Here We Go Again!!

L-O-V-E

2012-02-15T14:26:00.005-06:00

An evening watching football and playing Bedbugs....sound like your perfect Valentines Day?! That's how I spent last night and it was great!! Stephen had a big event for work last night that he had to be at, so Max was my perfect date! We headed to dinner, and of course he chose a place with TV's so he could catch the game!! Then we headed back to the hotel (we had tagged along with Stephen to his work event) and played the new game that Max had gotten as a Valentine's Day gift from us. Do you guys remember Bedbugs?! My brother and I used to LOVE playing it as kids! And it did not disappoint! Max had a great time!

Earlier in the day Max had his Valentine's party at school so we made pink rice krispy treats to share and of course valentines to pass out! Stephen and I had planned to not exchange gifts. We're in super saver mode for the second adoption, plus I always feel a little silly having him spend a ton of money on something for me when I know without any doubt that my man is crazy in love with me! But...he didn't stick to the plan! He was sneaky and got me a gift certificate for a massage at a local spa. And I have to say....I'm sooooo glad he broke the rules!! I can't wait to use it!

Hope you all had a great Valentines Day. The best part, no matter how you spent your day, or who you spent it with, we are all loved in a way that can never be surpassed! I pray you know the never ending love of our Savior!

Two new friends!!

2012-02-01T21:13:00.004-06:00

Well....its been a while since I've blogged! In a way, we've been doing a whole lot of nothing, but funny how that keeps you pretty darn busy!! Max is slowly conquering the whole "staying dry through the night" thing. He's been day time potty trained since he came home but man oh man have we struggled with that at night! But...we're getting there. And since he's been doing so good, we decided he deserved a special surprise. Max has been hinting for a while that he wanted a fish to keep in his room,so that's just what he got! And, in true SUPER sweet Max fashion, when we got there he asked if we could get two fish so that his sister can have one too when she gets home! Oh I LOVE that boy!! Well, the fish are happily sitting on Max's dresser in their bowl and Max is totally thrilled to have them! Let's just hope he keeps up his dry nights!

Christmas catch-up

2012-01-02T20:52:00.015-06:00

What a great Christmas season we had!!! We have such an amazing family, and it was soooo great to spend some really quality time with all of them. I'll warn you though.....this post has a TON of pictures!

We opened presents with Max a few days before Christmas. We just didn't have enough room in the van to pack all those gifts!!! He understood that it wasn't actually Christmas yet, and he certainly wasn't complaining about getting to open them early!! We're in super saving mode these days, planning for bringing home baby number two so we tried to be as frugal as we could with gifts this year. We scored some good deals though, and Max loved everything he got! One of Stephen and I's fave purchase was his new Bible. We went with the "Jesus Story Time Bible". It's seriously awesome...definitely less "picture" Bible than his last one, but still very much meant for children, with every story being brought back to God's awesome plan for salvation. It really helps Max see God's "big plan" and nightly we get to remind him of Christ love and sacrifice. Love that! Max also got a super cool Texas A&M jersey, complete with his name on the back. He really hasn't taken it off since he opened it! But, I think his favorite gift from us is a new...slightly more impressive than the last, acoustic guitar. Last Christmas we bought him one, but all the strings had broken by the time he'd had it 72 hours! Well, he's had it a good two weeks now...and we haven't lost a string yet! Max also received a gift from the sweet couple, Lek and Edmond, in Thailand that loved and took care of him from the time he was an infant until the day we came to bring him home. I LOVE that Max has that special relationship!

A few days later, we packed up the van and headed to North Carolina for some super fun time with Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt 'Ginia and Uncle Ryan. We had such a great time with them and started a new tradition that I'm super excited about! Grandma and Grandpa took Max out to pick out his very own little Christmas tree. They brought it back to the house and decorated it. It was super cute sitting out on the back porch! Then, the day after Christmas, they planted it in their yard! I love that every time we visit, Max will be able to see how tall its growing! Santa came while we were there..and Max could hardly contain himself when he saw his present. He kept asking "do you think its a football helmet?!?!?" Well, sure enough, Santa knew just what he wanted, and he got himself an A&M football helmet!! This boy is by far the cutest football player ever!! We headed to the local high school and let Max play on their field. He really felt like hot stuff! Super fun times in N.C.!!!

We were home for just under 24 hours, just enough time to do some laundry, then we headed off to my folk's house to celebrate New Year's and open more presents. Max and his cousins had a blast playing...you guessed it, football! The boys got matching pj's that glow in the dark, and for some mysterious reason, they had a really hard time getting to sleep :) Max got a Wii from my parents and it included Rock Band, so you know he was sold when he opened the box and there was a big guitar inside! We went bowling (and yes, my sons eyes are closed in those pictures. He's got this thing lately about making the silliest faces possible in every picture!), celebrated my dad's birthday, ate lots of yummy food and just enjoyed being together...exactly how I like it!

Time with family always flies by way too fast...but better that way than the other I guess!! Love, love, love Christmas time, and I'm usually a little bummed when its over. But, you know, I'm pretty excited about 2012! Praying this is the year we see our sweet girl's face! And speaking of our girl...she was in EVERYONE'S thoughts this Christmas. Max opened her gifts for her, a super cute stuffed animal and sweet book about a little girl and her dad (that totally makes me cry every time I read it!) from Grandma and Grandpa and a tiny pair of diamond stud earrings from Meemaw and Pops that match the pair they got for her sweet cousin Clara who my brother and sister-in-law are bringing home from Ghana very soon! Seems like just yesterday I was typing the post a few Christmases ago when Stephen and I were opening all of Max's gifts, longing for the day he was here with us. And, now he's here, and helping us prepare for his sister! God is so good!

The cutest little shepherd boy!!

2011-12-16T19:34:00.003-06:00

Max was in his first CHRISTmas play at school! It was the sweetest thing ever!!! His preschool class sang and everyone had a speaking part (in groups). Max has been practicing, and practicing, and he knew his lines by heart! Of course I cried, and he was as proud as can be! Here's his part...complete with hand motions!

Clop, clop, clop went the donkey's feet
Clop, clop, clop down the stoney street
Nod, nod, nod went Mary's head
She was tired and needed a bed
Knock, knock, knock went Joseph at the door
Do you have room for even one more?
No, no, no the innkeeper said
I don't even have one more bed
Wait, wait, wait the innkeeper said
You can use my stable instead
Shh, shh, shh what's that I hear?
The cry of baby Jesus, oh so dear!

Love, love, love amidst the gifts and parties and holiday fun, that even at school Max is learning exactly why it is we celebrate!!!

The most wonderful time of the year!!!

2011-12-09T19:32:00.008-06:00

We are having sooo much fun making CHRISTmas memories around here! Tonight's agenda.....baking and frosting cookies! Max was the perfect little helper, and had a blast decorating each cookie. I remember doing the same thing as a little girl, and its so cool getting to be Mom and watching my little boy love it to! Now we're all camped out on the couch, enjoying our cookies, watching Frosty The Snowman! The perfect night!

Yay for CHRISTmas!

2011-12-02T09:20:00.005-06:00

Our tree is up and we are LOVING it! Max's favorite thing to do when we get home from school or from running errands is to ask "can I plug in the lights now?!?!" It makes him feel so grown up! Its fun to experience the CHRISTmas season through Max's eyes this year. He's really understanding everything so much more this year. We've talked about how much more important it is to give rather than to get....and how Jesus is the best gift ever given. Our sweet little smarty pants reminds us every day "God loves us sooooo much that's why we have Christmas!" We've got lots of other fun things planned for this month. Can't wait to experience them all with him!

The cutest Indian ever!!!

2011-11-22T20:10:00.003-06:00

Max had his Thanksgiving feast at preschool today.....and he had a blast! The kids were supposed to dress up as either a pilgrim or an Indian, and Max chose to be an Indian! A friend of mine at church, who is a kindergarten teacher gave me supplies that they use in her class to make costumes for their feast....so we set to work! We had a lot of fun putting it together, and Max had even more fun wearing it! The feast was great (the teachers always do such an amazing job with the kids!) and he looked soooo darn cute! Unlike last year (after only having been home a month) Max really understands what it means to be thankful....and how incredible our God is! His prayers tonight showed just that. "God, I'm thankful for my mommy, and my daddy. And I'm thankful for my house, and Charlie (our dog) and for my muscles that are getting so big!" Goofy, but straight from the heart! We have soooooo much to be thankful for...and this little boy is a HUGE part of that!!!

Its official....he's a boy!

2011-11-16T15:08:00.002-06:00

Well, we had our first trip to the ER on Monday....let me tell you, it was horrible! Max and his cousin Noah were having a great time, dancing in the living room when...BAM! Max flipped himself right into the coffee table. He split his left eyebrow right open!!! And he did it good, let me tell you! We rushed him to the ER and he bought himself three stitches. The doctor really did a great job, and I don't think he'll have much of a scar thankfully.

I have to tell you though...being a nurse.....its WAY different when you're mom!!! It was the HARDEST thing I've ever had to do watching Max being strapped down screaming "Mommy, Daddy don't leave me!!!". He was so scared, and he hates needles and hospitals anyways, so this was ten times worse for him. But, we all made it through together, Stephen and I just kept reminding him that there was no way we were leaving and we held his hand through it all. Afterwards Max really thought french fries and ice cream would make him feel better....so of course we agreed!

He's one tough kid! The very next morning, he was off to school to show off his battle wound. And he hasn't complained of it hurting since! Hopefully that's the last ER trip for a while!

Tomorrow?!

2011-11-06T17:58:00.004-06:00

Today at lunch, Stephen and I were chatting when Max all of a sudden said "Excuse me Mom and Dad." He looked pretty serious as he asked "Can we bring my sister home tomorrow?" Oh bud, how I wish we could say "yes!" and have that be the case. We had a really good convo about how we have to wait, and continue to pray for her, for her health, and for her to be well cared for...just like we did Max while we waited for him to come home. He really seems to understand exactly what is happening through this process, and we loving sharing with him about it. I know among other things, Max is super excited to FINALLY one day have a picture of his sister. We're right there with you kiddo!

Yesterday we went to Cracker Barrel and picked up the CUTEST little baby doll!!! A friend of mine on a facebook adoption group had spotted it and posted a picture...I couldn't resist!!! She has dark skin and black hair, just like our perfect little girl will have! And its super soft! You could tell Max was a super proud big brother carrying it up to the register. Can't wait to see the two of them together!!!

Our paperwork is moving along really quickly and we're praying like crazy for continued smooth sailing......we're coming baby girl!

Super blessed!

2011-10-30T19:04:00.003-05:00

My two guys sure do know how to make a girl feel special!!! Friday was my birthday and it was such a great day!!! All I wanted this year was a chance to shop!!! And shop I did! The boys were such troopers and I scored some serious deals! And of course there were fun things for them along the way too! We had a fun dinner out and stopped by a fun ice cream shop. All in all, GREAT family day with my two best guys! The pics are from our wait at the restaurant. We decided to entertain ourselves by taking goofy pics. Max was laughing so hard we were afraid he might pee his pants! Crazy kid!!

1st Annual Family Day!!!

