Merry Christmas!

We are still here, and still hoping to adopt!  But Life gets busy at times, and suddenly it has been two months since you have posted.  Whoops!

We love the holiday season- Christmas songs on the radio, baking, finding the perfect gift, time with family, etc.  It really is the most wonderful time of the year.

So what have we been up to this holiday season?

One thing that has become a tradition for us:  Adopting a child from Salvation Army's Angel Tree program.  I highly recommend it!  Kids that are less fortunate sign up, parents include clothing sizes and/or toys the child would like, and you can spend an amount you feel appropriate to get them nice gifts.  We are so looking forward to being able to buy clothes and toys for our own child(ren) someday, so this has been good practice!

The loot

We chose a little one year old boy, and I had to put stuff back because I was spending too much.  But so fun shopping for a little boy!  I can't wait to be the proud mama, out shopping or making gifts for her kids.  Some day soon!

Salvation Army Christmas Center

We happened to be taking our donation to the Christmas Center on the same day as the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary.  On a day when things looked a lot darker than ever, it was amazing to see a full warehouse (former Walmart) filled with toys donated by the community.  This picture is only half of the space, there were rows and rows of bikes and other goodies in the other half.  There is still good in the world, and we need to focus on that!

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Our happy tree

For the holidays, we were able to head back up to NY to see all of our family and friends, which was awesome!  We even got to see snow while we were there.  That was on the wishlist for sure.  We got to visit with Matt's family and mine, extended family, friends, had a fun Cousin's Night Out, and more. 

Newest member of the family!

We got to meet the first great-grandchild in my dad's family, and he was as cute as a button.  In a house filled with people, he slept comfortably, even as he was passed from aunt to uncle to cousin to grandma, etc.  Our families love kids, especially babies!

Toy time

Most of the ladies in my mom's side of the fam

Grandma and Grandpa P enjoying the moment

Excited to see snow, just wish it was not on the drive home!

It was a great visit, and went by too fast as usual.  Time to start planning the next visit!

As for the adoption, we have still been keeping our ears open to any situations that may come up.  We've had some good suggestions recently to contact schools or pediatrician offices, so I may send a letter out to area offices soon.  I also learned that the department of health runs teen health centers throughout the area, which also could be a good resource.  Keep praying for us!

Merry Christmas!

Family visit

Sorry for the delay in posts.  My job has been crazy the last week or so.  There will be another week and a half of craziness, and then it slows down for the summer.  Phew!
So back to the family visit Easter weekend.  It was much needed!  We had a great time visiting, and crammed a lot of fun into just a few days.

Thursday and Friday, we had a great visit with my sister Katie, who is close in age to us.  She came down a few days earlier than my parents and our younger sister, and we were able to go out in Charlotte, check out a game at the arena, and eat lots of takeout.  Fun times whenever Katie comes around- she is so fun, and brings us out of our shells big time.  And the older we get, the more I realize we have in common.  Even our mannerisms are the same.

Exhibit A: Reaction to scary movies

Kate and I grew up together as friends and enemies (you know how girls can be!), but now she is a great friend, and we love when she visits. I can't wait for our kids to experience that wonderful sibling bond. 

Easter Sunday with both sisters

Early Saturday morning, my parents and youngest sister Maddie arrived.  We BBQ'd on Saturday, Sunday was Easter (with a delicious big meal at my aunt and uncle's house, yum!), and then Kate had to head back home.

Later Monday, my parents, Maddie (my youngest sister), our cousin Olivia and I went to Tiger World.  If you live in the Charlotte/Concord area, you MUST go to Tiger World!

Fun with the girls.. and a tiger!

We also took the girls to Concord Mills, an outlet mall nearby.  Taking pre-teens to the mall... very tiring!  We had fun hitting up all of the activities around the mall, such as the hurricane simulator:

I just more and more look forward to doing all the fun silly things with our kids one day...

Tuesday was the last day of the visit.  We went to lunch with my aunt, and then we hit up cousin Donny's tennis match, and cousin Olivia's softball game.  It was good old-fashioned fun.

Go Olivia go!

It is always tough to see them go.  Very tough!  But we talk almost daily, and skype from time to time, and try to visit in person as often as possible.  Can't wait to see them and Matt's side of the family when we go home to NY next!