway, Helen came to India to visit my parents this last week, so today, we got to talk to her as well! It was soooo neat to see/talk to her again! I'm sure my parents are just having a blast having her there visiting! So, it was a great day! We also always enjoy the chance to get together with Jason and LeAnne and let the cousins play. Thanks, guys, for always being good hosts!!

Wheelin'

We had such a FUN weekend! Chris got home early from work on Friday, and we were off! We had to make a stop on the way because both girls had doctor's appts. to get their shots (still sooo sad -- you never get used to it!) and it was nice to have Chris' help this time!

Then we headed down south to see Jessika and her family! We got there and after having some fun visiting time, Kaiya throwing rocks and playing with their dog and cats and new kittens, we had a delicious steak dinner! Kaiya was seriously in heaven out there! She loved the kittens (maybe a little too much!), loved all the fun things there were to do out there, loved all the attention she got, and was just so content. And Tay, well, she's happy wherever she is! The kids were both so tired and Tay not feeling so well from her vaccinations, so we got them to bed and then spent the rest of the night (um, yeah, until about 2:00 a.m.!) sitting out under the stars by their fire-pit, just talking and catching up and laughing and even some crying! It was just such a perfect, fun day with them! It's hard to explain the amazing relationship we have with their family, but it's something that we are so grateful for and feel so blessed to have!

The next day, we woke up and had a yummy breakfast and then headed out on the 4-wheelers. Kaiya got to have lots of rides with all of us and she LOVED it! Every time we would pull back into the house, she would say "again, again"! She was having so much fun!
After some rides with her, we went on the most incredibly beautiful ride!! I seriously could have stopped every 5 minutes to take pictures (and kind-of did). I just could not believe how vibrant and bright the colors of the trees were! I can't even describe it -- I seriously haven't been that up close to such incredible changing trees! It was so fun and so relaxing! I could have stayed out there all day! Jess was so sweet to watch the girls while we were out and hopefully she had fun spending some time with them too! We were so sad to have to leave, but sooo grateful for the awesome weekend we had and the perfect hosts that Jess and her family were for us. Seriously, I can't even begin to talk about what GOOD, kind people they are, but suffice it to say, we love them and could not be more thankful for the circumstances that brought us all together.

Thanks soooo much, you guys, for such a perfect weekend!!

Can I vent...just a little?!

It all started last year when we decided to lease our home down south. We found a guy who was ready to move in and said he wanted to lease to own and would buy our house at the end of his contract. That was good news for us. However, we spent the next year dealing with a lot of CRAP with this renter and his roommates and probably should have just kicked him out. But he was buying the house, so we left him there. His contract was over at the end of August. His July rent check bounced. He never paid his full month's rent for August. AND he tells us at the last minute that he's not buying the house. Needless to say, he pretty much left us high and dry and pretty frustrated. But we tried REALLY hard to be nice and agreed that if he would just clean the house really well and leave at the end of his contract, we would forgive the money he owed us. I was never sooo happy to see someone get out of my life.

Only, he wasn't out of our lives. We went down to our house the day he moved out and did a cleaning inspection and to round up all the keys, etc. The house was very clean and he was completely moved out, so we were ok with everything. A few days ago, we got a phone call from our AWESOME neighbors who have been sooo wonderful to keep an eye on our house ever since we have moved, telling us that they had found our front door WIDE open early that morning. We were very suspicious so we headed down south to check things out. When we got there, we found food in our fridge (including a half eaten pizza on a plate) and dishes in the dishwasher. There was nothing else anywhere in the house. It all became VERY clear. Our special little renter had kept a key and had been sneaking in and sleeping there at night and pretty much making himself right at home and then sneaking out early in the morning before anyone could see him. Since he moved out at the end of August, this means he has been doing this for nearly a month! One of our neighbors said they had seen our master bathroom light on really early in the morning several times (and thought that maybe we or our realtor had just left it on by accident. But oh no, that would have been him showering. I called him and left a VERY heated message, but he would not call back. So, I called his mom, who has caused even more problems for us than he has and totally continues to enable her son to be a loser by cleaning up his messes every time he screws up. I have to admit, talking to her was not my best moment. We kinda got into a shouting match. I'm not proud of it. But honestly, it felt GOOD! I had a LOT of stuff that I had been needing to get off my chest for a long time with her and I let her have it. And then some. She, of course, denied everything up and down, and defended her son like he was some saint, just like she always does. Her 24 year old son will NEVER have to be accountable for anything because she will continue to play mommy and never make him take responsibility for his actions. Great mom, huh?

