One Happy Family

Christmas Vacation

2012-01-22T19:23:00.000-08:00

We decided to go to Utah after Christmas this year. It was a lot of fun and I think this is going to be a new tradition for us.

The very day we drove out there we had a Harward family reunion with my grandma and cousins and their kids and everyone. We haven't seen a lot of them in a few years to we made sure to get there. It was a very long day but worth it. The great grandkids sang a song and Ben was roped into conducting them. It was really cute (the kids not Ben!!!)

The best part was seeing my grandma Harward. The kids are so lucky to be able to visit with their great grandma.

It was also nice to be able to open lots more presents from grandmas and grandpas. Thanks guys!!!

Ben and I decided that this year we would get a hotel room in Salt Lake and just have some fun with the kids. They were so excited. When we got into the room the first thing they did was run to the window and look at the view.

Next they discovered the closet. They had so much fun playing in there. They locked each other in and made their beds in their and just had a great time.

Then it was off to dinner. We decided on Olive Garden. I know I know we should be adventurous when we are visiting other places but we like to go places that we know and love. We all had a great meal of salad, breadsticks, and pasta. Now I'm craving Olive Garden again!!!

After our dinner we walked to Temple Square. On the way we found these cool benches that they kids love playing on.

At Temple Square the lights were amazing as always. The kids really enjoyed seeing the lights and the beautiful temple. It was actually really warm that night too considering it was December and since we went after Christmas the crowd wasn't too bad either.

After the lights we headed back home (walking again) to our hotel. This was the moment the kids had been waiting for ever since they knew about the trip... SWIMMING. There was a swimming pool and a hot tub. Kyle kept going from one to the other having so much fun. Poor Ben had to keep following him and after the hot tub the swimming pool was freezing. Makayla loved showing off her swimming skills to everyone. It was a really nice little getaway. We are already thinking of doing the same thing next year.

After Salt Lake we came back to my parents house. (We had been staying with Ben's parents previous to this.) Take a closer look of who is holding Kyle. I think the older we get the more alike my sister and I look. Some people think we are twins. That is an awesome compliment to me since I am eight years older than her!

Our last nigth Addie and Zoe (the kids' cousins) were nice enough to let Kyle and Makayla use their room. Kyle loved his bed. He wouldn't even let me snuggle with him that night. He wanted to be all by himself!!!

Makayla has to read every night before she can go to bed just like her mommy. The funny thing is I got that from my mom too!

We had a great trip with everyone but it was really nice to get home. I think Kyle was the most ready to be back in his house and his bed.

Christmas 2011

2012-01-09T18:49:00.000-08:00

This year we decided to spend Christmas here in Fallon. The kids were so excited to get everything ready for our party on Christmas Eve. It was just the four of us but it was perfect!!! We started off with a dinner of appetizers. Next we read the story of the birth of Jesus from the bible. The kids got to play with the Little People nativity set while Ben read the story. Afterward we watched an awesome video about Jesus that our church put out. Next it was time for Christmas eve presents. The kids went on a little treasure hunt to find their gifts. They each got pj's and slippers which they loved. After they both put them on we played Mario Kart on the Nintendo Wii. It was a great night. They kids both went to bed really well considering how excited they were. It was nice to see that we really could do it on our own!!! We are excited to start our own little family traditions at Christmastime.

The next morning was amazing. The kids were so excited to see if Santa came. We had put up sheets all around the tree and told the kids they couldn't peek until we all woke up. We went out and daddy went to turn on the Christmas tree lights and see if Santa came. He did!!!

Makayla got her Cinderella play set and was so happy. She immediately started playing with it.

Kyle got tons of train tracks for his Thomas trains and a cool airplane. He and daddy had a lot of fun putting them all together.

After opening lots of presents and eating a yummy breakfast we were able to go to church. It was a wonderful day. We are so blessed to have such a wonderful little family. That night we had a great dinner of ham and potatoes and then it was time to pack and get ready to go to UTAH!!! Stay tuned...

Meeting Santa

2012-01-05T11:20:00.000-08:00

Yes, I am a little behind on my blogging but I really didn't want to leave out this post. We went to our church Christmas party in December and at the end of the party we had a special visitor. The kids were so excited to see Santa. They had already sent letters to him about what they wanted for Christmas but it was nice to let him know again just to make sure.

First we started off with a yummy dinner. Usually the kids don't eat very much because they just want to play but this night they were starving and ate every last morsel!

Next it was time for the program. Makayla was chosen to be an angel and she was beautiful!!! She sang all the songs perfectly and we were so proud of her!!!

Then the time finally arrived. Santa entered the room and all the kids started following him. It was so cute. They all lined up on the stage for their turn. Makayla and Kyle held hands while they were waiting. Makayla went first. She got right up there and told him she wanted a Cinderella Playset.

Next it was Kyle's turn. I really thought that he would be too scared but I was wrong. He jumped right up there and just stared at Santa. Santa kept asking him what he wanted but Kyle didn't really know. Finally he told him a sword. It was adorable. We all had a great time at the party!!!

Drum Roll Please...

2011-12-21T16:44:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year again...the most wonderful time of the year... when everyone is happy and giving... and we get to watch our girl perform in her ballet recital!!! Go Makayla!!! I have to say she was the very best in her whole class!!! (remember this is her mommy talking!)

Getting ready to begin.

The end...look at that pose!

And a video of the whole thing for all of you who are just dying to see my girl dance!

Deck the Halls...

2011-12-06T19:30:00.000-08:00

I have always hated decorating for holidays. I know I know I am a girl and should love that kind of stuff but if you decorate for a holiday it just means that after it is over you have to clean it all up!!! This year was a little different. When we told the kids we were going to put up the Christmas tree and decorate the house for Christmas they got SO excited. Because of their excitement it made me really excited!!! I don't even care about the clean up afterward!!! (Well, ask me again after Christmas when I have to do the cleanup!) We are so blessed to have such wonderful little kids to make everything exciting again.

Every year it is so fun to pull out all the ornaments and remember them from the years past. Makayla is now old enough to remember them and it is so fun to see her get so excited about certain ones. Kyle just loved putting up anything and everything.

Our little Christmas elf and his reindog.

Each year we get the kids their own special ornament. It represents something they did that year or something they were into that year. This year Kyle's ornament was a sword. Kyle has absolutely loved swords. He plays swords with everything including fingers and even socks. Makayla's ornament was a bike because she learned how to ride a two-wheeler without training wheels this year. Merry Christmas everyone!!!

Happy Turkey Day!!!

2011-12-03T15:35:00.000-08:00

The four of us had a small but wonderful Thanksgiving that we celebrated together in our home. We made all the traditional Thanksgiving foods and because it was just us we were able to enjoy the leftovers.

It all started a couple nights before Thanksgiving. This was when the kids made their own playdough. They had so much fun picking their own colors and making their own dough. I have to say that it has already had a lot of use!!! The kids love it (especially Kyle!!!)

That night the kids had fun dressing up as superheros and eating cold cereal for dinner. (Can you blame me??? For next two days I was going to be cooking and didn't feel like making anything that night!)

This year Makayla watched the whole parade. Of course her favorite part was Santa. Kyle loved it too (the Santa part.) He is just figuring out this year what Christmas is and he loves it. He asks every night if Santa is coming. Makayla asked if the santa in the parade was the real Santa and we decided it is. This is his last appearance before heading back to the North Pole to make our presents!

The kids enjoyed helping out making the food this year. Makayla helped with the sweet potato casserole...

and Kyle helped daddy with the stuffing.

Makayla set the table with the NICE dishes!!!

Lunch took a little longer than planned and poor Kyle was SO hungry!!!

Finally it was time. We ate...

and ate...

and ate!!! It was the best Thanksgiving ever!

Hair Ideas 2

2011-11-28T19:44:00.000-08:00

It's time for some more hair ideas!!! As I have said in the past every time Makayla has a new hairstyle we take a picture so we can remember it and do it again. Right now we are up to 167 hair dos. Here are a few more that we love. Enjoy!!!

He's A Big Boy Now!!!

2011-11-21T16:35:00.000-08:00

Kyle is growing up so fast. He has had a lot of changes in the past couple months and I am so amazed at what a big boy he is.

First he is in a big boy bed now!!! We are so proud of him. He does pretty well staying in it throughout the night but every once in a while in the morning we find him in his favorite spot... Makayla's bed!!!

Second, Kyle is now a potty-trained boy! I am so proud of him. He has done so well and loves wearing his big boy underwear and going in the big boy potty. (the picture is censored because my blog is not private!)

One day Ben left the jam a little too close to Kyle and we discovered that he even knows how to put jam on his bagel all by himself! We are so proud of you Kyle and love you more than anything!

Apple Hill October 2011

2011-11-16T19:17:00.000-08:00

For years now we have been hearing about Apple Hill in California and how fun it is. This year we decided to try it out. We woke up really early and drove the three hours to our destination. It was a beautiful drive but for most of the time we were winding all around the mountains. Makayla got car sick (this has only happened once before!!!) but afterward she felt a lot better. Next time we make this trip we will be sure to bring plastic bags! When we got there this was one of the first farms we went too. It was full of flowers and so beautiful. Even the kids were amazed by all the flowers. The weather was perfect! Luckily we wore shorts because it even got a little hot!

At this farm Ben and I shared an awesome piece of pumpkin cheesecake pie. It was so good! The best part was that the kids didn't like it so we got it all to ourselves.

Next it was off to feed some farm animals. There were sheep, goats, cows, and chickens.

Makayla loves to get her face painted. She was so excited that she got to wear her beautiful unicorn the whole day and was very careful not to mess it up.

While Makayla got her face painted Kyle patiently waited and let me take some cute pictures of him. It was nice that he didn't care that she got something that he didn't! I wonder how long that will last???

At practically every farm there was a pumpkin patch. They were all so beautiful. The kids each got to pick their own pumpkin.

It is called Apple Hill Farms because every farm has apple orchards. The apples were so good and the kids loved roaming in the orchards. We had the most wonderful day. We will for sure be making this trip again. It was a long day but it was really nice to be able to sleep in our own beds that night! We love those day trips!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

2011-11-15T09:58:00.000-08:00

This year we had an awesome Halloween. It was so fun because it was the first year that Kyle really understood the concept. The kids were able to dress up in their costumes three different times for three parties and they loved it!!!

Makayla was the Little Mermaid. She was able to pick out what she wanted to be and then I made her costume. It turned out so cute and she loved it! The only problem was the poor girl had strep throat during trick-or-treating. We didn't know at the time (she was just complaining about a sore throat.) She still had a lot of fun but hopefully she will be healthy next year.

Kyle was the cutest little dinosaur in all of Nevada. I also made his costume and he loved it! Kyle was so impressed that all he had to do was say trick-or-treat to people and then he'd get candy. He loved that concept. He realized that if a person only gave him one piece all he had to do is say "more" and then they'd give him more. It was a little embarrassing but Ben was really impressed!

Sometimes it is really hard to not have any family around us here in Fallon. I see all my other friends with their families going to parties or having family dinners. It would be so much fun to be able to have my children go trick-or-treating with all of their cousins like so many of their friends get to do. But since that isn't going to happen anytime soon (if ever) we need to make the best of it. We had so much fun just the four of us going around our little neighborhood and getting candy. I love my kiddos so much!!!

Growing Up...

2011-10-29T15:39:00.000-07:00

I am so sorry it has been so long since I posted anything. It has taken me some time to get over our latest disappointment of losing another baby. I have also discovered a wonderful addicting website called Pintrest so that has also been taking my time (thanks Meg!!!) But I am back and have tons of stuff to blog. I do have some VERY exciting news... drum roll please... Makayla is now a bike rider!!! We are so proud of her and more importantly she is so proud of herself. This has opened a whole new world for her and she loves it!!!

And while Makayla was riding around on her bike Kyle was racing on his. He was especially excited that he got to ride in the road instead of just on the sidewalk. He gets going almost as fast on his bike as Makayla does on her. The only drawback is that for his brakes he drags his feet and now he has huge holes in his shoes. Welcome to a boys world!!!

