Last Day of 2008

Today is the last day of 2008 and the beginning of a wonderful year. Looking back on 2008 brings me to the begining of our Adoption Journey, our decision making, our announcements, our home study, our long line of paper work, our PRIDE training, our completed dossier, our provincial approval and the landing of our dossier in Ethiopia, which lead us to be officially "expecting". This last year went by so fast, I can't believe we will be 2009 tomorrow, the year we become parents, how amazing is that to say. I realize the year ahead will be full of ups and downs and roller coaster rides, but being blessed with the support and encouragement of family and friends will get us through it. There are many things to decide in the coming weeks, as to the work situation, but we have decided to take this year one day at a time and enjoy every moment, whether we want to or not. We look forward to the coming year, and what it will bring us. New friends, new family members, new adventures. What more can we ask for?

We wish you all a great evening, ringing in the new year with your loved ones. Unfortunately, Chris and I won't get to be together as he will be sleeping (must get up for work at 5am) and I will be partying with family. However he will be with me in spirit, and a new years celebration we will have when he is off.

We look forward to following many other journeys throughout the year.

We thank you all for the encouragement and support in 2008 and wish you all a wonderful 2009, Cheers to all. Natalie and Chris

My Niece Danika

I had to share with you all this beautiful picture of my niece Danika, riding this horse bare back. Watching her with horses is the most amazing thing to watch. She is a true natural, and lives for horses. I wish with all my heart that someday she will have her dream of owning a horse come true. Matante Nat loves you and is very proud of you.

Christmas

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. Ours was amazing as usual. The only bad part was that Chris had to work everyday of the holidays, but we did manage to have a 2nd family night once my brother and sister in law came home. It was great having the whole family together again this year. We started a new tradition this year, my parents bought all the sets needed to make a "fancy" dinner table, that will now be used for years to come (see pic below) and we also started a Christmas Journal, where every year, every member of the family must include something they are thankful for and something they wish for the year to come. I think it's a great idea and will allow us all to reflect upon it for Christmas to come. Of course, i kept thinking of next year and how things will be so different for all of us as a family. My brother will have his first little one, my sister's oldest will be moved away to Edmonton and my son will be close to coming home. I held it together pretty good, or at least I think I did, only teared up once. Not to bad, don't you agree?

One of the few pictures we got of Chris on Christmas day, he was just leaving for work.

My brother, Denis, and sister in law, Laura she is 4 mths pregnant.

Our fancy christmas table setting, it made everything so much better and special. (Notice the butter shaped like Christmas trees)

Christmas Eve at mom's, my brother wasn't home yet.

One down,

Today is not only a christmas celebration in our home with lots of friends and family, but also the celebration of our One Month referral wait. How has this last month been you may ask??? Well, seeing as it's been the busiest month of the year it wasn't bad at all, however, it was still a long december compared to most but i find my mind was busy with so many other things that I didn't really thing about it.....ok...so I thought of it every minute of every day still, but it just wasn't as bad as previous waits. I feel that the fact that the dossier and the next few months are out of my hands does relieve some stress but it definitely doesn't heal the pain. This time of year is hard for many of us. We have been waiting to begin our family for so many years and again another years passes and no children around. Will life be all roses when we do have our children, i'm sure we will have our moments, but it will be so much more special that it will make up for all the bumps in the road.

So anyways, here's to ONE MONTH, come and gone, and here's to the next 7-8 months going by in a way I can tolerate....

PS... I sometimes still can't believe that i'm at this stage of the journey, i'm mean wow, we are waiting for our baby...

Merry Christmas

Wishing you all a wonderful Christmas, may you eat as much as you can, drink as much as you can, laugh as much as you can, but most of all, may you all be as grateful for your blessings as you can.

PS...I think this Santa is pointing in the right direction...what do you think?

Birth Mother

A few weeks ago I came to the realization that my baby boy is conceived, and ever since then i can't stop thinking of the birth mother, and how she is doing and if she is healthy and so on, which i'm sure is a normal part of the process. Having the birth mother on my mind while shopping one day I came across the most beautiful painting and said "I must have it", in my eyes, it represents my son's birth mother and father. So, this morning, not being to get it out of my mind, I went out and bought myself a christmas gift. This painting will hang in my home forever as a symbol of my son's birth parents always watching over him, no matter where he is.

