The First Meet...love at first sight



Walking down the hospital hall to the room...we don't look excited do we?!

hugging sweet Alyssa :)

Alyssa introducing us to sweet little Mason

LOVE

Can't stop looking at him...

So precious...

not sure we have ever cried and smiled this much... it was surreal

 I'm not sure words can describe this moment for us... we stayed at the hospital for a couple of hours to hold Mason and to be with Alyssa and her family. Did I not mention that when we walked in to her room, there were at least 10 of her family members in there! They all wanted to be there when we saw him :) It was so great to share that with all of them. It was an incredible feeling there in the hospital room and I'm not sure there was a dry eye. She has the greatest family...we consider them part of our family now so I guess WE have the greatest family! It was so neat to hear everyone express their love and admiration for Alyssa. Everyone was just so proud of her.

Alyssa, Brayden and Mason

Alyssa's love for Mason is...unconditional. It was love at first sight for her too. I remember her telling us that when she saw us holding Mason, she knew it was right. She knew we were his Mom & Dad. She loved him that much that she wanted him to have a Mom & Dad. Mason is sooo lucky to have Alyssa in his life...WE'RE so lucky to have Alyssa in our lives. Mason is just so loved. He's so sweet and has the sweetest spirit about him. We all know how special he is!

So the next day, we were able to go down to the hospital again for a couple of hours, which we loved every second. We wanted to make sure Lyss had her time with him. She had a lot of visitors that day and didn't actually get a lot of time with just him so we didn't want to stay too long. It was hard to only get to see him for a couple of hours at a time...but I had to remind myself that he was eventually coming home with us and we then would see him all the time and that Alyssa really needed this time with him. How great is that...that we get to tell Mason how much his birthmom loves him...so much!

1day old Mason & Dad

Saturday morning came with giddy feelings because Mason was going to come back to the hotel with us that night...then Alyssa called that morning and told us that she was going to keep Mason until Monday. She made it clear that she still hadn't changed her mind about placing him with us but that she needed more time with him. She didn't want him to feel like she was in a hurry to place him with us...she wanted him to know that she kept him as long as she could. My heart was broken. A little fear came over me wondering if spending that much time alone with Mason would change her mind. I just remember sobbing. Chris and I just knelt down in prayer and prayed that everything would go according to the Lord's plan. And I had Chris give me a blessing and it was so powerful. He blessed me that I would be filled with faith & hope instead of fear. Our whole family was praying for Lyss...that she would be given strength during this hard time. Chris and I went over to Alyssa's home around 4pm and at that point Alyssa told us that she had changed her mind and that Mason needed to start bonding with us so she decided that he should go home with us that night. We knew how hard it was for her to come to that decision...we knew how badly she wished the answer was to keep him a little longer. And we were just so grateful for her and for her closeness to the Spirit :) 


That was Saturday, June 25th. That night...leaving the Jamison's home around 11:30...was the hardest thing. Knowing how hard it was for Alyssa and her whole family. We knew that we would be back probably the next day to be with them but it was still hard. I can't imagine their feelings...I know Lyss never wants another girl to go through what she had to go through. One of the hardest things of her life, for sure. Which makes us love and appreciate her even more!

We didn't leave WA until Friday, July 1st and we were with the Jamison's every day until then. It was SO neat to be able to spend so much time with them. We truly love them. They are some of the neatest people we know and we feel blessed to have them be a part of our lives forever. Here are some pictures of that week. We were at their house a lot and just had so many great conversations and laughed a lot! They know how to laugh! And their home is filled with love and the Spirit... we hope to always have a home like that for sweet Mason Jamison Horne to grow up in!

we both couldn't get enough of his cuteness! Lyss did such a good job :)

all clean after a bath!

 showing us his strong neck!

So comfy on Grandma Trisha

Grandpa Jeff

Capri LOVED Mason :) She was so sweet with him!

Makayla :)

Chelsey :)

This was our last night together...they came back to the Hotel with us to see where we had been staying

From God's Arms, To Her Arms, To Ours...

Just writing this title makes me tear up... I think I've been procrastinating this post for a couple of reasons. Reason #1- my fear of not being able to express all of our feelings to the "T". Reason #2- just sat down to write, and It's time to feed little Mason again :) But mostly it's reason #1...this has been such a neat experience and there's just so much to say...

Wednesday June 22nd 10:30pm...

Alyssa's mom began trying to get a hold of us around 8pm to let us know that we might want to start heading up ... Chris hurried and packed the truck while I hurried home from the massage I was giving. And by the time I got home, we were ready to go and off we went. I can't even tell you how exciting it all was! And weird!! We couldn't believe that the time was finally here. It felt surreal that we were about to be a Mom & Dad...

