So much to be thankful for....

Thanksgiving is a time when we sit back and think about all the blessings we have in our life. Our family has been blessed beyond believe! Four years ago, we became the parents of two wonderful boys who have touched our lives in ways we couldn't have even begun to imagine. We are so thankful for all the joy Jacob and Kyle have brought us. We can't imagine life with out them.

This September we were blessed again with a baby boy, something we had started to question would ever happen. We are so thankful that Steven has come into our lives and we look forward to all the excitement he will bring.

9 years ago, I was blessed with meeting a wonderful person who would become my best friend and my husband. I am so thankful for him. Billy loves me through the good, the bad, and the ugly. I couldn't have asked for a more wonderful person to spend my life with. We are so blessed with wonderful families. We are so thankful for all the help, support and love they give us.

This Thanksgiving, my aunt and uncle came out to spend the weekend with us. It was so nice to have them here. There are few things that I miss about living in New Jersey and being close to them is on top of the list. My aunt has always been one of my best friends and I miss her terribly! It was nice to have the boys get to spend time with Bob and Niece too!

2 months already?

How is it that two months has already passed since our family became 5? Steven has been a part of our family for two months already and I find it so hard to believe that this little person belongs to us. The transition to 5 has gone so smoothly that sometimes I look around trying to find that "ball that is about to drop". I have been back to work for about 3 weeks now and as hard as it was to leave him, we have been blessed with a wonderful babysitter! I know he is loved, cuddled, and cared for all day long. Its still a bit difficult to make sure 4 people are ready to get out of the house at a certain time each morning but we seem to manage, somehow! I am thankful that Jacob and Kyle can get themselves ready. They have become such little men lately! 

I know that everyone says how quickly they change but boy, do they change quickly! Steven has started to "talk" and giggle. He smiles when he sees you. He watches his brothers as they play with him. It is so neat to see him change and grow.

To say that Steven has two adoring brothers would be an understatement! Kyle has really seemed to have formed a bond with him. He tends to Steven when he fusses, enjoys just holding him and watching tv, and questions when was the last time Steven ate, if he starts to cry! Jacob loves to make Steven giggle, which we just love to watch! 

And now there are three little men!

While we wouldn't change or trade the way we created our family through adoption, we have wanted to have a baby also. This proved to be a bit harder then we thought it would be. We were beginning to wonder if this was going to be possible at all. In January, Billy and I found out we were pregnant! Shock, fear, excitement, any other emotion you could think of, would describe how we felt! Once the boys knew, they were excited but the wait seemed like a long time. Jacob knew that when he went to first grade, the baby would be here. Well, school started and still no baby! Every day he would ask "when's the baby coming?" Imagine his surprise when I told him "tomorrow" one day! We decided to wait until arrival day to find out if the newest Dennis would be a boy or a girl. While my dad was convinced that we would be welcoming a girl, deep down I had a feeling I would live the rest of my life as the only girl in a house full of boys!

Due to a bit of high blood pressure and some elevated lab results, our doctor decided to induce me 4 days early. So on September 4th, we headed to the hospital. Our doctor had warned us that being induced tends to be a slow process and not to expect any arrivals until the next day. After a sleepless night and long day, it seemed like baby was ready to arrive. Joke was on us! Another 4 and a half hours later....

On September 6th, at 12:21 AM, we welcomed a very happy and healthy Steven Russel into the world. He weighed 8 pounds 7 ounces and was 21 inches long. We all were in love from the beginning!

First Day of School

 This year, Jacob started 1st grade and Kyle started 4th grade! How is that possible?!? It seems like just yesterday we enrolled Kyle in kindergarten! I began my 11th year of teaching. This is my 4th year in 4th grade. Since the boys go to school with me, Kyle is in my class part of the day! The first few days of school were a bit awkward for him and his friends! There were lots of giggles during class time. Oh, the life of a 9 year old boy!

Jacob turns 7!

WOW! Its been a long time since I blogged! August 16th was Jacob's 7th birthday. It is so hard for me to believe that he is 7 years old. He was almost 3 when we first met the boys. Jacob barely spoke and what he did say was incredibly difficult to understand! We were lucky enough to be there to celebrate his 3rd birthday. I vividly remember him wanting more cake at his party and he couldn't get anyone's attention with his "more" sign! My oh my, has he made up for the delayed language! He seems to never  lack something to say!
All summer, Billy and I have commented how much Jacob has grown! It seems like one night we put our "baby Jacob" to bed and this "little man Jacob" woke up the next morning. Jacob has become such a neat person with great personality. He makes our hearts very happy!

Since Jake's birthday was the second day of school, we had whoppie pies (his choice) and opened presents with just us. We had a family party over the weekend.

Jacob's Cars 2 cake....handmade by Dad!

Happy 9th Birthday Kyle!

     Today is Kyle's 9th birthday! I can't believe he is already nine years old. He was 5 and a half when we first met the boys. He was such a little boy then and he has now become such a neat little person! Birthdays are a big deal in our family. I put some decorations on Kyle's door and in the kids' bathroom. There is a Happy Birthday sign hanging in the dining room as well. We have all our family come over to celebrate with us.
     Each birthday the kids get to decide what type of cake they want and how they want it decorated. This year, Kyle is REALLY into Cars and Cars 2 so he picked a Cars cake. Billy and I always enjoy decorating the cake in our our Dennis Family Cake Boss tradition!

The last three days have been unseasonably warm (50's) and the kids have been able to play outside. Kyle's cousins were here for his party and the kids had a great time playing outside. The day ended with Kyle opening his presents. The downside of his birthday being in the first few days of January is that Christmas was 14 days ago. Santa brought everything that was Kyle's wish list so he got a few small things and some money to save until he has something else that he is wishing for!

Another soccer season...

 The boys have started their third season of Upwards Soccer. It has been so neat to see them grow and improve over the course of the last three years. We love this program for many reasons. We love the message it provides to the kids each week. We also love the character building and team building it creates.

Kyle is playing on a strong team this season. He really enjoys soccer and puts 110% into it. We love watching him play and hearing him cheer on his teammates. Seeing his focus on the game and smile on his face is awesome!

This is Jacob's first season of playing "big kid soccer". Preschoolers practice and play at the same time. Since Jacob started kindergarten this year, he practices one night a week and has a full game on Saturdays. During practices, Jacob tends to hang back a bit and take it all in. Seeing him on the soccer field during a game, he is a different kid! It is wonderful to see him really get into the game and love playing!





Jacob's favorite part....playing with his water!