Ribbon Wand

Hi, we have been trying to get through some of these blah January days.

I

I found a really easy DIY ribbon wand on this blog and thought it would be fun for the girls to do!

I was a bit nervous, with all of the colored liquids, especially with Norah, she is such a wiggle worm, but to my Amazement Norah did A.W.E.S.O.M.E!  It was like she was a different child, sitting still, waiting for my instruction, not going crazy or splashing everywhere, it made the project so much more enjoyable!

Getting our supplies

Whatever you do Norah, do not pull the towel down!

Wahhh La, time for a dance party

I will leave you a photo of this rare occasion

isn't Maya making such a delightful face? Norah looks pretty cute too, ha!

Adoption Update

about a week and a half ago we got our 400 adoption papers emailed to us!  If you don't recall we have to have Norah live with us for 1 year before we can file for her adoption.  So we can't sign anything until February 10th, 2012 (the day after it has been 1 year).  It is just sitting here, all read through to make sure every binding word is perfect. 

So after February 10th (if both parties have signed all paperwork) our attorney will file for an adoption with the Clear Creek County Court outside of Denver.  After that, he predicts that it will take about 30-45 days for a hearing to finalize her adoption.  Whew!  Can you believe it has almost been a year since Norah moved to Colorado?

This process has been nothing like I ever expected.  It has been a whirlwind and has hardly left me any time to even realize my sister is gone or what has happened in our life.  One of the hardest things for me has been to find someone to talk with, someone to relate to. 

For most people adoption has been something they planned, something that has been years in the making, they have read books, rearranged their lives, gone to adoption groups, talked with psychologists and even picked where their child was coming from.  I always admire those people, the ones who chose to bring in someone they don't even know, to give them a home, to bring them into their family and love them.  Although our story is not much different than that, it feels very different in so many ways.  Adoption was obviously not something we were planning (anytime in the near future), or something that was years in the making, we are blessed to be able to have children of our own, and we certainly hadn't even met with an adoption group, ever.   I would just love to sit down with someone who feels just a little bit like I do and have a heart to heart conversation.  Are you out there?

People always say to us, "what you guys are doing is so wonderful!"  And in my head all I can think is, "wouldn't you do the same?"  I mean there wasn't even a second thought about Norah being part of our family.  And I know about 10 other people who would have taken Norah in if they had to, so really if this happened to your family,  wouldn't you do the same?  That is what family is, that is what family does.  Norah is our family.  Norah is our daughter now and we wouldn't have it any other way.

Some days are hard, really hard.......

but

I can't even come close to picturing our life without 3 girls, 3 daughters, 3 gifts.

got mail?

I was at Target a few weeks back (and everyday since) and saw these super cute mail boxes at the dollar spot, I thought it might be fun to do something for the girls for Valentines day with them.  

The next day, I saw this post on one of my favorite blogs with a great idea for the mail boxes! So I had to copy it.

So starting at the beginning of February the girls will get a card in their mail box, a love note from someone they know.  This was actually the hard part (and more of my idea), I had to contact several people to see if they would write the girls a love note.  Brett and I will write notes, Grandma & Grandpa, and some other relatives, but we need a total of 14 love notes and are still shy a few! so if you want to write a love note for each girl and send it to me that would be awesome!

Here are the Mailboxes I designed

 Supplies:

Mailbox

Salvation army Candlestick

Spray paint

Hot Glue or Gorilla Glue

Paper

I spent $3 buying 3 mail boxes, and $ 3.27 buying 3 candlesticks from the Salvation Army. I already had some pink spray paint on hand, so the project only cost $6.27 and I can use it for many years!

Help-

My blog is broken! Can't you tell?  I need help!  I need someone who can design one for me without being to expensive.  Do you know of anyone, or are you that someone who can help???  It looks so terrible right now.....
Oh, and I don't want to use Cutest blog on the block.

Sarah {4 months}

Here she is, my little 4 month old love

Sarah Eileen

It seems like you have changed so much this month!

You love toys and ALWAYS want to hold them and put them in your mouth.  Everything goes in the mouth: hair, books, clothes, toys, hands, feet, whatever you can get in your mouth goes there.

You were really sick this month and gave mommy a few scares, so no more fevers, rashes, and purple legs, okay? This week you are back to Sarah self and my heart is happy.

