Christmas Lake Havasu

 Something is messing up so all the pictures are backwards.  lol
The last night we made two cakes one for Heaven and one for me to celebrate our Birthdays.

 We played Tennis twice

 Mom and Dad excited about there new computer, a tablet!

 Had to show off Oatman to Heaven

 Friends of the family had us over for a christmas dinner celebration.

On our way out to Arizona we stopped at the grand Canyon.  Olivia and Heavens first time.
The morning started off really cold but it was a little warmer the time we left.
Merry Christmas to all!

New baby

About four years ago Jon and I started to try to have a baby.  After one miscarriage after 8 weeks, low sperm count, we decided to do IUI three years ago as a study trial.  5 rounds and nothing happened.   

We were done, already signed up for adoption we figure that was our only way to make our family grow.  

After waiting and nothing for the adoption we came back to the idea of maybe IVF.  Mmm, not natural at all, was my thought and it totally was not.   Lots of medications, blood draws, we finally decided to do only one round.  

October 6th the pulled out 16 embryos

October 7th, 10 make it to fertilization

October 8th, 6 made it, I got really sick with all the medication changes 

and started to retain water in  my abdomen.

October 10th, I was getting better

October 11 only two embryos made it.  Two were put back in.

October 21st was blood work

October 22, we found out we were pregnant

(found out also I do not carry good health embryos)

We had out first ultra sound at 6 weeks.  One baby but heart rate was low, and size was small.

Doctor was concern and now we were too.

Seven weeks another ultra sound.

Still one baby (double checked) baby grew but still small, 

and heart rate made it too 141!  

we got the all clear to go to our doctor finally.

Nausea and tired was the only minor symptoms, all went away at 9 weeks.

After several weeks wondering if it was still in there, 

Doctors appointment yesterday confirm baby is doing great,

175 heart rate, grow is a little small but not concerning, and I gained 7 pounds all together!

We are Happy for our new growing family.

New addition

Thursday December 4th 2014

Jon gets a call from our caseworker stating an 11 year old girls is available if we can take her and we get her tomorrow.   No name, white for race, 11 years old female is all we get.  

Friday December 5th 2014

I take off of work and help Jon get the house and room ready. 

Her room had a bed, and a dresser.

She arrives around 3pm with a book bag and the cloths on her back.  

Heaven, 11 years old, 

Brown hair, tall, 90 pounds soaking wet, skinny girl.  

We were informed she had a whole room of stuff coming saturday even a bike!  

Yeah was our thoughts...

We bonded over a Christmas party for kids, over Santa, games, and all you can eat food.

Saturday December 6th  

3 filer boxes and a bag of toys came to our house.  She was tickled pink.  

Monday December 8th

Shopping trip for winter cloths, and hanger.

Tuesday December 9th

Birth certificate comes, she is 10 years old, dob 1/1/04

Hispanic race (looks nothing like it)

and she found out she was born in another city. 

Register her for school, 

no medical shot records in Colorado for Heaven.

Now bonding time for the whole family

We are tickled pink!

Basement

 Jon has been working hard in the basement.  He is working here in the custom shower for a seat for Mum to sit when she gets old!!!  Olivia calls it the garage seat as the wood came out of the dumpster.

 Mom and Dad and any other guest here is your room to be with no walls.  Electrical is all done and pluming is half way.  Jon needs to finish framing the shower  and pluming and then the permit will be pulled!

Thanksgiving

 Monday before Thanksgiving we got company! Kristen and Jonathan came out for a visit and some painting.  Kristen met Lily and Myla, Lily is below.  I asked if they could stop on there trip at our house to paint a forest for Olivia while she was visiting her mother.  Kristen did an amazing job!

 I made cornish game hens, corn, mash potatoes, gravy, green bean casserole, herb rolls and Kristen made a pumpkin cheese cake.  It was my first thanksgiving with Family in town and loved ever bit of it.  Jon and Jonathan hung christmas lights too!

 It was a blessed day with family!  Olivia got home late Saturday night and loved her room.  Jon and I got some many Thank you but one big one goes to Kristen as Olivia was not able to tell her in person!

Zoo

 We had one good day before it got ugly cold for a week.  We were baby sitting Wyatt to, so we invited Everett and him mom to meet us at the Zoo for a family outing.  The giraffes are always great to feed, even the babies get the head in there for some food.  We stopped and enjoy the new Elephant area.

 The hands on room had a couple of turtles out walking around.
In the park Olivia caught a chicken and let the boys pet it.

It was a great afternoon before the sub zero for a week.

Halloween

 I helped out at Olivia's class to make slim and dressed up as a cat, did not think a whoopie cushion was a good costume for school

 WE came home had a wonderful prime roast Jon made and get out tricker treating with Everett, him mom and Wyatt and him mother too.  Olivia was a bat and the two boys were Dinosaurs.

Had a good night.

Branson Mo.

 On our Way to Branson Mo, and here we are entering Kansas!  We stopped at a store to get coffee and I saw this balloon that said sorry, then we were on a mission to find road kill, and this poor raccoon was the lucky one to get a sorry balloon!

 Our room was not ready when we got there so we went to the fish hatchery, this was Olivia's first time!

 We went on several hikes while we were there.

 Mom found the first walking stick insect, none of use ever seen one before.  We found a total of three of these on our trip.

 Mom met Lily and played with her for a bit.

 Skip and Janet also joined us on our trip and we met up for a walk in there shopping area.

 The beautiful cool lake in Branson.

 ONe day we went to three winery, to tasting and to one distillery that had moonshine.

 On one of our hikes Olivia found a kitten, and of course she did not want to leave it.

 Kristen this picture was for you, Aunt Janet spotted it first but we had to also get a picture to sent to you.

 Branson is known for its shows so we went to a murder mystery dinner and loved it.  

 Miniature golf was our last day outing.  Pirates cove was fun too.

 Then we stopped at the local college, The school of the Ozarks, really cool concept they have for there students.

 Also on the trip Olivia did a lot of crocheting with Nana.  She was looking forward to it.  The time we got home this is what she made, plus other things.  This is the cutest thing too.

Halloween Costume

 Olivia wants to be a bat this year so I made her wings.  These turned out really cut and easy!

second swim meet

 Olivia's first official swim meet, and second meet over all.  She swam, 100 yard free in 1:43.38,

 100 yards back stroke in 1:52.49, 50 yards breaststroke in 1:06.82

and last 200 yard freestyle in 3:40.54.

These are Olivia's best time so far!