Gotcha Day!

Happy Gotcha Day to our sweet Jocelyn!  

Dunkin' Boston Creme donuts for breakfast!

Turtle gifts for our TURTLE LOVER!

Lunch at Burger Dive followed by haircuts and shopping!

Afternoon at the movies!

Dinner and dessert at Outback!

Gotcha Day Celebration

Today we celebrated Jocelyn's 7th Gotcha Day!  

She wanted Daylight Donuts for her special breakfast.

Grandma and Granddaddy came to visit this weekend.

Uncle Kyle also came to our Georgia house for the first time.  

Jocelyn was excited that Mommy, Daddy and Madison got her a basketball hoop and pink/purple basketball for her Gotcha Day.

Grandma and Granddaddy got her a hummingbird feeder.

The girls were excited that everyone came to watch them cheer at today's game.

After the game, we went to the base to go bowling and eat lunch.  

Jocelyn picked a snowman ice cream cake for dessert.

Happy Gotcha Day, Jocelyn!

Our Adoption Story

November is National Adoption Month.  My friend, Wendi, asked me to write our adoption story so that she could post it on her blog.  Click here if you would like to read our story on her blog.  She hopes to post a new adoption story each day in November.  

This is our story of God's unique plan for our family.

Clay and I were told that we might have difficulty conceiving a biological child. Once we decided to start trying though, I had a dream that I was pregnant. I woke up and immediately took a pregnancy test and was shocked that it was positive.  

I had bleeding throughout the pregnancy, but overall felt great. I loved being pregnant.  

To make a long story short, my delivery did not go well at all. It seemed like anything that could go wrong did. I eventually had to have an emergency c-section. Click here to read the complete story of Madison's birth and see pictures. Although the day Madison was born was one of the happiest of my life, it was also one of the saddest because that is the day that I had to have an emergency hysterectomy. I spent 3 days in the ICU and was not able to hold my sweet baby girl. 

Clay and I always knew that we wanted more children and just prayed that God would reveal His plan for our family. We have always been open to adoption and had planned on adopting even before we knew that I was no longer going to be able to carry children of my own. When we moved to Florida, we discovered an Adoption Center right around the corner from our house. We contacted them and began the adoption process. Later we found out that we began the process almost to the day that Jocelyn was born.  

After waiting six months, we got a phone call from the adoption agency on a Thursday asking us if we would like to submit our information to a birth family that had a 6 month old baby girl. I called Clay and we decided that we would submit our information and prayed that God's will would be done for this little girl. We got a phone call the following morning telling us that the birth family selected us and would like to meet us on Sunday. 

We met Ms. Keisha (Jocelyn's birthmother), Grandma Cathy (Jocelyn's birth grandmother) and Brittani Ann (Jocelyn's half sister). The birth family signed the adoption papers that day and after waiting the 72 waiting period, we got to bring Jocelyn home that Thursday.  

We now have two beautiful girls that are only a year and two weeks apart in age.  They are best friends and sisters forever.  Click here to read a letter that Jocelyn's birthmother wrote us following our meeting.  God has blessed our family through the miracle of birth and adoption. We can't imagine our family without both of our precious girls. One grew in my tummy and one grew in my heart. 

Thank you Lord for your perfect plan for our family.

Gotcha Day

Today we celebrated Jocelyn's Gotcha Day!

I surprised her with a Gotcha Day acrostic poem.

We started the day with Krispy Kreme Doughnuts.  

Then we spent the morning at Chuck E. Cheese.

The girls had tons of fun playing the games and earned almost 250 tickets.  

We enjoyed lunch at Chick-fil-A.

Sisters remembering that we picked Jocelyn up from the Panama City Beach Chick-fil-a 6 years ago today.  

We spent the afternoon at Build-A-Bear Workshop.  Madison got a bunny that she named Katie.

Jocelyn got a little brown puppy that she named Brownie.

Jocelyn picked Chili's chicken crispers and french fries for her special dinner.  

Then it started SNOWING!

  

Jocelyn said, "God sent me snow for my Gotcha Day!"

The girls made snow angels on our brick walkway.  

Jocelyn and her snow angel.  

Nothing like catching snowflakes on your tongue. 

Sweet sisters that love each other and...

best friends that love to play together!

Madison loves being a big sister and is very blessed to have...

Jocelyn as her little sister.