(you can even see his brakes in action on this picture)

Sadness...

2011-09-30T09:21:00.000-07:00

Well it is official we lost another baby this week. This is the second time this has happened this round. It is technically our third baby we lost because the first time it was twins. The first time we lost the twins it was really hard. We met the couple in July. He was going to medical school and she was going to law school and they just weren't ready for a family. They wanted better for their baby girls and we were so excited. I have always wanted twins so we were making all sorts of plans. Towards the end of July they told us that some tragedy had happened. Since this is a G rated blog I won't go into details but they told us that he had cancer and had lost some certain body parts. Therefore, he could not have any more children and they were keeping the babies. We know that they were lying and that almost hurt more than if they would have just told us the truth. Why did they feel the need to lie to us? Do they honestly think that we are gullible enough to believe their story. Anyway, after that we moved on and a 16 year old girl contacted us. She had had a really hard life and was pregnant at 15. She knew that adoption was the right thing to do. She wanted to give this baby a chance at life and she knew that by placing him for adoption he would have that chance that she could not give him. For three months we have been on a roller coaster ride with her. She told us that we were the ones. She was upset that we didn't announce it to everyone but we tried to explain that we are private and we like to keep it quiet until it works out. So many times it doesn't work out and it is so much easier not to have the whole world know that we got our hearts broken again. Anyway, she had the baby last Sunday. She didn't even call us to tell us she was in labor. We had to find out from facebook. Then when she was in the hospital she had all these people telling her that she needed to take him home for a few days before she made her decision. She kept our hopes up by telling us all the time that she wanted to choose adoption she just had to do this first or that first. Finally, on Wednesday when she brought him home we knew that it was over. We knew that no matter what she told us she was going to keep him and we were right. It has been so hard to go through this again. Sometimes I just don't understand why we have to go through so many losses before we finally get our children. We know that it is worth it in the end but it is so hard. I am so tired of shedding tears of pain. When is it my turn to instead shed tears of joy. When will I get to hold my baby in my arms and have a wonderful birth mother follow through with her promises. We have two of the most amazing and wonderful birth mothers in the whole world. I can't even imagine the courage it took for each of them to give us their child. We love them so much and can't wait for another birth mother to enter our lives that is just as wonderful as they are. We know that there is another baby that is supposed to come to our home. We don't know when that will be but we know that we have to keep going through this pain until it happens. It helps so much to see Makayla's and Kyle's little faces every day and know that this pain is worth it. In the end, when it finally happens for us, we will be happier than we have ever been before.

Sometimes...

2011-09-26T10:31:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I wonder why we put ourselves through so much heartache to bring another child into our family. I can't even begin to count the tears that I have shed or the sleepless nights I have had over waiting for our next child. Sometimes I think that two is enough and I should just be thankful for them and not want more. Sometimes I wonder why God allows us to go through so much pain when we are just trying to do what He told us to do... build an eternal family. Our intentions are good and righteous so why do we have to go through so much pain. Sometimes I wonder if it is worth it. And then I look into these two little faces...

and I remember why all the pain is worth it. Because in the end when we have that special birth mother who gives us her child this is what we get in the end. Every time one of my kids gives me a kiss or a hug or tells me they love me I remember why it is all worth it. Kyle and Makayla I love you so much. You are my whole life and my whole world. I will love you for eternity! You make everything that we have gone through, are going through, or will go through worth it!!!

Bubbles

2011-09-19T10:11:00.000-07:00

Even though the days are still really hot the evenings are getting nice and cool. It looks like fall will be here before we know it. As a family we love spending time together in our backyard. One of the kids favorite thing to do is bubbles.

Get them Kyle get them!!!

I love how Kyle is right behind Makayla getting ready to attack!

As Kyle and Makayla are getting older they are becoming closer and closer. It's so fun when I walk into a room and there are my two kiddos playing together. I love it. We all can't wait to add another child to our family. That baby is going to be loved so much by all of us!!!

Remembering September 11th...

2011-09-12T10:57:00.000-07:00

I will never forget ten years ago I woke up and was getting ready for work. Ben and I lived on BYU campus and he was still sleeping because he didn't have classes until later. Every morning I would watch the Today show while I was getting ready. This morning was no different than any other morning until on the show they showed a plane hitting the World Trade Center. It was weird and I remember thinking, "Wow, what an idiot to do that!" I went and woke Ben up and told him what had happened. As time went by we were more and more confused as to what was going on. Finally, as the news unfolded, we realized that we had been attacked by terrorists. I can't even describe the feelings that I was having. I couldn't believe that something like this could happen to a great country like America. Our world has changed so much in the last ten years. I don't quite feel as safe as I used to. We didn't have children until after this happened but I think we are raising them differently that we would have if this great tragedy hadn't happened. When the 10 year anniversary was coming up of September 11th we decided that we better tell Makayla a little of what had happened. I didn't want her watching TV or talking to her friends and wondering what was going on and being scared. I told her that before she was born some really bad men decided to fly airplanes into buildings so they could kill a lot of people. She was shocked. She said that we should write a letter to them telling them that that is mean and we should be nice to everyone. Makayla is really into making up songs these days so she decided to sing a song about September 11th. I am so glad that I live in America. I love this country with all my heart. I am so blessed to have a wonderful husband and amazing children. We are so thankful to live where we live and have the freedoms that we have.

On a lighter note, when we were at our family reunion in July my dad read the grandkids a book called Wienerwolf. Kyle absolutely fell in love with this book. My parents gave a copy of the book to all the grandkids so Kyle reads it all the time. He loves to pretend he is a wolf and make the howling noise. I swear it is the cutest thing you've ever seen. We were lucky enough to get him on video making his Wienerwolf sounds. Enjoy...

Swing Set

2011-08-28T11:34:00.000-07:00

All summer long we have been promising the kids a swing set but things kept coming up to where we couldn't get it. Well, finally it is here and the kids love it!!! Their favorite thing to do is swing!

They love the glider because they can swing together. They get going really high on it too!

And what would a swing set be without a slide. In this picture it looks like Kyle got a little help down the slide from his big sis. They also both love the rock wall and even Kyle can climb up it.

At the top is a little playhouse and underneath that is a little bar where they can play restaurant. Next year we are going to fill the area with sand which will make the kids even happier. Overall we love the swing set. Our favorite thing to do in the evenings is go out and push the kids on the swings or watch them slide.

FIRST GRADE!!!

2011-08-21T16:29:00.000-07:00

The weekend before school started this year Makayla and I went on our annual girls' day out school shopping trip. We went up to Reno and literally shopped until we dropped. The next day Makayla put on her fashion show for daddy and Kyle.

Last Wednesday morning Makayla was so excited to start first grade. This year she doesn't start school as early as last year so she gets to sleep in a little bit. We had a great morning.

She put on her favorite outfit, got her new backpack and was ready to leave for school. All of us decided to take Makayla to her first day.

In the car on the way to school Makayla asked, "Mom, is it okay to dance down the halls at school because I am so excited!!!" And that is exactly what she did!

Before the bell rang they all lined up. Makayla was a little embarrassed that we were still there and wanted us to leave! How Rude!!!

Kyle really missed his sister that day. He isn't used to having his best friend gone. But we had fun just the two of us.

Finally the time arrived. Kyle and mommy got in the car and went to pick up daddy. He said he wouldn't miss Makayla's first day for anything in the world. When she came out we all ran up to her and gave her a big hug. We were all dying to hear about her first day, what she did, what she ate for lunch, who she played with at recess and all the wonderful things that happened. But Makayla was so exhausted that she couldn't even talk. We went home and she watched a movie to rest for a little bit. Finally, that night we were able to hear all about her wonderful day. She is such a sweet girl and we are so proud of her!!!

Ben's Birthday and Camping with Daddy!!!

2011-08-16T15:14:00.000-07:00

This year for Ben's birthday Makayla decided she wanted to do all the decorating by herself. She did an amazing job and Ben loved it!!!

Ben decided that for his birthday dinner he wanted crab, homemade macaroni and cheese and Creme' Brulee for dessert.

The food was awesome but the crab was really stinky!!!

Ben got a cool R/C helicopter from the kids and me. He loved it!

That weekend Ben decided to take the kids camping in the backyard. They were so excited. Here they are getting ready for the night.

Now it is time for the movie. Yay!!! Where is mommy you ask? Well, mommy doesn't do camping so she was nice and cozy in her bed in the house. Side note: after the movie Kyle decided he wanted his own bed too so he slept inside also.

This was a cute little visitor that wanted to join the party!

And I just couldn't finish this post without another cool hairstyle. We tried this one the other day and loved it!!! It looked so cool and stayed in really well. We call it the worm bun. Kyle was so cute, when we were calling it worms he said, "No not worm, ssssssnake!"

Hair Ideas

2011-08-12T15:41:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since I have posted some fancy hair dos that we tried on Makayla so I thought it was about time. We still love trying out ideas from the internet and even coming up with a few on our own. Makayla is so awesome and sits very still sometimes for a long time to get cute hair. Now that school is starting next week we won't be able to do things that are too fancy but no worries... she will still have cute hair!!!

I love this one. You can't see the top but there are braids on both sides of the bang area.

Cute headband that didn't cost us anything!!!

Extra fancy Barbie bun.

Makayla's Belle hair. This hair style made Makayla decide she wants to be Belle for Halloween.

This is called a waterfall braid. Doesn't it totally look like a waterfall???

I love anything with a messy bun!

Another headband with a flower at the end.

From the front it looks like she has tiny pigtails. It reminds me when she was a little girl and all we could do were tiny piggies.

I absolutely loves this hairstyle but it took FOREVER!!!

And last but not least...HAIR BOWS!!!

Harward Family Reunion

2011-08-03T10:27:00.000-07:00

This year we were so excited to have a Harward Family Reunion (my side.) Makayla could hardly wait to see her cousins that she hadn't seen in 7 months and Kyle is old enough now to enjoy cousins too. Finally the day arrived to leave for Utah...

We decided that we wanted to spend a little time with Ben's family too so we went to Utah a few days early. It was so much fun seeing everyone!!! On our first day we took the kids to the Bean Museum at BYU. They loved seeing the animals and spending time with grandma, Nate and Matt.

That night we went to Thanksgiving Point and the kids had a blast riding the ponies and feeding the animals. Makayla was a natural cowgirl.

Kyle kept this smile on his face the whole time!!!

The next day we all took a hike up to Timpanogos Cave. It was straight up the mountain for a mile and a half and then straight back down for a mile and a half. We were all hurting by the time it was done except for...

KYLE!!! He had a nice easy ride the entire time!!! Poor Ben!!!

Everyone was really happy when we finally made it to the top. The cave was amazing. It had been so long since Ben and I had been there that we had forgotten how cool it was. Makayla loved it but Kyle was terrified and wouldn't let us set him down the entire time. Makayla was amazing and walked up the mountain and back down all by herself. We were so proud of her!

That night we had a hot dog roast at grandma and grandpa's. It was fun for Kyle and Makayla to play with all their cousins. Being so far from our family really makes us all appreciate the times we have together.

The next morning it was off to grandma and grandpa Harward's house for our family reunion. When we got there we just all hung out together and played and talked. We had a great lunch and then it was off to the Temple for the adults while grandma and grandpa watched the kids. We had a wonderful session at the temple and it was so much fun being with all my brothers and sister and their spouses. When we got home Makayla came running up to me saying, "Mommy, mommy something terrible happened!!!" Come to find out they were all playing on the slip and slide and the bees decided to join them. In the end three kids got stung by bees including Makayla. I felt bad for the kids and my parents but you have to admit that was kind of funny. That night all the guys went camping and my sister and sisters-in-law all went to the Olive Garden. It was so yummy!!!

The next morning it was off the the swimming pool. Those of you who are not from Utah have to understand that in Utah they don't just have boring swimming pools they are all mini water parks. The kids had a blast. Here is Makayla showing off her water ballet as she glides gracefully down the slide.

