Jack's Seattle Adventure

Adventure Thursday

This week Jack and I had a special date day in the city. In one day we visited several of our favorite Seattle places. We spent the morning at Alki Beach. We dug big holes, made sand angels, sandcastles and ate the classic Spud's fish and chips. Then we got into the car, drove to Pike Place Market to watch the "fish guys" and pick up some beautiful flowers. As we walked back to the car we enjoyed the waterfall tunnel at Westlake Center. Jack and I ventured through the tunnel once and then Jack proceeded to go for a five. He was SOAKING wet by the time he was done. Finally we "rode" the pigs at westlake. Jack thinks that there is nothing funnier than these enourmous pigs painted and decorated by local artists. It was a great day!

Boys and Baseball

Today we had such a special treat. Morfar (Megan's Dad) took all three of his grandsons and their moms to a Tacoma Rainers game.The boys were so excited to be at a "real game" with "real players". Since this is a farm team, we were close to the action which was great for a clan of preschoolers. The boys enjoyed cheering on the players, watching for the mascot "rubarb the reindeer", chatting it up with those around us and eating game day snacks. What better way to spend a monday! Thanks so much Morfar! - Yeah to be be a stay at home mommy :)

Check out my Slide Show!

Family Camp | Good Times

Oh it was good to be back at Cascades Camp for the annual all conference church family camp this past week. Once again our church's worship band was invited to lead worship and it was amazing. The speakers this year were also fantastic. Lots of families from church attended and much fun was had. It certainly was a different experience to take along an independant 3 1/2 year old. We swam * Rode horses * Built a pinecare * Where in a parade * Played soccer * Played frisbee * Shot a BBGun * Hiked * Stayed up really late * Ate ice cream* and much, much more. Jack had a wonderful time. Camp has so many great activities and lots of his friends where there to share in the fun. The time at camp was also such a great reminder about how blessed we are to have a church home and spiritual family along with our physical family. Camp is a place where corporate and community parenting takes place. Everyone watches everyones elses kids. You all eat meals together, play together and worship together. We were so blessed to share in camp with our family and our friends. It is good be be part of a body of faith.

Adoption Update: IT'S A BOY

Friends we are so excited to let you know that we have been given our referral. Yesterday at about 12:30 I recieved a phone call from our social worker. She informed us that we have been given a heatlthy and beautiful little boy. At the time I was in the car, driving with a friend, and was just absolutly overwhelmed. Four hours later I got a chance to see pictures, and like any mom I am happy to say "he is beautiful'. And so late into the night the name battle insued. We were awake into the wee hours of the morning and we are excited to let you know that after much thought, his name will be MAX ARMANDO LYONS. Please pray for us as we now trudge through some more paperwork and as we wait. Max is now in the care of his foster family. We are praying that they are good, loving and Godly people. We are so appreciative of their care. Due to safetly and to protect the process we cannot post pictures on the web, but if you email me we will send them to you! We will keep you posted!

Happy Graduation Boys

A big congratuations to our cousins Robby and Gavin. They have "graduated" from preschool. We were so thrilled to be asked to attend their "ceremony". They performed 3 songs and then each student was called by name to walk across the front of the room, up and across stairs and accepted their "diplomas". Then, the real festivities began. What can be more fun or chaotic then 22 preschool students, all their adoring relatives and the whole Safeway bakery section. Frosting for all! Way to go boys! We are so proud of all your growth and accomplishments.

Beach Day

The sun was hot and the weather was beautiful so we hit the beach. We invited our new friend Sean and his mom to join us at Covenant Beach. Covenant Beach in Des Moines, is where I lived for 7 years. How incredibly surreal to be there as an adult, but more so as a mom. We had a picnic, Our superhero played in the rocks and we went crab hunting. Summer is so fun!

Megan's WILD Road Trip : Adoption Update

It has been a day. Today we set out to finalize our international dossier for the adoption. It was our hope that today it would be mailed to Michigan. When I set out this morning I knew that it would be a long day but I did not anticipate this:

8 am - Leave house to drop Jack at my parents house
9 am - Met Jon in Tacoma to have one final piece of paper notarized
9:30 am - Depart from Tacoma and Drive to Office #1 in Olympia
10:30 am - Arrive at office #1 and picked up paper work
11:00 am - Drive to office #2 in Olympia
11:20 am - Arrive at ofice #2
11:24 am- Hugely disappointed that one piece of paper is not valid.
11:40 am- Sit in my car with 15 pieces of valid paper and one lone paper with no state seal
11:41 am - CRIED about not being able to send off our paper work today
11:43 am - Called Jon to inform him of situation. Called our social worker to inform her.
11:45 am- Began the long journey home, disappointed and feeling deflated.
12:30 pm - Stop in Federal Way for a couple of errands
12:45 pm - Return to Car to find that I missed 4 calls from Jon
12: 50pm - Our stituation may be salvageable
12:55 pm - Call our social worker, YES! Our situation can be redeemed.
1:00 pm - Pull off of HWY 18 in Auburn for gas, bathroom and lunch
1:15 pm - Back on the road to Tacoma AGAIN
1:30 pm - Arrive in Tacoma and wait outside Jon's office for the needed item
Wait, wait, wait.Wait, wait, wait, Wait, wait, wait
more waiting , waiting, waiting, waiting, waiting
3:15 pm - Jon brings much needed paper
3:16 pm - I head back out on the road. 1-5 to Shoreline
4:22 pm -Arrive in shoreline at Bethany (our adoption agency)
4:23 pm - Meet with social worker, hand off paperwork, she takes it from here
4:35 pm - Stop at Starbucks, for refreshment
4:45 pm - Back onto 1-5 south homeward bound
6: 30 pm - Arrive at home.

What more is there to say? Not much. Only that we are thrilled to no longer have in our possession a huge stack of paper work. What is next you ask? We hope that our paperwork goes to Michigan next week, We hope that the week after, it is in Guatemala, and we hope that sometime between now and mid July we will be able to introduce via pictures the little one who will join our family. We will keep you posted! I am off to bed :)

Maple Valley Celebrity

Jack and his friend Luke felt like celebrities this last weekend when they rode in the Maple Valley Days parade aboard the Vine Maple Place train. There is nothing more thrilling for two first born, train loving boys then to sit aboard a train, have people look at you and wave. Despite the rain and cool temps, Jack loved it.