2011-10-15T19:00:00.009-05:00

One year ago today.....I seriously remember it like it was yesterday! I was unbelievably excited as we rode in the cab to Pakkred Babies home, but I also couldn't shake this feeling of almost needing to throw up! I was about to officially become Mom....and boy oh boy that feeling was BIG!!! And then suddenly, there he was...slightly terrified of all the chaos around him but undeniably the most adorable little boy we had ever seen! Even though I feel like EVERY detail of our two weeks in Thailand are still so fresh in my mind, its like it was yesterday.....I don't remember much of anything that was said to us during that hour or so we were at the babies home....I couldn't take my eyes off of Max!!! Nothing else mattered in that moment...he has there...right in front of us...and it was magical!!! And now, a year has passed, seriously?!?! A year?! I still can't quite grasp that....it feels like just yesterday in some ways. All that time of waiting to bring him home...and these last 12 months have FLOWN by! But on the other hand...I think back and its as if Max has always been a part of our lives, he's ours, 100%. The family that the three of us have become is a true testament to the awesomeness that is our God! We prayed for this incredible little boy not knowing his face or his name....but our Father knew him all along....had a plan for not only our lives but for his!! Stephen and I have been blessed in ways we never even imagined we would by being "mom" and "dad" to this awesome little boy! And today we reminded him a gazillion times just how super cool he is!!! We talk a ton about adoption, and Thailand, and the trip that Stephen and I took to bring him home, but we wanted to especially remind him today just how special he is, and just how much we prayed and longed for him. We let him pick what we did today...and it turned into a pretty cool day! Lots of pictures ahead!!!

First stop, Curtis Orchard! Fall incarnate really! We stocked up on donuts, cider and apples!!! So yummy!

For lunch, we headed to Flesor's Candy Kitchen! Yummy food....but of course that's not what we were there for!!!

Next on Max's wish list....bowling!! He's never been before, and he's been talking about wanting to go forever! So, today was the day, and according to Max, it didn't disappoint! He had a great time, and so did Stephen and I! Check out the score....Max really kept up thanks to the bumpers! I am truly terrible at bowling...but the bumpers came in handy for me too! And check out Max's strike! That was completely on his own...without the bumpers....he was jumping up and down cheering for that one!

And, to round out the evening, we headed to the baseball diamond close to our house. Max want to run the bases and practice batting. He's pretty pumped about getting to play next year, so we're getting in practices now while the weather's still nice!

We ended the night watching the dvd that Max's Aunt Rae-Rae made for us. Its a slide show of pictures of Max before we brought him home, and then pictures of the three of us in Thailand together. Its an incredible gift, and makes me cry every time I watch it!!! What a great day...with an amazing boy!!!

The big 3-0!!!!!

2011-10-05T21:40:00.003-05:00

Happy Birthday to my love!!! We celebrated with a fabulous weekend in Ohio with our best friends and Stephen got to spend Saturday golfing....doesn't get much better than that as far as he's concerned! It was so nice to spend some quality time with them and their two boys....and even more fun to make a fuss over Stephen!!! Max LOVED getting to spoil Daddy, and he did an awesome job of keeping everything a surprise! We got Stephen a new fancy set of golf clubs and topped the night off with ice cream sundaes. So glad we got to celebrate like that because......unfortunately today for his actual birthday he's all the way in Texas for a work trip. Big boo for that!!! But, we talked a million times today and we packed some small presents in his suit case for him to open this morning....so hopefully that helped make the day special!

Happy Birthday to the sweetest and craziest guy I know! Max and I are beyond blessed to call you ours!

Here we go again....Yay!!!!

2011-09-27T15:54:00.003-05:00

We have officially begun the paperwork for our second adoption! We are praying that we'll be bringing a little girl home from Thailand some time in the next two years! We've chosen to work with a new international agency this time around.....but we're sticking with LCFS for our homestudy and post placement "stuff". They were so awesome through Max's adoption, and really worked so hard to pick up all the pieces of the mess created by our international agency.....there's no way we'd work with anyone else! For the international portion, we've chosen New Beginnings out of New York. They place "special needs" children which is what we were looking for. We knew we wanted to request a little girl, and we knew we wanted a waiting child. With my medical background and God blessing us and allowing me to now stay home full time, it has been on our hearts since the start of our adoption journey with Max to bring home a child that might need extra medical attention. We thought that might be the case with Max, but he's such a rock star the most "extra medical attention" he's needed is a few dr.'s visits! We can certainly handle that!

We've been told to "expect two years" start to finish, but "pray for less." And you know we'll be doing that! Start to finish, we brought Max home just one month shy of two years. While we were in the middle of the waiting, it seemed never ending, but now we're just two weeks short of celebrating the one year anniversary of having him home! So, we're praying that maybe having this awesome guy to journey through the waiting period with us will make it that much easier! He's sold on the idea of having a sister....and he's for sure ready to be a big brother! He loves talking about how his sister is "being born in Thailand just like me!" He's very interested in helping us choose a name.....although I'm not 100% sure we'll go with his first choice. I just don't love the way "Chicken Nugget Kull" flows! He was very proud to make his sign for the picture. His writing skills are getting better and better. I wrote the words out and he traced them and then colored in the arrow. That's definitely one drawing that will be going in the keepsake box!

We're so excited about this process! Feels like just yesterday we were mailing off all the papers to begin Max's adoption! God revealed so much to us during those two years......I remember days of feeling his presence so strongly it was as if a literal hand was guiding our direction.....and I remember days of kneeling down next to Max's empty bed sobbing, feeling so alone and unsure. But God's timing and provision was (and continues to be) PERFECT and I am so ridiculously excited to see the journey as it unfolds!

We so covet your prayers right now, as we wait....and wait some more! I'll continue to share daily fun things in the life of Max on this blog, but also update you all on the adoption. Thanks for all your support!

Chicago!!!

2011-09-22T09:34:00.008-05:00

We had a fantastic time in Chicago last weekend! Believe it or not, we had never been downtown! We tried to fit as much as we could into our day and I think we were pretty darn successful! We started the day off with one of Max's favorite parts...."riding the train!!!" aka the subway. We took it to Wrigley field and stayed through the 4th inning of the Cubs came. Then we took a bus (another fave of Max!) to Navy Pier. What a cool place! We took a boat ride on an architectural tour. This was Stephen and I's favorite part for sure! What a beautiful city!!! And those buildings!! My word....they are HUGE!!!! After that we headed over to Millenium Park for some fun at The Bean (such a cool attraction!) and the fountain. Then it was off to dinner at a fabulous Chicago-style pizza place!!! We had a blast and I'm so glad we went! And an even better part, we got to catch up with some of Stephen's friends that we hadn't seen in a really long time. Great weekend!

More birthday fun!

2011-09-08T17:13:00.004-05:00

Man what a birthday extravaganza Max has had!!!! As if he hasn't had enough fun already....it continued this past weekend! We headed to Indiana for my dad's side of the family's reunion and celebrated with them. It was Max's first experience with camping (although we stayed in a hotel....so I know we can't really call it camping!! But we were at the campsite all day!) and he loved it! His fave part was definitely swimming in the lake and of course....spending time with his best bud Noah! My grandparents hadn't met Max yet and it was really special for them to get to have such quality time with him. We were also able to head to southern Michigan on Monday and Max got to meet Stephen's grandma for the first time. Such a special, family filled weekend!

Today Max got one last chance to celebrate! Its was his turn to bring snack to preschool in honor of his birthday! We made chocolate chip cupcakes (they ask for healthy snacks....but we had to be at least a little festive!!) and I got to be the class helper. It was a super special day for him. They gave him a special birthday hat and sang to him, and then he got to lead the prayer and inspect the classroom at the end of the day to make sure everything was cleaned up! He felt super cool!

I think I can safely say the birthday celebrations have come to an end....but my oh my he's had a great run!

He's growing up folks!!

2011-08-30T16:10:00.005-05:00

Oh my! I don't know if I can take much more of this growing up thing! Max turned 4 yesterday....4!!! Are you kidding me! He was just turning three...we were just packing our bags, heading to Thailand....and now he's four.....time has flown! And now today he headed off to his first day of preschool! Seriously, too much change! I'm so excited and proud of him, don't get me wrong....but man oh man...he's supposed to be my baby a little bit longer!

We had such a blast celebrating his birthday together! We've already celebrated far too many birthdays apart....so Stephen and I were beyond excited to finally be all together for Max's big day. When Max woke up on Saturday we surprised him and told him we were heading on a road trip for his birthday. We drove up north and took him to "A Day Out With Thomas the Train"! Oh my goodness, he had a blast! He kept saying "we get to ride on Thomas?!?!" We went to a Japanese hibachi restaurant for dinner and it was a perfect ending to the day. The waiters brought Max out a HUGE ice cream sundae and sang him happy birthday, complete with a big drum!

On his actual birthday, we kept the fun going! We had lunch out with Stephen and then let Max pick his favorite meal for me to make at home for dinner. And not surprisingly at all....he chose spaghetti! He got himself a scooter and a keyboard along with some other smaller gifts. We also discovered recently that his legs are finally long enough for him to reach the pedals on his bike, so after presents we headed outside to ride! Then it was cake time! Stephen and I are definitely NOT professionals when it comes to cake decorating but we had a really good time making it, and Max seemed to think it tasted good, so that's all that matters!

Really it was just a super special family day! We got to love on our boy and I got to pretend for one more day that he wasn't about to head off to preschool!

But.....then today happened! And now there's no going back! He's most definitely a preschooler! He had a such a blast on his first day and already can't wait to go back! I really am excited for him...and I'm so proud that he's in mainstream preschool...having learned so much in the short ten months he's been home! He looks so grown up in these pictures! So many big things happening these days...I'm ready to just settle into this schedule and enjoy it!

North Carolina 2011

2011-08-13T16:49:00.006-05:00

We had another FABULOUS trip to North Carolina! We spent a week with family, and it was a perfect trip! Max had a fun over night with Grandma and Grandpa and we enjoyed a super fun day at Tweetsie Railroad (a super cute amusement park with an old time steam engine that Max loved!) The weather was perfect and it was great to have us all together! With Stephen's sister and brother-in-law living in NYC, his folks in North Carolina and us in Illinois, we really treasure these times when all seven of us can be together! We also took the opportunity to celebrate Max's upcoming 4th birthday! He understands that the big day isn't until August 29th....but he also understands that its VERY fun to take every chance he can to celebrate! He got a slip-n-slide (which he's already mastered the perfect technique for!), a microphone with stand (seriously the PERFECT gift for him!!) and karaoke machine (another PERFECT fit!) some Thomas the Train toys, a couple new books, a wooden train to sit on his book shelf and so many other things I can't even remember! He had such a great time....I think he thought it was Christmas again! Speaking of Christmas, that's when we'll all be together again...and we're super excited about it!!! Hope you enjoy all the pictures!!

A weekend of firsts!!

2011-07-25T15:17:00.004-05:00

Oh what a fun weekend we had! This weekend was the Bagelfest in our small town (Lender's Bagels is headquartered here and sponsor's our fair each summer) and we had a great time! We took Max to his first good ol' fashion parade and he scored more candy than most kids do on Halloween! Its was so stinkin' hot outside, but he didn't seem to mind.

Later that night, we finally broke out the sparklers we had bought around the fourth of July but never got around to using. Max was in total awe. After a round of safety instructions, we let him hold them as they burned down, and I think he thought he was the coolest kid on the block! I love that about Max, he finds the joy in the smallest things! And, I love getting to experience all these first with him!

We are gearing up for a week long trip to North Carolina to visit Grandma and Grandpa (Stephen's folks) Aunt 'Ginia and Uncle Ryan and we are all SO excited! I'll have lots of pictures to share after our trip!

Summer fun!

2011-07-07T19:26:00.004-05:00

I know its been forever since I've posted. We've been super busy this summer....and its been great! We've been traveling a ton....spending lots of time in the pool....and enjoying play dates with all our friends from church. Its been a blast...and Max has been loving every minute of it! Max is also LOVING baseball these days! He and Stephen are out there playing almost everyday after he gets home from work. And, he's getting pretty good. He'll be old enough to play t-ball next year, and he can't wait! Enjoy the pictures...and enjoy your summer!!!

Let's Party

2011-06-13T19:41:00.006-05:00

Sorry for the delay...we've been busy, busy, busy. But, I wanted to be sure to post lots of pictures from our super fun weekend following our court date. We had a blast! Family came into town, and we had a great party! The pictures (all 500 of them!) pretty much tell the story themselves. Max had a great day, and that's exactly what we were going for! We wanted him to know how special he is, and how much we all love him, and I know we felt that! We also spent a day at Rockome Gardens with Grandma after everyone else had left. It a small place, just a town or two over, but we'd never been and wanted to check it out. It was so pretty! The weather was perfect, and it was a great day! Alright, now onto the TONS of pictures. Enjoy!

