So much to talk about...

Me, the girls, Diane and Gary the day we had to leave.

Tate and Keely having a good time and beating the heat with barley any clothes
Tate and her papa sharing some goldfish one evening before bed. Tate ate like a champ while we were gone. YEAH!!

I don't even know where to begin with this post but suppose I will talk about the vacation. As you can imagine we had a great time and it was so nice to get to spend so much time with Tate's foster parents Gary and Diane. To the girls they are Nana and PaPa the girls are as crazy about them as they are about the girls. While we were driving to the air port all Tatum could say was "PaPa going with us on the air plane?" It's hard to explain to a 2 year old that we are leaving and won't see them for who knows how long. We hope it won't be long and are planning to get together again around the new year weather it be in Mississippi or in Branson where we often meet. Our last days in Mississippi were spent getting ready to head back home. On the day we had to leave another family came to see Gary and Diane who also adopted a baby that they fostered. And it really is amazing that they too are from Nebraska. Grand Island to be exact and we had known for about a year and a half that they too adopted from MS but had never met here in Nebraska. We decided that it was pretty bad that we had to go clear to MS to actually get to meet each other. It was so nice to finally get to meet them. I always love meeting new people and especially when I can talk for hours about adoption because they too know all about it. They have a almost 6 year old and also the 1.5 year old who Gary and Diane also fostered. We got to sit and talk pretty much the whole morning and wish that we could have stayed and visited longer. We had to leave for the airport right after lunch. Unfortunately, Keely fell asleep on the way to the airport and it was evidently enough nap to fuel her for the ENTIRE flight home. Needless to say it was a very long flight with her wanting down and not understanding why she couldn't get down and run around. Plus I got some ice water in a cup during the flight and with all Keely's craziness the water got spilled in my lap, Keely's diaper must have gotten slid over to one side too much and she peed on my leg, and to top that all off Keely chocked on her chocolate milk and spit up all over her and Tate's blanket. It is very funny to talk about now but I was never so glad to see Scott and my brother at the airport. Now don't get me wrong I love the girls very much but was in need of a few minutes to take a deep breath when we got off the flight. Luckily Tate slept the whole flight. Since getting off the plane our lives have been very busy. When we got home we all got in the swimming pool and swam into the evening. After the girls went to bed I stayed up and got everything ready for out long day of appointments on Thursday in Omaha. We had Tatum's first appointment at 10am and it lasted until almost noon. That was the feeding and growth appointment and they were very happy with Tate's progress and we don't have to go back for 4 months as long as things continue to go so well. So as of now a feeding tube is nowhere in our future, thank goodness. We had lunch at the hospital cafeteria then headed to another hospital for Tatum's trans cranial doppler which is an ultrasound of her brain. She did great and let them do their thing. It only lasted about 20 minutes then we were off to get blood drawn to check all her counts. When we finally got to see the hematologist all the results from the tests were in and all was good! I was so glad that my brother went to the appointments with me and was a big help in entertaining Keely while I talked with all the doctors. After returning home we tried to relax and swam out in the back yard. Friday my brother wanted to go and look at cars at all the different lots here in Lincoln so that is what we did ALL day. Scott's mom and her husband came to stay the weekend with us too as they had another granddaughter playing in a tournament all weekend. The girls stayed at the house with Scott's mom and napped. After nap time they took the girls to a indoor play area and from the sound of things they had a great time. That evening Scott tried his hand at making ribs on the grill as good as Gary's that we had in Mississippi. They were very good but he still needs more practice! Saturday we got up kind of early and got ready to go to Madison which is a little over 2 hours away to a family get together with Scott's birth mother's family. There was a lot of people there and tons of little kids. It was nice to see everyone and also to meet some new people that we hadn't met from that part of his family. Today we all slept in and it felt great! Around lunch Scott's mom had to go to another game and the girls napped. I decided to go out and swim and invited my neighbor lady over since I was out their by myself. It was such a relaxing afternoon out there and some much needed lazy time. We were out there literally all day until supper. I am now paying for it with a badly burnt face and shoulders but it was so worth it! We ended up having the neighbors whole family over and grilling out for supper. I am so glad that this week is going to be a little more quiet. Well until the end of the week at least. My sister is coming on Thursday to stay the weekend. Friday Scott's dad and step mom are coming to Lincoln to spend the weekend for the 4th. They will be getting a motel that has a great pool and also had a kitchenette in it and a grill outside so we will probably be spending quite a bit of time over there. It's going to be a great time and has been so long since we have got to see them. Sorry I haven't posted so long but now I think I have you all caught up and if there is something I forgot to talk about please let me know. Have a great weekend!

Keely and Nelson becoming buddies! Hopefully we can get to know him and his family better since we all live here in Nebraska.

