Santa Parade

We got together with Dave's brother and his family and went to the Santa Parade.  We had such a good time.  It was our first time going, and we really enjoyed it!  It was perfect for little kids, not too long and they threw candy.  It was also perfect for grown men who would run into the street, grab candy for their kids, and then claim Dad tax (that would be Dave and Mike).  Surprisingly the weather was amazing for a parade.  It was not nearly as cold as we had anticipated.  After going to the parade we went out to dinner.  It was a great night together and I'm so glad Will was able to spend time with his cousin Clara.  He also spent most of the night calling for Mike.  It's funny, even though Dave and Mike are twins, Will can totally tell the difference, you can't trick him!  But he really does love his Uncle Mike!

Happy Thanksgiving

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving this year.  We spent the holiday with my family, and it was so nice to all be together.  I think we spent most of our time together laughing, and there is nothing better then that!  I am so thankful for the family I have.  I sure got lucky.  We are truly blessed and I am so glad we could take some time to really remember what is important in life and what we are really thankful for.  While we were waiting for the feast to be finished we played games with the kids.  Then after dinner, my sister and her husband brought balloons.  We blew them up and the kids went wild!

After playing with the balloons, my Dad got out his ATV and took turns taking the grand kids on rides around the neighborhood.  I think they could have stayed on all day.

After the ATV rides, we went in for pie.  Will really enjoyed his.  I'm right there with you buddy.

Finally I just had to include this picture because every time I look at it I can't stop laughing!  His face!  Hope it gives you a laugh too!

Owl Rescue

While Dave was at work, he and his co-workers found this injured owl.  They were able to capture it, and Will and I had the unique opportunity to go with Dave to take the owl to a rehabilitation center.  We could not believe how big the owl was, it is always different when you see them up close.  He was so cute, I was so happy that we were able to get him somewhere he could be helped and taken care of.

What made the experience even more special was the fact that Will loves owls.  I'm not sure why, but he really really does.  In fact, his birthday is coming up, and I am making him an owl birthday cake, per his request.  The joy on his face when he was able to see the owl just made my heart swell.  I love the special moments we are able to have with our little guy, they make life sweet.  

Kangaroo Zoo

My Mom and I took Will and my niece, Aria, to a bounce house this week.  It was Will's first time going to a bounce house and he was in heaven.  He was so excited to be there I don't think he sat still the entire time we were there!  He loved playing with Aria and doing everything she was doing.

He had so much fun bouncing on everything, it was a joy to watch!

I was so so proud of him, he figured out how to climb up the ladder all by himself.  Even though he kept slipping down, he never gave up.  He just kept trying until he did it.  Then once he had it figured out, he did it quite a few more times.  I love his perseverance and determination.

I also love how brave he is.  He went down all of the slides by himself, even the really steep ones, and he loved every minute of it!  He amazes me.

After playing hard, my Mom bought snacks for the Grand-kids.  It was so cute to see them sitting together like big kids enjoying their snacks.  Chasing Will around and watching the complete happiness on his face made the day an amazing one for me.  It will definitely be one of those memories I look back on with fondness.

Halloween

We had such a fun Halloween this year.  We decided on a Star Wars costume theme.  Will was just such a cute Ewok I couldn't resist.

Here he is all ready for his first year trick or treating.  He was so excited!  Dave and I were excited to, and I have to say, we were not disappointed.  Taking Will trick or treating was SO much fun!

It was so adorable to see him knock on doors.  He was very excited about the candy, or treats, as he called them, for the first half of trick or treating, but after that he was more interested in visiting our neighbors and trying to go in their houses ha ha ha.  He is so social it makes me laugh.  Everyone just loved seeing him and enjoyed his enthusiasm.  Dave and I had just as much fun as he did.  It helps that we love our neighborhood.  We have the best neighbors and so many good friends, so it made the night even more enjoyable.