Finalization Day!

2011-05-26T16:09:00.006-05:00

"I want to stay with Daddy and Mommy for eba and eba!!" Those were my sweet boys words to me this morning as we got ready to head to the court house. We've been talking this week about what this court hearing means, and explaining to Max how happy Stephen and I are to tell to the judge that we are so in love with our little boy, and we can't wait to once and for all make it 100% official! Well, Max wanted to make sure that his opinion was heard too!

This morning could not have gone smoother. Although, I will say, the whole thing was a lot more "official" than I thought it would be. Both Stephen and I were called to "testify" and I was beyond nervous. Not that we had any reason to believe that anyone would see us as anything other than what we are, a family, formed by our AWESOME Father, happy and healthy....but we had encountered so many stumbling blocks and hiccups on the road to actually bringing Max home, that it felt as if at any moment the judge would notice a piece of paper was out of order, or a document was missing. But.......everything was great, and the judge was lovely and so kind, and I cried way more than I anticipated, and I fell in love with my husband even more than before. Our lawyer asked us as we were walking in "Who wants to do most of the talking." Stephen looks at me with a wink and says "I got this." She called him to the stand first, and I don't know what it was exactly, but something in the way he answered her simple questions, and the confidence in his voice as he assured the judge that our love for Max is unfailing.....oh how I love that man!!!

We gave Max the choice on how to spend the afternoon. And he wanted to go the movies. We chose to see Kung Fu Panda II, and little did we know it had such a strong adoption theme.....perfect movie for today!!! Max had a blast and ate WAY too much popcorn!

We're gearing up for a party this Saturday with friends and family and Max is super pumped. Max's favorite question to ask anyone who will listen these days....."Are you coming to my party?!" Silly kid!

Great day....Incredible boy.....man we are BLESSED!!!

Heading into the courthouse!

The judge said "Hello Max!" and Max said "Nice to meet you!" She got a kick out of that!

Its really dark and I kinda chopped Max's head off, but the movie was about to start and it was the best I could get!

One blessed Mommy!!!!

2011-05-08T15:11:00.004-05:00

What a great Mother's Day this has been! For the past couple of years, as we've journeyed to bring Max home, Stephen has done an amazing job of making Mother's Day special, but there's nothing that can compare to having my little guy march up the stairs this morning with his home made card Daddy helped him make and hear him declare "Happy mudder's day!!!!" I seriously teared up!!! The boys got me beautiful flowers, we went to church together, ordered pizza for lunch, had a family nap, and now we're headed out to play some basketball in the driveway (Max's new favorite sport and check out the picture of him in his Daddy's old t-ball t-shirt! I love that he can wear that!!). Its really been a perfect day with my boys, just the way I'd want it! I'm so blessed by these two guys!! Oh, and I got a wonderful surprise yesterday! My mother-in-law sent me a beautiful plant to put out on our porch! Such a sweet gift, and I'm so excited about it! Happy Mother's Day to all the mom's out there! My own fabulous mother is in Hawaii right now (sooo jealous!!!) celebrating her 30th wedding anniversary to the love of her life (who just happens to also by my dad!!) Love you both!

Happy Easter!!

2011-04-24T15:23:00.004-05:00

What a wonderful Easter!!! We started our day off with an INCREDIBLE Easter service at our church, where Max sang with the other children. It was the coolest thing to watch him! He had been practicing at home all week, and he was soooo excited to be up there!! It was so special for Stephen and I to have Max be a part of such a special worship service. These past several days especially, we've really been talking with Max about Easter, and how awesome the story of Christ's resurrection is! Its hard enough for a three year old to really grasp, let alone one who's still fairly new to English, but we really think he's "getting it"! Last night, when we were praying as a family, Max's prayer was "Jesus, thank you that you are wwwwaaaaayyyy up high now!!!" (aka "risen") Makes sense to us!!

Stephen's sister (Aunt 'Ginia) was in town this weekend, and it was so nice sharing the weekend with her too! We colored eggs, and then Max hunted for them today after church. His Easter basket was filled with way too much candy, but even cooler than that......he got a replacement guitar! The one he had gotten for Christmas has been out of commission for a while. I think it took him all of three weeks to wear through all the strings. So, we got him a simpler (and cheaper!) one to use for now! Luckily for us, he's got a great imagination, and he's not at all picky! He's been using his baseball bat as a guitar since his last string broke, so since he saw the new one this morning, he's been on cloud nine!!!

I'm also including pictures of the Easter gifts we made for Grandma and Meemaw this year. We painted small flower pots for them and Max had a blast! We used my mom's as center piece for her birthday that we celebrated week before last, and since we had to mail Grandma's all the was to N.C. we decided to send along packets of flower seeds that she could plant at home!

We are LOVEing the weather these days! Max can't get enough of being outside and I don't blame him! Hope you all are having an incredible day and as we were reminded in our service today I pray you are celebrating the EPIC VICTORY of Christ!

Look at us now!

2011-04-15T09:12:00.004-05:00

Oh my word......6 months!!!! Are you kidding me?!?!? I can't believe how fast these last 6 months have flown by! And man, Max has changed like crazy in that short time! He's a brand new kid, in a very fantastic way!

As I've said a bazillion times, he's a rock star in every way! He aced his preschool screening, so much so that he qualified for no special services...and will be attending a private preschool in the fall. What?!?!?! How's is that even possible? Because our little guy is AWESOME!! And because our God is fabulous, and knew exactly what he was doing!!!!

He's one great kid, and we couldn't be happier!!!

Here's us then.......

And look at us now!! Oh my!!!

So blessed by this little man!!! So looking forward to a million more "six month anniversaries"!!!!!

Max + Laughing Gas = HILARIOUS!!!!

2011-04-06T15:54:00.004-05:00

Today was dentist day :( Never a fun day! But, Max was a super trooper. Our first trip to the dentist with Max when we brought him home was......tough, lets just leave it at that. We took a month break. Did a lot of "practicing" at home with dental tools we bought at the store, and headed back for a cleaning about three weeks ago. That visit went a TON smoother, and Max was such a big boy!!! Along the way, they discovered two cavities that needed to be filled. With Max's history of not enjoying the dentist (understatement of the year!!!) we wanted to approach it carefully to say the least. Yesterday afternoon we headed out for a consultation, where the dentist showed Max all her tools and walked him through what would happen today. We decided to have only one of the cavities filled today, the "easy" one, and use it as a little test to see how he'd do. Well....the little rock star passed with flying colors!!!

They gave us a brochure to take home about the nitrous, and Max was most nervous about that part. I don't think he liked the idea of having the tubing strapped to his face. But, he and Daddy had a long convo about it and looked through the pictures...and he was ready this morning. A couple of deep breaths of that stuff and he had no cares in the world!!! He was so silly....he just kept giggling! After about 5 minutes in the chair, breathing in the happy juice, the dentist came in and got to work. She explained everything she was going to do before she did it, but I don't think Max heard a word of it, he just kept giggling!!!! Afterward, they had him breath fresh air for a few minutes while he enjoyed a sucker. I was soooooo proud of him. I can't believe how far he's come with his fear! I planted a big smooch on his cheek....and noticed when we got home that my lip gloss left a big 'ole mark! That's what mom's are for right?!?!?!?!

So, three weeks from now, we'll head in and have the second cavity filled. This one is a little deeper, and will take longer to fill. But, I really think he'll do just fine. Max knows exactly what to expect, and even just talking with him this afternoon, he had such a pleasant experience today, he has no reservations at all!!!

GENIUS!!!!!

2011-03-26T15:55:00.003-05:00

So, I know that this tends to me a common theme of our blog, but our Max is so darn smart! We've been working lately on writing his name. Thought this might be a good place to start with preschool coming in the fall. Its only really been a few days, and so far, its mainly been me standing next to him saying "ok, now make a straight line up, now down, around".....and so on. We were really happy with the little bit of progress we felt he was making and figured we'd keep working on it through out the summer. Well, the other night we really got a surprise! Max was drawing on his magnet board while Stephen and I were watching a movie. All of a sudden Max yells....."LOOK!!!" and sure enough....he had written his name, all by himself, without any prompting or help from us! He was so proud of himself. We all danced around the living room as Max yelled "I did it, I did it!" It was such a fun family moment!!! And, of course, we had to snap a picture!

Mickey Mouse!!!

2011-03-21T08:59:00.004-05:00

This past weekend, Max went to "Disney on Ice" with his Meemaw and Pops. Boy, oh boy, did he have a blast! He's still talking about it! If the pictures are any proof, they all had a GREAT time! They got great seats, just off the ice, so Max was close enough to wave to Mickey, which he thought was awesome! He also had fun dancing along to all the great music! And, to add even more "coolness" to the day, Stephen and Max took a "train" ride in the morning (actually the local metro!) just for fun, and then, Max got to ride the "train" again with Meemaw and Pops to the show! How much better can it get for a boy?!?!?
Stephen and I got to enjoy the day just the two of us, and we took advantage of it! We shopped some (my favorite part!) and then hung out and watched some basketball (Stephen's favorite part!) It was a great weekend!!!! Thanks Meemaw and Pops for making Max's day!!!

My baby's growing up!!!!!!

2011-03-16T21:53:00.004-05:00

So, most moms have at three years to prepare for all this, but I only got five months! Today, Max went for his screening for preschool. Not, day care type preschool, but actual, school! Everyone was IN LOVE with him! He had them all laughing and they labeled him "the cutest boy ever"!!! He's behind some in most areas, but all things considered, they were REALLY impressed with how far he's come!!!

I wasn't emotional, until they took him by his little hand and lead him down the hall....me waiting in a different room, playing the last five months over in my head, blown away by how fast they've flown by!!!

Stephen and I both have pictures from our "first day of school", and though this isn't officially Max's first day, it still a big deal! Doesn't he look so grown up?!?!?!

B-E-A-utiful!

2011-03-08T13:07:00.003-06:00

This past week, we headed to Nashville, first for work for Stephen, and then for a fun couple of days with Stephen's folks. We rented a house in the most beautiful setting near Springfield, TN and had so much fun! It rained the better part of the time we were together, but it didn't matter! Max is a floor puzzle aholic, and his Grandpa Max is his perfect side kick! Just about every time I turned around, the two of them were sprawled out on the floor putting one together! And, Grandma scored major "cool" points for bringing a new car and truck for Max to play with!!! And of course, in true Kull family form, a LOT of ice cream was eaten!!
It was so fun for Stephen and I to get to watch them "discover" all the cool new things he's saying and doing! Sometimes we take for granted just how far he's come since we're with him everyday. But, to see it through their eyes, its awesome! Hopefully this time, there won't be such a long stretch between when we see them next!!!!!

Together again!

2011-02-28T10:18:00.003-06:00

Last weekend, we headed up to Chicago to spend some fun time with my side of the family. You'd never know that since Max has been home, he and his cousins have only been together three different times! Noah and Max are just so darn cute together! It was a really nice, chill weekend. The boys had a blast swimming together at the hotel pool and of course, playing trains!! Next weekend we're headed to Nashville to spend some time with Stephen's folks. Max hasn't gotten to see them since Thanksgiving, so we're really excited to show them how many cool new things he's saying and doing!!! I'll be sure to post pictures when we get back!