Vacation update #2

Now our vacation is more than half over and we are beginning to think about getting our stuff packed up for our flight home on Wednesday. One thing is for sure, Scott took home our carry on with a bunch of stuff we won't be needing and that will be much easier on me and the girls not having to carry that. We had a great weekend with Scott here and got to do some fun things. When he got here Gary had made grilled chicken and Diane made some great side dishes. We were all so full after supper we just sat around and visited. Scott was so tired he fell asleep pretty early. Saturday morning we got up early and headed out to meet Diane's daughter and and her friend for the flea market in Memphis. It was still very hot even though we left early but we had a good time. Luckily the majority of the booths were in buildings with only a few outside in the scorching heat. We got back to the house in the afternoon and the girls both needed naps. Diane's daughter and her friend came over for supper and boy was it a great supper. Gary made ribs on the grill and when they were done they were practically falling off the bone. Scott makes some great ribs on our grill but he needs lots more practice to get as good as Gary's were. Sunday Scott, the girls and I got ready and headed to Memphis to Beal street to do some sight seeing and have lunch. We had been there last time we came and visited and loved it so we went back. We weren't able to spend that long because it was so hot out. After that we went to Southhaven and did a little shopping and headed back to the house since the girls were so tired for the heat. We spent the rest of the afternoon talking and getting supper ready so Scott could eat before he had to go to the airport. As soon as we got done eating spaghetti and homemade ice cream Scott had to leave. It was hard to have him leave and he really didn't want to have to go. He called when he was boarding and got there just in time as they had started boarding already. Nothing like getting there just in time and not having to wait around to board! He really misses us at home with him but knows we are having a great time and making great memories here in Mississippi. The girls are doing great and have got use to everyone and act just like they do at home. We are not really looking forward to coming back to Nebraska because it is going to be very busy as soon as we get home. We fly into Omaha Wednesday around 4:30 and then have to be back in Omaha Thursday morning for a full day of appointments for Tatum. She has a feeding and growth appointment, labs, trans cranial doppler, and then we meet with her hematologist to review the labs and doppler. Luckily my brother will be coming to Lincoln on Wednesday to come with Scott to pick us up and then will help me out in Omaha on Thursday. Friday I have an appointment and Scott's mom is also suppose to be coming. I hope we have a quiet weekend and can do some catching up at the house.

Vacation update

We left our house bright and early Wednesday morning and got to Omaha around 5am. Soon after we got our luggage checked Scott had to leave so he could get back to Lincoln in time to go to work. The girls and I got through security but it definitely wasn't easy. I had the double stroller, a back pack, and another carry on. Since I had brought Keely's breathing machine for her asthma I had to take it all out and run through by its self and I also had a package of Tate's juice supplement in the carry on and had to explain that to everyone. Thank goodness they let it all go through. Then when Keely and I walked through the alarm went off so I had to take my belt off and then all was good. That was the hardest part of the whole trip. Once we got on the plane and seated all together it was smoothing flying from there on out. Keely fell asleep as soon as we took off and didn't wake up until we were almost ready to land. That was great because when she was awake she wanted down to run around. Tate was just so excited she only slept about 20 minutes then was awake trying to look out the window. We didn't get a window seat on the way here so I hope we can on the way home. Tate loved it when we were in the clouds and she could see us flying in them. I had to remind her not to holler so loud when she expressed her excitement. When we got to Memphis we did have to walk a ways to get to where Gary was and at that point I was so thankful I had the stroller. Just carrying the carry on and book bag was heavy enough. Then we went down and got our luggage and were off to Gary and Diane's house. Both girls stayed awake the 20 or 30 minute trip to their house. They were so glad when we got here and both were about ready for naps and it was only 9am. We spent most of the first day relaxing and the girls played outside quite a bit. Tate kept coming to me saying "It's hot here" I said yep it's quite a bit hotter here than it has been in Nebraska but so far they are handling it great. At the end of the day everyone was tired and slept great the first night. Thursday we had breakfast, got ready, and headed to Southhaven to get some supplies that I didn't want to pack and had lunch. We got back later in the afternoon and the girls took long naps until about supper time. Finally about 8pm it was cool enough to get outside. Diane took me and the girls for a ride on the golf cart to the neighbors. The girls loved the ride and looking at the neighbor's pool and fish in their pond. So far we are having a great time and are looking forward to Scott coming tonight. I have a few pictures and will try to post them when I get some more time. Have a great weekend everyone!

Almost ready to go!