You found your feet!  You are always always grabbing them, holding them up when I change your diaper, pulling them toward your mouth, you just love them.  I remember Maya finding her feet around the same time

You are holding your head up so well, even though you really don't like to be on your belly

Your happy, determined, and delightful

Every time I put you in a bumbo you look so tiny and cute

I love that I don't have to bribe you for photos, it is easy right now. And your sisters..... well I usually have to bribe them, that is until the ysee me taking photos of you, then for some reason they want a photo too, see

Month Progression

photo journal

I always love when I get good ideas from other blogs, even if I don't always do them, I just love others ideas!  That is why Pinterest is such an addiction.  Anyway, I am sure this idea is somewhere on the interwebs, but I actually thought of it without seeing it anywhere.

Just about every small group I have ever been in has encouraged regular journaling and I haven't always been so good at it, but then I thought, "what if I journal specifically for each of my daughters?"  I could write down what they are like at certain ages, funny things they say,  prayers that I have for them, or scriptures that come to mind with each girl.  Then, once they graduate from High school I can give them their journal to read.  I just thought it was be such a special gift, and maybe they will even be able to see their strengths and abilities and remember ways God moved in their lives even at a young age. 

At first I was just going to buy cheap journals, but then I saw that Shutterfly.com had personal ones, and after using like 4 coupons, I think they were only about $4.00 each so I had to get them! 

We just got them in the mail  last week.  I am glad I went with personal,  they are way cuter!  I am sure if you want to do this a $1 journal will suffice, but I like cute.

Maya

Norah

Sarah

I love that I am starting so young with Sarah, her little personality is already starting to come out and I can't wait to look back and read and see what I thought she was like as a baby and what she is like when she is older.

While I was taking photos of the journals this is what was going on around me

Our neighbor got the girls these cute heels for Christmas and they were dancing and clanking away in a circle as I photographed.

I treasure these girls

and these moments

Each little lady already has at least one entry (Norah has 3 because she is always saying and doing so many funny things like calling a Snickerdoodle a "Dickerdoodle" haha, love her). 

And while Maya & Norah were dancing, clanking, and singing away, this little lady was peacefully asleep

I will certainly treasure this moment, because it is not going to last much longer


I can't wait until the pages of the journals are worn, with rips, stains, time, and a life full of memories

Danae's Visit

We were all so excited for Danae to come to Colorado!  It was her first time here since we have lived here and the girls were just over joyed to know she was coming!  We even did a paper ring count down!

Danae is about 5 1/2 years younger than me.  Her and I are probably the most alike out of all of our siblings, we have similar personalities, quirks, and I think our voices even sound similar.  We are alike in many many ways, but we are also very different and I love that about her.  She is amazing with children, I mean amazing!  I loved watching her with the girls, she had so much patience and grace, and just a natural ability to communicate with them.  I really wish we lived closer!  Oh and I love that Danae is just about the only person who calls me "Jen"  I actually prefer it.

About 10 minutes after Danae walked into the house she already had a fort built for the girls

She finally got to meet baby Sarah

We had to do a trip to focus on the family, especially since it is to hard for me to take the girls by myself these days

We did lots of crafty things while Danae was hear also, she is probably the best crafter out of all the Cox girls

Courtesy of my husband, Danae and I got to go out on a date together.

We had a really good time, just talking, catching up, relating to one another like no one else. I mean she is really one of the only people I can relate to. She knows what it is like to lose a father, to watch a big brother die at home, and to lose a sister we both loved so much, she understands............

she really does.

I sometimes forget that Danae and I don't have the same memories of our dad.  She was only a tiny baby when our dad got sick, and was only 4 years when he died.  She really didn't know him at all.  It makes me really sad, at least I have more memories to grasp onto, to know what he was like, to know a piece of who I am.  While she was visiting I tried to tell her of some of the memories I had of him, of what he was like, how he laughed, how he played with us, how he loved....

The day before Danae left it was BEAUTIFUL outside, we had to go to the park

yep, multi-tasking, having a picnic while feeding Sarah (she is under the hooter hider)

This is probably one of my all time favorite photos of Brett and the girls

 We also did some silly photos

and a cute one

Danae has a special bond with Norah

There is no one like a sister

I forgot how much we need each other.