The Perfect Valentine's Day

2011-02-15T20:08:00.005-06:00

So, being the only girl in the house, sure has its perks, especially on Valentine's Day!!! My boys were so sweet to me! Stephen let Max pick out something to give me, and true to who he is, he picked out a Mickey Mouse cookie! We planned to share it over lunch, but turns out, it tasted terrible!!! Its the thought that counts. I also got flowers delivered to me!!!! Not a huge flower girl myself, but its still really nice to get them every once in a while! Plus, I LOVE the notes that Stephen sends with them, he's so darn creative, and I usually end up laughing hysterically! Max and I spent the day decorating the dinning room and making a special dinner for Daddy. We also baked and frosted cookies! Such a fun day, with my two favorite Valentines!!!

Beating those winter blues!

2011-02-10T17:14:00.007-06:00

So, like most of the rest of the country, we have had a TON of snow and ice the last week or so! Stephen actually took a snow day one of the days, so that was a nice surprise! Max and I were finally getting into a grove of going out during the week and doing different things when.....we were all of a sudden stuck in the house for a week! So...we did the best we could to be creative and have some fun! We played lots of games, including Candy Land for the first time, we baked cookies, made bagels pizzas for lunch one day, played with playdough, had multiple movie nights with Daddy, and oh let us not forget.....LOTS and LOTS of drum playing on Max's part!!! If that boy doesn't grow up to be a musician in some form, I'll be amazed! I also tried to really take the down time and work with Max on learning his colors (something that still really has him stumped) so, we made some "color" pictures from magazine cut outs. All in all, we had a lot of fun! And, it must have been from being stuck home with Mommy and Daddy all week, but I feel like all of a sudden, Max's English vocabulary has doubled! Its awesome. His new thing is adding "real quick" to the end of everything. "Mommy, I'm going downstairs, real quick." "Mommy, I gotta go potty real quick". Silly kid!

Enjoy the pictures, and stay warm!

Jam Session!

2011-02-03T16:21:00.002-06:00

So, I know I've talked about Max's drums a lot already, but the boy just can't get enough of them! And....he is STUCK on Christmas songs! He sings them all day long, wants to sing them at bed time, you name it. If he's singing, nine times out of ten, its a Christmas song! And, one of his absolute favorites is "Away in a Manger." And, he has this funny way of looping the song around so that every other line is "the stars in the sky". I don't know what it is about that line in the song, but he has to sing it at the top of his lungs, especially the words "star" and "sky". And with his cute little Thai accent, they come out just sounding too sweet. The other day, I was in the kitchen, and I heard him "rocking out" on his drums singing his favorite song, and I just had to get it on video. I know the quality isn't very good at all, and its a little hard to hear him, but pay attention, and you'll hear him singing "the stars in the sky!" And, I'm not sure about the stethoscope. I guess he just decided to wear that to add a little pizazz!!! Silly boy! He sure is one of a kind!

When I grow up.......

2011-01-25T15:40:00.003-06:00

Stephen and I will be more than proud of Max, no matter what he grows up to be, but I think if he had to pick today, he'd say "doctor!!!" Max got a doctor kit for Christmas, and he loves to play with it! Yesterday, he came with me to my doctor appt, and little did I know how observant he was being!!! Today, he is literally copying everything the doctor did!!! He listened to my lungs, looked in my eyes and ears, tested my reflexes, took my blood pressure and then gave me medicine!!! And then, when I was all fixed up, he started on "healing" Elmo!!!

Seriously, I know I brag on Max ALL the time (can you blame me?!?!) but he is so incredibly smart! Here he is, a three year old, in a brand new world, seeing all these crazy new things, and twenty minutes in a doctor's office and he can go through the whole appt and recreate it! His memory is crazy!!! So darn proud of that boy!!!!

We're getting a little stir crazy with all this snow and FREEZING cold weather, but February is going to bring a little change of pace. We already go to story time at the library on Tuesdays, but next month, we're going to be adding Toddler Gym and swim lessons to the mix! I'm really looking forward to it. I think Max is going to LOVE it!!!!!

Hope you're all staying warm!

Snow Day!!!!

2011-01-11T09:26:00.002-06:00

Today we woke up to a BEAUTIFUL winter wonderland! Max got up, looked out his bedroom window and shouted "SNOWMAN!!!" So, we headed outside to enjoy it! We had a blast!!!!!

The love of a family

2010-12-27T10:15:00.007-06:00

Our Max is one blessed boy!!! What a CHRISTmas he had! Here's a recap!

On Thursday morning, the 23rd, Stephen, Max and I woke up and in our little world, it was CHRISTMAS!!!! The night before we had made a birthday card for Jesus and left cookies and carrots out for Santa and the reindeer. The next morning, we had cinnamon rolls and hot chocolate, while Stephen read us the CHRISTmas story. Then, Max opened his gifts from us. He had such a good time, and it was the PERFECT morning for just the three of us! Stephen and I threw caution to the wind and decided to celebrate Max's love of music! I'm sure our headaches in a few days will remind us how crazy we were! But, for now we're loving it! We got Max a guitar and a drum set, and he's a natural all ready! He plays his guitar constantly!!! In fact, the once six strings are now down to three!! We mixed in some not so noisy gifts with those, and Max was in seventh heaven! Stephen also got Max a super sweet gift. Max is OBSESSED with airplanes. He loves to talk about them, look at them, everything except for ride on them!!! Stephen found a model airplane of a Korean Airlines plane. Just like the one we brought Max home on!!!

That afternoon we headed to my folks house since this year was our CHRISTmas with them. Max was soooo excited to see his cousins Noah and Henry!!! Those boys get along so darn well, its awesome! Thursday night we just relaxed and frosted Christmas cookies. The next morning we woke up and promptly sang "Happy Birthday" to Pops!!! Max gave him a card he had made and Pops got to open presents with his boys!!! I think that was the best part of his day!! That night, we went to the service at our church, and we were so excited to have Meemaw and Pops along with us!! And, the best part of all.....our little Max was a cow in the Nativity Scene!!! Seriously, the cutest darn cow I've ever seen! And, he did sooo well! He just sat up on the stage and smiled!!! It was so surreal to have him there with us, on such an awesome, important night in the life of a Christian!!! Stephen and I had to keep pinching ourselves!

CHRISTmas morning was awesome! Max slept in a bedroom with Stephen and I while Noah slept in another room with his mom and dad. In the morning, the boys couldn't contain themselves! They kept yelling through the wall to each other!!! So stinkin' cute! Max and Noah sang happy birthday to Jesus, and then the present opening began! Max had so much fun being Pops' helper, passing out the gifts. He got soooo much stuff! After presents, we headed outside for some sledding. The boys had gotten sleds from Meemaw and Pops, and couldn't wait to try them out. This was Max's fist time in the snow, and he did so well! Stephen was so great with him! Running around pulling the sled. Max just laughed!!! Then, we all made a snow mound (it couldn't be classified as a snow man!) together! The rest of the day was spent hanging out, and eating a DELICIOUS dinner my mom made. A perfect family CHRISTMAS!!!

Then, to keep the awesomeness going, we headed back home on Sunday morning, for Stephen's side of the family! Unfortunately, we weren't able to be with them this year, but through the modern convenience of technology, they were all able to watch every moment of the present opening! We set up our laptop right in front of the tree and Max opened his gifts as Grandma and Grandpa watched! Then, we did the same with Aunt 'Ginia and Uncle Ryan. Its really great to be able to share that with them! And, of course, Max got even more great gifts. Believe it or not, he still had even more to open after we Skyped. He had gifts from Aunts, Uncles, cousins, and Great Grandparents! I know that a family's love is in no way measured by the amount of gifts they give at Christmas. But, it truly was overwhelming to feel the love that was sent along with each one of those packages! Max has an incredible family, and I know he knows it too!!!

A HUGE thank you to everyone who made this CHRISTmas season so special. Our Max is a one of a kind kid, and its still hard to believe God chose us to get to love and care for this incredible little guy!!! I can't wait for all the CHRISTmases to come, as Max continues to learn and understand truly what and whom this season is all about!!!

The coolest ornament EVER!!!!

2010-12-21T20:31:00.003-06:00

Every year, Stephen and I get a new ornament to add to our tree. Well, you guessed it.....this year's ornament was pretty darn special! Max was so excited to help daddy put it on the tree!

I'm struggling this year a little because I want Max to understand the awesomeness that is CHRISTmas. With the move and all the craziness, I feel like I'm falling short. But, the night we moved into the house, we put our tree back up, and talked again about Baby Jesus' birthday. In some small way, I think he really "gets its"!!!

Max is adjusting beautifully to his "new house" as he calls it. Even amongst all the boxes, he's found a perfect path for riding his motorcycle!

Merry CHRISTmas!!!!

Building a "Doggie" house!!

2010-12-13T16:27:00.003-06:00

So, that's what Max kept calling our ginger bread house, a "doggie" house. But, that's okay, we still had a blast!

The house is a TOTAL mess with us getting ready to move this weekend, and Max has been such a trooper, with all of his toys slowly disappearing into boxes. Stephen had bought us a ginger bread house kit to make one day while he was at work, and I figured today was the PERFECT time to take a break from all the packing and have some fun with my little man. He did so darn well following directions, and LOVED licking his fingers when he "accidentally" got icing on them!!! He was so proud to show it off to Stephen when we were finished!

Speaking of the move....Saturday is the big day. Stephen has already started his new job at Eastern Illinois University and he's really enjoying it. We're going from our little two bedroom rental to a big two-story, four bedroom house, so we're looking forward to giving Max lots more room to run around!!!!

Looking forward to finally being settled! I feel like we've been in transition ever since Max came home. Its been wonderful....but crazy!!!!!

My little dancing fool!

2010-12-11T15:34:00.002-06:00

So, Max loooooves Jingle Bells! He sings it ALL the time, so when this song came on, he just couldn't keep from dancing! Thought I'd share this super cute moment with all of you! Hope you are having a wonderful CHRISTmas season!!!

Christmas tree #1

2010-12-03T18:22:00.003-06:00

Well, I just couldn't wait any longer! As a lot of you know, we're in the middle of a move for Stephen's new job, but I still had to put a tree up in our current place! So, what we decided on was using a pretty crummy looking fake tree from Stephen's college days here at the duplex, and then we'll put up our nice, fancier tree at the new house. I was just soooo excited about sharing this super fun tradition with Max! I can't believe he's here, decorating the tree with us! I remember last Christmas like it was yesterday, praying that it was the last one we'd spend without our boy!! And, yay.......he's here now!

So, we had a nice little family time decorating our less than stellar tree....but that's okay! Max didn't seem to care at all! He kept saying "Christmas tree!!!" over and over again! And, he's already a pro at all the Christmas songs, with his favorite being "Jingle Bells." He'll literally sing it at the top of his lungs! Such a cute guy!!!!! We've also been reading all our Christmas story books and Max likes to remind us that Christmas is "Baby Jesus' Birthday!" Love, love, love that boy!!!!!

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-11-29T09:54:00.002-06:00

We celebrated our first holiday as a family of three, and it was AWESOME! We had a great trip to North Carolina, and spent a great couple days with Max's Grandpa and Grandma Kull and Aunt Virginia. The weather was great and we had a ton of fun hanging out!

Max continues to amaze us every day. He's speaking more and more everyday and he's such a fun kid you can't help but smile whenever you're around him. We're planning on putting up our Christmas tree tonight, and I can't wait to introduce Max to that super fun tradition. We've already been talking about Santa Clause, and about Baby Jesus' birthday. Soooooo excited to share this Christmas season with Max!!!!

The Magic House

2010-11-19T08:45:00.005-06:00

This week we had a super fun day out with our really good friends Matt and Carrie and their two beautiful girls Addie and Ella. Addie and Max are the same age, and the two of them had a great time! We had never been to the Magic House, and it did not disappoint! They had a ton of real world scenarios all set up in toddler size, it was awesome! There was a restaurant where the kids could make pizza and work at the cash register, a bank, a post office, a grocery store, a hospital with a new born nursery, and a pond where the kids could fish, and then take there fish "up stream" and follow them back down to the pond. Max really had a great time!!!!