One of all of our favorite parts of the pool is the lazy river.

That night it was firework time. Since fireworks are illegal in Fallon we have to go to Utah to get our fix. Kyle especially loved them. He couldn't keep his eyes off a firework every time it was lighted and as soon as it was done he would yell, "More, more, more!!!"

Makayla loved watching everything with her cousin Cambrie. At first they just watched but after a while they stood up and started dancing while they made up songs about the colors in the fireworks. It was really cute.

On Sunday after church we went to Bridal Veil Falls. It is so pretty there!!! The kids as well as the adults loved playing in the freezing water. A few of them even fell in the water including Makayla but it didn't even phase them. They just kept playing and having fun. Afterward, we had a picnic. Everything was so good! Why is it that food always tastes better in the mountains???

For each of the nights Kyle was sleeping in a crib (thanks Brighton!!!) and Makayla was sleeping in the same room on a mattress on the floor. This night we were really having a hard time getting Kyle to bed. We couldn't just let him cry because then he'd wake up all the other kids. He kept saying he wanted to sleep on the bed with Kayla so we finally relented. We put him down and told him not to get out and that lasted 1 minute. We put him down again and told him not to get out and that lasted 2 minutes. Finally he stayed in there. I went to check on them and while Makayla was fast asleep Kyle was just playing on the floor. That was it. We took him upstairs to cuddle for a couple minutes and then he went back into the crib and finally fell asleep.

The next day everyone went to the Kangaroo Zoo and then out to lunch. After naps it was off to another water park that was free!!!! Oh I wish some of these things would come to Fallon! Kyle had a good time with Hunter. They are the only boys on my side.

And it looks like Cambrie and Makayla are at their water dancing again!!! Overall it was a wonderful trip. We had so much fun with both sides of the family. It was great letting the kids get to know each other better. We can't wait until Christmas to see everyone again!!!!

(I have more pictures to post but I am waiting for my sister-in-law to send them to me. (thanks Jenny!) Stay tuned...

More Pictures

2011-07-17T17:29:00.000-07:00

Here are some cute pictures I found and wanted to put on the blog.

Happy Father's Day daddy!!! Every year Ben gets a new picture of the kids to put in his office. This year he has an extra special picture on the other side... A Makayla Masterpiece!!! He also gets a tie every year (his request I promise!!!) This perfectly shows our kids' personalities... Makayla kissing her daddy and Kyle trying to get into daddy's candy.

The kids were in desperate need of new summer pj's. Kyle of course got his favorite Choo Choo Thomas pj's and Makayla picked out ice cream cone pj's. Kyle constantly goes up to Makayla licking her pajamas. That boy loves any kind of ice cream!!!

Kyle loves to help mommy and daddy mow the lawn.

Josie has gotten very kid friendly in her old age. She loves getting great rubs from her big sister.

As I have mentioned a few times Kyle copies everything that Makayla does. They have a lot of fun making funny faces at each other and at us. I especially like this look!!!

4th Of July!!!

2011-07-13T14:05:00.000-07:00

Our 4th of July started out at home getting ready for the day. Makayla and Kyle looked so cute in their flag shirts.

Of course Makayla couldn't leave the house without a fancy 4th of July hairdo. Next we went up to Reno and watched the movie Cars 2. This was Kyle's first movie at a theater so we figured he would do great. Well, we were wrong. He stayed interested for the previews while he ate his popcorn and then he was done. Ben and I took turns taking him out and letting him run. At least Makayla got to see the movie and she loved it! After the movie we went to dinner. Kyle and Makayla were full of popcorn so their meals pretty much went to waste but Ben and I enjoyed ours. After dinner it was off to wait for the fireworks.

We got to the place and found a perfect spot. Kyle and Makayla just played around the area while we were waiting. As you can see Kyle did not want his picture taken!!!

Makayla spent all her time making new friends and dancing.

Kyle had so much fun following Makayla around and copying everything she did. Finally, after his long day he got pretty tired. He found himself a cozy place to take a rest... right in the middle of the sidewalk.

Finally, the fireworks started and they were awesome!!! It's not the most comfortable place they have them but they sure are beautiful.

Both Makayla and Kyle loved the fireworks. The best part for Ben and me was snuggling with our kiddos. It was a wonderful day. Thanks so much to all the past and present soldiers that make our freedom possible. We are truly blessed to live in such a wonderful country!!!

Sewing Projects

2011-07-10T11:49:00.000-07:00

As many of you know I love to sew. I started out sewing little clothes for Makayla's dolls and then realized that if I could do that I could do clothes for Makayla right? Well, it has been a lot of fun and Makayla absolutely loves the results. These are a few of my projects that I have done recently...

This skirt turned out so cute!!! We love it!!!

The pink dress looks so cute on Makayla. She is even wearing it to church today. The pj's I made from one of Ben's old shirts. We need to make her another one... time for Ben to hand over another shirt. (see previous entry as for why Ben had a pink shirt!!! Hahaha!)

And Makayla's Easter dress turned out perfect. She looks like she just stepped out of a Disney movie. No worries, it isn't my sewing abilities that I am bragging about it's my gorgeous daughter!!!

We can't forget our handsome little man. This is a tie that I made for Kyle for Easter. He loved it! I need to make him more because there is nothing that he likes better than going to church with his tie on and a little squirt of cologne!!!

My next project is Makayla's halloween dress. Yes, I know it is a little early but she has decided she wants to be Belle so that might take a while to make. I can't wait!!!

Better Late Than Never...

2011-07-06T08:37:00.000-07:00

Ever since Kyle turned two on April 30th I have been meaning to write him a letter to put in the scrapbook. I like to do this with each child on their birthdays just to let them know what they were doing at that time. So I finally got Kyle's two year old letter done and here it is...

My Dear Sweet Little Kyle,

I can’t believe that you are two years old. It seems like just yesterday we were holding our tiny scrunch-faced little boy in our arms. You have grown up so much and have turned into an adorable little toddler. I wanted to write you this letter to tell you how much your mommy and daddy and Makayla love you. You mean everything to us. We can’t even remember what life was like without you in it. You are such a huge part of all of our lives and we love you more than anything.

You are doing so many things right now. You love to color. Most of the time it ends up on the doors or walls or floors or Makayla’s bed but every once in a while it goes on paper. You love to bug your sister. Even though she is three and a half years older than you you know exactly how to push her buttons. I constantly hear Makayla’s screams as you are chasing her around the house with a stick in your hands. Sometimes I secretly think she likes it though. We will have to ask her when she is older and find out the truth!!! You also love Josie. You call her Jo Jo and she loves you too. You are learning how to be soft with her and give her rubs but every once in a while you just have to pull her ear. You love it when Jo Jo comes and sits by you to share your snack. You love to snuggle with her when it is time for your nap.

One of your favorite things is skin. Yes, you hear me right I said skin. Whenever any of us are getting dressed you get this little smile on your face and say, “skin, skin, skin.” You love to be held and lay your head on my bare shoulder to feel skin. It is very sweet. You absolutely love to take baths!!! You could spend all day in the bath tub if we let you. You love to either have bubbles in the tub or put in a color to color the water. You always tell me what color you want although you are not always exactly correct with your colors. You also love to have your frogs in the bath tub with you. You play with those frogs the whole time and it is so cute.

Your very favorite thing right now is trains. You call them Choo Choos. You have so many trains at the house and you spot them everywhere outside. You know where the train tracks are and are constantly watching to see if a train will pass on them. We can be anywhere in the city and you will be playing and having fun. All of a sudden you will stop and say, “Choo Choo.” We will realize that there is a train horn somewhere off in the distance that you have heard. It is amazing how much you love trains.

Kyle you are the most amazing little boy. You have the sweetest little personality and you love your family so much. I can’t tell you how many times I have found you snuggling with Makayla while you watch a show, or snuggling with your daddy while he reads you a book, or snuggling with Jo Jo. Every day when it is time for your nap I take you in my bedroom with your milk and your blankie and we snuggle while you drink your milk. It isn’t long before you fall asleep and I take my precious little sleeping boy to your crib for a nice nap. Every day Makayla makes sure that she can give you a kiss before I put you in bed.

We love you so much! We thank our Heavenly Father every day for sending you to our home. We can’t wait to see what life brings to our little Kyle.

Love,

Your Mommy

Circus Circus

2011-07-05T11:39:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago the circus came to Fallon. All of us were so excited. We couldn't wait to see all there was to see...

As we entered we were greeted by clowns. Both kids were a little nervous (I don't blame them) so that is why mommy was in the picture too!

The kids were able to feed the animals at the petting zoo. It was so much fun but they were pretty stinky... the animals not the kids. Luckily, they provided a super-size jug of hand sanitizer. We used that a lot!

Kyle really wanted a ride on the elephant but that was a little expensive. Maybe next year kiddos.

We all love cotton candy so we got some thinking that Kyle would love it too but he didn't. Surprisingly Kyle isn't much of a sweet eater. Shocking I know since the rest of us eat dessert for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Everyone's favorite part of the show were the elephants. The best part was that we were sitting right by the place where they came in and left so we got a really close look at them. Kyle was in awe!

Makayla stated that her dream ever since she was born was to get her face painted. She looked so cute afterward. She was devastated at night when she needed to wash it off. She literally cried about it for two days.

And we couldn't leave the circus until Kyle got his train ride. He loved it!!! He is even loving this picture right now as I post this... Choo Choo, Choo Choo, Choo Choo!!!

Hiking

2011-06-25T07:35:00.000-07:00

Our family loves to go on day trips. One of our favorite things to do is hiking. Last week Ben took a day off work and we headed up to Mt. Rose. We went to a place we had never been before and it was awesome. We had so much fun and the kids did great!

We couldn't do anything else until Kyle got to throw rocks in the river. This is one of his favorite things to do. I honestly think he could do it all day long if we let him. Makayla was climbing around and exploring things around us. She found a really flat rock. She got it wet and then put leaves all over it. She was making a wallet.

Next it was picnic time. We found a beautiful spot in the middle of the trees and spread our blanket down. We had peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, chips, grapes, strawberries, cheese and Rootbeer. Then we topped it all of with some muddy buddies. Yummy!!!

Finally after rock throwing, exploring, more rock throwing, our picnic, rock throwing, pictures and of course more rock throwing it was time for the hike.

Oh yeah, before we could officially start the hike Makayla needed to strike a pose.

There were tons of fallen trees that we could climb and explore on. There was one especially skinny tree that Ben bet me $100 to climb across it. Now as some of you know I was in gymnastics when I was younger so this was not a big deal. As I started to climb Makayla burst out in tears. She was so scared that I would fall into the water. As much as I wanted my $100 I couldn't make my little girl cry while doing it. Next time for sure!!!

The best part of our hike was that we were in no hurry. We let the kids climb rocks and of course Kyle got to throw more rocks in the river and just take our time and explore everything. When we were done it was a short walk back because we didn't get very far. Over all it was a perfect day with our family.

Ky's Two-Year-Old Pictures

2011-06-21T18:41:00.000-07:00

I still can't believe that my little boy is two years old!!! He isn't really doing the terrible two thing but who knows what is yet to come...

During this photo shoot we took advantage and took some other pictures too. Enjoy!

VIDEOS!!!

2011-06-15T14:51:00.000-07:00

This is Makayla's dance recital. She did awesome!!! Pictures to come soon.

Kyle loves to sing. It is adorable because he sings the last word of each line. This is a song that Makayla and I taught him that he loves to sing.

Kindergarten Graduate!!!

2011-06-08T11:41:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that the school year is over and I don't have a Kindergartener anymore! How did this year go by so fast??!! Makayla had a wonderful year. She made lots of friends and absolutely loved her teacher Mrs. Moyle. Makayla started the year as one of the youngest kids in her class. I was a little worried that she wouldn't be able to keep up with the other children but not only did she keep up with them she even passed a lot of them up. (Okay was that rude? But I am her mom so I can say stuff like that right?) Anyway, we are so proud of Makayla and all that she accomplished this year and the beautiful, amazing and smart girl she is becoming. Makayla is excited for our packed summer but she is already counting down the days until she gets to go to first grade!!!

