Last day of Summer Break

I guess that's what today was since Hema starts kindergarten tomorrow. We decided we better go do something fun, so we headed up to the zoo. The weather was perfect! Vela napped for most of the visit so that's why she is noticeably missing from most of the pictures!

Hema is nearly the size of an adult female gorilla. Well at least height wise. 

When Hema saw these big horned sheep he said, "Look they have butt head sheep!" We corrected him to head butting sheep. The couple standing next to us almost fell over laughing. I guess this is what he thought Cora looked like in her hat last Friday! The funny thing is he isn't saying it wrong on purpose because he doesn't even crack a smile or laugh. So funny! 

Posing for the picture. 

Vela wasn't as interested in posing. 

Hema on his favorite animal. 

Me, Vela and Cora on the carousel. This was Cora's first ride. Can't tell if she liked it or not by her expression, but check out her beautiful big blue eyes!  

After dinner, Hema gave Little Hema his first ever back to school father's blessing. It was wonderful. Then, Hema's kindergarten teacher had given him a little packet of "Ready Confetti" to help him have good dreams and be ready for his first day of school. He was so excited to put it under his pillow tonight. (Which I hadn't noticed until posting this is actually Vela's pink striped pillow! oh well!) And never mind that he is wearing no shirt. He always gets hot at night and takes off his PJ shirts!

He is so excited for tomorrow! What a big step for him to be heading off to kindergarten!! 

Cora's First Swim

Last Thursday Cora went swimming for the first time. We went up to Krychele's house - they have a pool and the water was nice and warm just for Cora! 

We knew that Cora loves the water because she loves her baths so much. Here she is dipping her toes. She looks a little unsure at first! 

But then she warmed right up and seemed to like it.

Krychele and Cora - two cuties in pink! 

This was after about 30 minutes - she was done! 

Even after swimming Cora was all smiles. I absolutely love this picture of Cora with her birth parents. To me this picture is exactly what open adoption is about! Krychele and Uziel get to continue to see Little Cora and know that she is happy and thriving. She will get to know how very much they love her. And we get to continue relationships with people we love and care for. I know that Cora will cherish this picture as she gets older. I just love it! 

And finally, tonight we canned 14 quarts and 30 pints of applesauce! Yumm! A nice start to canning season! 

And so it begins.....

This morning Little Hema had his first ever football practice. He has two more practices next week before their first game next Saturday. If you know my husband, then you know that he has been waiting and planning for this day for a long, long time. Long before Little Hema ever even joined our family. It was so fun to watch Hema helping coach Little Hema's team. What a fun morning! We've been waiting to hear from the coach and last night at about 9 pm the coach called to let us know there would be practice at 8:30 this morning. Suddenly, Hema was panicked that he hadn't gotten him any cleats and the grass would be wet and he would slip and fall. He woke up at 6 this morning and went and picked up cleats and shirts and shorts and pants and cones to use to practice staying in bounds. (I'm sure there would have been footballs purchased too if he hadn't already gotten 3 and a set of flags for his birthday). I was totally laughing when I woke up and saw all the stuff he had bought. Especially since he HATES to shop! I have a feeling we are at the very front end of years of fun football! Hooray! Here Hema is showing off his new clothes dad bought.

Have you ever seen Hema look more excited? 

He only had to be reminded a couple of times NOT to tackle! This is flag football! 

Got the football stance down! 

Hema loves offense and defense. We took some fun video of him pulling flags and making some cool runs, but have had issues uploading video since we switched to a mac. Oh well!

Here is poor Cora modeling one of the cones! 

Little Hema and Vela thought it was so funny that it fit her like a hat! 

Last night we went to the Provo HS vs. Stansbury HS football game. Three of Hema's cousins kids play for Stansbury. We waited a bit in the car to go in since it was raining at first. It was 14 - 10 when we got there (Stansbury's lead) and at the end was 20 - 49 (Stansbury lost). Maybe we are bad luck! But it was fun! We love watching high school football. We hope to get out to some more Westlake games (most the young men in our ward play there), Timp View games (my cousin is playing there this year) and Snow College games (where another cousin is playing this year). And of course there is always Utah football - starting up this week! 

Since the weather is getting cooler, Cora has started wearing a lot more of Vela's old clothes. (Vela was born in October so most of her small clothes were fall/winter). I loved this outfit that Vela wore and it is just as cute on Cora! Seeing Cora in these cute little hand me downs, reminds me of all of Hema's cute little baby clothes I've been storing for the past 5 years that hopefully we'll get to use again someday too! 

Sweet Cora - what a little munchie!! 

Stinkin' adorable!!

Little Hema said she looks like she should "butthead" people in this hat. I think he means head butt! haha!

I think she looks like a little gnome or elf. How funny is that hat with the sides sticking up? 

Below is Little Cora strapped to me in the carrier. Nice and cozy for the game. 

And finally just because I love my husband so much, here is a big large mouth bass he caught today. This picture is way more impressive if you have ever seen Hema's shoes in real life. They are really BIG!  