The weather is really cooling down around here and Max has perfected his "brrrrrr"!!! Poor guy, I'm not sure he's too fond of the big winter coat we got for him, but I know he appreciates the warmth! Next week we are headed to N.C. for Thanksgiving with Grandma and Grandpa Kull! It should be a blast!!!

And look at him now!!!

2010-11-15T17:48:00.003-06:00

Wow, its hard to believe that it was one month ago today that we picked our shy, quiet little boy up from the babies home. Wow, have things changed!!! Max LOVES, and I mean LOVES to entertain! If he's getting a laugh, then he's done his job!

He's always singing, or dancing, or being goofy somehow. I love it!!!! He's such a happy kid, and hopefully that's a reflection of his happiness being with us! He's talking a ton now, and always wants to learn new words. I never thought he'd catch on so quick! Yesterday he went to childrens' church for the first time, and he did great! God's word is so true. He knew the plans he had for us, and they sure were plans for our good! Max is the best gift we could have ever received, and we are a PERFECT fit!

Thought I'd share a little video of his latest "performance"!!!

Our little rock star!

2010-11-06T15:02:00.002-05:00

I know its hard to hear, and the quality isn't great, but he was just so proud to sing his "A B C's" I just had to post it! Can't believe how fast he picked it up! Still needs some work on a lot of the pronunciations, but hey....I think its pretty darn good!!!

Two peas in a pod!

2010-11-04T09:56:00.004-05:00

So, we hoped it would be the case, but it was AWESOME to see just how well Max and his cousin Noah got along. Max still can't stop talking about him! While all our family was still in town, we all got together at my folk's house for a barbecue. We also all headed to the park across from their house for some good ol' fashion fun! The boys had a blast!!! Where one went, the other followed! That was also Halloween night, and while Max wasn't quite ready for trick-or-treating himself, he had a good time checking out Noah's dinosaur costume! Max also LOVED checking out Pop's motorcycle!!

In the one week that we've been back in the states, we've noticed an INCREDIBLE boost in Max's English! Seriously, he keeps blowing us away! He's just so darn smart!!!! We're having an absolute blast just being a family of three, and settling into our own little routine at home.

Enjoy the pictures!!

Life as a family of 3......perfect!!!

2010-10-30T20:29:00.005-05:00

Well, we're back in our own house, and it feels great! We had the most amazing homecoming with all of Max's closest family meeting us at the airport. We had given them all blue t-shirts with their "titles" on the back and it was awesome to see them all there waiting for us!!! After the homecoming, we had a welcome home/ belated birthday party for Max. It was a blast!

Max was a little shy at first, but warmed up quickly!!! He's especially enjoying his time with his cousin Noah!!!

We're settling into our routine at home nicely. There just doesn't seem to ever be enough time to sit down and type out a really good blog! I promise I'll keep sharing lots of stories and pictures!!!! Love you all!!

Yay!!! We're finally in Chicago!

2010-10-27T16:54:00.003-05:00

Whew.......we're finally here!!! What a LONG flight! Max did much better on the second flight. He actually slept for 5 or six hours total, so is wasn't too bad. He's just REALLY not a fan of take offs and landings. The change in altitude is what gets him, really scares him. Not that I can blame him at all, I don't like it either!!! As long as one of us was holding him, he really was pretty consolable. Once we got to Chicago, Max was kinda in for a surprise. It in the 50's, which is significantly lower than what it is in Thailand, but worse than that, the wind!!! We had to get the poor kid a hat and gloves because he'd just shiver, and his poor eyes would water any time we would go out side! Wasn't too sure about the hat at first, but he loves it now!

We all just got up from a two hour nap......though I think we could have slept till morning. Max is just a little bit......well, cranky I think best describes it!!! Love you all, and we're soooooo glad to be back in the states!!!

Hanging in Seoul!

2010-10-26T18:40:00.002-05:00

Hey guys! We've made it to Seoul! The first flight was a little rough (as far as Max goes!) but, we're hoping for a better second leg! Max LOVES being at the airport! He points out every plane he can find! And, he's super pumped to roll around his little backpack that we had bought for him!

We've got a couple hours before the plane boards, so we're hoping maybe Max will take a little nap! Then, its on to Chicago! Can't wait to be back in the states! Love you all!

Souvenir shopping and packing!!

2010-10-25T06:45:00.002-05:00

Today we managed to buy all the souvenirs we wanted to head home with!!! It took several hours, but we were determined, and Max was a trooper!!! Afterwards we headed back to the room, and after what felt like FOREVER, we now finally have everything packed and ready to go for tomorrow! We have to leave the hotel by about 1:30 and head to the Embassy. Then we'll wait for Max's Visa (should be done at 3:00) head back to our hotel to pick up our bags, and take a van to an airport hotel. We figure we'll try to have Max take a little nap, we'll shower, then head to the airport about 9:00 pm.

Sooooo excited to be back home!!! I'm just looking forward to finally showing Max all his cool stuff, and introducing him to his super cool family!!!

Sorry no pictures again. Its really hard to take pictures with a three year old and crazy crowded streets! I'm planning on taking some pictures of Max on the plane and posting them during our lay over in Seoul. Night!!

Lumphini Park

2010-10-24T07:25:00.004-05:00

We had an awesome day at Lumphini Park today! Too bad though that it was soooo stinkin' hot!!! But, we had a blast in spite of it!!! The park was beautiful! We took a fun paddle boat ride. We weren't too sure if Max would enjoy it or be scared, but he did just fine!!! After our ride, we just had fun walking around taking in all the sights! Its pretty cool because this super beautiful, super green park is set smack in the middle of all these super tall buildings. Kinda surreal actually!!!

We took the sky train again today all over Bangkok it felt like. Just about the time we're really getting the feel for things and feeling comfortable roaming around, and now we're leaving!!!

One more day to relax tomorrow. Not sure yet what we might do. Might venture to a new part of Bangkok that we've heard lots of good things about! And maybe we'll start the day out again with a couple hours at the pool. This boy is addicted! He's getting so stinkin' brave! And the pool is about the most perfect thing you can do here! Walk just about anywhere for more than 30 seconds and you're drenched in sweat!!! But, I better not complain. I'm sure I'll be missing it come December in Illinois!! Night all!!!

Busy, busy, busy!!!

2010-10-23T19:35:00.002-05:00

So, I totally ran out of time today yesterday and didn't even have a chance to blog!!! We spent a large part of the day at a souvenir mall, which we actually ended up buying very little at!!! But, it was fun to look!!! The traffic here is crazy, so it takes super long to get where you want to go! Most of your day is spent traveling to your destination!!! We ate at Hard Rock Cafe for dinner, and it was delicious!!! Just like home! I've got some pictures, but I think I'll just include them in tonight's post! It's 7:30 am here now, and I'm excited to start our day! We're heading to a famous park here, Lumphini Park, kinda like Forest Park in St. Louis. They've got these monitor lizards we keep hearing about that are a couple feet long! They just roam the park!!! I want to see what Max thinks about them! Then, next to the park they have a Night Bazaar I think we'll check out! It's fun to be out in Bangkok at night! Its still so busy, with so much to do!

Sorry again about the late post, and no pictures. We'll take lots today! Love you all!!!

U.S.A......we're on our way!!!

2010-10-22T06:57:00.003-05:00

Hooray!!!! Today we had our Visa appt. Everything went great! Originally we had been told last week that we would not receive Max's Visa until Wednesday, the 27th. Well, that posed a problem because our plane tickets have us leaving on the night of the 26th!!! We explained to them the problem, and that we had been told when we made our travel arrangements that we would be good to go. The staff at the Embassy told us they would try their best, but not to expect to leave the country until Thursday the 28th!!! Well, we've been praying like crazy that everything would come together, and sure enough....God provided!!!! We were told Max's Visa would for sure be ready at 3pm on Tuesday, giving us plenty of time to get the airport for our flight! Stephen and I could not wipe the smiles off our faces! We've had a blast here in Thailand, but we're so pumped to get our little man back home to his very own house!!!

After the Embassy, we did a little shopping for some Thai souvenirs and boy did we find all kinds of good stuff! Also, we went to this HUGE gem store. Thailand is famous for their rubies and sapphires. Holy cow, they had some crazy expensive jewelry!!! But, for the most part, things were super reasonably priced. Max and Daddy bought Mommy a beautiful necklace with Max's birthstone!!!

After our exciting day out, we hit the pool. It was HOT today! Max is really becoming a fish! Not sure what the plan is for tomorrow. But, we're looking forward to our three day weekend here in Bangkok before heading home next week!!!!

Siriraj Hospital

2010-10-21T03:01:00.004-05:00

Today we visited Siriraj Hospital here in Bangkok. This is the hospital that Max was born at! It was neat to be there. Kay, a Thai woman we know, works there and showed us around. She had helped us through the adoption process by visiting Max at Pakkred and relaying messages between us and the staff there. She was very kind and we had lunch at a restaurant just outside the campus.

Sirirat Hospital is also where the Thai king currently is. He has been sick for quite a while and has been being cared for there. There is a whole, large section set up for people to come and pay their respect for the king and sign a registry showing him that they are wishing him the best. There were a TON of people there, and to think, he's been there over a year, and still there are this many people coming! He's one popular king!!!

Tomorrow we have our Visa appointment at the U.S. Embassy, and then a free three day weekend since Monday is a Thai Holiday. We're already planning all the fun stuff we can do!!! I think for now, we're off to the pool again! Sorry for the lack of pictures! Promise I'll take more tomorrow!!!

It's Official!!!! We're approved!!

2010-10-20T03:52:00.004-05:00

We're approved! The board meeting went great!!! No need to be nervous at all. Max acted like a perfect gentleman, and the board members were super nice! They said Max seemed quite happy with us, and they asked if we were "happy with him" Are you kidding me?!?!?! We are in love with this boy!!!! We're beyond happy!!! And, minus the "are you kidding me" part, we told them just that!

After the board meeting, we went back to the hospital where poor Max got three shots in his backside! We wasn't too happy during the process, but afterward was all smiles again.

We dropped all our papers off at the embassy after that, and got our Visa appt for 1:00 on Friday!

So, we've got a free day tomorrow and we're really looking forward to it!

Max is really into taking pictures. He loves to point anything he can pretend is a camera at Stephen and I and say "say cheese!" So, today I let him snap a few pictures of himself with our camera and he thought that was just the coolest thing ever! I'm including one of the really cute ones he took in today's pictures.

We ended the afternoon with popsicles at the shop outside our hotel, and now we're relaxing in the room! What a great day!!!

No vaccines....for today anyways!!

2010-10-19T07:40:00.003-05:00

Max had his dr. visit today. He's had a cough that Stephen and I have been a little worried about. No fever though. Thankfully the dr. gave us a couple prescriptions. Max needs three injections and one oral vaccine before we leave, but because he's sick the dr. (with mommy and daddy's full agreement!) decided to push the shots off until Thursday. Max was such a champ. He did everything the dr. asked of him and held very still as she listened to his lungs. After the appt, it rained big time to we stayed around the hotel room and made our own fun! We have our board meeting first thing in morning, so we'll be calling it a night early. Please be praying for a super smooth board meeting. Both Stephen and I are a little nervous! We just want to board to see us for the awesome family that we are!

Good night all! Enjoy the video! Sorry no fun pictures today :(

Super awesome day at the aquarium!!!

2010-10-18T05:32:00.017-05:00

So, today was supposed to be Max's dr appt, but his passport was a few hours late being prepared, so we had to push the appt back until tomorrow. Well, that was fine by us because it gave us an entire free day to visit the aquarium! Max absolutely loved it. We were a little worried that he would be scared because it is mostly in the dark, but he was awesome! So darn well behaved! We watched the penguins and sharks being fed and he just loved pointing to everything he saw and making sure daddy and I saw it too! Poor Stephen's arm got super tired. Max is pretty much attached to his daddy's hip (which of course Daddy absolutely loves!), but skinny as Max is, he still gets pretty darn heavy after a while. We've looked everywhere for a cheap little umbrella stroller, but we haven't found one yet. So, looks like daddy's arms are going to keep getting a work out!

