She's built like a steakhouse, but handles like a bistro

Our home is officially safe for babies! Our home evaluation and last interview are done! We should be certified in a couple of weeks and then its full force to find our baby! We felt like celebrating afterwards so we went to do one of our favorite things: thrift store shopping. It may seem odd but we LOVE to go to find second hand treasures. So after buying a super cute old crate, we went to my parent's house for my little brother Ammon's 13th birthday.

Ammon and I have a special relationship. When he was a toddler, I was able to care for him quite a lot and make him happy when others couldn't. He would sleep in my bed with me often up until I got married. I would wake up and he would be cuddled next to me. I wouldn't know when he got there, but I was never surprised to see him. I loved to cuddle him and so enjoyed our special time together. On one special night, I woke up because he was talking in his sleep (he was probably 3 and I was 18 or so at the time). He said something I didn't understand so I said "what?" with a smile because I thought it was so cute that he was muttering in his sleep. With his eyes still closed he then said "God is watching over my family". The next morning I told my mom about the experience and she teared up. She said she had felt especially stressed at the time and needed to hear a confirmation of our Heavenly Father's watch care. What a sweet, tender mercy that we received through my sweet Ammon. Now he is getting so handsome and tall and grown up but he still has the same tender spirit as that 3 year old. He is so quick to give hugs and help when needed.

I love all of my siblings so dearly. I am so grateful to have been blessed with my strong, humongous family! By the way, the title of this post has nothing to do with anything. I just heard it on a show and thought it was hilarious.

Making Progress

Oh how wonderful to have the mountain of paperwork to get certified behind us! So here is our status. Monstrously colossal pile of paperwork (of which made me want to cry at first)...check! Individual interviews...check! Adoption Academy...one big fat check! Our home evaluation and couple interview is scheduled for Thursday then our application is off to the courts to get certified. Apparently we're very lucky because our county is pretty quick on the return. So, we could be certified in two weeks!! Then our profile will go up on itsaboutlove.org and we will start flooding every body's email with our fliers. Just get ready to help us find our baby and birth family.


Yesterday we attended the adoption academy in Mesa. It was cold and rainy as we went into the church building it was held at. Somehow that made the day even better. I love the rain. Anyway, there were probably about 15 other couples in attendance and we heard from other adoptive couples, an adoption attorney, and some birth mothers. It was so wonderful. I especially loved hearing from the birth mothers. What amazing women. I can't wait to meet our birth mother and to be able to witness that unselfish love first hand.


Well, I need to prepare my primary lesson and maybe take a nap before church (I woke up at 3:00 this morning and I don't know why because I LOVE my sleep.) Tune in later to find out what happens to little Bonnie and David at their home evaluation!