Family Bike Ride

Well, we bought bikes for Daniel & I, a bike trailer for the kids, and a SUV bike rack. We went for our first bike ride last weekend. It was a crazy first experience for the kids. They had not had a nap and it was their first time wearing bicycle helmets. Once Natalie fell asleep Corbin was fine and enjoyed the ride. It was overall a fun day. We are going to try (weather permitting) tomorrow. Natalie really likes to ride in the trailer and Corbin just likes to do whatever natalie does so maybe this time, after nap time of course, we will give it a try again.

We decided that since we were so new to the whole family bike trip that we would stay close to the car.While on the trail we ran into a newer park built near downtown Coeur d'Alene.the kids had a lot of fun at the park. Corbin has a "CARS"  bike helmet and Natalie of course has "Dora".

Corbin is a little afraid of heights,
h will push a swing but doesn't like
to ride n them

Adoption Day

Well, I tried to get an earlier adoption day but to no avail so our official adoption day for Natalie is June 11, 2010 at 4:30pm and sealing date is July 10, at 12:30pm in the Idaho Falls Temple. We are excited to FINALLY be making final plans for her. We have been trying since March of 2009 and it has FINALLY come. We are so blessed to have such wonderful (depending on the day) children. Can't wait to be an eternal family.

Easter Outfits

So preparation for Natalie's adoption & sealing we got some professional pictures done of the two kids. Here are just a few of them. It was rather difficult to get Corbin to smile so we did the best we could. He mostly just sat there and looked at all of us like we were rather weird but they turned out cute anyway.

Easter Morning

Easter morning was great. Natalie & Corbin both got Easter outfits.

Corbin got his vacuum that he LOVES. Every time I go VT or to a friend who runs a day care this is the toy he goes for first, and a few years ago for Valentines Day Daniel got me a dog that sings, his mouth moves and his tail wags. Corbin LOVES this dog but the wires have a short in it so it doesn't work anymore, he still tries to get me to push the paw to make him sing but when I tell him it doesn't work and walk away he gets mad so we got him this dog (Daniel doesn't really care for) that flaps his ears when you press his paw and sings "Here Comes Peter Cottontail". He still doesn't care for it as much as the other one but he still enjoys it.

Natalie got her baby cradle. She was so excited because she uses the toddler bed we have in Corbin's room as her baby's bed and shuts the door, won't let anyone else in the room and says her baby is sleeping. So we enjoy it as much as she does and Corbin doesn't get locked in the room as much. So I guess both her and Corbin like it.

Then there was Tristin who's favorite toy was Transformers. Cindy from Health & Welfare bought him a transformer and dropped it off at our home a few days before Easter and where his Mom was doing an Easter basket for him we didn't so a whole lot so we used the transformer and gave him a little bit of candy. Tristin has since been relocated so he could continue going to his specialty schools in Coeur d'Alene.
Sunday afternoon we decorated Easter Eggs and later that evening did a hunt. The kids really enjoyed it. So overall it was a fun day and we are back down to two kids. Life is great.

Note: My apologies with the pictures. Blogger was updated and it is being very touchy.

Our First Attempt at Pig Tails

Ok, so every time we have gotten good news about Natalie we have gone out and celebrated. March of last year was the first termination hearing and the judge granted termination of parental rights. Then we got the news that her mother appealed. Then our most recent hearing in September of 2009 we testified before a judge everything I witnessed and the news came 3 days later that the judge granted termination. Then we started to celebrate again and never imagined we would be facing ANOTHER appeal. So about 3 weeks later...ANOTHER appeal. This time before the Idaho Supreme Court of Appeals. We were told we most likely wouldn't get an answer for at least 6 months. NOW...March 31, 2010 we got the best news of all time:

The Idaho Court of Appeals has upheld the termination of parental rights in this matter. You are free to proceed to adoption.

So last night we went out and celebrated knowing there was no one that could stop us now. It looks like it could be sometime this month if not early next month for an adoption day. We are however going to have her sealed in the Idaho Falls Temple because that is where we were sealed and the great thing is that Corbin now that he is sealed to us can sit in the room with us.

This is the newest member of our family. I have never put her hair in pigtails because she always pulls it out. So I tried one more time...ended up putting it back in at least 4 times. Oh she looked SOOO cute though.

We went to cold stone Creamery and bought it home. This is what she is eating.

Such a great smile. He really knows how to pose for pictures.