Our Sealing

Utah day three. Definitely the best day of our whole trip! We woke up early..... this was a trend while we were in Utah, to bed late, and up early, not so easy. We got everyone all spiffy and ready to go to the temple. Little E looked so cute in his white clothes, I can't even tell you how much fun it was to see him in his sealing outfit.

When we got to the temple, it felt a lot like it did on our wedding day, they usher you around, little old ladies telling you to go this way and that. The only difference is that our wedding was almost 7 years ago and now we have two kids! :) We took the boys into the "nursery" where they got to stay while we changed our clothes. Will was doing a great job, got a little teary when we left him there, but still did wonderful. The temple worker took Eli and his clothes and said she would change him and get him ready for us.

Scott and I went and changed into our clothes and then we waited. I got to wait with my mom in the bride's room. Again, it brought back a lot of memories. I saw another young bride, waiting for her sealing, it was great to reminisce about that day seven years ago! Once everything was ready to go, they called us up to the sealing room. Just outside the dressing room, we got to wait for Will and Eli to be brought to us. When they brought the boys to us, Will was very sad, he didn't want to take his shoes off! He was crying and crying and border line hysterical. I think he had been keeping it all together so well and that was his breaking point. He said "mom, I don't need to take my shoes off! They don't have mud on them!" It was so sweet. I finally just took them off and we headed up to the sealing room.

It was a wonderful sealing, so special and so sweet. Eli did great, he was so tired, but still did great, didn't fuss or cry at all. My dad did a great job as the sealer and I was so happy that he could do it. Will did great too, just sat on his chair and watched everything, a little shy, but quiet, so that was good! :)

After the sealing, we headed back to change clothes and get Eli in his blessing outfit. Our family was waiting for us outside. It was such a great experience to see all of our family members there to support us and be with us and Eli on such a special day. I've never NOT felt like Eli was a part of our family, but after our sealing, it really made it feel official and permanent. I'm so glad for that and for eternal families.

We took a couple pictures (down below) and then headed to the church for the blessing. Scott gave Eli a name and blessing and did an amazing job! The Spirit was so strong for us that whole day. It was again, great to see and be with all our families. I feel so lucky to be able to talk to Eli about his special day and his family that loves him and supports him. Of course, we had to snap a few photos so, here they are!

The entire Mortensen family. All six kids, all 11 grandkids and one on the way!

Our little family. Complete. Outside the temple.

Us and both sets of parents/grandparents. Thanks for all your support, we LOVE YOU!!!

My cute cute cute boys. Aren't they handsome?

It wouldn't be a true picture of Will without a funny face these days!

This is my great nephew! Crazy I know. Look how cute he is! These boys are just 9 days apart! In the next picture, if you look close, you can see that Eli and Carver are laughing at each other, it was pretty cute! Go here to see the last time these little men saw each other. Quite the change, I can't believe how they change in just a few months!

Our sweet friends the Labrums.

Our MN (and Utah) friends. Thanks for coming and supporting us guys!! We love you! I especially love the thumbs up from Marcus and Will, they will always be good buddies!

Last but not least, the Mortensen grandkids... minus one that is due any day! Hang in there Kari! Thanks again everyone for coming and supporting us. I know it wasn't easy, a lot of you had to travel and take time off work. I can't even tell you how appreciative we are and how much we love you and think about all of you. Friends included! We felt really blessed on Saturday and had an amazing day. Thank you again!

Utah day two

After we finalized Thursday morning, we drove up to Logan. We spent the afternoon at my parents new house and had a great time! My brothers and their families all came for dinner Thursday night. It was fun to see them, let Will play with cousins, and let everyone see Eli.

On Friday, we headed over to the Mortensen's and spent the day there. Mostly getting ready for everything on Saturday and getting ready for a birthday party for Will. We have the greatest family, they were all so happy and excited for Will and made him feel really special. I'm glad they were able to come! Will loves his cousins and talks about all his cousins constantly. He played for hours and hours with them, I hardly ever saw him the entire time we were in Utah. He was loving it.

Grandma made a watermelon cake per Will's request. I have no idea where this request came from, that's just what he chose, so that's what she made! It turned out really cute, and Will thought it was great!

We also had ice cream cones with our cake. We lit the candles, but Will didn't want anyone to sing to him or to even tell him "Happy Birthday!" So we didn't. We just lit the candles and had him blow them out, then we ate cake, had ice cream cones, and Will opened some presents. He was so spoiled, he was just loving every minute. I was glad we could do this for him before our big day on Saturday, I think it was good for him to have some of the attention!


Will loved his party. He got a frog habitat from Aunt Krista and loves it! Thanks again!! We are waiting for his real tadpole to come in the mail.... it said 4-6 weeks. It's is going to be a long wait, because Will has asked several times, several times a day when it is coming.....

Thanks for making Will feel special everybody for all you do for us! We had a great time! I'll be back tomorrow to write about our sealing!

final

We have lots of pictures of our trip to Utah for our finalization.... so I'm going to try to take it slowly, one day at a time, one post at a time. It was a great trip, we had amazing experiences, saw lots of family, and loved every minute. Will slept in until 10am the day after we got back.... just shows you how exhausted we are!

