Happy Thanksgiving...

My life isn't exciting enough to post in here often.

Things are going great! Primary is going so well. We're visiting kiddos and really connecting with our teachers. The teacher training went awesome! Great spirit, great teachers sharing such touching stories and testimonies. So grateful to be in the Primary and I am so grateful to have such awesome people in there with me.

Nick is so anxious. This is his last full time semester (where did the year go!). His classes are brutual. Last minute assignments are a regular occurence. Any time he catches up another 5 assignments are put in the box. I'm so glad he continued fencing. It's a great opportunity to get his mind off school and just enjoy something. He's lost 10 pounds. Not that he had weight to loose. He is actually getting some ab definition... which he may not want me to post :) There may be a six pack in the near future. Okay... I better stop, good thing he doesn't read my blog!

Alvin is doing so incredible at school. I've been horrible at going over home work after school. Math has just taken off. He's staying in the classroom and only leaves... maybe twice a week, even then, they said he really doensn't need much help. Such a blessing! His ability to read is picking up. He's reading the same books the kids were reading at the beginning of the year.

Paul is doing so well too. He beams every time I come into the classroom. He loves it when I choose him first to work on a project. He's also really happy I'm in primary. He has this whole "That's my mom!" attitude, which is so flattering. I hope it lasts :) He loves crawling into Rilie's crib and playing with him. Rilie loves it too. We are going on 4-5 weeks of no hitting at school. I don't care who you are... that's amazing!

Rilie turned 1 this month! It was so much fun. He isn't walking yet (he'll stand for a few seconds, if he doesn't realize he's doing it), but maybe by Christmas? His conversations are so mixed with different sounds. He is definitely mimicking our conversations. He is very shy around people he doesn't see a lot, there are a select few he will just go to. Two of them are our nursery leaders... which will make turning 18 months so much easier! He loves to play catch. Loves to chase. Loves hide-in-seek, peek-a-boo, and opening and shutting things. He sometimes sings to himself... so cute.

We are all excited to get on a plane soon. The kids and I have a count down. We got their State IDs today. I don't want to fiddle with the paper work or stress about people believing my adopted kids are mine. They're pictures turned out SO CUTE! Alvin keeps asking me, "Mom, are my dots there?" (his dimples).

Another special thing this month, we got lots of visits from Rilie's birth family. It was so great to see everyone.

I wish you all a HAPPY THANKSGIVING! And challenge you to post 5 things your grateful for:

1) Warm home full of laughter
2) Warm body that functions when I treat it properly (and even when I don't treat it as well as I should)
3) Warm husband that I get to snuggle with over the holidays
4) New friends that I get to enjoy and learn from
5) My kids... for being MY kids :)