Vote for us!

So we decided to enter Nathan into the Gerber baby photo contest for fun! If you'd like, please help us out and vote for him! Head on over to this link and click Vote. You can search for him by typing in Nathan and Illinois in the boxes. There are several Nathans in Illinois, so just look for this picture :) Or you can just use his entry id # (probably easier) His entry id# is 210438  

Thanks a bunch! Feel free to share with whoever you would like :)

You can vote once daily until December 14.

Happy Halloween... a bit late

Happy Halloween!

Love,

Charlie Brown

Little Happies: Birthdays, pumpkin patches, and my little man

It has been a particularly frustrating and nutty day today, entirely due to work. Blah! So I figured I'd take some time to focus on all the little (and big!) blessings in my life these days. Enter, Little Happies! It's been too long. So here goes!

1. We celebrated our God daughter's first birthday a couple weeks ago. Seriously, where does the time go? She is such a beautiful blessing in our lives, and I feel so honored to be her Godmother. She's going to make a really nice wife for Nate someday too ;)  Ask her if they're going to get married, and I bet she'll say "yeah". Never mind the fact that that is her first and only word right now :)

2. This past weekend we visited our friends in St. Louis for their daughter's 3rd birthday. These kids seriously need to stop growing up! We stayed with them for the weekend, which is always such a nice getaway. I find myself able to let go of lots of anxiety when I'm away from home. I love love love getting away from the craziness that life feels like lately.

So we celebrated Wizard of Oz style, which was super cute. And somehow we ended up bringing home two new (to us) toys. Our friends generously offered two of their kids' toddler toys. Nate loves them! Our living room is filled with toys, but I can't turn away cute stuff!

3.  We are planning Nate's first birthday party! Ah! Is he seriously almost one? It's crazy how just one year ago we were waiting to hear whether his birthmom chose us or not. And yet it feels like he has been with us forever. I am having a great time planning his party. I'll be sure to post more when the time comes, but right now the planning itself is such a little happy for me. It's something I've longed to do for years. I feel so blessed to have a party to plan and a little life to celebrate!

4.  A couple weekends ago we took Nathan to the pumpkin patch for the first time. It was a simple children's farm, which was just our speed. It is so exciting to start celebrating holidays with him and making our own family traditions. It's these moments that I dreamed of and longed for for years. Thank you, Lord, for blessing me with these beautiful moments!

5. Lots of little moments with my little guy that never fail to make me smile :)

Nathan's first Catholic board books came in the mail last week. He loves them!

I look away for a second and suddenly there's a puff in his eye. Silly boy!

For more Little Happies, head on over to Stephanie's blog at Blessed to Be.

Miraculously My Own

We received this as a gift from my aunt when Nathan was born. If you type
in adoption quotes online I feel like this one always pops up. Here's why :)

I have occasionally heard people referring to the possibility of us having kids "of our own" or talking about Nathan as "fitting in like he were ours". I admit the same thing about him looking like us, but there's something about these phrases that make me a little worried. I don't want my son to EVER hear someone say these things because here is the 100% honest truth. He IS our own. And he does fit in because he is ours. I don't want him to ever think otherwise. He could have had purple skin and blue hair, and he would still fit in. Because the thing is, being a part of a family you never have to fit in. You are loved and a part of the family because you are you. And guess what! Adoption doesn't change that in the least.

This child is the one I have dreamed of my entire life. I don't love him any differently than if he had grown within me. My heart bursts when he excitedly smiles at me when I walk in the door, when he babbles "mama" and "dada", and when he bounces in his crib each morning when we walk in the room. I know everything there is to know about him- the one stray hair that stands up straight on his head, the way he excitedly grips my hands and runs to the bathtub at bath time each night, the silly faces that make him giggle, and the evolving set of  tricks to get him to sit in his high chair. I love the way he climbs me like a little monkey and eventually nuzzles in to fall asleep as I rock him to sleep at night. I love that I can rely on him for at least a dozen laughs each day and plenty more smiles. Most of all, I love that I am his "mama" and he is my sweet, silly and energetic son. He is my own, always has been and always will be. As parents, no matter how they come to us, God has blessed us with our children in this lifetime and entrusts us with the incredible job of raising and guiding them to grow closer to Him, our Father. So no, my son did not grow within my tummy, but he grew in my heart for years. He was prayed for and loved beyond words long before he entered this world. He is 100% my own. My wish for him is that he will always know this and never feel otherwise. I love you, sweet Nathan!