We changed the locks on all the doors and then had no choice, but to call the police because this guy was breaking and entering and we needed evidence to charge him. Only, the police came over and told us there was NOTHING they could do since we had never actually seen him coming into our house. Even though every ounce of evidence pointed to him. I'm thinking CSI stuff here -- you know, finger print the stuff in the fridge that was never there before, etc. But nope, they said there was nothing they could do. So, bottom line, this LIAR gets to break in and live in our house for free, illegally, and we can't do anything about it. Oh, the cops said they would drive by periodically at night to see if they saw any lights on, but hello, I don't think he's going to be coming back now, so that does nothing for us. Needless to say, I am beyond mad. After we tried to be so nice and forgiving of all the other stuff he had done to us, he has the nerve to do something like this. Can you even believe there are people like this out there?! UGHHHH! Ok, I had to get that out of my system.

But while we're on the subject of our house, I want to include a plug. Yes, our house is back on the market and we are really, really anxious to get it sold so that we can buy a house where Chris is working up north. We LOVE this house and it comes with honestly the most incredible neighbors you could ever ask for. We have so many amazing memories there -- our first house together, getting Chase on the first day we moved in, adopting Kaiya, and so many other things! I wish we could stay there, but it's just too far away. Anyway, it's a GREAT house, honestly. We loved it! Here is a link to our MLS listing: If you know anyone who is looking for a home in Utah County, please let them know about ours! And keep your fingers crossed for us that we can sell it REALLY soon!

Park time

I have been realizing lately that soon park time will be too chilly, so we have been hitting the park frequently and having lots of fun! It is fun watching Kaiya interact and make new friends while we are there, especially since she doesn't get a ton of playing with other kids her age. It's so good for her! One of the times, she found this adorable little boy that she followed around for a good part of the time. It was pretty cute!

And Tay absolutely LOVES being outside and just lays there and watches the trees swaying in the breeze. That honestly occupies her the whole time, which is good, since mom usually has to run around after Kaiya keeping her out of trouble! She is such a good, happy, content babe. Thank goodness! Oh my gosh, how Baywatch is this picture! We cracked up when we saw this!! And I love using my new camera lens. I know these pictures don't look like anything out of the ordinary, but the WONDERFUL thing was that I was taking these pictures from clear across the park and could zoom sooo far to catch Kaiya without being in her face like I normally am! I love it!

LOTOJA!

This past weekend we got to head out to BEAUTIFUL Jackson Hole so that Chris could participate in the huge bike race, the LOTOJA! He joined a team with my brother, Jason, and a couple other guys and they all did AMAZING! It was Chris' first time competing in the race and he didn't get in too much training, which made me even more impressed with how well he did! They started the race in Logan and then relayed the 200 miles to Jackson. Chris took the last leg, which was about 50 miles (I think I would drop dead after about 2) and in my opinion, the most beautiful part of the ride. Unfortunately it was a pretty good uphill climb, but wound around through the mountains, following the Snake River the whole way. It was gorgeous! I tried to follow Chris in the car and made some stops so I could cheer him on as he passed by. He got to finish the race as the sun was setting, which made it even more pretty. Anyway, I was soooo proud!! (I am allowed, I'm his wife, remember!) And I was so proud of my brother, as well! It was really fun to follow the guys around all day with my SIL, LeAnne. We got in lots of good chatting time and got to enjoy the beautiful trip, riding comfortably in the CAR! We are hearing that the boys have aspirations to ride the entire race individually next year, which will be soooo cool! I'm excited to make this a yearly trip!

