CATCHING UP!

Wow...it has been awhile since I posted anything. Our lives seem to get busier as the months go. We have celebrated Elijah's first year home, His dedication, had fun playing outside and went and seen Toy Story on Ice. For his one year celebration we decided to go to the Great Wolf Lodge as a family. It was wonderful and the kids really enjoyed it. It was nice to spend time just us. Elijah LOVES the water so much that we have enrolled him in swim lessons. This helps Mom not panic as much. The boy thinks he can swim on his own already! The instructor says it will not be long since he is already trying to doggie paddle on his own. We had his baby dedication at Church. I know he has been home a year but we had a hard time trying to find a date that fit and finally we just decided to get it done with or without everyone. His grandparents were able to attend and be a part of it, which was great! Elijah was done after about 2 minutes. It is hard to keep a toddler still! We had a small window of great weather a few weeks ago so we spent as much time as possible outside. Elijah loves bubbles so we purchased a bubble gun for him to play with. it didn't work very well but he enjoyed walking around with it and saying BANG BANG. A wonderful thing his Sissy taught him. Elijah loves Toy Story. His favorites are 1 and 2. When we saw that Toy Story on Ice was coming to KC we knew we had to take him. He did great and was so very excited to see it. In the first few minutes he kept saying "Look Mommy...See!" He did so well just sitting and watching. He only got antsy a couple of times and it only last a minute or two and then he was staring again. Well worth the money spent to take him. Emilie said she even enjoyed it...which is really big for a almost teenager! Other things we are preparing for: Well...Elijah's bday party is coming up. We moved it up to the end of April because May is so full. We are planning a fun Toy Story party. Randy graduates in May and the guys are going on a little trip to celebrate. 4 Dads and and 4 young men returning to where they did their high adventure a few years ago. They are all looking forward to it. It looks like Don and Randy are both leaving on the same day. Don is headed to another year overseas and Randy will leave for basic training. The beginning of Aug will be difficult for all of us. I am dreading it already but going to enjoy these few months I have! =) Elijah is learning and growing. he is now in mostly 24 months with some 18 month pants still (little short legs). He weighs almost 29 lbs. He is now counting to 15 and can sing the abc song. I love the way he says w. (guddlgu) He is beginning to count objects and is a commercial junkie! He can repeat way too many commercial for you! AND I promise he does not sit in front of a tv all day. He has just begun with the imaginative play. I have loved just watching all of my kids do this. He will pretend talk like Buzz or other little toys. SO CUTE! Well...catching up takes too long. I must try to do better and posting! Hope everyone is doing well! God Bless, Tina Baby dedication 2/20/11

Celebrating One year home at GWL hanging out with Bubby

GO BUBBLES!!!

At Toy Story on Ice!

Making Daddy his tunnel slide... He climbed up and made Daddy put his hands on his head then proceeded to climb through and slide down him. =)

ONE YEAR HOME...

One year ago today we landed at KCI in the middle of a very bad snow storm with our precious boy. Here is a video of the last year we have spent with our gift. What a blessing he is to our family and everyone around him. We thank God daily for our family of 6!

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Valentine's Day...

Valentine's Day will always hold a special meaning to us. Yes, it was always a special day to show our love to one another and to our kiddos BUT Valentine's Day 09 made it even more special. That was the day we held our sweet baby boy for the first time. The day our hopes and dreams became reality! The day 3 years of prayers were answered. That moment will forever be a wonderful memory. It was just like when I gave birth 3 different times and finally got to hold my babies but different also. I had been waiting 5 long months to get ahold of this little guy and 3 long years in the process. To say I was ready to get my arms around him was an understatement! I figured I would cry the first I held him but instead I just took in the moment. I didn't want to ever forget it. Elijah has blessed our family in so many ways. I knew God meant for us to be his family and for him to be our son...but I never imagined the joy this little guy would bring to everyone he meets. He is amazing!
My Dearest Elijah,
I have thought for weeks about what I would write to you on this day. I want you to know how loved you are by so many people. I want to tell you how much you mean to us. But most of all I want you to know that God did an amazing thing when he told Mommy and Daddy about you. We knew you were going to be someone very special and now we get to see it. I love the way you sing Praise songs or fold your little hands to pray. I love how you firmly remind us if we forget to say your night time prayers with you. God has big plans for you precious boy and your Daddy and I can't wait to see how they play out.
Our lives are so much richer with you around. You have brought such joy to our home. I love seeing your eyes light up when your sisters or brother walk in to the room. The way you wrestle with them and play with them makes my heart sing. And when you say I love you to us....oh how this Mommy heart melts!
You have already blessed so many in your 21 months. We will continue to thank God for you, our precious gift!
I am looking forward to sharing our first family day with you in just one more week!
Love you baby boy,
Mommy

FINAL HOME VISIT...