After the aquarium, we went strolling around the mall attached to it. It had a HUGE food court with tons of things to choose from. After lunch we went to DQ for some ice cream, Max's (and mommy's) favorite! He super enjoyed his ice cream cone, as you can see from what's all over his face!!!

Max also picked out a puzzle which helps us work on our numbers, and out of all the DVD's he had to choose from, he picked Stuart Little, so looks like that's what we'll be watching tonight. He even took a ride on a little train which he was pretty excited about.

It amazes me how he doesn't cry or fuss about things most kids do. A couple of times in the toy section he would point to or pick up things that caught his eye, and when told that we couldn't buy it and when asked to put it back on the shelf, he did so without any complaint. Such a little trooper!!! We would have loved to buy him everything he wanted, but our suitcases (and wallets!) just won't let us. But we know he's got PLENTY of stuff waiting for him at home.

Just on a more serious, sentimental mom note....today was awesome!!!! At one point, I looked at Stephen and turns out we were thinking the same thing. This is what we've been waiting for! We were out, a family of three, doing exactly what families are supposed to be doing....being together, doing fun stuff! And, I know that at some point, the honeymoon very well may end...but I just have to say, Max is so darn well behaved (I noticed when proof reading the blog, that the font we chose makes d-a-r-n look like something else! Just wanted to clarify)! Thank you so, so, so much to the nannies at Pakkred, you have taught out son well!!! Enjoy the pictures everyone!

Before we left for the aquarium, we had a little dance party in our hotel room. Max was using the remote as a microphone! Like mother like son!

Check out my sweet fo-hawk mom gave me. I'm just the cutest kid ever!!!

Max likes to help mommy and daddy take pictures. They don't always turn out though!!

Just hangin' out

2010-10-17T04:06:00.005-05:00

Today we spent a quiet day around the hotel. We did take a quick tuk-tuk ride to a local market, bummed around for a while, and ended up finding a McDonald's for lunch!! We've been playing with all Max's toys and working on our English flashcards. Max is a super quick learner, and LOVES to repeat just about everything we say! We also had a super fun time Skyping with my mom and dad, Stephen's mom and dad, and both my brother and his family, and Stephen's sister and her husband. Max was a ham to say the least! He kept blowing kisses and waving bye-bye. Its hard at this point to share too much of his attention, but we just had to show him off a little! Can you blame us?! He's just too darn cute! I'm also posting a couple pictures of Max at the pool yesterday evening. The rain stopped just long enough for us! Max wasn't quite sure what to do, he was a little timid, and just enjoyed throwing the ball into the water. We've found Max really enjoys "putting together" puzzles. His version....dumping all the pieces out, and putting them back in the box one by one, and then repeat!!!! The boy also LOVES to sweep...and fold napkins...and pick up his toys.....DEFINITELY a boy after my own heart!!!

Tomorrow Max has his medical appt check up and chest x-ray. We'll also find out if he needs any shots before we leave.

For now, we're off in search of dinner. Both Stephen I will be so glad when we're home and can cook for ourselves! Never thought I'd say that (I am so not a cook!) But, eating out for every meal can get a little old!

Hope you all have a wonderful Sunday. We are so excited to be back and have Max worshiping with our church family!

Man this boy can sleep!!!

2010-10-16T01:40:00.005-05:00

Hello everyone! It brought tears to my eyes reading everyone's kind comments from the previous post. Its so awesome to be surrounded by so much support and love!!! Thank you all!!!

Just a head's up, this is a SUPER long post, but there are also a TON of pictures at the end!!!

The last day and a half has been busy, but awesome! We finally got to hear Max's sweet voice today! He's been so quiet and shy, but he's starting to mimic some of the things we say. His favorite is to repeat each time we say "thank you". At least we will have a polite kiddo!!!

We got a whole nine and a half hours of sleep last night! We were amazed. And when this boy sleeps, he's out to the world! I got a few elbows to the ribs and kicked in the shins a few times, but hey I can take it! Just another week and a half of getting to snuggle in the same bed as my boy! We aren't going to be able to keep that up at home!!!

Today we ventured out to Big C, a store very similar to Walmart. We got some food to keep here at the room. Max had a great time riding in the cart, and loved to have us hand him our items to drop in the basket. Not once did he grab for anything or get upset. He's such a trooper!!!

One thing we've learned for sure about our little man is that he HATES elevators! We're on the 14th floor, so its just not practical to take the stairs every time. As soon as he even sees the elevator he starts to whimper, and as soon as the doors close its a full out cry until the doors open again, and then he's fine. I don't think he likes the feeling when it goes up and down. Hope he doesn't have that same fear on the airplane back home!

After Big C, we came back for some lunch. Its been raining all day, so our plans to visit the kiddie pool haven't worked out. Then we played for a bit. Well really, Max just enjoyed taking all his toys out of the closet and then putting them back in! At least he's easily entertained. Then we read a book, and it was time for a nap. We laid him on the bed, Stephen laid down next to him, and he was out within 5 minutes. No tears!! Such a good boy!

Since I was so terrible about blogging yesterday (sorry, I just couldn't steal myself away from him!!) I'm going to post a ton of pictures today. Some of them are of Pakkred Babies' Home where Max lived. We were really impressed by everything there. The kids are very well taken care of. There's also a picture of the bed he's been sleeping in since he was two and a half. The rest of the pictures are just of Max hanging around here with us. Enjoy!!!!

Sooooo in love!

2010-10-15T08:06:00.003-05:00

WOW, what a day it has been! We've been super busy getting to know our amazing son. Its bath time, but I wanted to post a quick pic so you all knew he was here, happy, and perfect in ever way. The picture is from dinner tonight (chicken nuggets and fries) and he just couldn't stop smiling!!! I promise there are tons more pictures to follow, but for now.....its mom time!!!!!

Oh, and be sure to notice the Aggie hat. Whoop!!!

Foot massage anyone?!?!

2010-10-14T03:17:00.006-05:00

So, day one in Bangkok has been great so far! We ventured out and are getting a feel for the area right around our hotel. The hotel recommended this fantastic spa and Stephen and I each had an hour foot massage for $10. $10!!!! Are you kidding me?! Had a hard time staying awake in the chair, it was just what we needed!

Our hotel room is awesome. 1200 square feet, two bed, two bath. And check out the bath tub, I think I could swim in it!!! I know Max could for sure! We're looking forward to bath time!!!

And check out the views from the living room window!!

The Thai people are incredibly friendly, and so eager to help us find our way. Dinner out tonight, then hopefully a good night's sleep (any thing is better than last night's 3 hrs!) and then we're off to the babies' home to meet Max!!! We meet our driver in the lobby at 9:00, meet the social worker at her office at 9:30, then its a 40 minute drive to Pakkred. Stephen and I both are on cloud nine. We meet our boy tomorrow!!! And, I know this sounds silly, but I'm pretty emotional these days. Just about anything even slightly referring to Max, adoption, or motherhood can make me cry! And, I had one of those moments when we were unpacking. That's right folks, no longer are we a two toothbrush family, now we need three!!!

Weird I know. But, its the little things!!! Ok, off to dinner. Tomorrow is the big day! I can't wait to blog about the awesomeness that is our son!!!! Love you all!

We made it!!!

2010-10-13T16:50:00.003-05:00

We're in Bangkok, and it's nice to be done flying for a while! We got in around 9:30 pm here, so that would be 9:30 am Wednesday morning St. Louis time. We ended up crashing around mid night, and now its 4:45 in the morning and I can't sleep!!! We took a few pictures of the airport, but nothing too exciting. We're hoping to walk around a little today in the day light and check things out. Hopefully we'll get some good pictures and I'll post them next time. Maybe I'll try to get some more sleep!!

Hanging out in Seoul

2010-10-13T02:44:00.002-05:00

Hallelujah!!! We made it through the longest leg! 14 hours on a flight is TOUGH! No matter how friendly the flight attendants are, or how many movie choices you have! But, we're here and the flight was smooth, so we can really ask for more. We've got about 30 minutes before the next flight boards, then about 5ish hours, and we'll be in Bangkok!!!! Pretty travel weary at this point, but still unbelievably excited for what's to come. Love you all!!

Max...here we come!!!

2010-10-12T05:32:00.002-05:00

Well, we're off to the airport! We actually both got a couple hours of sleep last night, which is way more than we were expecting! Our flight leaves STL at 8:35 and we'll get into BKK about 10:00 your time tomorrow morning! I'm not really sure how you prep for 26 hours of travel! But, I've got my best friend with me, and we're heading to get our son....I'm pretty sure we can endure much more than that!

Thanks for all the prayers and support. You guys have been awesome. The last thing we did last night was pray over the phone with our small group from church. I tell ya, that's exactly what small groups are for!!!

Next time I post, it should be from Bangkok!!!!!!!!!

Do we have enough stuff?!?!

2010-10-10T18:22:00.002-05:00

So seriously, how much can a family of three need for a two and a half week trip? Well.....apparently a whole lot!!!! We've got a suitcase for mom and dad each, a smaller one for Max and then a whole extra suitcase packed full of "stuff"! Toys, books, gifts...all kinds of "stuff"!!! I've never been known as a light packer, just ask Stephen, but I really tried hard this time! And even yet, we've still got four suitcases plus our carry-on's!!! Oh well....gotta be prepared!!!

About 36 more hours and we're on our way. Reality has set in today I think. Stephen and I keep asking each other "Can you believe we're really going to meet Max?!?" This must be what it feels like when you go into labor. Like, "holy cow, here we go!!!" God is so good, and we're beyond thrilled to be a family of three! (Even if its means extra suitcases!!!)

A room just for Max!

2010-10-09T15:52:00.002-05:00

Well, we would have loved to have painted the walls blue like his last room, but this room will do just fine! I'm so excited to have all his stuff ready and to know that he'll be coming home to it VERY soon. I know I keep saying this, but it all just seems so surreal still! But...with only 64 hours until our plane takes off...I'm sure reality will set in quickly!!!

Today we had a great time buying some gifts for the nannies and teachers at the babies home, and also picking out some toys to donate for the kids. We (mainly me!) have also been stressing over finding the "perfect" outfit to wear for the board meeting. Silly I know, but I really want to make a good impression! I think in a time where everything is so out of my control, I find myself fixating on the little things I can control!!! And....I always love an excuse to buy new clothes!

Now for some packing. I have piles everywhere! Max's pile, mom and dad's pile, carry on pile, gift pile, toy pile. Oh, but the mess is well worth it!!!! And knowing me, it will be organized in no time :)

One week from today.....the journey begins!

2010-10-07T23:18:00.003-05:00

So, one week from today, we will finally meet our little man face-to-face!!! It still feels so surreal! The wait felt excruciating at times, and now here we are, just 4 days away from flying out!!!! Its hard to believe!

It would be awesome if all of you would really begin praying for Max. I've been thinking a lot about him and how hard this whole process may very well be. He's going to be taken from everything and everyone he's ever known, and it makes me sad to think that he'll be hurting for a while. I know our intentions are pure and our love for Max is beyond words, and hopefully he'll one day feel super blessed that God chose Stephen and I to be his dad and mom. But, for now I know he'll probably be pretty sad. So, if you all could just be praying that somehow God would begin to prepare his heart for this super huge transition!

Well guys, I've got about a million more things to accomplish but I'll be sure to keep you all posted! Thanks for journeying with us!

Sooooo close!!!

2010-10-02T08:06:00.002-05:00

Hi everyone! I know I've been terrible about posting lately. Things have been hectic, and well...there's TONS to do! One of the things on our check list is to make the blog "private" so that we can abide by Thai law regarding posting pictures of their children online for public viewing. What we'll do is assign a login name and password to the blog and that way we can post all the pictures we want when we're in Thailand! I just can't wait to show him off! We'd love for everyone to journey along with us, so if you'd like the login info, please don't hesitate to email me at angela@kull.us and I'll get you the info as soon as everything is set up!

