Sorry I have been so long, but family comes first and my life is so busy that I took the last three weeks off of everything that I could. We adopted Tayla, what a wonderful day, we opted to do it all in one day (the adoption and sealing) My first time being part of court preceding. And definitely good that it was for a good thing!! The family who adopted Tayla biological brother were there at the same time. Tayla was so happy to see him. She wanted to sit by him.

I was so excited to be in the Temple with all my children, the sealer let them stand right up next to the alter. I looked at them, you know a mom wanting a moment looking into the eyes of her children and share a "moment" but they all three looked a little dazed with a sense of "What the heck is this all about." Then the moment of Ah-ha hit me and I have a great example to carry with me always why we have to be prepared and mature enough to appreciate and be ready to accept so many commitments. They were too young to understand and fully comprehend the magnitude of blessings that we receive by keeping the commandments of God. But someday they will. Elijah will have a vivid memory, the rest a passing almost fleeting glimpse. But if I do my job right, and I pray I do, someday they will be ready to go and make those commitments for themselves. They are growing, and our family is changing and learning. I look forward to the coming years and all the new lessons that we will all learn.

For now I will hold the memory close, our family feels a little more complete...

Charles and his new family...

Tayla and Charles with the judge, how often do you get to do that!

Sitting in the Judge's seat... now where is that gavel...

Our Family with the man who made our family possible. That does put a lot of perspective on things doesn't it. Someone else making choices for you...

Tayla and Charles with their now extinct "case-worker", Yea! no more visits, our life is ours and we feel a little more free... I did wonder if having it "official" would make a difference and surprisingly and happily, YES! It does feel final and official and this shadow over us is gone. What a great feeling!!!

Both families, just the way our lives will be from now on, a little intertwined...

These two are taken outside the Temple that night. We were cold, but I just couldn't let the moment go with out marking it in time...

We chose Ruth to be her middle name for a lot of reasons, the obvious being that we have a Elijah, Malachi, and Esther. So of course we wanted her to fit the mold. But she already came with a great name and she knew it and loved it and felt comfortable in it. Also she was not always mine. The first 3 years of her life are a mystery to me. I want to honor the parents who gave her life and offered her all that they could. With all their faults that made going home impossible, I know that they love her. Her life she owes to them. Her face and mannerisms, her body shape(!) belong to them. I want her to eventually choose for herself how much of her life she wishes to share with them. But a debt of gratitude I owe them for having the courage to give her to me.

So all that long spiel on her first name; The reason I chose Ruth (it's not the prettiest bible name) is the story of Ruth and how she was willing to leave all she knew behind and go with Naomi to her home. The bible gives, in my opinion, one of the most poignant declaration when she simply states "whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God; Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried; the Lord do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me." Ruth 1:16-17

A lot of people have made choices for her in her short life, choices that effect her for eternity and she had no power to say what she wanted. We have prayed for her and I feel that she is the answer to that prayer, that she was destined to be a part of our family. I want for her to feel that also, just as Ruth in olden times felt it. That she would someday say the same thing for herself...