Today is our final post placement visit. It will be nice to have this out of the way, although we are still required to send a notarized report yearly until he is 18. The good thing is we can do that on our own. AND we are happy to do it! I love sharing how much he has grown and all of things he is learning! It amazes us to look at pics we have sent at 3, 6 and now 12 months. He has changed so much. He is becoming a little boy and leaving that baby look far behind. (which makes me sad!)
I love watching his personality shine. He is such a people person. I always say he needs his "peeps". He loves to show off and get people to clap for him. I lvoe watching how quickly he picks up on things. He is working on counting to 15 now. He has to 10 down so we figured we might as well keep going. He can sing most of the abc song and loves his vtech alphabet toy. He LOVES to sing songs and to dance. He got 2 drum sets for Christmas and plays them all the time. We think he will be a drummer. He is putting words together now. I was folding laundry the other day and he climbed up on my bed and pointed to a pair of pants and said "this is Daddy's". My favorite is "cup all gone" it is so much better than him yelling GWINK!
Here are a few pics...

Sharing a chicken salad with Daddy!

Our little drummer

Blessings~

Tina

2011...A NEW YEAR!

It is hard to believe we are already into another year! This year went a little fast having our 4th little one home finally. It will be hard to top 2010 in our minds although we know God has bigger and better plans for our family in the future. We shall just sit and wait upon Him to see what those are. (easy to say...harder to do!)
2011 will bring some changes to our household. Some changes that I am not sure I am ready to face but will do so anyway!
In May, Randy will graduate from High School. (UUGH...how am I old enough o have 2 kids out of HS???) Then on July 31st my baby boy will leave for basic training. I can not imagine not seeing him everyday or just talking to him. That will be a LONG 16 weeks for me. I survived it with my husband but I was 18 and clueless. Now this is my baby and...well...it is going to be tough.
Also, there is a possibility that hubby will be going "somewhere" this year as well. We are still waiting for a confirmation on that one. SO...as I said 2011 may be a year of changes for us.
As usual, our year always begins with a BIGGER celebration than New Years. That is the day we celebrate the arrival of our oldest son, Randall Earl Hubbard. He was born at 1229 am and was the first one born in 1993 at Ft Leonardwood, MO. He weighed 5 lbs 15.1 oz and 20.5 inches long. HAPPY 18TH BIRTHDAY SON! We are very proud of the man you are becoming. Love you, Mom

*This was one of the newspaper clippings.

*Elijah is helping Bubby blow out the candles

Blessings~

Tina

ELIJAH'S FIRST CHRISTMAS HOME!

Don and I were just as excited as any little kid this Christmas. We couldn't wait to see Elijah's reaction to everything about the season and to our family traditions.
We spent Christmas Eve as a family and went out to dinner then on to Christmas Eve candlelight service. (One of my favorite services!) Elijah and Emilie stayed in the nursery until communion time and then after our family made it through the line for communion we got Elijah to share in the final candlelight part. WELL...this is a very solemn, quiet time and Elijah decided to make his voice heard! He said "Hi Mama" and I whispered back to him "hi baby"...then louder he said "HI MAMA" and I whispered back "hi baby"...this went on for about 10 times. He really wanted me to say it louder! Then as we made our way around the circle, he saw his Sissy handing out candles to people and very loudly he said "HI SISSY". We attend a very small Church who understand kiddos and afterwards several came up and said...Hi Mama...with smiles! =) A great memory to share in the years to come.
Christmas morning was filled with all of the joys we could have imagined. I think even the older kids were excited to have a little one in the house again. Elijah was thrilled with all of it. He loved his car and basketball goal and opening presents was fun too!
We feel so truly blessed to have him home this year to celebrate these holidays with us. As we drove to my in-laws in the afternoon, I took in the sight in my car. I had all 4 of my kids together with me. WOW~ God has been so good to us. These kids hold my heart and I love them more than I could have ever imagined. Knowing that next year will bring many changes to our house and that we may not all be together for the season next year made this year even more memorable to me. SO...I shed a few tears and thanked God for blessing me with an amazing husband and 4 really great kids!
Here are a few pics from our holidays...
*Santa came and then the older kids decided to play their nintendo!

*Elijah enjoying his car AND his basketball goal

*Weeble treehouse...Loads of fun!

*BIG Hubbard Christmas (12/26) seeing Santa again! He did enjoy them much more this time. Walked right up to them and talked and climbed up on their lap to open his gift!

I hope your Christmas season was filled with lots of love and joy!

Blessings~

Tina

ONE YEAR AGO...(another celebration!)

One year ago today we became the legal parents (In Ethiopia) to this precious boy! We did not hear on Christmas Eve but on Christmas Day we received this wonderful news. I struggled through Christmas Eve and the morning of Christmas until we heard we had passed. It was tough having him so far away from us on his first Christmas.
It still amazes me to walk into his room at night and see him laying in the crib. For so many nights and days I would walk in there and pray for him and wish to see his face or just to know who he was. Now I get to hold him...hear him call me Mommy and watch him learn new things daily. I love watching the wonders of Christmas through his eyes! I love to hear him pray and and say "cank you Jesus!" This boy has opened our eyes to many things in this world.

(If you look close you will see an ornament with his referral pic in it!)

I pray that you all have a wonderful Christmas! We are so excited to share it with ALL 4 of our kiddos this year.

Blessings~

Tina