On Makayla's last day of school she picked out her special dress to wear that I had made for her. She looked beautiful. She went to school and then a couple hours later Ben, Kyle and I were able to go to her graduation ceremony.

The whole class sang us a song called "I Am I Said I". Makayla loves this song and had been singing it at home a lot. It was so cute to see the whole class sing it together.

Next they grabbed a partner and did a jig. Makayla's partner was Steven. They looked so cute together. Steven's mom thought they looked like they were going to the prom!

Kyle even found a great hiding place where he thought he was getting away with something. It was great because it kept him busy and quiet during the ceremony.

As I said in the beginning Makayla had such a wonderful teacher this year. Mrs. Moyle took such an interest in all the kids in her class and made each one of them feel that they were her favorite. I can only hope that we will have as great of a teacher next year. Congratulations my little Makayla. We are so proud of you and love you more than anything!!!

JUMP!!!

2011-05-26T12:23:00.000-07:00

This is what happens on a Sunday afternoon when you want a beautiful day to go outside and play but instead you have a cold and dreary day and have to entertain yourselves...

JUMP

Kyle absolutely loved this game!

This makes me think we should sign this girl up for karate!

No, I was not a cheerleader but maybe I should have been!

Yes, we might be a little crazy but at least we have fun!!!

Happy Mother's Day Mommy!!!

2011-05-22T11:05:00.000-07:00

Seeing as these two little munchkins are the whole reason I get to celebrate mother's day I saw it only fitting to start out with some adorable pictures of the cutest kids in the whole world!!!

Ben and the kids made me a wonderful mother's day dinner. My very favorite roast beef, mashed potatoes, and fruit. Oh man, it's making me hungry just thinking about it again!

To top it all of we had chocolate mint cake...can we say HEAVENLY!!!

After dinner I got to open my presents. The presents were hidden around the house and I got to find them. Makayla was a big help with this game since she is the one who hid them. Overall it was a great mother's day. I am so blessed to have such a wonderful husband and beautiful amazing children that make every day of my life mother's day. Thanks guys!!!

CAMPING!!!

2011-05-19T09:34:00.000-07:00

Now, for all of you who know me, saw the title of this entry, and immediately went directly to my blog in utter shock that I went camping, let me ease your minds. No, I did not go camping it was just Kyle and Ben. Our church had the fathers and sons outing a couple weeks ago and Ben has been waiting 12 years to go to this. Finally Ben got his little boy and Kyle was old enough this year to go. I have to admit I was a little nervous about Kyle (two years old) going camping but I knew that Ben would keep him safe. They both had so much fun!!! Ben is already counting down the days until next year!

Kyle LOVED the tent. We have set the tent up in the house before and Kyle loved it so when it was set up in the woods he was in Heaven!!! Ben said that Kyle slept very well despite the cold weather. I can't say as much for Ben. He was up all night making sure that Kyle stayed under the covers.

Kyle spent most of his time throwing rocks and sticks into the lake.

And what would camping be without a walking stick. Unfortunately it didn't occur to Ben to have someone else take a picture so both Ben and Kyle could be in the picture but at least we have cute pictures of Kyle right?! Anyway, they both had a great time and can't wait to do it again. Makayla and I had a nice girls night. We had a chocolate fondue party, watched Barbie movies and took Josie on a walk around the neighborhood. What a fun weekend!!!

Kyle Turns 2!!!

2011-05-11T09:34:00.000-07:00

What is that you say? I am turning 2 years old today? Yay!!!! I can't believe it. It seems like just yesterday that we were in the hospital watching our little boy be born and now he's two!!! Kyle is such an active little boy. He is constantly talking, playing, jumping, dancing, singing, laughing, running and just being a boy. He absolutely loves to be outside playing with other children, digging in the dirt, or helping daddy on a project. We are so blessed to have this little boy in all of our lives!!!

The day started off with balloons. Kyle loves balloons and spots them everywhere!!! On this special day Kyle got five balloons of his very own and he wouldn't let them go for anything!!!

We decided to have his birthday party that night. I know, how mean are we that we make the kids wait all day to open their presents!!! For dinner we had macaroni and cheese and beans. Kyle's favorite foods.

As I have mentioned several times Kyle loves trains or Choo Choos as he calls them. So it was pretty easy on what to make his cake. It turned out so cute and Kyle loved it!!! As I am typing this Kyle is going crazy looking at his Choo Choo cake and trying to eat it!

Kyle blew out his candle all by himself and it only took five tries. Perfect timing to be able to sing Happy Birthday to him first.

Next it was presents. Makayla especially enjoyed helping him open his presents. He got ALOT of trains and also this plasma car. The car is Makayla's favorite present because she gets to use it too!!

Kyle's stash!

Kyle is so blessed to not only have Ben, Makayla and me but also birth parents. This is a special Mickey Choo Choo that he got from his birthmom. Thanks Brooke!!! Kyle loves it!!!

Kyle we love you so much and are so proud of you. You are such a special little boy. Each person in your family absolutely loves being with you and playing with you. We love to snuggle with you and get your special hugs and kisses. We can't wait to see what life hold for you and are so blessed to be a part of your life! We Love You!!!

Easter 2011

2011-05-04T18:21:00.000-07:00

Well, the easter bunny made it to our house again this year and the kids were so excited. Makayla decided that 6:30am would be a good time to wake everyone up. Every year the easter bunny decides to hide the kids' baskets somewhere in the house and then he puts footprints (or I should say paw prints) leading to where the baskets are. This year he decided to put them way up by the ceiling. Thank goodness for the paw prints!!! The kids loved their candy and gifts and Kyle's candy was about half gone within the first five minutes!!!

We all had a great time decorating our easter eggs. This year we did dinosaurs.

The stash.

Ben was really sick on easter day so we waited until the next day to have our easter egg hunt. The kids did great and Makayla even let Kyle get a few eggs.

Every year we get Makayla a beautiful easter dress for her to wear to church. This year I decided I was going to make her dress. I have to say it turned out pretty cute! Makayla makes it easy though because she is so beautiful everything looks good on her!!!

And we couldn't leave poor Kyle out so he got a brand new tie that I made him. Thanks Meg for the pattern!!!

I have the most amazing, smart, beautiful, wonderful, and awesome kids in the whole world!!!

HAPPY EASTER!!!

The Bahamas!!!

2011-04-28T08:44:00.000-07:00

Last month Ben and I went on a cruise to the Bahamas for our 12 year anniversary. Grandma stayed with the kids in Fallon. It was so nice not having to worry about them and know that they were in good hands. Ben and I flew to Fort Lauderdale, Florida on Sunday. Monday morning we woke up and drove to Miami where our ship was leaving. It was amazing getting onto the ship. This was our first cruise. We knew the ships were big but when you actually see how big they really are it is indescribable. When it was time to leave the port of Miami Ben and I decided to get a Pina Colada and watch as we left. It was beautiful.

One of our favorite things to do was go to the top of the ship and just watch everything. It was really weird not having to worry about kids and what they were doing and making sure they were safe. We were able to be selfish and do whatever we wanted to.

The next morning we arrived in Key West, Florida. We were able to get a picture of our ship but the whole ship wouldn't even fit in the picture.

In Key West we went on a Kayak tour. It was so cool. The tour guides would stop and different points and then pull animals out of the water. This is a horseshoe crab. It looks really creepy but they said it can't hurt you. By the end of the tour my arms were killing me but it was well worth it!

All of you who have been on cruises before know that there is a formal dinner night. It was fun for us to get dressed up and eat dinner. The food was amazing. Everyone says you go on a cruise for the food and I completely agree!

The next port was Nassau, Bahamas. I have to admit that we didn't like the town at all. They people were way too pushy and wouldn't leave us alone. We were supposed to go parasailing but it got canceled because of the wind. We ended up going to the famous hotel The Atlantis and just looked around. The highlight of the day was when we got to see Nicholas Cage riding in his boat back to his house.

This is the yacht that Ben will own one day... in another lifetime!

On our way back from the Atlantis hotel (we had to take a boat ferry) we got this cool picture of all the ships docked at the island. Ours is the second from the left.

Next it was off to Cococay, Bahamas. It is a private island owned by Royal Caribbean. This was our absolute favorite place that we went to. Ben went snorkeling ( I was too scared. Have I mentioned my two greatest fears are drowning and suffocating and when I tried it I felt like both were happening!) But Ben loved it. He said it was so beautiful under the water seeing all the coral and tropical fish. I will just have to take his word for it.

My favorite part was laying on the beach chair under a palm tree and just relaxing. I can't remember the last time I was that relaxed!

Since we didn't get to go parasailing in Nassau we decided to go on Cococay. It was so cool! We were so high up there and it was absolutely quiet. It was so fun being up there together.

Ben and I had a wonderful and amazing trip. We have already started planning our next trip just the two of us but don't worry, it probably will take us at least another five years to do this again. As much fun as we had on our trip both of us were so ready to come back to the kids. We missed them so much. Here are the cute shirts we got the kids. They were so happy to see us when we got home. It was a great feeling.

My mom, Makayla, and Kyle made us this welcome home sign for when we got home. It was the perfect end to a perfect trip. Next stop...HAWAII!!!

2011-04-05T16:08:00.000-07:00

I think I have mentioned a few times that Kyle loves trains. He likes to line things up and then say, "Choo Choo!" It is pretty cute. This is a choo made out of blocks. The other day he also made a choo choo out of stickers. Wow! It's really hard thinking of a theme for his birthday this year...

Before Ben and I left on our cruise we decided to give Josie a bath. Kyle absolutely LOVES giving Josie her bath but Josie doesn't feel the same way. After Jos was done Kyle really wanted to hold her. It was pretty cute. Kyle thought he was being such a big boy. I know Jos looks like an alien but let's face it, she already is a unique looking dog and then give her a bath and what do you get... an alien!

I love to sew!!! This was a project that I worked on and it was so much fun! Last year for a Shawcroft family reunion we got these pink shirts for our family. They were really cute for Makayla and me but not so much for Ben and Kyle (no offense Rachel!!!!) So I decided to make Ben's shirt into a nightgown for Makayla. It turned out so cute and Makayla loves it!!! Kyle's shirt is going to turn into a nightgown for Makayla's doll.

I love that Kyle and Makayla get along so well. Now don't get me wrong they have their fights like the one I just broke up five minutes ago but for the most part they are great together. They love each other so much. Kyle copies absolutely everything that Makayla does. It is such a sweet relationship. This was the night that Makayla had a carnival at her school. She got to have her face painted and she was ecstatic. She had never had her face painted before and she loved it. Unfortunately she only had it on for an hour or so and then it was time to wash it off and go to bed. She was devastated. Finally I came up with a compromise. We washed it off that night and then on Friday I painted a rainbow and a flower on her cheeks. She loved it! Another tantrum postponed for a different day.

Sweet and Sassy

2011-03-22T08:45:00.000-07:00

Makayla and I decided we would take a sassy picture... What do you think?

Happy St. Patty's Day

2011-03-18T15:54:00.000-07:00

This year for St. Patrick's Day we decided to make a green dinner. Makayla and Kyle helped me cook the food and we had a blast. Of course Makayla's favorite part was putting the food coloring in each item and Kyle's favorite part was stirring everything! It looked a little gross so when we started eating we were expecting yucky but it was awesome! Fettuccini alfredo, homemade french bread, broccoli, and green jello salad. The kids loved it too and when they were done they looked so cute with green food all over their faces.

I just had to take a picture of my awesome plate of food before I started eating.

