Did You Know

That November is National Adoption Month?

The Gift of Adoption

Why Adoption?

Adoption Link

I came across this blog post today. Mr R was one of our caseworkers for a minute after Landon was born (we had MANY following Landon's placement). He was very nice and it was fun to talk to him since they had just adopted a little boy through LDSFS. The post is long, but a worthwhile read!

PS How adorable are their boys?!?

Two Years Ago Today...

This little miracle was placed in my arms and my heart felt whole. As I held him close, I knew that he was absolutely worth the wait...the one that we had been hoping and praying for. Our son.

Landon's birthday is a time of great reflection for me. I still thank my Heavenly Father for him every single day. I still pray for his birth mother and birth father every single day. I still fall a little more in love him every single day.

That's what little brothers do

Allie has a new favorite phrase: "That's what little brothers do." She says it whenever Landon does something that irritates her. For example, the other day she accidentally left her purse and a pen on the table resulting in this unfortunate piece of artwork:

I thought that she was going to flip out but instead she just sighed and said "that's what little brothers do". Later that night she was asking me how many more little brothers we were going to be able to adopt. I probed a little, certain that she was expressing frustration about her brother's newly acquired habit of destroying her prized possessions. To my surprise she said she wants a lot of little brothers because they are "just so cute even when they do what little brothers do best". I am thankful that she sees Landon's antics for what they are...a little brother doing what little brothers do. I know. I have one.

Guess What We Did Today

We went and met with LDS Family Services to start the process of adopting another child. This wasn't really in the plans until very recently. We always knew that we might someday do it again, but we thought it would most likely be down the road a little ways. I always felt like we waited so long to get Landon here that I just wanted to relax and enjoy him for a while. Ultimately we came to the conclusion that we could enjoy both our children and begin the long process of adoption. After all, were not getting any younger.

The day that our new adoption packet came in the mail I was so excited. As I opened it up and started to read through all of the information, I was overwhelmed all over again. Despite what some may think, adoption is not an "easy" way to have a baby. It is an awesome, spiritual, beautiful experience but it is not easy. For just a moment I questioned whether or not I was truly ready to take this plunge again. All it takes though is one look at our sweet little boy and I know it is worth every ounce of effort required.

You will probably start to see many posts about this new chapter of our lives as we anxiously await the moment that we will have another child lovingly placed in our arms by a birthmother who is willing to make a tremendous personal sacrifice for the child that she loves enough to let go. We would very much appreciate any prayers you could spare in our behalf. If you are ever aware of a birthparent who is considering adoption, we would love for you to tell them about us. As we build our adoption file, we will have an online profile that you can refer people to. You are also welcome to share the link to our family blog. Thanks in advance for your support in this endeavor!

Families Can Be Together Forever

We are a forever family! Last Saturday was one of the most incredible days of my life. It has taken me some time to sit down and write about it because it is all still sinking in. Our temple sealing was one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had. We were sealed by Elder Max Caldwell in the Mount Timpanogos Temple on Saturday September 22, 2007. Elder Caldwell lives in Eric's parents ward and we knew that having him perform the ordinance would be a special experience for us. What we were surprised to discover is that he adopted 2 of his 4 children. As he spoke to us before he performed the sealing, it was very apparent that this wonderful man understood and spoke from experience about just what it means to be entrusted with the care and nurture of an adopted child. One of my favorite things he shared with us is how he explained adoption to his daughters. He said something to this effect: "Your mother wasn't born a Caldwell either and I had to find her too". I think everyone present chuckled a little bit but the impact of his statement was profound. Nearly every person I have talked to who attended the sealing mentioned this statement by him and how true it is. We are lucky to have had our lives touched by the gift of adoption and this beautiful little boy.



Being in the temple with my wonderful husband, my two beautiful children, and friends and family who have supported us through every step of this long journey, I was overwhelmed with gratitude. I have been richly blessed! The growing experiences that have come to me through this process are innumerable.

It's Official

On Friday September 21, 2007 Eric and I were officially declared Landon's parents. It was a wonderful experience for our family. We are so blessed to have this sweet little boy in our home! I have a lot more to say about all of this weekends events and I will be posting frequently during the next several days. We want to say a great big THANK YOU to all of our friends and family for their unbelievable support throughout this amazing experience.

This is Landon hanging out on the bench outside of the courtroom.

Landon doing what he does best...putting something in his mouth.

This is our family with Judge Claudia Laycock shortly after our adoption was finalized.