December Recap

We have been having a lot of fun this December. Nearly every weekend is full of holiday fun! We are doing some of the things we did last year that are becoming traditions while adding a few new things to our calendar. We went to Santa's Workshop at Angel's school again this year. The boys made crafts, including decorating their own little Christmas tree. The trees make their rooms look so festive!

Here is a picture of Angel from Santa's Workshop last year! Johnny wore this shirt just the other day! We are sharing some hand me down love at our house, which makes this mommy happy!

We also went back to Bass Pro Shop or "Santa's House" as the boys call it year round! The boys made a reindeer ornament, visited with Santa, and played the fun (free) games. I am a big fan of the free part, especially since you get a free 4x6 picture with Santa and can take your own too. Why stand in the long mall line and pay $40 when you don't have to?!

I am also loving the pictures my new camera took! I'm sure thy will get better as I learn how to use it more.

This year the boys stood next to Santa and held his hand. I think the jolly fellow may have been feeling the weight of another year of aging like the rest of us!

Angel did not threaten to hit Santa even though that is what it looks like in this picture. This is when Santa was telling him to slow down so he could understand his wish list. He was just a bit excited!

Here is a flash back to 2009. Once again I will say, what a difference a year makes!

Jeff and I were both able to attend Johnny's Christmas party at school! It is such a blessing to have Daddy working from home! He can take a quick break to enjoy special memories like these!

They had a book exchange and Johnny ended up with the perfect book. It is about feeling loved and boy is he ever loved!
This was Johnny's last week at the Montessori school. We will miss his friends and sweet teachers, but truly feel it is God's plan for our littlest man to be home with us more before he starts kindergarten next year.
Ms. Patty and Ms. Christina, thanks for loving our sweet Johnny and taking such good care of him! They also made him a little photo book of memories of his time in their class. This momma loves it!
Johnny with Daddy at the party.
And with Mommy.

I got this shirt for both boys this year and think it is hilarious and oh so fitting for their daily antics! It says, "It's all fun and games until Santa finds out". HA!

Another post is coming shortly on the sweet adoption party we had to celebrate our boys officially becoming members of the Albus family!

Decorating for Christmas and 29

I promised you a lot of flash backs this holiday season to our first Christmas together last year. Here is a collage of us decorating for Christmas in December 2009. Look how tiny our little men were!

This year Jeff decided to put lights on the roof. Last year we mostly just put lights on the bushes so this was a bit new and challenging.
Jeff's ladder wasn't tall enough so he used it to get on the roof and then climbed from place to place armed with a string of lights and some toothpicks. Yes, my husband used toothpicks stuck under the shingles to hang the lights from. What a clever and brave man I have!
He kept saying, "I can't smile...I'm scared." He was so sweet to risk his life in the name of Christmas decor! HA!
The end result was beautiful!
We decorated the tree a bit later than we usually do, much to my husband's dismay. I wanted a change and it took me a while to figure out what I wanted and how to achieve it.
The kids loved putting the ornaments on! They still do, daily rearranging them to showcase their favorite ornaments, the ones they have made.
Here is the tree and mantle with a fire in the fire place. This was the one night so far it has been cold enough for a fire. I just love Christmas decor! My house is its coziest this time of year!
Last week I celebrated my 29th birthday. I was telling Angel one day I wasn't sure how I felt about turning 29 because that meant next year I turn 30. He told me "well mom, you just have to be okay with it because 30 comes after 29!" HA! He is right, wisdom from a 7 year old is just what I needed!
My sweet hubby took me to Las Alamedas and it was really yummy! He had flowers delivered there and waiting on the table when we arrived! He also bought me a new camera for my birthday/Christmas! I love it!! Thanks for spoiling me sweet Jeff!

Thanksgiving 2010 + a Flashback to Thanksgiving 2009

I feel like so many of us have already moved onto Christmas that it seems sort of silly to post about Thanksgiving. But it is still November for another day, so I think I am writing just in time. If you are one of those readers who mainly just scans our blog for pictures, please be sure to scroll all the way down for a collage of our first Thanksgiving (2009).

Of course, we had a ton to be thankful for this year, namely our sweet boys and their adoption finalizing just before Thanksgiving! Our precious Angel said it best here:

Just in case you can't read his writing, although it is much improved since this time last year, I will type it out:

1. Dad 2. Mom 3. house 4. dog Harvey 5. cat Snowflake 6. family 7. God

Soon he'll grasp the order, but for now he has all the important ones listed! It shocked me when I saw this....such amazing wisdom for his 7 short years! As adults we could take a lesson from his little grateful heart!

Wednesday everyone was home from school and I decided to take full advantage of my time with the boys while Daddy worked. We met up with my BFF, Jenny and her little girl, Ariana at Chick-Fil-A for lunch and some play time. Then we all went back to our house and made turkey shirts for all 3 of our little turkeys! Jenny saw the ones we made last year and loved them so I invited her to join us and make one for Ari.

