Adoption Day

Five years ago today we celebrated what would be our very first Adoption Day:)  We went to court with two little ones all dressed up and promised to take care of them forever.  We loved them in our hearts before we even met them.  We prayed for them before we saw their pictures.  God knew the plan for how amazingly our lives would be intertwined before the creation of the world.  And yet, this formality of standing before the judge surrounded by our family was so monumental.  The words in the adoption decree state, "...From this time forward you shall bear the relationship of natural child and natural mother and natural father...".  Not biological, because no matter how much we love them, no matter how much they are just like us, they will never be biologically our own.  I think we have something better, "natural" in fact.  It is only natural that we be a family. That day 5 years ago, the court recognized our babies as "Sanborns", naturally.  We love you Andrew and Annabelle!  Happy Adoption Day!

This is us "becoming a family"

Yes, I let her have a chocolate chip cookie with whip cream for breakfast

Yes, and him too!

Dear Birthmom,

I am sure you remember today like it was yesterday.  In my heart of hearts, I feel like you knew from the minute you found out you were pregnant exactly what you would do with your child.  I think you had a few other children already struggling and the thought of another hungry mouth was almost too much to bear for 9 whole months.  I think you watched after you left to make sure she was okay, you took such care in where you placed her.  On the other hand, if I were you, I would have run as to not change my mind.  6 years ago today, we were celebrating our 5th wedding anniversary with no idea our daughter was being born.  We think it is so special to share our anniversary with her birthday, only God could have ordained that!  Your baby girl is growing into quite the young lady.  She is so smart, like wicked smart.  She loves history and the human body.  She wants to know how everything works.  She is one of the smartest kids in her class.  She has even started asking a lot of questions about you and her biological brothers and sisters.  She is touched, deep in her soul by Ethiopia and by you especially.  She is kind.  She is quite beautiful, striking to say the least.  When we go places perfect strangers compliment her on her hair, it is really long and lays in shiny curls at her shoulders.  She worries about all of us quite often,  I am afraid she gets that from me.  We are working on it, together!   She likes to know the plan for the day as soon as she gets up.  She loves to "shnugg" as she calls it, lay on the couch and hug while we chat.  This is the most treasured time of my day.  She loves to read, shop and she has started dance, ballet, at a Christian dance studio.   We pray for you each night, although Annabelle has taken over most of those duties.  I wish so badly I had a picture of you to give her I know she would love to put a face to the prayers.  She told me she knows she will see you in heaven, I don't doubt that.  We pray that as the years pass by you would continue to feel a peace and know your sweet tiny baby girl is safe and loved.  I mean really LOVED.  We pray that you would remember the short time you had with her fondly, and not with sadness as the years go by.  We pray that somehow you would understand how blessed we have been and continue to be by your sacrifice.  Thank you doesn't quite say it, but there are no words to describe how we feel about this amazing little girl.  You made it all possible.  Your decision changed the course of our lives forever, in ways we NEVER could have imagined.  Thank you for giving us Annabelle Cate Hamelmal.

Dear Birthmom,

I have no doubt in my mind you know just what today is.  I pray that as the years go by you have a simply overwhelming peace about the sweet baby you left 6 years ago.  He is so funny.  Like "come out of no where" funny.  He often surprises himself with how funny he can be.  He is strong and so tall.  He loves to run, jump and laugh.  He loves football and baseball.  He loves to get dirty and wet.  We added a new baby to our family and Andrew is his #1 pal.  They do everything together and Andrew could not be more sweet and patient.  He is smart, almost too smart for his own good!  He has had some struggles in school lately because he is learning to work the system.  Don't worry, we are on it!!!  He is a gentleman, holding doors and always helping with anything.  He is becoming more and more independent and he is very strong willed.  He is passionate and fiery about everything!  He is beyond handsome.  He is so striking, complete strangers tell me how much trouble I will be in with his "beautiful browns".  He is a protector of his sister and brother first and foremost.  We still pray for you each night.  We pray that you are healthy and safe and that your whole family has enough to eat and drink.  That last part is new as of just a few weeks ago.  He is starting to really think about the world around him.  We thank God for you and the indescribable sacrifice you made so that we, halfway around the world could become a family.  Six years ago today you made a decision that would change the course of your life and ours.  I cannot imagine what must of gone through your mind as you looked on that sweet face.  Probably the same thing that goes through mine each time I look at him, "how lucky am I?"  Thank you for giving us our precious Andrew Jess Yecheneku.

