Winter Wonderland

Finally! It was not until last Sunday that we received a significant snow. As soon as we came home from church, Logan was pulling on his snow pants and boots to go sledding. So, while dad shoveled, Logan and mom went sledding and loaded his dump truck with snow to "help." That said, we could really get used to winters like this.

Lots of changes

My how time has flown over the last four months. We moved into our new house in late August. We love our new neigborhood. The fall was spent enjoying the park near our house and meeting new neighbors. Logan started preschool this fall. He enjoys going to school and is doing well. We also learned West Fargo's new middle school will be just down the street.

Winter, if we can call it that, brought many blessings to our family. We celebrated Christmas with Doug's and Bethany's families. Logan really enjoyed Christmas, especially helping mom and dad decorate. He loved putting "toys" (decorations) on the tree. We are looking forward to the many adventures the new year will bring. We are excited to take a short family vacation to Orlando and Daytona this February.

Life can be very busy, so unfotunately we are not updating our blog as often as we'd like. Please keep visiting as we continue our journey toward our second adoption. We are so excited knowing someday our family will be blessed with a second child.

A few pictures from the summer

We have gone to the zoo many times this summer, and Logan has loved learning about the animals.

We've also spent the summer playing outside and visiting many of Fargo's and West Fargo's parks.

Logan and his cousin playing at the annual family picnic.

Doug and Logan working on their casting skills.

We have had a lot of fun this summer watching our house being built.

Catching up

Well, the last few months have been busy in our house. Over the winter we took in a couple Fargo Force hockey games, which Logan LOVED! He talks about how he wants to play hockey when he is bigger.

The biggest change for us came when we decided to build a new house in West Fargo. We sold our former house in February and closed in April. Our new house will be finished in August, providing our builder has continued good weather. The process is both thrilling and daunting, but now that the house is starting to take shape, the excitement is building. We try to check on it every day to see what progress has been made. For the summer, we are living in an apartment. Logan has adjusted well, maybe even better than his parents.

To pass the time, we've been planning lots of exciting summer activities. We are now season members at the Red River Zoo. Logan loves to go there and look at the wolves, peacocks, ducks, and camels. We'll travel to the lake and farm whenever we can. Bethany's sister is getting married in July, so that will also be a family event to look forward to.

We are excited that when we are blessed with another child he or she will be coming into a new and exciting home. Cheers!

Go Sioux

This weekend we were invited to the UND hockey game v. Robert Morris University. We saw some of our old friends from when we were at UND. It was a great night. The Sioux won 2-1.

Merry Christmas

We had a wonderful Christmas! On Christmas Eve, we went to Doug's parent's house. The rest of Doug's family was there too, so Logan was able to play all night with his cousins. He and one of his cousins played Santa's Elves and passed out all the gifts under the tree. On Christmas, we went to Bethany's parent's house. It was another enjoyable day spent opening gifts, sharing good food, and even playing outside for a little while. Logan received a lot of building blocks and art supplies, so he's having fun building and creating his own art.

Holiday Season

It has been an eventful couple of weeks for our family. Doug's brother and his wife celebrated the birth of their new baby boy! He has been a wonderful addition to our family. We're also getting ready for Christmas. It's hard to believe December is flying by so fast. Doug made lefse with his mom today to give to some of family and friends. The gifts are starting to pile up under the tree. Logan loved decorating the tree for the first time. It has more ornaments on it than it has for a long time. Merry Christmas!

Indian Summer

Thank goodness for Indian summers! The beautiful weather recently has helped us to have a little fun and getting some of those "to-dos" crossed off. Logan loves playing outside so much that getting used to it being dark at night when he gets home has been different. He continues to express himself in new and interesting ways. He fully knows how to use "no" and "why" to his advantage. We're looking forward to the holidays.

Welcome Back

It's been two years since our last post, but what a great two years it's been. Shortly after our last post, we were blessed when a birth mother reached out to us. Our son came to us through adoption that September. We've never been so excited, happy, and scared, all at the same time. We were ready to have a child but never imagined being a parent would be so much fun!

We are ready to grow our family through adoption again. Welcome back. We invite you to review our profile and get to know our family a little better.

Summer Thoughts

Summer is quickly running by, and we continue to get well wishes as we tell more friends and family about our adoption plans.  The birth of our niece has been a wonderful addition to the family.  We cannot wait for the day when we will add to our family.  Our social worker has been a great resource.  She is always there for support and keeps us updated on the how things are going at The Adoption Option.  

Summer softball, weekends at the lake, and other summer projects have kept us busy.  Soon fall will be here, and Doug will spend Sunday afternoons on the couch, hoping this is the year the Vikings make it.  

Please keep us in your thoughts and have a excellent end of summer.  

A Surprise Visit

Bethany's aunt and uncle from Michigan and cousin from Florida came back for a visit.  We had a fun night hanging out and visiting.   

Auntie Bethany and Uncle Doug

We welcomed our niece to the world recently.  She's adorable!  It was a happy day for our family.

6 Years Already?

We also celebrated our 6-year anniversary this month.  It's hard to believe we have been married for 6 years.  Even though we've had our struggles, we cannot imagine a life without each other.  For our anniversary, we took a bike ride and then enjoyed a quiet supper together. 

Welcome Back Class of 1998

We celebrated our 10-year reunion this month.  We were members of the first class of Northern Cass High School.  Half of our class attended the reunion.  It was exciting seeing everyone again and learning what they are up to.

One Month In

We've been in "the book" for a little over a month now.  The friends we've told have been very encouraging.  That really helps us keep looking forward and excited.  We expect the arrival of a new member of our family soon.  Doug's brother and his wife are expecting and due any day now. We are excited for the day when cousins can play together at the family's farm.    

On the lake...

Tubing over the 4th of July weekend.  Don't we look like we're having fun?

Doug ended up in the lake.  Oops!

The man responsible for Doug ending up in the water.  I'm sure it was an accident....

Patiently waiting...

Family Baby Shower for Doug's sister-in-law.

Their due date is July 10th so we're waiting by the phone to hear of the arrival of our niece.

Go Yankees!

Yankees/Twins game in Minneapolis May 31st

Night at the Ball Park

Danelle, Doug and I at the FM RedHawks baseball game

Relaxing and Grilling

Memorial Day weekend in Morris, MN with friends