We arrived in Utah on Wednesday night. Spent the night with my sister and her family and woke up at 5am the next morning to get ready, get kids ready, pack our suitcases up (we stayed at a different house each night), eat breakfast, and drive up to Salt Lake.

We got to the courthouse and both our parents met us there, along with Liz and Devin who flew in the night before. We are so grateful for such wonderful, supportive parents. They do a lot for us and we are very lucky. It was also so fun to have Liz and Devin there. They had never met Eli, so it was fun to introduce them to our chunky man.

Just outside the courtroom, waiting to go inside. I've never in court before. It was pretty cool, very formal, and I had no idea what to expect. Our attorney said that the judge we had was very nice, but very formal and hardly ever smiled. So I was a little nervous. I didn't feel nervous about the finalization at all, I knew things were going to work out, I just had NO idea what to expect. I didn't know what they would ask us or say to us, in order to make our adoption final.

Once we got inside, we waited a while for the judge. He got there, we had to stand up and be sworn in. That was pretty cool, and intimidating. Then they called a "witness" from our agency to testify if all our paperwork, case worker visits, and family life were in order. They also asked her if she thought we would make fit parents to raise this child. Have you ever had someone testify if you are a fit parent? I'm just glad she doesn't see us at home, when all is falling apart about 4pm everyday while I'm pulling my hair out just trying to keep it together! :) Needless to say, she said she thought we should adopt Eli and make him a permanent member of our family. Whew.

Then they talked to Scott, and asked him all sorts of interesting questions. Like "Scott, do you want to adopt this child?" And "Do you feel like this is your child, is there a bond between the two of you?" Also "Do you want to allow your wife to adopt this child?" Of course he answered and expounded YES on all of these. They also asked us if we realized that if we make this adoption final that it means that Eli is ours for the rest of our lives, come what may, death, divorce, hard times, sickness, etc. That is a bit intimidating too, no one ever says that to you when you have a baby of your own making! :) They also said "You know he's going to turn 16 one day, and you'll be responsible for him, right?" That's when I suddenly got nervous thinking about raising ANY child when they are 16. After they asked Scott questions, they asked me the same questions. It was humbling and I couldn't help but be a little tearful answering them. They asked me the same things as Scott but also asked me if there was love in our family. Not just between Eli and me, but between all of us, big brother Will included. I was happy to say yes and that we were very happy.

Then it was the judge's turn to speak. He was very friendly, and very emotional. He said "I don't know why I'm emotional, but seeing this family, and seeing what a good thing is happening here makes me really emotional. There are a lot of not so wonderful things that happen in this courtroom and it is great to start the day with this experience." Then he "declared" our adoption final and let us take some pictures, shake his hand, and even told Will he could sit in his judges chair. Will said no.... of course! :)


It really was an amazing experience. I hadn't expected to feel any different after our finalization. I already knew Eli was ours, I knew I loved him, and I knew he was going to be part of our family always. But for some reason, after the finalization, I felt totally different. I loved him more, felt more connection, and felt closure. It was a great feeling.

Having been through adoption, I know that EVERY adoption is a miracle. It is the best thing that has ever happened to our family, and I wish everyone had the chance to experience it. You never know what love you are capable of until you receive a baby through adoption. We love you Eli and are so proud to be your parents.... even when you turn 16. We love you too Will! You did a great job in the courtroom, minding your manners and being so polite. You are a great big brother and Eli is lucky to have you!

lazy days of summer

Okay, technically it is not Summer, yet, but yesterday sure felt like it! It was warm and sunny, and we were spending the day outside. So, Will and I decided the weather was warm enough to fill up his pool. The hose water was freezing but he didn't mind, until he got his belly wet. Then I don't think he set foot in the pool after that. It was a wonderful sunny day and we loved enjoying our backyard and our patio. I sat there imagining all the beautiful things I'm going to do to our little patio/deck. It was fun. Then I worked on a couple projects before Eli was up from his nap. Here's a few pictures of fun four year old!

Obviously the most exciting part of filling up the pool is getting to play with the hose! I used to LOVE playing with the hose when I was younger, I don't know why, but it was always so interesting. :)

He's such a cutie in his swim duds!

He's also pretty goofy sometimes.

And not too shy apparently. I guess when you gotta go, you GOTTA go!

