Prevo Family

Powerful Stuff

2009-01-26T17:09:00.000-08:00

Has it been that long?????

2009-01-26T16:35:00.000-08:00

By now I am sure there is virtually no one still following this blog, considering it was November the last time we posted anything. But, just in case there is still life out there somewhere, here are a few pictures from Christmas. It is a tradition to ice cookies at Aunt Candy's house on Christmas Eve. This, of course, was Claire's first Christmas and she was a little unsure of the whole process as you can see. We also always take a picture of the kids in front of Grandma Grayson's Christmas tree.

The boys had a great Christmas this year; they got the Wii they asked for. Claire was happy with the wrapping paper (typical).

Hope everyone is doing well.

G

November already?

2008-11-07T06:59:00.000-08:00

I know, it has been awhile since our last post, but following a viral attack in our house, soccer, football, and Halloween, we are back on track.

At the beginning of October Keaton got sick, running 103-105 temps for 5 days. He did not have anything major, just a virus. He got over that on Monday, and sure enough Claire was quick to follow. Hers however turned out to be a bigger deal. I laid her down for nap on a Thursday with a 100 degree temp and when she woke the thermometer read 106.2. As Garrett and I are realizing we are going to have to take her to urgent care, she began to have a seizure. The boys have never done that, so it was pretty scary for us. She had a total of 4 seizures that evening, and we spent several hours in the ER. Our doctor has diagnosed her with febrile seizures. We will now know what to do and what to look for. She is now fine and as energetic as ever! She just had her check up last week and is doing great. We are almost caught up on her shots and she is growing faster than ever. She now weighs 19 lbs, and is walking, talking, and "arguing" like a true toddler. She says mama, dada, bubba, eat, nana, papa, cheese, and night night. She is so fun!

The boys are doing great as well. For Halloween Keaton was a cowboy, Easton was Dash from the incredibles (although he would not let me take a picture of him), and Claire was a fairy princess. Football is over for Easton and soccer is over for Keat. We are enjoying some down time in the evenings before basketball starts in a few weeks. It is getting cool here, and I love it.

Things for Garrett and me are going fine. He has applied to the doctoral program at MU and we are looking forward to hearing about that. He took a test called the GRE a couple of weeks ago, and he did well. We are eager to see what happens.

I have been busy making bows. I started making all Claire's bows, hats, bibs, burp cloths, etc.. Then people started ordering them for their own kids. Now that "business" has really taken off. I have made and sold over 200 in the last 6 weeks. It is something I LOVE to do, and it allows me to make a little money on the side as well.

I hope all of you are doing well!

Happy referral day Claire!

2008-09-20T07:23:00.000-07:00

One year ago today, at about 11:00 am we got a call that would change our lives forever. We were told of a 9 week old baby girl in AnGiang Vietnam that needed a home. She was ever so tiny, and had some possible health problems. We spent the day speaking to our pediatrician, looking over her records and feeling like we were walking on clouds. We had decided early on not to tell the boys about her until we had officially accepted her. I went to pick Easton up from school that afternoon, and he was carrying a piece of paper. He got in the Tahoe and said, "Look mom, I drew a picture. It's the road to Vietnam." Of course, I broke down into tears. (we still have that picture).

That evening our social worker came by the house and brought us the first pictures we would ever see of our little girl. She was perfect and we knew she would be a wonderful addition to our family.

Our adoption process seemed rough, and many things were changing in the adoption system while we waited on Claire. During our 6 mth wait, there were many great experiences and many frustrating experiences. Some of you have been following our journey from the beginning and know that there at the end we got a little frustrated with our adoption agency. (They too were experiencing changes) Yet through all that frustration I know we would not be where we are today without them. (We would use Dillon again). Things may have not always gone the way we had planned, but they love the kids they place. They ALWAYS have supported the families they work with, and they continue to answer questions and provide AWESOME post placement services to their families.

We have also been so blessed by an AMAZING social worker! She has so much invested into her job, supports her families and even is a part of international adoption in her extended family. We appreciate her so much.

Claire has been officially ours now almost 6 months (on the 29th). She enriches our daily lives, and completes our family. She is an amazing little girl! She has grown out of the health problems she was born with (they were very minor), and is a busy 14 month old. We would not have it any other way!

Football has started!

2008-09-17T14:54:00.000-07:00

Easton had his first football game this week. He had so much fun. (oh and it helps that they won their game). He loves sports!

Keaton had his first soccer game of the season as well, but my camera battery was dead. We will catch him next week. He scored a goal!

Fun pictures from the weekend.

2008-09-14T12:52:00.001-07:00

Our little ray of sunshine! 14 months old tomorrow!

2008-09-11T15:02:00.000-07:00

We had fun on the swings too!

2008-09-08T06:48:00.000-07:00

A mother to boys

2008-09-08T06:27:00.000-07:00

When God made me the mother of boys, there must have been some laughing involved. I have no desire to do the "outdoor" thing, unless it involves a sidewalk sale. So, of course my boys LOVE nature. They love to camp, hunt, fish, boat, hike, etc... I would be fine to T-VO a nature show on tv and watch it once a month and be done with it all. The best thing about that is that you do not have to get dirty. Many of you know however, that if the kids enjoy it, you learn to enjoy it as well (or at least try). So this weekend we head off to camp and fish and hike in a place I had never been. We got everything packed,(hairspray? check! straightening iron? check! make up? check!) and watched the weather to make sure we would not be hit with lots of rain or stormy weather. Everything looks good, so we were on our way. We swing through Garrett's parents house to pick up the camper (oh yeah, did I forget to mention that we "camp" with a camper. Bathroom, shower, kitchen, air conditioning, flat screen tv's). Anyway, we drop the dog off with Garrett's parents, oh crap, I forgot her food. So my mother in law goes to buy food for OUR dog that she is so graciously watching for us for the weekend. Now we are ready, we are going to swing through somewhere and get dinner. Oh Crap! I don't have my wallet. Yep, mother in law to the rescue again!

Needless to say, we EVENTUALLY made it and had a GREAT time. (despite the rain). :) Here are a few pictures from our adventure.

Look who's walking

2008-09-05T08:21:00.000-07:00

Claire is now taking more than just 4 or 5 steps, she is walking across the room. We are in for it now! Here are a few pictures from this morning.

The importance of a good education!

2008-09-04T12:08:00.000-07:00

I am finding myself in new territory as the school year has started and my boys are getting ever so comfortable with their new schedules, teachers, friends, etc. First grade is so different than kindergarten. Easton no longer worries about where the restrooms are located or if I will be there to get him, he is now concerned with the important things. Will we get to go out for recess? Will I get picked first in P.E. and is there one sheet of homework or two? When he gets into the Tahoe, I try so hard not to overwhelm him with questions. However, I want to know how his day has gone. I must be worlds biggest idiot, as when I asked him a question yesterday his answer was....." Mom was it a LONG time ago when you were in first grade?" What in the world?

Keaton is just as funny. Walking down the ramp with his teacher by his side today, the first thing he said to me was....." Mom, can Elizabeth spend the night tonight." As I wonder what he is talking about, I look up to find a big smile on his teachers face. (Thank God, she thinks this is just a touch funny as well). I asked him who Elizabeth was and he said, "my girlfriend", again with the are you an idiot look on his face.

When did we start getting girlfriends in pre-school? (although Easton had one too) How do I break that habit??? Our new family rule: Don't even look at girls until you can Vote, and no getting married until you are a member of the AARP.

My mother in law would roll her eyes about now and start lecturing me on how I stole her baby from her. It is true, Garrett and I started dating in high school. Crap.....I have to start homeschooling!

Here are a couple of pictures from a couple of years ago. Keaton was in a wedding with a little girl that he really liked (obviously), and here is Easton with my precious niece who up until last year he was going to marry.

My toothless wonder

2008-09-03T07:14:00.000-07:00

Easton's two front teeth have been loose for a couple of weeks now, but over the weekend he decided he had had enough. I love that they are both gone at the same time. Just in time for school pictures on Thursday. Claire is always happy to see me break out the camera, and flashed me a smile too. I will take all those sweet smiles that I can get.

Claire

2008-09-02T07:58:00.001-07:00

Enjoying a long weekend.

2008-08-31T15:28:00.001-07:00

A way overdue update!

2008-08-29T06:26:00.000-07:00

Well it has been awhile since I have blogged. We started having some computer problems about a month ago, and instead of waiting to get it fixed we just finally went out and bought a new one.

Since the last update, school has started for Easton and Keaton. Easton is in 1st grade and loving it. He sat down last night and read us a book with very little help. He really likes his teacher (as do we), and he has made some new friends. Keaton is in his last year of pre-school. He is now going 5 days a week, but just half days. He likes it as well. He has two great teachers, who we have gotten to know a little over the past couple of years, so he was not nervous to go at all. He has not cried at all, and that makes the transition so much easier for me as well. The pre-school is combined with the kindergarten here, so that will also be a huge help for next year.

Claire is doing well. She is so fun and has started walking 4 or 5 steps at a time. It is still quicker for her to crawl, but she will get there. She is still not speaking words that we can understand, but she is signing many new words. At her last weight check, she was up to 19 lbs. She is eating ANYTHING we give her, and will still sleep about 12-14 hours without waking at night. Here are a few new pictures.

More birthday pictures

2008-07-21T08:48:00.000-07:00

While we were in Vietnam, we picked up gifts for Claire's first 18 birthdays. For her first birthday we got her a traditional Vietnamese outfit. Here are a few more pictures of Claire at her party and at the Vietnamese Restaurant last week. Nana made Claire a blanket, she got a new baby from aunt Audra that she loves(and she is giving it kisses), she also got a new pool with a slide from Uncle Mike and Aunt Candy. Thank you everyone for ALL her great gifts!

