3 Months Home

Today is Garrett's 3 month home celebration :-) 90 days seem like such a short time but they have meant so much to us! He has touched our hearts in a way that we never felt possible. Thank you God and thank YOU for helping us bring our family together :-)

A Post For Matthew

Go EAGLES!!!!
(next time you are here, you may have to teach your Uncle David the difference between a summersalt and a cartwheel!!!)

Santa Has Come!

It sure doesn't feel like Christmas considering the nice weather that we have here, but SANTA HAD DEFINITELY HIT THE MASSIE HOUSEHOLD LAST NIGHT!!!

Garrett made sure to let everyone in the family know that he was ready to open presents (at seven in the morning).

Garrett could not have been happier. He got so many trucks that would make any boy jealous. He was so excited and wanted to open all of his presents at once. The best present he got from Santa though was his red wagon. He wanted to take it all around the house with him, but my dad had to tell him that it would have to be an outside toy considering it was to big to really take anywhere in the house. :)

I also recieved presents that would make any 16 year old girl jealous. My friend Ashley's dad and my parents surprised both Ashley and I by allowing me to go on a Carribean Cruise with Ashley and her family over Spring Break. She and I were both shocked and so excited!!! This was something we had been planning for summer of Senior year, but we had no idea it would come true, AND SO SOON!! This had definitely been the best Christmas I have ever had and I know I can say the same for the rest of my family! :)

post by Aley :-)

Our First Christmas Eve As A Family of Four:)

Grandma and Grandpa came and visited us on Christmas Eve and brought presents along with them. :) Garrett was thrilled to see his grandparents and even more thrilled to be able to open more presents. Grandma and Grandpa got him his very own remote control hummer.

It is also a tradition that my Mom and I had been doing since I could remember. I always got to open one present from her on Christmas Eve and it was always a pair of pajamas that I would wear that night to bed. So of course, we got Garrett his own pair of Christmas pajamas that he wore to bed that night. He was so excited that he got them, that he started changing right in front of us. :)

post by Aley :-)

Larsen Christmas Party 2008

We saved Garrett's trip to Santa's lap for the Larsen family Christmas party. First it was a great setup because we knew Santa would not ask him what he wanted for Christmas (as answering for Garrett would have been a little difficult). But instead we knew he would give him a present immediately - thus making this first trip to Santa's lap without any fear. I suspect this may not have been his first trip to Santa's lap and I suspect in the orphanage the process was about the same...... Garrett was right on board. He sat at Santa's feet so intently waiting for his name and boy was he excited when he called his name!!!

Aley was less thrilled for to sit on his lap but she is such a good sport for her brother :-)

Grandma and Grandpa Eber

Monica and Grandma Eber :-)

Fire Station Fun!

We spent the weekend in Rochelle for the Larsen (David's mother's mother's side of the family) Christmas get together. David's Aunt Chris is fast on her way to becoming Garrett's favorite Aunt --- she took Garrett on a tour of the fire station! Although he was in awe -- he has not stopped talking about it!!!!!!

That boys loves trucks!!!!

Post Adoption Update

For Squirt that is :-) We actually had 2 adoptions this year - Squirt the cat was adopted for Aley's 16th birthday. And as you can see, she is adjusting very well. We had a rough road to start with - Squirt was 1 years old and from a cat shelter. Aley volunteered at the shelter so she and Squirt had bonded but Squirt did not take to the rest of our family as quickly. But as you can see she gets along perfectly and SuziQ is her favorite friend :-) PS this used to be mine and David's bed .... I wonder if we will ever get it back!

Luke ... I am your father

Here is a pic of our little Darth Vadar who spent the night in the hospital last night... Diagnosis - Severe croup. It came on very suddenly and it was complicatd with his cleft palate (the hole in the roof of his mouth made it ever more difficult for him to get air to his lungs). He was a trooper and took it all without stride. He is feeling much better today :-) Thanks Aley and Mom for all your help!!

So Sick

Poor Garrett is so sick. Fever, runny nose, nasty cough, yucky tummy, watery eyes, and he seems to jesture a headache.

School called today to say come and get this poor sick babe. Too bad he had to stay 2 hours longer as that is what it took to get home! (snowy date + closing highway 40 = insanely sick motorists!)

Aley is sick of finals --- please keep her in your prayers tomorrow and the rest of the week.

I am sick of my bum thyroid and my endometriotis. Neither of which seem to be letting up at all. I just can not seem to get a consistent remedy for either.

Thank goodness for David - healthy as a horse :-)

First Christmas

An early Christmas with Besta and Gramps ;-) It was truly magical!!!

Another First

Today was Garretts first birthday party to attend. His friend Matt from school was turning 5 years old. The part was at Monkey Joes - an indoor heaven of inflatable jumping apparatus. He loved every minute of it! I was so thrilled to find out that Matt's mom is really my sister Theresa's grade school friend!!!! It is a small world :-)

I Just Love These Pictures

(no that is not ketchup --- just another scratch --- little guy gets a new one everyday!)

A Perfect Meeting

We are so thrilled to have David's parents in town for an early Christmas celebration. Garrett is overjoyed to meet his Gramps and Besta (Grandma) for the first time!!!! We made a poor choice and tried a local pizza/game place for dinner (kinda trashy and yucky pizza) but we sure had fun with the camera at our table :-)

Check out the apple sweatshirt --- This was Davids when he was Garretts age :-) Thank you Mom Massie for keeping such a treasure for us to share with our son !!!!

The Many Faces of Aley

Surgery

Garretts surgery has been set - Thursday Jan 15th. Short story --- 1 to 2 nights in the hospital. His pallate will be sewn shut. He will get tubes put in his ears and he will also be circumsized. More details to come later......

Sudsy Santa

Many of you have asked about Garrett and his previous Christmas experiences. We don't actually know for sure. But I do know that while in Ukraine, he took an empty pillow case and filled it with toys and threw it over his shoulder and made the "ho ho ho" santa jesture. And he does not seem to be too perplexed by the Christmas tree and lights - he loves seeing them but he never has asked why we are doing this. So we are led to believe that he has seen this before.

We still like to think that this Christmas will be his favorite :-)