After the bike race was over (which took all day long), we decided to enjoy a little bit of Jackson, since I had never been. We enjoyed a delicious dinner (thanks, Jay) with the rest of the team that night, and then the boys literally CRASHED! The next day we went to a really delicious local restaurant for breakfast and walked around through the shops in Jackson. It is such a cool place -- we loved it! Then Chris and I went out to do some hiking around, considering Jackson is one of the prettiest places here in the west! It was just GORGEOUS and we had a great time together. We decided to leave the kids overnight with a good friend and I am soooo glad we did. We missed the heck out of them, but it was so nice having a little trip just the two of us. We haven't had that since I can remember! And it would have been a miserably LONG day for all of us if they had had to follow the bike race around. The couple that watched the girls said they did wonderful and had so much fun, so it really helped to ease my worries! And our reunion with both of them was sooo sweet!

It was a great weekend and again, I am sooo proud of my honey! He did so well! The whole team did! Congrats, you guys, on a great race!

She keeps growing up!!

Oh my Kaiya-bear! Why do you keep growing up so fast?!Let me preface by saying that for awhile now, I have been singing the alphabet song to Kai and she LOVES it! She normally just repeats the letters after me and then sings the end part with me. I love it. A few weeks ago, I was in the laundry room folding clothes and Kai was in "helping" me. All of a sudden, she starts saying the alphabet by herself. I stopped and tried to hide my shock so she wouldn't get shy and stop, and she just kept going! She skipped a few letters here and there, but here was my little baby saying the alphabet!! So, we called up daddy at work and Kaiya sang it to her daddy as well! Of course we were proud parents, but mostly I was just so surprised at how she had picked that up and I didn't even know it! Then a few days later, I was drying her off after her bath and I was wearing a "Billabong" t-shirt. She pointed to the letter and said, "B"! WHAT?! Again, I had no idea that she could even recognize any letters. She loves to play with her Leap Frog letter magnets and we have alphabet puzzles that we play with, but I didn't even realize she was learning her letters! Oh my! These kinds of things are so bitter sweet. It's such a neat thing to see your kids learning and growing, but I still look at Kaiya as my baby girl and hate to accept the reality that she is becoming a KID and not a baby anymore! Now, if we can just get rid of those "baby" binkies!! Hehe!

A little family va-ca!

As part of my bday present this year, Chris planned a little family vacation for us! We had not gone ANYWHERE all summer -- just a little hard with a new baby -- and we were itching to get out of town! So, we headed down south for a few days. We started off with a little shopping trip to one of my favorite stores that I never get to go to (since they don't have one in Utah), H&M, which was WONDERFUL! Chris was sooo good and just took the girls and told me to shop away! Not only was I at H&M, but I had NO kids! WOW! Pretty perfect!

We stopped on the way back to our hotel to check out the beautiful scenery and let Kaiya get out of the car for a bit and throw rocks -- still one of her favorite things! Then we headed over to our hotel to get settled in. The girls had so much fun at this "home away from home"! Kaiya immediately dumped out all of her books and made herself at home! We jumped on the bed, snuggled, and even popped popcorn! (oh my goodness, Tay's face in this one cracks me up! sometimes it's a bit scary when big sis is jumping on the bed!)We encountered a few hiccups -- like the fact that I realized I had forgotten my bag with all my "getting ready" stuff, but a quick trip to Wal-mart to get some essentials fixed that problem! (Mom, does that remind you of that trip we went on when I forgot my "caboodle" and I thought the world was ending, so we had someone ship it out to us! Luckily, I'm not quite so high-maintenance anymore -- hehe!) Or the fact that our girls would NOT sleep at night, even though they are normally amazing sleepers! Kaiya thought it was just WAY too fun to have mom and dad sleeping next to her, so she would talk and talk and laugh and squeal and throw things and not go to sleep, and therefore, woke Tay up every night! Ughhh! Luckily, they still were pretty happy during the days, though, so that was ok! Chris and I were a little sleep-deprived, though! But, oh well, you can't have a trip without a few hiccups, right?!