2008-07-21T08:40:00.001-07:00

Here are some pictures from Claire's birthday party. It was small with only close friends and family. Claire is still very timid in crowds, so we had a water party at our house. She got lots of fun toys and some other great gifts. Thank you Uncle John and Aunt Alicia for the new personalized piggy bank, and Kevin and Michelle for the new pretty bow.

catching up

2008-07-15T11:39:00.000-07:00

Well it has been awhile since I posted last. We had some new flooring put in our basement and had a couple of rooms painted, so we have had to have our computer unplugged and shoved to the side for a few days. Now that we are up and running again, I am going to try to catch everyone up on life for us right now.
Keaton is a ball of fun, and had his last ball game last night. He was so excited to hit the ball all the way to the grass! At his age that is wonderful. He made it all the way to third base! He is feeling great following his surgery and only has a small scar. Easton is still playing ball, but we are nearing the end. We have had a fun season this year and he has really enjoyed it. We found out that he got the teacher he wanted for next year. He is really excited to move to 1st grade. (I for one am going to miss kindergarten). Claire is so much fun! She had a birthday this last Sunday(13). We had a great family day. We did her baby dedication at church and almost all of our family was able to make it. My brother and sister and their families were able to attend as well as many of Garrett's family. After church we went to our local authentic Vietnamese restaurant. Everyone seemed to enjoy what they ordered, so we will try to make it a tradition (sorry Mike). We are having Claire's birthday party for family and friends this Sat. I will post some pictures of that when I can.
We saw Dr. Vo yesterday for Claire's well baby check up. She is still doing great, and is the healthiest of all my kids. She still weighs 18 pounds, but is now almost up to 28 inches tall. We will see Dr. Vo again next month for a weight check. (Claire has only gained 1oz in 4 mths) Dr. Vo is not too concerned because Claire eats so well, and is very active. We will continue on with formula for now, and hope that we will be able to turn her car seat around in the near future.
Garrett and I are enjoying the summer with the kids. Garrett has been taking the boys to the pool every morning, and they have been loving it. We have gone to Silver Dollar City a couple of times, and we are hitting White Water later this week. It's hard to believe that Garrett goes back to school in a couple of weeks.

I want to say thank you to everyone who e-mailed "Happy Birthday" to Claire. I saved them all. She sure is a well loved baby!

Summer fun

2008-07-08T06:06:00.000-07:00

Thank you to everyone for the encouraging e-mails, calls, or comments while Keaton was recovering from surgery. He is doing great!

Our summer continues to be fun and busy. We are enjoying the kids so much. They are all 3 at really fun ages. Here are a few pictures from some recent events.

Do you believe in prayer?

2008-06-19T13:37:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, about 3 weeks ago Keaton was diagnosed with a lump behind his right knee. Following an ultrasound, it was determined that the lump was not fluid filled but a solid mass. We were then sent on to a surgeon who felt he had no choice but to remove the mass and send it to pathology to find out what it was. So, today Keaton went in for surgery. It was a long hour, but everything went very well. The Dr. cut into Keaton's leg only to find that it was not a solid mass at all, it was an abscess. The Dr. is not sure what happened. The ultrasound 2 weeks ago clearly showed a solid mass. The surgeon was able to drain the lump, but because there was infection he had to place a "drain" in the incision. (that will be removed in the next few days, and the stitches will dissolve on their own) So here we are at home, bandaged up, but playing just fine. He is on some strong anti-biotics and may need some pain meds every few hours, but otherwise fairly normal. The nurses in recovery could not believe what a trooper he was. Not one tear ALL day long!

Garrett and I both would like to thank all of our friends and family who have been praying for Keaton this week. Many of you do not even "know" us, but lifted him up in prayer anyway. Thank you again. We do believe in the power of prayer!

Here are a couple pictures from the day, and one post-op popcicle picture!

Keaton

2008-06-18T07:40:00.000-07:00

Well we went to see the surgeon again on Monday about the "lump" on Keaton's leg. He did not see any change and so he feels that he has no other choice but to remove it. He scheduled Keaton for surgery on Thursday morning. Keaton is aware of what is going on, and seems to be ok with it all. The "lump" will be sent to pathology and it could possibly be a week before we hear anything. I will update you on the surgery on Friday.

Here are a few of my favorite "Keaton" pictures from this week.

A few of my favorites

2008-06-16T06:09:00.000-07:00

Last week we had our photographer come over to the house, and we took pictures in the yard. Here are a few of my favorites.

Row, Row, Row your boat......

2008-06-13T09:09:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple of pictures from this morning. The water has risen more since then, and is now in the yard.

Happy Birthday Easton!

2008-06-13T05:51:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow Easton will turn 7, and I cannot believe how fast he is growing up. He is an amazing child, and we cannot imagine life without him. Here are a few of my favorite photos from the last year or two.

Happy Birthday E! We love you so much!

A couple new pictures

2008-06-12T09:10:00.000-07:00

We were just messing around in the front yard, and I was able to get these pictures of Claire.

A busy summer

2008-06-12T08:00:00.000-07:00

It has been too long since I last updated the blog, so I will attempt to catch everyone up. We are enjoying a great summer together! Garrett and I are both off work for the most part. We have gone to Silver Dollar City, the zoo, Cardinal's games, birthday parties, etc.

We are having so much fun.

Garrett has recently received a new job. Instead of teaching again next year, he has accepted a position as Assistant Principal at the same high school where he has been teaching for the past few years. I am very proud of him! I think he is really going to enjoy the change.

Easton turns 7 on Saturday. We are going to be out of town, so we had his party last weekend. We had about 30 people over. About 20 minutes after everyone got here, Easton got a migraine, started throwing up, and missed the rest of his party. We had cake and ice cream, and games without him. We will have another family party this weekend since we did not even get to sing happy birthday to him. I am sure he will remember this one for several years.

Keaton is Keaton. Never a dull moment, and keeps us laughing all the time.

About 4-5 weeks ago Keaton got a bump on the back of his leg. At first I thought it was some kind of bite, but after it did not go down I took him in to see our Pediatrician. After looking at it, she said it was not a bite. She thought possibly it was a cyst, and sent us over for an ultrasound. She called a little later to inform us that it was not a cyst, but a "growth/mass" of some kind. She referred us on to see a surgeon, and he will look at it again on Monday, to see if surgery is necessary. He does not act like it hurts too much, so that is good. I will keep you updated on that.

Both boys are still playing ball. Easton's team is undefeated, and doing great! He is having so much fun. Keaton's team does not keep score, but he LOVES it anyway.

Claire is doing well. She will be 11mths old tomorrow. She is cruising around the furniture, and just a step behind her brothers most of the time. She is getting two upper teeth this week, so she has been a little fussy. She has continued to do well with food, and is almost on all table food. She is still sleeping through the night, usually about 12 hours at a time. She is taking good naps during the day, and is in her own bed for the first time this week. She weighs almost 18 lbs and has grown about 1/2 an inch since getting home.

These pictures are from the last couple of weeks.

10 months old!

2008-05-13T06:02:00.000-07:00

Today Claire is 10 mths old. We had her Dr. appointment yesterday, and she continues to do well. She grew 1/4 of an inch. She did lose a little weight, but that was a little expected while we were switching formulas. Not to mention she is very mobile now! She is still sleeping 10-12 hours a night (sometimes more), and she is now eating a few size 1 jars of vegetables. She has learned her new name, and now turns when you say it. She loves her brothers, and now smiles very easily.

A couple more pictures this week

2008-05-07T13:00:00.001-07:00

A family outing

2008-05-07T12:41:00.000-07:00

Now that everyone is well (I hope), we went on our first weekend trip. We went to Branson for the weekend. We did some shopping, raced go-carts, and played a little "golf". We had so much fun, and little sister did fine. She loved the shopping (thank God). Garrett's parents went with us, and we had so much fun with them. They are GREAT grandparents, and the kids love to be with them. (Ice-cream right after breakfast, movie and popcorn way past bedtime, who can blame them?)

Here are a few pictures from the weekend.

One month ago today!

2008-04-29T19:25:00.001-07:00

One month ago today, we sat in front of Vietnamese officials and promised to love "this child" the way we love our biological children. What a month it has been. We cannot imagine life without this little girl. We are so in love with her. We think back to where we were a month ago and it is hard to believe that we even have the same child. Baths are no longer traumatic, diaper changes are uneventful, and the car seat is just another place to sit. Claire has brought us so much joy in one month, what will the rest of our lives with her bring?
However, on this day I also think about the children that were left behind that day as we walked down the dirt path away from that orphanage. Since we left, 2 have been united with their forever families, but what about all the others? The one thing that made it easier to leave that orphanage is to know that many of these babies would soon have a "home", someone to kiss them goodnight, or read to them. Yet this week all that seems to have changed. As of July 1st (some reports saying Sept. 1), adoptions between US and Vietnam will be shut down. There is a justified reason on some level and I will get to that in the next day or two, but what is going to happen to all those kids? Most agencies will pull out their financial support to many already over crowded, under funded orphanages. The babies/children who already live on the minimum (although well loved and interacted with), will now be fed or clothed with what financial support? I am not down playing the reports of stolen babies, purchased babies, or mothers forced to give up their babies in payment for their hospital stay, but there must be a better way to investigate all that is going on. As their are some corrupt adoptions (as well as corrupt adoption agencies) taking place, there are also many birth parents who simply cannot take care of their child, and long for them to have a better life. What about those parents who willingly sign their rights over? Do those babies fall through the cracks? I am truly saddened but what is taking place in Vietnam, and for the children. I read stories like this and selfishly thank God that we were able to get Claire. Please pray for the children of Vietnam, even if things are straightened out in the next few years, many of the babies we spent several days with will not be of "desired" age to adopt.