My Catholic Mama Survival Go-Tos

This week has been quite the challenge, to put things mildly. I'd say that since becoming a mom this one is up there with Nathan screaming inconsolably and refusing a bottle due to acid reflux in those early days of parenting. He has been sick this past week, with many sleepless nights and nothing working to console him. The adjustment back at work has been pretty rough, with an entirely new caseload this year (not nearly as wonderful as last year). So when I heard Dan scream "ouch" from downstairs yesterday morning I seriously felt like I was going to collapse on the floor and give up. Our house pretty much turned into an infirmary with not only a sick little baby, but a bed ridden husband with back problems. (If you are reading this dear, I'm not complaining about you. Just explaining the madness that has gone down in our house this week.)

"My child never responds to the nasal aspirator like a panicked feral animal. Deep down in her baby brain she knows that Mommy is trying to help. I enjoy sucking snot out of her face." source I had to laugh when I came across this picture with that very sarcastic caption today, because we have been battling Nathan's super human strength trying to use our nasal aspirator this week.

It is these moments of nearly no sleep and little time to myself that I find myself with limited patience and in desperate need of some serious grace. Enter, my Catholic survival go-tos.

Confession
Since becoming a mother, I have seriously noticed those moments when I am in desperate need of some grace. Since college, I've better understood the importance of frequently going to Confession, but I honestly never noticed a huge change in myself afterwards. My world was just that, mine. Sure, I had a husband to treat with love and respect, but no one truly 100% relied on me for every single thing. I didn't have to be as selfless as being a mother constantly beckons me to do. In fact, I thought I was a pretty selfless person until I became a mother and realized all of my selfish ways! Now that I have someone who needs me all day, every day I'm realizing how much Confession impacts me.  I need that reminder to be patient, loving, and selfless by honestly examining my conscience. I have been blessed with some pretty wonderful priests who have really talked with me and helped me to accept the difficulties of being a parent and to recognize when I need a break. I also desperately need that grace I receive through the sacrament. I really do notice a difference in the way I react to everything after going to Confession, most of all my level of patience. Jenny wrote about pretty much this same exact thing on her blog back in June. I already had ideas for this post in my head, but she beat me to it! She worded it so well, and as I read it I was finding myself nodding in agreement.

If I've recently been to Confession, I tend to notice myself tolerating moments like these at bedtime a bit more, even finding it kinda cute. And it usually doesn't look this cute. He's usually screaming at the top of his lungs. But with a good helping of grace, it's still cute.

Asking for the Intercession of Mary
Since becoming a mother, my devotion to Mary has significantly increased. I find myself constantly praying the Memorare and asking her to pray for me in those moments when I feel like I'm going to fall apart. I also look to her as an example. I wear my Mary medal almost every day as a reminder of how I want to act throughout my day, especially with Nathan. I find myself frequently grabbing the medal and taking a breath as I say a quick prayer, usually a desperate plea for a calm little one or for an increase in patience. Nathan also loves grabbing my necklace, and as he tugs on it around my neck, I find it reminding me of Mary and the mother I want to be.

source I absolutely love this painting, L'Innocence by Bouguereau. I would love to always be as peaceful as Mary is depicted in this painting. 

So those are my go-tos. What are yours? You don't have to be a mom to reply. We all have stress in our lives. What gets you through? I may need to add a few more items to my tool box as we enter more teething and a very busy little guy on the move.

Getting Used to Things

Going back to work is seriously kicking my butt right now, which is why the posts just aren't here. I have a few ideas of posts I've wanted to write for a while that I'm hoping to sit down (ha!) and write up soon. In the mean time, enjoy these photos of our little ham.

Little Happies: Family Vacation

I am seriously bummed that the school year starts next week... wah wah wah... So to cheer myself up I'm trying to enjoy this last week off and focus on the fun we've had this summer. Enter Little Happies! We spent last week in Florida with family, which was such a nice getaway. So rather than wallow in self pity over having to leave my sweet little boy for work next week (seriously big frown), let's take a look at all the happies the past week or two of summer has brought us.

1- Lots of time with Daddy! Dan had nearly three weeks off of work, which was glorious! It was so nice having him home all the time. I got to sleep in a bit more often. Have I mentioned how much I love to sleep? He also got some much needed work done on the garage and in our yard. Most importantly, Nathan got lots of time with him. 

