Michigan 2011

Michigan!!!!  We LOVE getting to visit our family and all our cousins in Michigan!! This year we celebrated my moms and dads (Grandma and Grandpa's) 60th birthdays AND their 40th wedding anniversary!  It was awesome to be able to celebrate with them!  We were so blessed to be able to stay at the campground again which gave us some really fun times with the cousins and Grandparents.

 Pudding eating contest at the campground.

 Happy 40th wedding anniversary mom and dad!

 All the grandkids!!!

 Jori climbing up on her stroller!

 Sleepy girl!

 Frogging with the cousins!

 Jori watching the kids play mini golf!

 and . . . she found a flower :-)

 Swimming fun!

God had plans for us . . .

One year ago we were eating at IHop and got one of the best phone calls ever . . . we were the parents (and Jadon the big brother) of a precious baby girl . . . I can't believe it was one year ago (and with a little over 4 hours notice) that we met and took our Jori home.

For He knew the plans He had for us . . . plans to prosper us, not to harm us . . . plans for hope and a future. God chose adoption for us before we knew. He used our hope and placed adoption into our lives to give us a future filled with laughter, love, and a family. 

Happy Birthday Jori!!!

I truly can not believe that Jori is 1!!! 

We didn't know 1 year ago that she would be ours and we are SOOO blessed to have her in our lives!  Here is the story of her first birthday!

2 days before we made a visit to build @ bear.  Jadon has talked for weeks how he was going to make Jori a special friend so she could have one like he had his "Rex".  After looking through the choices, Jadon picked 2 and put them in front of Jori to see which she liked better . . . here is what she chose (really funny) . . .

After the video we decided to let her crawl to her choice and the winner was . . . the fuzzy puppy!  She hugged it and didn't want tot let it go . . . we finally had to pry it away in order to get it stuffed!

Jadon did such a great job helping build Jori's special friend . . .

 . . . he kissed the heart that was to be placed in "princess pup" and filled it with love . . .

 . . . meanwhile . . . Jori was trying to bear crawl to her brother!

Once the "princess pup" was finished . . . Jadon gave it to his sister . . .

 and then proceeded to make funny faces with her in the mirror . . .

 The day of Jori's Birthday (March 26) we had a small party for her at the park.  We painted little pots and planted wildflowers for my little wild child :-)

 Jori LOVED the shiny paint!

 Then it was time to sing happy birthday to the little princess (who likes making faces . . . hmm wonder who she learned that from) . . .

 SHE of course had other ideas!

 She just couldn't wait to get a taste of that cake!!

 When she finally got her own piece . . . she looked at it . . .

 and then started to play with it . . .

 and finally decided to take a bite!

 Jori likes Chocolate Cake!!

 We opened some presents and she LOVED playing with the paper and looking in the bags!

 She see's sparkles!!!

 Jori is so stylish . . .

and quite the little clown!

 That night we were so BLESSED to get to spend her birthday with her precious birth family.  They loved on her so much and this picture below is her sweet birthmother looking over her as she looked at her card.  We are so blessed to have such a wonderful open relationship with them.

 Jori LOVED the chocolate cake that her birthmother got for her!

 All in all . . . I think you and she would agree . . . it was the BEST 1st birthday!!!