This day last year

I love Facebook timeline. It reminds me of what I did on this day in years past. Today I was reminded that on this day last year Husband and I took Ellie to court to gain custody of our sweet girl.

When you are in the depths of a trial things feel helpless, as if you are surrounded in darkness. The secret is to NEVER give up, to not lose faith. Luckily, I never lost faith, even on my darkest of days. When we got Ellie, it was as if the darkness was replaced with the brightness of 100 suns. This day, last year got even brighter as the judge granted us temporary custody until the adoption was final. I clearly remember sitting in the courtroom, the County Attorney asking Husband and I questions. I told the judge, “We cannot give her everything she will want in life, but we WILL give her everything she needs” (Of course bawling the entire time.) Since this day last year, life has only gotten brighter and brighter.

Ellie's first birthday!

I can NOT believe my little lady is already one! She is so loved we had to have two parties!! My sisters helped me throw a Pink, Piggy, Pancake, Pajama, Party! 

The book If You Give a Pig a Pancake was my inspiration. Oh and these cute jam jams from Target that Auntie Kate got Ellie. 

Look I'm one!

Of course we had LOTS of pink and piggies for decoration!! 

I used my new Cricut to cut out all the pigs and the lettering.

The food table, just missing the pancakes! We got the Hungry Jack complete pancake mix, BEST PANCAKES EVER!! Seriously, so good! 

Notice how part of the backdrop is from Ellie's cake smash photo shoot!

Table tutus are too much fun!!

The balloon garland idea came from

Pinterest. Lizz turned the pink balloons into pigs!!

There were little piggies on the table too!!

Cupcakes, Ellie's smash cake, and pictures from the photo shoot! 

These are the piggies I cut out using the Cricut. Same piggies that were on the table.

 

I made cake pops as party favors, the tags said: "Thanks for popping in and pigging out with us!"

C, the Bashas bakery lady outdid herself with this cake that looks like a stack of pancakes. I'm NOT a cake maker, and I usually don't like Bashas cakes, but this was AMAZING!!  I added some yellow Laffy Taffy to look like butter. 

All ready for her cake!!

She's off...

She REALLY liked the cake!

Yum!!

So many presents!!

She has so much fun playing with the wrapping paper and ribbons! 

Special thanks to husband he made all the yummy pancakes and he let me take over the house with the party madness!!

My sisters who love is unconditionally and indulge EllieLou!

And Megs who came all the way from Flagstaff and took all the great pictures!

Ellie is one and we had LOTS of fun!!

Happy Birthday Ellie!

8.5 pounds 19 inches
made my life complete!

Took her first road trip to meet her Gigi (Great, great grandma) and other family members

23 inches 10.02 pounds
went swimming for the first time

Mom went back to work, Ellie got to spend her days with dad

First Halloween: was Super Girl

Tried rice cereal for the first time, after a few bites, she LOVED it!

26.6 inches and 15 pounds
spent two week, 4 days with the world's greatest babysitter but mom still couldn't handle it so she quite her job!

Officially Adopted!!!
Was blessed in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
First trip to the park

First trip to the library!

First real sickness: UTI & kidney infection 

First trip to the zoo

Attended her first birthday party

First haircut 

28 1/2 inches 19 pounds

Happy Mother's Day for ALL!

Last Mother’s Day I had empty arms and a broken heart…fast forward to this year and I have an 11 month old. It is crazy how fast one’s life can change if you’re open to it. A few weeks back we had a lesson in Relief Society (the women’s group in my church) it was about being an instrument in God’s hands. I am forever thankful to the mothers that played their parts in Ellie’s life. They were truly instruments in God’s hands. Because of these two special mothers, husband and I have our beautiful, spunky, sassy little lady. This Mother’s Day both my heart and arms will be full and I could not be more grateful.

To Ellie’s birth mom and all the other birth mom’s out there Happy Mother’s Day to you. Thank you for being so completely unselfish. Thank you for being an instrument in God’s hands to help Him give me and all the other adoptive mommies their miracle(s). Thank you for doing what I could not do. Thank you for being willing to keep my baby alive. Thank you for NOT giving up. Thank you for realizing that the sweet baby you carried was meant to be mine.

To all the aunties, step-moms, foster moms, grandmas ...Happy Mother's Day to you! You play an integral part in someone's life, do NOT forget that! 

Ellie is BEYOND blessed to have AMAZING aunties that LOVE her almost as much as I do! 

Me with Ellie and her AWESOME Aunties!

To all the future mommies Happy Mother’s Day. My heart breaks for you. I know the pain of wanting a baby more than life itself. I know the soul crushing weight after each negative pregnancy test, with each passing month...

I know that adoption is not for everyone. However, adoption is an AWESOME option. It is a way for God to provide miracles. A way to get your happily ever after. A way for a motherless child to find a home, love, happiness, and their happily ever after. They need you as much as you need them! Do not give up, have an open mind and let someone be an instrument in God’s hands for you.