Celebrating Family

So there was cake! And grandparents! And kids! May as well celebrate! Let me just take this moment to send out Happy Wishes to everyone on their special day! Hooray! Come on over and have a piece of cake, would you? We're celebrating family!

Really, how much can we really cram into a single weekend? Let's see, my mom's birthday was Friday, my brother's birthday and my grandparents' wedding anniversary are today, our wedding anniversary is Wednesday and the newest reason to celebrate this already special day is that Lincoln was recognized by the state as our child. Now that's a reason to celebrate and we couldn't be happier!

My parents came into to town on Saturday morning and because of work scheduling, Eric's parents joined us at the court house first thing this morning. With our family and close friends at our side, the magistrate declared us to be the permanent, legal parents of Lincoln. Although he has been in our custody, all adoptions within our state require a waiting period until the final court hearing which took place today. This was the final red-tape and formality of his adoption that seals the deal, so to speak. From the expressions on our faces, can you just tell that we wouldn't want to have it any other way?

Our court hearing didn't take very long so we spent the rest of the day visiting, enjoying a wonderful lunch and let Elaina and Lincoln bask in the hugs and kisses and laughter that comes with having 6 adults loving them all at once. This was truly a day to celebrate our family being made complete with the addition of our son. Our precious, wonderful, happy Lincoln! Baby, I love You! Since this is the biggest day that we have been looking forward to for some time, there was plenty more activity leading up to this morning's court hearing. In other big news, guess who rolled over for the first time? Our son did! I can't tell you the number of times that Eric or I will lay him down with a virtual plethora of toys within his reach and he lays as content as a rock on his back or belly. Enter Grandma. I have to tell you that my mom and dad were great! They watched the kids, helped with laundry, fed the hungry, hugged the crying and did back breaking labor with my husband. I'll get back to all of that. So, my mom takes Lincoln into the living room to play, lays him on a blanket and within 5 minutes, announces to me that Lincoln is rolling over. The funnier part was that she acted like he did it so naturally and frequently, as if he had been performing this trick for many, many months. NOPE. Little StinkerStink must have been holding out on me, allowing his grandma to bask in the glory of his new stunt. At least he did give me the privilege of witnessing his latest feat shortly after his first 10 rolls for grandma. Or, as I like to call them, Co-Conspirators. And how about this work? It seems like my days pass by, busy and full and I still feel a mountain of to-do's weighing on my shoulders. Or maybe it's just an ant-hill disguised by my overwhelming sense of order and anxiety. Fun combo for me. And so day after day, although I'm busy, I never really feel like I've made a dent in all of the things I would like to have done. Lord knows that I've put blogging on my back burner on days like these, and regrettably so. And so, my parents come. My parents come and let us work. They come to watch our children and lend a hand. Some things I was able to scratch off my list were organizing the 3 giant boxes of Tastefully Simple items that I received 3 weeks ago when I signed up to be a consultant. Those 3 giant boxes have finally been moved from their previous home which was right smack in the middle of the kitchen floor! Nice. Also, despite the awesome fall color and unseasonably warm temperatures, we still live in Ohio and the conditions are subject to change drastically within a 24 hour period. Today was simply gorgeous weather with sunshine and record highs near 77 degrees. The rest of the week however is supposed to be more in line with what we can typically expect in October. Rain. Cold. Wind. Temperatures only reaching 60. That means winter clothes, bundling up and bigger sizes. With my mom here, I tore apart both kids rooms and storage containers and pulled out everything warm and everything with growing room. About 4 loads of laundry in the end. My mom, the Patron Saint of Folding, folded every single onesie, pants, jumpers, bibs, right down to matching the very last pair of socks. The dressers and closets are now cursing my mother's name as they are brimmimg with clothes. Huge accomplishment for me, I should say. Other than tons of little household minutia, my dad helped Eric run wire from the garage to the house and under the house and under the patio and underground and to the attic and I think you get my drift. Unless we have our wires crossed and you didn't follow all of that. Hah!

What is the going rate of this incomparable, full service, help? Treating them to dinner and unlimited hugs and adoration from the grandkids, daughter and son-in-law. Thanks again mom and dad, you've really made my mountain more into an anthill! It was a great weekend to share with my parents and even better leading up to today being remembered as the day our son was made our own!