Wow, it's been awhile!

First of all I'd like to update on Sonny. The family that was working to adopt him lost him through "blind referral" - not good, but God still has great things planned for this little boy. His forever family is still out there somewhere! Please keep him in your prayers to be held in the arms of a family soon. Also please keep the other family in your prayers that they will soon be matched with another waiting child!

Well, Aydan did it! He turned two! I can't believe my baby is two! Where did the time go?? He's getting so big. He's talking a ton, running super fast(getting faster everyday!), and we think he's part monkey because he loves to climb!
These days he's all about Elmo & Sesame Street - which is great with me because I've found it to be very educational! He lives in a pair of red Elmo slip on shoes that he pretty much refuses to remove from his feet and even sleeps in them! Bath time is rough because he doesn't understand why his shoes can't go in too! For his birthday we bought him a new pair because his first ones are beginning to get a little snug. Luckily he was pleased with the new ones & gladly accepted them!

Ryan Started Pre-K this year. As far as we know he's doing well with school. He likes it and that's a good sign, right?? He absolutely loves his teachers! And truly we couldn't be happier! We have been very blessed with both boys getting wonderful teachers who fit their personalities so well to bring out their full potential! Ryan's been growing some too! He's now in 4t clothes!! This is a huge deal for us. For those who know Ryan has always struggled with his size & weight. He's still very tiny but he's getting there! Though I have noticed we are having some trouble with the weight thing again, but it is most likely due to him not eating too well at lunch time at school. We are working on making up for it at home though so we'll see! Recently he started writing his name & I couldn't be more proud of him. I worked with him all summer and more trying to get him to write & he wouldn't do it(he's not at all hard headed), but now he's doing it. So far I've saved every paper he's written it on! I'm just so excited! :)

Dylan started 1st grade this year. He's reading like crazy! He's grown a ton! I reach down to hug him and realize I'm not having to reach far! This makes me sad & realize how quickly he's growing up. He's extremely interested in entomology right now. Our freezer is full of insects waiting patiently to be pined. He's also been doing a bunch of origami with J.D. lately. My house is covered in small paper creations! He's been working very hard at school learning about Christopher Columbus - excitedly coming home telling us everything he's learning. He's just such a little sponge with a zest for acquiring knowledge. At his parent teacher conference his teacher went on and on about how eager he is to learn. I hope this follows him all through school. I know he can achieve anything he wants as long as he puts his mind to it and works hard! He's such a blessing!

It's been a very stressful few months around here for the "parent folk", we've been busy taking care of grandmothers...
J.D.'s grandmother is doing well. She's finally on medications that are very helpful holding back and slowing down the progression of her Dementia/Alzheimer's symptoms. It's been a long year so far with a few bumps, but in my opinion a very good year. We really couldn't ask for better results. She keeps the 2 oldest boys every now & then to get in some good Nana time so JD & I can go out on dates. They con home so spoiled rotten, but I guess that's what Nana's are for right?? Currently we are in the process of planning her a surprise 75th birthday party for later this month. Going to be so much fun!! I hope she loves it!
My Grandmother just last week finally had surgery for her kidney cancer. She's doing well & has yet to take a single pain pill. I wish I had the strength she has. She takes a lickin' and keeps a tickin' nothing can keep her down. I'm just sad to think about how she gained such strength and if that's what it takes I just don't want it. Shortly before her kidney surgery we were informed she now how spots on her lungs that they think are just "environmental deposits" which I don't understand, but they say it's nothing to worry about. They also discovered her thyroid is now enlarged on both sides(I guess that's worse then it being on just one side??), we are scheduled to go it to meet a thoracic/cardiac critical care(?) surgeon on Dec. 3rd. We are strongly hoping this is just to talk and that they aren't planning another surgery. She still has the spots on her adrenial gland but after a couple more CT scans they feel those seems to be fluid filled cysts and not cancer so we are very hopeful there will be no spreading.

So many things though seems to finally be coming together from where they were just a little over a year ago. For some reason I've had just a huge sense of peace the last few days. I can't explain it, but I feel like either something really great is about to happen to turn our lives upside down and inside out (in a good way), or maybe it's the calm before the storm, but either way I'm ready to take it on full force! I've needed this though for a while I feel like I have time to just stop and breath. Like a huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders and I'm filled with a new sense of urgency to get things organized.

I will be adding pictures soon! So many wonderful things to show & share!