yesterday, sadie and i got a lot done.

first, we went to the mall to look for some stockings and shoes for her white dress (blessing/sealing dress). her dress is so beautiful and perfect...exactly what i imagined! i found some cute shoes that would match perfectly with her dress, but they were one size too small. i will find something this weekend. while i was driving, i was thinking about sadie and an idea came to my mind. i thought to myself, sadie will have three white dresses. all three dresses will be for special events in her life but the last dress will be the most special. prayerfully, her last white dress will be when she will enter the temple with her eternal companion to be married in this life and the next life to come. this idea excited me, and i kinda saw it happening in my mind, which was interesting.

we also got some Christmas shopping done while we were out. i love the Christmas holiday, it's my favorite time of the year. i really love the spirit that Christmas brings, the colors, lights, music, decorations, etc. i plan on taking my little family to all the free Christmas shows this year. (well, not all of them but as many as we can attend.)

before we went home sadie and i went to the visitor center at temple square. i thought it would be a good idea to visit the temple grounds every day, counting down the days that lead to our sealing. not that sadie needs to be around the temple everyday to know were she came from, and how special our sealing will be but it would be a nice habit to create so that she remembers (at least once a week as she grows older). maybe visiting the temple grounds as a family once a week will help A.J. and i remember for ourselves and teach our children the true meaning of life: that families are eternal, and Christ, the temple and our families should be at the center of our lives. i am so excited to create new and lasting traditions for my family. while we were at the visitor center we watched some of the video clips from the prophet, and the children's testimonies about Christ. we talked to some of the sister missionaries, then listened to the Christus narrative.

we had a productive day.

10 more days

sadie turned nine months today, and we have only ten days left until it's time for a.j. and i to take her to the temple. sadie and i were hanging out around the temple grounds today, and my heart was so full with excitement as i thought about the details surrounding Nov 7th . Heavenly Fathers plan is so great, and i am grateful that i get to teach sadie all about it. i am the luckiest woman alive. i have a beautiful husband and daughter ( two amazing, smart, loving, and strong individuals) to spend all of eternity with. i love my little family.

blueberries, bananas, cheese, and chicken

over the hump

i have been hiking camelback mountain for almost two months now. when i started hiking camelback it was such an intense workout that i could do it only once a week. although the hike is still a great workout for me i have gotten a little better and faster at climbing. i've accomplished some fitness goals i set for myself, and i am still working on others but most importantly...i am enjoying myself. I hike the mountain twice a week, and i get up at the butt crack of dawn (5 a.m.) so that i'm done by 8 a.m.

as much as i love the trail at camelback i think i am ready for a different view. so, this is my plan. i will hike camelback one day out of the week and squaw peak a different day. i wish i could go hiking three days a week but I don't have that much free time on my hands.

i hear that squaw peak is a longer hike and a little different from camelback but it's still a great workout. so, i'm excited. i hope my hiking buddy will be as excited as i am about our new route! here is a map of what the squaw peak trail looks like.

creating new things

here is a blanket i made for sadie. i made two so i can sell one on sadie's closet. (something i'm still working on putting together.)

love this girl

pictures of the day

Sadie is starting to look like a toddler...so cute.

delish

i took hubby to a fine dining restaurant (AVALON) for his 34th birthday late night, and we ate like kings and queens. i ordered duck and aj had a chicken dish. it must have been our lucky night because there was a mistake made on our order, and instead of having duck the chef made lamb. we were happy they made the mistake because the lamb was delish.

i must have been really hungry because aj said i ate my meal in five minutes. i didn't realize i was pigging out but i must have been because our server even made a comment...funny! we got to take the duck i ordered home with us, and i trust that will a good meal also.

the duck dish... yum yum

picture of the day

it's final

yesterday, october 1, 2009 was a wonderful day. aj, sadie and i went to court for our final adoption hearing, and it's all over. we were pronounced "fit to be parents", and sadie is legally sadie lynn k. i was a little emotional but all i had to do was look into hubby's supportive eyes, and i felt a lot better. we are so happy and grateful that our sweet angel has come into our lives.

friends and family who were able to come to our hearing.

aj, sadie, gus and vickie (grandparents)

sadie and her cousin ian....so cute!!!

sadie on her special day, we love you baby girl!