I don't know why we've never done this in the past. It was so much fun and so easy. Just a little green food coloring and TA DA!!! For Makayla's school snack that day I decided to give her a yummy surprise. I made pudding and put green food coloring in it. When I picked her up from school I asked her how her snack was. Come to find out she didn't eat it because it looked yucky. She didn't even smell or taste it! I felt so bad. I should have told her what it was and then she would have loved it. Bad mommy! At least I know for next year to warn her.

Toothless

2011-03-14T17:10:00.000-07:00

Well it is official. On Saturday, March 12, 2011 Makayla lost her first tooth. She had been wiggling it for a couple days and on Saturday morning she was playing with it and said, "My tooth is in my hands." I think she was a little in shock. She knew what was supposed to happen but hadn't been through it before. It was kind of funny. She was so excited and so were we!!! That night she put it under her pillow and the Tooth Fairy came. She had been telling me how the Tooth Fairy keeps the teeth to build her house with. Makayla was so lucky because the Tooth Fairy left her a note with Makayla's tooth taped to a heart. She let Makayla know that she wanted to let Makayla keep her first tooth to put in her scrapbook but from then on she'd keep the teeth Makayla lost to build her house with. Makayla couldn't believe that the Tooth Fairy was nice enough to do that!!! So now she is working on her other bottom tooth.

I can't believe how fast Makayla is growing up. It seems like just yesterday she was my little baby and now she is going to school, reading, tying her shoes, losing teeth and much more. I love that she is growing up into a beautiful, sweet, smart little girl but I do miss my little baby. Time just goes by so fast...

Sick

2011-03-09T09:22:00.000-08:00

Last week we were all sick!!! We spent most of the time snuggled together watching tv in our pajamas.

During the times we weren't feeling too bad we tried to find things to do. The kids loved playing with play dough.

Kyle and Makayla loved playing together. It was so nice because during those time that they were playing I could lay down and wallow in my own misery. In my opinion the only good thing that comes from being sick is when you're finally better you realize what a blessing a healthy body really is. All of us still have lingering colds this week but feel so much better!!!!

Adoption Thoughts

2011-03-01T16:21:00.000-08:00

Adoption has really been on my mind lately. Every morning I wake up hoping to find an email from a prospective birth mother. When there is none I go on with my day hoping that maybe tomorrow will be the day. I think that adoption has been a lot more on my mind lately because I am working on our scrapbook right now and I just got to Kyle's birth (okay okay just a little behind.) Also I have been compiling a few of Kyle's birth mother's email to put in the scrapbook for Kyle to see how she found us. Because of all of this it is making adoption constantly on my mind. It is so hard waiting for our next child. Just hoping and praying that our birth mother will email us. Since we were approved for adoption last December we have had three contacts. Two through our parent profile and one through our LDS profile. The first one we got the email at Christmas time and we were in Utah. She was from New York but that was all we knew about her. Ben and I emailed her back and then never heard back from her. She left a phone number so we thought maybe she wanted a call instead so we called her and there was no answer. We left a message and never heard back from her. The next email we got was in January. This girl was from Washington. Ben and I emailed her and then heard back from her. We were so excited! We emailed her back again and then we never heard back from her again. The third birth mother contacted us in February. She contacted us through the LDS website so this was a little different. We emailed her back that night but the email has to go through our agency and then to her to keep her privacy. We never heard back from her. We emailed again just to be sure she got it and still no answer. A few weeks later our agency contacted us and said that they were afraid that her inbox was full and she wasn't getting the emails. So we emailed her a third time and still nothing back. I can't even tell you how many emails we have received from prospective birth mothers telling us how wonderful we are and that we are at the top of their list and then we never hear back from them. Now I know you are asking yourself, "Wow is it something they are saying in their emails? Are they acting too desperate?" I asked myself this too, but I know that that is not the case. We have been through this enough times to know that this is very common. There are so many prospective adoptive couples who go through the same thing. It's hard but we have two beautiful children that I love more than life itself. Their birth mothers contacted us, kept contacting us, and then gave us the most beautiful gift in the whole world. This is why we keep doing this. We know that adoption is a miracle. We can't wait to hold our next child in our arms. We can't wait to have another birth mother and possible birth father that will always be a part of our lives. That is why we will keep going no matter how many disappointments we have to go through. In the end it is absolutely worth it!!!

Swim Girl!

2011-02-25T19:10:00.000-08:00

Makayla just finished her month of swimming lessons and she did awesome!!! She passed her level and is ready to start the next one. She had so much fun swimming. The only thing she didn't like was having to go outside into the freezing cold wet after she was done. I can't say I blame her on that one. Kyle and I were usually a little wet too!

Makayla loves the back float and is really good at it.

As you can see Makayla was the only girl in her class. Here she is being a little model. She looks cute even when doing monster legs!

And Kyle was always a perfect little angel during the whole entire time... hahaha!!!

Josie

2011-02-23T08:55:00.000-08:00

As most of you know Josie is our little dog. Ben and I adopted Josie before Makayla came along so we have had her a long time. We were living in Tulsa, Oklahoma and Ben and I went into a gourmet pet treat shop to look for something for my family dog that lived in Utah with my parents. They were showing dogs and cats from the Humane Society in the shop. I turned around and there was Josie. She was the cutest, sweetest little dog I had ever seen. They had named her Josie after Josie and the Pussycats because I guess she lived with cats or something. Ben and I really didn't want to get a dog at that time but the more I looked at her and held her the more I wanted her. It was a really hard time for us because we had been waiting to adopt for such a long time and we had had prospective babies that fell through. I was getting really depressed about everything and I just wanted something to love. Ben and I talked about it and decided to adopt Josie. The day we took her home she became our baby. Since that time she is more of a dog than our baby but we still love her just as much. She has such a sweet personality and loves the kids so much. She puts up with a lot from Kyle and even though she will growl at him from time to time I know that she loves Kyle and Makayla so much. We love you Josie!!!

Where'd He Go???

2011-02-21T09:20:00.000-08:00

The Statement: "Whoo wee Ky you are stinky! Let's go change your diaper."

The Result...

Happy Valentine's Day

2011-02-15T15:51:00.000-08:00

One of my greatest memories as a child was Valentine's Day. My mom would always get us something special for the day. Even when I was a teenager and all depressed because I didn't have a boyfriend my mom would always have a special valentine for me. She now carries on that tradition with the grandchildren. A few days ago when we got the mail the kids were so excited to have a package from grandma Harward. Inside was a valentine card for each child along with lots of candy. Thanks grandma!!! We also gave valentines to each other. Ben gave Makayla and me flowers and they are gorgeous! The kids and I got Ben some flower bulbs to plant this spring and I got the kids some candy boxes. Of course right when we were ready to take the picture I couldn't find Kyle's candy box. He had it two seconds before and then lost it. So is may look like Kyle didn't get anything but I promise he did!!!

WE FOUND IT!!!

Valentine's Party

2011-02-13T10:58:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago Makayla came to me and asked me if she could have a Valentine's party with her friends. I thought about it for a few days and then though why not? She was so excited to help me get ready for the party. It made it totally worth it when Makayla told me how much fun she had. Sometimes all the work is worth it and this was definitely one of those times!!!

Here are the girls decorating their heart sugar cookies. Okay I know that kids love sprinkles but oh my word!!! Some of the girls put more sprinkles on their cookies than frosting!

I made all the girls little Valentine's bags and they got to decorate them. They turned out so cute. Each girl brought valentine's for all the other girls and then they handed them out and put them in their bags. They loved it!

Kyle also had a great time! He colored a picture while the girls colored their bags. Then he decorated his cookie along with the girls. I was actually quite impressed that he only ate half the frosting before decorating the cookie. Kyle loves his big sister so much and loves to do whatever she is doing. Luckily, Makayla is a great big sister who allows her brother to play with her and her friends. It's pretty funny when the friends start complaining about Kyle playing with them but never Makayla. I love that!

Ky Ky

2011-02-10T15:04:00.000-08:00

This morning while Makayla was at school Kyle and I made a tent. We put his couch, books, and a bunny that he has been calling his baby in the tent with him. He loved it! It was so cute when I peeked in their and saw him reading to his baby. As soon as he saw me taking his picture he wanted to see it. He loves seeing pictures of "Ky Ky".

Kyle is such a little sweetie. One minute he will be destroying something and the next minute he is giving you hugs and kisses. He loves trains and calls them Choo Choos. He also loves the show The Cat in the Hat. He loves to sing with them " Go go go go go go." For Christmas we got a Nintendo Wii and Kyle loves to "play" it. We give him his own controller and he thinks that he is playing. Unfortunately he is catching on that his remote doesn't work so that won't last much longer. Kyle loves cooking with us and climbing on stools and chairs to reach things he isn't supposed to. He loves playing with Makayla, dancing and singing, and hugging Josie. He is such a sweet little guy and is so full of energy. My favorite time of day is nap time. We snuggle on the bed with his milk and he drinks it until he falls asleep. He didn't used to do this but since we stopped his morning nap he is so tired in the afternoon he can't help but fall asleep. He hasn't fallen asleep in my arms since he was a little baby. I gently take his milk away and carry my sleeping boy to his crib. He is so precious. Kyle is doing so much better in nursery. He is fine until we get there and then he starts screaming and clawing onto us when he realizes we are in the room. It is torture when they rip him off of us (so I make Ben take him now) but he stops crying within seconds and starts playing. I love Kyle so much. I can't even imagine my life without the little guy!

Makayla wants to be...

2011-02-07T16:59:00.000-08:00

The other day on the way home from swimming lessons Makayla and I were talking about what she wanted to be when she grows up. I told her all the things she could be and she has narrowed it down to two... either a lawyer or a queen. My vote is for a queen!!!

The cutest kids in the world!!!!

2011-02-01T15:00:00.000-08:00

I am so blessed to have such wonderful children. I love them so much! Here are my adorable children as we are getting ready to go to church.

I just had to take a picture of my handsome little Kyle. You can tell that he thinks he is pretty hot stuff too!

And my beautiful Makayla who already has a loose tooth!!! She is growing up so fast.

Who could forget the day that Kyle discovered he had pockets!!! Awesome!!!

Last Friday Makayla had her best friend over for a play date. They decided they wanted to learn the moves to a Barbie song called Queen of the Waves. They did a great job and so did Kyle!

Wonderful Weekend

2011-01-19T10:26:00.000-08:00

What a wonderful weekend we had. It all started on Saturday when we went up to Mt. Rose and went sledding. It was so warm!!! Everyone had so much fun.

Makayla loved going down the hill with both mommy and daddy. I was impressed with her because it was a pretty steep hill and even I was a little nervous but she loved it!

Kyle also loved the sledding but we only went half way up the hill with him for two reasons. First this is how we went up the hill... great for Kyle not so great for the one pulling him. Second because the hill was so steep Ben and I were a little worried about Kyle flying off the sled. He still had tons of fun and didn't even realize he was only half way up.

After we got tired of walking up the hill we decided to make a snowman. It actually turned out a snow alien because the snow was a little hard. It turned out really cute. See how warm it is? Ben even has his coat off!!

After sledding we went to Swenson's and had lunch and ice cream. That has become a little tradition with our family that we all love. You should have seen all four of us chow down on the ice cream. It was pretty hilarious!

Monday was a holiday so both Makayla and Ben had the day off. It was another beautiful and warm day so we spent a lot of time outside. They kids rode there scooters and 4-wheelers and Ben played with his RC car that he got for Christmas.

Later during Kyle's nap Ben took Makayla on a date. They went to DQ and then did a little grocery shopping. That evening it was time to do a little organizing. My favorite thing to do!!! (seriously!) We cleaned out Makayla's room and during the process I found an old Cabbage Patch doll of mine when I was a little girl.

Makayla has decided to adopt her and take care of her for me. It is so much fun to see my little girl play with my old toys. Makayla thinks it is cool too! So that was our awesome weekend. I am so lucky to have such a wonderful husband that loves to spend time with his family and two beautiful children that I love more than anything in the world!!!