My boys are getting so big!

2008-04-27T08:15:00.001-07:00

The dates on the pictures are wrong. These pictures as well as the Chicken Pox pictures were taken yesterday.

2008-04-27T07:58:00.000-07:00

Ok, so the story that goes along with this is kind of funny. Last Monday was one of the first really warm sunny days of the season here. Obviously by looking at my boys you can tell that we have to use sunscreen from April until October. So when Keaton woke up with a few bumps on Tuesday morning I assumed he had a reaction to the sunscreen and his "rash" would go away in a day or two. I sent him to school, and did not think anything more of it. That night Garrett was getting him out of the bath when we realized that his "rash" had gotten worse and there were more bumps. At this point it is not looking so much like a rash. At 9:30 pm I drive him over to a friends house (she is a pediatric nurse), and sure enough she confirmed what I had feared. He has chicken pox! What? He was vaccinated over 3 years ago. Well apparently that does not matter. So Wed. I took him in to see our own pediatrician and sure enough that is what she thought it looked like too. She told me that we would know for sure if he woke with more in the morning. UHHHH yeah......about 15 more in the morning. Oh well...could be worse. It is just a really light case. Should be gone this week. At least for Keaton. We are just hoping and praying that is stops there. Easton has been vaccinated, but Claire has not. I guess we will find out.

Maybe the funniest thing about this story is that last week at church there was someone dressed up in a bird costume (long story), and Keaton is convinced that the "chicken" at church was sick and gave him some pox. You can't convince him of anything else.

Fun outdoors.

2008-04-25T10:10:00.000-07:00

Here are a few new pictures of Claire from this week. She loves to be outdoors, but hates the grass, so this went better than I thought it would. Pictures of Easton and Keaton are soon to follow. Keaton has the Chicken pox, so that deserves his own set of pictures and post on the blog.

Having a blast with 3 kids!

2008-04-21T11:40:00.000-07:00

We had some time before church yesterday(that NEVER happens), and it was a beautiful day, so were able to snap a picture of the kids together.

Things are going better than I could have ever hoped, and everyone is adjusting well. Claire has started some rice once a day, and we hope to be able to start some vegetables before long. She is still sleeping with us, but today for nap she is sleeping in her own bed. So far, minimal crying. She is still sleeping 10-12 hours at night without waking. She has a small cold, but other than that she has been very healthy.

Easton is doing well, and we are just about to wrap up Kindergarten. He has LOVED school. We have been blessed with an amazing teacher, and he has really great kids in his class. He is also finishing up soccer and baseball is beginning. He is really excited about that, that is his favorite sport. He is loving being a big brother (again), and now when he walks through the door after school I am no longer the one he runs to. Kind of sad, but I am glad he loves Claire. He and Keaton are also loving the warm weather. They spend so much time outside.

Keaton is feeling better. He has had a rough week or two, and we think he is on his way up now. He has always struggled with his illnesses. He is not sick very often, but when he is, he goes all out. He too is about to finish school. He had his first year of pre-school this year, and has loved it. He has two great teachers, and he has made lots of friends this year. He is playing T-ball, and he loves it too. It must be that their dad is a baseball coach, because they both prefer that sport over any other. He is adjusting well to Claire, although it was harder on him than Easton. Keaton would not speak to me when we got home, and there was no way he was going to let me hold him. After a couple of days that was better, and he is almost back to normal now. He has been the baby for 4 years now, and that is a hard title to hand over.

Garrett and I are doing well, and beginning to establish a routine. We have enjoyed the several weeks off, but it is time to get back to the "real life". Enjoy the pictures, and we will post again soon.

Girly girl or tom boy?

2008-04-21T11:35:00.000-07:00

We are having so much fun with Claire, and everyday we see more and more of her personality. She is pretty girly (hates to have a dirty diaper, won't touch certain things, won't sit on the grass, etc.....)however, she also LOVES to be outdoors. We had ball practice for both boys yesterday and she loved to watch. Garrett mowed the lawn today, and she was happy to help. I guess time will tell.

Way over due!

2008-04-16T11:35:00.000-07:00

Considering the fact that I have received threats from some close friends (Anna) if I did not update the blog, I thought I should go ahead and give an update.
We have been home now for just over a week, and what a week it has been. We got in a week ago Sunday. We arrived in St Louis and were welcomed by some close family. It was so amazing to see my boys and introduce them to their sister. They had made some signs to welcome her and it is a sight I will never forget. When Keaton saw us, he dropped his sign and took off running for us. The only problem with that is that he was running into a restricted area, and set the alarms at the airport off. It will just make that day more memorable. Like I said, we were unable to get flights out of Springfield, so many of our close friends and family were unable to be at the airport. (It is about a 3.5 hr drive) So their was a reception for us at our church. (It is on the way home from the airport, and if Claire got upset we were able to go ahead and leave). It was great to see everyone, and they had balloons and cake and gifts. Claire is sure loved! That evening we forced ourselves to stay awake until bedtime, or the kid's bedtime at least. We made it until about 8pm, and then all 5 of us crashed. Claire slept the longest at a whopping 12.5 hours, and only woke one time for a bottle and then back down she went. We thought that would be the one and only night that would happen, but we were wrong. She is sleeping about 10-12 hours a night. She naps for about an hour in the morning and then about 2.5 hours in the afternoon. She is such a delight and she is adjusting very well. She is sleeping in our room for now, and we will begin to transition her to her own bed for nap in a few weeks.

We went to see our Pediatrician on Wednesday, and she is amazed that Claire is crawling, pulling up and even trying to walk around some things. She says that she cannot believe that she is an orphanage baby. She is adjusting well to Enfamil, and is starting to eat a little bit of cereal. The eating is a little hit or miss, but she will get the hang of it.

After seeing the doctor on Wednesday, we came home and got settled in, only to discover that Easton had the flu (or something). So, Easton was sick for a couple of days. Then, yes, Keaton got it and I got it on Sunday. We are feeling better now, and hopefully Garrett and Claire are in the clear.

Thank you to all of our friends and family who have understood our "quiet time" for the past few weeks. Now that it is getting warmer, we will be out a little more, and we will be visiting soon. Thank you all for your support for the past few weeks. I think things are getting back to normal...........whatever that may be.

Saying good bye to Vietnam

2008-04-05T00:08:00.000-07:00

What a wonderful 2 weeks it has been, but today we are saying good bye to Vietnam. It is a little sad, but we are ready to see our boys and introduce them to their sister. This morning at about 10:00 am, we were able to get flights out for this evening. We are packed and ready to go. We will be arriving in St. Louis at 10:00 am Sunday morning.
We have loved our trip. We have met some wonderful people/children, and seen some of the most amazing things we could ever see. We are walking away from here with a new appreciation of the small things in life. Most of all, we are walking away with one of the most precious gifts we could have ever received. Almost 9 months ago, a women gave birth to a child in a hospital, waited 24 hours with her, and then made the hardest decision any mother/parent could make. She walked away, hoping to give that little girl a better life. I have thought many times about Claire's birth mother, and I hope today wherever she is, that she has peace about the decision she made so many months ago. To this woman, we will be forever greatful! We have a deep respect for her. Afterall, she chose life for our little girl.

We cannot wait to see all of you. Thank you for following us on our journey to Claire.

We love you guys,

Garrett and Heidi

We are finished!

2008-04-04T02:47:00.000-07:00

We had our interview this morning at the US embassy, and just received Miss Claire's VISA. It is official, and we can now enter the US. Now when? I am not sure. Todd, our travel agent, is working on a flight out this weekend. If he cannot get that, we are scheduled to fly out Monday.

Two days of rest!

2008-04-03T06:58:00.000-07:00

We have had 2 days of rest, and we are feeling really good. Claire is sleeping about 9 hours a night and getting up only once for a bottle. We have all 3 been able to take good naps the last 2 days. The weather here has been cool, and rainy, but it has been a nice change. HCMC was wonderful and beautiful, but very hot. It has been nice to see two very different sides of Vietnam.
We played in the hotel all day, and did not get out much. We are pretty busy tomorrow with appointments, so we thought it would be good to just rest today. We were not scheduled to fly home until the 11th of April, but we were able to secure seats on a Monday afternoon flight. For those of you yet to travel, Todd is wonderful. He has worked so hard to get us home as soon as possible. If he can get us a flight out over the weekend, we will take it.
We are enjoying our time here in Vietnam. The people here are wonderful and such hard workers. They have been so kind to us, and always ask about Claire. The Vietnamese love their babies. They take her from us when they can, and almost always touch her as they walk by. Very different then home, but the are well intentioned.
We will post more tomorrow.

In Hanoi

2008-04-01T20:24:00.000-07:00

We flew into Hanoi last night, and got settled in pretty easily. Our flight went well, and Claire only cried during take off, after that she was fine and slept most of the way. When we got to our new Hotel, Claire was a little uncertain of her new surroundings, so sleeping was a little difficult, but all is going well now. We went down to Jaspas for breakfast, and it was great. Carrying Claire everywhere was exhausting on all of us, so we bought a new stroller. She LOVES it, so we are able to stroll around the hotel to keep her busy. It also really helped in the airport.
We have been talking to the boys on a regular basis, and although being away from us it taking a toll on them, they are doing well. Spring break is over, so Easton is back at school. I think getting back into his "school routine" will be good for him. Keaton is having a great time with family during the day.
We do have some new pictures to post, but I will have to post them in a little bit.

Happy Birthday Logan. We hope you have a good day, and we can't wait to see you when we get home. We love you!

