A busy week for baby Isabella - part 1

Because Isabella's adoption finalization is one of the best things we've had to celebrate (tied equally, of course, with Mercer's adoption finalization).... we had to throw a big party!  

The adoption finalization was on Wednesday April 17, but we decided to push the celebration 'til the weekend -- Saturday the 20th.  Here sweet baby girl is getting ready for her debut as an official member of the family.


There were a lot of people who wanted to come share in this celebration with us -- lots of people who love baby girl and our little family.  We had a mixed group of people attend including neighbors, friends, people from church, two grandmas, and an uncle come to celebrate with us!

Rose Marie and Jimmy flew in Friday night. My mom drove down on Friday as well.  All three got to see Mercer play baseball.  (I'll do a baseball post soon!)  And because they were staying with us... we put the three of them to work, as we were preparing food, cleaning, and setting things up.   Instead of beans, bbq, beer, and veggie sloppy joes that we had for Mercer's party -- we had hor d'ouvres and champagne.   Our dear neighbors, "aunt Pam" and "uncle Orie" also got this beautiful photo cake for the event.  Pam even paid attention to all of the small details such as the robins egg blue that was featured on the invitations, the decorations, and the paper goods.  (One funny thing... Mercer INSISTED on eating the face and eyes.  Hmmmm......)

My mom welcomed guests as they arrived and sent them to the party in back.  The weather was perfect and the back yard was busy with kids running circles around the house, jumping over the stream with Mercer as a lead, and the younger ones playing with the gravel in the arbor.  The atmosphere was relaxed.  People were mingling.  The guest of honor, though... she was asleep for most of the party!

These two ladies, Patti and Kay, are on the Foster-Adopt Committee at church that I've been serving with for the past 4 years +/-.

Some of my Bible study girls (and their boys - young and old).

And... an incredibly special guest at the party... a little boy named Christopher.  Chris is a miracle.  He was born at around 1 lb 4 ozs many many months before his due date.  He spent the first 9 1/2 months of his life in the hospital.  When he came home, he was hooked up to a bunch of machines.

He's just over a year old and he just got rid of his last tube / hook-up only a few weeks ago.  When I got to meet him for the first time at Isabella's party, I cried (a little bit)!  It was such a wonderful surprise.  Oh yeah - and it was nice seeing his parents as well.  ~wink~

Rose Marie, Susan (the "photographer's" wife) and my mom.

Here is a shot of our friend, Naomi, and her daughter exploring something in the pond.

And a here's a shot captured of Mercer with his "girlfriend" Edith.  We're grateful for David taking photos so that we would remember the events of the night as well as document others that we didn't see!

Todd and I said a few things to our guests.... letting everyone know how much their love, support, prayers, and kindness has meant during the journey to bring Isabella home... and actually... over the past 10 years as we have been working on building our family.  It has meant so much.  We built our family in an unconventional way, but we LOVE our little family and feel that it is now complete.  The party ended.  It was a success, but the big events for the weekend were not over.  The following morning, Isabella was being baptized!