Early Christmas for us!

Sometimes it's just hard to write a blog post after so much has happened. Where do you even begin?? Well, I'll start with the exciting news that we adopted a sweet baby boy a couple weeks ago! :) His name is Grayson Matthew Hunt. He is by far the best christmas present ever! So without further ado, here he is:

We love this little guy SO much and are forever grateful to his selfless, kind, loving, and beautiful birth mom who blessed our family more than she knows. Everyone's adoption story is unique and ours is doesn't fall short. Lucky for us, we have an open adoption with a awesome family who have so kindly accepted us as their own. Grayson is surrounded by so much love and will always know that! We had TWO short weeks to prepare for this bundle of joy and how exciting/crazy/stressful/emotional those days were. I still find myself trying to wrap my head around it all. We have been enjoying every single second with this little guy and I'm already worried that he is going to grow up too fast! It's a funny thing- wanting a baby so bad and then when it's here, I just want time to stop forever. On the other hand, what an exciting and fun thing it will be to watch him learn and grow. Ahh!! It's all still so surreal.

Here are a few pics from the last month:

Amazing birth mom on the right, just 2 days before giving birth (and yes, she is pregnant. She just makes it look good.)

Welcome to the world sweet boy! It was so awesome to be part of this day and I even got to cut the cord! 

 I could make ten blog posts about all the feelings/emotions that went along with that first week... and the weeks leading up to it... and even the last couple weeks. But just know that when people talk about a roller coaster of emotions, they aren't kidding! Here are a few more pictures.. because I know that's all you really want to see anyway ;)

Many faces of Grayson

Santa Baby ;)

Bundled up for the cold!

Bath time isn't our favorite, but we're working on it ;)

Seriously!

And just because everyone should take a cheesy Christmas card photo.... ;)

p.s. I also graduated from nursing school last week!! Talk about a LOT of change going on for us. I'm wondering when it's all going to knock me out of my shock state I seem to be in...

My sister-in-law  threw an AWESOME graduation party for me! I loved it so much!! :)

So fun and creative! My fave was the urine sample, haha

We're still here!

It's been a while since we have updated this blog! This last month has brought us a lot of emotional ups and downs in the adoption world, but we are feeling stronger and more prepared for what lies ahead. Our profile was taken off itsaboutlove for a few weeks, but it is now back up!

Here are a few things that we've been doing lately:

• My littlest sister got married last weekend! It was a perfect day and we were so glad to be there
• Family pictures were taken on my side. Thats always quite the feat with a bunch of excited kiddos ;)
• Fun at the Hunt home with nylon face masks and some good belly laughs
• Study, study, and more studying for me (finals are NEXT week! Ahhh!)
• Bella has been spending a lot of time at her friends while I'm at school- she loves it!
• Matt has enjoyed every minute of this perfect Fall weather. It's his favorite time of year, hands down.

Sisters :)  

Walking to get our family pictures. I love the Fall colors!

Bella and her friends. Just resting before another round of tag. (she's the beautiful brunette in the middle)

Just a little Nylon fun after dinner, haha

Another clinical day! We're almost there!

Abby with her favorite uncle Matt

It was so nice seeing our family this last weekend! I have more pics that I need to post. But for now, we''ll just have to keep everyone in suspense  ;)

Should be studying.

(pic is from our Sunday walk)

I should be studying right now, but I wanted to write a quick blog post. I have been LOVING the Vegas weather these days.. okay, it could be a bit less humid (there's always something huh?). Bella and I went for our morning bike ride and I almost turned around when it started raining on us. Well I'm really glad I didn't! The rain didn't last long and we soaked up every minute of this weather- no pun intended ;) I need these moments of leaving my school books at home and enjoying this beautiful place we live. Plus, who doesn't like that "after-rain" smell?

Gooo Padres!

The last couple weeks Matt and I were able to get away one last time this summer.  We were lucky to get 2 trips in 1... we drove to Utah, flew to San Diego for a few days, and back to Utah to be with family. It was so much fun, but it always feels good to be home. Bella has been recovering all day by sleeping way more than usual (i actually had to wake HER up this morning). Here are some pics from San Diego:

walking the soft-sanded beach in the most perfect weather  :)

There's just something relaxing about watching kites fly...

Spent hours touring this Navy aircraft carrier used in World War II. Matt was in heaven and I thought it was pretty neat too.

THE most amazing temple ever!

Did I mention how perfect the weather was? I would die for a nice cool breeze during the summer in Vegas. Ha!

The Padres put on an exciting game for sure, but we lost.  The game went way too fast if you ask us.

Petco Park- one of the coolest stadiums ever. Spent way too much money filling our bellies, but it was so worth it.

our "Save The Kiss" reenactment... okay, we need a little more practice.

Always the best way to end the night. Yum!

Hello August!

This summer has been going way too fast. It's already August and the thought of going back to school in a few weeks makes my stomach jump with nervous excitement. I'm so close to finishing my nursing degree and I can't wait to graduate in just a few months! July was busy for us- Matt and I had the opportunity to go as leaders to a youth camp for our church. We were separated by a few miles (boys/girls) and were lucky to see each other once while up there. I only took a couple pictures though and am hoping someone else took a few more! (then I can post more about it)

Kolob- such a beautiful place!