Just a moment...

My life is disappearing in front of my eyes.  I feel like I have just blinked and Benjamin went from a baby to 13 months.  HOW DID THAT HAPPEN?!!!  My "babies" are turning 6 next week.  How did that happen???!!!!!  I was doing a bible study about the book of James and one of the things James says is that "our lives are but a vapor".  He wasn't kidding!  Nothing to make your life feel like a vapor like watching your babies grow up in front of your eyes.  Today, I took just a moment to rock Benjamin a little bit longer before laying him down for nap time.  I am usually in and out of that chair in a whirl wind because I am basically at his sleepy headed mercy when it comes to getting work done during nap time.  Today I held and rocked him, maybe ALMOST dozed off myself.  While he was laying on my shoulder, he wrapped his tiny arms around my neck and just breathed.  His hot, sweet breath was on my neck for longer than usual.  I took a deep breath as tears ran down my cheeks and I realized, just for this moment he was still that tiny 5 pound baby we brought home 13 months ago...  Just for this moment, everything stopped and I relished the quiet, soft sound and comforting feeling of his breath on my neck.  What will you do today to remember that it is just a moment?

Pics from Mr.One-derful's Party

Just to set the stage...  I have instituted a policy of huge birthday parties every 5 years (thank you Kristen Plamondon).  Last year the big kids turned 5 and we had a BLOW OUT!!  I mean like 70 people at Marley Farms to celebrate.  I MAY have felt a little guilty (insert healthy dose of Mommy Guilt) about them having a new sibling and everything and went a TAD overboard...  Like bedazzling the hot pink bandannas because they weren't girly enough.  All of that to say, the big kids are having smaller parties this year to make room for Benjamin's First Birthday!  We had 54 of our closest friends (remember our family is HUGE to begin with, so we aren't as popular as that number makes us seem) over to celebrate!  Here are a few pics!

What?  I'm one???!!!  Where has the time gone?

We love our baby brother!

The bears we sent to Benjamin's bio siblings on his birthday

Thank you Mimi for printing and CUTTING all 72 of those cute circles!

Army of cupcakes

And all of these too...  It takes a lot of cupcakes to fill up the special friends we have in our lives!

Thank you Mayes Family for loaning us your bounce house!

Thank you Mr. Ryan for sweeping out our trampoline!

You can't tell from Annabelle's expression, but the Cotton Candy Machine was a HUGE HIT!!!  Thanks Mimi!
As was the popcorn machine- Thanks Jeff and Lindsay!

Benjamin's first hot dogs!

The party was such a "rager" that some of the guests dressed in costumes...  Spidey (Carter), Superman (Andrew) and Buzz (Trevor) made special appearances.

"Is this for me????!!!!!"

"Kinda squishy...."

"It's official, I LOVE butter cream!"

Present opening was PANDEMONIUM!!!!!

Brother love- Our cousins Caiden and Cooper, often referred to as one entity, CaidenCooper

"Is it time for another nap yet?"

Cousin Blakeleigh...  This is kinda how the party went...  Really fast!!!

Could he BE any cuter?

These are the sweet people who bought our tickets to and from Utah, just because they could!!!!  We love you Mr. And Mrs. Ellis!

UB with the birthday boy

More presents!

"Was there any cake leftover?"

Our friend Baby Will, 5 moths younger than Benjamin.  I will someday write a children's book about the adventures Will, Benjamin and Ryan (another buddy not quite a month younger than Benjamin) will go on!