Our hotel had indoor and outdoor pools and since it was as hot as you can believe, we had a blast in the water and spent most of our time there over the next few days! Kaiya was in HEAVEN! And so was I, to be honest. I miss swimming soooo much! Growing up, we always had a pool, so I crave it every summer. I will never stop bugging Chris about having a pool, even though it is not very practical where we live! Anyway, Kaiya is such a fish and every time we had to leave, she had an absolute melt-down! She got really brave and went under a few times and was jumping off the sides and all! Nothing makes me happier than to hear her just laughing and having a blast! And Tay was so content to just hang out and watch or sleep! What a sweetie!We also did some hiking (more like walking, since we have the young-ens). We found a really beautiful trail that was shaded, thank goodness, and had great views!
Kaiya is sooo protective of her stroller these days! She no longer will sit in it, but has to push it around and don't even TRY to put your hand on it! If you do, she freaks! It's so funny! She is quite the strong-willed little determined two-year-old! She also loved chasing the millions of lizards and tried to run them over with her stroller! Silly girl!On our last day there, we went over to the temple and just hung out for awhile on the grounds. It was sooo nice to be there as a family and reflect on the blessings that have come into our lives because of that special place! We also met up with Chris' sister Ann and her new hubby, Brad (they happened to be down south at the same time) for some In-N-Out. YUM!

We had such a relaxing, fun little get-away. We didn't really have any plans or anything specific scheduled, which we determined is the BEST way to travel with little ones. We had to take some time out for naps and be aware of when the girls were at their limits in the car, etc. and it worked out so well to just be totally unstructured! We were laughing on the way home, though, that vacations are a whole new ballgame with little kids! You just don't do the same kinds of things as you did when it was just the two of you and everything takes sooo much more preparation and time! But in saying that, it is still SOOO much fun -- just a different kind of fun! And like I said, there really is NOTHING better than seeing your kiddies have so much fun and doing things that make them smile! That was my favorite part about the whole trip!

I'm so glad we were able to finally have a little get-away together and so grateful for my wonderful husband in always planning fun things for our family! It was a GREAT few days!

Twins

Do you think these two look anything alike?! Did I even contribute any genes to this girl?! She is her dad, in a girl body!! I love it, though! I love to see Chris when I look at Tay. It's that fulfillment of complete curiosity of what our biological kids would look like. And somehow, Tay and Kai have matching noses. And I soooo love that too! Amazing, huh?

And this little one, how she melts me! Makes my day every single day with her sweet smile and laughs and funny faces! We got out the Bumbo chair and although she doesn't LOVE it yet, she sure loves the new perspective it gives her of her world! She can now follow Kaiya with her eyes and loves to watch her big sis play! Someday she will be right there, playing (and fighting) with Kai, but for now, she just gets to watch! She loves her toes. LOVES to suck on them, laughs when you bring them up to her mouth, and even reaches for them when she is sitting in her chair. Forget the binkies, sucking on toes is this girls pleasure! Look at that drool!! This girl LOVES to suck on her hands as well. This presents a problem when she's eating because she usually tries to get her hand in her mouth WHILE she's eating. A lot of times, as she is trying like mad to get those hands in her mouth, she ends up holding the bottle by accident. It's pretty funny and she is actually getting pretty good at it!How I love my mini-Chris, and oh how sweet she is!!

Box Elder Fair

Well, we hit up another fair this week and once again, Kaiya was in HEAVEN! Cows, horses, pigs, chickens, goats, sheep -- for her, it can't get any better! Our first stop was this cute cow with her baby. Cute until she head-butted Kaiya!! Chris said he was really tempted to punch the cow in the face (relax, PETA, he didn't!) for hurting his little girl! I guess animals will be animals! But luckily it didn't even phase Kai and she just laughed and moved on. Whew! She even got a lesson in mother nature. She was sooo fascinated by this calf nursing. (Don't you love how that sun spot is censoring baby calf's feeding?!)And thought she could just climb the fence to get a better look!

She tried to kiss all of the animals, as usual, but don't worry, we don't let her! No fear, this girl! She also got to brush the baby cows. That's one thing I love about these fairs -- the owners are always so eager to let Kaiya interact with their animals. And she never denies their invitations, that's for sure! We also went on the merry-go-round, but our horse was a bit freaky looking, so Kaiya was a bit unsure about the whole thing. I think she would much rather ride a REAL horse! She went on a few rides, but truthfully, I think she missed her cousin Katie, who rode with her last time. There wasn't much excitement in it this time around! Doesn't she look lonely for some company?!This was so funny! Taylor was asleep most of the time at the fair, so we were having fun with Kaiya. We looked over and saw the sheep trying to nibble on her stroller! She slept through the whole thing. Sheep will eat ANYTHING!We finished off the night with some fresh-squeezed lemonade and left feeling like it had been a GREAT night at the fair! Easy, cheap fun for a girl who can't get enough of animals!!

