Travel Day to Florida!

So our travel day started out pretty well. The kids did pretty well on the plane and Maya LOVED her first plane ride. Well after about 10 hours of sitting on a plane and in a car, the kids were about ready to LOSE it!!! We had to go eat. We ate at PF Chang's and Ade was OUT OF CONTROL!!! Oh my goodness was he crazy. We left there a bit frazzled and snappy and headed to WM. We are staying at a condo and it has a kitchen so we decided to eat our lunches at the condo and dinner out. After WM we finally arrived at the condo. Joe and I were a bit on edge to say the least!!! The kids were DYING to get outside. So we loaded up our things and off to the pool we went.

At this point I was kind of thinking this was a crazy idea to take 4 littles on vacation. I had gotten this floaty thing for Ade that I used with my 3 other littles and I put him in it, turned around to see the other 3 and I turn back around and Ade is face first floating in the water struggling!!! I quickly yanked him up, he didn't make a sound for a few seconds and then vomited all over the place. It was official, we WERE crazy for taking 4 littles on vacation, I had already nearly drowned my baby and we hadn't even been in the pool for 10 minutes!!! I was almost in tears and told Joe this was a terrible idea to do this!

After the pool we headed back to the condo and put on jammies and watched a movie and went to bed. The next morning we woke up and we had a FABULOUS day! More about that later with pics!!! So we are heading home tomorrow, we have had SOOOOO many opportunities to talk about adoption, it has been really cool. God is great and if we can get the word out then He is using us and we love that!

Is Florida Ready For the Freudenthals???

We have had quite an exciting week/weekend!!! Joe and I headed to Ozark to attend our nephews graduation dinner. It was so fun to hang out with our family without the kids. It was sort of "the calm before the storm"!!! We are headed to Florida bright and early tomorrow! All 6 of us. We are so excited. This is our first ever family vacation in 10 years! We are renting a condo and staying on the beach. It will be Maya's first plane ride and she is ever so pumped!

I always get so stressed out about packing. But I got it done. And I managed to only have 5 bags with 6 people. Pretty impressive I must say! So I hope Florida is ready for the Freudenthal clan!

Last night my parents stayed all night with the kids and they had their cousins over. We came home to a huge mess which is so unlike my mom! Ella had not gone to sleep ALL NIGHT and she decided she and her cousin were going to make breakfast at 5 in the morning. Let me just tell you how many times she has been told NOT to EVER EVER EVER turn on the oven in the kitchen without our permission. Sometimes it is so frustrating and exhausting how kids just act in the moment. They get an idea and this is what they are going to do no matter what. So needless to say she got a spanking when we got home from Dad and we had to have yet another talk with her about if we can't trust her with little things we won't be able to trust her with bigger things. And she of course did the ole' "I forgot"! And then later she said she was really sorry and I told her I forgave her but actions speak louder than words!

Sometimes I just get really discouraged being a parent and I know it is completely normal, but really does anyone EVER listen!!! I am praying that our trip will be a great family bonding time and that we don't get stressed out and overwhelmed! Please pray with me!

Tonight was also a rough night, God has brought me sooooo far in certain areas of my life. I am very aware of what I eat and try to watch what I eat and not freak out if I eat a little extra one night. I weighed myself this evening and I have gained a few pounds! I really wanted to cry and was really struggling internally! I am just going to have to watch it better and ON VACATION!!! I have been doing so well not freaking out but tonight I am officially freaking! OK, I need to go to bed, I have to be up SUPER early in the morning!

Gray and Blue and the Back row crew!!!

So tonight was the kids spring concert, the Gray and the Blue. It was very cute and the kids and teachers did an awesome job! But I must say that the best part was sitting in the back row with the back row CRAZIES!!! Oh my goodness, we laughed so hard the entire time. Between Kris telling us everything about the Civil War and about how this was true and that was true, Mark texting us from right beside us and getting video of us dancing and singing, it was quite fun!

Actually Ella had a small speaking part and she nailed it. She spoke clearly and was awesome. I was proud of her. Max just sang and he did it with all of his heart! What precious little kids I have.

After the fun concert we all went to Baskin Robins where more fun was had by all. I love my crazy friends!

I've Been Diagnosed With 2 Things This Weekend...

Strep throat and BIEBER FEVER!!!!! OMG, I watched the little Justin Bieber with the kids and I fell in love with him! He is such a precious little guy. A christian and just adorable. I see now why all the little girls LOVE him! He is so stinkin' cute. My kids have been laughing so hard because I keep playing his music and even have his ring tone on my phone!:)

The strep on the other hand, not so fun. I have been totally exhausted for like 3 weeks, went to the dr. was treated for a sinus infection, never even tested for strep and then this week I was horrible tired again and I went to the WM clinic and she did a strep test and I had strep!!! UGHHHHH. Not fun.