Garrett and Heidi

Last day in HCMC

2008-03-31T05:00:00.000-07:00

Today was our last full day in HCMC. We are flying out tomorrow afternoon for Hanoi. We had a busy day of paperwork, and Claire had her doctors appointment. She weighed 16 pounds and was 25 inches long.
We finished up our shopping. We completed our goal of purchasing 18 gifts, for the next 18 birthdays. We also were able to find a quilt store, and we bought some wonderful things there. Claire has 2 new beautiful quilts, and I know she will appreciat having all these things from her birth country someday.
Claire continues to do well. She is sleeping about 12 hours at night, and takes a couple of naps throughout the day. I am sure that will all change when we get back to the states, and we try to get her on our schedule, but that is ok. She is such a sweet, loving baby. She just melts when we hold her. She also does well to just play on the floor. We were not prepared to have a fully mobile baby. She is crawling, and then pulling herself up onto anything she can find. She is so fun.
We are loving Vietnam. The Vietnamese are such caring, kind people, and would do anything for us. We also love Dillon staff. They are amazing, and have made sure that we have everything we need. They too are very kind, and we would not have been able to do this without them.
I will try to post a couple of pictures from today, and we will post more about when we will be able to come home later.

Easton and Keaton, we love you and miss you. We cannot wait for you to meet Claire. She is going to love you guys. Have a fun week. We will talk to you tonight. Love, Mom and Dad.

A five family!

2008-03-29T05:51:00.001-07:00

We began our adoption 2 years ago. When we told our then 4 year old son Easton about adoption and what it meant, he was so excited. He just kept saying, "We will be a five family." Well guess what Easton? We are a five family! Today in a 10 minute Giving and Receiving ceromony, Claire became ours forever. It was so wonderful to hear those words. "From now on, this child REALLY is your child."

We had a long day. It was a five hour drive from An Giang back to HCMC, but we are thrilled to be back. We were able to find a Pizza Hut a few blocks away, and had a great dinner. We did some shopping and headed back to our incredibly nice hotel suite.

Tomorrow we have a "rest" day, and will do a little more shopping. We are trying to purchase 18 gifts for Claire, for her following birthdays, and pick up some fun things for the boys. On Monday, we are very busy. Claire has a doctors appointment, and we have paperwork and appointments most of the day. Tuesday we will fly to Hanoi, to finish up some paperwork, and we are told that we will be able to fly out on Friday night or Saturday. We sure hope so, but we know that things do not always work out that way, so we are not getting our hopes up.

Thank you to all of you who have been e-mailing and posting comments. It is so good to hear from "friends", and family.

Here are a few pictures from the last 24 hours. Enjoy.

Garrett, Heidi, and Claire

Our amazing Claire!

2008-03-26T04:21:00.000-07:00

This has been such an amazing day. We arrived in An Giang at about 1pm. We got settled, had lunch and headed to the orphanage at about 3:30. Our first meeting with Claire was wonderful. She is such a sweetie. They handed her to me, and she just smiled. It was like she really had been waiting on us. The nannies are amazing, and really do love those kids. We spent about 2 hours with Claire and the other kids. They really seemed to enjoy the toys we brought. We also brought some picture books, and that was a huge hit. We will go back tomorrow and Friday, and then our Giving and Receiving ceremony is Saturday morning at about 9am. We can't wait to actually leave with her. We love her so much! We are exhausted, and will post agian when we get some time.

Made it to An Giang

2008-03-25T23:49:00.001-07:00

We just go to An Giang and checked into our hotel after about 5 hours of driving. We traveled through some very remote areas and took 2 ferry rides to get here. We leave in about 30 minutes to head to the orphanage. We can't wait.

Garrett and Heidi

From HCMC

2008-03-25T15:22:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pictures from our trip so far.

This is truly an amazing country and city. What amazes me is the wealth and poverty living and working right next door to eachother. It is so different than the US. The people are amazing here. So loving and willing to serve. We have had a great time so far, and we get to meet our daughter later today.

We are here!

2008-03-24T23:36:00.000-07:00

Hey guys, just a quick note to let you know that we made it. Our flights went very well, and we were able to sleep about 6 hours of the long one. We are checked into our amazing hotel, and we are loving Vietnam. We are headed out to buy some bottled water and some snacks.
We are leaving here at 8am to head to the orphanage. We will be able to see Claire for the first time at about 2pm. We will post some pictures later tonight or in the morning.
Garrett and Heidi

On our way!!!

2008-03-23T22:50:00.000-07:00

Hey guys, we left this morning after church. We were able to enjoy a great Easter morning with the boys and Garrett's parents. We are now inL.A. It is 11:00 pm and we board our next flight to Hong Kong in about an hour! So far flights have been great. However, our next flight is about 16 hours long, so that may get interesting. We have our movies, and ambien, so that should help.

We hope to be able to e-mail from Hong Kong, and then again in HCMC, Vietnam. We are so excited. We will be able to hold Claire in a couple of days.

We will post again when we can.

Changes

2008-03-20T17:40:00.000-07:00

Ok, make that Sunday. We are leaving Sunday afternoon. We will arrive in Vietnam Tuesday morning.

We have a Giving and Receiving Date!

2008-03-20T12:29:00.000-07:00

We will have our giving and receiving date March 29th. We are leaving for Vietnam on Monday! I will post more details soon. 4 days!!!!

This is the day.......

2008-03-19T05:43:00.001-07:00

For all of you praying for us around the world. God has answered our prayers. Our long awaited pre-approval has come through! We received it this morning at about 7:15 am. We will call our agency today and see if we can get our G&R re-scheduled for next Friday or Saturday the 28th or 29th. We will keep you posted!

What does Claire think?

2008-03-17T12:49:00.001-07:00

This is what we think Claire is thinking about waiting on us. The spit bubbles coming out of her mouth give it away. If you click on the picture, you can see it really well.

Enjoying the little things in life

2008-03-13T12:02:00.000-07:00

So among our crazy adoption story, and feeling very overwhelmed with life this week, I am focusing on the little things in life. The little things I hear, and see everyday, that make my life what it is. So, hear are a few of the things I have the privilege to enjoy everyday with two very amazing little boys.

Easton, age 6
* Gives me a back massage at night before bed if he thinks it has been a long day.
* Brushes my hair, because he knows that I love it.
* Puts his hand on my face as he starts to fall asleep at night. (every night)
* When he makes a basket during a basketball game, he still looks up in the stands at me to make sure I am watching, and flashes a smile.
* Loves to help me cook or bake.
* Sits in a chair, and his feet still dangle without hitting the floor.
* Loves his cousin Kaitlin, and up until last summer was considering her for marriage when he is older. (glad that was all cleared up)

Keaton, age 4
* When he is sleepy, he lays his head on my shoulder and begins to twist small strands of my hair. By the time he falls asleep, it is a mess!
* Sets the table using toddler forks and spoons, because that is what he is used to.
* Yells "Mommy", when I walk through the door. Even if it was a 10 minute trip to the store.
* Wraps things from home in a gift bag, brings them to me, and waits for my reaction. This ALWAYS puts a smile on my face. Last thing I got was a can of corn, a picture he colored, and a ponytail holder. (Didn't matter to either one of us)
* Gets excited to see fire trucks, an ambulance, or a train.
* Loves to take a field trip to Lowe's just to sit on the riding lawn mowers.
* Truly believes that a KISS will make it all better.

Thank you God for our boys.

Happy 8mth birthday Claire

2008-03-13T06:54:00.000-07:00

Well, I never thought I would have to "blog" about Claire's 8 month birthday. Maybe we will hear something this evening about our I-600 approval. We have now waited over 120 days (of the estimated 60 days). It can't possibly be much longer!

Happy birthday Claire!

Who's adoption is this?

2008-03-11T06:35:00.000-07:00

Well, we received an update on our case late last night. We got an email from our agency stating that we would need to fill out a form to turn down the G&R we had been issued. What the......? What G&R? We had been told earlier that we could expect a G&R around the 13th-15th or the following week 20th-22nd, but no one had ever confirmed any of those dates......until last night. We had in fact been issued a G&R of the 15th by the People's Committee in Vietnam, and no one informed us. By this morning, there is no way to be there in time. What is going on? Now we have to fill out forms, fax them to Vietnam to turn down a G&R that we never even knew about? Why were we not told of our date? Who's adoption is this? Was this because we had told our agency that we had no intentions of turning down our date with or without our I-600 approval? The only way we would not go get our daughter at this point, is to not know we can go. Ding, Ding, Ding, we have a winner!!!!! That is exactly what happened.
As far as I-600 approvals go....I made call after call after call to government offices in Vietnam. Guess what? I got answers. I spoke to Mary Ann Russell herself for over 30 minutes. I got more answers and things explained in that 30 minutes, than I have ever gotten. Maybe we won't get our approval this week, but at least I know where we are in the process, and how we got there.
We just want our daughter, and want this nightmare to be over.