My parents watched Bella for us and met us in St. George to give her back. She had fun with their dogs and all the excitement over there. Well apparently she had so much fun that as they were driving away she leapt (is that a word?) into my dad's unrolled window and onto his lap!! She was probably thinking "it was nice seeing ya, but I'm going back with the grandparents!"  I may have shed a tear at the thought of her not wanting to come home (and from laughing so hard). But since we've been home, she is back to normal. 

I like to think it was just a big "thank you" kiss 

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It was about 6 1/2 years ago when my sister lovingly placed her baby with two wonderful parents who were ready to raise another child in their home. Their family lives across the country, but how exciting it is every summer when they come to town. This little girl knows exactly who her birth mom is and her adoptive parents are very open with her about it. While visiting her birth grand-parents last week, she says "Why does everyone love me so much?" :) She is one lucky girl and there is so much love all around her.

The resemblance makes me smile. This little girl looks exactly like her birth mama when she was little (and now!)

And HaPpy BirtHday to this cutie pie! Love you, chica!

{My niece is cuter than yours}

We're approved!

We are so excited that we can finally say we are officially approved for adoption! The email came last week along with reassuring feeling that everything will happen when it should. And then came the panic that anything could happen at any given moment! While the thought of that is exciting, the unknown always makes my stomach jump a little. Are we ready for a little bundle of joy if we were to get a call in the middle of the night... even tomorrow? Well the answer is yes! Yes, we are ready for anything to happen! I think that is an exciting part of adoption. I wonder sometimes what our story will be like. Will we get that call in the middle of the night and happily run to the hospital while frantically calling our parents? Or will we be able to attend the birth mom at her ultrasounds and possibly even the birth of our child? There are so many different ways our story could go and whichever way it goes will be perfect for us. 

You can view our online profile by clicking here.

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Bella and I were able to visit family for a couple weeks in Utah (missed you, Matt!).  We had fun with all the kiddos and there was never a dull moment. Between everyone in the family, we have 6 (SIX!) dogs which meant Bella had a blast too. It's pure craziness when everyone is together and so I loved the time I had with each of them individually- swimming, watching movies, playing barbies, and getting ready for bed.

Sittin on my parent's porch with just a few of my favorite kiddos (plus Bella)

We could have played "sharks" forever in this pool (My mom is on the left with the twinners)

We are all worn out FaceTiming.  I love cuddling with my Bella girl. And no, she didn't sleep on my bed, but it's really hard to push her off sometimes!

Before coming back to Vegas, I went with Matt's family out for dinner and some indoor sky diving. It seriously was so much fun! I was hesitant at first, but am so glad I did it. Matt was able to FaceTime us too and see how brave I could be! That night I was dreaming about all the different tricks I should try next time I go. I even considered doing real sky diving for a split second (sorry Matt, didn't last longer than that).

My father-in-law and I just flying around (love that he wore his cowboy boots)

Mattt came halfway to get me and we visited my ancestor statues in St. George on our way home. Pretty cool stuff.

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HAPPY BURTDAY TO MY CUTE NIECE TODAY! LOVE YOU!



*I'll have to add some more pics from our Utah trip soon- but I had to update real quick

Letter to birth mom

I'm sitting here trying to finish the last bits of our profile that will posted on itsaboutlove.org. I just need to add a few more pictures to the album and complete our letter to the birth mom.  So much time and thought has gone into this letter- more than anything else we have done. Though it's only a few paragraphs, it is the most important part because it's likely the first thing she may read about us and the place where she can get a sense of who we are.  It is so hard to put into words how you feel about her and the situation she is in. There is so much love that I already feel. The last few weeks I have really focused on the birth mom's feelings during the whole process. It's so important to me to have this point of view and I am humbled by the many stories I have heard and read from their perspective.  Below is one of those stories that has given me so much respect and love for these moms.

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So we've had some visitors this weekend! My little sissy and her boyfriend came to party it up in Vegas. And that we did.

• Sunday naps while the girls work hard on their nails and hair
• late birthday party for my sister. Lucky her, she got the other half of my cake from earlier this month ;) (It's just as good if you keep it frozen in the meantime) Red velvet, choc chip with cream cheese frosting... Mmm!
• played Catch Phrase and got an ab workout from laughing so hard 
• found a new fav Mexican restaurant
• went to Cirque du Soleil show and watched those amazingly talented acrobats
• swimming at the pool
• shopping at Town Square and cooling off with smoothies in the 116 degree weather
• air conditioning stopped working in my car, sweated off calories until we got home

The crazy kids (can't believe my baby sister is all grown up)

It was SO hot and we didn't last too long outside

I decided to hitch a ride back up to Utah and hang out with the fam for a few days.  Wish Matt could have come, but he had to work :( Here's a clip of my silly Bella girl on the car ride up:

Home Study

Our home study is now complete!! I heard a lot of stories about how particular they can be about every little thing in your home. I also heard how laid back they are and not to sweat it. Well the later was certainly true for us yesterday. I took the motivation of having a home study and cleaned out all our closets, sending a lot of stuff to Good Will and organizing the rest. I have to admit that once I got the closets clean, I really didn't want to put anything back in it. But it was either back in the closet or sprawled across the room. But there was no checking closets during our walk-through (i secretly wanted to show her them anyway). It was just a simple check to make sure our home is a safe place for children.

