It's Official

Last week we got an unexpected call from our Lawyer that there was an opening for a hearing on Tuesday, Feb 28th for adopting Norah!  This was very unexpected since we were planning on the end of March or April to get a hearing date.  So we made it work with our crazy life and drove all the way to Georgetown Colorado yesterday for our adoption hearing.  It is not easy have 3 children, 3 and under go to 3 different places, but I had so much help!

Everything went great with the hearing!  It was easy, fun, and Norah was so cute.

My favorite part, when Brett was asked what Norah calls him, "well it depends on the day, most days she calls me dadda, but others it's dadderton."  and then Norah bursts out loud, "Dadderton!"

Can you even believe it?  That is has gone by so fast, and so smooth!  We have been blessed tremendously and have seen Gods hand throughout this entire process.  He has taken care of our every need from money, to lawyer, to paperwork, to help from others, to home study, to everything!

We seriously cannot thank all of you who have helped so much as well, from the bottom of our hearts, thank you!

Norah is a true blessing

Here are a few photos from the event

A special day deserves a special treat, how about a pink donut!

Getting ready for our 2 hour journey to the mountains

On the road

Norah with our Adoption Attorney Seth Grob

Wrong way Dadda!

This is the right door

Just waiting for our hearing

proud mama

proud dada

Here we go!

And it's official Norah is a Goodlin.....

(she is getting heavy)

FOREVER

Best Birthday EVER! {30}

Ok, so I like to celebrate!  Life is worth it!  Birthdays matter to me.  As my birthday approached I heard my husband ask someone, "who even wants to celebrate their 30th birthday?"

Me: "Ummm I Do!"

Husbands response: "I don't know how to do that, you know, how to throw a big party?"

Me: "Oh, I don't want that.  I want a Limo, with my friends!"

Husband: "Ok!"

Did you know that I have never been in a limo, not for a wedding or anything, which is one of the reasons I wanted one!  I wanted my closest girls friends, I wanted fun music and I wanted yummy food that I didn't have to cook.

Prep work

1.I asked my friends for at least 2 of their favorite dance party songs (no judgements on what they picked) and my friends are awesome, they picked GREAT songs!

2. Brett handled all of the limo preparations

3. Brett helped to compile a dance party mix for the limo

4. Brett bought some yummy drinks

5. Brett made homemade caramel party favors and burned a copy of the cd for all the girls to have as party favors

6. We baked some cupcakes

7.  We tried to make a reservation at the Cheesecake factory (fail) oh well, Red Robin will do!

 Ok, seriously people I have the BEST husband!

We met up at my friend Sara's house.  She made homemade salsa with chips, yum!

Limo time

It took about 2 seconds to get the party started and it was SO MUCH FUN!

"I gotta feeling, that tonight's gonna be a good night" (1st song)

I am still smiling about it as I write

"We're gonna party likes it's your birthday" (or mine!)

Raise your glass

3 favorite quotes of the night

1.Caitlin: "I loved that I had so much fun with Moms!"

2. Gabby, "It is really hot in here, that would have been great if you put the song 

"hot in here" on the mix"  

Me: "oh I did!"

3. All of us " I see a little silhouetto of a man,

Scaramouche! Scaramouche! will you do the

Fandango?! " (Bohemiah rhapsody)

I just loved so much about it!   The girls that were with me (Ihave such great friends), the dancing, the fun fun fun. It was so fun to dress up and get out of our sweats (ok, I actually I never wear sweats and neither do most of my friends) but you know, have fun as moms!

Oh and I actually got gifts, which I wasn't really expecting, like tangible, wrapped gifts

Dinner at Red Robin

I am still wondering what our limo driver thought about it all, I really hope he got a good laugh.

On our way home

And Caitlin, she was the life of the party! See!

 Thank you to Caitlin and all of my great friends for helping to make it the best birthday EVER!  Really though, thank you Husband, for doing all of this and allowing me to have fun with my friends and forget I was 30 for a few hours! You are the best!

Sarah {5 months}

What? how is it possible that Sarah is 5 months old? beats me.

What a joy you have been every month Sarah!

You just seem to get more delightful!

I was very worried about you for a bit, you didn't even gain 1 lb between 2 & 4 months of age, you just lingered around the 12 lb mark (yucky flu).  You seem so much better now and I think/hope your weight is going up!

Even when you aren't feeling well (yes another cold), you still smile and squeal at me.

You are still only eating mommies milk

You role over from you tummy to your back all the time (i think mostly because you hate being on your tummy).  Although I have seen you role onto your tummy one time also.

You are a great sleeper, like your sisters,  and you are very nice about giving us lots of rest!  You still take 3 1/2 naps a day and sleep about 12 hours at night.

You love toys!  You will reach and lean and do your best to access any toy possible and then it goes straight to your mouth

Sometimes when I lay on the floor next to you, you grab my face and stare at me, it melts my heart

You have been making these weird old man faces, but it is so stinkin cute!

and you still love your feet

I love these little yellow leggings on you and gold shoes, so sad you are about to outgrow them

Your sisters completely adore you and are excited you can play a little now. Maya will sometimes just ask if you can just stay in her room in the exersaucer, she just wants to be with you, so sweet

sometimes it is easy to forget to jump in a photo with you, so I made sure to grab a few with you this time! (moms seriously don't forget to do this with your kids!)

Monthly progression

(lets go back a littler further)

I love how you fit into our family so well Sarah! We love you!

Valentines Day 2012

What a sweet day, all about L.O.V.E.

First of all thank you to all of you who sent girls Valentines!!  They just loved getting to open mail for 14 days straight, so fun!

We celebrate Valentines as a family, a love day.  We make dinner and hang out together, simple and easy. Oh, and I take cute photos of the girls.

probably one of my favs of Sarah

A few days prior to V-day the girls attended the annual Daddy/Daughter Dance (go here to see last years).  Brett headed out with the 2 older ladies, 3 in tote might have been a bit much.

We got invited to a cute little Valentines party at Lindsay's house.  The set up was way to cute!  The party was very sweet and fun, eating, crafts, playing, and more eating.

tiny Sarah

the kids

eating

My favorite craft was Norah's, she put fish crackers on it.....

Lindsay reading Maya a "love" story

Emerson and all of his Ladies

I love my little family