My boys playing video games while on vacation. This picture melts my heart.

2- Zoo Day- Before our trip to Florida, we went to the zoo as a family. It was Dan's first time going with us since we usually go while he's at work. We were sure to visit our favorites- the giraffes, monkeys, and bears. 

3- Nathan got to meet my aunt, uncle, and cousin who live in Florida- He had no problem playing with everyone and being held by whoever wanted to hold him. They have waited so long to meet him, so I'm so glad they got to spend so much time with him.

4- Six years!- We celebrated our sixth anniversary while we were away. My parents watched Nathan for the night so we could go out to dinner. We found a great restaurant that had delicious grilled fish and a tiki bar. We sipped tropical drinks out on the patio while listening to their live band and enjoyed a really great dinner afterwards. 

5- We have a little fishy on our hands- Nathan went swimming in a full size pool for the first time. He absolutely loved the water. He was kicking and splashing and really had no fear. He even let Dan help him float on his back. I need to get this kid in swim lessons soon!

6- Birthday fun- We also celebrated my birthday while we were away. The night before, we had pie and ice cream with my family. The day of my birthday, the three of us drove into Orlando because Dan had a conference for work for a couple days. While it could have put a damper on the trip, it really didn't at all. The three of us got some alone time. The hotel was gorgeous, had a lot of property to take Nathan on walks, a great pool, and really wonderful staff. I don't know how expensive it was per night, but I'm sure it's somewhere we wouldn't be able to afford for a vacation. So thanks Dan's company! He only had a half day of class that day, so Nate and I headed down to the pool to hang out and explore the hotel. That night we went to a really nice Italian restaurant with some amazing food! Nathan wasn't particularly impressed, as he decided to, well, act like a 7 month old :) But we certainly enjoyed it. 

7- First Disney experience- No, we are not insane. We didn't bring a 7 month old into a Disney park in the sweltering Florida heat. If you have done that, more power to ya! But I have no desire. We did hit up Downtown Disney for a couple hours though, while waiting for Dan to finish up on his last day of class. It's hard for my family to be near Orlando and not do something Disney.  Grandpa bought Nathan his first Mickey doll. It was love at first sight :) 

8- Beach fun- We went to the beach twice. The first time was kind of a bust. The waves were insane, and it just wasn't a pleasant experience. But the second day we went was perfect. The waves weren't too rough, and even though it was really hot the heat was at least somewhat bearable. 

Hanging out in his beach tent after catching some waves

9- A smooth trip home- I was seriously anxious about travelling with a baby for weeks leading up to our trip. I didn't want to be that family with the screaming baby the entire flight. We were very fortunate that Nathan was very well behaved both on our way to and from Florida. On the way there, he screamed getting on the plane, I was unknowingly leaving a trail of puffs down the aisle, and I'm pretty sure everyone was bracing themselves for a rough flight. Fortunately he calmed down once in his seat. He required a lot of entertaining, but overall he was pretty good. On the flight home he was an absolute angel. He smiled and got really excited as we took off. I so badly wanted to record him, but for once I decided to just sit and enjoy the moment. It was so sweet. He then slept the entire trip home. So Dan and I were able to eat our snacks, sip our ginger ale, and read in peace. It was amazing!

10- I still have one more week of vacation- This is me trying to stay positive. I have to keep reminding myself to enjoy this week and to try not to let next week's workweek hover over me too much. We still have some fun things planned- a lunch with a friend, a trip to the zoo with family, a play date with friends, Mass on Friday as a family, a belated trip to our favorite restaurant to celebrate our anniversary again (it's tradition!), and our church's picnic on Sunday. Lots of fun things coming up! 

For more Little Happies, head on over to Blessed to Be.

Little Happies... A little late

I feel like it's been a while since I've participated in a Little Happies link-up over at Blessed to Be. So my happies are going to span a couple weeks. Here we go!

1. A trip to my favorite store with the bullseye logo with a delicious treat in hand. 

The opportunity to go to the store by myself these days is pretty much non-existent. I'm not complaining here. I love my little partner in crime, but sometimes a mama just wants to leisurely stroll the aisles without fear of a child breaking down at any moment. Not to mention the fact that I'd never be able to balance carrying a drink in one hand, pushing the cart in another, and keeping a 7 month old happy with... well that's why this never happens. It's seriously the little things... or little happies I should say :)

2. Getting one of these packages in the mail.

So I'm a little obsessed with pictures. I already have 4 albums to document Nate's first 7 months. I have a problem, I know. I have learned that by ordering pictures online and waiting for deals, I can save a whole lot of money. So it may be a bit of an enabler for me, but at least it's saving me money... right?

