Drumroll please.....

I'm so pleased to announce that

I HAVE A JOB!!!

I got the call today offering me an RN position at Banner Baywood in the PCU (Progressive Care Unit). This unit is kind of a cross between the ICU and a regular medical floor taking care of patients with heart issues. I am so excited! My official start date is March 23rd! Yeah for me!! I am actually going to be a working nurse! Wahoo!!

Its a wonderful life

Hello everyone!! It's Mark, the quiet other half. I have been wanting to post for awhile, but wasn't sure what momentus occasion to write about. Then I had an epiphany, my entire life is a momentus occasion. I am married to the most wonderful and caring woman....thats you Erin. She is the reason I look forward to waking up each day, and the reason I strive to be a better man. I am so proud of you Erin for all that you do and the great example you are to the boys and I. I have three amazing, smart, handsome little boys who I love so very much...who always greet me when I come home with "Daddy's home!", followed by hugs and kisses. I love you Tarell, Brayden and Landon. I work for an awesome company with an extraordinary boss....you couldn't ask for a better working environment. I have the opportunity to work with some of the most grateful, motivated and dedicated people. I have both amazing parents and a wonderful mother and father in-law who have always been there to support us through thick and thin, I love all of you for that.I am so grateful for all that we have been blessed with over the years and the opportunities that have been made possible for us. As Erin and I approach our 5 year anniversary it gives me a chance to think back to when we first met and the butterflies I would always get when I hadn't seen each other for awhile...those butterflies never left. Erin I love you more now than I ever thought possible. Although we have made some questionable decisions over the years, I don't regret any of them because it has brought us to where we are today. I am realizing now that it is almost 1 am, so I hope that this is as coherent in the morning as it seems to me now. Thank you again to all of our friends and family....we love you all!

Too long...

I realize that it has been nearly a month since I last posted - boy this month went too fast! Our month has been super busy and full of fun. Here are some pictures (please ignore the fuzzy pics...I have yet to figure out the settings on the camera to fix this!)


We played at Grandma and Grandad's house and got to see Grandad's new toy!




We played at the park



We spent a day at the Renaissance Festival where Mark got to participate in one of the "shows" they put on. This guy was some kind of traveling entertainer who juggled and played with fire - it was very entertaining for the kids. They especially loved when daddy was called to the stage to "help" out. Mark didn't love it so much but was a good sport.




All in all we have had a great month!

My boys...

Aren't they handsome in their Sunday best?? I certainly think so!

Park fun

We picked Landon up on Wednesday and got him all moved in. It's amazing to me how much stuff kids can have! Combine Landon's stuff with Brayden and Tarell's stuff and we have a full house.

The boys have really formed a strong bond and have had such a great time this week! Here are a few pictures. Enjoy!

Our first visit

Today we met Landon in person and it was so much fun! When we first got to the door he ran up to me and jumped into my arms and wanted to take us into his room to see his toys. He was all smiles and laughs for the visit.

As we were getting ready to leave he was sad and asked if he could come home with us. Even though we wanted him to it just couldn't happen today as he had a doctor appointment. He did give both Mark and I hugs and kisses - it was so cute! I will be picking him up for the day on Wednesday and then we will pick him up on Friday for good.

We are so excited and did manage to get a few pictures today. Some of them are a little fuzzy - it's a little difficult to get pictures of an active 2 year old.

Have you heard???

We knew it would happen sooner or later...


We were hoping for sooner rather than later...


We have been preparing for this...


Now, the time is here and are we really ready???


Can we do this???


I'm hoping so; here goes...


Introducing our(Click here for the post explaining)

On Wednesday we were selected to add a new member to our family and we couldn't be more excited! We met this new member's paperwork and picture today to determine if we want to proceed and there was no question about it...it is meant to be!

We are so excited to be able to introduce our new little boy to all our friends and family. His name is Landon and he just turned 2. According to the information we got today he will fit nicely into our family, and he even looks like our boys! He is very much a boy and loves to play outside and be "rough and tumble" - sound familiar anyone??

We told the boys tonight over dinner that they will be getting a new little brother and they could not be more excited! They have been constantly talking about how they will be the best big brothers ever. They can't wait to have Landon join our family.

Mark and I will meet Landon in person on Monday and then will hopefully be moving him in later in the week and we are so excited!

We feel strongly that this is what is meant to be and feel so blessed by our Heavenly Father. We know that Landon is supposed to be a part of our family. We are so thankful for everyone's prayers and thoughts throughout this journey and can't wait to see what the future brings. We are also very grateful for the adoption agency we chose and their help in continuing to make this relatively painless. If anyone ever wants information on how our adoption process worked then we are more than happy to help, and highly recommend it! We are so looking forward to having everyone meet Landon in the coming weeks! As soon as we can we will get a new family picture up for everyone to see!