Happy Birthday Robin!

Robin's birthday was actually July 2nd but we had her birthday party today. She had a karaoke party which turned out great and is still going as I write! Happy Birthday Robin!!!

Doing fine

Just a quick note to let you know that Ella is doing fine, we went to the post-op appointment with the ophthalmologist/surgeon this morning and he says she looks great, the stitches are intact and all is well.

This old house

You may have noticed our old wooden screen door and big chunky baseboards and maybe you've even seen our 42 inch wide solid oak front door with beveled glass window. If so, you've probably also noticed the scarring and wear and tear on some of the woodwork. Some of this showed up in the portraits of Ella in a white dress a few posts ago... there's been a lot of living in this house over 110 years.

Although we' ve lived here for 10 of those years, the previous owner was a woman in her 90's that had lived here all of her life. I believe we may be only the second family to live in this house. It has a basement plus three stories. It has three stairways; one in the front entry leading to the second floor, another in the back room we are converting to a breakfast room and a third narrow stairway leading from the second floor to the third. There is an attic over part of the third floor. It has the tall wooden pocket doors between the parlor and family room, an old coal stove in the fireplace and a mirror framed in the mantel. Many of these homes have been cut up into apartments. We're lucky that ours was not.

The house still needs a lot of work, but we have little time for that so it goes slowly... Mike is carving out time to build a deck so that we can use the new back door and next we hope to put up a fence so that the kids can play safely in the back yard. We hope to have a play structure back there for the kids and grandkids to play on. I don't know how much longer we'll live in this old house, but it's been home for our family for a decade. The best part about this house is that it's in the Nauvoo Temple district. It's been a blessing to see that beautiful piece of history restored and to even get to be a part of it!

Eye surgery went well

Ella's surgery went well. The doctor explained that after she was under anesthesia he would test the movement of her eyes and decide which muscles needed work. He ended up operating on the muscles on the inside corners of each of her eyes. Ella slept most of the day and was awake for a while tonight. She's mostly interested in drinking but should feel better tomorrow. The inner corners of the whites of her eyes are red, but that will pass. So far it looks as if her eyes are staying straight! We go in for a quick post-op tomorrow morning, early. I'd better get to bed myself! Thanks for your prayers for Ella!

We are also praying for a friend's little boy who had heart surgery today. Logan was recently adopted from Ukraine and also has Down syndrome. God bless Logan!

After the winter, God gives us flowers

Yesterday we received a beautiful letter from Joel's birth mom. She sent us pictures from her wedding!

She graduated from college a while back and is now in grad school, working with other birth moms. She has chosen to be a social worker! We are so proud of her.

Joel's birth families feel like extended family to us. We love each of them and being able to see them annually and exchange news and photos through email in-between has been a real blessing to us, to them and to Joel.

I have many of those captured "video memories" from our visits... of Joel and his birth dad playing together on the playground... Joel getting his first haircut from his grandma and then his birth dad getting one from her (his mom) too. Parts of a beautiful day, impressed forever on my memory.

Some people may not know that there are feelings of guilt for the parties on both sides of adoption. My husband and I are awed at the courage it takes for birth parents to place their child in adoption. It takes courage and love that's taller than a mountain, deeper than the sea to give your baby to someone else to parent. That birth parent then wonders about his/her child... is she happy? Is he being loved and taken care of? Did I do the right thing? Joel's birth mom assures me that she has had no regrets because she feels we were right for her son. She thanks us! This helps me immeasurably to know of her feelings, because I often sit in wonder watching my little ones... staring at their beautiful faces, tears flowing, feeling joy at their funny personalities and sweet smiles... and feeling very guilty that we have them, but their birth parents don't. I want their birth families to know them.

I wish each of our adoption situations were as open as this first one. We have experienced that something potentially painful can blossom into a beautiful relationship. I want each of the birth family members to know how much I love and appreciate them! And it really does help Joel and will be more important to him as the years go by. He's a fantastic little boy and we love him like crazy! I am so glad we can share him with others who will also love him forever.

Sunshine in the morning

Ella's eye surgery this week

Ella's eye surgery is scheduled for the morning of the 10th, which is Thursday of this week. She's been a little feverish today (Monday), please pray that she'll be well for her surgery!

Then two weeks after that, she's scheduled to have her tonsils and adenoids out and ear tubes put in at the hospital across the street from the one she's going to this week. Poor baby! Hopefully all of this will eventually help her see, breath and hear better!