What a year it has been! And all because of these
guys. We can’t get enough of their hugs and giggles.
Our summer was full of picnics and swinging at the park,
walks in the stroller, and general rolling around on the floor playing with
toys or reading. Joyce and Ward have a great time together when they’re not
trying to read the same book at the same time. He is pretty strong and has a
killer grip to rival her age and experience. We also celebrated Joyce’s first
birthday. We had cupcakes in the park with a few friends from the neighborhood.
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| Fourth of July with extended family. |
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| Birthday cupcake. |
Ward’s birth in the spring was an experience we won’t forget. It lasted longer than we hoped and resulted in a C-section. We’ll spare you the sight of his swollen head and just share his cuter pictures. Due to the C-section we stayed at my Mother’s home for longer than we had anticipated, allowing time for recovery. We were (and still are) incredibly blessed by the love and support of friends both in and out of our ward. Even though Ward’s birth wasn't what we had planned for, it was an experience that reminded us again of God’s tender mercies and better plan.
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| Bret's first comment was that Ward has my mouth. |
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| 24 hours of labor makes for a tired dad too. |
Joyce was happy enough to see her new brother, mostly regarding him as a new toy. We made several attempts to get some sweet sibling photos. On Easter Sunday, we dressed them in their finest, and this was as close as we got.
Besides extending our stay for recovery, we were also at Mom’s house for a couple extra weeks waiting for Ward to come. My sister Laurie flew out from California to be my Doula, so at least the wait was filled with fun family bonding. While passing time we took walks, enjoyed Mom’s back yard, and helped Joyce practice walking and climbing stairs.
Last Christmas was truly a time of celebration for us. Joyce’s
adoption was finalized right before the holiday and we had her sealed to us
after the holiday. She was perfectly behaved through everything, making friends
as is her way. We found we can’t take her in public without being stopped and
complimented on our beautiful, friendly girl. People in our ward refer to her
as the “Ward Baby,” but now that “Ward” is part of the family I guess that
title is more rightly his. She truly is a special one, though, and we are
grateful to have her light in our life each day.
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| Headed to court to make it official! |
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| A few days later making it eternal! |
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| Joyce was the star of our family nativity. |
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| Wishing you a MERRY CHRISTMAS! |
May the true Light of the World be a part of your holiday this year, and fill your lives with peace.
