The Dobbins Boys

A Winter Get Away...for a day!

2012-01-31T17:03:00.000-05:00

The boys and I did our home school on Sunday night so that we could have a day to PLAY! I found out we could get into Ray's Splash Planet in downtown Charlotte for really cheap on Monday. They have Toddler Meet and Greet Days a couple of times a month. Stephen actually qualifies because he is 5! Most people look at me strange when I tell them his age....he can easily pass for a 7 year old. So, momma got in free, Stephen was $3, and Silas was $6. It would normally be $20, and I am on a "save all the money we can" kick because, well, we NEED to be!

Momentary brotherly love...

The Vortex...the boys loved the fast swirling water and stayed in there a majority of the time!

Look who's chillin' in the lazy river!

And this is what I did while they splashed! Loving the new Beth Moore study of the book of James! So far I have memorized verses 1-9 in Chapter 1, and I am hoping to make it through at least the whole first chapter...

Between Then and Now...

2012-01-31T16:39:00.001-05:00

So, as you can tell, I've gotten behind again! Here is a quick recap of what we've been doing since I last updated the blog...

We participated in our Home School Co-op Presentation Night

Both of the boys were in a short play that told about the life of Jesus from birth to resurrection

Silas was the inattentive Statue of Liberty on the end!

We had Christmas Eve brunch at our niece Kristen and her husband Trey's house

The cousins--Silas, Stephen, Taylor & Josh

We left brunch and went to Freedom Park

(Yes, the weather was THAT nice!)

We left cookies and milk out for Santa...

The aspiring chef got his very own waffle maker

Both boys enjoyed unwrapping some "shared" gifts from mommy and daddy

We had Christmas at Grandma's with the cousins

The Mario addiction got fed a little more...

And finally, we started UPWARD basketball at our church, Lee Park Baptist...more pictures on that later!

Our Stephen's very first game....look at that BIG #11!!!

Christmas Town USA

2011-12-21T23:02:00.002-05:00

On Monday night we made our annual trek to McAdenville, also known as Christmas Town USA. Leah and baby Kinsley came with us, along with Leah's brothers, Caleb and Clay. They didn't last long, Kinsley had other ideas about the way things should be! On the way home, we stopped to eat at The Dragon Buffet, making this our tradition for three years running. When we were coming out, I had a flashback to last year, calling Mom to let her know where we were. We always had to let her know when we were out and about so she would be sure to worry about us!!! I surely do miss my parents, but I know they are rejoicing with Jesus---their first Christmas in Heaven!

They came from afar bearing gifts....

2011-12-21T08:10:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was our Christmas visit with Stephen's birth family. They had to come from three different parts of NC ranging from 2-5 hours, and they came with gifts! One rather LARGE gift, one that was very well received by the boys....

Wait for it....wait for it....

Surprise!!!!!!!!

It's a TRAMPOLINE!

N and her Dad "Grandpa S" hint: Stephen is named after him....

Let the fun begin!!!

Silas was the MAN...he pulled and tugged and got most of the springs in by himself!

First jump....didn't want to wait on the net to be put on....

More jumping fun to be had....

Thanks Grandma B!!

N with her gift the boys picked out....a UNC Tarheels pillow pet! WIth a house full of Duke Blue Devil fans, this was a VERY big sacrifice to even purchase....when Scott paid for it, he said he was like Superman buying Kryptonite! Ha!! He is SO funny, isn't he? N loved it, so it was all worth it!

It was well after dark when they finished installing the net and it looks like it's going to be a rainy day today, so I will have to add pictures of the finished product later! The boys are going to have a ball....

"What does Blood-related mean Momma?"

2011-12-19T14:06:00.001-05:00

We went to celebrate Christmas with Silas' birth family today. I remember how nervous we were the first time we met them 10 Christmases ago. We were SO nervous and had no idea how we would be received. We were at the beginning of our open adoption relationship with R, and she wanted us to meet her extended family on her father's side. There were grandparents, aunts, uncles, and lots of cousins. They welcomed us with open arms, but I'm sure somewhat warily. I've never asked them, but I wonder if they were scared too. How would this work? Could it work? What would it be like for two moms of the same baby to be in the same room and how would we handle the scrutiny of a large family? I felt like I was on display, my every interaction with R and R with Silas watched by her family. Even though that is how I felt, I have no idea if it was really what happened. It was an emotional time for sure, but we got through it. We have not missed a Christmas since. They love us. We love them. We are invested in each others lives, even if we only see them a couple of times a year.

So back to the question. On the way home Silas asked Stephen if he knew how many brothers he has, and also did he know that he has a sister too. "Well", I said, "not exactly." Scott and I began to explain about biology and blood relations. You know, the technical scientific stuff. The boys know all about their birth moms, who belongs to who, I mean we talk about adoption on a fairly regular basis around here! I know that it is hard for their minds to make sense of it all. I know R has had the same kind of conversation with her step daughter about Silas not technically being her brother as he is to T and S.

The boys getting ready for presents!

Great Grandma M, Great Uncle R, and cousins!

Great Aunt T knows Silas quite well...and his love of all things John Deere!

The kids are the center of attention!

S rocking her new Dora shoes!

Cornhole competition was fierce!

R and S

The brothers fishing together

...and throwing rocks together!

The siblings....I could NOT get the three of them to look at the same time!

R with her 3 babies!

So.... after all that, we just told them that your family includes all of those you love and who love you back. We are so privileged that we have been so warmly received and counted as family by those that WE are not "blood-related" to!!!!

This post also serves as a contribution to Open Adoption Roundtable HERE!

The Boys' new room!

2011-12-18T22:08:00.000-05:00

The boys have a newly renovated room! It took a week of hard work, but we made it! Their choice of color was Duke blue. I have to say I like the IDEA of painting, but when it comes to actually doing it, I don't quite like it. I was good until about half way through, then I was ready to be DONE! Then we had to put together the beds. Silas is such a great little carpenter. I interpreted the instructions and he did all the screwdriver work. It took MANY hours to do, but the end result was worth it, and they are happy. Stephen didn't get a headboard because it wouldn't fit on his side of the room. He was SUPER happy with his Mario bedding---he is somewhat obsessed with that little Italian guy! Silas was stressing because his bedding came after Stephen, but it did finally come. I'm glad that they now have their own beds, the bunk bed was a challenge because they because they wound up on the bottom double together. Nothing like fighting boys at bedtime! Here's to less stress....or NOT!

Happy 5th Birthday Stephen!!

2011-11-19T21:24:00.000-05:00

Our baby is 5 today! We had his birthday at a local bowling alley today. For some reason that was what he picked months ago, even though the only bowling he has ever done has been on Wii!

I'm not sure WHAT this look is for??!!

Stephen, you are five years old now! We can hardly believe it! It seems like just a short time ago we brought you home from the hospital. You are growing by leaps and bounds. You have such a kind and tender heart. When one of us is sick, you say "Poor Momma" or "Poor Silas". You sing along to the Christian songs we listen to in the car, and you watch way too much TV and play too much Wii. You can pretty much quote every product pitch you hear--at Costco the other day you saw the Oxi Clean and said "Gets the tough stains out!" I think you may grow up to be a great product spokesperson! You love people so much, especially girls! You don't really like to sit and do any kind of school work, but when you do slow down, you soak a lot in, more than I think we can imagine. Silas says you have two brains in your head because you can remember more than he can! Stephen, we are so happy that we were chosen to be your parents...we can't imagine life without you!

CAS Family Day, November 12th

2011-11-19T20:49:00.000-05:00

The Adoption Agency that we used for Stephen has two Family Fun days each year, one in the spring and one in the fall. We love to go to them and enjoy the time we can spend doing fun things. The fall event has been in Denton, NC for the last couple of years at Camp Walter Johnson. The boys look forward to it weeks ahead of time, and we were blessed with great weather that day. My favorite part is connecting with all of the other families we have gotten to know over the years and meeting new folks whose families are growing through adoption.

Lazy 5 Ranch....We LOVE homeschool field trips!

2011-11-19T20:30:00.000-05:00

We had great weather for a day trip to the Lazy 5 Ranch in Mooresville. We had not been for a couple years, so a field trip was in order. We had great weather and the boys had a blast. Their favorite part was the giraffes. It is so cool to hold up the buckets and they stretch their long necks over the fence and eat. They seem to be such gentle creatures, and they are so beautiful.

Halloween Fun

2011-11-19T20:10:00.000-05:00

Silas' favorite thing was to decorate Scott's truck for our church's Trunk or Treat on Sunday the 30th

Stephen was Mario, his current obsession, and Silas was a Storm Trooper!