Back to School Night!

So last night was our first official Back To School Night at the elementary school. Hema has been counting down for weeks and was thrilled to get to walk down to the school and see his classroom and most importantly, meet his kindergarten teacher. Here Hema is finding his name outside his classroom. 

Our next door neighbor is in his class. He is excited to already have a friend in there. We did a little activity to familiarize him with the classroom. This will be the second year that the school is open and everything is so nice. Hema was so happy to know there is a bathroom right in his classroom and that the kindergarten has their very own playground right outside his classroom door! 

People keep asking me if I am sad that Hema will be in school. I have to admit that I will miss him so much and he is growing up too fast, but really he is soooo excited to start school and so enthusiastic about learning that it makes me excited for him too! So far every stage with my kids has been so much fun! I am excited to see how Hema continues to grow and develop. He makes being a mom so much fun! 

This is Hema's teacher, Mrs. Ellsworth. She was really friendly and we are so excited for a great year in kindergarten. Now we are counting down to his first day of class on September 1st! 

Camping... Polynesian style!!!

Most people have been camping... but Polynesian camping is a whole other ball game. 

Our ward went camping last weekend and it was a blast! 

First of all we were only 5 minutes from home on some private property and you couldn't even tell you were in the city. 

The camp site.

The kids had a blast playing with all the kids from the ward. 

Little Vela playing night games. 

Hema and the boys enjoyed playing on the gravel pile.

Becky ended up taking little Cora home to sleep both nights,but the other kids were so excited to sleep in the tent. The first morning, when I woke up, I rolled over to find my little Vela wide awake with biggest smile. She said, "Daddy, Vela sleep in tent". 

The kids in the tent.

It was great to spend some time socializing with the other ward members... we sang and laughed long into the night (they all liked my "Shooosh" joke)... and had some midnight snacks... or meals... or whatever you want to call it.

Chicken & Mutton at 2 AM... followed by a couple of TUMS at 3 AM. 

The second night we had a pot luck with all kinds of food. The Fijian curry was the bomb! Yummy! Then I left to watch the Westlake High School football game. Several young men from the ward play for the team and they played very well.

When we came back to camp the dance was already in full swing. Yes... a dance... it's not a Polynesian party without some loud music and a little hip shaking. 

(Sorry the video wouldn't load... but trust me I still got it... oh yeah baby!)

Camping is fun... add a little Polynesian flair and it can get dangerous!

Pet, Pipi and Adoption - of course!

I'm sure I've said at least a thousand times that I am not a "pet person". Yep it's true, I have no desire to have a pet of any kind. I especially hate animal poop and finding in my yard! Yuck! But about a week ago Hema caught a praying mantis and put it in a jar for Little Hema. It has been such a cool pet! 

Okay so the picture is horrible, but the pet is amazing!

Here's a picture I found online of what ours looks like.
We catch all sorts of live bugs and feed them to it. Little Hema spends hours trying to stun flies so that they will still be moving and the mantis will eat them. Last night a little spider made the mistake of being on Hema's ceiling. The praying mantis tore it apart! Literally it tore it in half and ate in a matter of seconds. It was awesome! A free, small, stays in the jar, eats unwanted bugs - even spiders, kind of pet is about as good as they come! I hope this guys lives for a very long time!

I've been trying to mix it up with Vela's hair lately. I feel like I get stuck doing the same old thing over and over. These shots are her going to bed tonight. 

I can't decide of she looks like Pipi Longstocking or Boo Yah Tribe! (Remember them?)

What a cutie!!

And finally, tonight I took in treats to LDSFS for their adoption group. It was the group of young men and women who are experiencing an unplanned pregnancy and considering adoption as an option.  I was amazed to see how many people were there in the group. The room was filled past capacity. Probably 25-30 people in there. There were people of all ages, races, walks of life and stages of pregnancy. Even one couple there with a baby that looked to be at least a couple of weeks old. I made cookies and cut up fruit and veggies with dip. They had me introduce myself and tell a little about our family. I expressed how much adoption had blessed our family and told them how amazing I thought it was that they were considering adoption. I thought of the adoptive families that could be so blessed if even a few of the people in that room chose to place. I couldn't help but think of our sweet birth parents and their own decisions to place. 

I thought of a conversation I had with one of our birth moms a little while ago. She told me that she had to stop thinking of what she wanted or even what might be best for her and only think about what was best for the baby in order to make the decision to place. That selfless decision to do what is best for the baby - that is what placing for adoption is about. I have known many birth mothers and every one has had that very same thought. It just about rips your heart out to place a baby - but it is such a huge and brave thing to do when you are not ready to parent or when the circumstances of raising the baby are not right. What greater love could someone have than to choose what is best for the baby over what they want for themselves. It is absolutely perfect love! 

