Meet the Fantastic Five!

Pictures coming soon! 

DeLainey is our oldest at ten years old. She's a natural leader and our mother hen.  She adores her little sister and brothers.  She loves to draw, sing and read.  Sometimes she has her spacy moments but she truly has a servant's heart.  Brandon officially became her Daddy in 2011 after filling the role for all eight years she had been alive. 

 

Julianne is our second oldest and six years old.  She is the sassy firecracker of the bunch.  She is witty and stubborn-- some would call that a chip off of the ol' block.  Julianne feels everything to extremes, so when she is happy, she is very happy and when she is sad, she is very sad.  She has faithfully prayed for a little sister every day since 2009.  That prayer has gone unanswered but she continues to have faith that it will be answered one day.  Whoever turns out to be her little sister, is going to be one very loved little girl. 

Xander is our oldest son.  He is four years old.  He joined our family in 2009 via domestic adoption.  We matched with him when he was 1 week old and he was born 12 miles from our home.  His adoption went amazingly fast.  Xander is a bundle of energy and daredevil extraordinaire.  Looking into his chocolatey brown eyes makes my world right again.  He makes the best monster face and I love how he throws his head back when he laughs.  He struggles with food allergies (milk, egg, corn, soy, blueberry, carrots, peanuts and almonds), Sensory Processing Disorder, hyperactivity and expressive/receptive language disorder.  He's an overcomer and I can't wait to see how the Lord uses him.

Solomon is our number four. He is three years old. Shortly after Xander joined us I found out I was pregnant and ever since I've heard, "Oh! People ALWAYS get pregnant after they adopt."  Solomon is the peaceful observer out of the bunch.  He smiles easily, is very laid back and can be stubborn as an ox.  I love how he pats my back when I pick him up.  Oh and his first word was Mama.  (Only took four children.)  In February of 2013, he showed us just how his stubborness can be used for good, when he was intubated, sedated, and transported across town for an acute case of croup.  He was in the PICU less than 24 hours before he was blowing bubbles with the respiratory therapist and released to come home.  Quiet strength is what comes to mind when I think of that journey.

Annalise was briefly a part of our life in the summer of 2011 and unfortunately our domestic adoption failed because Brandon and I stood by our convictions and would not sign a paper saying we guaranteed she'd be our last child.  Our journey with her was short but she made a lasting impact on our life forever.  I think of her often and pray for her daily.  I still feel a gaping hole in my heart when I look at the pictures of our time together. 

Isaiah is our youngest.  He was born August 7, 2012.  He is our happiest baby yet although he struggles with severe food allergies.  The story of his pregnancy is nothing short of miraculous.  At 14 weeks pregnant, I awoke to a pop and a gush.  Later at the hospital we found out that I had a subchorionic hemmorhage and a partial placenta abruption.  I was put on extended bed rest and later hospitalized for inpatient bedrest.  He was born unexpectedly in the middle of the night after Mommy finished watching the Olympics, but was healthy and came home with Mommy.  He was actually our largest baby at 7lbs 12 oz. 

People often ask if we are done.  Well.. I don't know.  Nine years ago when we were married, I only imagined us with at most three children.  I have no idea what the next nine years will hold for us.  I would love to adopt again and haven't ruled out future pregnancies.  When we were the ones attempting to plan our family, nothing worked.  Now that we've given control over to the Giver of life, we've been blessed abundantly and we are thankful.