Chameleon's Journey Camp, Oct 15-16

2011-10-21T16:57:00.000-04:00

Closing ceremonies: 10 groups of kids, 108 total

Silas with the note he wrote for MaMaw and PaPaw attached to a

DUKE blue balloon in honor of PaPaw's beloved BlueDevils!

Preparing for Release

Stephen getting in on the action

The release into the gorgeous Carolina sky!

We applied for Silas to go to this Hospice sponsored grief camp back in the summer. His guidance counselor at school sent home a brochure about it after I called the school to let them know what a hard time he was having losing both of my parents so suddenly. We didn't find out that he had gotten in until 2 weeks before the date. He was super excited about it, and couldn't wait to go. I dropped him off at 8am on Saturday morning, and we all went together to pick him up on Sunday at 10:30. They did a lot of fun activities along with their grief counseling. They did a zip line, went canoeing, climbed a rock wall, had movie night and popcorn, and made a memory box in honor of their lost loved ones. They gave them backpacks and T-shirts, and a women's group made Fleece Knot Blankets for every kid who came (Silas got a Camo one). I looked around and realized how many kids must be there that have lost their mom or dad. So sad. It was a good experience for Silas, and he has already said that he wants to go again next year. We'll see if he gets in again!

Ka-Kold comes for a visit....

2011-10-10T21:45:00.001-04:00

For some reason, Stephen can't or won't say "Nikole". Usually he just says 'Kold, but this week while counting down the days until her arrival, he began calling her "Ka-Kold". I have no idea why. Anyway, we haven't had a visit since April when we visited her in Wilmington. She spent the day with us playing in the boys' "Wii Club", then the required (by me!) photo session, then Chuck E Cheese per Stephen's request. . Then we went to Wendy's for a frosty (chocolate, not vanilla because vanilla is "so lame"....thanks Nikole for putting those words out there!). When we got home, the boys talked her into a couple more Wii games before she headed out. It was a great visit and we hope 6 months doesn't go by before we get another visit....

Fun at the Pumpkin Farm!

2011-10-10T12:33:00.000-04:00

We had a wonderful time at the local pumpkin farm, Riverbend. It's just a few miles from our house, so we made last minute plans to go. It was actually Scott's idea, and he gave up a Sunday afternoon of watching the Panthers play to have some family fun. The boys love the big bumpy slide out of the silo, and did it MANY times. They each chose their own pumpkins--of course they made us carry the things back to the wagon and then to the car. Good times, great weather!

Photo session at the park....

2011-10-04T16:16:00.001-04:00

Their idea....

Another one of their ideas...very staged...

Stephen not cooperating....which is normal...

Stephen looks pained, but it's one of my favorites anyway because of the LOVE!

We're done.....it's not going too well......

So the winner was...the one I put as the new blog header....Stephen looks like he is seeing a ghost,

but that's pretty much his personality-at least you can SEE his eyes in that one, and I love that Silas' dimples pop out when he grins really big!

PE Time for Solid Rock Academy!!

2011-10-03T10:48:00.001-04:00

This is our new play set, we'll call it compliments of one of my Pop's IRAs that he had. It's sad to think that he and my mom did not live to enjoy the fruits of his YEARS of labor, but we used some of the money we received to have the boys a new play set built. I think they would both approve....

Cabarrus County Fair

2011-10-03T10:39:00.000-04:00

This is the second year we have gone to the fair. It's just one county over from us, and the boys have had a blast each year. Stephen became our dare devil this year! Last year he would hardly ride anything, but this year he wanted to ride almost everything! Silas rode some of the bigger rides, the ones that scare the bejeebies out of most grown ups! We told him to have at it, we would be waiting on him at the exit. Every time he got off he was super excited and declared all of them "AWESOME!" The weather was outstanding and we had a GREAT time! Can't wait until next year!

Slip N Slide Fun

2011-10-03T10:23:00.000-04:00

Both of the boys LOVE anything that has to do with WATER! Most of the time they just play with the hose washing their numerous vehicles or just getting each wet....

Summer Recap: Discovery Place

2011-10-03T10:00:00.001-04:00

We were adventerous and rode the LYNX in from the I-485 station....Silas declared after our second trip that he hated the train....guess we won't do that again!

The fountain across the street from Discovery Place

Fun with air

The bed of nails....no, I did not try this myself!!

We bought the family pass for Discovery Place in downtown Charlotte. The boys and I have been on two "field trips" there so far. We also get admission to the Charlotte Nature Museum and Discovery Place Kids, but we haven't been to either of those yet---we'll have to do those this winter when cabin fever sets in and we HAVE to get out of the house!

Summer Recap: Mountains with the Downs Family

2011-10-03T09:35:00.000-04:00

All the kids, youngest to oldest: Daniel, Stephen, Silas, Maggie, Anna, & Christopher!

Stephen "flying" down the slide!

Lots of pool playing...

Silas enjoying the sliding fun!

The hot tub on our deck was a hit!

Catching a ride from the pool to the cabin!

I'm a really BAD blogger!

2011-09-28T13:15:00.000-04:00

I pulled up the blog and looked at the date of my last entry...July 28, exactly 2 months ago. Bad. You would think that not being employed would mean that I am less busy....at this point, I'm not sure how I had time to work! Of course our lives have taken a new turn with home education, but I find myself wanting to have down time and it just seems like I'm not doing all I need to do! Of course we had a great summer going on vacation with the Downs Family at the beginning of August, then multiple trips to our local theme park, Carowinds with friends. I even scored $5 tickets to Great Wolf Lodge (a fundraiser for Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Charlotte) and the boys and I have gone twice this month.

For school, we are studying the Civil War, Astronomy (Apologia), States and Capitals, Math-U-See, and doing some vocabulary with crossword puzzles. We are doing Analogies for critical thinking, and will soon add some grammar work in (may recruit Daddy for that one!). We are all participating in Wednesday night church, the boys in AWANA (Stephen is a Cubbie, Silas is in T & T), me in with the 5th graders, and Scott with middle school youth (as if he doesn't get enough of that age all day at school!). Thursdays we go to Co-op from 8:30-1:30. We're busy, but enjoying spending more time together without the interference of a retail schedule!!

More to come later...I have to get ready for church tonight, an appointment this afternoon, Co-op tomorrow, and a consignment sale this weekend.....

Open Adoption Rocks!

2011-07-28T08:15:00.003-04:00

At least WE think it does. I can only speak for our family and some of the other adoptive parents I know personally, but open adoption really does work for our family. I love that these siblings know each other and will have the opportunity to form lifelong relationships. It is our responsibility as the adults to make sure they have the visits so that they can have a foundation to build upon. What they choose to do when they are older will be entirely up to them. For now, they're just kids who want to have fun!

M (R's stepdaughter), S, Silas, T, and Stephen

S being sassy and posing for me

Love this one....we told S to give Silas a kiss. I missed the actual kiss, but caught the before.
Silas wasn't too sure about what she was going to do!

R and her first born!

Beach!!

2011-07-26T10:03:00.002-04:00

The last week of June the boys and I were treated to a beach trip to Ocean Lakes Campground with Grandma and Granddaddy while Scott went to Youth Camp with the Middle School Youth from our chuch. We had a GRAND time swimming, playing in the pool, going to the arcade, riding bikes, and touring the campground on the golf cart. We ate at all of our favorite places: K & W cafeteria (Stephen lives for the Jello), Texas Roadhouse (Silas lives for the Ribs!) and Prosser's BBQ (we all live for the delicious buffet!). Silas must have rode a hundred miles on his bike. I was a little iffy about Stephen riding his with all of the golf cart traffic, but he did fine--I just had to keep yelling "Right side of the road Stephen, RIGHT SIDE!"

Silas helping Granddaddy unload the golf cart. It causes quite a stir, it one of the VERY few 3 wheel carts you'll see
(circa 1976ish)!

Stephen chilling out on Grandma's bed!

Me riding on the golf cart with the boys riding their bikes down to the beach

Loving the surf and sand!

Teamwork! Gotta have TEAMWORK! (Rare, I must admit)

Our little home away from home!

As a bonus, the boys rode down in the van with G & G, so I was alone in the car for 3 hours....a sacrifice for sure, but I jammed to my WOW CD and K-LOVE radio! It was wonderful! I also read two WHOLE books while I was there: "Heaven is for Real", and "How to have a Heart for Your Kids". Loved it!

Butterflies!

2011-07-26T09:03:00.001-04:00

Our dear friends Beth and Erick (and their 4 boys) got Silas this Butterfly Garden for his birthday. It came with the caterpillars and a bowl of food. We got to watch them build their cocoons, then they hatched into beautiful butterflies! We were able to release them before we left for vacation. It was amazing that one stayed on Silas' hand long enough for me to take some pictures! I love this picture of Silas, the blue shirt really brings out the blue in his eyes. My mom would have loved this picture, I would bet that it would have been on her Fridge with all of the other ones of her favorite people---her grandkids!