We were texting Alyssa and her mom through out the entire 22hr car ride... it was fun to hear constant updates on her progress. None of us knew what to expect but that whole night, Chris and I just kept saying that her contractions would probably slow down and that we would get there with plenty of time to spare...BUT that wasn't the case! Her contractions only got closer and stronger throughout the night. By the next morning (Thursday), she thought it would be best to go see her doctor to get checked. Chris and I made it to Provo by this point. We made a quick stop to see Chris' sister Annie and then we took off to Bountiful to stop and see my parents, who were actually on their trek home from their mission... we hadn't seen them in 18months! So, even though we were in a race to hopefully be at the hospital when our baby was born, we just had to stop and visit with them :) It was so neat to be able to see them...and it was fun to send this picture to all my siblings! You better believe that they were all SUPER jealous.

We actually used their hotel room to shower and change. We visited for a bit but had to get on the road again! At this point, I had about 2hrs of sleep and Chris had 0...I guess our adrenaline was just too high for sleep! Alyssa checked in to the hospital around 11am, Thursday morning, and we still had more than 9hrs of driving ahead of us... then a little while later we received this picture and couldn't hold back the tears...

Look how beautiful she is :) Alyssa was our brave angel ... we knew her strength was coming from our loving Heavenly Father! We cried because we were that much closer to meeting our son. We cried because we were so extremely grateful for Alyssa and her strength and we cried because we knew that this wasn't going to be easy for her. From that point on...the tears came to us freely! There was absolutely no way of holding them back! We knew that it was going to be any moment now... The doctor came in to Alyssa's room a handful of times to break her water and she would just say "nope! not yet!" She wanted so badly for us to be there and delayed as long as she could :) How sweet is that?! She's truly amazing. She continues to amaze us on a daily basis...she's just so special :)

It was such a peaceful drive, Chris and I were still a little over 2 hours away and driving through the prettiest mountain passes in Montana and Idaho. And then we received the news that he was here! Our son was here...

And at that point, we just cried some more ... our hearts were so full! And we knew none of this could be possible with out our sweet angel, Alyssa. Our love for her is indescribable. And then we really cried! We just sat in silence with huge grins across our faces and tears that couldn't stop! We'll never forget that moment...even though we weren't there in that room to experience the sweet tender spirit that Mason brought, we felt a peace of heaven in our car :) I think any time we drive through a beautiful canyon, we'll think about that moment! So there we were...we had 2 hours to think about everything and we just couldn't wait for that first look at our son and that embrace with Alyssa...

Weekend with Hayden & Marley!

These two are so fun to hang out with...and they say the funniest things. For some reason, some of the things they say and do remind me of me when I was little...which would make sense! Because their mom and I are 12 years apart and JaNae use to take me and my sisters EVERYWHERE with her! Like everywhere :) And we just loved it! I always wanted to be just like JaNae when I grew up! She's really fun and outgoing...traits I haven't quite mastered! ;) I really do have SO many fond childhood memories with her. When I was little, I had this long thick hair and JaNae made sure it always looked 100% cute...too bad I'm not good in that arena because poor Marley and Hayden...their hair looks like orphan children hair when with me! I need to work on that! But we had fun...I hope I can always make time to hang out with my cute nieces and nephews...they're all so great and I think there's so much good that comes from being around children. They can teach us so much! They're just so innocent and pure :) anyway, I can't wait for baby Mason to come so he can get to know all his cousins and learn from them! Wow, he's going to be soooooooo loved!! :)

33 weeks!!!

YUP! That's right....I'm 33 weeks along!!!! Those ultrasound pictures on the fridge are of our little BOY!! This past weekend, Chris & I made a trip to go visit our baby boy & our beautiful birth mother :) We have been so anxious for this trip but also comforted in knowing the visit would go well.  And when we finally met face to face Friday afternoon...it couldn't have felt better :) It was amazing how natural everything was...like this was always a part of Heavenly Father's plan for us and the 4 of us(Lyss, baby boy, Chris & I) had all agreed upon it!

Day 1 ~ Falls, Dinner, Play

 Right after we met, we walked over to this gondola ride that took us over these amazing falls! We just talked and laughed a lot...thanks to Chris :) He pretty much thinks he's the comedian! haha, he can always make me laugh & I love that about him. Isn't Lyss so pretty!?...it was hard not to look at her and think 'wow, our baby is right there!' but also feelings of unconditional love for her...for giving us this amazing, priceless and eternal gift. It was all rushing through my head and I really couldn't believe it all was happening AND that it all felt so right.