3. My little man loves books!

Reading with Grandma

In the past few weeks, Nathan has become a bit obsessed with books. He looooves to listen to stories. He can be whiny all day, and you pull out a book to read and he is silent. It's so wonderful to see him enjoying books. It makes me feel like I've done something right.

Someone just had to read right now. There's no time to take the bib off!

4. I don't know why, but this picture gets me every time. We are working on our fine motor skills. Picking up those puffs and making it into his mouth is quite the task. 

5. The Dance is back! One of my biggest guilty pleasures is watching So You Think You Can Dance each summer. I usually get together with a close friend of mine to watch it and critique all the dances. We've been getting together for this for at least 6 seasons now and watching it on our own for even longer. So I'd like to think we kinda know what we are talking about now. You can't beat a classic piece of Travis Wall choreography... swoon!

6. Dan is on vacation for 2 weeks! Nothing beats having all three of us home together without the stress of work getting in the way. I love that he has the chance to spend lots of time with Nathan. So far we have spent a long weekend visiting the Newman Center at U of I (where we met) and visiting his family. We are hoping to get some projects done around the house and plan a few more days out. 

6. Summer! I am seriously loving this summer. I love being home every day and  have no desire to go back to work. Good thing there's still 3 weeks left! I better make 'em count. 

For more little happies, head on over to Blessed to Be!

Opening up about openness

When you enter the adoption process it can feel like you are entering a whole new world, with information flying at you left and right. One of the first things that I started hearing about and feeling a bit unsure of was "open adoption". I already had the ridiculous thought that my child was going to rebel against me as a teenager and hate being adopted and pretty much turn into a Lifetime movie or 90's TV depiction of adoption. So to add the thought of birth parents being in the picture was a bit scary. As a friend of mine described her relationships with her children's birth parents, I became a little more open to the idea but it was still a bit scary. (She also quickly erased all my other ridiculous fears as well!)

Fast forward three years. Here we are on the other side, and we have an open relationship with our son's birth mother that we would consider very successful. Sure, an open relationship does have it's own unique situations to maneuver, but it's not nearly as scary as I originally anticipated. I have had a lot of people look at me like I have two heads when I talk about seeing Nate's birthmom, or they talk about how they could never do it themselves. So I want to share the reasons why I am very "pro-openness" to hopefully chip away at someone's fears or at least help people to understand this complex relationship. I am sure there are some excellent articles with more credible points as to how this relationship positively impacts an adoptive child's emotional well-being, but this post is more about my personal viewpoints. So after that ridiculously long intro, let's get to the meat of it.

• The openness started with having the opportunity to meet before he was born. Just having the opportunity to meet a birthparent can really help ease some fears. It also helps to remind you that there is a family on the other end of this adoption circle who is going to experience a profound loss. While this can be a lot to take in emotionally, I think it's incredibly important for us to recognize that loss to fully embrace this beautiful gift.

• The second I have met birth families, all of my fears about openness just melted away. For me, I felt so much gratitude and admiration for these individuals. Openness just suddenly made so much sense. I've also noticed that we get along so quickly and easily. I think that has a lot to do with the fact that they picked us. I doubt they would have chosen us if they didn't like us for who we are (which is why it's so important to be ourselves while creating our profile).

• For us, openness made the hospital experience so special. The plan for the birth, hospital, and placement of course varies for every situation, so this point is specific to our situation. Our open relationship really blossomed at the hospital. We can tell our son that he was loved on from the moment he came into this world by both our family and his birth family. We have pictures that were taken for us just moments after he was born, I was able to join him in the nursery just minutes later, and we were able to bond immediately. At the same time we were able to continue to get to know Nate's birthmother and other members of his birth family, and she was able to feel at peace as she saw our interactions with him. ***Again, every situation will be different. While this was a positive experience for everyone in our adoption circle, it can be very painful and difficult to navigate for others.

Hanging out with Nate's birthmom in her hospital room, eagerly anticipating his arrival

• We know quite a bit about medical background. If it is available, you will often get quite a bit of medical information. We have that, but we also have the benefit of asking Nathan's birthmother questions as things may come up, and she can inform us if there is anything important medically we should know that may come along. 