AND I haven't stopped eating for a week so I feel like fatty fatterson!!! Not fun either. I need to get some control. We went to the sectional track meet to watch some friends and family run and it was sooooo cold! Oh yeah, I wanted to remember some funny things the kids said this week.

Me: Max why is your big toe so fat?
Max: Mother Nature Mom, Mother Nature!!!

Ella got her first "Love Letter" this week, she gets in the car reads it to me, throws her arms up in the air and says, "What am I supposed to do with this?"HAHAHAHA!!! I love that girl. She makes me laugh and she is growing up way to fast. I want her to stay a little girl forever. I love this phase with her right now because we talk about EVERYTHING and we have a really good time together. It is a fun stage!

Maya last night watching Never Say Never when Usher comes on, "Usher is soooooo cute!"HAHA!

And Ade is starting to put 3 words together, this week he said, "I sorry Mamma." I love you Mamma." I done Mamma" and "Detchup"!!! He is talking soooo much. And then he was taunting Max saying "Maaaaaaax" because he wanted Max to get him. A precious family I have indeed!

Ade's First Mother's Day!

Yesterday was the first Mother's Day that Ade actually got to spend with his "Mother"!!! Oh how he loves on me, he really loves his Mamma! He got dedicated at church yesterday and he fell asleep right before we went up and slept through the WHOLE thing! He was really impressed I guess! It meant so much to me that he has been with us longer than he has been with anyone and he has a mommy now to love and cherish him. To teach and discipline him. To laugh and get annoyed with him! He was sooooo cute yesterday. He looked like a little man.

My Mother's Day was GREAT!!! The kids and Joe spoiled me! The girls got me a shirt from American Eagle and a bracelet and 2 necklaces. Max got me a charm for my Pandora bracelet and Ade got me one to represent him. So pretty! And Joe surprised me with new diamond hoop earrings! I ate a chili cheese hotdog from Dairy Queen and came home and took a super long nap! It was a great day. And of course we dedicated our precious boy! The kids were all soo good to me and I am super blessed to have those 4 children call me MOM!!!

The Perfect Day!

Today was a perfect day! It started out with the girls and I taking my mom out to breakfast for Mother's Day. We had such a nice time and it was fun just us girls! Mom took my girls shopping for me for Mother's Day and I headed out to the mall because the Chocolate Chip is getting dedicated tomorrow at church so he HAD to have a new outfit of course! He is going to look so cute. I'll post pics!

When we got home I took a nap and we headed over to the district track meet at the school. Haven our cousin was running and several of the girls we know from school. It was such a beautiful day and the kids had a blast. We all got a little burnt! It was especially nice because my cousins were there and they took Ade for most of the afternoon!

We left the meet and came home and the kids played in the sprinkler! It was Ade's first time and I soooo enjoyed his giggles and screams. He loved it. I then gave them some Dilly Bars from Dairy Queen and they were in heaven. Ade had it EVERYWHERE!

I ran up and down the hill and up and down the driveway for some exercise and thought i was going to die. But it was nice to sweat. The kids made me a super sweet mural on the driveway for Mother's Day!

It was just one of those days when the kids were great, we really enjoyed them and everyone got along. It was a perfect day!

8 Months Home!!!

WOW!!! The 8 month mark really snuck up on me! I can't believe it has been 8 months. It seems like I have learned and grown so much in the past 8 months. God has been doing some really great stuff in my life. He has helped me overcome some obstacles and he has brought some great people into my life. He has shown me so much in this past 8 months!

When I look at pictures from when we first brought Ade home I can't believe how much he has grown! He has gotten so much taller and just more mature. He's much less like a baby! He has quite the attitude. He is beginning to be such a 2 year old. Attitude and all!!! He is so much fun. He can be quite the pill. There are times when I can't even take anymore of his whining and sassiness!

I know we are so blessed to have him in our life. I am soooo glad we answered God's call. He really completes our family. He was born to be a Freudenthal! I have had a couple of people tell me that he looks like me in some way! Haha! How funny is that. I wish I had that black curly hair and that silky chocolate skin, those big beautiful brown eyes and who can even stand those LONG eyelashes!!!

He has had so many firsts since he has been with us. He just recently had his first Easter with us which he really could have cared less about. He got about 5 eggs and then he was on to the outside toys! He looked so cute on Easter. How awesome to celebrate the resurrection of our King with our precious little man. He has gone to his first circus. He rode his first scooter which he LOVES. We had his finalization and his first pizza party. He has colored his first picture. He has gotten his first time out at church! He has experienced a lot!

8 months into this journey, it seems like he has been with us forever. Sometimes when I look at scars on him and see him staring off into to space, I wish I knew his WHOLE story. I wish I would've gotten to meet his birth mom. To look into her eyes and let her know what a gift she has given us! I know I have said this before but there are many times when I look at him and get sad that his BM is missing this. I wonder if she ever thinks about him. I wish there was a way I could meet her and tell her how much we love her. That would be a dream come true. But for now I will continue to pray for her and ask to show her how much he is loved and how happy he is!