Happy Birthday

I would like to wish the love of my life a wonderful and happy birthday today. I would also like to take this moment to explain to you all what Chris means to me. Shortly after Chris and I met we began dating and became instant best friends as well as lovers. I knew he was the one after our first date and lucky for me he felt the same. I thank god every day for him, he is always there to make me smile when I need it and always willing to give me a big bear hug when needed as well. He has been so amazing with the last few years of infertility and with the adoption. He has been so supportive and willing to listen to me cry, laugh, talk non stop about the adoption without ever showing he wasn't interested. I could not ask for anyone more special to go on this journey with. I never knew love could be like this and I never knew love could grow on a daily basis. He still, after 8 years, gives me butterflies when he kisses me and still makes my heart feel like it's going to explode. I love him more than I ever thought I could love. I look forward to expanding our family with him and growing old with him. He is going to be such an amazing father and I can't wait to see it all happen. I can only imagine how supportive he will be with our son. He has introduced me to things in life that I never knew about and he has brought me places I never would have gone without him. He is truly my soul mate and I wouldn't change a thing. I sometimes reflex at how lucky I am to have found my soul mate and how I can't imagine life without him in it.

I love you my love.

Christmas at our house.

Tonight was the night Chris and I celebrated our Christmas together, as he is working for the next 4 days on graveyard shift, which means I won't see him until Saturday. So we decided to have our little Christmas celebration tonight. We had a placed a budget limit this year to stockings only, with the adoption and the economy right now being a large factor. So, of course we blew the budget. I got him a Sirius Stiletto 2, which is like and IPOD for satelitte radio and a bunch of small things for his stocking and he got me a new pair of booths that I love, and a new pair of running shoes that I also love, two things I wanted but couldn't justify buying. He also got me 3 christmas bears/snowmen as decorations. Love it all.

We also got each other something for Kaysen, I had given him a baseball toy game and a buddy doll and Chris bought him the "Elmo Live" toy, well it's the best and the cutest thing ever. We tested it out and he gives hugs, kisses, tells stories, jokes, plays games its just great. I love it and know it will be a hit. I think it was a great idea for us to exchange a gift for him, it showed that he is already in our hearts and with us during this holilday season. It's such a great feeling to walk in the living room and see children's toys under the tree, and he's not even here yet.

The next few days will be pretty busy for us, Christmas Eve will be at mom's house (tradition), Christmas dinner will be here, and then on the 27th my brother and sister in law arrive and they we have dinner and gift exchange at my sister's and then brunch on the 28th at mom's.

We are having family over for New Year's Eve, well I am anyways as Chris will be working on that day as well. I figure let him work this year and get all the extra pay as next year he will be needing time off, if not around Christmas, shortly after.

Have a safe and happy holiday season, here's to 2009, where many of our lives will be changed forever. 2009, the year we become parents.

Christmas questionnair

I saw this on Karen's blog today and thought it would be something to do on a snowy Sunday morning. Feel free to copy and paste to your blog as well.
1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping is one of my favorite parts of the season, paper all the time.
2. Real tree or Artificial? Artificial, but would love the experience of going to get a real one in the next few years.
3. When do you put up the tree? Usually by the 1st of December, this week I was about 1 week late as I was redoing the flooring in the kitchen.
4. When do you take the tree down? Sometime in January, it takes alot of motivation to get that done.
5. Do you like eggnog? Only my mom's homemade eggnog with rum....yummy
6. Favorite gift received as a child? Every year I would get what i asked for, so every year was really special, however I loved the year I received my a pair of skies.
7. Hardest person to buy for?my husband
8. Easiest person to buy for? my mother and sister
9. Do you have a nativity scene?No
.10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail (see previous blog entry)
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Good question, I can't think of one, so I couldn't have gotten one that was that bad.
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? December
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? No---not yet anyways.
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? my almond squares....yummy
16. Lights on the tree? the more the better, they are colored lights.
17. Favorite Christmas song? the chipmunk song
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? We used to travel but now that we live near family we only travel every other year.
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? No.
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Angel, but I think i'm getting a new star next year, I just want to find the right one.
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or Christmas morning? We always open christmas eve, but once I have a child I think it will be in the morning.
22. Most annoying part about this time of year? Time goes way to fast, all the time you take preparing and then it's gone. I'm always sad when it's over.
23. Favorite ornament theme or color? Every year I buy us all (including the dogs) a special ornament for the year and every year it's like a opening presents as I get to remince. I also have a few that have been in our family for close to 30 years. They are all special in their own way.
24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Definitly the turkey
25. What do you want for Christmas this year? I didn't ask for much due to the adoption, but next year I want my SON....