Splash Pad Fun

2011-07-26T08:42:00.000-04:00

Stephen LOVES his daddy!

He is such a good sport about smiling for mommy's MANY requests for "CHEESE"

Wait for it, wait for it......

SPLASH!!!

There is a park in Kannapolis (about 30 minutes from us) that has this splash pad with a concession stand, a train to ride, and a huge playground. The boys love it! After we get dry, we go see a movie at the Gem Theatre. It only has one movie at a time, but it is a first run one, and it only costs $3 for kids and $4 for adults. The popcorn and drinks are very reasonable, we get out of there for under $20, which is just about impossible everywhere else. It's worth the drive!

Silas' 9th Birthday

2011-07-26T06:25:00.000-04:00

We had Silas' birthday party at the Mint Hill Park two days before his June 13th birthday. He had lots of friends there and a good time was had by all. We had a pinata as he requested, I'm not sure the moms there liked it! Who could blame them, wild boys swinging a metal golf club (best thing we could come up with) at a swinging paper basketball!

We also celebrated his birthday at Grandma and Granddaddy's with all of the other May and June birthdays. Silas got to blow out the candles as the youngest birthday celebrated.

The grandkids (Silas and Stephen) and the great-grandkids (Taylor, Kaitlyn and Josh) doing their favorite thing, riding on Granddaddy's golf cart.

Last Day of School for Silas

2011-07-26T05:26:00.000-04:00

Stephen cheesin' it while the class awards are handed out!

Miss Daniels, his very young and energetic teacher! Not sure if Homeschool Mom can compete....

An end....and a beginning!

2011-06-18T19:05:00.008-04:00

Yesterday was my last official shift at Food Lion, where I have worked for the last 27 years. The only job I've ever had! I started the day after I turned 16 in 1984. My birthday was on Labor Day that year, so Pop took me to get my license that next day, and I went to work that afternoon. Of course I never expected to be there that long, it just kind of happened! Scott and I met there. We were co-workers for almost a year before he asked me out. I was 17, he was almost 23. No one believed he was older, they thought the goofy boy was my age, not a freshly minted college grad! I stayed at FL through the rest of high school and 2 1/2 years of college. I was studying Graphic Arts at CPCC when we got married in Sept 1988. I wound up quitting college, and going to Full-time in January 1989. I was promoted to Customer Service Manager in 1991, and stayed in that position until yesterday. I worked at 9 different stores in the 27 years there. I've met so many people working in the public arena for so long, and I have made life-long friends there. I know that I am going to miss my Mint Hill customers the most, I was there the longest of any store, almost 13 years. I met Patti Taylor there, who wound up being the one who made the connection from Rebekah to us, leading us to our firstborn son, Silas!

I know that God has a plan in everything, and I knew the time was right to move on. After losing Mom and Pop this year, I knew it was time for me to be home with my boys. Not only am I going to be a Stay-At-Home mom, we are going to Homeschool! I have told everyone that I am just going to dive in, hook, line and sinker! Many people I have told have been very skeptical and are concerned that my boys will not be socialized enough. I promise, they will be JUST FINE! Our family is excited about this new beginning, and I have a gazillion projects I want to get done this summer before we start schooling. I am working on converting our study into our home school room, and I want to purge a lot of unnecessary stuff from the house. Scott says "Can't you just relax and enjoy retirement?".....

I'll keep you posted on that :o)

Happy in the Sad

2011-06-03T15:13:00.009-04:00

It's been a tough year...a REALLY tough year. Fortunately, life does go on. There have been some fun times mixed in with the sad times, but they all just seemed so...unbloggable (I think that's a word, but oh well!). I have even found that I did not even reach for my camera either. I have just been in a funk, but I am trying to pull out of it.

Eating outside at the restaurant where Nikole works

Stephen chessin' it with 'Kold (as he calls her!)

The view from our room at the Shell Island Resort

We had a fun the week before Easter at the beach. We spent 2 days at Wrightsville beach visiting Nikole where she is now attending school. Then we went to Ocean Lakes Campground to hang with Grandma and Granddaddy.

Then we came home and went to our church's Easter egg hunt....

Aren't they just the SWEETEST??!!

Saying Goodbye...again...

2011-05-16T13:08:00.013-04:00

This year is unarguably the toughest of our lives. After losing my mom and Scott's brother on the same day, we lost my dad just 57 days later. He tried desperately to hang on without my mom, but he just couldn't do it. On April 27, he took matters into his own hands and ended his life. To say that we are shocked and devastated is an understatement. We are trying to hang on the best we can. I had set my "retirement" day from Food Lion for June 18. I am struggling at this point to make it that long, but I am trying to honor my word and my commitment, but to get through each shift is becoming a struggle. Silas is having trouble dealing with the "how" and the "why", but is doing okay. We covet the prayers of our friends and church family. The day before Pop's funeral, I was mowing the grass, crying and praying all at the same time. I want all of Pop's friends to remember him the way he was before mom got sick, so I wrote this for the back of the program at his memorial service. It's who he is to us....

We Call you Pop...

Others know you by different names: You are "PaPaw" to Matthew, Kristina, Shelby, Shayna, Silas and Stephen; your favorite niece and nephews call you "Jake"; those who don't know you so well call you "Bobby"; but most everyone else calls you "Sonny" (except for one, who when your Nextel beeps and we hear his nickname for you, we know it's Marty!). You're pretty good at making up nicknames for others too: Sam, Slick, Stonewall, Smarty, Killer, Shayna Layna, Shelby Jane, Leroy, and Bird, just to name a few!

It's amazing how many people you know. They all love you and accept you just as you are. Our hope is that they will remember who you were before that fateful day of Mom's diagnosis. It was that day that changed you forever.

You are the one who knows every road everywhere, even the ones in the boondocks that no one else ever heard of. You are the one who always says, "All roads lead to the same place", "Take a chance, Columbus did!", "I'll bet you a fat man!", and the other many sayings you have.

Your work buddies say there's only one way to do things, YOUR WAY! Oh how we know this so well. How will we ever mow your grass to suit you? We hope there are no holes in the floor of heaven, if there are, man are we in trouble!

Although they never met you, the Panthers, the Cowboys, and your beloved Duke Blue Devils will greatly miss your fervent cheers. How on earth will your friends at The Little Country Kitchen know what time it is? We're sure they set their watches by your perfectly timed arrival each day. No doubt you made lots of new friends and the Monroe Aquatic Center these last couple of years since you retired. You're the one person who never meets a stranger. There will most certainly be a gaping hole left in many lives by your absence.

You and Mom raised us well, we're all functioning okay. Keep each other busy up there in Heaven. We hope your first meal together was Stewed Potatoes and Fried Cornbread. We will be there to join you at each of our appointed times. Meanwhile, we will carry on here, raising kids, mowing grass, and tending to all other of life's necessary chores.

Rest Well Pop, We love you,

Your Kids

Safely Home

2011-03-28T12:27:00.006-04:00

I think about and miss my mom everyday, and I wonder when I will get to the point that it doesn't hurt to know that she is not at the other end of a quick phone call. I got this from a friend who just lost her mother, so I thought I would share it here:

Safely Home

I am home in Heaven, dear ones;

Oh so happy and so bright!

There is perfect joy and beauty

In this everlasting light.

All the pain and grief is over,

Every restless tossing passed;

I am now at peace forever,

Safely home in Heaven at last.

Did you wonder I so calmly

Trod the valley of the shade?

Oh, but Jesus' love illumined

Every dark and fearful glade.

And He came Himself to meet me

In that way so hard to tread;

And with Jesus' arm to lean on,

Could I have one doubt or dread?

Then you must not grieve so sorely,

For I love you dearly still,

Try to look beyond earth's shadows,

Pray to trust our Father's will.

There is work still waiting for you,

So you must not idly stand;

Do it now, while life remains,

You shall rest in Jesus' land.

When that work is all completed,

He will gently call you Home;

Oh, the rapture of that meeting,

Oh, the joy to see you come!

Yes, our loved ones will be waiting for us there....what a glorious homecoming that will be!

Creating a New Normal...

