Our Very Own Junior Miss

I must admit I was a little surprised when I got a text from Kelsey asking if I could do her hair for Junior Miss.  My first thought was, "you can't be old enough for that." My second thought was, "I didn't think Kelsey would be interested in something like that."  I knew she would do great, but WOW did she exceed my expectations.  The minute I saw her on stage, I knew she was a natural.  Kelsey has always been told she looks like me, which I love. I'm not sure if she likes it or not.   Even though we share a lot of similarities, I wish I had more of her poise and intelligence.   

Oh, did I forget to mention SHE WON?!  There were 30 girls from four different schools and she placed first!  I knew she deserved first place, but I'm SO glad the judges could see the light that shines from every pore of Kelsey.  Let's just say I've been bragging ever since.  :)

*All these pictures are from the second day.  Because there were so many girls, they had to split the pageant into two days. 

Erica touching up Kelsey's makeup back stage.  Her host mom, Erica, and I were the only ones allowed backstage with her.

If you can't tell it was pirate themed.  This is when Kelsey was announced into the top ten.  She was #9 and we were starting to get VERY nervous. 

Fitness

Talent

Struttin' her dress.  Doesn't she look gorgeous?

Interview

All the girls waiting for the results.

Top four in Interview

Top four in scholastic.  Kelsey got the TOP scholastic award.

          

                Announcing the winner.  No one was as shocked as Kelsey.  I kept yelling, "I feel like I won!  I feel like I won!"

The girls coming in for a hug.

                                

Kelsey and me.

                                         

I love A's face.  It's like..."my sister won?"             

SURPRISE! Gregg Is THIRTY

I threw Gregg a surprise birthday party the weekend before his actual birthday.  Thanks to the help of Tricia it was a HUGE success!  My brother Quinn also got roped in to running a trillion errands with me the day of the party.  So a big thanks to him too.  Gregg thought that we were going to hang out with Tricia and Brad, but when he opened the door to their house he found that there was a lot more people than he was expecting.

                                                                      SURPRISE!!

This is Gregg's "ah, babe" face.

We played a game where everyone wrote down a memory about Gregg.  I read the stories and Gregg had to guess who wrote it.  It brought some great laughs.  Staci brought up their handshake in her memory, so here they are demonstrating. 

Part of the group

The yummy cookies Tricia made. 

Peanut butter cake from Leatherby's

 

He almost got them all.  Let's face it...there were a lot of candles.

 

Awkward?  I think so...

Easter "Eggs"travaganza

Our Easter weekend consisted of decorating eggs, finding Easter baskets, General Conference, and a yummy lunch at Grandma's J's. General Conference was awesome this year. We heard some things that we really needed to hear. I'm so thankful for the Savior and the burdens he lifts in my life.



With our eggs. Mine are actually on the left and Gregg's are on the right.

Our Easter Baskets.

Gregg's mad photo taking skills.

Pass-A-Long Cards

I made some simple pass along cards last week.  At our adoption education classes they told us the number one way people find their birth families is through word of mouth.  This happens when someone knows someone, who knows someone, who tells them about us and can give them our card.  I almost bought some cards online, but I enjoy designing stuff so I made them myself.  I might even make a few different ones.  We'll see!  I hope to get them printed and have them back in a few weeks so if you would like a couple please e-mail your mailing address to lacealex@yahoo.com  You never know who you'll run in to!  It's the sweetest thing when people tell me they're keeping their ears open for potential mothers wanting to place.  Other than keeping us in your prayers, that is the biggest way to help us out right now.  Thank you everyone for your strength and kind words at this time!

Why Not?

If you are Helpless, He is not.  If you are Lost, He is Not.  If you don't know what to do next, He knows.  It would take a miracle, you say?  Well, if it takes a miracle, why not?  President Boyd K. Packer

I read this in the March 2010 Ensign this morning.  Waiting is hard.  I'm ready for a miracle.  Some days it feels so far away.  I've never relied so much on the Lord as I have during this time.  A BIG thing I've learned through this experience is that prayers aren't always answered in the time we choose, but the Lord is there to lift our burdens and help us endure.  I have felt this first hand.  I've also learned you can be happy through life trials.  I don't mean BEFORE or AFTER your trial, I mean DURING.  It takes a lot of work, but it's possible.  You have to feel the PAIN so you know the JOY.  It's taken a long, long, long, time to get where I am and I still have some real downer times, but I'm thankful and blessed for the things I have learned while wading through a sea of disappointments.  

*I know my post is all over the place, so you can imagine what the inside of my head is like right now. 

A Lucky Girl

We recently celebrated out 6th anniversary. It was my turn to plan and thanks to Tricia and Brad I surprised Gregg and we took off to St. George. I packed all our bags and when Gregg got home from work we got in the car and left. He had no idea what was going on. (I even made him drive.) About 20 miles outside of St. George he said "okay, I just need to know if we have 20 miles left or a 130." I lied and said 130, but then felt bad and told him the truth. It ended up pouring rain most of the time, but it was still a wonderful get-a-way.

So here goes the 600 things I love about us....

1. I'm totally kidding and realize even if I did write 600 things no one would read them. But, here ARE a few funny things that I would like to remember about our trip.

-Me forgetting Gregg's hair pomade. Going to Walgreen's, buying the generic brand of LA Looks for .99. Gregg applying it to his hair in the car. Using a 1/3 of it just to get a little bit of hair standing up. Us, laughing that I would EVER buy such horrible hair product, but that I would rather Gregg do his hair with something then nothing at all. Hey, I'm a hairstylist.

-Being called KIDDOS by our waiter who was probably our age. Gregg's salmon being completely raw in the middle. Waiter telling us, if we didn't want it that way, we should have said so in the beginning because that's the way the chef prefers it. (what?!)  Waiter later apologizing, admitting it was pretty raw.  Getting free Creme Brulee, just for us kiddos.  

-Playing Bananagrams on our phones while waiting for the movie to start.  No one else in the theater until, a group walks in and sits right next to us. 

-Searching for shopping places on our phones.  Gregg finding a shopping center in Hurricane.  Driving there in the pouring rain.  Find out our shopping center is a FUNERAL HOME, FURNITURE STORE, and two empty spaces.  Gregg, doing a circle around the "shopping center".  Me laughing hysterical, asking Gregg if he would like to shop for our caskets.   Driving back to St. George, in sprinkling rain. 

-Googleing  sites around St. George.  Discovering there is volcanoes.  Driving to them.  Two tiny black hills.  Take pictures anyway, because we drove all that way. 

-Spending time doing anything, with the one I love...Priceless.

Guess Who's Back?

ME!

My computer is now back at home and I am back in service. I'll just start by confronting the elephant in the room. No, we haven't heard anything. That seems to be the #1 question when people see me. We're doing great though, and are at peace. We know things will happen when it's right. I think everyone hears stories of people chosen within weeks of getting approved, and in all honesty this is unlikely. That's why the stories get spread around, because it's very uncommon. Did I hope that would happen to us? Of course, but we really feel at ease about how things are going.

Now on to funner things...Here's a few pics from Christmas.

This was my present for our famous white elephant exchange. Stacey was the lucky winner. I'm sure it's posted in her room.

Classic movie...Don't ya just love it?

Our little Hercanator doing what he knows best in Idaho. Hiding.