Fun long weekend & nice haircut!

Here I am getting a haircut! I am smiling...but really I am just barely tolerating this! There is so much loose hair flying around it keeps getting in my eyes, nose and mouth. And how long should this really take?

Here I am posing with my new haircut after I took a quick shower to rinse all that annoying hair off myself! I look quite a bit older now, don't I? Quite distinguished if I do say so myself! Of course it would help my case if I had clothing on!

In this one, I think my parents are funny because they want me to hold this towel just in place to make sure we get a modest picture of me and my Guatemala wall art!

Here I am about to climb into my highchair with my trusty stool! It helps me climb up onto things so Mommy doesn't have to lift me so much anymore! I am a growing boy you know!

I think my parents are on a roll this weekend (they must think I am really cute!) or they just found their camera again... I just grin and bear it...grin and bear!

Pure adoration for....

Mandarin Oranges!!!! (aka...Candy)

Priceless!!

You know you are an adoptive mother (or you should be!) if:

1. The fact that there are 143 million children without a parent to kiss them goodnight has ever made you lose sleep.

2. You realize DNA has nothing to do with love and family.

3. You can't watch Adoption Stories on TLC without sobbing.

4. The fact that if 7% of Christians adopted 1 child, there would be no orphans in the world is convicting to you.

5. You spend free time surfing blogs about families who have experienced the blessing of adoption.

6. It drives you crazy when people ask you about your adopted child's "real" parents.

7. You have ever been "pregnant" with your adoptive child longer than it takes an elephant to give birth (2 years!)

8. You had no idea how you would afford to adopt but stepped out in faith anyway knowing where God calls you He will provide.

9. You have ever taken a airplane ride half way around the world with a child you just met.

10. You believe God's heart is for adoption.

11. You realize that welcoming a child into your heart and family is one of the most important legacy's you could ever leave on this earth.

12. You shudder when people say your child is so lucky that you adopted them, knowing full well you are the blessed one to have them in your life.

13. You know what the word Dossier means and you can actually pronounce it!

14. You have welcomed a social worker into the most private parts of your life.

15. You know full well that the journey of your child coming into your family is one of the most wonderful, miraculous things that has ever happened to you.

I got this off a friend's blog that she got off from a friends blog...Thank you for whoever wrote this! Thanks!

Look how grown up I am!!

We have been sick for a couple of weeks now with a nasty cold. We are all on the mend now...but as you can tell Mateo doesn't feel the best in some of these pictures...but he still manages to be adorable in my book! (he also needs a haircut...I think he is growing side-burns already!)

Me and My Sisters!

Ok I know these are pretty much all taken on the same day...but I couldn't decide which one's I like better! All our lives we have seen the surprise (or in some cases unbelief) register on people's faces when they learn we are sisters...100% full biological sisters! We are all 16 months apart...could you imagine being our mom when we were all in diapers! :) Melissa is on the right, she is the oldest, I am the one in the middle...I have almost always been the shortest at 5'5, and Mindy is the one on the left. She is a wonderful 6'2''. Though being tall is great, I had some advantages to being short during some of our tuffles as kids...but those stories can just be between us...right girls? I can't wait to see you both this summer at our Grandpa's 80 birthday party!

My Beautiful Mother...(Maria writing)

This is my most favorite picture I have or have seen of her! Isn't she beautiful? This is her camping! (thank you John for taking these pictures!)
I love you Mom! And I am so glad you are near to help me be a good mother and wife! We are very blessed to have you!

And I just wanted to throw this one in... This is my mom's best friend from before elementary school...I love this picture! She is as cute as a button!

I started this entry in November and forgot to finish it...

These pictures are from this summer/fall...but show you some fun times with Mateo's Family!

Here I am with Grandma and Grandpa Cross...they are babysitting me! I think they love it as much as I do!

This (and other random picts of me alone) is thrown in here because while Mommy was looking through all these pictures, she started reminiscing about how small and cute I look and she had to share. She keeps saying "I can't believe how fast and how much you have grown since summer!".

Here I am with Papaw Casey...We love sitting in his chair after a big tasty meal and patting our tummies together! (Or routing for the Cowboys...) (this was taken a couple of weeks ago...incase you notice a difference in my maturity! :))

And my Granny Casey...well she cooks the great meals and she keeps these cute pjs for me so I can go home warm and ready for bed!

Here I am with Aunt Erin! (with my spiky hair cut from this summer) She came over to our house to introduce me to one of her good longtime friend.

Here I am with Aunt Mindy (when she and my other Aunt and Uncle came to visit and meet me this summer!) This is at a party they had for me...

This is my first camping trip ...and this is my Aunt Missy (she came to Guatemala to meet me and get Mommy and me set up).
This is Uncle John and me...but really isn't this the cutest face you have ever seen? (mine of course)

Canoing with Mommy!

Alaska State Fair (early September)....but oh so cute!

My Grand Uncle Rich is sitting behind me!