We love you, Jocelyn!

Six Year Anniversary of Meeting Jocelyn

It is hard to believe that six years have pasted since we meet Jocelyn for the first time. We got a call from The Adoption Center on a Thursday, asking us if we would be interested in adopting a six month old baby girl. After calling Clay at the hospital, we decided to submit our information to the family. We prayed a lot that evening. Friday morning, The Adoption Center called and said that the birth family would like to meet us on Sunday. We went to church on Sunday and then headed anxiously to The Adoption Center to meet Jocelyn and her birth family for the first time.

Jocelyn's birthmother (Keisha), half sister (Brittani Ann) and her grandmother (Cathy) met with us.

Daddy and his new little girl.

The girls were so cute playing together while we talked. They still play great together!

It was amazing how much they looked alike.

The birth family decided to sign the papers right then to relinquish their parental rights. The hardest part for us was waiting the 72 hour waiting period before we got to take Jocelyn home.

Birthday Package from Grandma Cathy!

The girls were thrilled to see a birthday package at the door today from Grandma Cathy.  

They can't wait to start using their new activity books.

Jocelyn got a special surprise.  

Grandma Cathy made her a beautiful baby book.  

Jocelyn will treasure this scrapbook forever.  

She absolutely LOVED seeing her baby pictures.  

Jocelyn's 6th Birthday!

Happy 6th Birthday Jocelyn!

We missed having Daddy here to celebrate Jocelyn's birthday, but are so proud of how hard he works to support our family and serve our country.  We love you and miss you very much, Daddy!

Jocelyn enjoyed her birthday breakfast in bed.  She requested powered sugar donuts and chocolate milk.  While she was eating breakfast in bed, she asked me what time of day she was born.

I had a picture of the birth announcement that said she was born at 10:54, but it didn't say if it was a.m. or p.m., so I emailed Grandma Cathy to find out exactly what time Jocelyn was born.  We are so grateful that we can contact her whenever a question comes up.  

Jocelyn was thrilled to read the following email from Grandma Cathy...

Her birthday started on July 8th at about 11:30 p.m. Keisha was having contractions so she and Brittani and I, got dressed then headed to the hospital.  It was a clear and beautiful night and the moon was full, so we decided that Jocelyn would be our little moon dancer and we sang, "what a wonderful night for a moon dance", on the way there.  But Jocelyn decided she was going to come with the morning sunshine instead and was born at 10:54 a.m.  She then became our little Sun Dancer.  I watched as they delivered her and I went with her to the nursery while they tended to Keisha.  She was perfect and so beautiful.  God had truly created another little miracle.  

Thank you for giving her all the extra hugs and kisses but mostly for loving her as you do.  

Grandma Cathy

Jocelyn is officially 6 years old at 10:54 a.m.!

The girls spent the morning doing crafts.

We just finished reading Stuart Little yesterday, so today we had a special picnic lunch and watched the movie Stuart Little on the iPad.  

Jocelyn loved seeing that so many ocean friends came to her Pool Party!

Time for some WATER BALLOONS!

We had fun tossing the water balloons and having a water balloon fight.  

 Madison got her sister an underwater camera to use at the Pool Party. 

 We are so happy that Uncle Kyle came to the Pool Party!

Jocelyn can't wait to open her gift from Uncle Kyle.

She got a Barbie and pony from Uncle Kyle.

Time for a Tropical Smoothie break.

The girls love the little umbrellas in their drinks.

Jocelyn got a sweet card from Great Grandma.

Jocelyn loved all of her gifts from Nana and Pop.  She got a new Barbie, the Mermaid Tale 2 DVD, two new books, an American Girl swimsuit, a little ladybug bag and lip gloss.

Jocelyn got a Target gift card from Mimi and...

a Target gift card from Uncle Guy, Aunt Nelda, Mia and Blayke.  

Jocelyn is looking forward to her Target shopping spree.

Mamaw and Papaw came over and gave Jocelyn a beach felt board for her birthday.

Jocelyn was excited to Skype with Daddy on her new Tablet that Mommy and Daddy got her for her birthday.  

Jocelyn's Pool Party Birthday Cupcakes!

Granddaddy got a little creative decorating his cupcakes.  ;)

 I kept it simple with a Teddy Bear laying under a beach umbrella.

The Birthday Girl!

Jocelyn's 6th Birthday!