A good day!

Well, on Friday, I hit the big 3-1. Well, actually, there's not much big about being 31, but yes, I am a year older! Chris made the nice comment about how I was now NINE years closer to being 40. To which I gladly replied that he was FIVE years closer to being 40! I will always be younger than him!! Hehe!

Anyway, I had a FANTASTIC few days and felt very spoiled and very grateful! I kicked it off with a wonderful night out with my sis -- we got pedicures and she treated me to a yummy dinner and fried ice cream! It seems that these kinds of nights are rare for my sis and I with our busy kids, so it was a really, really special treat! I loved every minute of uninterrupted talking and laughing and am so grateful to have such an awesome big sis! Thanks so much, Britt!

Chris politely left my present all boxed up and taunting me for several days, which I did not think was very nice, but I was a good girl and did not peek! He was home early from work on Friday and so we were able to spend most of the day together which was wonderful! We went up to Logan where my brother and sis-in-law kindly took the girls so we could go out. We went to the BEST, BEST restaurant (Hamilton's) and splurged on a delish dinner and peaches fosters. Oh my heavens, if you are every up that way, you MUST go to this restaurant and you MUST get their fosters dessert (with whatever fruit they have in season). It was to die for, but what was most to die for was being able to spend the evening with my honey. He always is sooo good at making my bday special and he did not disappoint this year. It's so nice to go out and feel like you're dating again and just BE together. It was my most favorite part of the day! We went and spent some time with Jason and LeAnne and then came home to put our tired girls to bed! Thanks sooo much, J & L for giving us a night out! I got the most beautiful flowers and cards from my guy and girls and got an AMAZING camera lens that I have been coveting for years! I am soooo excited to go out and try it out!! Really, Chris, you always pick the BEST gifts and I am always surprised at how much you really are listening when I mention things that I would love to have. VERY good, job, honey! LOVE YOU!!!

And finally, a big huge thanks to everyone who sent emails and texts and called. I am horrible at remembering bdays and so I am always shocked and humbled and grateful when so many of my friends and family members remember me. I had old high school and college friends, new friends and old send me bday wishes -- how cool is that?! And I got to have a really nice, long talk with my parents which was one of my favorite parts of the day! It really, really means a lot to me and honestly, that is what makes a bday so special for me. I have some of the best friends and family that a girl could ever wish for and I want you all to know that I am GRATEFUL for each of you. Thank you for making my day special!

And one of my favorite thoughts from my day this year: Last year on my bday, I was in Chicago with Ash and Britt and I was PREGNANT and didn't have any idea! Little did I know that in just a few short weeks, I was about to experience one of the most exciting miracles I ever had! Sooo cool to think back on that!

(And how lame is it that I didn't take ANY pictures from today. Grrrr, I'm really mad at myself for that! Oh well, there's always next year!)

A Little Rain

Nothing like a little rain to get my girls splashin'! Forget the boots, though, it's all about jumping in those puddles with bare feet! Even Tay got in on the fun...just a little bit! Could her toes be any longer? Yep, those are mama's toes! Oh, I could just eat this girl up!

Happy Two's!

Ok, so this has been a CRAZY fun few weeks so bear with me as the next several posts are me finally getting caught up!

