Adoption Weekend

Grandma played playdough with the kids (it's Max's favorite thing to do)

Cami and Shelly played "Spa" with Taylor

She got a hot stone massage!

One of the MANY trips we took to the doctor/pharmacy during the weekend

Group Shot of our family

Big shot of with our social workers- Yolanda and Noreen

Family shot with Judge Bender

First official picture of our complete family

Grandpa leaving the courthouse with the 2 girls

Just so fun to take pictures!!

Tay and Annie

Dad and Annie

On June 6, 2014 we were able to take Annie to the courthouse and have her officially adopted by us! Yay!! What a great day.  My mom and dad and my 2 nieces (Tay and Shelly) were able to come out with my parents. It was wonderful! We had such a great weekend.  All the kids were sick all weekend, but we celebrated anyway. It was too great of a day to stay home sick.  So we partied!!  We woke up at 6:00am and got everyone dressed, on Friday June 6. We left our house at 7:30am with 2 cars filled with excited people. We drove 45 minutes away and arrived at the courthouse at 8:30am.  We went through metal detectors and then sat in the hall, waiting for our turn. Around 8:45 we were called into the court room. Judge Bender was waiting for us at the door- such a neat guy!  He welcomed us all into the courtroom and shook each of our hands. He was all smiles and kindness. He said not to worry about the kids running around and making noise. He said to relax and have fun. He walked Travis, Annie and I up to the front to do some paperwork and chat with us about the papers we were signing. He was so great. Annie kept getting upset because she wanted to play with all the pens and papers on the desk- so he cleaned off the desk for us so Annie wouldn't be frustrated. After all paperwork was signed, he then turned around and addressed the court room and announced for everyone to hear our new daughter, Annie Jean Kendall. It was so wonderful to hear. It was just perfect. My heart leapt with joy that now my daughter in mine! No more worries about someone taking her away from us. No more worries about doing something wrong and having the courts finding us incompetent parents. She is ours!  You couldn't wipe the smiles off our faces. It was such a great day (sick kids and all).  We left the courthouse, went out for donuts and went to the park to play. Such a nice day. We then went to a fun play house call Mc Dermont Fieldhouse. There was an indoor wave rider (surfing and body surfing) that the kids played on for hours, there was rock climbing, bounce houses, an arcade, laser tag, and lots of sports arena's. We rented a room and had so much fun. We stayed there until that night and then went home, exhausted and happy!  It was a great, wonderful and happy day. 

Grayson

Grandpa (crazy guy, don't you know you're old?)

Cami!

Max and Olivia climbing the stairs to the tallest bounce house in the place.

Here comes Max! Wheeeeeee

Grandma took her fair share of turns going down the giant hippo slide with Max- It was Max's favorite thing to do- over and over and over again. We all took him down the slide.

Grandpa being a good sport and going down the slide with Max.

I went down the slide with Max, probably more than anyone else.... I went up and down and up and down so many times.....  I love spending time with my little guy!

Gray on the rock wall. 

I got up on the wall too.

And now here's a picture of me coming down.... I wasn't super confident in the rope- I was worried it wouldn't really hold me!

Here is part of the field house. Max was afraid of the wave surfer, so I took him out.

Aspen and Taylor on the wall.

Gloria made her way up the wall, too!

Despite Cami being sick, she also went up the wall!

At the end of the day, Max and Annie were tired and ready to go home!  No naps, lots of junk food and mostly... lots of love!