Fun at the Great Wolf Lodge in Traverse City

Yesterday and today we had a great time at the Great Wolf Lodge in Traverse City.

Our Church had a group of parents with young children go on this over night retreat. It was about a 2 hour drive from our house. Michelle, Matthew and I arrived shortly after noon and had the opportunity to have fun in the water park right away.

Matthew had fun playing in the water, stepping on the holes that shoot water up and sitting on daddy's tube as we went around the lazy river. He also loved watching the huge bucket of water splash everyone below.

My camera isn't waterproof so I wasn't able to get any pictures of us playing in the water, but during Matthew's short afternoon nap I went back down and took some pictures of the water park.

After nap we all got together and had dinner at the resort. Matthew and all the kids loved watching the "talking moose-head" that would occasionally say something while we were eating dinner.

At 8PM all the kids got together in their PJ's for story time in the lodge. One of the characters told the children a story before bed. Unfortunately the battery in my camera was dead so I could only take pictures with my cell phone which isn't the best.

Saturday morning we parents got together for about an hour talking about how to Shepherd our children in the way they should grow and love our Lord. The kids played in the other room with a couple of the youth group girls.

We headed home around noon and enjoyed all the beautiful fall colors on the way.

It was a great time getting away and having fun with Matthew!

2 years 9 months old

Look who is 2 years 9 months old.

He's so darn cute!

Adoptive Families at Schwallier's Country Basket

Today the west Michigan "Adoptive Families" group had a fall party at Schwallier's Country Basket in Sparta.

There were farm animals for children to pet, a hay ride, pumpkin patch, corn maze and a lot of other fun things for the children to do. It was fun to see so many adoptive children and their families.

Matthew had a lot of fun petting the baby goats and picking out his own pumpkin from the pumpkin patch.

What a beautiful fall day to have fun!

Finding bugs together

It seems that I haven't blogged in a long time. Not because we don't have anything to share, but because we are just so busy having fun together!

Today after work Matthew and I went in the back yard to find bugs to put in his bug-box. We found a bunch of ants on his slide. It was so cute watching him pick them up that I had to run inside of the house and get the camera.

What a cute little boy! I'll find bugs with him every day! I love him so much!!

The simple life

Sometimes the simple things in life are the most fun!

I never knew how much fun a simple cardboard box could be. Mattew has had so much fun with it.

Lowes Build & Grow

Today we went to Lowes Build & Grow where childen get the opportunity to make something fun with a hammer and nails.

The project today was the Shrek Dragon Ride. We had fun making it together, Matthew even pounded in a few of the nails with my help.

These activities are a lot of fun for kids. This is our second one at Lowes and we have also done two at Home Depot. He even has an apron from each store. Once he completes a project he gets a button or iron-on-patch for his apron! Matthew gets so excited the night before when I tell him that we are going to build something the next day. He will say "Hammer?" and when I say "yes", he will say "bang, bang bang". He loves hammers and tools!

Two years ago today we met this little baby

At 11PM EST this evening will mark exactly 2 years to the minute that we met this adorable baby boy in UST-Kamenogorsk, Kazakhstan.

After mounds of paperwork, 18 months of waiting we went into the baby house and were led into a small room where we were told to sit and wait. Every last sound in the hallway was magnified 1,000 times as we waited for them to bring in our little Matthew. Then after what seemed like forever they brought him in.

This was our VERY first picture holding our baby Matthew.

NO! I am not crying in this picture!!! ;-)

We love you Matthew. We are so glad that you are home with us!!!!!!!!