HAIR

2011-01-17T11:50:00.000-08:00

We deal a lot with hair in this household. Makayla and I love to play with her hair. Each day we try to come up with a new hairdo. Luckily Makayla enjoys this as much as I do since she is quite essential to the process. I love her long hair. I am dreading the day that she tells me that she wants to cut it. Right before Christmas we saw the movie Tangled and now she wants to grow her hair as long as Rupunzel. So I think we are safe, at least for a little while. I also cut Ben's hair. I really don't like doing it very much but since his hair grows so fast and he needs it cut quite often it saves quite a bit of money by me doing it myself. And now there is Kyle. His hair is really thick and loves to grow straight forward. I love to stick it up but it just won't do it anymore. I swear his hair has a mind of it's own. Anyway here are a couple cute pictures of HAIR...

Ky's haircut.

Video Fun!

2011-01-07T18:05:00.000-08:00

As I mentioned in the previous entry the cousins on my side of the family love to dance. This was a video we got of Makayla's cool new dance moves. She and her cousin Addy are dancing at my parents house.

This is the cool 4 wheeler that Kyle got from his birth mom. He LOVES it!!!!! Thanks Brooke! ( please excuse the mess - we were cleaning up Christmas decorations and organizing the new toys!!!)

The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year

2011-01-04T15:26:00.000-08:00

I can't believe that another Christmas has come and gone. We had a wonderful time with our families in Utah. We spent Christmas Eve and Christmas morning at my parent's house. It was so nice because all of my brothers and sister and their families were there with us. It was crazy and loud but a lot of fun. I think my parents will enjoy their quiet Christmas next year.

All the grandkids got to open a present on Christmas Eve from grandma and grandpa...Pajamas Yay!!!

Christmas morning was great. Makayla was so excited to see what Santa had brought her. Kyle didn't really understand what was going on until he saw his toys. Kyle got a great car racer and Makayla got her unicorn pillow pet that she'd been asking Santa for for months. She also got a play castle. And that awesome Santa brought our family a Nintendo Wii. We have all had so much fun playing with that. Even Ben's parents joined in some Wii game fun which is a story in itself!!!

Makayla got a Rupunzel doll from grandma and grandpa. Now which one is Makayla and which is Rupunzel. They look so much alike!!!

Kyle got an awesome train from grandma and grandpa. He can pull it around the house and it plays music. He loves it!

I got Ben a RC car which is pretty cool if I do say so my self. Just trying to make up for a bad memory he had as a little kid. He asked for a remote controlled car and got one that was attached to a cord. I think he will like this one a little better.

Ben did a great job surprising Makayla and me with matching earrings with our birth stones in them. They are gorgeous!

Since there were so many people at my parents house opening presents there was a lot of garbage. To make room we just threw it all down the stairs as we went. Afterward, the kids had a great time playing in all the paper and boxes. That night we went to Ben's sister's house and had Christmas dinner with all the family that was there. It was so nice being with family the whole day. That is one thing we have really grown to appreciate while we are living in Nevada... family.

Makayla loved the outfit that grandma got her. In fact I think she wore it three days in a row!!!

Kyle loved playing the piano. And you know what they say... you can't play a piano unless you are wearing a fire hat.

One thing that all the Harward grandchildren look forward too is dancing at grandma and grandpa's house. There isn't a night that goes by without dancing!

While we were staying at grandma and grandpa Shawcroft's house they were nice enough to babysit the kids while Ben and I went shopping and out to dinner. It was so nice!!! Again we really really really miss family! While we were out we went to the BYU bookstore. Ben needed a new hat so we decided to get Kyle one also. Usually he hates wearing hats but when he saw that daddy was wearing one too he wouldn't take it off.

Every time we are in Utah we visit my grandma (the kids' great grandma.) We always have a good time talking to her and catching her up on our lives. She lives with my aunt and uncle and this time they had three baby kittens that the kids absolutely fell in love with!!! Makayla tried and tried to get me to let her have one but I told her we could either adopt another baby or have a cat but not both. Thank goodness she chose the baby!!!

New Year's Eve we spent at Ben's other sister's house. The best part of the night was when Makayla was dancing with the older girls. I have to say that she did a better job with the moves than Ben did. And of course I wasn't going to humiliate myself by joining in so I just watched and played with Kyle.

10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! Okay so it wasn't really the new year. I think it was somewhere around 9:25pm or so but the kids didn't care. And what would it be with out a little sparkling cider!

One other thing we did during this time was visit with Makayla's and Kyle's birth mothers. Because of scheduling problems we could only visit with them together. It was so nice. I have been wanting them to meet for a while so it was great. Makayla had a great time catching up with Krista, getting some new Little Pet Shop toys from her, and torturing Krista's husband. Kyle is a little shy these days but he was great with Brooke. He loved playing peek-a-boo with her and loved the car and track she gave him and the riding car she gave him (I will post a video on this later.) We were having so much time catching up that I totally forgot to take pictures!!! Overall it was a great time in Utah but we are all happy to be home!

Thank You

2010-12-10T16:36:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to take a minute and thank everyone who reads my blog. Sometimes I wonder why I go to all the work of doing this and then someone will make a comment or I will notice that someone read my entry and it just makes me feel good that you all are thinking about us enough to read about us. (Wow that was a long sentence.) So anyway thanks to all of you for making all the work worth it!!!

Thanksgiving

2010-12-02T13:51:00.000-08:00

This year for Thanksgiving it was just the four of us. We had decided to go ahead and make all the favorites of Thanksgiving. The day before I made the rolls and pies (with the kids' help.) Then the day of Ben was in charge of the turkey and stuffing and I did the mashed potatoes, gravy, and yams. Finally around 1:00pm (an hour later than planned) we sat down to a great meal! Everything was perfect.

What all of us were waiting for... the pies!!! Poor Kyle was so tired that he wouldn't even eat the pie. He just wanted to sleep. But he did get a piece later and loved it!

Makayla's favorite pie... the chocolate pudding pie. That night at midnight Ben took a trip to Walmart to get a few black Friday deals. Then on Friday Makayla and I woke up early and went shopping up in Reno. We also saw the new movie Tangled which we both LOVED!!! Daddy and Kyle stayed home and got to watch football all day. It was a wonderful Thanksgiving and a great weekend!!!

Another Announcement

2010-11-24T15:25:00.001-08:00

Please feel free to visit our adoption profile on the LDS Family Service website.

https://www.itsaboutlove.org/ial/profiles/25002387/ourMessage.jsf

Forward to anyone and everyone!!!

Announcement

2010-11-22T14:44:00.000-08:00

Ben and I have been approved for adoption!!! Now the hard part begins...

Stories Of The Kiddos

2010-11-18T16:02:00.000-08:00

Makayla is getting so big. It seems like just yesterday she was a little baby and now she is in Kindergarten telling me all the things that all the other children have taught her. So far it has all been good thank goodness. I am just waiting for the day she comes home with some choice word she heard someone say. Now for what happened this week. I arrived at the school to pick her up and as she was walking across the playground I noticed she was holding a little boy's hand. When she got to me I asked her who the boy was. She said, "That was Brent." I asked her if she was holding his hand and she said, "Yes, we are going to get married when we get older." "Oh really," I said, "Did he ask you to marry him?" "No," she replied. "I asked him to marry me and he said yes!" Don't you just love a girl that takes charge!!! I have to admit I thought this was pretty cute but Ben didn't have the same reaction. He wants to interview the boy and see if he is worthy for his daughter. Has it already started?!?!?!

Everyday Kyle either makes me laugh or makes me want to pull my hair out! We like to call him the little monster around our house. Since this is his nickname we taught him to growl whenever someone asks what does a monster say. It is pretty cute if I do say so myself. Kyle also loves to jump (see previous entry's video.) He actually gets about a centimeter off the ground now. Amazing!!! As I have mentioned before I am teaching Kyle sign language. Not a ton of words just the basics so he can actually ask me what he wants instead of just cry. It has come in very handy. Recently I taught him to sign thank you. You put your hand by your mouth and then pull your hand straight out. Well Kyle has decided that the sign he is going to use for thank you is to blow kisses. Adorable!!!

Lake Tahoe

2010-11-14T16:28:00.000-08:00

As a family we love to go hiking. One of our favorite spots to go is Lake Tahoe. It is so beautiful no matter what time of year. A few weeks ago we went to check out the salmon run and then went on a hike. It was so much fun and the kids loved it!

The salmon run was so cool. I have never seen so many fish in my life. The most memorable part of that outing was when we arrived at the fish Kyle got so excited that he headed straight for the river. There were so many people that we couldn't get through. Luckily the water was only a couple inches deep so Kyle only got his feet wet. He sure was the entertainment with that one.

After that it was time for our hike. It was getting a little late so we had to hurry before it got dark. Makayla did awesome and walked the whole way. It is a pretty steep hike but totally worth it in the end.

Kyle refused to take a nap the whole hour and a half drive up there so after the hike he fell fast asleep.

On the way home we went to a little restaurant in South Lake Tahoe. We were all staving and tired but it was a wonderful day. We can't wait until spring when we can go again!!!

Our Adoption Video

2010-11-09T16:19:00.000-08:00

This is a little video that we made to prospective birth mothers and birth fathers to tell them a little more about our family. What do you think???

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

What a little cutie!

2010-11-05T13:13:00.000-07:00

I have been meaning to get a video of Kyle for a long time but we just got a new camera and I had to figure out how it worked. Finally here it is. I have to say Kyle was awesome. He showed off all his tricks in one taping. What a little cutie!!!

More Halloween

2010-11-01T16:19:00.000-07:00

This year I when I got the kids pictures taken I decided to do Halloween pictures together. I have never done professional Halloween pictures and I thought it would be cute. I like to call these A Princess and Her Duck...

Our Halloween

2010-11-01T10:08:00.000-07:00

It was another great Halloween for the Shawcroft's. It started on Thursday night when we carved pumpkins. Makayla drew faces on all the pumpkins and then Ben and I cut them out. Kyle just watched and messed. We had seven pumpkins all together but we only carved four. They turned out so cute.

Fallon celebrated Halloween Saturday night which we were very excited about. I really didn't want to break it to the kids that we couldn't trick-or-treat since it was Sunday so thank you Mayor.

Makayla wanted to be a princess for the third year in a row. I really don't mind because I have a lot of fun every year making her costume. She loved her dress which made me feel good. She looked beautiful as usual.

While we were walking I saw a girl dressed up as a princess with a long wig. I told Makayla that everyone probably thought she was wearing a wig since her hair is so long and pretty. The very next house we went to after getting her candy Makayla informed the people that her hair was real and not a wig. It was so cute.

Kyle was the cutest little duck ever!!! For the whole day Kyle cried and cried. He had a really bad cold and didn't take good naps and was just really cranky. Luckily when we actually started trick-or-treating he calmed down and loved it. Man, free candy for looking cute? Who can beat that? Every house we went to the people told the kids how cute they were. I love it when people tell me how adorable my kids are.

This is the only picture we got this year of Kyle not crying. You can't get much cuter than this!!!

This was their stash. Pretty good for our little neighborhood. It is pretty nice around here because most people give you a handful of candy not just one piece. It was funny because we went to a church member's home and after Makayla got her candy she yelled to me, "Mom, Pat only gave us one piece!!!" Overall it was a wonderful day and evening. The kids went to bed great that night and weren't even full of sugar!

5 years old and 18 months old...

2010-10-31T10:44:00.000-07:00

Wow life has been pretty busy around here and therefore my blog has suffered. But hopefully things are slowing down and I can get back to updating it more often. We recently had pictures taken of the kids. I was so happy with how they turned out. Enjoy!!!

Makayla is loving Kindergarten and getting so smart. I can't believe all that she has learned in such a short period of time. She loves her teacher and her friends and everything about school. She still has such a sweet personality. She always wants to make everyone feel happy and included. She has made a good little friend at school named Kaylee. Makayla loves calling Kaylee her best friend. I love seeing her so happy. We love you Makayla and are so proud of you!

Makayla 5 years old..