I thought I should write a post before we go just to update you all on what is going on. We had a great weekend last weekend and truly did RELAX like we wanted to. I love those days when we don't even get ready for the day until 1pm. But then again the day was gone before we knew it. We also spent a lot of time packing and planning for our vacation. Now that we are less than 24hrs until we leave I can say that I think we are pretty much ready to go. We even weighed our suitcase and we are under the 50lb max by about a pound so we should be good to go on that aspect of the trip. I have been worried about being able to carry Tate's drink supplements in our carry on but was told today by the airport it should be fine if I tell them I have liquid supplement for our daughter. If there is any kind of issue with it we will just take some of the heavier stuff out of the suitcase and put the drinks in there. I am trying not to stress about the trip and just want to enjoy the time we have there. Unfortunately, we haven't got any new response from Tatum's birth mother regarding meeting so as of now there are no plans of getting to meet them. This is very disappointing for all of us. We will have a great time with Tatum's foster parents as usual and hopefully get to do some fun stuff while we are there too. We have talked about maybe going to Graceland during this trip but will see if time allows. It is going to be so weird flying without Scott and we will be very anxious to see him when he gets in on Friday evening. Tomorrow morning Scott will drive the girls and I to the airport in Omaha at about 4am so he can get back to Lincoln in time to go to work. It will be an early morning but we will be in Memphis by 8:15am tomorrow morning giving us the whole day to rest up and relax a little. I hope to be able to post updates and pictures while we are gone. Hope everyone is having a great week!

Letter from a birthmom...

A while back Scott's birth mom asked if we would like her to write a letter about a birth mother's perspective on placing a child for adoption so we could add it to our blog. We said of course, we would love it. The following is her letter. It describes all the emotions she felt then and now after deciding adoption was the best thing for her child....


Well, I was 17, still in high school, and already had a baby girl. It was a struggle living at home with my parents with my baby receiving welfare. When I found out that I was pregnant again I was surprised and happy and somehow I already knew I was, I just needed a doctor to tell me for sure. When I found out for sure, I was asked if I would have an abortion. My response was ABSOLUTELY NOT!!! I was carrying and innocent baby and it shouldn't be punished for something that happened. I knew there were a lot of parents out there that couldn't have their own baby and I wanted to give someone the joy of having a baby. During my pregnancy I did a lot of thinking about the baby and how much I wanted to keep it. I would rub my tummy and talk to my stomach and would tell the baby how much I loved it. My case worker suggested that I write the baby a letter explaining my decision, one for a boy, and one for a girl, so we sat down and wrote. "Hello, My name is Linda Wilken and I'm your mom. I want you to know why I made this decision. It's not that I don't love you, I do love you very much and that's why I did this. I didn't want to raise 2 children on welfare. I want you to have both a mom and a dad, something I can't give you. I want you to have a better life than I can give and I hope you don't hate me for doing what I had to do." Then the day my baby came, I was spotting and had been all day. I didn't know the sex of the baby till he was born. I finally made it to the hospital at 4 p.m and at 4:25 p.m, my son was born, 6lbs 1oz and 17 inches long. He had all his fingers and toes. He was the first son, grandson, and great-grandson in our family. He was also born on his grandpa's birthday and he was so special. A few hours after I had the baby the nurse asked if I wanted to hold the baby and without hesitation I said yes. They took me to the nursery and haded him to my, they gave me a bottle and we sat for over an hour. I looked at his face, held his little hand, and talked to him. I told him how much I loved him and I wanted so much to keep him, but I knew I couldn't. I traced his little face so I would remember every part. I burped him and hugged him so tight. I didn't want to let him go. I hoped he wouldn't hate me. The next day my case worker came and gave me the papers to sign . She also said if the father wanted him, he had 5 days to come and claim him. She also said that I could change my mind. I almost did. The day came for me to leave the hospital. I asked the nurses if I could take a picture, they let me, crying the whole time. I turned and left, never to see him again. They next few months were hard, very hard. I cried almost daily because I missed him so much. When I found out that they found him a family, I wondered about him. I wondered if he was being well cared for, if they were treating him well. There wasn't a day that went by that I didn't think of him. Every time I got a letter or pictures I was so happy. I lived for those pictures and they made me cry. I hoped one day he would try to find me and I wanted to be a part of his life. Then came the day when I met his adopted mother, and then him. I was so happy and excited, I couldn't wait. When he hugged me for the first time, it was like a dream come true, I had waited for that moment all my life. Getting pictures of him all those years I knew I had done the right thing. He had things I couldn't give him, gone places I couldn't take him. Today, I love him so much and I'm so thankful I am a part of his life. I only hope he feels the same way....


We are also very thankful to have Scott's birth mother and her family in our lives. We hope that this letter gives all of you a little incite on what goes on inside a birth mom when she decides that adoption is the best choice..

WE'RE BACK!!

Sorry it has been so long since our last post but we sure have been having fun while we were gone! Last weekend was a very busy one with the two extra girls we did respite for. The rainy weather didn't help out much and made for a long weekend inside. We did end up getting the pool set up when it wasn't raining so now we just need it to warm up so the water isn't so darn cold.

