Swimmin lessons with my daddy:)

To the farmers market

The bench

I've always been one that's felt closest to God in nature.  I still remember when I lived closer to the lake in St. Francis, I'd take bike rides down to the lake and just sit and look out over Lake Michigan, praying for many things in life - family, friends, a spouse someday, career, you name it.  I've always gravitated towards water, in particular, when times get tough.  Through our years of infertility, I went through a period where I spent a lot of time connecting with God sitting on this bench at McCarty park, overlooking the big pond that's there.  I have this image of etched in my mind of me sitting on the bench, clutching my bible, tears rolling down my face, begging God for a baby.  I remember watching the mommy duck and her little ducklings swimming behind her, wanting so desperately for little ducklings of my own. 

When we got our diagnosis and found out our chances of having a biological child were slim to none, Brad and I came here, walked on the path around the pond, holding hands and just crying.  I remember that day like it was yesterday.  April 16th, 2008.  Tax season had just ended.  It was supposed to be a doctor's appointment that gave us hope and new direction.  Instead we felt our hearts ripped from our chests.  So we walked.  We held hands.  We cried.  We searched for answers.  And in the coming weeks and months, I would come back to this bench.  I would sit here.  I would pray for God's direction and guidance.

I was sitting on this bench the day Becky, the leader of the infertility support group I had sought out, called me back giving me details on their first meeting.  What an amazing answer to prayer that group of ladies turned out to be!!  Looking back, God was answering prayers right as I sat on that very bench in bringing me to these women.  Its how I eventually met Rachel.

In the early stages of choosing embryo adoption, I walked around this park with my friend Jamie, talking about how excited I was to have this option and what a perfect fit it was for us! 

Its been awhile since I've been back to the pond.  When Ben and Corie suggested getting some one year pics here, I teared up thinking of going back to that bench with my little girl, the answer to those prayers.  God has been so good to us.  We are so incredibly blessed with His perfect plan and His perfect timing.  For those of you reading this that are still waiting, know that He is good.  Its so easy to doubt that when your heart is broken, but hopefully stories like ours give you hope. 

Thank you, God, for knocking my socks off with your answer to my prayers.  Thank you for not abandoning me when all I could do was scream and yell at you for withholding your blessings from me.  Thank you for the work you've done in me and through me in this wait for a baby.  Thank you for holding me when all I could do is kneel before you and sob.  Thank you for this bench and this pond and for using it to draw me near to you.  Thank you for Makenna.

Summerfestin' with the sausages

My little chipmunk storing up watermelon for the winter

Love this one:)

Bedtime music on the computer with daddy

Fun pics from this week....

Makenna sleeping in the backseat while we watch the July 3rd fireworks.

Why oh why are fireworks soo late?  I can hardly keep my eyes open...

Hanging at the pool with mommy

Picking mommy's flowers

Happy 4th of July!!

Every year our neighborhood puts on a little 4th of July parade.  This year I was excited we were able to join in it with Makenna!!  We had a BLAST!!  Daddy and Makenna "marched" in it with Butch & Annika (my friend & Makenna's sitter's hubby and daughter).  Mommy was photographer;)  Makenna loved watching all the kids & did pretty good the whole parade!

Trike all decked out and ready for the parade!!  Love the Polish Sausage stuffed in her cup holder - hey, he's red, white & blue:)

Love this one!

Annika and Makenna - before the parade

Here we come!

Butch & Annika, Brad & Makenna

Having so much fun!

Yay! They made it! 

Thanks, daddy!

Aren't we cute?

And....... time for a nap:)  Ha!  Even crying this hard, she is so stinkin' cute in her piggies!

13 months!

Apparently once the one year birthday hits, each "birthday" gets less exciting.  I actually almost forgot it was her "month" birthday today.  I think its because now I just want to keep telling people she just turned 1 - that's way more exciting than thirteen months.  That last month sure flew by!! 

Makenna continues to be quite the charmer.  I keep waiting for her to grow out of the "hi" stage, but she just continues to love it more and more.  Her favorite is to sneak up on someone with a hi- either someone not looking at her in the grocery store or to crawl into the office to find daddy and surprise him with a big "hi".  It really does just melt my heart.  I love it when I go to get her in the morning and she repeats up up up until I pick her up and then she looks at me and says "hhiii".  Too too sweet.  She has started using the hi when she is in trouble too - she'll go after something she's not supposed to have - like Bugsey's water dish - tap her hands in it, look at me and say "hi" all sweet.  She is gonna be trouble, that's for sure!! 