Adoption Group Play Date

Will and I had so much fun going to the pumpkin patch with our adoption group.  I love that our group does these kind of outings.  I am so happy that Will is going to have a lot of friends who are also adopted.  I hope that it will help him to have friends who understand him.

He really enjoyed the wagon ride.  He is such a busy boy I was afraid he might try to jump out, but he did really well just sitting by me and looking around.

His favorite part was probably these little tractors.  The kid loves tractors!

Carving Pumpkins

This year we were able to carve pumpkins with Will for the very first time.  It was so much fun!  I love all of these "firsts".

Will was not too sure about sticking his hand in the pumpkin and pulling out the guts.  That totally surprised me because he usually loves getting dirty like any little boy.  He did help a little bit though.

The finished product!

Jaker's Pumpkin Patch

There are so many fun things to do in the month of October.  We took Will to the pumpkin patch and he loved every minute.  He is a climber, so climbing to the top of the bales of hay was so exciting for him.

Then he ran around the hay bale maze.  I was lucky to keep up, he is quick!

He always enjoys going down slides and it is even more fun with Dad.

He of course loved the petting zoo.  The ducks and donkey were particular favorites. 

Then we got a very special surprise!  Uncle Mike was there.  Will absolutely loves his Uncle Mike so he was thrilled to see him.

They had so much fun playing together.  Fun Uncles are the best!

Visiting Family

We were able to go and visit my parents for a weekend.  Will loves going to see Ma and Pa.

Since my parents would not be able to see him on Halloween, we got him all dressed up in his costume.

Then we took him out to my parents garden to pick pumpkins.  He had so much fun picking pumpkins with Pa.

Then we had so strip his down because he started playing in the mud.  As you can see by his face, he was in heaven being able to get all dirty.

Last but not least, he got to do his most favorite thing at Ma and Pa's, he got to drive the tractor with Pa.  The joy on his face just makes my heart want to burst.  I love seeing my little boy happy!

Picking Apples

We had such a fun adventure the other day.  We went with some friends to pick apples.  Will loves picking berries from the bushes in our yard so it was a thrill for him to be able to pick apples.

He was so excited when he got one!

He and his friend Oliver are such cute little friends.  They are usually good at sharing and are so cute playing together.

He just had to have this apple!  We love having play dates and going and trying new things with friends.

Sawyer's 3rd Birthday

We had the very special opportunity to go to Will's biological brother's birthday party.  This picture brings me so much joy!!!  Will and Sawyer look so similar and of course they both look like Brooke.  I love seeing them all together.  I also love how Davidson (Will's uncle) is photo bombing, that is totally his personality

Here are the two brothers just hanging out with squirt guns.  It warms my heart to see them playing together.

They had so much fun with the squirt guns.  It was adorable to watch.

It is hard to see in this picture, but Sawyer is holding a toy dinosaur that he got for his birthday and getting Will with it (it is hidden under the present).  Will was laughing so hard!

Will also loved playing swords with Davidson.  He had a blast.

It was so great to see so much of Will's extended biological family.  Here he and Sawyer are with their Great Great Grandma Sally.

I truly love when we are all able to get together.  Adoption is the best. Having more family to love is such a special thing.

Labor Day

We had a really fun Labor Day weekend.  It began with Dave's twin brother and his family coming over for dinner on Sunday night.  Will had fun running around with his cousin in his diaper.

Then we all enjoyed some delicious pie!  These two are adorable.

On Labor Day we went with Dave's Mom to the Soldier Hollow Sheep Dog Classic.

It was so fun to watch the dogs herd the sheep.  It is amazing how smart they are.  Maybe this particular adventure is what made Will love the show Saun the Sheep ha ha

They had a water dog competition that was really fun to watch.  They would toss something into the water and measure how far the dogs would jump to get it.  This was probably my favorite event.

They also had a show where the dogs would do tricks with frisbees.  Will had fun watching the dogs run around.  I have wanted to attend this event for a while, I am so glad we were finally able to make it!