Thank You

It's been a crazy year for us, and I am grateful for so many friends who have walked through it with us.  

Thank you, friends who waited with us during the first months of the year as we wondered when every next step would happen in our adoption process.  Thank you, friends who asked what the next step was and who wanted to see our photos and were excited for us as steps and waiting turned into joy and redemption.

Thank you to our friend who drove us to the airport in the middle of the night on May 15, so that we could take the longest and craziest and most rewarding journey of our lives.  Thank you, friends who stayed up late on the night of May 19 to see our first photos of our daughter and to hear our "Gotcha" story.  Thank you to those who sent comments and messages to encourage us during our travels, and most of all for those who prayed for us and for Caylie as we began our lives together as a family.

Thank you to those friends who met us at the airport, celebrating a very, very long journey.  Thank you to those who loved our jetlagged family by bringing us meals.  Thank you to those who loved our daughter and celebrated her with gifts and cards.

Thank you to those, who, after the initial excitement, still asked for new photos and blog updates, and who called and messaged to check on us.  Thank you to those who understood that I probably wasn't talking about all the hard things and might need a friend and a kind word.  This meant more than you know.

Thank you, those who understood and were very kind when our best friends moved away.  Our hearts are not the same.  

Thank you, friends who take the time to get to know our son who struggles every day with Asperger's Syndrome.  Thank you, those who give him a chance to succeed and to be himself.

Thank you, friends who encourage me in my homeschooling and who hang in there with me through my sadness over the loss of our school.  Thank you to those who remind me that our God is sovereign.

Thank you friends who celebrated our daughter's pregnancy with us in the late summer and early fall.  And thank you even more, friends who mourned with us the loss of her baby - our grandchild - when that baby went to be with Jesus.  Thank you even more, dear friends who messaged our daughter and her husband in their grief.  Thank you, those who loved on them and were courageous to talk about it, even though it may have been hard.  Thank you, friends who continue to ask them how they are doing and continue to care about them, and who don't suppose that they should be "over it" by now.  Thank you, friends who pray for them.

Thank you friends who have asked both my son-in-law and my husband how their job searches are going.  Thank you dear friends who ask if our family is OK.  Thank you precious friends who pray for us and trust God with us for His plan. 

We are so very blessed to have so many people who love us in every season of life.  That is the Church, my friends.  

"Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn."
~ Romans 12:15

Colorado Re-Adoption Day

The day after Christmas we drove up to Ft. Collins for Caylie's Colorado re-adoption.  This is not part of the original adoption process - Caylie has been legally our daughter since we adopted her in China on May 20.  This is just an extra step which allows us to get a state-issued birth certificate.  I really don't know why it has to be necessary, considering all the steps we've already taken, but it is what it is, LOL

Here we are in the court room.  Christie, from AAC, is sitting behind us.

This is Judge Howard.  He was very nice and good with Caylie.

After the very short proceedings, the judge let Caylie sit in his chair.

Our family.

The judge shaking Caylie's hand.

Cutie girl.  It's amazing to us that this out-going, confident child is the same one in the photos we had 18 months ago.

After the photos, the judge helped Caylie choose a balloon.

This was clearly her favorite part!

Had to get this photo with Christie, who met Caylie in China several months before we did!

Certificate of Adoption.  And I just realized her name is spelled incorrectly.  Guess we'd better get that fixed, LOL

Christmas!

 We had a grand time at Christmas, especially watching Caylie experience so many things for the first time.  She was SO excited to help wrap presents for her family and SO excited to make cut-out cookies and SO excited to hold a candle at the Christmas Eve service, and SO excited to drive around the neighborhood looking at Christmas lights.  And much more, haha!  Needless to say, she had a great time.  She's learned all about baby Jesus, and can find him in any manger scene.  I told her so many times that Christmas was about Jesus, that on Christmas Eve, when people would ask her what tomorrow was, she would say, "Jesus!"  So cute.  :)

The day before the day before Christmas, otherwise known by Justin as "Christmas Adam."  We were walking in Park Meadows Mall, and came across this funny guy.