Starting off with Kai's second birthday! We had such a fun weekend with our girl and I hope she had a wonderful birthday! I know WE had fun watching HER have so much fun, so hopefully she felt the same way! We started off by celebrating on Friday by going bowling. Kaiya had never been, so we were hoping it would be a hit and oh man, was it ever! She LOVED it! We played some video games to start off and then headed over to the lanes. Kaiya loves balls and throwing, so this was right up her alley -- no pun intended! She pushed the ball, kicked the ball, and even tried to follow the ball down the alley. But when she slipped and fell trying to chase the ball, that was the end of that! But her most favorite part of bowling was watching the balls as they got spit back out of the ball dispenser! She would bowl her ball and not even wait for it to get down the lane, then take off to run over and wait for it to come out. She was squealing and laughing and just had a blast! And to make the night even more fun, we got to have Jess there with her boyfriend and sister, which was really special! I'm so glad they could celebrate with us! As I watched Jess and Kaiya playing together, I thought, what a blessing that Kaiya has sooo many people to love her! Our family and Jess and her family! After bowling, we came back and opened presents with Kaiya's cousins and had a yummy cake that looked like a fish (since she is so obsessed with animals)! Thanks to my SIL, Beth, for her help with the cake! She was a master froster! I think it turned out pretty ok and Kaiya loved it, which is all that matters! She devoured that thing with no hands, after picking eating all the M&M's off the top first! Funny girl! Then today, we got to have my side of the family over for a little birthday dinner get-together. We had a delicious meal and lots of fun talking and letting the cousins all play together. As an added treat, my Grandma Thurgood happened to be in town and she came up to celebrate with my aunt Jerilyn. It was sooooo great to see them both! We haven't seen them since my parents left on their mission, so it was really great to have them here! Again, Kaiya devoured her cupcake with no hands and was on a sugar high for the rest of the night. But that's what birthday's are all about!! We are so grateful for all of our friends and family who celebrated this special day with our Ya-ya! And of course, we are the MOST grateful for this little ray of sunshine who lights up our lives! Happy second birthday, bear!

They're all gone!

Well, friends, Chris' siblings are ALL married now! Yep, the last one took the plunge on Saturday! It has been really fun having TWO weddings in just a few weeks and we are so happy for both couples. Chris' youngest brother, Wes, married his honey, Tiffany and we were so grateful to be there to witness such a special occasion. They are such a cute couple and we wish them the best in their life together! The day started off mighty chilly, but by the time the reception rolled around that evening, it was beautiful! And it was so fun to be able to spend time together with Chris' family. Congrats, Wes and Tiffany! We love you guys!

Fun With Cousins

We were soooo LUCKY to have Chris' brother and his family come stay with us for about 3 weeks to attend the siblings' weddings. Needless to say, we had a BLAST with them and are so grateful for our relationships with them. We miss them a lot! Kaiya was in heaven having her cousins around to play with -- someone different than her mom's mug that she sees every day! They played really well together and Kaiya mostly just followed the two of them around everywhere, laughing her head off. She also took quite a liking to her aunt and uncle and was quite liberal with her cuddles! She called Chris' brother "uncle" every time she saw him, and she would sign the sign for "bath" when she saw Beth -- she couldn't quite distinguish the difference between "bath" and "Beth"! We were able to do some date-night switches with them, which was sooo nice. We took their kids when they went out and then they would watch ours so we could do the same. The whole 3 weeks were just WONDERFUL and we miss them so much already. I know Kaiya will especially be missing Katie and Colby's smiling faces there to greet her each day! We sure love you guys. Come back to stay soon, PLEASE!!

Fair Junkies!

A few weeks ago, we took Kaiya to the fair to see all the animals, since she is so obsessed with all animals. Chris took her the first time, because I was still recovering from being sick and she had NO fear whatsoever of any of the animals. She was trying to kiss the big huge pigs right on their snouts (so dad had to be quick on his toes!) and tried to run right up to the big Clydesdale horses to pet them. She absolutely LOVES animals! A few days later, we went back as a family with John and Beth and their kids. I think we all had a great time! Again, Kaiya was loving on the animals and even got to ride on a sheep! She ran around the whole time making all the animals sounds and had so much fun with her cousins. After seeing all the animals and eating some deep fried fair food (gotta love it), we let the kids ride the rides. Oh, my gosh, the pictures describe it all. Kaiya LOVED riding on these little rides with her cousins! She laughed so hard with Katie and Colby! It was so fun to watch! She had never been on any rides before, so we weren't sure what she would think, but apparently she seems to be on the same track as her mom and will LOVE roller coasters! It was such a fun day and I think we are going to be fair junkies for awhile -- any chance to let Kaiya see all these animals!

(Not) Terrible Two's!