2011-03-07T10:09:00.009-05:00

The last blog post I did was on January 10th after finding out on January 3rd that my mom had leukemia. There has been a lot packed into these last 2 months--joy, sorrow, grief, unbelief, sadness, hope--every emotion you can think of, and some that you can't. We laid mom to rest yesterday after a wonderful service. Their small church was overflowing and standing room only. It was a wonderful testimony to her life of loving her family and those who we love because she first loved us. As devastating as losing your mom is, Scott's oldest brother Stan passed away the same day---YES---the same day, after an extended illness that ended with Hospice care at the home of their mom and dad. A double blow indeed. We experienced such an outpouring of love and support from our friends and church family, otherwise we would not have made it through. By best friend Judith rode into town from 3 hours away and took charge. I don't think I could have made it without her. She took care of the boys, went to Grandparent/Special Person day (along with my Aunt Glenda ) with Silas at his school, cleaned my house from top to bottom, washed clothes, vacuumed floors, waited on a furniture delivery, helped me get pictures printed for my mom's service....I'm exhausted just thinking about it! Thank you God for friends in Christ!

I am ever so grateful for the last 2 months we had with mom. We all got to spend time with her and we definitely grew closer together as a family. My brothers pitched in like you wouldn't even believe. I was able to work a modified schedule at work so that I could cover most of the weekdays and my siblings covered the nights and weekends while I worked. Scott of course had to take care of the boys, but he was such a trooper. I was able to spend time with mom, cook for her, do her laundry, sit and watch her favorite shows with her, just hang out. She felt pretty good up until Feb 24th, she started to really be tired and unable to walk much. She took a turn for the worse over that weekend, and I had to give her a first dose of morphine on Tuesday. The Hospice nurses are wonderful, just a phone call away, but when they tell you it's time to open the box, you know it's bad. She passed away the next morning, on Wednesday March 2nd at 11:30am. Our family is so thankful that she is out of pain and alive with Jesus in Glory. The pain we feel is great at this time, but knowing that she is in a better place makes it a lot easier.

Silas is doing okay, but he got off the bus at her house everyday that I was at work, usually 4 times a week. We will have to try to make this adjustment as easy for him as possible. I am going to try to work a lighter load for a while and see how we do. My dad is going to struggle greatly and we will all have to be there for him and help him adjust to a life without mom, who took care of everything for him for 52 years. We will continue to need prayers, so when the Lord brings our family to your mind, please pray for us!

***Some may think it's morbid to take pictures at a funeral, but I want our boys to remember their Mamaw and we can always think about her through pictures of her***

Devastating News...

2011-01-10T19:46:00.003-05:00

My dad took my mom to the emergency room on New Year's Eve. She had been sick for several weeks, coughing and sneezing for weeks. She had terrible pain in her back and ribs and just could not take it anymore. The initial diagnosis was bronchitis, but she was so dehydrated and her minerals were so low that her organs were on the verge of shutting down. I knew she felt lousy on Christmas Day, but she got worse instead of better. On the third day she was at the hospital, the doctor came in with heartbreaking news--she has Leukemia. Talking about having the wind knocked out of us, we are shocked. It has been the worst week of my life. She has declined chemo, the kind of cancer she had does not respond well and there is only a small chance that it would put the Leukemia in remission. She is going to come home in a few days and be happy at home. How long she has, only God knows. We will keep her comfortable and happy, and enjoy every day we are allowed to keep her with us. She has peace and contentment in her decision and all four of us kids, as well as my dad, are in full support of her decision. Our friends and family have rallied around us during this time, and for that we are most grateful. Please continue to keep my mom Mary and my dad Sonny in your daily prayers!

Christmas Part....5???

2011-01-10T19:30:00.003-05:00

This was our final Christmas get-together of the season. Nikole and Barbara came over on Saturday Jan 1st for lunch and presents. I have never cooked a traditional New Year's Day meal (southern style, I guess) of collard greens and peas, so I just made spaghetti and garlic bread. My mom had been admitted to the hospital the night before (more on that later) so I was in such a hurry when I got back from seeing her I forgot to fix the salad. We had cheesecake for dessert, which is Nikole's favorite. We had a great time, and they managed to find a toy that the boys had been wanting--"Bakugan Dragonoid Colossus" (don't ask!). Nikole is off to college, so we have a plan to visit the NC coast sometime in April...

What Our Open Adoption looks like this Christmas...

2010-12-22T21:40:00.005-05:00

Silas, T & Stephen
Silas with Bekah & T

T, Silas & S

The whole gang at Silas' great-grandparents house

Stephen and his awesome new music maker

We adopted Silas and they adopted us!!

School Christmas Fun!!

2010-12-22T21:05:00.005-05:00

Silas gave me a lot of flack for buying them matching shirts, his exact quote was

"IS THIS REALLY NECESSARY??!!"
But, as you can see, I am NOT the only mom who does these things :o)

Silas and his teacher, Miss Daniels!

Silas was the ONLY one wearing green, you could say he was easy to spot!!

His part was to tell how Christmas is celebrated in Italy

How sweet is this, holding his brother's hand in the hallway!

McAdenville-Christmas Town USA

2010-12-22T20:51:00.004-05:00

Silas meets Mr. Snowman

It was super cold that night!

Most lights on any house in the neighborhood

What Christmas really means!

We would LOVE to have one of these!!

We made our annual trek to see the lights at McAdenville. We have figured out the formula- get there at 5:45 on Friday night before the crowd gets there! We were once again able to park by the lake and walk around. Most people just drive through, but we like the up close and personal tour. We had to walk behind Stephen and hold a blanket around him, he was shaking he was so cold.

Dressed up and ready to PARTY!!

2010-11-27T14:28:00.008-05:00

Our niece Kristen got married on November 20th, the day after

Stephen's birthday!

Aren't they great looking together??!!

Congrats Mr. and Mrs. Trey Winslett!

Look at that handsome 8 year old...

and his sweet little brother who will not stand still for a pose....

...unless he is forced to by his big brother!!
It was a beautiful wedding and we had a great time at the reception. The boys both did very well during the ceremony (which we were super excited about) and got to let loose a little at the reception. They clean up pretty good, don't they???

Stephen's party at Chuck E Cheese!!

2010-11-27T14:18:00.003-05:00

This is the second cake, the first one was dropped on the way to the car by our oldest child...
Nikole and her dad, Grandpa Steve, with his little namesake!!

Stephen with Grandma Barbara

Silas helping his brother with his presents whether he wants the help or not!!

A good time was had by all!!!

Happy 4th Birthday Stephen!

2010-11-18T23:55:00.005-05:00

What a BIG boy you are!! You keep us laughing with the new things you say. You LOVE chocolate milk like your big brother, and you are also partial to Chick-fil-A nuggets with Polynesian sauce! You love your Nintendo DS you got for your birthday (you got it early to keep you occupied on the way to Disney World) and you still love playing the Wii you got for Christmas last year. You insist that we apologize if we do something wrong and you get your feelings hurt really easy because you are very tender hearted. You're turning into a jokester just like your dad and big brother, very quick-witted too for your age! Mommy doesn't have a chance against all of you!

We so love watching you grow and grow. In fact, we can't keep up! At 4, you're wearing size 6-7 clothes and size 12 shoes. Your brother is 4 1/2 years older than you, but you are getting more and more of his "hand-me-downs" sooner than you should, but you think it's SO cool to get his stuff (I'm sorry to say that probably won't last much longer!)

Stephen Josiah,

you are definitely one-of-a-kind and we couldn't imagine life without you!

Our Latest Adventure....Disney World!!!!

2010-11-15T13:36:00.002-05:00

We (read:Scott) have been planning this trip since March, and we had a GREAT time! The boys loved it, the lines weren't too long, so we actually got to do a lot of rides. Stephen's favorites were Splash Mountain and Goofy's Barnstormer in Magic Kingdom, and Test Track and Soarin' in Epcot. Silas liked everything that Scott liked, all of the roller coasters that I prefer to skip. We split up most of the trip, Silas and Scott in one direction and Stephen and I in the other. We got the dining plan for "free" when we booked it, so we did not spend ANY money on food (yeah!). Everything is so expensive there, we have put ourselves on the 4 year plan. We went when Silas was almost 4, and this time Silas is 8 and Stephen is almost 4. That puts our next trip in 2014, with an 8 year old and a 12 year old (I am NOT going to say how old we will be!). THAT should be a blast, right??!!

2010-11-15T13:35:00.001-05:00

Pumpkin Day...

2010-10-31T23:47:00.003-04:00

...at least that's what the boys were calling it, so we went with it!! Not exactly a "holiday" we celebrate overly much, but we do participate in the festivites nonetheless. I was working

(of course), so Scott made the rounds: Mamaw & Papaw, then to see me at FL, then on to Grandma and Granddaddies, then to his brother Monty's house to go with their grandkids (yes, we are old parents, our neice Ashley has kids the same age as ours!) After that, he took them to our church for "Trunk or Treat". The batteries on the camera were dead by then, so I didn't get much---but then again, Scott's not the picture takin' type, so I'm lucky to get what I got
(right Dumplin'??)