Monday morning we got up bright and early and after getting all the kids ready we headed out. I had to pick up the brother of the girls we were doing respite for and we dropped the three of them off with their family on our way back to my hometown. We got in town just in time for some of my grandma's fabulous cooking! Later that evening we went to the park for supper, then back to grandma's to watch the parade. The girls really got into picking up candy this year and ended up with more than we will be able to eat. When the parade was over we were off to the carnival. It was so fun to see how excited the girls were over all the rides. Tatum normally is very shy and won't get far from me at all without throwing a fit thinking I am leaving her but she really opened up and enjoyed herself at the fair. Tatum was especially exited to see everything and after riding on one ride she just wanted to keep riding. Keely enjoyed the rides too but wasn't so verbal about it all. Both girls got to play the game where you pick up ducks and also won prizes. Tuesday we just relaxed and napped in the afternoon to get ready for another fun night at the fair. After eating in the park at the BBQ the girls rode a lot of rides and played in the park for a while. I am so glad I decided to take them to the fair and we all had a great time. We all missed Scott very much and were glad to get home today and see him. My sister came home with us to spend a couple days so we are going to be busy the rest of the week and are looking forward to a calm and quiet weekend! We hope. We plan on just trying to start thinking about getting packed for our vacation to Mississippi next week. It's hard to believe that its already almost here when it just seemed like it was so far away. I guess being so busy has made time fly.

8 years ago today....

It is quite amazing for me to be able to say that Scott and I have been married for 8 years today. Thinking back to that very warm day in Las Vegas there are so many great memories. First of all we were so lucky to have so much of our family there with us on our special day. There were about 20 people in attendance which I think is amazing for a Las Vegas wedding. I was so nervous that day and can still remember standing in line at the court house waiting to get our marriage license when our wedding was scheduled to start. So needless to say we were late for our own wedding! The ceremony lasted only about 10 minutes and then we took tons of pictures. The afternoon was spent by everyone just kind of doing their own thing. Then that evening a group of us went on a limo tour around Las Vegas to quite a few different attractions. It was great seeing everything at night and everyone had a good time. Another great memory I have of our wedding trip to Las Vegas was time we got to spend with my dad. It is really one of the last memories I have of him when he was healthy, having a great time, and truly happy. I am so thankful that we talked him into going and taking time off of work. It was great having him walk me down the isle even though it was very hard for him to do. Not because he didn't like Scott but I was his only baby girl and he was always very protective of me. I will never forget the night before our wedding he gave us the money to pay for the chapel and everything else for the wedding. After me telling him he really didn't have to he said "I am going to pay for the wedding but this is going to be the first and the last. So it better last!" He was such a hard a** most of my life and we didn't always get along or even agree on much but a lot of who I am today is because of him and I will be forever grateful.

As far as celebrating this day we really didn't do much. We are doing respite for two young girls until Monday so we definitely have a house full. I did get 8 beautiful roses delivered this afternoon and our trip to Mississippi is kind of a gift for all of us. We are also still doing respite for the girl I mentioned in the last post. Come to find out she is actually 14 and we are having a great time with her here during the days. She is so grown up, responsible, and very easy to get along with. She loves the girls and even the dogs. She will still be with us tomorrow and there is a chance she might go back to my home town with me and the girls Monday and stay until Wednesday. We should find out tomorrow what the play for next week is. Scott had a late softball game tonight so he helped me get everyone ready for bed before he left and now everyone except Tatum is sleeping soundly and I am relaxing while Tate watches Dora. We really don't have plans for the weekend other than hang out and do a lot of playing outside so hopefully it is nice out. Our neighbors are going to let us borrow their huge pool this summer so we are going to try and set that up too. Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Adding to our busy week!

I am happy to let everyone know that the new foster care agency we switched to a few weeks ago got our home study completed and sent off to the state last week. We now have to sit and wait while they review everything and then hopefully approve it all so we can get our license. We also were put on the new agencies respite care list. This means that if they need someone to do respite for a child with their agency we could get called. And that is exactly what happened today. Late this afternoon I got a call from a lady there and asked if I could take care of a 13 year old girl during the day while her foster mom is at work. Of course I said yes. She will be with us tomorrow from 9-5:30 and possibly the rest of the week. We really don't know how many days she will be staying with us, we will have to see how things go. We got very little information because it was an emergency situation this afternoon and is the first time she has been in foster care. I am nervous and anxious all at the same time. I hope it goes well. We hope that our actual license gets approved soon so we can start getting calls about children who could potentially be living with us. Our other home study is also complete so the possibilities are endless and we will just have to wait and see where this third adoption journey leads us. We are in no hurry and hope that our third child will come to us at just the right time and we will be ready as can be.