Thanksgiving Ramblings

We went to the Zoo today to get out of the house.  It was fun! It was such nice weather too!  I had Charleigh in the carrier and the other 5 kids were running around like crazy :) It was good though...Charleigh's first time and she did wonderful.  We got some cute (hopefully) pictures of all the grandkids (now 6) but I'll have to wait for home to post pics. 

After naps we did the traditional thing and went to Rhema for the turning on of all the lights.  It was probably my favorite year so far...and this time I mean it!  Normally I don't love going because it's so cold and crowded and my kids were always too little to have a clue what was going on.  But this year, I feel complete and the sparkle in my kids' eyes and the huge smiles and laughter were wonderful.  So even though I went with a less than perfect attitude, it was grand! :)

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day.  I have a new bundle to be thankful for!  But so much more...I am just loving where we are right now as a family. Jeff and I are doing really well and are more in love than ever.  The big kids are getting bigger and well, that's just a good thing for the Berg clan.  They are learning and growing and maturing and I love seeing small glimpses of the little people they are growing up to be.  When it's so difficult to press on and be consistent in discipline, it's nice to finally see some positive reinforcement for the parents :)  they are FAR from finished or perfect, but I love this stage that Jackson is in, and well, Creighton...she thankfully makes me smile and laugh more than she makes me want to pull out my hair.  Charleigh is such a good baby and is the delight of all of our hearts.  She is very content most of the time and is a good sleeper.  I am just thankful!  We are so very blessed.

We will have 'the' meal for dinner tomorrow night at 5pm.  My brother and his new wife will be here and then our home will be filled to the brink with love and wild wild wild little people :)  It's fun.  It's crazy, but it's family...we will do our other traditional thing tomorrow and go see a movie.  It should be interesting with everyone there...but I am hoping for the very best!

Good night all. 

New Extended Family

We met with Charleigh's birthfather on Saturday.  It was a really neat time with him and I think we all hit it off well. 

We are learning on this incredible journey all about Open Adoption together.  It's new.  It's scary.  But it's good. So good. We love family and have lots of it, by adding Charleigh to our family we've added even more! It's awesome.  I do believe this is the way that God would want this to be. 

Today

I wrote this yesterday...
Today was a hard day in our journey of adoption.  It was like getting hit by a freight train with no brakes after such a SWEET yesterday.  But, I will still praise the Lord. 

The birthfather needs and wants more information and wants to be a larger part of the process than we had orginally anticipated.  I am choosing to believe that in the end this will be a good thing. I want Charleigh to know who he is, and that is his heart's desire too.  We love open adoption and ALL that it holds...including hiccups...or whatever you want to call today. 

I do believe that the power of prayer was manifested in its full force today.  I could feel it. I could almost audibly hear the petitions on our behalf.  I know that nothing has changed in circumstance, but definitely in my heart. I have a peace that does transcend understanding.  I am claiming promises, claiming scripture, claiming truth.  God has a huge plan for this little girl, and one day, she will have an incredible story to tell. 

She has been loved by so many in the process and will continue to be, I know this.  No matter the outcome.  My friend Marci reminded me that He cares for her more than I (or anyone else) ever could. I will celebrate the life that she has been given, and I will celebrate each moment that she is with us.  We have from the beginning wanted what was VERY best for her, and I know that will prevail.

Thank you all for your prayers.  Please continue them as this is far from being finalized in any direction.

Dedication Sunday

This is my sweet family.  I love this picture even though it's not the 'best' of everyone.  It's certainly a LOT characteristic of each of us. 

Sunday was Orphan Sunday and also the day we chose to have the two precious girls dedicated to the Lord in front of the congregation...and our family.  It was a sweet experience.  It couldn't have been better, well--maybe if Charleigh weren't hungry right in the middle of it...but otherwise, it was fantastic!

Rod, our Pastor, prayed for each of them individually and our family.  They both did well, with only a few squwaks from Charleigh and me dropping her binky (twice).

I don't have any more pics of all 5 of us except for these few...I cherish them!

The neatest thing in the world happened after Rod prayed for the girls.  He presented us with a gift, a large gift! The Church had gotten together and have begun an Adoption Fund for future adoptions, and the first people to use it is our family.  We have been beyond blessed in this journey and this is the icing on the cake.  We will have little to no expense out of our pocket for our adoption now.  I mean really?! God is awesome.  Now there are so many people on this journey with us and that is how I like things...I enjoy people and Love...and we have an abundance! Thank you EVERYONE who is a part of this!

Charleigh

Charleigh is doing amazing.  She's gained weight nicely and yesterday weighed 6 pounds 14 ounces.  She is still smaller than eithe of my other two were at birth, but I feel like she's getting bigger by the day.  She is a really great baby, especially compared to Jackson as an infant. :) She had a really really terrible night on Monday and didn't let us sleep at all really, but last night she made up for it by already skipping a feed--6 hours is like heaven! :)  I don't expect it, but happily take them when they will come!  She is starting to be awake more during the day now, which is the goal...so we will never have another Monday night again...  It's crazy having one so little again...I barely remember what to do, what their next steps are in their journey of their first year...as I know they change SO much SO fast. 

We've talked to the birth family almost everyday since her birth and it is going very well.  I think her birthmother is healing well physically and emotionally for now, which makes it even that much better.  I can't wait to see them all again on Sunday for Creighton and Charleigh's dedication!

Creighton is wearing the flowergirl dress from our wedding (replica of my wedding dress) and Charleigh is actually wearing the dress I was dedicated in 29 years ago! I am so excited and both of these sweet girls and their sweet dresses mean so much to us!  God is good.  He has been so faithful and blessed our socks off!

Crisis Pregnancy Outreach has been INCREDIBLE to us.  They've checked on us on a regular basis and gotten us anything we needed and have just been great! I cannot tell you how much I would recommend this agency.  Their hearts are in the right place AND they are wonderful to the adoptive families as well. 

Sisters...

To the best of my knowledge these are in order.  She just cannot get enough.  I love their little sister bond. Pretty sure all these speak for themselves :)

Birthday girl....she turns 3!

My sweet 3-year-old!

She knows exactly what she wants....

And this was it. All she wanted to do on her birthday was be at home, holding Charleigh.  I even splurged and let her watch High School Musical 3 even though she would have been just fine even if I hadn't of put it on.  She couldn't have been happier

But we did take her to get donuts...a tradition on birthday mornings around here!

Then later after dinner I surprised her with a cute cake...although I really wanted the Belle one, they didn't have it, but it wouldn't have mattered...she said, "but Moooooommmmmmm, I wanted the Ariel cake"....which they don't even make in this type.  What she doesn't know is that for her party I ordered her a HUGE Ariel sheet cake that she will LOVE! ;)

I can't believe she's 3...however, she acts 12...until she acts 2 again :) Oh the drama of girls..and now I have 2 of them :) Joy Joy looking forward to the teenage years already.

Happy Birthday Creighton! I love you so much