Let It Snow!!!

Makayla was so excited to wake up on Saturday morning to this!!! We had to postpone our trip to Reno for a few hours so she could enjoy the snow. She wanted to go sledding but since we don't own a sled she had to make due with making a snowman. But she loved it! By the way to answer your questions no Josie did not change colors. We were dog sitting that week and that is Sadie not Josie. Josie was too big of a wimp to play in the snow but Makayla, Sadie, and daddy loved it.
That night we went to our ward party. Daddy was in charge of the music part (as usual) so Makayla got to help. She loved playing her tambourine for all the ward to see. After the children were done playing she didn't want to stop. She wanted to keep playing with daddy.We had told Makayla that Santa was going to come and visit at our party. When we got there she wanted to see Santa right away but I told her that he was still traveling from the North Pole and would be there at the end of the party. Towards the end I was talking with my friend and I hear, "Mommy, mommy he's coming!!! Santa's Coming!!!" She was so excited. She ran to the stage and got in line with all the other children. Ben and I both thought that she would be scared of Santa when it came her turn but she wasn't at all. She was so excited and so happy. Afterward she came back to us and we asked her what she asked Santa for. She said that she told him she wants a lollipop. Wow, that was a pleasant surprise for us. Then she was so upset that she forgot to tell Santa Merry Christmas. We had to make a special trip back up to Santa so she could wish him a Merry Christmas. Now everyday she tells me that she misses Santa and wishes that she could sit on his lap and give him a hug. She is going to be so excited on Christmas Eve I don't know how she is going to fall asleep. I will let you all know how that turns out!!!

If you go to my friend "Lewieville" blog on the right of my blog she has a video tape of the girls dancing. You can see Makayla really well in their video!!!

Makayla's First Dance Recital

So this was Makayla's first dance recital and Ben and I were so excited. We couldn't wait to see our little girl dancing like a ballerina. We got to the studio and Makayla saw all the parents and kids and she was scared to death!!! She wanted me to hold her and then buried her head in me. Ben and I started to get a little nervous that she wasn't going to dance at all. Luckily the other class danced first and Makayla watched them. After that she was so excited to show off her moves. I took her to her spot on the floor and she again got very nervous. She held onto me and didn't want to go. That is where the bribing came it. Wow!!! Bribing with treats works wonders on a three year old. Her first dance was tap. She was absolutely amazing. She stood there the whole time and moved her Teddy Bear back and forth. It was beautiful!!! Next was the ballet dance. This went a little better. She remembered most of the moves on this one. All I can say is watch out all you prima ballerina's out there Makayla Shawcroft has arrived!!! After the recital she was pooped and had a nice little rest on mommy and daddy's bed.

TOO FUNNY!

Okay this is just too funny. I had to let all you know what my "little princess" has just told me. She has informed me that she is Belle (from Beauty and the Beast), her daddy is Prince Tommy (we think this comes from Prince Charming she just hears it as Tommy), and I the loving mommy of the family who takes care of everyone is the Lizard. Yes, you heard that right... I am the lizard. Wow, so that is what I get after everything I have done.

Our Little Princess???

So last night Ben, Makayla, and I all sat down to a nice home cooked meal that I had made. Makayla ate all her vegetables but would not each the hamburger burrito that I had made for her. I told her that she needed to take a bite and she proceeded to tell me that... "I a little princess and I not need to eat that!!!" Ben and I were holding in our laughther. Ben told Makayla that mommy is in charge of her and she needs to do what mommy says. Makayla informed us that... " I a little princess and mommy not in charge of me because I a little princess!!!" Later on I asked her to pose like a little princess so I could take a picture and this is what she did. Wow!!! All those years of calling our little girl a little princess have finally backfired!!! I don't care though she still is our little princess!