"Here dad, surely this would go faster if I helped!"

See what I mean about lots of special people?

Well, as you can see we had so much fun!  The party whizzed by just like the last year has.  We cannot believe this is the same five pound bundle we brought home just a year ago.  What a blessing this little man is:)

Stay tuned for more "adoption news" as I will detail the lengths at which we will go to secure a copy of Benjamin's birth certificate!

In the mail...

I know this is kind of backwards since I haven't blogged about the birthday yet (pics are coming), but today was a big day.  Today we sent Benjamin's birth mom her update.  We wrote a letter, 2 pages of how much we love him.  No holding back this time.  With each update we sent (1 a month for the first 6 months), I felt like we were reporting his height and weight and telling her thank you for choosing us.  We kind of left out the parts we thought too painful.  With this update, we told her everything.  How he is the EASIEST baby on the face of the earth.  He is a great eater and an even better sleeper.  He is beautiful, so beautiful he gets noticed everywhere we go.  I have to kiss him every time I pick him up.  It is almost a reflex.  I cry nearly everyday when I sit with him during playtime and realize how empty my arms and heart would have been without him.  We told her how Andrew and Annabelle love their sweet brother.  A smothering kind of love only siblings can give.  We told her how he was named for my precious daddy and that I often tear up when I state his whole name.  We told her he is kind of a peanut, but that is God's gift to me as I prayed for a tiny baby for years before we knew about Benjamin.  We told her every little detail, not withholding because we thought it might be too painful for her to know the intimate details of the baby she gave to us.  Also included in the box was a hard bound photo book with a zillion photos of his first year.  Finally, we sent all of his bio siblings a small teddy bear.  Benjamin has one in his room (so do the big kids), and we wanted them to have something to remember him by.
We would love your prayers for this sweet family in the next few weeks as they get the box.  Pray, as we have been, that their hearts would receive the gifts with tenderness, not with hurt and sadness.  Pray that this year finds them in a better place than last year did.  Pray that Benjamin's birth mom would be more and more convinced with each sentence she reads and each picture she sees, that she made the right choice.  Pray that God would give all 6 members of that family a peace about the decision that was made.  Pray that they would come to see (if they haven't already) adoption as the miracle it is, orchestrated by God's hand. 

One year ago today...

No, I haven't lost it and forgotten when my 3rd child's birthday is... I have been weepy all week in anticipation of Benjamin's big day:)  I have also been thinking a lot about one year ago today.  One year ago today, we were just packing and unpacking a gender neutral suitcase in anticipation of our baby boy who was to be born on Februaty 4.  My Aunt Brenda and my mom had helped finish the nursery just the day before.  My good friend Emma's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Ellis called and offered to pay for our airfare to and from Utah.  What a blessing!!!!!  We politely declined and said we shouldn't need help with airfair unless birthmom went into labor the next day (funny joke huh?).  We still had no name for him, and were were growing quite fond of "sweet pea", as we were referring to him as we decided on his name.  Little did we know that we were experiencing some lasts.  We had dinner together for the last time as a family of 4.  We did bath time for 2 babies for the last time.  I tucked in my kids for the last time as a momma of 2.  I said good night to my "Baby Boy" without having to differentiate which one I was talking to. I had one son and one daughter that night.  As I laid down to sleep my mind was racing with the thoughts of that sweet baby and all the preparations needed.  Would he have dark brown eyes, or light brown?  Did I restock the diapers in the changing table?  Did I pack enough wipes for the trip?  Would he have a ton of hair or none at all?  Did I include the bedazzled hat and bow just in case the doctors were wrong about the sex of the baby? Would his birth mom change her mind?  Would she like us?   How many pairs of gloves would we need?  I remember thinking, "slow down Molly!  You have until February 4, none of this is going to need to happen tonight!"  I also remember praying, "Thank you Lord for giving me just enough time to wait.  Not too much, not too little."  Of course we never could have dreamed that night would be the last night without our sweet Benjamin in our arms.