Kaiya is TWO!! Two years old today! How is that even possible?! My little baby girl is no longer a little baby and that is completely and totally shocking to me! I wish life had a remote control to it that you could just pause or fast forward, but then rewind if you wanted to. At times, I want time to just stand still and keep my little Ya-ya exactly the way she is right at that moment. And then, other times, as I watch her do or say something new, I get sooo excited and want to fast forward to see what she will do next! Still at other times, I would give anything to rewind back to those first days with her, when she was so brand new. It's crazy how I can still smell her newborn smell, I can still hear her coos, and I can still remember those precious moments when all she would do is lay on my chest and sleep and snuggle. The good news is that with each passing day, my love for her just grows and grows and with each new phase she passes through, I think THIS is the best one yet! The bad news is that with each passing day, she changes so much and grows up too fast and I realize that I can never get any of these days back. Makes me really conscious of cherishing all my moments with her. They slip through my fingers faster than I would ever want them to!

So much has happened in this past year of Kaiya's life. It almost feels impossible that ALL of it could take place in one year! Last year on Kaiy's birthday, her mommy was pregnant and didn't even know it yet and now her belly has come and gone and so has that little baby inside! Last year on Kaiya's birthday, she had a new sister growing and didn't even know it and now she can't wait to greet each new day by looking for little Tay to love on! Last year on Kaiya's birthday, she was not even walking and now all she does is run, run, run from one adventure to the next! Last year on Kaiya's birthday, she was trying all sorts of new foods and tastes, and now she has definitely decided what she likes and doesn't like and will and will not eat! Last year on Kaiya's birthday, she had no idea what the coming year would bring, but I hope now she is pretty satisfied with all of it!

Little Kaiya is pure sunshine to me! She is so full of two-year-old life and energy and sometimes attitude, but also so full of love and forgiveness and concern for others. Already, I can see that she is going to be such a sensitive soul, always wanting others to be happy and ok. She cares for her sister that way, and even for her mom and dad. She senses sadness and it makes her sad. She senses happiness, and it makes her happy. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE that about her. She is still very shy and keenly aware of others looking at her or making any fuss over her and she usually does not like that too much. But she also warms up pretty easy to new people, it just takes a bit of time and once she gets used to you, you can see why her hugs and kisses are so addictive! She has a big, happy, chubby-cheek grin that absolutely melts me every time and a giggle that is so high-pitched and total sweet girl that I find myself literally doing EVERYTHING goofy in my power just to hear it one more time! But it's usually daddy and Tay-tay that get the best giggles of all. And I love that! She loves life and teaches me every day to find joy in the simplest of things. Bubbles in the bath, a butterfly, a cookie, a hug, or daddy walking in the door from work. Would I even notice those kinds of things if it weren't for Kaiya's huge smile upon seeing any one of them? I'm so grateful for the joy that she helps me see in life. One of the MANY blessings that have come from being her mom.

Some of her LOVES and OBSESSIONS at age two:

Shoes (obsessively).

Soft, stuffed animals.

Blankets (not one in particular, but any that are soft and snuggly).

Milk and water.

Baths.

Bubbles.

Animals. Oh my goodness how she loves animals. Loves to see them in books or on t.v. or especially in real life. Loves to make their sounds. Loves to touch them and has ZERO fear of any kind of animals. (Tried to kiss the pigs on their snouts at the fair, rode a sheep, and ran right up to the HUGE horses -- would have tried to ride them to if we hadn't stopped her.) She would try to kiss a bear if it came near her.

And speaking of animals -- CHASE. She loves her dog almost more than anything else.

Walks -- or riding in the stroller on walks.

Raisins.

Drawing.

Baby Signing Time.

Taylor.

Binkis (but these WILL be gone this year!).

Music.

Dancing.

Books.

Hugs. and Kisses.

Talking to grandparents on the computer.

Cell phones.

Her cousins.

Mickey Mouse and Little Einsteins.

Swimming.

Buttons.

Chicken. (As food and as the living animal!)

Jesus.

Talking.

Finding Nemo. (of course, it has FISH in it)

Sleeping. (oh, thank you, thank you, Kaiya -- you are the world's best sleeper!)

Fruit of any kind.

Brushing her teeth.

Wearing daddy's hats and her own.

Holding hands.

Some of her DISLIKES at age two:

Vegetables of any kind.

Mom or dad leaving.

Time-outs.

Getting her hair washed.