Moving on for the weekend

2008-03-07T07:25:00.000-08:00

So, No we did not hear ANYTHING this week in the way of adoption. NOTHING! Not a call from our agency, not a call from the embassy, NOTHING! With some frustration beyond belief, and disappointment like nothing I have ever felt, we are moving on for the weekend. We have other children at home who do not understand all of this. We are expecting a second G&R date next week when updates come in. And, here is what we are doing with that. We are going to Vietnam. Our second set of 60 days started at the beginning of Feb., meaning we "should" have our pre-approval by April. We are willing to take the chance. If we do not have our pre-approval by April, we have State Senators just waiting to get involved, as well as people in Washington, who have already contacted our family (at home) about our situation. At that point, we will have been waiting for our "60 day pre-approval" for 120 days. Enough is enough! There have been some mistakes made on our behalf, but the only one who is really suffering is Claire. She is almost 8 mths old, and she needs to be home with her family. Yes, we know that may mean that we have to be away from Easton and Keaton a little longer, but we have plan a,b,and c to cover that. They will not be without both parents for more than 2 weeks or so. If it comes to that, one of us will come home. It is also very possible that we will get our pre-approval before we go, and we won't have to worry about it. Let's pray for that!
I am just so ready to concentrate on Claire, and not what it takes to get Claire.
Like I said.............. we are moving on for the weekend. We have several fun activities planned for the boys, and the circus is in town! They love the circus, but for Garrett and I , not so much. It just seems so dirty, and dark and yuck. What do you expect when you bring in a bunch of smelly animals and expect them to do ridiculous tricks and stunts? Hopefully, you will not see us on the Today show Monday morning talking about our experience "running for our lives" from JoJo the elephant who snapped, because he refuses to wear sparkle shoes. He probably caught an episode of growing up Elephant on Animal planet, and realized some elephants do not wear clothes and do the Hokey Pokey. On that note (the circus), what about disposable clothing? Don't you ever walk out of those places feeling a desperate urge to take an immediate shower and to dispose of the clothing you are wearing, before entering your nice clean vehicle? All I can say about all of this is....oh, the things we do to make our children happy. The boys are at such fun ages, and we love to hang out with them. Our kids are our lives, and we would not have it any other way.

Not them, it's us!

2008-03-06T15:47:00.000-08:00

So, after a fairly lengthy post yesterday, I have gotten one big question from readers. "Why won't the Vietnamese government just give you your daughter?" For some of us who live in the adoption world, it is easy to understand. For others, not so much. So, let me help explain it a little better. The hold up for us right now has NOTHING to do with the Vietnamese gov. I know that may surprise some of you, but it is the truth. The Vietnamese government would love nothing more than to see us with our daughter. The problem lies with OUR government. The form we are missing that has been such the problem for us, is one that is being held at the US embassy in HCMC, Vietnam. The I-600 is a form that gets filled out stating that Claire is indeed an orphan. So what we know is that she is 7.5 mths old and has been at the orphanage since she was one day old and no one has come for her. Pretty sure she is an orphan. (on their standards anyway). We all know she has a wonderful family who cannot wait to embrace her and give her all the experiences in life that we can give. Anyway, our hold up is the American government. Once we have our I-600 approved, we are out the door. Please pray for this approval. Most approvals are handed out on Thursday nights,(Vietnam Friday morning) and that is today. We are so hoping and praying this is our day, and yet trying to hang on to and grasp the theory that everything happens in God's timing. We are strong believer's and know that when it is our time, it WILL happen.
I found out today, that there are other families from our agency going through some of the same things. However, their paperwork is still not in process. This could mean a delay for them as well. My heart goes out to them, and their families. From experience, it is so hard to be so close, and yet so far away.

For what it is worth.....so I don't get some nasty e-mails. I do believe it is necessary to make some changes in Vietnam adoption. I believe the changes are positive ones, and will benefit the children of Vietnam. I just believe the embassy is not equipped with what it takes to handle all of the paperwork this change requires. Unfortunately, the ones who suffer from this are the families and more importantly the children who lay in an orphanage bed one day longer than necessary.

Maybe today!

The adoption process for us.

2008-03-05T06:00:00.000-08:00

Lately, this adoption process seems like the most exhausting experience our family has ever been through. Not only for Garrett and me, but also for our extended family. This will probably be one of the longest posts for us, so if you do not have some time on your hands now, you better wait and tune in later.

We have been pursuing our adoption with Dillon International since fall of 2005. How can it be, that it is March 2008, and we still do not have our child? This is the question that we get on a daily basis. I thought I might try to explain the process, from OUR experience. We did most of our paperwork, attending classes, Dr.'s appointments for all 4 family members, home study appointments,etc. during 2006. We were placed on the waiting list for a girl Feb. 14, 2007. Most families wait 6-9 months on the waiting list for girls.(Although this time frame has recently been changed to 12-15 months). We waited just over 7mths, and received our referral for Nguyen Thi My Van on September 20, 2007. What a day for our family. (This is also Garrett's Grandmother's birthday). We learned on that day that our little girl had been born on July 13, 2007. She was tiny, but had an uneventful birth and was otherwise healthy. We named her Claire Addison My Prevo. We wanted to keep one of her Vietnamese names as a middle name. (what is so ironic is that her initials are CAMP. That is what we were doing on July 13th and 14th. camping at the lake. Little did we know, that our little girl had been born on the other side of the world). From the time of referral, families have an additional wait of 3-6 mths before travel. During this time, documents are gathered for the child, and sent back and forth between officials in Vietnam. There is a 12 step process for this. Step 12 is your giving and receiving ceremony. (A giving and receiving ceremony is where you stand in front of Vietnamese officials, maybe the director of the orphanage, and pledge to care for this child for the rest of it's life. Then sign some papers, and you are done. For most people the G&R, is very quick and simple).
This is where we are. We are at step 12. We are working with our agency and the orphanage director in An Giang to schedule our giving and receiving date. We were told last week that we could have her on the 13th or 14th, but we are still waiting on our I-600 approval,(this gives us the necessary paperwork to get Claire's VISA to enter the USA) and so we are trying to get our date pushed back a week or so. It also helps that Garrett has about 12 scheduled days off of work for spring break, and he would not have to use his sick/personal days to go to Vietnam. He would be able to use these days when we get home.
We have run into some problems lately, that has made this a draining process. There was an error on our I-600 case. We were missing a document, and the US embassy informed our agency of the situation in November of 2007. Our agency did not inform us, so our case sat "untouched" for about 55 days. It was not until we started calling the embassy in Vietnam that we were informed of the problem. Although everyone makes mistakes, this mistakes has cost us an additional month or longer. We are not "mad" at our agency, this experience has just taught us to be very proactive in our own paperwork. We don't take any one's word that things are getting done, we make sure of it!
People ask us all the time, would we do it again? or Will we adopt again? Yes, even with all the exhaustion, emotions, and up's and down's, we would do it again in a heartbeat. It will ALL be worth it in the end! Will we adopt again? I think Claire COMPLETES our family. I will never say never, but we feel truly blessed with three.
All kinds of families have all kinds of experiences, but this is ours. Adoption is truly a roller coaster of emotions. All we can say about that is, keep your eye on the prize. Trust me, we have to remind ourselves of that everyday. After all this waiting is over, what a gift we will have.

2008-03-05T05:46:00.001-08:00

Recent family photos

2008-02-28T19:03:00.000-08:00

Here are some random recent pictures of our family.

1. Keaton in the first snow of the season!

2. Easton in the first snow of the season!

3. Easton being baptised!

4. Keaton and I on Valentines Day!

5. Snuggling in bed.....supposed to be falling asleep. (what do I do? Grab the camera!)

Is this almost over???????

2008-02-28T09:49:00.001-08:00

Yesterday we received our long awaited (post Tet) update. There is a 12 step process for us to go through before leaving to get Claire. The update..........we are at step 11. Jynger (Vietnam program director) called yesterday. She also told us we "should have" a giving and receiving ceremony scheduled around the 13th or 14th(or so). We are very excited, and yet we are ready to hear the words "do have" instead of "should have". With those kind of dates being mentioned, we would have to leave anywhere around the 9-13 of March. Jynger told us she would get back to us by "about" Monday.
We are also still awaiting our I-600 approval (now waiting over 100 days). However, we have had lots of communication with the person in charge at the US Embassy in Vietnam. For what it is worth, the have been wonderful! They are working on our case, and now that we have some fairly solid dates, they are trying to get our paperwork done. For those of you who are still waiting for your approval, and are over 60 days, I strongly encourage you to e-mail the embassy. We will not go in to details, but the delay is not the fault of the embassy. Please email me if you would like contact information.

It was a big day in our family, and we are so excited about "nearing the end" to completing our family. (Our family GREW yesterday as well). My identical twin sister gave birth to the newest member of our family yesterday morning. My nephew, Spencer Charles Lauffer was born weighing 7 pounds 7 ounces and 21 inches long. He is adorable, and has two very proud older siblings. Welcome baby Spencer!

Check back with us in the next day or two. I will post new updates as we get them, and post some new pictures too.

E-mail me at heidiprevo@yahoo.com

Very little news this week

2008-02-21T14:50:00.000-08:00

Well, the week has come and gone, and we have had very little news on our travel dates. I did speak to Jynger (Vietnam program director) this morning, and she was able to give us some unoffical news. We will report more on that when we know for sure. She said we will get our update by Tuesday. Let's hope so. Vietnam is now reopening and things should be moving right along in the next few days.
It is probably good that things on the adoption road have been slow this week. Easton has had the flu. He stayed home from school Mon, Tues, and Wed. Then we woke up this morning with ice and sleet. School was once again cancelled, and will probably be out the rest of the week. In our school district we have not gone to school a whole week in several weeks. (Maybe since before Christmas break?) A few weeks ago, our town was hit pretty hard by a tornado. It left several homes damaged, and ripped the roof off one of our schools. Once again, leaving schools cancelled for a couple of days. Needless to say, we are ready for some nice weather.
I have gotten a little slack about the lack of pictures I have posted lately. I will get some on here this weekend. We have some good ones of the boys.
Hope all of you are doing well!

Happy Valentines Day

2008-02-14T18:05:00.001-08:00

We just wanted to take a moment and wish all of our friends and family a Happy Valentines Day. We love you all, and are so blessed to be surrounded with such a wonderful group of supportive and loving people. Thank you all for your prayers for our family.