Tickets......check!!!!

2010-09-11T10:55:00.002-05:00

Well, its official! We have our plane tickets! Departing St. Louis on October 12th and returning home on October 29th. We're stretching our trip out a bit, but we don't want to be rushed and want to have plenty of time to bond as a family of three before we head home to meet the rest of the crew! Still awaiting I-800 approval, but it should be any day now and we're definitely right on track for our October 20th board meeting! 35 days until we meet Max!!!!

44 days and counting!!!

2010-09-01T12:29:00.003-05:00

We heard from our social worker in Thailand today, and she's got everything ready for us to meet Max on Friday, October 15th!!!! I love, love, love that we now have a date! Makes everything so much more real!!! We're planning to fly out from St. Louis on the 12th, arrive in Bangkok on the 13th, pick up Max on the 15th, and appear before the board on the 20th!!!!!!! We still haven't decided on our return date. We want to be sure to give ourselves plenty of time to complete all the paperwork we need. It would be better to have too much time, then not enough and have to change our flight back at the last minute!

We've been super busy moving this week. Yes, that's right...moving! Our current house is going to be rented and we're moving into a smaller place a few streets down (still with plenty of space for the three of us!). We've been really praying that some how God would guide our finances that I'd be able to stay home with Max as much as possible. Well boy did He move with this one! Not only will our current mortgage be paid in full each month by our renters, but our new rent will be only half our mortgage! Makes me so excited just thinking about the burden that has been lifted by this!

Our first priority in our new place is to get Max's room looking as awesome as possible!! My only "sadness" about leaving our house was that Max wasn't going to get to see the super cool room that Stephen and I had made for him. But, we're going to make this new room as similar to that as possible! We'll be sure to post pictures when its ready!

Happy Birthday Max!!!!!!

2010-08-29T08:05:00.002-05:00

Today is our sweet little boy's third birthday! We were hoping to be with him for this special day, but we know the nannies at the babies' home are showering him with attention! We've decided to save Max's birthday party until we bring him home. That way he can have a blast opening all his gifts!

Can't wait to get our little man home. Six weeks and counting!!!!!!!!!

FINALLY!!!!

2010-08-26T16:35:00.002-05:00

Well, I know its been forever since we've posted, but its just been months and months of waiting "patiently"!! All the prayers and all the waiting, and now here we are! Our final Thai documents came in the mail today, and we turned around and sent them on to the Immigration office an hour later. Its been taking the U.S. government about three weeks to the day to approve I-800's. If we're lucky and they take a little less time with ours, then we'll be traveling for the October 6th board meeting, if not....then we'll have to wait a little and travel for the October 20th board meeting. We'll need to leave for Thailand one week before the board meeting is scheduled, so even if we aren't able to attend a meeting until the 20th....we'll still be leaving in about six weeks! Holy cow!! After almost two years of waiting....we're down to just 4-6 weeks!!! I still can't quite believe it!

We'll be blogging lots now, as we get everything ready for bringing Max home. At some point soon, we'll need to make the blog "private" so that we can post pictures of Max, and still follow Thai rules. We'll likely just assign everyone the same password and login name. That way we can just email it out and that'll just make it easier.

Thank you all for your prayers and awesome support through our journey. Now comes the fun part!!!!

Merry CHRISTmas Max!!!

2010-01-03T16:27:00.005-06:00

Oh holy cow, Max made out like a bandit this year!!! Stephen and I are beginning to think there's nothing left that we'll need to buy for him before he gets home! We spent a fabulous Christmas week in North Carolina with Stephen's parents and had a blast! Then we had my side of the family's Christmas on New Year's Day. Tons of fun!!!

As you can see from the pictures, Max got tons of clothes, books, toys, and lots of practical stuff too (that was by mom's request!!! socks, undershirts, sippy cups and a baby gate!)

Also, Max's awesome Aunt Rae-Rae made Max some wall art that perfectly matches his bedding!! We were super excited about those!
Its amazing to me how many people share our intense love of this perfect little boy that we've only met through pictures. Max is our son, without a doubt we are so in love with him. And the cool part is he is also a super loved grandson, great grandson, nephew and cousin!!! We are so blessed with such an incredible family.
And, a HUGE thank you to all our loved ones who went above and beyond this awesome holiday season and contributed to our adoption fund! We are so more than ready to bring this little guy home, and your help is beyond appreciated.
We love you all so much and hope you enjoy the pictures of all Max's new stuff! I can just picture him playing with all of it! Oh Lord, please make it soon!!!
Happy New Year to everyone......and may it be the year we bring Max home!!!

Please consider supporting us through Kingdom Kids Adoption Ministries

2009-12-08T11:58:00.005-06:00

Stephen here. So no big news, still waiting. Just thought we would post a little update. We are STILL waiting on the Child History. We have now officially been waiting 308 days for this. Once we get this, we are told things can go much quicker. We did get news that there is a Thai volunteer that sees him at the Babies Home on a weekly basis and she has agreed to start teaching him some English words and showing him pictures of his "mommy" and "daddy". We are very happy to know they will be doing that for him. Angela is ahead of me in her lessons of Rosetta Stone - Thai Level One, so I need to get cracking.

On another note, we wanted to tell you about a ministry we are involved with called Kingdom Kids Adoption Ministries. They have agreed to serve as a means to gather financial support towards our adoption expenses. You can give by check or online and your gift is tax-deductible, and then funds are disbursed to our expenses. In order for the gift to be tax deductible, our names cannot be written on the checks. A post-it or additional note would suffice. No gift is too small and we appreciate those of you who have already given. We have raised about $2,100 so far through this method. We can also send you a brochure if you would like, just let us know. Here is their address and link to give online:

Kingdom Kids Adoption Ministries
Attn: Donna Bost
1417 North Lincoln Street
Spokane, WA 99201

https://01.secure.elexio.com/donations.aspx?id=308208&websiteurl=http://www.kingdomkidsadoption.org&siteid=2387

We hope to be able to post pictures soon. Just not sure when/if that will be allowed. I believe we will have to make the blog private, so watch for notification of when that happens. We know this is a very busy time for you all, and thank you for considering us in your giving this year. We hope that you have a wonderful Christmas with your family. Please continue to keep up with us during the process. We really are blessed for all of your love, prayers, and encouragement.

A CHRISTmas gift from the grandparents!

2009-11-24T12:52:00.003-06:00

Yesterday we mailed out our second package to our little man. But this time, the gifts were from Max's grandparents! They all wanted to make him a very special part of Christmas this year. There will be lots of gifts around the tree for him that Stephen and I will get to enjoy opening, but they wanted to make sure he got a little something to open himself. Isn't the t-shirt awesome (it says "My Mom & Dad)?! We weren't sure if the staff would allow him to wear it or not, so we had two made just in case and that way he'll have one here at home as a keepsake. We also made sure to include a football for him. Stephen is soooo excited to one day share his love of the game with Max. I can't wait to see the two of them tossing the ball around in the backyard (make it soon Lord!!!) We all know that Max may never remember receiving these gifts, and that there is very real chance that they may all get lost in the shuffle at the baby's home and not return home here with him, but that's okay. We want Max to know when he looks back at this blog, that his WHOLE family loves him beyond belief and that without a doubt he is a very real part of all of us. We are SUPER excited and finding comfort in the hope that this should be our last Christmas spent apart!!!!

Wisconsin = BEAUTIFUL

2009-10-29T14:53:00.002-05:00

So, I admit, when my schedule worked out that I was able to join Stephen on a business trip, I was pumped....but then I found out the trip was to Wisconsin! Wisconsin?! Why couldn't it be one of his trip to LA or Florida?! But, my apologies to Wisconsin. It was awesome! We spent most of our time in Door County, the peninsula that juts out into Lake Michigan, and it was incredible. The leaves were still on the trees and the colors were beyond words. Who knew a place like that existed so far north? We had a fabulous time, met some great people, and got to relax a bit. For those who are looking for a fun getaway, its perfect. Quaint streets with little shops and B&B's along the water. Perfect!

On the adoption front.......well nothing new. Our social worker is on vacation (which I suppose she's entitled to!!) so we won't be hearing anything for sure until she gets back in another week or so.

My awesome husband got me some really great stuff for my b-day and once I get the pictures together from that I'll be sure to post them. Now, we're off to Ohio for the weekend to spend some time with our super awesome friends. Can't wait!

Our little Aggie, class of 2029!!!!

2009-10-16T15:13:00.003-05:00

Stephen, proud papa that he is, got his little man some new football watching gear. The white t-shirt says "I may be little but I'm a BIG Aggie fan." and the maroon one says "Start 'em young, raise 'em right, aTm" He was so pumped when they came in the mail. Can't wait for my two favorite guys to finally get to hang out!

Surprise!!!

2009-10-11T21:28:00.008-05:00

This past Thursday night was AWESOME!!!! I headed to the church office, expecting praise team practice and was totally surprised by a shower for Max!! There was cake (totally delicious and made by Dawnetta!!)and lots of gifts!!!! Look at all this stuff!

We got a car seat, tons of toys, super cute clothes and the Rosetta Stone in Thai (thanks Michael and Rachael!)

Max's room is really starting to fill up!!

My incredibly talented sister-in-law (and super proud aunt, might I add!) Made the cutest shirts for Max and Noah (my nephew). Aren't they adorable?!?!? Can't wait to see the boys side by side wearing these!

HUGE thank you to the praise team (especially Jon and Debbie for organizing everything). You guys are AWESOME!!

Nesting at its finest!

2009-10-08T17:35:00.003-05:00

So, we had a super fun day painting Max's room. We've still got lots to do, but we're really happy with the color. The curtain's were a last minute purchase, and I think I like them! Now I've got to press them because they look a mess!!! Our plans still in the works include, a new ceiling fan, staining the dresser to match the bed (that Stephen's dad built!), finding some fun things to put on the walls, and a toy box that my dad is going to build that will match the bed too!!! This morning when I got up, it was so fun to walk past his room and see his little bed there! It makes it all feel so much more real. Can't wait to have him home!

A present for our little man!!!

2009-10-04T22:27:00.002-05:00

Tonight Stephen and I went out and bought Max a few things to send along with his photo album. It was so much fun! Of course, we had to watch ourselves, I think we were tempted to buy the whole store. Our social worker reminded us to keep things small and simple for now. So, that's what we did. He's now got a toy truck, a book with simple English words, a coloring book, a super cute truck t-shirt, and a bear to snuggle with. And, of course, the thing that excites us the most is that Max will now have pictures of his mom and dad!!!

I also have to take a little time to brag on my awesome husband a little bit. Since we set out on this journey of adoption, I have been looking forward to the day that we got to share our news with our awesome church family. I thought we would have to postpone the big announcement until next week since Stephen had to be on campus this weekend for work. Well, Stephen pulled some strings at work and planned the big reveal with our pastor without me knowing! It was the coolest thing. Our beautiful little boy's face up on our big projector screen and the pure joy and support of our whole church family. It was awesome!!!!! And sooooo emotional. I feel like all week all I've done is cried tears of joy. Its been great!

Now for Stephen's birthday tomorrow! He wants to spend the day painting Max's room. What an awesome dad! We're going with blue, and we've chosen the cutest bedding. I'll be sure to post pictures when we're done!

Stephen and Angie

And then there were three...

2009-09-29T18:44:00.003-05:00

So....I finally get to post the blog Stephen and I have been praying for for what seems like forever!!! We are so excited to let all of you know that we have a son!!!!!!!!!! His name is Max (after Stephen's awesome dad) and he was born August 29, 2007. He is currently living in a baby's home in Thailand, and from all the picture's we've received, he looks like he's doing great. Thailand asks that adoptive families not post pictures of the children online, and we want to respect their wishes. So, unfortunately we can't share his super cute face with you right now. We will however have pictures with us at all times (just like all proud parents do!) and would LOVE to show him off any chance we get!