We had interviews with the social worker, together and then separate. I was a little nervous about this (don't know why), but is was an easy conversation that was comfortable. She was so nice and even gave us some advice. One piece of advice included to try and protect our feelings. We have known from the beginning the risks involved in adoption. For some people, it all happens fairly quick and smooth.  Others may wait years, experience multiple failed adoptions, and/or even have a child take from them after placement. I wish so badly that our social worker could tell us our future and what to prepare for. But maybe we wouldn't want to know. Maybe the only way we can face it is one day at a time. The when's and how's of it all are unknown to us, but one thing for sure is that it will all be worth it. That is something we have complete faith in.

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So my husband comes home a few months ago and says "Guess what? We bought a shave ice trailer and I think you are going be GREAT at making them this summer!".  My thought: I'm offended. And how dare you ruin my plans of getting a tan this summer!

 Well it turns out to be a pretty cool little gig of ours (along with some friends).  We work evenings a few times a week and are pretty much spent by the end of the day.  {Proof: Matt NEVER sleeps in his clothes (only I do when I'm lazy), but he's had his moments the last couple weeks.}  It's fun to create new mixes and try all the flavors. Okay, there are some I might be trying over and over again ;) Today I made this board today:

I'm not quite done- need to add some Hawaiian flowers. Oh, and my little sister is coming to visit this weekend! Alright fine- she may be younger but she's a little taller than me now (meaning I can't steal borrow her shoes anymore).  And just for fun- I found this pic while cleaning yesterday:

2004- I had just graduated high school and my sister was ten!  

Ps. We passed our home study and we should be officially approved in the next 2 weeks! :)

1997

Yesterdays happenings:

I never thought that 85 degrees could feel so good, but living in Vegas you take anything in the double digits. Bella and I went to the park for a walk and it seriously felt SO nice! The only thing missing was a good book to read while sitting under the shade.

We got home and I was determined to get all the laundry done and clean the upstairs.  I accomplished most of it, but got a little distracted looking through some of Matt's old crap school stuff.  He LOVES to hang on to every little thing which is so opposite of me (I just keep the important stuff, not my 7th grade essay on Robin Hood).  And then I stumbled upon these:

That's right. Love notes from 1997 that Matt has no idea where they came from, haha.  So funny to read... "When is your birthday? Will you be 16 or 17?" and "How many brothers and sisters do you have?". Talk about a boring love letter! I hope teenagers still handwrite notes instead of solely texts.  That was just too much fun!

Matt's aunt was in town along with a friend- he took them both for a helicopter ride.  They came over later and it was fun talking with them both. Before bed, we just had to read a few more papers that Matt had written back in junior high.  One of them was how Tom Sawyer and him were exactly alike in that they both hated school.  It was pretty funny and so true.  Every time I mention the word "essay" or "paper", Matt cringes as if it's his assignment.

I'll let you read this one.  Matt has told me this classic story before and I'll have to take this as proof that it really happened ;)

 (imagine a not-so-skinny teacher)

Thank you times a million!

I've been so overwhelmed at everyones kind response to our intentions to adopt and spreading the word  with family and friends. It's so amazing to me how quickly news can spread via internet (especially FaceBook!). I could hardly sleep the other night because I just couldn't believe it. People I hardly knew were trying to help us out and that meant so much. It makes me want to be a little better and to try harder to help others I may not know.

So this blog is intended for you to follow us on our adoption journey, which we will update with new info as it happens. It also will be a place for us to share our current lives to help others get to know us a little better. We can't pretend to have perfect lives and that we will make the perfect parents one day. We like to think we are "normal" (whatever that means) and we try not to take ourselves too seriously.  If there's ever any questions, please email us under the contact tab.

That being said, our home study is scheduled for next Monday! And I'm sitting here thinking how I should be cleaning the house and organizing that one bedroom that is our "I don't know exactly where to put this, but I want to get it out of my way" room. We had to buy a fire extinguisher and they give us a long checklist of things that need to be in order.  There's a lot to do this week. Does any else foresee your summer going to go by WAY too fast this year? Maybe it's just me.  

Side note- I couldn't stop smiling when I got these cute cards in the mail yesterday:

My talented friend makes these cards and I just love them- it's hard giving them away sometimes because they are just so cute!

Welcome!

Welcome to our blog and the start of our adoption journey! Hope you will look around, use the tabs, and learn more about us. It's not easy to put yourself out there like this, but we are taking a leap of faith in hopes to find our missing piece.

Matt and I are still in the process of getting approved, but we wanted to let everyone know our intentions. We have done fingerprinting, paperwork, references, doctors appts, classes, more paperwork...deep breath...and we are awaiting our home study now. Oh, and there's a few more papers to fill out! We are getting there though and would love for you to send any friends/family that may be considering adoption our way. Thanks for your support :) We love you all!