2007 in 40 Photos

Well, I'm new at this blogging thing so the photos are in reverse order....I hope you enjoy them anyway!!

View from our room at Friday Harbor - Christmas

Anna-Lisa & Kyle's Wedding, December 16th

at Camp Pendleton, CA

Visiting our friends Mark & Andrea in

Escondido, CA baby due in April (December)

These are some of our friends that celebrated Darin's 40th Birthday with us (left to right: Jeff & Sam, Jeff & Bonnita, Darin & Jean, Reece & Linda, Suzette, Tim & Megan)

Darin's 40th Birthday at Jazz Alley in Seattle

Nick, Steven, Arianna & Grandma Becky (November)

First day wearing hats & gloves (October)

The Cow & The Angel - Halloween

Carving Pumpkins with Grandma Rosie & Uncle Todd for Nick's Birthday Party (October)

Visiting with our friends Barb & Steve Rowland in

Junction City, OR (October)

Jean and several members of her team in Saginaw, MI (Sept)

Ari & Daddy @ Deception Pass (Sept)

Sunset @ Deception Pass

Our camp spot at Deception Pass (Sept)

Nick in Friday Harbor (September)

Jeff & Bonnita's 25th Anniversary Celebration

Watson wins a gold medal for FINALLY calming Arianna down - it was a tough night! (Aug)

Nick & Daddy Kayaking at Cole & Diane's

Jean Swimming the Long Bridge Swim 1.76 Miles (Aug)

Camping at Cole & Diane Waldo's Cabin (Aug)

Ari & Nana Shirley on her 2nd Birthday August 4th

Uncle Norm & Auntie Lisa's July 4th

Bremerton Harborside Park (June)

At Lion's Park (June)

Logan's Graduation (June)

Auntie Kristi visits and we take her to Pike Place Market (June)

Nick at Point No Point (June)

Ari & Daddy at Point No Point (June)

Our family at Bobpa Bob's 70th Birthday Party (May)

Nick & Daddy at the Armed Forces Day Parade (May)

Nick & Piper (April)

Spring Break Riding the Ferry (April)

We Love Nana Shirley & Bobpa Bob (April)

Story Time with Cousins Carlee Jo & Caelyn Jean (March)

Snuggles with Mom in our favorite Chair! (Feb)

Nick caught sleeping on the couch (Jan)

Arianna the bathing beauty (Jan)








New Years @ Auntie Suzette's with friends Arlo, Katrien & Piper

2007 in Review

I know it's almost the end of January but we thought you might enjoy a bit of a review of our 2007 - our year as parents! I did share in my previous post that we might be convinced to share a bit of our story of how we became parents and then empty nesters all in a period of 15 and a half months....it's been quite a journey for sure. I'll apologize in advance to those of you who read this in a recent letter.

It was September 1, 2006 that we brought home two precious children – Nicholas (then age 34 months) and his little sister Arianna (then age 13 months). They had been removed from their parents by the state and were brought to us as a pre-adoption foster home placement. As all children do, Nicholas and Arianna came with a few surprises in store for us….they both had global developmental delays and lots of insecurities. So, 2007 was a year of trying to figure it all out and get them the help they needed to catch up with their peers. We had amazing support from the Kitsap County Early Head Start and Bremerton School District Child Find programs as well as neighbors, friends and family. Nicholas only knew 2 words when he came to us but by his 4th birthday in October had started using complete sentences, was doing simple counting and knew and could actually say his colors! Arianna also worked VERY hard to catch up, she finally started walking at 17 months and was really beginning to use and combine words by the time her 2nd birthday rolled around in August. We have hopes that they will both eventually “graduate” from needing special services.

In spite of the challenges we enjoyed lots of giggles and laughs, slobbery kisses and warm hugs from our two little munchkins. We went camping several times and played at the beach often; visited and played with Aunts, Uncles, Cousins and Grandparents and many good friends. We had the wonderful privilege of seeing our world from a new perspective every day; we saw parks, aquariums, zoos and so many other things in whole new light – even mowing the lawn became cause for celebration! And – most amazing of all, we became “Mommy” and “Daddy”, which is such a miracle regardless of how the children come along.

Every indication was that we would have the opportunity to adopt Nick and Ari once the state terminated their biological parents’ legal rights in court as there were no known relatives available to take the children. However, as these things often are, this was a very complicated case. In July we found out that the state was finally moving ahead with filing the termination but on August 1st we were told that the children’s paternal Grandmother had come forward and was seeking custody of Nick and Ari and their 9 year old half brother Steven who was in another foster home. In a planning meeting on September 7th the decision was made that Steven would go to live with Grandma Becky as soon as all the paperwork cleared (which happened in early November) and that Nicholas and Arianna would follow after Steven was settled in. Steven has done better than anyone expected with the transition so on December 6th, the court reaffirmed the plan for our two little ones to move to their Grandmother in San Bernardino, CA. We left Bremerton on December 12th with our Suburban packed to the gills with the children’s belongings on a trip we would rather have not had to take. We delivered Nick and Ari to their new home on December 13th and then visited with them again on the 14th to help them get settled in. So far, Grandma Becky is adamant that we will be allowed to have ongoing contact with the children and has even given permission for our families and ministers to be in touch with them so we are very thankful for that. She and her husband Brian have been extremely kind to us and we have hopes that this will be a long term, friendly relationship. We have spoken with the children several times now and even though transition is difficult, they seem to be doing fairly well.

When we spoke with the children last Friday night Nick said "Hi, hi, hi, hi, hi, hi, hi, me happy talk Mom, Dad!"....that definitely made us both smile!