Happy 7mth birthday Claire

2008-02-13T13:29:00.000-08:00

Today is Claire's 7 mth birthday. We are praying we will be able to see her by her 8mth birthday. We are still waiting on our I-600 approval. We have been waiting for almost 90 days now, with very little communication.
We have now requested help from our state senators office, who referred us on to Roy Blunt's office. We are working very hard to get this situation resolved. Please continue to pray for our approval to come through quickly, and more importantly pray for Claire.

Happy Birthday Claire!

Medical update

2008-02-11T10:03:00.000-08:00

We got Claire's medical update on Friday. She will be 7 mths old on Wed, and she weighs 16 lbs. She is 25 inches long. She seems to be doing very well, but we are VERY ready for her to be home.
To celebrate TET, the Vietnamese New Year, we went to an authentic Vietnamese restraunt Firday evening. There were lots of things for the boys to do. They had traditional Vietnamese candy, games for the boys, and a dancing dragon. The entertainment was great. We ordered shrimp fried rice, and chicken fried rice, and a bowl of Pho. Garrett and I realized that we will not starve while we are traveling. The boys on the other hand.........well we stopped at McDonalds after we left. Thank God for happy meals!
We are once again iced in today. School is out and Garrett and I are spending the day with the boys. This time roads are bad, and we are expected to get more ice this evening. Not sure we will even have school tomorrow.
We are hoping to hear something this week about Claire. We will let you know when we do.

A great way to end the week!

2008-02-01T20:38:00.001-08:00

This has been a great day! First of all, we slept in and woke to a few inches of snow outside. It was just enough to cancel school (when school is out Garrett and I both are off work), and sled for awhile, but not too dangerous. The boys had the best time at their grandparents house sledding. We taught them how to make really good snow balls(although that came back to bite us in the rear). It was fairly warm, so we were able to play out for quite awhile. We had lunch with Garrett's parents, and headed back home. We checked our email and found about 9 new pictures of Claire, and a little video. We were so excited. She has grown so much, and it is obvious she is in a good place. She looks well fed and well cared for.

Nothing new is going on with our I-600 approval, but we hope to hear something in the next week or two. If that comes, we should be on a plane in 2 or 3 weeks. (still being told the third week of Feb.)

It is almost 11pm here, so I will post a few pics of Claire tonight, and the rest of the pics and video tomorrow. Thank you again Dawn and Jason for taking these great pictures, and loving on our little girl. Seeing that smile is the best thing in the world!

A step in the right direction

2008-01-30T18:00:00.000-08:00

Well, not too much to report, but we are taking steps in the right direction. After 80 days of waiting for our I-600 approval, we have at least been able to find out what is causing the delay. We know that there is a missing document, and we have not only emailed the information, but we have also sent it in the mail. We are hoping and praying for a quick turn around. At this point we are just thrilled to know that they are investigating our case. After nearly an hour on the phone with our case worker, we know that we are still looking good for a late Feb. date to travel. She is still thinking the third week of Feb or so. I guess that means it could also be early March, but we are just relieved to see an end in sight. We are hoping to have the new pictures and video of Claire later this week.
For the rest of the family, we are all doing great. Everyone is healthy! We are expecting 5-10 inches of snow by this time tomorrow. I sure hope so. Garrett and I both are on "teachers schedules", so that means a day off to play in the snow with the boys. We will take that every chance we get.

A message about Claire

2008-01-25T05:53:00.000-08:00

I woke up this morning to find an e-mail from another family who is in Vietnam this week. (Dawn and Jason) They are picking up their daughter Lily from the same orphanage that Claire is in. They have been able to be with Claire for the past few days. They were able to get pictures and video of her. We are SO excited. We so appreciate them, and hope that we can do this for others when we are there to get Claire.
The email said that Claire is beautiful, quiet, serious, and has a wonderful smile. Dawn also said that she has not been able to hold Claire because every time they are there, the nannies are holding her. She said it seems that they are very partial to Claire. That is an answer to prayer! We will let you know when we get pictures and video, and will post them so you can see them too.
Everyone here is doing well. We enjoyed a day off this week due to ice. I am keeping myself busy in the evenings by painting the basement. We have not heard anything new about travel, and as far as we know we are still headed to Vietnam the third or fourth week of Feb.

Another month is ok, right?

2008-01-17T12:03:00.000-08:00

We have had lots going on this week. We know that we are so close to getting Claire, and yet it seems so far away. We have talked to Jynger (who runs the Vietnam program) at our adoption agency alot this week, and there have been lots of ups and downs. Earlier in the week there was a chance for us to have Claire in the next 10 days or so. The problem is that everything in Vietnam shuts down for a few weeks in Feb. due to their large Tet celebration. Getting Claire wasn't really our problem, getting home was. We cannot wait to have our family completed with Claire, but I cannot be away from my boys any longer than I have to. So with all of that, it looks like we will have a Giving and Receiving date the third or fourth week of Feb. That is what Jynger told us anyway. We feel pretty good about that. There is a much better chance that our time away from the boys will be minimal, and that is a huge relief.
We know that Claire is a happy, healthy, smiley baby, and that makes things easier. We know that God has His hand on her. Claire entered that orphanage at one day old weighing 3lbs 8oz, and now weighs 13 or 14 pounds. Only God could pull off that miracle!:)
There is a family going to Claire's orphanage at the beginning of the week, and they said they would be happy to get more pictures. We can't wait to see how she has grown this month.

As far as things go around here, we are doing fine. I have battled a cold, but the boys and Garrett are healthy. The boys are playing basketball and loving it. Keaton had his first game this last week, and it was so cute. He is the smallest kid out there, but he makes up for it in speed. Easton is the tallest on his team, and is doing a great job of shooting and passing. Easton and Keaton both got grade cards last week and are doing great in school. Easton is writing and beginning to read pretty well, and Keaton is becoming more independent and social. I will post some pictures soon.

I have decided to begin a new project to keep myself busy for the next month. So I am going to paint our basement. Yep, the whole thing. So, I am off to paint.

Step 9

2008-01-14T12:25:00.000-08:00

Our update on Claire came in today. We are now on step 9 of the 12 step process. We were told almost 3 weeks ago that we should be on step 9 around Christmas. Each step takes a week or so to complete, meaning that travel this month was still possible. Now, we have accepted that travel will most likely be at the end of Feb. or the beginning of March. We are VERY disappointed, but what do you do?
Thank you for your prayers.

Happy 6mth birthday Claire

2008-01-13T18:03:00.000-08:00

Today Claire turns 6 mths old. We are thinking of her and can not wait to get our hands on her. We think of her everyday and know that our time will come. We thank God that she is growing, healthy, and seems to be a very happy baby. We are grateful to those who care for her everyday.

Happy New Year!

2008-01-07T11:51:00.000-08:00

Well I can't believe 2007 is over, and we have already completed the first week of 2008. We had a great time with friends and family on New Years eve. We had a "kid friendly" party. Keaton made it to 10:30 or so, and Easton made it to 12:30.

We are looking forward to a year full of excitement and adventure. Of course traveling to get Claire and sightseeing in Vietnam tops our list, but there are many other things to look forward to. Many of you probably do not know this, but Easton got saved a few weeks ago and he is getting baptised at the beginning of Feb. If ever there is one joy over another in raising our children, that is it for us. This is the one thing we hold most important in our lives, and we can't wait to watch Easton grow in his relationship with God. He is a responsible, intelligent, sweet and gentle child and we know he is capable of great things in his life.

In 2008, Garrett will complete his masters degree in administration, and has hopes of being a principal someday soon. Just being done with school will be relief enough for him. Although he loves school, I know he is ready for a break.

Keaton is also going to experience lots of firsts this year. He is finally old enough to be playing organized sports, he will attend pre-school 5 half days a week, and he will become a big brother! He is very excited about "helping" when Sister arrives, and I know he will do a great job.

As for me, I plan to continue to work from home for a few more years. Although sometimes it seems hectic, it is the best thing for our family at this time, and I don't miss much. I know in just a few short years, my kids will no longer consider mommy and daddy their best friends, so I am going to hang on to that as long as I can.

I am sure this year will also bring alot of same old traditions. Camping, boating, Silver Dollar City and White Water every week, and lots of family gatherings.

2008-01-03T09:45:00.000-08:00

This is our form of discipline for the boys. They are locked in Colby's (their cousin)leg crunch until they are ready to listen.:)

What's their reward when their done? Time with his beautiful blond girlfriend.

Our beautiful Claire

2008-01-01T16:11:00.000-08:00

What a way to bring in the New Year! We opened an e-mail earlier today to find this beautiful little face looking right back at us. These pictures were taken just a few days ago. She will be 6 mths old soon, and she is growing so much. She is smiling, laughing, and pushing herself up a little bit. She looks like she can hold her own head up, at least for a few seconds. She weighs between 14 and 15 pounds, and looks very healthy. We think we are very blessed.

Cousins, Cookies, and Clause!

2007-12-29T19:37:00.000-08:00

I can't believe Christmas has come and gone. What a great holiday it was in our home. We enjoyed some time with my brother and sister and their families. All the kids range from 2 to 7. It was so much fun and yet such chaos when the presents began. My parents do not live close, and they were so missed. They will wait and drive down when the new members of our family arrive (Claire, and my twin sister is also expecting). Hopefully that will not be too long. Claire we are hoping will be here in the next few weeks, and my new nephew Spencer is due to arrive the first of March. Talk about adding to next years Christmas chaos. Garrett and I are so lucky to have awesome nieces and nephews. They are wonderful kids.

On Christmas eve we always go to Garrett's aunt Candy's house to decorate Christmas cookies. She is the best cook in the world, so we love this tradition. As always we also did our trip to see Santa at Bass Pro, and took pictures in our Christmas pajamas on Christmas eve in front of grandma Graysons Christmas tree. We had a great holiday season, and hope you did as well.