• Help with answers to the "why" question. At some point in their lives, an adoptive child is likely going to start to wonder and ask "why?". It's a natural question. I expect it to come, and when it does I fortunately have some of the answer. We are also fortunate in that we will hopefully still have a strong relationship with his birthmother, who can better explain it all to him if she is comfortable doing so. Sometimes birthparents may also write a letter to the child for them to receive later in life. 

• "Does she still love me?" That question can also be answered hopefully from our relationship. Nothing answers that question better than all of us continuing to be in one another's lives. It is clear that she is so very in love with this little man, always has been, and always will be.

• "Where did I come from?" I think it's natural for anyone to want to know more about their parents, and that is no different for a child and his/her birthparents. Openness allows for a child to know about where they came from. The information may be vast due to a strong continuing open relationship, or maybe you can at least offer some basic information like favorite foods or hobbies that you may have learned early on. The information can be empowering for a child to be able to identify with his/her birth family.

• Adoption "just is" in our family. By being open in our relationship with Nathan's birthmom, I feel like he will just always grow up knowing about his adoption. He won't have that one moment where his life is shattered because he just found out he was adopted as a teenager. We talk about adoption, his birth family, and others waiting to adopt all the time in our house. He has pictures with his birth family hanging up in his room, and we pray for them every night. Adoption is just a part of who we are, a part of who he is, and nothing to be ashamed of. 

Our family on the 4th

• There are no rules. Openness is not legally binding. It is up to us how we want our relationship to look. We can communicate about what we are comfortable with with his birthmom, and she can do the same with us. We check in every so often to make sure that everything is still comfortable for all of us. While it is not legally binding, it is obviously important that we continue the relationship we agreed upon prior to the adoption. It may transform over time, but it is important to stick to our word. That being said, if anything were ever to happen that we felt would negatively impact our son through this relationship we would obviously re-evaluate things. As he gets older, he may want the relationship to look different as well, and at that time we can adjust our communication with his birthmother to meet his needs. While we all benefit from this relationship, at the end of the day it is for him.

• Peace. Openness can bring a sense of peace to everyone involved. Instead of wondering how the child is doing or what he/she looks like, updates and pictures can be shared. We can visit to catch up as well. It also brings us peace seeing that the birth family (hopefully) is doing well.

• Openness does not take away from me being "mom".  I can't stress this point enough. At first the thought of having a birth parent involved in both your life and your child's life can feel a bit intimidating. You may start to wonder if that relationship will take away from feeling like your child's parent. Fear not! It does not by any means take away from that moment of becoming a parent. We have found that Nathan's birthmom has always really respected that from day one and has always acknowledged that we are his parents. I am "mom", she is his birthmom/mother, and we refer to her by her first name. We are the ones that will get to hear the sweet sounds of "mama" and "dada". We are the ones blessed to watch him grow every day, see him crawl for the first time, get food spit at us, learn all of his cries and silly sounds, hear his belly laughs and giggles, read him stories each night before bed, and wake up to his bobbing smile each morning as he excitedly bounces in his bed. 

• You have someone who can 100% understand and share in the motherly/fatherly love and pride that you have for your child. When I take a really sweet picture or if I'm really proud of something he has done, I know that I can share it with Nate's birthmom, and she'll be just as excited and proud. 



Lots of these little moments are passed along, like falling asleep while eating breakfast.





• I feel like we've gained family members. Our relationship is very unique, which includes a very special love. The love was immediate. When someone gives you the greatest gift you could possibly imagine, how do you not love them? There is a bond there that will never fade. I'm sure the relationship will look different over time. There may be times we fall out of touch. There may be times that we are in constant communication. Through it all, I know that our son's birth family is a part of our family. 

As I said before, these are simply my personal viewpoints based upon our experience. Every open relationship is going to look different, and different birthparents/adoptive families will have different comfort levels and emotions about everything. I hope that by sharing what we have found to be positive about an open relationship, others can start to become more comfortable about openness as well. Don't knock it til you try it ;)

Camera Fun

Earlier this summer I took an intro photography class with a wonderful friend of mine which basically taught us to get out of auto mode on our cameras. There's a lot to think about in manual mode, and I'm still very much a work in progress. It's fun to play with, though! Here are some of my favorite shots so far.

Those eyes get me every time!