She continues to turn heads every where we go - the combination of the "hi", the sweet personality and the sheer cuteness make for a lot of fun attention.  She eats it up:)  So do I, of course. 

She is turning into more and more of a daddy's girl.  Last month she was all mommy, but ever since they started swimming lessons, she's warming up to him again.  She most defnitely has him wrapped around her finger.  They are looking forward to their first neighborhood 4th of July parade on Monday - daddy will be pushing Makenna on her trike and riding with Butch and Annika while mommies watch the parade from the sidelines.  Can't wait!

Makenna has started to gravitate towards a "woobie" - she loves the silky blanket Oma made for her before she was born and it has turned into her favorite thing.  She's nuzzle up to it whether its on your shoulder or laying on the floor.  Its pretty sweet. 

We are very much enjoying this warm weather now that it is finally here!  We haven't made it to the wading pool by our house yet, but maybe this weekend some time we'll have to check it out.  I'm sure Makenna will love it!  She loves watching the neighborhood kids play outside and once she's walking I'm sure she'll be quick to start chasing everyone around. 

Love the tutu butt

too too cute

the patriotic baby bikini.... courtesy of Derek & Sanam

pretty funny stuff

Lovin' that pool!

My new favorite thing - the past few days I've started singing Jesus Loves Me to her when she gets cranky.  She'll sit back on my lap very nicely and when I get to the part of "Yes, Jesus Loves Me" - she sits up and claps.  Its so stinkin' cute!  She usually claps a little better than this - but this is the one I got on camera.  Don't mind my horrible singing voice:) 

Totally forgot to take monthly pics today, too.  Will have to try to get them in tomorrow.  I hope to post her 1 year pics soon, too.  Ben & Corie did an awesome photo shoot with her and I can't wait to see how they turned out!! 

Happy 13 months, baby girl!!  We love you!!  Muah!

Pool time!

Happy 1st Birthday Adelyn, Ellie & Quincy!!!

We miss you LOTS!!!!  Birthday hugs and kisses all around!!!  Muah!!!

Happy Birthday Annika!!

Tonight we went to Makenna's first big girl birthday party for her friend Annika.  It was at Jump it Up and Makenna had a blast watching all the kids play!

Happy Birthday Annika!!

Look at those ups!

Daddy showin' off his moves

Weeeeee!!

Last PT session today!

Such a big girl!

My first ballpark pretzel

Swimmin' lessons with daddy

Daddy and Kenna girl wanted a good daughter/daddy bonding activity so I signed them up for swimming lessons.  I'm not sure who had more fun daddy, Makenna or mommy watching them have fun from the sidelines....

Makenna was all excited right from the start - she loved watching the kids splash in the pool while we waited

So much fun!!!

She was pooped by the end - so was daddy from trying to hold on to a chubby slippery baby in the pool:) 

Love sleepy ruffle butts!

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day, to an amazing husband and daddy!  We look forward to spending the day with you and celebrating YOU!!  Thank you for all the hugs and kisses.  Thank you for working extra hard so mommy can work part time and spend more time with me.  Thank you for bedtime prayers.  Thank you for making me laugh everyday when you play peek with me.  Thank you for changing my poopy diapers.  Thank you for teaching me how to say "ball".  Thank you for taking such good care of me and loving me so very much!!  I love you daddy!!!!

And to our dad's - thank you for all you do for us!  You are both so giving, so generous.  You would both do absolutely anything for us.  From cutting our lawn to killing our bees, we have asked so much of you over the years and you never hesitate to help us.  You are both such amazing dad's and we love to see you now as Grandpa's to our little girl.  I love the way she looks at both of you and smiles so big with her token "hiii" when she sees you.  Happy Father's Day Grandpa and Papa!!!

What a great day we had Saturday celebrating Father's Day with Papa.

Papa putting a pretty flower in my hair

Posing with Papa's antigue wagon

Laughing at Papa's silliness

This picture cracks me up - we're all watching the video of Kenna feeding Bugsey and giggling.  Cookie Beek (who is 92) appears to be all computer saavy in this one;)

And..... my FIRST popsicle!!!!  Mmmm, it was so good, I stole mommy's and had 2 of them!!