Justin has worn this hat every day, no matter where we are, since the day we put the tree up, November 29.  I've forgotten what his head looks like.

The day before Christmas, also known to everyone as "Christmas Eve"!
Keelan was a great brother, and helped Caylie make cut-out cookies while I was working on the other kinds.

Brittany and Sammie.

Our tree on Christmas Eve, ready for the morning.

Christmas Day!

On Christmas Eve, we told Caylie all day that Christmas was tomorrow!  So when she got up on Christmas, she was so happy, and said over and over, "It's Christmas tomorrow!"

The beginning of the opening of presents.

Caylie's first present opening!

Keelan's new jacket.

Bee-doh, bee-doh, bee-doh!

One of the things Justin asked for was a prism, after we learned about them in science.

Me and my headless child.

Brittany and Caylie.

 Taylor's new game.  He and Keelan are on a quest to beat Dad.

Chef Brad.

Jim and Brad playing some football on the Playstation.

Caylie practicing her drumming while wearing a tutu.  

Merry Christmas, friends!

Keelan's Christmas Band Concert

Keelan's school band and orchestra had their Christmas concert on Thursday night.  It was fun time with family and friends, and especially with Caylie yelling, "Kee-an!" across the auditorium when she saw him come in.  (Not during the music, fortunately!)  Keelan really enjoys learning the trumpet and we are proud of the progress he's made this year.

I meant to get a photo of him in his suit, but forgot, so here are a couple he took of himself, haha.  (He just saw this and said, "You're using THAT picture?)

Isn't this a great tie?  I got in on clearance at Target several years ago, but Jim never wore it.  Keelan snagged it up when he saw it.

The Gateway High School combined band and orchestra.

And here is a video of the band and orchestra playing "Sleigh Ride"!  You gotta hear this!

 After the concert we got this photo of the band director, Mr. Gonzalez, with the three Altman kids he's had (Brittany, Taylor and Keelan.)  He's retiring in a year or so, so he won't have any more!

Christmas Program

This was not a big Christmas program.  It was just the kids at our Wednesday Bible Study performing the songs they had learned this fall, standing in the front of the room where the Bible Study meets.  But it was Caylie's first program ever, so of course I had to video it.

She was SO into it.  She danced and sang and put on a show.  All the people around me were talking about how cute and funny she was.  It is amazing to me how comfortable and free she is with us, and in any situation that we put her in.  She trusts that she is safe and can be herself.  Adoption is redemption, my friends.

Here are a couple of songs that they did.  Caylie's in the front and Justin is behind her.

This is the group of children in the Bible Study program.  They have classes for all the kids, including the older home-schooled ones.  It has been a real blessing for Justin, Caylie, and me.

AAC Adoption Christmas Party

Yesterday we went up to Berthoud for our adoption agency's annual Christmas party.  Caylie was happy to get dressed up in her "pwee cous-us dess" (pretty Christmas dress) for the occasion.  

When we got there she was a little quiet and didn't quite understand what was going on, but she soon got over it.

Justin was tired from sitting in the car.  Or something. 

Selfie by Keelan.  Actually, most of these photos are by Keelan.

Justin perked up a bit at the mention of food.  And yes, he wears that Santa hat everywhere he goes.

Daddy and Caylie doing some coloring.

Oh look!  Mama was there, too! 

Eating a candy cane.

We don't do Santa at our house.  Caylie has seen Santa in a few movies and shows, but I've never said anything about him - to her he's just another cartoon character.  However, when this Santa showed up, she ran right up to him.  I think it was just because she'd seen the other children sitting on his lap - she doesn't expect any presents from him!  Anyway, it was a cute picture.  

Santa's helper gave her this microphone.  That was right up her alley!

It was a c-o-l-d ride up and back.  We've have single digits and below zero temps for the past several days.  But we had a good time, anyway!  Here's Keelan on the way home.