Jenny was super excited to make it on the blog! I mean we are famous now, so who can blame her! HA! Here is Johnny posing with his future mother-in-law, Jenny!
We definitely benefited from Jenny's experience as a preschool teacher as she had developed a super secret short cut for tracing tiny hands! The mommas did most of the work as the project required a lot of cutting and ironing. In the meantime, the kids were happy to play together. It took a long time, but the end result was worth it! Jenny told me when Ariana wore her onesie on Thanksgiving, she proudly poked her little tummy out and pointed when asked where her turkey was! SO cute! I am happy to get my little girl fix from this sweetheart!
Our little guys were super handsome in their turkey shirts too! I am still glad I chose material over paint this year, even though it took longer and was a bit more work! I think they held up better too. If you want to try this project, I used this step by step tutorial from Treasures for Tots. I omitted the rick rack legs and used the boys' feet for the body, but otherwise I totally copied her idea! This year I even ironed on their names too since we are official!
My little turkeys got quite a few compliments on their shirts at the parade downtown. Here Jeff and Johnny are waiting for the parade to start. J had to be held up to see due to the crazed woman in front of us who brought a chair to sit in, but stood up and waved her hands every time a float came. She was trying to catch something, anything, free being thrown from the floats. Really, lady, I don't get it. You are grown, the whistles, candy, etc are for the kids. Whatever. I am fine with my little guys not blowing that crazy loud whistle all day or adding to their increasing sugar consumption.
These two were my favorite floats. I love the giant turkey and the kids were thrilled to see Santa for the first time this year!
After the parade we went to my parents' (Gran and Poppa D) house for a traditional Thanksgiving meal. Here is our family picture we took before lunch. I totally made the boys change shirts to eat so they wouldn't get their shirts messy.
It worked because they still looked great for the Uptown Christmas Tree lighting that night.
Angel was a little scared to be on Jeff's shoulders, but Johnny was dancing on mine. They are so different in that way. Johnny is a daredevil to the max and Angel would much rather have his feet firmly on the ground. But really, who can blame him?
It started raining during the event, but it didn't stop Santa and Mrs. Claus from making an appearance to flip the switch and start the firework's display.
We really enjoyed the Christmas Tree lighting and may make it a tradition. I LOVE white twinkle lights, but I love them even more when my boys are posing in front of them!

Saturday and Sunday we spent time with Jeff's parents (Meme and Papa) at their house. The boys helped Papa harvest pecans and loved every minute of it! They earned us 10 lbs. of pecans too! Yum!

As promised, here is a collage of our Thanksgiving last year. Sweet Ariana is in last year's collage too. She is in the bottom left corner with her betrothed, Johnny! Whew! I am glad to have done our Thanksgiving post, so now we can decorate for Christmas! I just love this time of year!

Weekend Wrap Up

I cannot tell you how nice it is to be able to post pictures of the boys! I have some ideas for how to show you some of our photos from the last 14 months while not neglecting the present. During the holiday season, I will include some photos of our first year doing some of the traditions we have continued this year.

Dewberry Farm is a local popular attraction in the fall. It provides a full day of family fun including a hay ride out to a giant pumpkin patch and Christmas Tree farm, a petting zoo, pig races, and all kinds of other activities. Last year we went in October so we got a lot of sweet pumpkin pictures. I remember being so nervous the whole day because the boys had only been with us for a month and had no desire to walk next to us or hold our hands in this type of setting. We were so afraid we would lose them in the crowds! Jeff and I both commented on how much more relaxed we felt this time. It is amazing how much progress the boys have made in the past year!

We couldn't fit Dewberry Farm into our October this year, so we went this past Saturday. Most of the pumpkins were sold and the rest were rotten, so we decided to skip the trek out to see them. We still took the hay ride though and looked at the Christmas trees. We also went through the corn maze and I got this great picture of the boys with the hay ride behind them. I may have done a happy mommy dance after I snapped it.
We also got a family picture in front of the duck pond this year. Last year we weren't able to get a picture of all 4 of us, so I was also excited to get this one!
My 3 guys also let me take a picture of them by the barn and windmill.
This picture cracks me up! Look at that grumpy looking cow! I promise Jeff was having fun he is just incredibly awkward in pictures! He says he doesn't know "how" to smile. Ha!
We enjoyed a beautiful sunset over the corn field!
The boys loved trying some new things this year. They rode the cow train, drove some cars you pedal, and enjoyed bouncing on the giant inflated pillow!
We pealed them off the bouncy pillow long enough to take a couple of photos with the pretty sunset!

