A CHRISTmas gift from the grandparents!

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

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!!!!

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!!!

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!

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!!!

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...

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!!!