Makayla just finished her first season of soccer. She did amazing. She ran and ran in 90+ degree weather and never complained once. She loved it and it was so much fun watching her!

Now for the little monster. Yes that is what we call him around here. Kyle is the sweetest, cutest little guy but he loves to cause trouble. It is hard to get upset with the little guy when he looks like this though!!! Kyle loves playing with all his toys and anything else he can get his hands on. He is learning new words every day and still uses a little sign language. He loves reading books and taking every last book off the shelves that he can reach. He loves giving hugs and kisses which just about melt my heart. We love our little boy so much and can't believe that he is already 18 months old!

Thank you again to our wonderful birth mothers and birth fathers. We love you so much and are so blessed to have you both in our lives

My Little Star

2010-09-22T09:37:00.000-07:00

You can imagine our surprise when Ben was looking in the newspaper and saw Makayla!!! She is in the back-middle in the blue and white shirt. (Her birthday shirt from Grandma Harward!) Read the article to see all the juicy details...

The Difference Between Boys and Girls

2010-08-21T18:15:00.000-07:00

I have always heard from people with both boys and girls that they are so different. I've always wondered if it is because of us (that's the way we make them) or if it really is just the way they are. Now that I have both a boy and a girl I am realizing that they are so different and it is NOT the way we make them. They really just come differently. If you don't believe me look at this example. The other day Makayla was pushing her baby in the stroller. She dressed the baby all up in a cute little dress and a matching headband in her hair. She placed her gently in the stroller with a blanket covering the baby so she wouldn't be disturbed. Then she proceeded to stroll the baby throughout the house trying to get her to sleep. When she was done with that she left and went on to something else. Before I know it Kyle is at the stroller. He took the baby out of the stroller, threw it on the floor, and then started pushing the stroller as fast as he could around the house laughing and screaming. Now you tell me... is there a difference between boys and girls???

She's In Kindergarten!!!

2010-08-19T16:20:00.000-07:00

It all started with a fun trip to Reno for school clothes. This is a tradition that Makayla and I have every year. Just the two of us drive to Reno for the day and shop till we drop. We both have so much fun. Then that night she put on a fashion show to show daddy and Kyle all her new clothes.

Then yesterday was the day. It had finally arrived. The day that Makayla has been waiting for all year long... the first day of Kindergarten. She was so excited. We all woke up extra early since Makayla starts school at 7:30am. Makayla picked out her own outfit and how she wanted me to do her hair. She looked beautiful.

Then it was off to school. We walked in and went straight to the playground to wait for the bell to ring. Makayla enjoyed the slide very much.

When the bell rang we all lined up and headed to the classroom. Originally Makayla wanted us to leave as soon as we got to the classroom but when it all came down to it she was a little nervous and wanted us to stay longer. There wasn't one familiar face in her classroom so she was a little scared.

As you can see by the face she was really nervous. Finally I asked the little girl next to her what her name was. She said Kaylee. Makayla was so excited because she had another friend named that. They started talking a little bit.

Next they all went to the carpet for singing time. This was when Makayla started to get a little more comfortable. She sat by her new friend Kaylee and they all sang the ABC's with their teacher Mrs. Moyle. Next they sang Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed. This was when we could really tell that Makayla was comfortable. She started "rocking out" and she says to the song. Ben and I went over to her and asked if it was okay if we left and she said yes. We gave her a kiss and then were off.

I am so proud of my little girl. I can't believe that she is in Kindergarten. She is the sweetest most precious little girl in the whole world and I thank Heavenly Father every day for allowing me to be her mom. I love her with all my heart. I can't wait to see what her future holds. I know that she will do amazing things.

Well after school was over Ben and I went to pick her up. We got there a little early so we just waited. All of sudden all these sweet little kids in backpacks came out the door and across the lawn. It was so adorable. Then we spotted our little girl. She was the cutest one of all and she was holding hands with Kaylee as they came out. I have to admit I started tearing up it was so cute. She was so happy and so excited to tell us all about her day. She is the most amazing little girl. I can't believe that she is in Kindergarten!!!

Going Private

2010-07-25T19:43:00.000-07:00

Well the time has come that I am going to make my blog private. I really really didn't want to because I am so afraid that there might be people related to our birth families that read this blog and catch up on the kids. Please know that if you are someone that knows us through the kids adoptions I would love for you to continue to have access to our blog. Don't be afraid to just send me your email and I will add you on. I don't ever want the kid's birthfamilies to feel like I am excluding you. I just feel like the time has come that I don't want information about the kids getting into the wrong hands. As we start looking for a new child to add to our family I will be starting a new adoption blog that will be public for all to see. I just want this one to be private. So if you enjoy seeing what the Shawcroft family is doing please send me your email and I will add you to my blog. Thanks everyone!!!

Our Wonderful Birthmothers and Birthfather

2010-07-19T15:09:00.000-07:00

Ben and I are so blessed to have such beautiful and wonderful children. We thank our Heavenly Father every day for such sweet little spirits. We have very special birthparents in our lives that gave us our Makayla and Kyle. We love that we are able to keep in touch with them and see what is going on in their lives. We were able to see both Kyle's birthmother and birthfather and Makayla's birthmother while we were in Utah. We love showing off our beautiful children to their special birthparents. What a wonderful experience that is.

This is Kyle's birthmother and birthfather. We love you guys so much. Thanks so much for such a smart, beautiful, sweet and amazing little boy.

This is Makayla's birthmother. We love you so much. Thank you so much for such a precious, sweet, smart, and amazing little girl.

Our Summer Trip

2010-07-15T18:55:00.000-07:00

We started off our trip with a plane ride to Boise, ID to see my grandma. Ben stayed home to work and then he was going to join us later. Makayla was so excited to see her great grandma Shirley. I was so excited to see her too because she had never seen Kyle and hadn't seen Makayla since she was two. My mom met us there at grandma's house to join in the festivities.

Makayla and Grandma Shirley got along great. They had such a fun time teasing each other. Now everyone knows where I get my great height from... After a few days we drove to Utah to my parent's house. Makayla was so excited to meet her new cousin Brighton and see her cousins Addy and Zoee all who live with my parents. She also got to see her cousin Brooklyn since my brother recently graduated from dental school and had moved back to Utah. It was so fun seeing everyone and just hanging out.

I took Makayla and Kyle to "their temple" (the temple they were both sealed to us in.) It was so much fun seeing it and brought back many wonderful memories.

One day my sister and I took the kids to a fun little water park. This was Kyle's first time in water besides the bathtub and he loved it. He loved the fact he could spash as much as he wanted and not get into trouble.

We had a fun one-day Harward family reunion. It started out that morning with all you can eat breakfast from Kneaders. It was so good!!! Oh how I wish there was a Kneaders in Fallon. Then we went swimming. That night we had a yummy bbq and the kids went on a treasure hunt. This is all the loot they found. Kyle was mad because he wanted all of it not just his!!!

Here we are playing with some Snaps (thanks to Jennie) and bubbles (thanks to Megan) waiting for it to get dark for fireworks.

When it got dark we started the fireworks. We decided that we'd just do street fireworks instead of going to a big show. We aren't allowed to do fireworks in Fallon so this was really fun for Makayla. Kyle absolutely loved them. Everytime the firework would stop he would clap and then say, "more, more, more."

Next it was time for the Shawcroft family renunion. This reunion actually lasted for four days. We had so much fun. We started it off with a Shawcroft family talent show. Makayla sang the song Believe and did a beautiful job. Ben surprised us all (including me) with a little cowboy poetry.

I was pleasantly surprised at how well he did. He even memorized most of it. His only mishap was when his Colorado cowboy cousins informed him his cowboy hat was on backwards. Such an attorney!!!

Kyle's talent was looking absolutely adorable in grandpa's cowboy hat and walking around everywhere while stealing everyone's leftover food. For my talent I was going to do an amazing gymnastic routine but too bad we ran out of time!

That night all the cousins stayed at grandma and grandpa Shawcroft's house for a camp out. Lucky Ben and his brother Tyler got to be the chaperones.

On our last day of the reunion we went to Ben's sister's house and went swimming in their pool. The water was the temperature of a bathtub and was wonderful. The kids has so much fun. Makayla's favorite thing was to take the water gun and pretend it was a hair dryer. Both mommy and daddy got a hair makeover from her. What a girl!!!

Kyle's favorite thing was having daddy throw him up in the air as high as he could and then catch him. Again after each throw we'd here, "more, more, more, more." After swimming each of the children told fun stories about their childhood. It was a lot of fun to hear all their memories. When it got dark it was time for fireworks. Kyle again clapped after each one chanting, "more, more, more, more."

We had such a great time. Thanks to all the family for making our stay so great. A special thanks to the Shawcroft family for giving Kyle and me the flu. How can we ever thank you for that special gift??? One of the best things we were able to do while we were there was visit Kyle's birthmother and birthfather and Makayla's birthmother. I will tell more about this special experience later.

Makayla's Second Recital

2010-06-17T11:58:00.000-07:00

We all got to go to Makayla's second recital and it was even better than the first. I am so impresed at how much she has learned this year in ballet. She loves it and we love watching her. She was especially excited to wear the make-up. Last year I was a little conservative with her make-up but not this year. We went all out and she loved it!!! Just take a look at my beautiful little firefly...

You can't get much more beautiful than that!!!

Some of Makayla's good friends from dance.

The video didn't turn out the greatest. They lowered the lights so everyone could see the flashlights but then it didn't show up very well on video. Oh well...

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2010-06-14T10:12:00.000-07:00

Kyle is walking now and we are so excited!!! What a little cutie. Just take a look...

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Planting a garden...

2010-06-01T14:07:00.000-07:00

We had a great Memorial Weekend. We didn't do anything spectacular just stayed at home, got some cleaning done and planted our garden. The weather wasn't quite at nice as we would have liked it to be but it was perfect for planting a garden. Everyone helped out even Makayla and Kyle.

Kyle even enjoyed a taste of the dirt. I guess he didn't quite understand the concept of a garden...eating the vegetables not the dirt!!!

Makayla Writes A Book

2010-05-28T15:36:00.000-07:00

Now that preschool is over and dance is coming to an end Makayla and I are trying to find projects to fill our long days. Today she decided to write a book. She decided what she wanted to say and I wrote it down. Then she drew a picture for each page. I am so proud of her I can hardly stand it. Just wait world... soon you will have a new publisher namely MAKAYLA SHAWCROFT!!!

Kyle's One Year Pictures

2010-05-21T17:39:00.000-07:00

Remembering...

2010-05-14T19:45:00.000-07:00

In church last Sunday it was Mother's Day. I was really excited because Ben didn't have early meetings which meant he got to help me get the kids ready for church. What a great Mother's Day gift!!! We got to church and Makayla looked beautiful as usual and Kyle was just the cutest, handsomest little boy. Kyle wanted mommy that day so I was trying to hold him at the same time I was cutting some things out for primary. Makayla wanted to help me cut because ususally I let her help me color but I told her this time I had to do it myself. Then Kyle was crying because he wanted me. Finally it was time for all the primary kids to go up to the stand and sing. Makayla knew all the words to each song and I could actually hear her singing above all the other kids. It was beautiful. She came back down and sat with us and we both told her what a wonderful job she did. Kyle started fussing because he was ready for his nap. Ben leaned over to me and said, "Do you remember those past Mother's Days when you wouldn't go to church?" Tears started welling in my eyes as I remembered past Mother's Days that it was just too hard to go to church. Everyone else had children but not us. It was so hard to see everyone celebrating their Mother's Day and that is what I wanted to be so much... a mother, but I couldn't. We would think that we were getting a baby and then something would happen and instead of being a mother I just went back to being me. It was so hard and so many tear were shed on Mother's Day. But now it is the best day of the year. I have two beautiful children that I love so much I can't even put it into words. Thank you so much Makayla and Kyle for making me a mom. I love you two with all my heart!!!