I'm loving the nice weather, it makes everything in life that much better when you add a little sunshine to it! So, bring on the summer, we're ready for the pool!

pillow talk

Last night, I had one of those conversations with Will that I don't ever want to forget. Eli was already wrapped snug in his bed snoozing away. Scott was gone to a church meeting. So, Will and I leisurely got ready for bed. We sat on my bed to read scriptures. After reading scriptures Will asked me a couple questions and we laid there and talked for a minute. Then I said "Okay, let's go brush teeth and then I'll tuck you in...." Will looked at me and smiley said "Okay mom, but then can we just lay in bed and talk?" How do you say "no" to that? Or pass up that kind of opportunity? So, did just that. Brushed teeth, said prayers, and laid in the guest bed (remember Eli was asleep) and talked for awhile. Will asked me all sorts of questions, from how many temples there are, to if I remembered President Hinckley, then asked me what President Hinckley taught us, then asked all about Satan and his many intriguing personalities and names, then talked about family, cousins, and all sorts of stuff. He was so funny, and so sweet. He didn't just lay quietly still listening to all my answers, he was rolling around the bed, playing with his feet and playing with my hair and face. I didn't care, I just love my sweet little Will. He has such a tender heart and it was so fun to just lay by him and chat.

I hope it's not the last time..... this was one of those moments as a mother that I could relive everyday. And today, I was glad I had that moment, especially while he was throwing our garden shovel at the neighbor's house while screaming at the top of his lungs. Yep, it was one of those days.... but that's okay! Because I have these sweet moments to remember what life and mothering is really about.

The photo is from almost exactly a year ago. A few days after Will turned 3. I can't believe he's just days away from turning 4. My baby has gone, and here comes "boyhood." Oh dear, I hope I'm ready for the next few years!

hoppy easter!

And "HOPPY" Easter it was!! This Spring in Cleveland has been beautiful. I don't think I've ever experienced a Spring like this. The trees are blossoming and the grass is getting greener and greener. It really has been so pretty. The temperature is perfect too, not too hot, just right. So on Easter SATURDAY :) we really got to enjoy the nice sunny weather. The boys hunted for eggs inside the house to find their Easter basket, and then did an even bigger hunt outside in the back yard with REAL eggs. Will was very excited that the eggs we had dyed earlier in the week were the eggs he was hunting.

Isn't Will's outfit great? He's at that age where is wanting to be very independent.... even down to his clothes choices. Tye dye green Costa Rica shirt with sweats, awesome.
Yep, Eli is still the cutest baby ever. Just thought I'd give you more proof, in case you weren't convinced. He had fun looking for easter eggs too. Or more like watching Will run around like a crazy person.
Eli is growing so fast! He's moves all over the place, and starting to sit up! He eats like a champ.... as you can see. And has been sleeping great. He doesn't wake up to eat, just to get his binki put back in his mouth. He also jabbers and "talks" a lot. He's laughing and smiling and just lovin' life. He's so sweet, our family is lucky to have him!
Here's Will showing off his pro-Easter egg finding skills.


I love this picture. The basket is almost as big as Will, and he's so proud of himself for finding such great eggs. Then there's Eli, just staring at Will like he always does, and then there's my handsome hubby in his bball attire. I love my family, they are the best.
Here's my sweet boys in their Easter PJ's. Aren't they cute? I thought monkies with bananas were perfect. They are two little monkies, and I'm usually going bananas. :) I mostly love their cute bellies and little bums in these PJ's.
Here's my Will, being a goof, and I love it. He takes after his parents, always being goofy. He is constantly saying "Mom! Let's laugh!" So we try to do silly things to make each other laugh, and it works, just a couple of goofy faces and he has me laughing pretty hard.
Yep, I'm lucky. Check out those cheeks. I'm putting this picture up, not because my hair looks so cool, but because everyone always wants to kiss Eli's cheeks. Now you can see that we kiss them enough, plenty for ourselves and enough for everybody else too! They are SO kissable!

lately....

We've had lots of goings on around here lately. We had a great Easter and have had a busy, exciting week after. We had preschool at our house this week. That is always an adventure! I'm going to miss these little kids, but we are excited for Summer to come and have lots of sunny, do-nothing days!

Most of the week was sunny and warm. It was lovely. One of the favorite things about my house is that the morning sunshine comes right into my kitchen windows. It is bright. I'm talking really bright. I love eating breakfast in the warm sunshine, and just taking a few moments in the morning to stare out the window. It's the best way to start my day! Our sweet friend brought us Lilies when she came for Easter dinner and they look so pretty sitting on my kitchen table in the bright sunshine.

With the warm weather has come the warm weather apparel. I love that too. I love that Will is in and out the door a 100 times a day. He's been digging for worms galore, and loving every minute. These cute flip flops we found at Old Navy in Chicago. Will loves them because they have sharks on them. I love them because he can put them on, himself, in about .2 seconds. Summer is the greatest!
And of coures, I have to leave you with a little glimpse of one of the loves of my life. I know I say it over and over, and it is probably getting old, but this boy has completely captured my heart. I just love him to bits. I can't go a moment without squeezing him, kissing those cheeks, and smiling at him. He's been really liking his toys lately, and he's just started the rambling "da da da da da !!" over and over and over.... all through the night, every time he wakes up, he's talking. But he only says "dada dadada....." and it starts really loud and serious and goes quieter and quieter until he's just whispering it. It is super cute, I need to see if I can capture it on video. I guess for now, you can just stare at a cute picture......
Man, I have cute boys in my life. How did I get so lucky?