Thanksgiving

Is there anything cuter than a kindergartener missing a tooth? I don't think so. This kindergartner is especially cute in his Indian costume.

We've got two traditions. We decorate our back door with "thankful" leaves and we run/walk a charity 5K.

Oh yeah, tradition number three...our Utah family comes over for dinner. My parents were here this year and it was GREAT to spend time with them!

Terrific Two!

Best Friend: Laura

Favorite Toy: Baby doll

Loves to Say: "I just joking!"

Couldn't live without: Peanut butter

How different life would be...

The other day a good friend asked, “Do you think about how different Sitota’s life would be if she hadn’t been adopted by your family?” I get this question every so often, and usually the question is followed with a comment like, “You are so good to adopt. She is so lucky.” When my friend asked me this I felt the same awkward feeling I always do.

I have come to strongly dislike the question without knowing why. I stumbled through a response, just as I always do, not being able to translate my feelings into words. That night, while rocking Sitota before bedtime, I looked at her and reflected on “the question,” wondering why it makes me uncomfortable.

Then it hit me and I started to cry. Sitota has blessed our family more that I ever thought possible. She has made us a more humble, caring and compassionate family. I have an 8-year-old who regularly donates some of her allowance to build wells in Africa. I have an 11-year-old who cried with me when I told him that things were not going well with Ethiopian adoptions, and that some orphans may never be adopted. I have children who want to donate our Disneyland savings to help starving children in Somalia. I have a family who think people with different skin color are beautiful. These examples don’t even begin to touch on how deeply our lives have been changed.

So, I finally have a verbal answer to “the question.” We are the lucky ones. And yes, I think about how different life would be if we hadn’t adopted Sitota, our lives would be different. I think about it every day, and I thank God, every night, for Sitota.

Dear Tooth Fairy

A few months ago, Dexter lost a tooth while outside on the deck. The tooth fell between the boards and under the deck. The kids searched for it for days, but never found it.

Yesterday, Dexter lost another tooth and left this note for the tooth fairy.

Halloween Fun

We've got an army man, Fred Weasley (from the Harry Potter books), a runner, a unicorn, a dinosaur and a very pretty princess.

Fred & George Weasley

My kindergartener's first Halloween parade.

My 6th grader's last Halloween party in elementary school. I helped at Truman's class party.

Carl's Visit

Carl came out for the Halloween weekend. One of the days we went for a walk in the canyon. Graham took this picture and thankfully it's not a close up so you can't see my braces and Carl's mustache (it's mustache month where Carl is working).

We had all the Utah family over on Sunday to celebrate Aunt Kathleen's birthday. The little kids spent their time playing in the leaves. The big kids (pictured below) played games and hung out.

Here's as much of the gang as I could get together for a picture. It's always great to be with family.

Fall Break

We went to a dinosaur museum and to Goblin Valley. It was a quick one night trip. We had a fantastic time.