At this point, we don't have a ton of info on Max, but here's what we do know. He was born with a cleft lip and he had that repaired in January of this year. We've seen both the before and after pictures and we have to say, those Dr.'s in Thailand did an awesome job!! He'll still need a few corrective surgeries here in the US, but that's nothing we can't handle! Otherwise, Max is totally healthy from what we've seen. Our social worker has been super helpful and she even sent us a copy of his medical records. Some of it was in Thai, but what was in English told us that his heart, lungs, eyes, and ears all check out!! He's average weight (28 lbs) and slightly above average height (34 inches). We're told that Max is super sweet and kind of shy with strangers. Our social worker actually just returned from Thailand and she got to visit with him a little. We're soooo jealous!

Just like before we received this awesome news, we now have to be prepared for more waiting. Now all of Max's paperwork has to be prepared and matched with all of our paperwork before we can look towards getting a travel date. There are more official documents that have to be completed along the way but we won't bore you with all those details!

Stephen and I are putting together a photo album that will be mailed to Max with our photos in it. This way he can hopefully become familiar with his mom and dad's faces before we meet him.

We have no idea how long the wait will be at this point, but that's okay. We have a son, and God is soooo good!!!!! Thank you all again for all of your words of encouragement and prayers. This journey has been hard at times, but it has been so comforting to be able to share it with all of you. Please, please, please continue to pray for Stephen and I as we begin truly preparing to be mom and dad. Also please pray that we are able to find the finances to bring this little guy home. And, just as importantly, please be praying for Max. Pray for his health, his happiness, and that God would begin preparing his heart for the day we meet!!!

Slowly but Surely

2009-02-27T14:37:00.003-06:00

Hi Everyone! We are really sorry its been so long since we've blogged. We haven't had much excitement on the adoption front until recently. We found out this week that our dossier has made it to Thailand!!! God has just really blessed us with a speedy process. We were under the impression that our dossier wouldn't even be mailed until we completed our paperwork with immigration, but much to our excitement, we were able to proceed! Speaking of immigration, we heard from them this week too ( we were anticipating another 6-8 week wait)!!! Stephen and I go to St. Louis on Monday to get our final set of fingerprints. This is huge believe it or not! This is the final, and we mean final, step in the process as far as what we need to complete. Once we get this done, all we have to do is wait.......and wait........to be matched!!!!! We're still hoping to have the name and picture of our child by the end of the year, and travel in 2010. So, we've got some serious waiting ahead of us. But, its a comfort to know that all of our paperwork has reached Thailand. Please pray for us, and for patience through the home stretch. So far, our patience hasn't been tested much, everything has truly been moving along so quickly. But now is where it gets hard. And for those of you who don't already know this...I'm not the most patient person.....especially when it comes to being a mom!!!

Baby Kull's first Christmas (in our hearts)!

2009-01-02T20:42:00.004-06:00

Happy New Year everyone!

We have always known how awesome our family and friends are, but this Christmas we were very reminded of all the love and support we've been blessed with. On Christmas morning, we had as many gifts to open for Baby Kull as we did for ourselves! The t-shirt we got is from my parents and I can't wait to wear it! They also got us an awesome baby book that is for adopted children, and its great. There's a place for us to write about Stephen and I as a couple and why we chose adoption, and there's spots to put picture of all the baby's first. And they aren't your typical firsts like "first step" (our child will likely already be walking) but there are things like "first family holiday together" and "first birthday celebrated as a family" I can't wait to fill it up! My parents also got Baby Doo (Stephen and I decided we needed a nickname to call our baby, and its a long story, but that's what we came up with) a Little Tykes Noah's Ark, complete with all the animals. Its the baby's first toy, and I can't wait for them to play with it! And we got some books that I think will really help us build our baby's vocab.

Stephen's sister Virginia crocheted us this BEAUTIFUL blue blanket and I don't know if she intended for it to go in the nursery but we think it will look perfect there! Stephen's cousins Mark and Heidi got us two Thai cookbooks that I can't wait to use! I'm a little nervous, seeing as how traditional recipes don't always turn out so good for me, but I am definitely up for the challenge!

My brother and sister in law made us the wall hanging that says "A match made in heaven." I can't believe how creative Rachael is. She is definitely going to come in handy when we decorate the nursery!!! We also received a letter from our future baby, complete with an authentic return address from an orphanage in Thailand. We received the letter on Christmas eve and both Stephen and I cried when we read the words, telling us how much our child is looking forward to meeting us and how they already feel our love for them. I hope Michael and Rachael know how much that letter meant to us. It also came with key chains that say "Someone in Thailand loves me" and we are proudly carrying them with us!

My grandma also sent us a blanket and a super cute "lovey". Its a green and white dog and Stephen and I have already decided that it will be the first thing we put in our first care package to our baby. We are encouraged to send things to our baby once we received their name, that way they have things from us, and things of there own that they can bring with them here. I'm excited to hold that stuffed animal and think someday our child might hold it as they fall asleep!

The second picture is our nursery as it is now. We've decided not to buy any furniture or decorate completely. We really want to make that room special and individualized for our baby, so we'll wait until we get our referral. But, its been absolutely impossible to pass by the baby section and not splurge once in a while.

We also just want to say a special thank you to those who gave us special, heartfelt gifts towards our adoption fund. We never expected to receive such generous donations, but please know that your gift means soooooo much and we can never say thank you enough.

Happy New Year everyone and we pray God will bless you abundantly! We love you!

Practice Makes Perfect!

2008-12-20T20:46:00.005-06:00

For those of you who haven't got to meet this cute guy, this is Noah, our nephew and we LOVE him!!! Today we got to experience first hand the awesomeness of full time baby care. Unfortunately my brother and sister-in-law are really sick, but fortunately for us, that means Noah gets to spend the night! Its about 9 pm, and so far, so good (except for the brief unhappiness we captured in the first picture!) So, maybe I'll blog again tomorrow and let you know how the night goes ;)

Things with the adoption are still moving along really well. We had our second homestudy today. We're just waiting on a few more papers (reference letters, doctors forms, Angie's passport) and then we can send everything to our social worker. She said she should be done with her part in a week, then she forwards it to our international agency, and hopefully they should be done in one to two weeks. From there is goes to ICPC (I think that's it) I know part of it is "interstate compact" and I think they'll have it three to four weeks, and finally it goes to another state agency with a lot of letters (I know part of that process includes INS and them agreeing to allow us to bring an international child into the state) and they'll take up to ten weeks. So, we really want to get all the of final papers to Susan (our social worker) this next week so we can begin that whole process. Its only after our dossier travels to all those places that it can then be sent to Thailand to be matched with a baby!!!!! I just keep praying that by Christmas next year we can at least know who our baby is. It so hard to talk about your baby and remain abstract. I want to call him or her by name, and shop for them.

Today I totally had a moment in regards to all that. We were at practice today for our church's Christmas Cantata and we were practicing the song where the kids choir comes in and sings "Sleep Baby Jesus." and I was totally overcome with tears. Now I'll admit that I always get a little teary-eyed when the kids sing, just cause they're so darn cute, but this time was different. I could just picture our child singing with them. And to hear the words they were singing and to think that we are going to be taking a child from a country that is nearly 100% buddhist and instead teaching him or her the love of Jesus. It makes me cry again just thinking about it. I keep praying that our little one is safe and healthy this Christmas being loved by a wonderful caregiver in Thailand.

We also pray that all of you are having a wonderful, happy Christmas. We love you all!!!

Our first taste of Thailand!

2008-12-01T23:37:00.002-06:00

Well, I have to admit, I was nervous to try Thai food for the first time, I'm just not very adventurous. But, the food was AWESOME! We went to dinner with our friends Bo and Sarah and their adorable baby Brody when we were up in Ohio, and we had a great time. I can't remember the name of the dishes themselves, but there were noodles and chicken and broccoli (that really narrows it down doesn't it!) When we got back into town, we checked out another Thai restaurant here locally with my parents, brother, sister-in-law and nephew (also absolutely adorable!). I was feeling brave and ordered a dish I normally would never had tried. This time.......not so much. I didn't like it at all. So, if any of you have any recommendations of what to order next time, let us know. It was just fun to be in the environment. Of course, we know that a Thai restaurant in the US is likely nothing like what we'll experience when we travel to Thailand, but it was still neat!

When we got back from our trip (which by the way was great!), we had a big packet waiting for us from the agency. We hadn't planned to hear anything for another week, so we were really excited. Of course, it was filled with another stack of forms to be filled out........and a rather large bill :( But, we knew that was coming. Right now we are concentrating on getting together all of our "vital records" (birth certificates and marriage license) Once we get the official records, we then have to send them off to the state of origin to be authenticated. I'm also going to get my passport and we'll need to get our physicals redone and more of that kind of stuff. We've been super blessed that all of the money that we put into our home study for the domestic adoption has carried over, so we only needed to pay a little more on top of that to add the extra stuff for international.

So, that's where we're at, papers, papers and more papers. We put up our tree today, and I keep thinking that this time next year we could be so very close to having our baby! Now I just need to pray for patience!!!! God Bless.

FORMAL APPLICATION--- DONE!!!!

2008-11-15T17:45:00.003-06:00

Hi everyone. Even though we have already been talking back and forth with our social worker at AAI and making plans, we still needed to send in a formal application. So, we mailed it off this week (that's us holding the envelope- we've decided to take a picture of each step, no matter how dorky that might seem now, maybe someday our baby will be proud to know how excited we were to prepare for him/her!!!). We had to send proof of insurance, our marriage certificate, tax returns from the past three years and a picture of ourselves (and no this was not the picture we sent!) We've already been warned that paperwork will be the theme for us over the next year. Our social worker from Lutheran gave us a list of all the documents we should start collecting since we'll need them to include in our dossier that goes to Thailand.
We're taking a break from all the paperwork for a while though and going on a much anticipated trip! At the end of the week we'll be leaving for Ohio to help our best friends move :( then its off to Tennessee for Thanksgiving with Stephen's side of the family. We're really looking forward to seeing Stephen's parents and getting to talk in person about all of this exciting stuff!! We pray you all have a wonderful holiday and please know we are soooo thankful for each one of you!!!!

Sawat-dee thook thook khohn!

2008-11-07T15:31:00.007-06:00

Angela & I would like to welcome you to our first ever blog. This is new to us, so bear with us. For those of you that do not know, Angela and I have been in the adoption process for some time now. We started in the domestic side and recently decided to look into International Adoption. After looking into agencies, we settled on Adoption Advocates International (AAI) in Washington state. We have chosen to adopt a child from Thailand! By the way, the title to this posting is Thai for Hello Everyone. Since we had already processed for a domestic adoption, the paperwork process will not be as difficult or time consuming as it normally would be. In addition, we found out that our domestic agency, LCFS, works with AAI, so we do not have to redo our homestudy! Their website for that program is http://www.adoptionadvocates.org/thailand/thailand_process.php

We have been told to expect a 12-18 month wait. We are open to children with minor special needs and will most likely receive a boy. The children are typically older (2 years) by the time they come home. Once we receive a referral for a child, within 3-5 months, Angela and I will be traveling to Bangkok, Thailand to pick them up, go before the adoption board, and bring them home. We will be in country for at least 10 days.

In the meantime, we will be updating you throughout the process and hope that you enjoy this and maybe even learn something along the way. We are also looking into learning some of the language, since we have some time. If anyone has any tips, please let us know.

We are extremely excited to have been blessed to be able to do this. We are also so blessed to have such great support from friends and family from all over the country. Please begin praying for our child. Although we do not know who he/she is, we know they are out there somewhere.

Check back frequently for updates!