Happy Birthday My Precious Little Boy

2010-05-11T15:03:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that Kyle is already one year old. How fast the time has gone by. Kyle is the sweetest, cutest, most precious little boy ever!!! We love him more and more every day. He now says mamma and dad all the time and it is wonderful to hear. It melts my heart every time I hear his little voice say "maaaam." We have started teaching him a little sign language and it helps a lot. It is so nice to be able to understand what a one year old is saying (at least some of the time.) Kyle had a great birthday with lots of presents, cake and fun. It was so much fun having two children celebrating a birthday because Makayla loved his birthday celebration even more than he did. She helped decorate the house. She told me that she knew exactly how to do it because she learned on Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. Makayla also helped Kyle open his presents and blow out his candle. We are so blessed that Kyle has such a wonderful birthmother and birthfather. Without them this precious little boy wouldn't be ours. I can't even begin to imagine life without my Kyle. I love you Kyle!!!

The perfect end to a perfect day!

DISNEYLAND

2010-05-05T15:43:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago we took the kids to Disneyland and Ben and I both thought it was the best trip ever!!! We all had so much fun. Makayla was able to ride most everything and Kyle was even able to ride a lot of the rides. Both kids were so good the whole trip. On the last day, we were at Disneyland and we kept trying to find things to do because we didn't want it to end. We ended up staying in the park that day for 12 hours. We can't wait to take the kids back there in a few years.

Easter Pictures 2010

2010-04-27T15:33:00.000-07:00

I have been wanting to take Easter pictures of my kids ever since Easter but the weather has not cooperated. So finally on Sunday it was beautiful and we were able to get them done. Enjoy!!!

11 Months Old

2010-04-05T15:40:00.000-07:00

Yay!!! Can you believe it? I'm 11 months old!!!

Where has the time gone? Where is my little baby? He is being replaced by a sweet, adorable, smart little boy. I just can't believe he is almost a year old. He is crawling all over the place now and is getting very fast. He loves to follow Makayla around the house. He can now pull himself up to standing. He says mama and dada. My favorite thing is when I am holding Makayla and Kyle gets very jealous. He comes over to us and pushes Makayla while saying, "Mama, mama!" He still laughs all the time. It is not real hard to make him laugh which makes us all feel very good. Kyle loves to scream. We will play a game where he will scream and then I will scream. Then he screams even louder. He tenses his whole body to get the biggest and loudest scream possible. It is hilarious. I wouldn't be surprised if the neighbors hear this game. He gets cuter and cuter every day and we love him so much!

All About The Hair Part II

2010-04-01T15:16:00.000-07:00

This picture was taken after Makayla had braids in her hair all day. We got a pretty good laugh out of it!!!

Tea Party

2010-03-30T16:26:00.000-07:00

The next two weeks are spring break for Makayla so we have been trying to come up with fun things to do to fill the time. The weather isn't really cooperating with us so we decided to have a tea party.

Makayla helped plan the menu and also helped make the food. We decided to have pink lemonade, peanut butter sandwiches, fruit and fruit dip, and pink cupcakes for dessert. Makayla was most excited about the cupcakes. She put the sprinkles on all by herself.

Makayla invited her two best friends Lynnie and Madison. All morning long she kept asking me how much longer until she they would get there. About every minute she would ask, "How much longer mom?" Finally at about 10 minutes to go she came into my room with the saddest look on her face. I asked her what was wrong and she told me, "I just know they aren't coming!!!" Poor thing. Finally the time arrived and they both showed up. Makayla was so excited. They had their tea party and then proceeded to take every toy that Makayla owns out. Luckily Makayla had two great helpers to help clean up afterwards. It was a wonderful morning full of fun. There is nothing better than knowing that your child is happy!

Guess who got her ears pierced...

2010-03-15T15:45:00.000-07:00

Guess who got her ears pierced...

MAKAYLA!!!

A while ago Makayla wanted her ears pierced. I told her that was fine but it feels like getting shots in her ears. Of course she decided against it just like I thought she would. Then I came up with the great idea that she could get her ears pierced whenever she wanted too. I told her again that it hurts and feels like shots. I didn't think she'd want to do it for a long time like years!!! In fact just the other day she said she didn't want to get them pierced until she was sixteen. That made her daddy so happy. Last week we were talking and out of the blue she told me she wanted her ears pierced. This was on a Wednesday and I knew that by Saturday when we could go to Reno she would change her mind. Well, she proved me wrong. She sat in the chair, got her ears pierced and didn't even cry. I am so proud of her!!!!

My Everything...

2010-03-11T18:51:00.001-08:00

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All About The Hair...

2010-03-05T10:51:00.000-08:00

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

10 Months Old

2010-03-02T12:56:00.000-08:00

Kyle is now ten months old and I can't believe it. I am already trying to think of what to get him for his birthday! Kyle is such a sweet little guy. We all love him so much and he loves us. He loves playing with his big sister. He loves to watch what she is doing and I am sure very soon he will start copying her. He is crawling now and discovering the joys of being able to go wherever he wants. Makayla told me the other day that she probably needs to start closing her door. I told her that was a good idea. Kyle has been sick for a while with a cold. He just can't seem to get rid of it, but through it all he has been such a happy little guy. I think he is definitely going to have his daddy's personality. He becomes more of a momma's boy each day and I still love it!!! I don't think I will ever get tired of that! He loves to play with anyone who is willing to play with him but he also enjoys playing by himself. This is very helpful to me when I need to get things done. He loves all the old toys of Makayla's that we have been digging out. It is so nice having a second child because you already have those things and don't have to buy.

I got to talk to Kyle's birthmother on the phone last week and it was so wonderful. I was a little nervous at first but once we started talking it was like old friends catching up. She is so glad that he is so healthy and happy and thriving. We are so thankful to her for giving him to us. No one in our family can imagine life without Kyle. He just makes every day worth waking up for. No one can resist his precious smile or his sweet little laugh.

I can't wait to see what the next months hold for this little boy. It is hard for me to imagine that my little tiny baby has turned into such a wonderful precious little boy. We love you Kyle!!!

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Two Best Friends...

2010-03-01T16:43:00.000-08:00

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I think that we are almost better here in the Shawcroft household. We all still have colds but are getting much better. Now if we can only stay healthy for a least a couple weeks!!! It has been a very hard winter. On a better note Kyle is now crawling. We are so proud of him!!! Tune in tomorrow for a video of him crawling along with his 10 month update.

Makayla and I are always trying new hairstyles on her beautiful hair. This is a new one that I found that Makayla and I both loved. The only drawback was that it took over an hour to do. Luckily Makayla is one patient little girl. I have several new hairstyles that I want to try on her so I am sure you will all see more pictures soon.

2010-02-24T15:19:00.000-08:00

I haven't been too good at keeping up with blogging but I do have a good excuse. Either Kyle, Makayla, or I have been sick pretty much every day since January. Not only are we spreading things to each other we also have our own special little sicknesses that are just ours. It has been really hard. We have had several trips up the the pediatrician in Reno. Every time I start to get discouraged I think about how blessed we are to have insurance and a wonderful doctor who I totally trust with my children. Luckily Ben has avoided evertyhing so far although this morning I did hear him coughing so he might be getting our cold. It's time for Zicam Ben!!! Other than that we are doing great. Makayla is so excited for our upcoming trip to Disneyland and the beach. I have to admit that I am just as excited if not more than Makayla is. She is doing so well in preschool. She now writes letters all the time. She asked me the other day how to spell her friend's name and I told her the letters and she wrote them all by herself. She is a genius!!! Kyle is as sweet as ever!!! He now says "Mooom" which is the cutest thing ever. Before he was just saying the sounds but now he actually knows that that is me. Today he said it several times when I either entered the room or just left. Still a momma's boy!!!

We are always saying that Makayla is a daddy's girl and Kyle is a momma's boy. The other day Makayla told me that the seasons have changed and she is now a Momma's girl and Kyle is a daddy's boy. I was so excited to hear that! She told me that on Sunday it changes back. I better take advantage of it while I can!!!

Ben is the best daddy ever. He is so good to take the kids when he gets home from work. He is always playing with them. This is the start of our Shawcroft Family Band. As you can see I am and will always be the picture taker only!!!

Nine Months Old

2010-02-01T09:57:00.000-08:00

Kyle is now nine months old. I know I say this every month but the time has flown by. He still just gets cuter and sweeter every day. We are so blessed to have this little guy in our family. He is still quite the momma's boy. He always wants me and only me to hold him. I have to say that I still love it. I love my Ky Guy so much. He just makes life so much better. He is doing a lot better with eating now. He actually will eat some vegetables. I couldn't believe it when I was feeding him peas and he was actually opening his mouth for more. I almost died of shock!!! He now has six teeth which he is very proud of. He is just the happiest little boy all the time. He laughs and smiles constantly. He reminds me so much of Ben. He loves to sit and he will pivot around to reach different things. He seems to be close to crawling but who knows. I have to admit that I am glad that he isn't crawling yet. We will have to change a lot of things around the house when he starts since he puts everything in his mouth!!!

When we were at the doctor's office she noticed that Kyle had some really bad wheezing. She put him on a nebulizer. At first Kyle hated it but after a day or so he now just sits so comfortable and relaxed with it on. We found out there is some asthma in his birth family. The doctor said that usually children just grow out of this by age four or five. Hopefully Kyle will follow this pattern. Luckily we only have to do this for four days and then see how he is doing. Other than this he is doing so well. Thank you so much Brooke for giving us our little man!!!

Roller Skating

2010-01-25T15:07:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday we took Makayla roller skating for the first time. There isn't a whole lot to do in Fallon so we were excited to find out there is a roller skating rink here. Everyone told us how bad it was so we were pleasantly surprised to find that it was actually very nice. We had a blast. I think Makayla expected to put her roller skates on and be able to go around all by herself. She was a little disappointed to find out it was harder than she thought. But over all we had a great time. Obviously Kyle couldn't skate so Ben was the babysitter this time and didn't skate. Maybe next time we can trade.I was a little worried that Kyle would have a hard time but he loved it!!! All the lights and action going on he was amazed. His favorite part was when Ben and Makayla were playing air hockey. He just watched that puck go back and forth and laughed and laughed. He thought it was hilarious. What a great day!!!

One Happy Family

Christmas Vacation

Christmas 2011

Meeting Santa

Drum Roll Please...

Deck the Halls...

Happy Turkey Day!!!

Hair Ideas 2

He's A Big Boy Now!!!

Apple Hill October 2011

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

Growing Up...

Sadness...

Sometimes...

Bubbles

Remembering September 11th...

Swing Set

FIRST GRADE!!!

Ben's Birthday and Camping with Daddy!!!

Hair Ideas

Harward Family Reunion

More Pictures

4th Of July!!!

Sewing Projects

Better Late Than Never...

Circus Circus

Hiking

Ky's Two-Year-Old Pictures

VIDEOS!!!

Kindergarten Graduate!!!

JUMP!!!

Happy Mother's Day Mommy!!!

CAMPING!!!

Kyle Turns 2!!!

Easter 2011

The Bahamas!!!

Sweet and Sassy

Happy St. Patty's Day

Toothless

Sick

Adoption Thoughts

Swim Girl!

Josie

Where'd He Go???

Happy Valentine's Day

Valentine's Party

Ky Ky

Makayla wants to be...

The cutest kids in the world!!!!

Wonderful Weekend

HAIR

More Video Fun!!!

Video Fun!

The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year

Thank You

Thanksgiving

Another Announcement

Announcement

Stories Of The Kiddos

Lake Tahoe

Our Adoption Video

What a little cutie!

More Halloween

Our Halloween

5 years old and 18 months old...

My Little Star

The Difference Between Boys and Girls

She's In Kindergarten!!!

Going Private

Our Wonderful Birthmothers and Birthfather

Our Summer Trip

Makayla's Second Recital

Planting a garden...

Makayla Writes A Book

Kyle's One Year Pictures

Remembering...

Happy Birthday My Precious Little Boy

DISNEYLAND

Easter Pictures 2010

11 Months Old