Birthday pictures

2007-12-29T19:10:00.000-08:00

I haven't been great about putting pictures on the blog this month. Here are a few from Keaton's birthday party. We rented out the Police station/Fire department. In Springfield they are combined. First they got to tour the fire dept, then met an officer (a good friend of ours), and got to sit in his car running the lights and siren. Then they got to meet the K-9 dog and his owner. It was really neat. The K-9 dog was amazing, and even the adults were entertained. The kids all got lots of things to take home. Badges, coloring books, pencils, and stickers. We had lots of fun, and Keaton had about 35 of our closest friends and family there. Happy 4 birthday Keaton!

Happy Gentle Claire!

2007-12-29T14:04:00.000-08:00

Well we want to say a huge THANK YOU to Cindy, another mom who is in Vietnam picking up her new daughter Micaela. She was able to visit a little with Claire (Micaela and Claire are in the same orphanage). She said, "Claire is such a happy and gentle baby. She loves to be tickled and has the most beautiful smile! She is a delightful little girl". She did take some pictures, but she will have to send them to our agency first and then our program manager will forward them on to us. We hope to have them by the end of next week. Please continue to pray for our little girl. She is healthy and growing, now we just need her home. According to our adoption agency it is "highly possible" for us to be headed to Vietnam in the next 3 or 4 weeks. If we do not go in January it will be March.
As for things around our home, we are trying to recover from Christmas. Our family and friends, not to mention Santa, were more than generous to Easton, Keaton and Claire. We are still trying to find places for all our new toys and clothes. We are truly enjoying some much needed family time. We have been able to spend some extra time with Garrett's parents and also been able to do some things just the four of us. I think we are now caught up on all the most recent kids movies at the movie theater. Not to mention all the new releases they got for Christmas.
We are looking forward to an exciting New Year. We will be celebrating with some of our best friends. Hope you all have a great New Year.

Merry Christmas to all!

2007-12-24T12:02:00.000-08:00

Well I am not sure where the year has gone, but Christmas is already here. We are truly so blessed, and could ask for nothing more than what we have already received this year. Our family has grown by one and today we find ourselves thankful for all three of our children. We are all healthy and God has provided in ways that we just can't explain.
As we talk to Easton and Keaton today and tomorrow about this "holiday", we are quick to remember that in this house we celebrate an event, a person and not a day. If we teach our children nothing else about Christmas, we want them to know that they have already been given the most wonderful gift they could ever receive.
We hope this Christmas finds you and your family happy and healthy as well. We hope that you are also celebrating a person, not just a holiday. Merry Christmas!

Visas have arrived!

2007-12-18T13:57:00.000-08:00

We got a call from the post office today, and our Visas were in. We went and picked them up and everything is correct. Thank goodness. Again, just a little closer!!!!!

Step 8 !!!!!!

2007-12-17T16:51:00.000-08:00

Step 8!!!!!! For those of you who do not live in "adoption world", this means we are one step closer to our daughter. We were initially hoping to maybe be able to travel with the An Giang group that is leaving next week, but we are not able to. We have a few more hoops to jump through. We are so excited to see more babies being introduced to their forever families. It just doesn't get better than that. We are praying for all the many families traveling this holiday season.

As far as everything here, we sent off for our Visas last week, and they should be arriving by the end of the week. Again, every little step helps. Now that we have gotten our travel packet there are some things to do. We know how many gifts to buy for the orphanage workers, and some more detailed packing instructions for Garrett and me. We are still praying that we will be able to travel before Tet. The Vietnamese holiday that will stop all travel during the month of Feb.

Now that Christmas is only a week away, I am getting really excited. The boys are at the perfect age for a really fun Christmas. Yes, we believe in Santa!!! We also bake cookies with Aunt Candy on Christmas eve, wrap our own gifts, put reindeer food on the driveway ( oats), sing as loud as we can to Christmas songs that have played for the 50th time in one day and watch all those fun Christmas movies. The boys are 4 and 6, and they are really into all of that. They are having fun picking out gifts for their loved ones, and at least trying to keep it a secret. Keaton has a hard time with that.

Our favorite tradition is having a birthday party for Jesus on Christmas night. After all the presents have been opened and food has been eaten we have a party. We do cake, ice cream, candles and even sing the birthday song. When Easton was very young we told him that Christmas was when we celebrate Jesus's birthday. Of course being 2 he said. "Then where is the cake and ice cream?" From that year on, we have never forgotten.

We will keep you all posted and let you know what is going on. Hope everyone has a great week.

Surgery, Snow, and Visas

2007-12-15T19:20:00.000-08:00

Today has been an interesting day to say the least. Yesterday there were reports of up to 20 inches of snow heading our way. Like any parents with small kids we were so excited. We busted out the snow suits, gloves, hats, etc. 20 inches? I was just excited to think we might get half of that. We woke early this morning about 5am to............... not a stinking thing. I was so disappointed. As the day went along we did eventually get maybe 1/2 an inch. Not near what I was hoping for, but enough for Easton and Keaton to get excited. They were able to play out in it for awhile. Maybe we will get some more snow soon.
This morning Keaton had a minor surgery, very minor. He had tubes put in his ears. (for the second time) He did so wonderful. He did not cry one single tear. Not even when they put the gas mask on him. When he woke up he was smiling. What a trouper!! This afternoon we were playing and out of no where he says, "Mommy, I can hear you when you talk". He had failed two previous hearing tests, but I did not think it was that bad.
As far as adoption news, we have heard of some rumors of Giving and Receiving dates in the works, but we have not gotten any official call. We will post as soon as there is information to report. Our visas did arrive and are being processed. We should have those back in about a week. After that, we are ready to go!
We know that God's hand is in our adoption and on our little girl. This will all happen when it is supposed to.
We hope you all are doing well. Have a great week.

Happy 5 mth Birthday Claire

2007-12-13T18:45:00.000-08:00

Today our baby girl turns 5 months old. We would LOVE to have her for her 6 month birthday. We do not have any new news on the adoption, but all is quiet in Tulsa where our agency is located. They have been without power all week. We hope they have some new news when they are able to get back on there computers, and more importantly we are praying everyone is staying warm and able to have power back in their homes soon. We will keep you informed as we get new information.

Happy birthday Claire. We are thinking of you today.

OUR LIFE

2007-12-11T09:01:00.000-08:00

This video was taken a while back, but it is so funny, I thought you might like it.

VISA, VISA, VISA

2007-12-10T12:30:00.001-08:00

We got an e-mail to apply for our Visas. We have a three month visa from Dec. 10- March 10. We are very excited. We also received all our travel information. I can't believe we are actually going! We have so much to do. We got the name of a few travel agents, but if any one has any personal references or suggestions, that would be greatly appreciated.

2007-12-10T12:26:00.000-08:00

Thank you Colby! We really appreciate you joining Easton at school! Can't wait to see you in a few weeks.

Boys Room!

2007-12-10T12:21:00.001-08:00

The boys saw Claire's room on here the other day, and wanted pictures of their room on here as well. We are not quite finished with it, but here it is. They love the outdoors, so clearly that is their theme.

2007-12-07T17:40:00.000-08:00

Hi Nana-Hi Pa!

Claire's Room

2007-12-07T06:32:00.000-08:00

Here are some of those pictures we promised a few days ago. We are getting pretty settled into our house. Claire's room is almost done, we have a couple of small things to pick up. After having two little boys, I really thought I would want all pink and purple stuff. I guess that just didn't work out. I really like the red and sage green along with the off white. We are pretty pleased. Now we just need the baby to go in it.

UPDATE ON CLAIRE

2007-12-06T11:58:00.000-08:00

So on this gloomy, rainy and icy day in Missouri, I opened an e-mail from our adoption agency. Claire who is soon to be 5 mths old is now 14 lbs and 24 inches long. What does that tell us? She is short and chunky.(according to growth charts: 25 % weight, 10% height) She will look just the way her big brother Keaton looked. We are so excited to hear how much she is growing. It is a little sad, to think about how much we are missing though. Does she have teeth? Does she laugh? Does she roll over? We can't wait to meet her!
As far as when we get to bring her home.....it looks like possibly Jan. If we do not go in Jan it will be March. Please pray that things will continue to go quickly and her paper work gets into the right hands as fast as it can.
In other news.....we received a large donation of orphanage gifts from a couple of families from our church. It was amazing to see the BAGS of things for kids who really need them. Also, that same family brought us an ornament to place on the Christmas tree this year for Claire. Uh, yeah I cried. We will hang it proudly on the front of the tree. Half way around the world (and we have never actually met her), and yet just as much OUR child as the other two. Thank you again to those who have donated such wonderful things for us to take to Vietnam.

Thank you God for Family!