Last night as I was laying in bed, I was listening to the conversation between and Hema and Little Hema. Hema has been reading from the Book of Mormon reader to Little Hema and they had just finished it. He was explaining the meaning of words associated with the gospel. He was so patient and sweet as he taught truths in a simple way and then testified of them to his son. He spoke of baptism and how he would baptize Hema when he was 8. He spoke of ordaining him to the priesthood at 12. They discussed missions and many other things and Little Hema was excited for each step in the gospel. I could tell he felt confident that his dad would continue to guide him along. He wants to be just like his dad - thank goodness Hema is a worthy example for him. I got a little emotional thinking about Katie, Hema's birth mother, and how she had made the decision to allow Hema to have a dad - and not just any dad - but a worthy and loving dad. I might be biased but I think he is pretty much the best dad ever and so do our kids! I'm not sure where my thoughts are going....I guess I am just so grateful that there are young men and women out there choosing adoption even though it is really tough! 

Bingham Canyon Mine

 We have been wanting to go to the Bingham Copper Mine for a while and finally went today. We were hoping that the kids would think it was at least a little bit fun - we were surprised by how much they enjoyed it!

 Hema and the kids by the big tire.

Hema, Hema and Vela by the mine. 

Afterwards we had a little picnic dinner and then headed home. It made for a fun afternoon that was cheap and close to home. 

Here are a couple pictures from the kids checkups 

I should have posted last week.

Cora right after she got her shots. Poor thing!

 Making sure Hema knew what the symbols were before testing his vision.

Hema with Dr Pavich. 

Cora's 2 Month Stats

It is no surprise that Cora was a complete angel at her 2 month check up last week. She barely even made a sound when they gave her the 3 shots! She is getting so chubby and mushy I can hardly stand to ever put her down!  I realized I hadn't posted many of her newborn shots from Peekaboo. Here are some of my favorites. Of course she doesn't even look like this tiny baby anymore! At 2 months she was 11 lb. 15 oz. which is in the 50th percentile and was 23 3/4 inches long which is in the 75th percentile. She has grown so much!

She is the sweetest thing and we are so grateful to have her in our family! 

She has started to coo and gurgle a lot and smiles all the time - unless you are trying to take a picture of it! 

We absolutely can't get enough of Cora! 

When I see how tiny she was in these pictures, I am reminded of how quickly they grow and change. I am so grateful to be a full time mommy. As I was reworking our budget last night I kept thinking that there isn't one thing that money can buy that would be worth missing this time with my kids!! I am often brought to tears at as I think of our sweet birth parents and their decisions that have allowed me to be a mother. I would never have had this opportunity if it weren't for adoption. As I pray every single day, I pray for them - that they will be blessed and lifted and have their hearts healed as they move forward. To each of you amazing birth parents that read this blog - I can not thank you enough or tell you enough how much we love our children and are grateful for them and how much we love you and are grateful for you!!! 

Hemaloto is Five!!

I can hardly believe that my sweet little boy is already five years old!
At his 5 year check up Hema was 44 pounds (75th %) and just over 46 inches (95th%) and he is healthy a such a smart, happy and good boy. He is such a good brother to his two sisters. We just love him so much! 

 He has been so excited about his birthday. He has been planning his birthday party for what seems like the last 9 months and he absolutely loved every minute of it. He really wanted a Batman party where everyone was batman. So we decided to do a Jr batman Training Camp.  

  

Some of the party gear.

They started out on a scavenger hunt to track down villains and earn their capes. Look how intense daddy Hema's face is explaining their task. It was pretty funny after he explained what the bad guys were and then asked if any of them knew any of the bad guys. Hema's friend Luke (in the yellow shirt) said, "I know a really bad guy from the book of Mormon - Satan!" Totally cracked me up! 

Some of the kids in their newly earned capes. I procrastinated starting these until midnight before the party and stayed up until 4:30 am working on them! Thankfully my sweet hubby stayed up with me and helped me get them finished rather than telling me what a crazy person I am,  because the kids loved them. 

Throwing darts at the bad guys.

Hema loved the dart game!!

This was supposed to be a relay were they passed "bombs" (those grenade looking water balloons) down the line.

But instead it turned into the kids all throwing the balloons at Daddy Hema. Way more fun! 

Posing in the masks!

Hema wanted a doughnut instead of a cake. 

His favorite present was the flag football set his dad gave him so that they can practice for his games this fall. Hema is unbelievably excited for flag football to start...oh and Little Hema is excited too! haha! 

Batman pinata!

Later that night we went to Hema's parents house and this is the cake his awesome sister Salote had made for Hema. Pretty cool hamburger cake if you ask me! 

Mani, Hema, Vela and Aunti Salote

All in all it was a wonderful day. Hema loved all the phone calls and birthday wishes and is so proud to be 5 and ready for kindergarten and other "big kid stuff." We love you Hema and are soooo grateful that 5 years ago your sweet birth mother, Katie, decided that you needed a mom and a dad and placed you in our family! You have brought more joy to us than words can express! Can't wait to see what an amazing young man you grow into!