Sandwiches (I know, what kid doesn't like sandwiches?!).

The vaccuum.

Owies.

Getting her nose wiped.

Taylor crying.

Not getting her way. (Yep, she is a two-year-old)

The grocery store. Most of the time.

Not getting a nap. (Mom really dislikes this one too -- hehe!)

Going to the doctor.

I could go on and on for days about how much this little girl has changed my life and how much she means to me. I never, ever could have imagined the joy I would find from being a mom. Especially a mom to someone as sweet and adorable as Kaiya. I am reminded every single day, usually MANY times each day, of what a gift Kaiya is in our lives, of the sacrifices that were made so that she could be apart of our family, of the miracles and blessings and answers to prayers that she represents. Truly, not a day goes by that I don't kneel down and thank my Father in Heaven for allowing me to have this little girl in my life, in my family, for eternity. She was worth every single heartache that I felt, every single day that I waited, every single tear that I shed wondering when she would come. She is more than I could have imagined or hoped for in those days. She is my daughter and I am soooo LUCKY!!

Happy birthday, to our little Kaiya-bear! May the coming year bring as much adventure and happiness and excitement and learning and experience to you as you could ever want! And may the coming year bring all of those things to us BECAUSE of YOU! I love you, Kaiya. I love you soooo, sooooo much!

It is definitely summertime

You know it's definitely summertime when the usual outfit is pretty much nothing! There is really nothing better than letting the kiddies run around in diapers and bare feet, hair crazy and carefree, and keeping nice and cool! I love that part of summer! And Kaiya LOVES to wear daddy's flip-flops! Mmmm, how I love these two little summer babes!

Remembering

Tonight, I was laying in bed and flipped on the t.v. I arrived on MTV, and though I think there is nothing but CRAP on that channel, I was drawn into a program called "16 and Pregnant". I had seen previews of this show, which documents young girls who find themselves young and pregnant and facing decisions and lives that are very difficult. However, I have been very disappointed in the previews I have seen because adoption was never mentioned as an option that any of these girls were considering. I thought, they should AT LEAST present a story where that option was examined. I'm not on my soapbox saying that this is what all young girls should do. Obviously it is an incredibly personal decision as it should be. But I DO think that adoption should a consideration when all the options are out on the table.

Anyway, this particular episode drew me in because the young teenage couple WAS considering adoption. So, I watched as it documented their thoughts, feelings, and finally their decision to place their baby for adoption. It showed them meeting with their case worker. It showed their first meeting with the couple they had chosen. It showed MANY tears shed by that young girl and her young boyfriend as they faced the emotions attached to a decision of such enormous magnitude. It showed the reactions of their parents -- NOT supportive ones, I might add. And it showed the day the baby was born, the first moments of both the birth couple and the adoptive couple with this sweet baby girl. It showed the placement and heart-wrenching tears shed by this young girl. It was pretty real and pretty raw and I found myself lying there in bed bawling through the whole thing. The thoughts and feelings and emotions of our own experience rose to the surface, where they are never very far from, and I felt as if I was right back in the thick of it all. It feels a little unreal that that was all just two short years ago for us. But as I watched this young couple, wise beyond their years in making such a difficult decision, I couldn't help but think of our sweet, sweet Jessika. I remember tears we shared together in the days and months leading up to Kaiya's birth. And I painfully and yet happily remember the days of Kaiya's birth and the moments of TEARFUL goodbye's between all of us, as we prepared to take Kaiya home from the hospital. I have to admit that my stomach almost automatically starts to wrench when I think about how difficult that day was for Jessika. I can't help but cry when I think about it. Words will NEVER be able to express the respect, love, admiration and amazement I feel when I think about what Jessika did as such a young girl.

I was grateful that although it was only one episode, that MTV decided to present a story of adoption. Though I know this is not the right decision for every young girl who finds herself in this type of situation, there should be a lot more advocating of this as an option and I'm glad it was presented. And I am soooo grateful for the moments I had tonight of remembering. I never, ever will or want to forget the sacrifices made so that we could have our little Ya-ya and the pain and heartache that Jessika and her family had to go through to give us such a priceless gift. I REMEMBER. And I love Jessika so much. How eternally grateful I am for the blessings of adoption.