2007-12-05T11:59:00.000-08:00

Well it has kind of been a long week here in the Prevo house. Garrett had a huge presentation to give this week at MSU, and as always he did GREAT. We are very proud of him. Keaton thinks birthdays should be celebrated ALL week and Easton had another migraine on Monday. You know what the answer to a busy week is? Nana and Papa!!!!!! Thank God for my in-laws. My mother in-law came up on Monday night, and since Easton was not feeling well she took Keaton out for a drive (and ice-cream I think). Garrett and I are so thankful to have such wonderful family, and many are close. My parents do not live as close, but that does not mean they lack in support. My mom calls 2-6 times a day. When the UPS truck pulls up in front of the house this is what you hear......"Mommy, Mimi sent more presents". As for my Dad, he believes it is not about how many toys the boys have, but how loud the toys are. Yeah, he is the one who walks by musical things in the store and sets them ALL off and then quickly exits. We have even gotten gifts that are making noise before they are actually opened. This what I have to look forward to in the next few weeks. Believe me it does not stop there. Aunt Candy gives presents when the kids learn to say "Aunt Candy" that is no lie! Claire, better be thinking of what she wants.
Keaton's birthday party is this Sat. I am sure we will have lots of fun pictures to post.
As for Miss Claire, we got a report that she is now 12 lbs. That is wonderful for a 4 1/2 mth old. We are so excited about her growth. I talked to Katie at our adoption agency earlier, and she is hoping to have some new pictures within the next week. We love our agency!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KEATON

2007-12-04T18:40:00.001-08:00

Four years ago today Keaton Garrett Prevo was born. I can't believe how time flies, and what a little man he is today. He makes me laugh out loud when no one else is around. He still insists on hugging and kissing us before we leave the house. Sometimes a second or third round. He still greets me with that excited voice running down the hall, wrapping his tiny arms around my neck and says"I've been missing you Mommy". Even when it has been just a short trip to the store. I know that I will never get back those years that have already past, I can only look forward to the days ahead.
Keaton, Mommy and Daddy love you so very much. We know you will continue to make us so very proud of you. We want for you to be happy, healthy and more than anything we want you to know Jesus. We pray for you everyday. Happy Birthday! Mommy and Daddy

Our amazing kids

2007-12-01T08:02:00.000-08:00

We started this post just a few weeks ago so that we could journal our experience through adoption. As the weeks have gone by, it has become so much more than that. Many of our family members live throughout the United States and it is nice to be able to share with them what is going on with ALL the family, not just Claire. We talk so much about our adoption and our daughter in Vietnam, that sometimes we don't talk about the two awesome blessings we already have. Let me tell you what a privilege it is to hug and kiss these little guys each night before bed. They are incredible each in their own little way. Easton is 6 and very mature. He enjoys the outdoors, sports of all kinds, and also things like books and movies. We just started chapter books with him and he LOVES it. We are currently reading The Boxcar Children. He is a very "sweet hearted" child. Keaton is just as great, but their personalities are very different. Keaton is 3 and not in such a hurry to grow up. He would jump at the chance to snuggle with his "ket" (blanket) and a binky at any given time. He would be ok with being pushed in a stroller until he is 10, and he still is very content with staying close by his mom or dad. Keaton is by far our little clown and loves to make people laugh. He is not very serious about much of anything, and we love that. Keaton is happy just letting time go by and having fun.
I can only imagine what little sister will be like. Easton, Keaton or somewhere in the middle. Either way we hope they all know that no matter who they are, we love them.

Our Life

2007-11-28T16:26:00.000-08:00

This week has flown by. We had a great Thanksgiving. We enjoyed some time with Garrett's family, and lots of great food. We got the rest of our Christmas decorations up and the tree is now up and fully lit. We need to get some presents wrapped and under it. Keaton is feeling so much better, and his stitches are due to come out tomorrow. Easton has been feeling great, and has not had any headaches since we changed his eating schedule. He is having set snacks at 10 and 2 during the day, and we are continuing to limit red dye. We have seen a pretty good change, so hopefully he will continue to do well.
The next few weeks are going to be pretty busy. Keaton turns 4 on Tuesday, and we have his party coming up. Basketball is starting for the boys. Yes, even Keaton is going to play. Easton is actually pretty good and is understanding what to do with the ball. He loves sports. Before we know it Christmas and New Years will be here. I know many people get stressed about the holidays, but I love it. I am almost done with my shopping, and can't wait to spend some much needed down time with the boys and Garrett over our break. We are hoping and praying the New Year will bring lots of excitement, and a safe trip to get our little girl. She is now 4 1/2 mths old, and with every passing month our wait gets harder. I know it is all in God's hands and it will happen in His time. Sometimes it is very hard to patient.
I hope all of you have a great week. We are hoping to have an update on Claire in the near future to share with all of you. We will let you know when we have any new info.

Family Photos

2007-11-25T16:48:00.001-08:00

POOR KEATON

2007-11-25T15:20:00.000-08:00

What a couple of weeks it has been in our family. Two weeks ago, following a 5 day fever Keaton was diagnosed with pneumonia, an ear infection and a sinus infection. He has been a "healthy" child, so that caught us off guard a bit. Five days of antibiotics and still a fever, we took him back in. The pneumonia was not better, and in fact it was in both lungs, and yes, we still had ear infections. After 4 hours in urgent care, he was admitted to the hospital. We were there part of Wed., Thur, and Fri. The pneumonia is gone, but still fluid behind the ears. We are going to see our ENT this week to see if another set of tubes are needed. Then, just to top it all off, yesterday he was in our bathroom washing his hands, and fell on the tile. Yes, we ended up back in the ER with 3 stitches on his chin. He currently is upstairs in his little bubble where we plan to keep him for awhile. All joking aside, he is fine. He is in great spirits, and is actually pretty proud of his "boo boo". When we came home from the ER we were not able to put the bandage on until he showed it off to his Nana and Papa.
Everyone else is doing great. Easton has been great to give lots of attention to his little brother. We have GREAT kids. We are very blessed.

New Info

2007-11-25T11:48:00.000-08:00

We just found out at the end of last week that our adoption is progressing a little faster than we expected. There is a 12 step process to go through after you accept a referral. We just found out that we are on step 7. We did not anticipate being at that step for about another 3 weeks. So, that is great news. We are hoping that things will continue to progress quickly and that we will be able to travel toward the end of January. We hate to get our hopes up too much though. If we don't travel in January, it will probably be sometime in March. The Vietnamese celebrate their New Year( called Tet) in February, and EVERYTHING shuts down for most of the month. So we will just have to wait to see what happens. We will continue to hope and pray that things happen sooner rather than later.
Hope all is well with everyone. Hope you had a great Thanksgiving, and hope you have an awesome Christmas season.

2007-10-25T18:38:00.000-07:00

Here are our new pictures of Claire. She has gotten so big. She now weighs about 11 lbs and is over 3 months old. She seems to be doing well and eating. Our pediatrician (who is also Vietnamese) has been charting her growth with each new report. At birth, Claire was not even on the charts at 4 lbs, now she is at 10% height and weight and 3% head circumference.
We want to say a big THANK YOU to Jynger, who was able to visit Claire and take these pictures. We will take any little thing we can get.
Easton and Keaton are doing great. It has been a busy month visiting the pumpkin patch and getting ready for Halloween. We are going to be "friendly" pirates this year. At 6yrs and 3yrs, they are really in to getting some candy this year.
Hope everyone is doing well and we will continue to post as we can. Have a safe Halloween!

New Pics Soon

2007-10-19T08:21:00.001-07:00

We found out today that Jynger, who is currently in Vietnam, got some more pictures of Claire. So, we should have them soon; probably by the middle of next week. Jynger said that Claire is looking good. I will get them posted as soon as Jynger gets them to me.

New Info

2007-10-15T09:59:00.000-07:00

We just got word today on Claire's October check-up. She is now up to 5 Kg (11 pounds) and is 22 inches long. It seems a little weird because the last info we got was that she was around 7-8 pounds. We don't know if we got some faulty info last time, or what. Maybe the info this time is faulty, we don't really know for sure. It seems that she is putting on weight regardless, so we are thrilled. Still no new pictures, but good news nonetheless!!!!!!!!!!!!!

New Info

2007-10-12T06:28:00.000-07:00

We heard this week that Claire has been feeling a little rough lately. Nothing big, just a little stomach bug. We were concerned about her losing weight, because she didn't really have any to lose. But come to find out she has been putting on weight really well. She is pushing 8 pounds now. I know that doesn't seem like much considering she will be 3 months old tomorrow, but as long as she keeps it up everything will be fine.
Jynger from our adoption agency is going to Vietnam soon. We don't know if she will be going to Angiang but if she does, we should be able to get new pictures. Katie (also from our adotion agency) has been working so hard to try to get us new info as quickly as possible. They really are a huge blessing to us. If we get new pictures, I will be sure to post them. Talk to everyone soon.

Prevo Family

Powerful Stuff

Has it been that long?????

November already?

Happy referral day Claire!

Football has started!

Fun pictures from the weekend.

Our little ray of sunshine! 14 months old tomorrow!

We had fun on the swings too!

A mother to boys

Look who's walking

The importance of a good education!

My toothless wonder

Claire

Enjoying a long weekend.

A way overdue update!

More birthday pictures

catching up

Summer fun

Do you believe in prayer?

Keaton

A few of my favorites

Row, Row, Row your boat......

Happy Birthday Easton!

A couple new pictures

A busy summer

10 months old!

A couple more pictures this week

A family outing

One month ago today!

My boys are getting so big!

Fun outdoors.

Having a blast with 3 kids!

Girly girl or tom boy?

Way over due!

Saying good bye to Vietnam

We are finished!

Two days of rest!

In Hanoi

Last day in HCMC

A five family!

Our amazing Claire!

Made it to An Giang

From HCMC

We are here!

On our way!!!

Changes

We have a Giving and Receiving Date!

This is the day.......

What does Claire think?

Enjoying the little things in life

Happy 8mth birthday Claire

Who's adoption is this?

Moving on for the weekend

Not them, it's us!

The adoption process for us.

Recent family photos

Is this almost over???????

Very little news this week

Happy Valentines Day

Happy 7mth birthday Claire

Medical update

More Pics and Video

A great way to end the week!

A step in the right direction

A message about Claire

Another month is ok, right?

Step 9

Happy 6mth birthday Claire

Happy New Year!

Our beautiful Claire

Cousins, Cookies, and Clause!

Birthday pictures

Happy Gentle Claire!

Merry Christmas to all!

Visas have arrived!

Step 8 !!!!!!

Surgery, Snow, and Visas

Happy 5 mth Birthday Claire

OUR LIFE