Have I mentioned he's on the move?

And... That's a Wrap!

On Tuesday, our sweet Nathan's adoption was officially finalized! He has been our son from the moment we laid eyes on him, and our love for him grew from the moment we knew he existed. But now he is officially legally ours!!!! Praise the Lord! This adoption journey has been a wild ride, but it was worth every tear shed, all the anxiety, and every last high and low. We love you sweet boy!

6 months!

I can't believe my sweet boy is six months old! He turned 6 months old on Monday, and I finally got around to my six month pictures today. Boy has he grown! His personality is shining through these days. Lots of sass, smiles, and squeals (or really I should say screams). He loves to stand and jump, will eat just about anything we give him, and has a smile that can stop me in my tracks. He just got his first 2 teeth on the bottom, and his hair is finally starting to come in (although I think his bald head is cute). He finally sleeps through the night, is rolling over, and is just starting to sit. He tries to crawl by getting into a Superman stance and bouncing/wiggling like a worm. If willpower were enough, this kid would be crawling across the room. He just hasn't quite figured it all out yet. I can't believe he's turning into a little boy already.

The past couple days I've been in the car a lot, which lends itself to a lot of thinking time. I have found myself just sitting in awe at this little boy and all that has come about these past 6 months. It was like the reality of everything just kind of hit me last night in the car. I've been so caught up in getting through day to day life, that I never really sat down and thought about it all. Adoption is truly a unique experience and SUCH A GIFT! Seriously, what a gift! He grew within his birthmother, who felt him kick for the first time, who knew his daily schedule of flipping and kicking and how he sucked his thumb in the womb, and who knew him better than anyone on this earth. She placed him in our care. She chose US to be the parents of this little boy. It's just so incredible. I really can't put to words the thoughts and emotions I have experienced the past few days, but I think gratitude really sums it up the best. I have an overwhelming sense of gratitude and feel so blessed. God is good!

Little Happies- Life is Good :)

I have several post ideas that I have been meaning to sit down and write, but every time I have a free moment I just can't get myself to sit down and write. Because nap time around here is nap time for me too- I can't turn down a nap! And when this guy's day is over, my energy is pretty much gone. Sooo anyways my point is I am grateful for this link-up. It's a nice way for me to feel like I am still part of the blogging world without feeling like I need to think of an in depth post. Writing about the joys in my life? Yup, I can do that! There are lots of those these days. 

1- Summer Break is here!!!!!!!! I have loved my job the past few months. My caseload was ideal, my schedule was great, and the women I worked with were fantastic. I hadn't realized how much it was draining me though. I feel so much more refreshed starting out each day with a big smile from my little guy. We don't have to rush out the door. I can just soak him up. It's fantastic! I feel like a much more calm and in tune mom these days. This whole stay-at-home mom thing is agreeing with me :) It may be temporary, but I'm so grateful for this time!

2- We got a membership to the zoo- I'm pretty pumped about having the chance to do all the fun things that I've dreamed of doing "once we have kids". At this point, the zoo trips are more for me than Nathan, but it's still a lot of fun. We took our first trip this week with some of our closest friends, aka his girl. The kids really enjoyed checking out the grass, smiling at the people around us, and swatting at each other. Really, who has time to check out the animals? Priorities people!

3- Naps- Have I mentioned how much I love sleep? In the short time I've been off, I've been able to get the babe on a decent schedule. This beautiful schedule includes a glorious almost 2 hour nap each morning. He swings and sleeps, and I lounge on the couch nearby reading blogs and books and soon after taking a nap. Ahhh... I love it!

4- Cleaning- Yea I'm surprised that made my happies too! I can't say I'm a huge fan of cleaning, but I love how great I feel once I've accomplished something. Most days, I'd consider it a victory to get a load of laundry in, bottles washed, and dishes in the dishwasher. So far in my time off, I've had time to weed the jungle that was growing in our front yard and clean out our desk and file everything in it into a new file cabinet. I have a lot of other jobs to get done around the house. Here's to hoping I keep it up throughout the summer.

5- Father's Day- Dan celebrated his first Father's Day this week. We have been waiting so long to celebrate these special days and feel so blessed to have our little guy to celebrate with. Here are some pictures from this weekend. I dare you not to smile ;)

My boys

Hanging out with Grandpa

Seriously... my heart is melting

For more Little Happies, head on over to Stephanie's blog