Christmas Memories

Just a few photos from our Christmas celebrations.

 

Matthew and my mom

 

Maia and my dad

 

Maia at home on Christmas morning

 

Matthew and me on Christmas morning

 

Our little "ham" with one of his stocking stuffers

Matthew and daddy

 

Maia at Nana and Papa's

 

Gavin, Papa, and John on Christmas Day

Thankful Thursday

Not feeling much like blogging tonight, but I need to take a few moments to practice thankfulness...

• Thankful for a few quiet moments cuddled up with the kiddos before they went to sleep tonight.
• Thankful for a hubby who ran to the store to pick up the items I had forgotten when I stopped on my way home from work.
• Thankful for a heavenly Father who wants to have a personal relationship with me.
• Thankful for my earthly father who is celebrating his birthday today! Happy Birthday Dad!

Happy Birthday Sweet Girl!!

Five years ago today, a family in Ukraine awaited the birth of their child. 

When she arrived, things were much different than they expected. 

They were given no hopes for that child's future. 

I can only imagine what a heart wrenching time that must have been for them.

Do they wonder what became of their daughter? 

When January 5 comes, do those parents pause and think of the significance of the day?

I would love to be able to thank them for the gift that they gave our family on that day five years ago.

A priceless gift beyond compare... our precious Miss Maia!

We love you so much sweet girl!

No doubt about it - God has a very special plan for your life.

Happy 5th birthday!!

Since blowing out the candles wasn't an option, we did the next best thing.

Enjoying cake and ice cream.

Two Years Ago

At around 9:30pm on December 30, 2010, two very tired parents and one exhausted little girl arrived at the Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport. They had been traveling for nearly 24 hours. After clearing customs, they were greeted by two sets of grandparents eager to see their new granddaughter. At approximately 1am, those weary parents (who hadn't seen their home in six weeks) walked through the front door of their home with their sleeping daughter. And life at the Hansen house hasn't been the same since. Oh, how much joy that sweet girl brings to our lives! So thankful for the past two years!!

THEN (Christmas Day 2010)

 

 

NOW (Christmas Day 2012)

Catching Up

I know...I've been away from blogging for a little while. Haven't even been keeping up with my favorite blogs which is out of character for me. But, time with family (and trying to get through the holidays) have taken a higher priority. Over the next couple of days, I'm going to attempt to get the blog updated and may be back dating some entries including Christmas so you may want to check and see if there are new posts that you haven't seen yet (if you are so inclined -  lol).

Matthew

Just a couple of cute things from Mr. Matthew...

In the bathroom of the restaurant where we had lunch - "Mom, I'm pooping so hard, I think my eyes are going to come out." I had to turn around so he wouldn't see me laughing on that one!

It's not hiccups - it's "piccups."

"Mom, you're the most beautiful girl. I want to marry you. But, it's just pretend."



Love that boy of mine who never fails to keep me on my toes!

Whew!

The stomach flu hit me Christmas night. Fortunately, I was scheduled for vacation for the rest of the week so I didn't have to worry about missing work. Unfortunately, I was planning on using the time to study for my gerontological nurse practitioner certification exam.
When I graduated from school, I decided to take the adult NP exam right away because that made me more marketable. I planned to take the gerontological exam within a few months. But with Maia's adoption, it just never happened. Well... the organization that offers the examination is making changes to the process. And if I didn't take the GNP test by the end of this year, I would have to take a combination exam (adult AND gerontological) in order to get my GNP. When I found this out last month, I figured I better bite the bullet and get it done with now.
Never expected that I would be doing my studying while my stomach was fighting with me. Not the best way to retain information - lol! God heard my prayers and by this morning, I was feeling better. Took the test and am proud to report that I passed my GNP certification exam. Who knows? Maybe when the kids get older, I may even consider going back for that doctorate.  Hmm... probably not likely, but I am no longer ruling it out.