Such Wonderful Blessings

For the past few days I have been really depressed about the whole adoption things. We just had another one fall through. Today has been especially hard. Then I started thinking about all the blessings that I have. I have a wonderful husband who loves his job and even more than that he loves to come home after work to his family. Every night you will find Makayla and Ben playing together. Each night I think that this is the night he will brush Makayla off but he never does. He is amazing and he loves us so much and tell us all the time. I have the most wonderful little girl in the whole world. She is beautiful and sweet and intelligent and the reason that I get up every day. I have a new appreciation for Makayla's birthmother. She is an amazing young women who did something so Christlike by giving us our Makyla. I am so thankful for Josie our dog. She is a great little addition to our family. She is finally starting to be friends with Makayla. Several times a day I will find Josie snuggled up to Makayla. That is a first. I am so thankful for my beautiful home. I love being able to have my own house that we can do whatever we want too. Over the Thanksgiving break Ben, his dad, and his brothers put shelves in our garage. Yeah!!! I am so thankful for a wonderful family. I have the best mother, father sister, brothers, and inlaws. We may not live very close to them but we are so blessed to be able to see them as often as we do. I am thankful that now that I have a three-year old I get sleep at night. Every morning I wake up and realize that I didn't wake up I am so happy. I love being able to sleep in when I want to. I know that someday we will be able to make our family bigger through adoption and I am thankful for that. Even though this is the hardest experience we have ever been through I know that just around the corner is the happiest experience in our lives. I am so thankful for the gospel and the knowlege that I have, that this is the true church. I am especially thankful for temples and that we were able to have Makayla sealed to us. That was the most amazing experience and I can't wait to do it again with our next one. So now life is still hard and there are ups and downs in everything but I know that I am so blessed and I thank my Heavenly Father for pouring his blessings on me.

Makayla Needs A Brother Or Sister

Makayla needs a sibling!!! Josie is great but it's just not the same!

As most of you all know we are waiting to adopt again. We have been waiting for a little over a year. We know that there is a birthmother out there who will pick us we are just waiting for that to come to pass. We have had two heartbreaks this year. The first was in April. We had a girl from Iowa who picked us last Christmas. We were so excited. She was having a little boy and we picked out a name and were so ready for April to come. We talked to the girl several times a month and she was set on adoption. Well, to make a long story short when the baby was born she changed her mind. We were devestated. We were so sure that we were going to get this baby and then we didn't. We were sad for awhile but then moved on. It still hurt and still does but I was moving on with life. Makayla needed a mother who was fun to be around not someone who was depressed all the time. So at the end of July we got another call. There was a birthmother who just had a baby boy in California and she wanted to place with us. We needed to get to the hospital the next day to let her meet us and pick up the baby. We were so happy. So this was it. This was why we needed to go through the first disappointement. We needed to be ready for this little boy fast! So we drove to California, met the girl and she changed her mind. She said she really liked us and knew that we would make great parents. It had nothing to do with us but she just couldn't go through with it. So we went home without a baby again.

We know that these birthmothers were not right for us. We know that these babies were not meant to be ours. I know that in my head but my heart is a different matter. Makayla is constantly wanting a sibling. It is so hard being her mother and not being able to provide that for her. But we will be blessed. I don't know when but we will be able to be parents again and Makayla will be a big sister. There is a beautiful, wonderful, christlike birthmother out there that will come into our lives and we will be able to have our dreams come true. It's just the waiting that is so hard!!! So if anyone of you out there know a girl who is thinking about placing her baby for adoption let us know!

The Love Of Our Lives

Meet Makayla. She is the love of our lives, the reason that we get up every morning and enjoy life. Makayla is now three years old. She is such a happy and loving child. She amazes me every day with the things that she does and knows. She is constantly saying the funniest things. The other day Ben took her to the park. She found a little girl around five-years old to play with. The little girl asked Makayla what her name was. Makayla said, "I Kayla." The little girl said, "Oh Makayla?" Makayla said, "My mommy calls me that... I Kayla." Now this whole time I thought she just didn't want to say Makayla but apparently she really wants people to call her Kayla but I am allowed to call her Makayla. She is so funny. I never realized that a little three-year old would understand something like that. Makayla loves life. She is so happy. Don't get me wrong she definitely has her tantrums and what I call her three-year old moments but overall she is a very sweet child. She loves her daddy so much. Her favorite time of day is when Ben get home from work. We have dinner and then it is playtime for daddy and Makayla. She also loves her friends and family. She always wants to play with her friends. Each day she wants to know what we are doing and if it involves her friends. She also loves her family. We just recently got back from a trip to Utah visiting family and everyday she brings up her grandmas. She can't wait until Christmas because that is the next time we will go out to Utah to see family. I haven't told her yet that Grandma and Grandpa Shawcroft are coming next week for Thanksgiving. I want to wait until next week so I don't have to listen to her ask a million times when they are coming!!!

One Happy Family

Well, I finally did it. Yes all of you have told me and told me that I needed to be a blogger and I said no. But I have caved into peer pressure. So here it is... announcing the Shawcroft Family Blog! Be patient with me while I try and figure out all the fun things that I can do. For a little while this is going to be very basic, but I am sure I will have a lot of fun!!!