Taylor the Ninja, SUPER Stephen, and Captain Jack Sparrow Silas!!

Visiting Momma at work

Silas, Stephen, Taylor & Joshua getting ready for some treats!!

Open Adoption Roundtable #20 : Production, Not Reproduction | A blog about open adoption & host of Open Adoption Bloggers

2010-10-21T20:09:00.005-04:00

Open Adoption Roundtable #20 : Production, Not Reproduction A blog about open adoption & host of Open Adoption Bloggers

The prompt for this roundtable discussion is about "siblings in open-adoption."

It's SO interesting that this very real dynamic has just played out in our family. Here's the gist of it:

We had not seen our oldest son's birth mom R for 17 months. Life circumstances, all of us busy, we just couldn't get together. R has 2 children younger than our son Silas--T is 3 (boy) and S is 18 months (girl). We always refer to them as R's kids, T & S. We have been unsure as to WHEN to introduce the idea that they are Silas' half brother and sister. I guess I was afraid to go into the whole "birds and bees" talk, he's just 8 years old. We were able to finally visit last weekend, so Silas got to play with both of them. On the way home after the visit, he said "Wow, I have a SISTER!". (I guess the idea of having a sister is special since he already has his everyday brother, Stephen). And so the explanations began. He gets the whole process about who's tummy he was in, why she chose us to be his parents, and how things changed that she is now able to parent T & S, whereas she wasn't prepared when Silas came along. We told him that we had not referred to them as his brother and sister just to save him the confusion and that we were waiting until we felt he could understand it completely. He said, "Mom, you know I'm smart--you know I could figure it out!". Yes, he is a very smart boy! We also talked about it being our responsibility to make sure the siblings are able to stay in touch while they are young, but as they grow, it will be their choice to have a relationship with one another. Silas assured us that he will go to see them when he is 16 and can drive himself! It was really good that the conversation evolved naturally, and we didn't have to make an "event" out of it. Maybe we should have had this conversation earlier, but it is so hard knowing when the right time is. I pray that both of our boys know that there is nothing that is off limits when it comes to their stories. There will come a time when these matter-of-fact conversations will be tough to have, just because both of them will come to fully understand the loss (and gain) that comes with adoption. I wonder too what kind of conversation the siblings will have with one another when they come of age. Will each side be resentful of the other side for what one had and one didn't? Will they accept that all of their parents made the right decisions at the time? Only time will tell, we just have to do the best we can for now.

Boys getting some birth momma love...no words necessary!

2010-10-16T21:51:00.003-04:00

Trip to the Pumpkin Farm

2010-10-16T21:43:00.002-04:00

Last Sunday, we took a trip to our local Pumpkin Farm, Riverbend. It was very HOT, so it did not feel very "Fall-Like", but we have to go when we can! We played on the playground, climbed on the tractors, and played in the round Pumpkin house. Then we hopped on the next wagon out and went out to pick our pumpkins. We all got off the wagon and proceeded to search the fields for the "perfect" pumpkins. Scott caught up with Silas and I and said "Where's Stephen?". Long story short, Stephen had gotten off the wagon, picked out a pumpkin, and got back on the wagon without us. Big brother saved the day, he ran back to the wagon and asked the driver to get his brother off before he went back to the farmhouse without us. That boy! Yes, my favorite saying, "There is no substitution for supervision." We just have to make sure one of us is on constant "Stephen watch".

2010-10-16T21:42:00.001-04:00

Silas James, you're one of a kind!

2010-09-28T00:08:00.011-04:00

Newborn Silas

14 months old

4 years old

8 years old!!

Silas, you are growing into quite the young man! Still all-boy, you love to wrestle with your brother. Suddenly you love school, it could have something to do with your new teacher, Miss Daniels. You love ALL things mechanical, you love to build with your Legos and K'nex, and you dare your brother to knock it down when you're done. When, not "if", he knocks it down or tears it up, you unleash a fury and a battle ensues. Your dad and I desperately try to teach you to solve conflicts in a more "loving" fashion, but you are still not hearing us! Your sense of humor is so wonderful, you are like a little miniature of your dad. You are quick witted and funny, and can easily get him on "made you look"! I just have to laugh and remind your dad that he only hisself to blame.

You are our firstborn, the one who made us parents, a role we thought we would never have. When the nurse placed you in our arms when you were just a couple of hours old, we cried tears of joy! What a blessing you are to us! I wanted to remind you of the poem your dad wrote to you when we first found out about you. You were due in 5 weeks, and your birth mom chose us to be your parents. We just couldn't believe it. That day, these are the words he wrote:

Silas James

You're our Miracle from Heaven above
a blessing from God, a gift of love.
You're our son, our answered prayer,
in our home you'll find loving care.
Silas James, you're one of a kind,
you're the piece of the puzzle we could not find.
By God's mercy, by his amazing grace,
you're a part of this family, you've found your place!

The County Fair!!

2010-09-11T11:18:00.005-04:00

The first ride Silas rode when we got there. I had NO idea the thing would go THAT high in the air! And look at that gorgeous Carolina sky!

This was a cool ride! Stephen would not get on it, but Silas rode it twice

A RARE moment of brotherly love!!

Silas has turned into quite the adventerous one, riding all of the "big" rides by himself!
He said the second time he rode this one, he almost threw up, but loved it still!
Stephen being all cute for the camera!

A "Quick" photo session...or NOT!

2010-08-22T02:49:00.009-04:00

This is just a snippet of the 19 shots fired...

I didn't know my sessions were so "painful"...

Or Funny
...or whatever???

I just wanted ONE good new picture of the boys so I could update my blog header....Is that REALLY too much to ask? Apparently so when you have two uncooperative, but funny, boys!

Scott tried to console me, he said "Honey, they're boys"

I guess that just about sums it up! Enough said!

Oak Island NC

2010-08-16T12:42:00.005-04:00

We were blessed with a FREE stay at a house on Oak Island. We stayed there 2 summers ago compliments of one of Scott's students. He picked Mr. Dobbins as his favorite teacher that year, so his parents gifted us with 5 days at their beach house. We humbly asked to use it again, and they said "Yes". We stayed from Tuesday to Friday and had a great time. On Thursday, we went rode the Fort Fisher Ferry over to the Aquarium. It's an all day adventure waiting for and riding the ferry to and fro, but the boys enjoyed it. The best place was at the end of the island called "The Point". It's where the inlet waters meet the ocean, between Oak Island and Holden Beach. The water was calm and shallow, it was like swimming in a pool. Stephen was able to swim around with his floaties and enjoy the water. Silas was all over the place, digging in the sand, trying to catch fish with a net, and hunting shells. We stayed for 4 hours the first day we went, so needless to say our sunscreen wore out and we all got a little toasted! We went for 2 more hours the morning we left, so after cleaning the house where we stayed, we got on the road about 2pm and headed home. We took a detour by the Bennett's (Silas' bio great-grandparents) on the way home, so we arrived home tired and weary at 10pm!

Thanks so much to the Price family for blessing us with a little vacation!

2010-08-16T12:42:00.001-04:00

Great Wolf Lodge

2010-08-16T11:47:00.005-04:00

We HAVE to play golf EVERYWHERE we go!
Silas LOVED playing Magi Quest in the hallways of the Lodge

Supper at Cracker Barrel

Great Wolf Lodge's version of "Wipe Out"

Stephen made a stuffed penguin he named "Oso"

The wave pool was great!

We had a great time at the Great Wolf Lodge July 21st-22nd. It was a special treat thanks to my Food Lion 20% discount! We got there at 1:30, checked in and hit the water park. Stephen loved the kiddie area, which he called the "cat pool", which I finally deciphered that he thought I said "kitty" pool! He is just SO funny! We played the afternoon away, then went to dinner at Cracker Barrel. When we came back, Stephen and I played Putt Putt while Scott and Silas played Magi Quest. I made a quick run to Walmart for milk, I just couldn't pay $2.50 for a pint of milk at the snack bar when I could buy a gallon for just a fraction more! The next day we had to check out by 11am, but we had water park privileges until 9pm that night. We went out to Chick-fil-A for lunch, then played some more until we were worn out. We left for our 30 minute drive home about 6:30 that evening. We cannot wait to do it again!!

Pool fun at Aunt Sherry's

2010-08-16T11:27:00.003-04:00

Summer has just flown by! I have not updated the blog since Scott was at camp July 4th week! We have enjoyed my sister Sherry's pool this summer. We only live a half mile away, and my parents are right beside her, but we've been so busy we've only swam 5 or 6 times. Poor Stephen is a bug magnet, he gets bitten constantly and the bite areas swell up and look horrible. Silas says "He must smell like meatloaf!". I didn't know bugs were particularly drawn to meatloaf, but Silas thinks so!

