What did I do today?

Today I decided to text my husband a list of things I did throughout the day. (Actually he sort of requested it.)

9:41 am - J spills entire box of corn chex cereal on the kitchen floor and proceeds to dance on top of the cereal.
10 am - I discover sink cupboard open while cleaning discover the dish soap to be missing.

10:15 I run downstairs to discover bathroom soap and lotion art decorations on carpet.

Babies hungry, Babies fed. Locks all in bedroom- folding laundry.
10:30 laundry started bathroom scrubbed. Laundry mostly folded bed made.
Spit Up! Clean bed covers, diaper change. Greet M home from school.
Clean S's room make bed, Pick up toys. lunch. baby cuddles, clean table, clean floor.
Boys crying downstairs, teach no jumping on the bed. Give back sucker to M after it was stolen when younger brother tackled him.
baby cuddles, start ice age. Cuddle J. put J down for nap. babies fed, laundry checked, clean living room, organize books, diaper changes. Reschedule WIC for tomorrow. sweep kitchen. tidy patio/deck baby playtime. Ice age- skipping-turn off, play Rusty and Rosy
Upstairs bathroom scrubbed, wait outside for S to get home, pet cat.
Scrub table, again sweep. wash sticky off floor gather dishes.
Babies tummy time, feed babies, S & M afternoon snack, check laundry.
Laundry moved, dishes put away, crackers and Cheese snack cleaned up.
babies fed and changed, dishes put in dishwasher upstairs bathroom cleaned again, countertops wiped. babies outfits changed

Pictures

Bring Him Home

Surprises happen often but miracles happen everyday.

Little Peter is very sweet. He is starting to sleep for longer stretches at night- most of the time. :)

Peter's 'twin' brother was born on June 17, 2013 at 6:52 a.m. weighing 6 lbs 14 oz and 18 inches long. He has dark hair and looks like Michael. He is also going through drug withdrawals. His birth mom has declared to court that she doesn't want reunification services.

He will be Sarah & Michael's last biological half sibling and we have been asked to adopt him.

It is difficult to think of our many dear friends who have no children when Andrew & I have been blessed with 4--almost 5.  After the years of dealing and struggling with infertility we still remember the heartache and pain that we went though.

We feel guilty & blessed & nervous. Guilty for adopting again when others have none--but I cannot in my heart willingly separate my kids from their sibling. Blessed that we have the chance. Nervous to care for twins.

We still have things that need to be finished in order to adopt him, books to read, home improvements and nothing is certain yet.

For now, I call him Oliver. But that may not be his final name.

*Sarah* Michael*James*Peter*Oliver*

Darling Little Ones

In 2011, my daughter Sarah-Ruby came to me one evening and said, "Mommy, get ready you are going to have a little brother that looks like Daddy and a sister that looks like me." I've shared this before-but I left out the last part, because of uncertainty.

I called our birth mom's family (from whom we adopted Sarah and Michael) and they didn't know where Birth Mom (BM) was. Two weeks later I found out I was pregnant. 4 months later the birth family called back, BM was in prison and pregnant.

BM invited us to visit her in prison and we did with the kids. I didn't share with her that I was expecting because it didn't seem right.

Sarah-Ruby remained adamant that she was getting a sister. BM was expecting a girl. I was expecting James.

We discovered that BM choose another family to adopt the little girl and in March 2012--Caitlin was placed into a loving couples arms whom we are not allowed to contact. We don't even truly know her birthday. Also, I have never seen a picture of Caitlin, but I know without a doubt that she looks like my daughter. And Sarah-Ruby still insists that her sister should be in our home.

I have heard people say, "If the Lord wishes it, then it will happen." But I disagree with this statement. The Lord allows people their agency and allows them to choose what they will do with their lives. He told Sarah-Ruby about her sister and told Andrew and I to get ready which we did. But the Lord did not interfere with BM's agency when she choose another couple.

I hope that someday, we will be able to meet this couple, so that my little Sarie will have a chance to meet her sister.

I am expecting and due in June-another boy! We received a text tonight that BM is pregnant too, due the same week (or maybe the week before) that I am.

What cha Doin'?

Still need a camera. But I did finally figure out how to post pictures from my phone. These pictures range from winter 2011 to today.

Short hike up Provo Canyon, the lake is completely frozen, kids were running across it and fishermen are ice fishing in the background. I refused to let my kiddos run across the lake-though Sarie really wanted to. I'm not that brave... I was also 6-7 months pregnant at the time.

James in the NICU. He is in a warming unit with full oxygen. We received his medical bill. Never has $37 K been so worth it! I'm also grateful for good insurance.

The day James came home.

Mikey holding his brother for the first time.

James sporting his amazing oxygen. One morning he woke up, tore the oxygen off and refused to take it back-we monitored him for 10 days off oxygen (oxygen monitor still on his foot though.) And thankfully his oxygen levels never dipped down too badly. A couple of nights we had to put it back on and swaddle his arms down but otherwise he has done great!

Easter egg decorating. It's a huge tradition with my family. Rew not so much. For the first 4 years we were married I dyed all the eggs. But now the kiddos are old enough to join it, it is a blast! Rew helped too.

Rew and I both make an "Earth Egg" without realizing that we both made one, until we turned to each other and said, "Hey, check out my earth egg." Mine is on the left. Rew's on the right.

Sarie loved it!

No oxygen! woot!

The annual Rosenvall Easter egg Hunt. Easter Egg hunts- is a huge Rosenvall Family tradition. Each family brings some plastic eggs with candy and the daddy's go outside and hide them.

Meanwhile inside the house, Grandma and Grandpa have already hidden Easter Egg Baskets. They are hidden in difficulty according to the ages of the grandchildren. The first year I was married the basket for Rew and I was hidden in the attic, behind several boxes and up in the rafters! According to Rew his dad once hid an Easter Basket inside the swamp cooler. This year our family basket was in the closet-easy enough for Sarie and Michael to find.

A few weeks ago the kiddos and I made "treat buckets". I used 2 old ice cream buckets and turned them into treat buckets for the kids. -The kiddos decorated them with stickers.

They are filled with small bowls (maybe 1/2 cup-1 cup each) with goldfish crackers, cherrios, granola bars, popcorn, dried fruit, 1 fruit snack. I also took the Easter candy and I have been putting in 3 pieces of candy a week. I've been letting the kiddos pick one or two 'treats' from the treat bucket during snack time. I only fill the bucket once a week and I love it. It has really cut down time on trying to pull out things from the cupboard then having to put it back. The kiddos love it too.

As a thank you to the families that brought in dinners to us while I was in the hospital I made root beer suckers and chocolate dipped strawberries. (Yes, it sounds like diabetes heaven in my house... Easter treats and now these treats... )

Finished suckers. They really are fun to make.

Chocolate teddy bears (you cannot tell, but they are filled with walnuts)

Chocolate frogs filled with toffee bits (this picture is blurry, but they have cute little smiles and eyes.)

Strawberries. Everything has now been delivered and hopefully enjoyed...

James today. 14.3 pounds. He is a chunk, already his feet extend past the edge of the bouncer. I've had to adjust the straps in his carseat twice.

I will be going back to work for 5 weeks. Get my students through CRT's and then after that I'll be staying at home. My friend Karena will be watching my kiddos while I finish the year.

Rew loves his job at Wencor Aerospace Engineering.