Have a great to all.

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

Movie night

Tonight is movie night for my mom and I. Seeing as Chris is working graveyard and my dad goes to bed nice and early, my mom and I (and sometimes my sister) get together for a movie night, with a cup of "special" hot chocolate topped with whipped cream and a big bowl of buttered popcorn. Tonight we will be watching one of my favorite christmas movies. "National Lampoons Christmas Vacation". It just gets better every year it's watched.

Family Christmas 2007

Here's a video of our family Christmas last year.

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Wish you were here

quite fitting for the time of year.

Warning..grab the kleenex...

Road Trip

This morning I got up nice and early and got ready for a quick overnight road trip with my mom and dad to visit my brother in Alliston, approx. 3 hrs from home. When we arrived we went to ToysRUs for the first store and it was great. I purchased this great little booster seat (pictured below) that is completely portable, so we can take it around to restaurants and others homes when we have Kaysen, this way he will always have a seat no matter where we are and I know it will be clean. Seeing as i worked in restaurants many years, I know how clean the ones in the restaurants are...not really. It later turns into a toodler booster seat as well. My parents also bought me a great new play pen, unfortunately I couldn't find an online picture to show you but once I have it opened I will add it. The best part was the booster was 40% off and the playpen was 50% off. I mean how much better can that get. We had fun looking at all the toys and pushing all the buttons, my parents were as excited as I was. I can't wait for them to be grandparents again.

After being kids for about 1 hr we dropped by the mall to pick up some hot chocolate from Second cup as it's the best and we don't have one in Sudbury and then drove out to my brother for a great visit. It's so cute as my sister in law is just starting to show, she is approx. 4 mths now, they actually got to hear the heart beat this week. As I was sitting here discussing babies and pregnancy it hit me that my baby is probably conceived at this time. IF the time lines are correct and we are getting a referral in 8 months than he would have to be conceived which means that he has a little heart beat going of his own. I may not be able to hear it physically, but in my heart it's there and it's beating strong awaiting the day he becomes our son. If he is conceived at this point I would just like to send him a small message "Welcome to the world little guy, I hope you are cozy in your mommy's belly. Have fun in there and be careful once you come out, we will be there shortly after to bring you to your FOREVER HOME. Mommy and Daddy both love you lots."

So anyways that was my day and now i'm off to bed and back on the road in the am to get back to my husband and furbabies at home.

Christmas cards....humbug

So what I do to spend my time you may ask....? Well at this time of year I have to keep in contact with my clients, friends and family which makes for alot of christmas cards. And of course, I can't just sign my name I have to include a message in each one. So 5 1/2 hours later this is the end result... any volunteers for next year? Now I have to stamp them and off they go. At least i'm now done for this year.

only 6 stacks of approx 20 each...fun fun

8 months

Wow, today is 8 months since our journey began and if I remember correctly it wasn't all that bad. Another 8 months and we should be able to show off our son, well to friends and family anyways. I just wonder how I will feel when I'm posting an 8 month post for referral.... here's hoping it doesn't happen.

Christmas Shopping

CHRISTMAS SHOPPING

Today my mom and sister and I got together to finish most of our Christmas shopping. We had such a great day, laughing, joking and even a few tears. I know I've mentioned it in my blog before but they are so special to me and moments like these are moments I will forever treasure. We go shopping often but it's so nice to go together, even if most of our shopping was already done. Just allowing us to have "Girl friend" time together, where we can all just be ourselves and discuss what is on our minds. I love my time with them, moments like these were truly missed when I lived out of town and maybe it's because I've grown more mature in the last few years or maybe just because I was away for so long, but I now realize that moments like these are so special that I NEVER EVER want to leave them again.