Fun with water balloons!!

2010-07-05T15:01:00.005-04:00

Getting ready for battle!!

It's all fun and games until someone gets hurt!!

Scott left us for a week to chaperone our church's youth group at summer camp, so here's how we spent our first day without Dad! It's going to be a LONG week without daddy here!!

This post brought to you by...Silas!!

2010-07-05T11:21:00.006-04:00

'Lil One Arm, No Arm, Policey & Dark Vadar (named by their creator, of course!)

'Lil One Arm waving!

No Arm, he CAN'T wave, but he says "Hi" anyway!

The whole gang together!

This early morning adventure was no doubt inspired by our recent viewing of Toy Story 3!

Happy 8th Birthday SILAS!!!! June 13th, 2010

2010-06-21T14:31:00.003-04:00

We just can't believe our firstborn is 8 already! Oh my, the time does fly! We love you Silas!

First Day of Summer for Us!!

2010-06-11T13:57:00.006-04:00

It's been a busy 1st day out of school for us! We had some sand delivered for the boys' play area, got that spread out, then the boys wanted to blow up their pool that they got from the Downs family--thanks JuJu!. They are having a blast already, I have a feeling it is going to be a busy summer! Scott's going to have fun keeping them entertained while I am at work!

Last Day of School for Silas!

2010-06-11T13:27:00.003-04:00

He had an okay year academically, but I think he had a great year with his friends. He rarely complained about getting up early, he and his dad had their morning routine down pat. I was either in the bed from closing the night before (not getting home until 11:30pm), or if I had the early shift, 5am or 6am, I was already gone when they got up, so that took me out of the mix. His teacher gave him the "Science Award", she said "his eyes would just light up" when she mentioned the phrase "Science Experiment". Maybe that is the ticket to getting him to read more, for us to find some interesting science books he can read. Anyway, he's doing 2nd grade again next year so hopefully that will help him not start out on the bottom like he has the last 3 years. Hello summer, here we come!

A little bit of love...but it doesn't last long!

2010-06-07T19:57:00.003-04:00

Memorial Day visit with Nikole and her family

2010-06-03T12:14:00.006-04:00

Our Memorial Day was about remembering our children's birth families. Silas spent the weekend with Rebekah's grandparents O'Neill & Mamie, and Aunt Denise along with his bio cousin Joel. I don't have any pictures of that trip, but Nikole's family came over on Monday for a cookout that turned into a cook-in, it was a constant downpour all day. Her, her mom Barbara, her dad Steve, as well as her grandparents Jim and Willie, who were in from Savannah GA.
A good time was had by all!!

Upward Soccer

2010-06-03T11:56:00.002-04:00

Scott got wrangled into coaching Silas' soccer team because the teenager that had agreed to do it dropped out at the last minute. Knowing nothing about soccer, he jumped right into it and we are proud of him for stepping in to help!! He has basically performed "crowd control" and made sure the kids are playing where they need to be and rotating the kids in and out so that they all get to play. Silas is not quite team minded, he doesn't really like the game or have a competitive spirit, but rather he likes the idea of the game. He doesn't like to run. So, we're thinking this will be our last team sport until it's Stephen's turn to try. We'll have to figure out another outlet for Silas, maybe guitar or piano lessons, he seems to really like music. If that doesn't work, we may shoot for karate for the self discipline training. We'll just have to see, I don't really like the busyness that comes with carting the kids off here and there, it just makes us all feel tired and rushed!

Open Adoption Roundtable #16 : Production, Not Reproduction | A blog about open adoption

2010-05-28T21:39:00.009-04:00

This is the first time I have participated in the Open Adoption Roundtable, a series of questions posed by Heather@Production not Reproduction. These pictures represent what open adoption "looks" like in our family:

Rebekah's extended family on her dad's side, Christmas 2006

Nikole with baby Stephen

Us with Rebekah and Silas at age 3

Stephen with his bio grandmother and great-grandparents

Open Adoption Roundtable #16 : Production, Not Reproduction A blog about open adoption

Imagine your child as an adult describing their open adoption experience. What do you hope they will be able to say about you? How did you view their other parents? In what ways did you support their relationship with them?

I hope that as adults, both of my boys will say that I did everything I could to support the relationships with their birth moms and their extended families. I want them to have seen me as loving and respectful and to say that I never tried to prevent them access to their biological families; that I did what I could to foster their relationships with them. I pray that they will see that I always had their best interests in mind, and that I never lied to them or kept anything from them that helps them understand who they are and where they came from.

People often question openness in adoption, especially the openness of our 2 situations, as they are consdiered WAY open by most standards. Even our adoption agency social worker says that she uses our family as an example of the "far extreme" of open verses open adoptions that may consist of only one visit per year. Glad we could be of service :o)

As I write this, we have just come back from dropping our 8 year old off to spend the weekend with his biological great-grandparents, great aunt, and bio cousin. Yes, we got "Do what???!!" from a couple of friends and family. The thing is, I don't want him to see a distinction between us and his bio family, I just want it to simply be "Family". I hope that the adult Silas (and Stephen) will see that we did not let fear or jealousy or whatever keep us from fully embracing all members of our extended family, by blood or adoption. Only time will tell...

We LOVE our backyard!!

2010-05-17T11:08:00.002-04:00

The newest additions to our backyard-two tire swings!! We went to our Sunday School class social and Pastor Chris and Becky have one in the woods across the road from their house. So, that became the focus of Silas' world--we MUST have a tire swing for our yard! So, PaPaw hooked us up with two old tires (from somewhere) and we promptly (with the insistence of one single-minded almost 8 year old)hung the things. We spent 30 minutes throwing a hammer with rope attached to it up in the tree praying it would loop over the branch we had picked out. Silas said "How much longer it is gonna take y'all???" Good question. We took turns hiking that hammer heavenward until we thought our arms would fall off. Finally, VICTORY! Scott did it!
The second one was easier, I was able to reach that limb with a ladder. The tieing process wasn't so successful, and a young man that works with me at Food Lion fixed it properly when he came over to pour concrete under our screened-in porch. He said he couldn't stand it, it was just too awful for our boys to swing on a crooked swing!Here's to summer and lots of fun in our backyard!

Beach with Grandma & Granddaddy April 6-8

2010-05-04T13:34:00.003-04:00

We had a GREAT time at Ocean Lakes Campground with Grandma and Granddaddy! Four adults and 2 VERY ACTIVE children in one camper could be a scary thought, but the boys did great and bedtime was without too much drama! The boys love the arcade, the golf cart, the putt-putt course and everything else about the campground. We went to two of our favorite places to eat: Texas Roadhouse for supper one night, and Prosser's in Murrel's Inlet for lunch one day. The weather was perfect, if not a little chilly at times, and the water in the kiddie pool was really cold, but it did not stop the boys. Stephen came to me with teeth chattering and said, "Come in the water mom, it's not cold!". Yeah, whatever. Momma did NOT fall for that one. We LOVE the beach and can't wait to go back. We may not make it again this year, Daddy has his heart set on Disney World in the fall....gotta save some $$$$ for that one!!

2010-05-04T13:32:00.001-04:00

A visit with a friend

2010-05-04T12:13:00.002-04:00

On March 16th, Stephen was able to reunite with an "old" friend!! They have not seen each other since they were babies, but they had fun getting to know each other. Emily's parents, Bo & Sharon, were in the waiting pool at our adoption agency the same time we were. Stephen was born Nov 19, and Emily was their Christmas surprise! The kids had a good time while Bo & Sharon had a meeting with CAS director Doris as they prepare to be in the waiting pool for baby #2! Praying for you guys!

One of our Favorite Meals...

2010-02-25T09:21:00.001-05:00

It's Chicken Pot Pie, Dobbins' style! I guess you can call it "Semi-Homemade with Sonya", I use Pillsbury All-Ready pie crust, canned peas and carrots, cream of celery soup, and garlic powder seasoning. I do boil fresh chicken tenders and pinch those up, so good and juicy! I bake it in my Pampered Chef Bundt Cake stone, so I get 6 cute little individual pies to make my boys happy! It's a favorite around here and requested often.

Upward Basketball

2010-02-13T11:34:00.004-05:00

Silas is playing Upward BB for the second year in a row at our church, Lee Park Baptist. It is a Christ-centered sports ministry where the coaches pray with the kids before practice and games and the kids are supposed to learn the Bible verse that they are given every week. This season Silas' coach is our Pastor, Chris Justice. We always refer to him as "Pastor Chris" but now he is "Coach Chris" for Silas. Now Silas has started referring to him as "Coach Pastor Chris"!! Too funny that Silas combined the two!