We ended the day at dusk, just as the farm closed. I am telling you, the sunset was AMAZING! I was not the only one taking a bunch of pictures of it!
Saturday night we shopped for and filled shoe boxes for Samaritan's Purse. Our church is participating in Operation Christmas Child and the kids had a goal of 100 boxes. The boys were excited to pick out toys for their "friend in another country!" Surprise, surprise the boys were determined to include as many Hot Wheels cars as possible! We also put one of their school pictures and their name and address inside. My sister made the suggestion of registering the boxes online, which allows you to track where the boxes end up. I am excited about this part because one of the things we are really working on is the concept that it is better to give than to receive. Check out my cheerful givers! Here they are just before church on Sunday with their shoe boxes.

They went to church with their daddy and I stayed home. We have only done this 2 times in the last year, but I had been fighting a cold for a week and really needed some extra rest. Especially since we had family pictures scheduled for Sunday afternoon that had already been rescheduled once due to rain. We had the photo shot sans Sunday naps so I am crossing my fingers that the pictures came out well! We are looking forward to sharing those photos with you very soon!

Thank you again for all of your sweet comments and congratulations! We are going to print them all out and save them for the boys so they will always remember how loved they are!

Introducing...

Angel David Albus

and

Jonathan Eli Albus

Here are some collages I made of each boy with a photo per month. It will take a while to catch you up, but there is much more to come! I can't believe how much they have grown and changed since we met!

Also, please read our post below for the details of our Adoption Day! We were featured in an article for the Houston Chronicle which you can read here. There are additional pictures in the link to the photo gallery! I was quickly endeared to the reporter when I found out she adopted an older child from the foster care system a few years ago! It was such an honor to have her write this sweet story about our adoption experience! This is a major shift from such a high level of privacy to being an open book! Although it is quite refreshing if you ask this proud Momma of 2!

Adoption Day

Wow, what a whirlwind of wonderfulness! November 19, 2010 will go down in the history of our family as hugely monumental! Right up there with our wedding day as one of the happiest days for us! I really can't put into words the feeling of relief and joy we feel to finally be recognized as a forever family! We have loved the boys since day 1 and truly felt like family, but this day sealed the deal. We couldn't be happier or feel more blessed to finally be here!

I am sure we will reach all new heights in the multitude of pictures on our blog for the next few weeks because these proud parents have held back for WAY too long! Thanks for your patience in looking at the back of their heads for 14 months! But now, behold the preciousness that is our boys!

Here is a photo of our little family outside the courtroom waiting our turn. The courts were celebrating National Adoption Day so we were one of 30 families finalizing adoptions in the 3 family courts downtown. Thankfully we were at the top of the docket!

My sweet sister drove all the way from Dallas to share the day with us! Thank you Sarah for making the long trip and for capturing our day in pictures!

Here we are getting sworn in and testifying. We were so blown away by the friends and family that came to be with us and by those praying and supporting us that could not be in attendance. Sweet friends from our Sunday School class, our adoption ministry, and my mom's Bible Study all took time out of their busy schedules to share in our joy! We could not be more grateful for the community we have found!

Many organizations and individuals donated their time and resources to make this day of celebration special for all the adoptive families! This picture was taken just after the adoption when the boys got their stuffed animals.

Dear lady in black,

I don't know who you are. However, you made it into one of my favorite shots from the day and therefore on the blog.

The official shot behind the bench. Jonathan may have grabbed a couple more stuffed animals as we shimmied our way back there. Little mischievous man!

This sign, professional family photos in a special frame, and a party with cake were all very sweet gestures from those who organized Harris County's celebration of National Adoption Day! The boys could barely carry all their stuffed animals, but they were happy to try!

After we left the court's celebration, we continued the fun with a family lunch at the Grotto. You can find previous posts here, here, and here about the significance of this restaurant. But it was where Jeff and I had our first real date, our rehearsal dinner, and anniversary dinners. The boys had never been to a fancy restaurant so it was a special treat! Angel may have written his name, in pen, on the cloth napkin. We are a paper napkin kind of family so who can blame him!

My mom (Gran) and dad (Poppa D) joined us for lunch, along with my sister Sarah and nephew Clayton. When Sarah told Clayton that she was coming to the boys' adoption, he told her he wanted to come too! These three boys have so much fun together and are such sweet cousins!

My parents are such proud grandparents and loved getting a photo with 3 of their 4 grandsons!

All 3 boys were well behaved at the restaurant and loved the special boy treat of octopus on the appetizer plate!! Angel and Clayton both tried their own little one and split the big one. I guess I'm officially a boy mom because I proudly took a picture!

The boys also loved the fancy dessert complete with sparkler! The waiter gave us some unlit ones for them to take home. Needless to say those are still unlit for now. What a fun treat and great ending to an amazing lunch!

We headed home and were welcomed with another wonderful surprise!

Our sweet daddy/hubby had celebratory flowers delivered!

The boys took a nap as they were exhausted from all the excitement of the day! Jeff and I tried to nap, but ended up having a great talk about how surreal it all was instead. Then the four of us rented Toy Story 3 and ordered pizza. What a truly perfect day we had! Thank you to all of you who shared it with us both in person and in spirit!