After shopping we got together at my sisters for dinner as this evening was our Christmas for Evan, my niece Jessyka's boyfriend. Evan has been home for 3 weeks now and is leaving again on Thursday to go back to active duty in Afghanistan, so my sister decided to make his Christmas now as he won't be home for Christmas. It was a great evening. We are all so proud of him and what he is doing our there, not only for our country but mostly for strangers that he has never met and never will. His acts of unselfishness are something we can all aspire to do in our lives. We all wish him a safe return trip, and look forward to having him home for good in April.Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers.

Yummy Christmas Traditions

Every year my family gets together to make some Christmas dougnuts, my mom was saying she has been making them for 38 years now. It's something we look forward to each year and is a tradition i hope to maintain as long as i'm around. I have added pics to share with you all and hope you all have a special tradition in your family to look forward to each year, as traditions are truly what make families special.


My niece Danika and I rolling out the dough

Such a great helper

Mom on frying duty. Isn't she cute in her little apron. My sister made her that apron when she was in the 9th grade and she wears every year.

Break Time.
My sister on cleaning duty. Thank god for that, i hate the clean up part.

The finished product....yummy.


The kids enjoying the finished product. (my nieces Samantha, Jessyka, and Evan (Jessyka's boyfriend, who is already a huge part of our family)

Secret Pal Gift

This month our secret pal gift exchange had the theme of journals, poems, cards, saying ect...that would help us get through our adoption. Although I sent my secret pal next months' theme, which is Ethiopia, I received this beautiful journal and photo album. For those who really know me, you know that journals are something I use everytime something big is going on in my life, and I have one started already for my adoption. So, I know that this journal will be used in a very special way. I'm thinking I may use it to document my trip to Ethiopia to pick up Kaysen and use the photo album to fill with pics of our trip. Thanks again Secret Pal, I can't wait till next month, although we have just begun this exchange I already look forward to my gift every month.

Cranberry Bliss Bars

As mentioned in a previous post I recently made some "Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars" (Click on name for recipe) and they were yummy. Were they the same tasting, not exactly as I found they were a little harder, but they were still really yummy. Here's a picture of my creation.

Time lines

Just wanted to comment that we are officially half way to our referral since the beginning of this journey. If you notice the time lines above we are 7 mths, 3week, 1 day into the journey and 7 mths, 3weeks, 3 days until our hopeful referral.

Song

Ok, so weird, i'm sitting here trying to find a great Christmas song to attach to the blog for the month of Dec. and I figured I like the beat of this one and it's a great song, i've known it for years. Well, as i'm listening to the whole song I actually realize what it says about Africa and if they even know it's Christmas time at all.... anyways, I hope you enjoy it, i always thought it was a great song, but now I think it's an even better one.

(song: It's Christmas Time)

Let it snow, Let it snow, let it snow!!

I woke up this morning to a great snow day. To bad I don't actually get snow days as I usually work from home anyways. But today was a day that I said "thank god I don't have to go to work today". We got about 20 cm and since the shoveling needed to be done and Chris is at work all day, I got dressed nice and warm and Maddux and I went shoveling. (if you are wondering why only Maddux, it's because he is the only one that stays in the yard, well until he decided to chase after the neighbourhood kids anyways...lol )

This is the only view you get of me. Wow, there was alot of snow.

Maddux doing his part, he was helping by digging for his ball and bringing the snow right back into the driveway for me to shovel. I guess he didn't want me to finish.
I can't find it....

Oh, there it is...

Although we had alot of snow, and I hate shovelling it, I mean, who needs a double driveway anyways right?. I love the way snow makes things look. This is the tree outside my front door and below is my little artificial light up tree that is in my walkway.

Now that i'm cooled off, I'm off to try out my "Starbucks Cranberry Bliss" homemade dessert.

Christmas has hit the Fournier house

This weekend was a great weekend. I got up on Saturday morning, started with a large cup of coffee, then put the Christmas music on the Sirius stereo and began my transformation. 8 hrs later and my house is complete.

On Sunday Am, I went to a course with my sister to make this centre piece, it turned out pretty good actually.

I hope to be able to add another stocking soon.

my little village.

Our tree, didn't realize the tv was on in the back ground but it still looks nice.

I bought these last year, they are just gorgeous,they go in my entry way.

My countdown santa

Have a happy December everyone.