Snow Day

2010-01-30T13:19:00.003-05:00

I sure am glad that we actually DID get snow this time, I knew the boys would be disappointed if we didn't. It's never fun for me when it's called for, it's a grocery store worker's worst nightmare! I worked 10 hours yesterday, and when I left, the customers were backed up down the aisles. Every register was open, so there wasn't a whole lot more that could be done.
We took the boys out around noon, but it was too cold to stay very long. It was too icy to make snow cream, maybe next time (next year is okay with me!).

Fun around the house...

2010-01-24T20:54:00.003-05:00

We had a break in the cold weather, a 70 degree one no less, and thankfully I was off that particular day. The boys FINALLY got to ride their Christmas bikes. Silas had to learn that when you ride without training wheels (we thought he was going to be 10 before he wanted to give them up) you must learn to fall gracefully. A few tears and a lot of "I just can't do it!!!" was followed by a few good runs around the yard with just a little drama. Stephen decided that he wanted to climb a tree, so I put him up in it long enough to snap a picture. Ah, summer come on back!!

Weekend Beach Trip Jan 15-18

2010-01-24T19:13:00.003-05:00

It didn't turn out exactly as planned, our friends the Lickliters had to cancel at the last minute because a NASTY stomach bug hit their house 6 hours before we were supposed to leave. We left on Friday morning (Silas and Scott taking a day off from school) and headed down to Myrtle Beach. The weather was mild, 65-70 degrees and just a little misty occasionally. We hit the water park with a vengeance and had a blast! We went to the River City Cafe for supper that first night and Silas declared "This place is a dump!". We told him it was supposed to look like that. The food was good as always, Stephen demolished his cheeseburger. On Sunday morning we endured a timeshare presentation just so we could get discounted tickets to Medieval Times, which we all enjoyed. We enjoyed the food, Stephen ate a TON of his chicken and some of his potato. Silas ate almost all of his food, he really liked the rib. They give the kids the same portion as adults, so we all ate well that night. We came home on Monday, Scott and Silas were out for MLK day, but of course I had to go to work at 4pm, there are no holidays in retail grocery!

2010-01-24T19:12:00.001-05:00

Christmas Time (slightly belated)

2010-01-24T18:42:00.003-05:00

We had a great Christmas this year! The boys both got new bikes and numerous other things. Grandma & Granddaddy surprised them with a Wii, which they are enjoying IMMENSELY! They are embroiled in a heated battle as I type this on a rainy Sunday evening. In the pictures below you will see just how much fun they had! Stephen asked Santa for only two things, "Light up Racing Shoes" (Sketchers)and a play kitchen which Santa obliged him with. Santa was able to find a compromise on the kitchen, which we were afraid might be too "pink" and brought a McDonald's Drive thru (which we are WELL acquainted with!). Silas didn't ask for anything in particular, but had asked for a camera some time ago....so Santa brought him a Digital camera. Time flies, I can't believe that was a month ago!

2010-01-24T18:41:00.001-05:00

Christmas time's a comin'!!!

2009-12-15T22:39:00.002-05:00

And I am officially caught up on my blogging....for now anyway!!!

McAdenville Lights

2009-12-15T22:30:00.002-05:00

On Friday night, December 4th, we went to McAdenville to see the lights. It is known as "Christmas Town USA". It's about an hour's drive for us, so we got there at 5:45pm, before the crowd hit. We were able to park and get out and walk up and down the streets and enjoy the lights up close and personal! We then got back in the long line of cars and was able to loop around and ride back through a second time. The boys really enjoyed it, and we did too!

Stephen's Party at Monkey Joe's

2009-12-15T22:15:00.002-05:00

Well, this was almost a month ago, but I figured I'd get it on here eventually!! Stephen turned 3 on November 19, and we had his party on the 20th. We went to a seafood restaurant for dinner so the grandparents wouldn't have endure Monkey Joe's, which we went to after dinner for a 6:30-8:30 party with jumpin' fun and cake and ice cream! All the kids had a blast and Stephen thoroughly enjoyed himself, which was what counted the most!!

2009-12-15T22:12:00.001-05:00

Happy 3rd Birthday Stephen!

2009-11-19T09:06:00.008-05:00

I didn't have this blog 3 years ago while we were waiting and hoping for you, so I want to tell you your birth story:

Daddy, Silas and me were a happy little family of three. One day, I felt God's tugging on my heart that we should try to adopt again. Daddy took a little longer to convince! But, in February 2006, we made our 1st call to Christian Adoption Services in Matthews, NC. We really felt this was the place for us. We did our preliminary application, then attended our first info session on March 16th. We completed all of the paperwork necessary, a little easier this time since we had already done it once with your brother Silas! Mommy was SO sick all that year, I had Strep Throat 5 times and was sick through most of our time trying to get ready for a baby. I finally had my tonsils out on August 17th, and we went active into the pool of waiting couples on August 22nd. And so the official wait began. We went to the CAS golf fundraiser in Sept, and then a pre-placement workshop in Oct. The first week of November, Doris called from our agency and said that someone wanted to meet us. WOW!! We were excited! We didn't know any details until we arrived at the agency on Nov 6. That's when we met your birth mom, Nikole, and her mom Barbara for the first time. We talked for well over an hour and we all had a good feeling about the match. Nikole had the priveledge of telling us that you were a BOY and that you were due in ELEVEN days! WOW again!! We left the agency and hoped that they picked us to be your parents. We didn't know for sure until the next Monday when Silas and I went to visit with them, so they could meet him and see what your big brother would be like! He and Nikole (and you too!) slid down the slide at Chick-fil-A. So then we waited. You didn't come on your due date, but 2 days later on Nov 19th at 5:00 in the afternoon. We found out about your arrival the next day around 11:30am, so I had to call Daddy at work and let him know you had finally arrived! He was so excited he cried in his classroom right in front of his students. We went to the hospital the next day at noon and met you for the first time. You were SO tiny! We met Nikole's grandparents, Jim & Willie, they had come in from Savannah GA for your birth. It was hard on the family to let you go, but we promised them that we would love you with all our hearts and take care of you forever! We left the hospital at 5pm that day, in the worst downpour you could imagine! I was so nervous driving with you from Salisbury to home on the interstate, but God protected us as he always does. When Silas met you for the first time, he wanted us to put you in a cardboard box so he could play with you! We had to tell him that you had to grow a little before that would be possible!! And now, playing with your big brother is your FAVORITE thing to do! We can't believe how much you've grown! You are so loved by so many people and we are blessed to call you our son! WE LOVE YOU LITTLE BUDDY!!

CAS Family Day, Camp Walter Johnson

2009-11-18T10:07:00.002-05:00

This past Saturday, November 14th, our adoption agency had family day at the Salvation Army Camp in Denton, NC. We had a great time, just as we did last year, and the weather was just WONDERFUL! We had lunch at noon, followed by all of the new families who have received placement this year introducing their new little ones. Lots of flowing tears as you see God's hand in the forming of many new families and growing of others. Praise Him for his blessings!!

2009-11-18T10:06:00.001-05:00

Ups and Downs...

2009-10-30T09:59:00.004-04:00

Wednesday I took Stephen to an evaluation to see if he will qualify for preschool services related to his speech delay. We no longer think he has a delay, but you know you do what the professionals tell you to do. He has been receiving weekly "Play Therapy" since before he turned two. He loves this time each week with Kelly, and has had a ball with her. In the last 6 months, he has gone from putting only two words together, to becoming a little conversationalist. He knows his colors, most of his shapes, and pretty much tells you anything you want to know. So, back to the evaluation. I guess a lot of the kids that the ladies at the evaluation center see are poor, disadvantaged kids, and that may be me making a BIG assumption. I don't say that to lessen their reaction to Stephen, but they were very impressed with him. The psychologist said that he has "a very high IQ" that he is "very smart for his age". If I recall correctly, she based it on his reasoning skills and his pretend play. Yes, of course we know this already!! So...no, he does not need any additional help before beginning school. The speech therapist said that the articulation that he is missing will come as he develops further. He can't do "f's" so fork is sork, goldfish is goldsish, you get the picture. Anyway, that was the up.

This is the down. Silas is majorly struggling with 2nd grade, mostly the reading. Problem is, you have to be able to read well to do EVERYTHING else...like math problem sheets, science, social studies, etc. He is "Zoning out" on his teacher. She says he has "serious attention issues". He is SO not interested in what is going on in the class. I/We really don't want to go down the A.D.D. road, because we don't think that's it. However, it may be that we have to just to get that angle eliminated (hopefully). He can sit and play a board game, pretend play for HOURS, and remember things I don't remember. But....we will just have to take it one day at a time. Thankfully he doesn't seem to hate school, so that's a good thing. He is so smart and creative and you just hate to squelch that in order to make him "conform" to the structure of school. If I wasn't working, we'd be homeschooling...

Fall is HERE!!

2009-10-26T08:22:00.003-04:00

It's that time of year where the leaves are changing and we had to break out the winter clothes! The view of our backyard has been very pretty this year! The boys enjoyed some scooter time when we got home from church and I made them suffer through a photo session, which resulted in the new blog header---I took at least 15 shots to get the one on the header! That's boys for you!!

Our new screened porch...

2009-10-26T08:14:00.002-04:00

We're SO excited our new addition is done! We have been able to enjoy it some before the weather turns cold. Our deck was old and splintered, we never used it because the sun stayed on it from 10 in the morning until sunset, so we bit the bullet and turned it into a screened in porch. The boys LOVE it, and have used it every afternoon it has been warm enough. It will be wonderful this Spring, we're glad we got it done so quick!

Stephen....the silly side!!!

2009-10-09T15:45:00.002-04:00

Had a photo session for Stephen today, man I needed a sedative after that one! There's more poses, but I'm not posting those yet. I did this session so that Nikole could have some new shots for the birth mother retreat she is going on in Nov that is sponsored by our agency, Christian Adoption Services. I think she will like them!

Silas...the serious side!!

2009-09-30T08:39:00.003-04:00

He said the photograher told him not to smile....I guess 2nd grade equals missing and crooked teeth? Of course we would not care, who knows why they do that????

Our 21st Anniversary!

2009-09-17T13:57:00.003-04:00

Yes, we have now been married 21 years!! Quite a feat in this day and time. We have been through many things together, good and bad. We were married for 1 year when we threw out the birth control and said whatever happens, happens! Nothing happend. We never went down the path of Fertility treatments, I'm not real sure why, but we never felt the desire. The desire to become parents, however, did lay dormant in both of us for a while. We accepted Christ together in our home (with the help of some wonderful Godly men from a local church) on June 13th 1995. From that point we sought God's direction for our lives. Scott went on an international mission trip in 1998, we both went in 2000, then he went again in 2001. It was that month when he came home that God laid adoption on our hearts. Just 9 months later, we welcomed Silas James through a private adoption, on none other than June 13th, exactly 7 years to the day of our new salvation. WOW, isn't God's timing perfect? In early 2006 we once again started down the road to adoption. You guessed it, 9 months later came Stephen Josiah! We are so grateful that their birth mothers chose life for them and chose us to be their parents. Bekah & Nikole, you gave us the children of our hearts!
And so we travel this road of parenthood, at the ages of 41 & 46, with a bright 7 year old and a precocious almost 3 year old. We just have to sit back and smile and thank God for the life He has given us in Him! Praise the Lord!

Just for fun: I LOVE the Duggar family in Arkansas. They are expecting thier 19th child! I am glad the Lord has blessed them and often think "What would I do if I had 19 children?"---go insane! But just for fun, I tried to find 19 "S" names (since theirs are all "J") that I would use for that many kids (not that Scott would agree):
I'll start with the obvious: Silas, Stephen, Sophia, Samaria, Seth, Samuel, Samantha, Sarah, Selah, Shiloh, Summer, Savannah, Selena, Shayla, Sydney, Selwyn, Sierra, Skyler, Sullivan!

When boredom sets in...this is what happens!

2009-09-14T11:28:00.002-04:00

We've settled into our new routine of school days, homework and bedtime again. It's familiar, yet hard to transition from the carefree days of summer (well, for the men of the family anyway, I was working all summer!). Silas is trying to adjust to the demands of second grade, which involves a LOT of reading which he does NOT like to do. I got a very sweet email from his teacher today (God Bless her) and she has vowed to work with him this year and do everything she can to get him where he needs to be! Praying for a successful year!!

1st day of Second Grade and 10th 1st day of Middle School!!!

2009-08-25T10:55:00.002-04:00

Silas started 2nd grade today, he's growing up WAY too fast! His teacher is Mrs. Cindy Helms at Fairview Elementary, which is just 2 miles from our house. I think that she will be a good fit for Silas, she has 4 boys of her own! Scott is entering his 10th year of teaching middle school, he started in Sept 2000 as a Lateral Entry candidate and got his teaching credentials for Queen's University in Charlotte. This will be the second year he has taught "Public Speaking" to 6th, 7th, and 8th graders!
We're praying for a good school year for EVERYONE!!

Dan Nicholas Park (Again)

2009-08-25T10:44:00.004-04:00

We went with Nikole and Barbara to Dan Nicholas Park in Salisbury on August 10th. I have been too busy to post the pictures!! It was a very sweltering 97 degrees, but we managed to survive the day! It is so fun there, the boys love it. We went there on Silas' 1st grade field trip in May, so we had been wanting to take Scott with us, and it's in Salisbury where Nikole and Barbara live. We rode the carousel, the train, paddle boats, played in the water in the splash area, and made it through a half of a game of putt-putt. Poor Stephen was so hot he laid down on the course while we were waiting for the people in front of us to finish. That's when we figured out that he was DONE! We've decided that Fall will be a great time for our next visit there, when the temps are in the 70's!!

2009-08-25T10:42:00.001-04:00

July Beach Trip

2009-07-31T13:47:00.002-04:00

The Dobbins crew invaded the Dayton House at Myrtle Beach for a few days. Silas and Stephen loved splashing around in the walk-in pool and making laps in the lazy river. We made a few trips out and about. Silas enjoyed creating a new bunny friend at Build-a-Bear, while brother slept peacefully in his stroller. Stephen played on the movie theater steps while the rest of the family watched the action-packed film, "G-FORCE." One afternoon, Dad thought it would be a great idea to take Silas to the arcade "on foot." At the end of the never-ending journey, Silas proclaimed he would NEVER go there again "on foot", but instead would go "in car"! No trip to the beach is complete without a visit to Krispy Kreme---the boys donned their KK caps as they devoured their sprinkle-covered doughnuts. A new tradition was started as the family ventured out on the beach at night looking for crabs with flashlights in hands. No crabs were spotted, but we still enjoyed the hunt! It was quite a memorable vacation with fun for everyone!!!!

2009-07-31T13:44:00.001-04:00

A day in the life....

2009-07-23T19:46:00.003-04:00

The Architect....

The Wrecking Crew!!!

Dollywood, Pidgeon Forge, & Gatlinburg TN

2009-06-21T21:36:00.002-04:00

We had a great time on vacation with the boys. We stayed at the Ramada Inn right in town and had a great view....of KFC, Krispy Kreme, and Cracker Barrel! We went to Dollywood on Tue and Thur, and went to Gatlinburg on Wednesday. We played Davy Crockett Mini-Golf for Stephen, as he is currently obsessed with it. The whole time he kept saying "Hit the golf!!!". We enjoyed the small hotel pool each evening after supper so we did not have to worry about sunburn.
Stephen is still talking about the beach from when we went at Spring Break. We go on our last vacation to the beach at the end of July, we're almost afraid to mention it, because he will drive us crazy until then. Life is busy with two wild boys!!

2009-06-21T21:31:00.001-04:00

Happy Birthday Silas!!!!

2009-06-13T23:59:00.004-04:00

On Silas' actual birthday (we had his party last weekend) we had his birthmom Bekah and her dad Stacy (G-Daddy) come over for lunch, along with Bekah's 2 children Taylor and baby Savannah. The kids all had fun playing together and we had a nice time chatting and reconnecting. Savannah slept through the visit!I made Silas some little mini bundt cakes with homemade peanut butter icing (I got the recipe off of the internet). Although they were not pretty, they were quite tasty. Of course Silas enjoyed licking the icing off of the beaters when I was done with the mixer!
We all can't believe this special little boy who is loved by so many is already 7!!

A VERY happy boy!!

2009-06-08T15:17:00.002-04:00

Silas got off the school bus and we immediately had to put the newly charged battery in the 4-wheeler. He was off in a flash! I think he will get MANY hours of enjoyment out of it!! Hopefully he will take his brother a ride or two. As soon as he saw the 4-wheeler, he said "Stephen can have my Gator!!!". Thus the cycle of hand-me-downs for Stephen continues!

Field Trip to Dan Nicholas Park

2009-06-08T11:57:00.002-04:00

I somehow managed to delete the slideshow I posted in May so I reposted it. Of course it is now out of order chronologically, but it is what it is!

Stephen had a blast hanging out with a bunch of 1st graders! The weather was great and we had fun! Can't wait to go back and take Dad with us!

2009-06-08T11:54:00.001-04:00