After the gondola ride, we walked over to a nearby restaurant and enjoyed dinner.... this is her little brother Brayden. Of course Chris hit it off with Brayden right from the beginning...little kids absolutely LOVE Chris! That's probably why they've kept him in nursery for so long...he keeps them happy :)
After dinner we headed over to a high school that was putting on a 'Narnia' play. It was very good! I wish high schools down here put more effort in to producing cool plays. But maybe they do and I just don't know about it?! The costumes and back drops were amazing...I can't believe I didn't get a picture of that. When we were walking out of the play, little 9yr old Capri looks at me and says, "So, how was your day?", me: "It was just perfect! How was yours?!", Capri: "It was great! We were really looking forward to meeting you guys!" haha! It was just the cutest thing ever!! After the play, we mingled in the parking lot for quite a while and talked and laughed and got to know each other a little better. That was all Day 1! It was so wonderful!! Chris and I felt so happy and at peace! I don't think I stopped smiling until we went to bed.This whole adoption thing can be scary...it is a major roller coaster!! Luckily for us, it's been a wonderful experience. We feel so blessed that many prayers were answered and Lyss & our Baby Boy found us!! It couldn't feel more right :)

Day 2 ~ Temple, Coeur d'Alene, UltraSound

Chris and I got up and dressed to visit the temple with Lyss' parents. We walked in and.....Chris' recommend was EXPIRED!! Oh he was sooooo embarrassed!! I felt so bad for him :( but hey! now it's a great story to tell! haha. It ended up working out fine because Trish & I still went in and it was nice to have really good one on one time with her. Meanwhile, Chris & Jeff headed to the lake to get the boat ready and they had a great time together. So after the temple, we all met in Coeur d'Alene and had lunch at a restaurant right on the lake...it was absolutely breathtaking. It was so neat that they planned that for us! We felt so lucky :) We then all piled on to the boat and enjoyed a nice ride....until it got pretty choppy and completely soaked the passengers up front....aka ME, LYSS & CAPRI :) haha, it was great! Freezing! but great! We were able to really enjoy each others company and ask questions we've all been wanting to ask in person. It was so neat! After the lake, we enjoyed the famous HUGE sundaes back at the restaurant again. I got the huckleberry sundae...which Coeur d'Alene is apparently known for their huckleberries. It was really good! 

Chris, me & Lyss

Capri & I

Chris & Lyss(I told her to make a face & this is what I got:))

Capri & Makayla

Lyss & Brayden

Jeff, Brayden & Trisha

Brayden fell asleep like this...guess he was pretty tired! :)

It was such a beautiful lake...we felt so lucky we were able to experience it! What a treat!!

After the lake, Lyss took us to see her Doctor... he was sooo nice to see us at 7:30pm on a Saturday night! And Lyss was so sweet to set that up :) We were able to see baby boy moving all around! And we saw his leg and his little footsies and his guy parts and his eye socket! haha, he was covering his face with his hands! I guess he wants his face to be a surprise for us :) We just couldn't believe that we were fortunate enough to have that experience! It was so neat and we felt so grateful! And it just made everything feel SO real!! Her doctor was incredible and made it a very special, spiritual experience. I'm just so excited for this lil guy to come I can hardly contain myself! We then headed over to her home and had a little BBQ that her mom prepared for us...so nice! Day 2 ended at 10:30 and we were all so exhausted! haha

Day 3 ~ Church & Goodbyes

 We went to church with the whole family and during sacrament meeting I finally was able to feel baby boy move! It was so surreal! Afterwards, we had to say our goodbyes and it was actually hard! We didn't feel like leaving yet. We had come to feel so comfortable around the whole family and there was still so much to talk about! Chris & I feel like our family just got a whole lot bigger! And we feel so blessed for that. Lyss, her parents and all her siblings are just amazing people and we just love & appreciate them and their kindness! And we CAN NOT wait for our next visit up there!!! July 1stish.... hopefully sooner!! :)

Jenny & Twins made their grand debut!

 We miss Jenny like CRAZY at RME but we are sure happy for her & her new adventures! These two lil handsome babes are 8 weeks...don't you just want to squeeze them?! We were so happy that Jenny came to show them off! This is a picture of Jenny, Kim with Stetson, Me with Reddek, and Tawna...the front office staff :)

Jenny said this was typical...Stetson always sleeping and Reddek just all wide eyed & bushy tailed :)

We love you Jenny & boys!! Come visit more often!

Just the Same

Sometimes-
God sends rain
Straight from the sky
To nourish the young flower
and it grows.

Sometimes-
God sends rain from the sky
To the mountaintops,
Then over hills and through valleys
Until it reaches the flower
and it grows, just the same.

Sometimes-
God sends a child
Straight from His realm
Into a mother's arms
and love grows.

Sometimes-
God sends a child
From heaven to another's arms,
Then over hills and through valleys
Until he reaches the arms of his mother
and love grows, just the same.

By Diana Lynn Lacey(April Ensign)

I gotta say...I have some wonderful friends who are always thinking of me and sending me quotes and such...And they usually come at the PERFECT time...when I really need it. I'm grateful for people who are in tune with the spirit. It's a wonderful thing and it blesses my life. It makes me want to be a better person. A better wife, sister, daughter, aunt & Friend!
The other week was a tough week...not exactly sure why. Definitely a combination of things...work was particularly sucky, and I was feeling stressed over something stupid that I can't even remember  what. But for some reason all of this, plus some natural feelings that come along with not yet being blessed with children, was making me feel less of a person. Less of a Mother & Wife & person in general. 
So anyway, Chris & I went to the Temple...such a serene place. And at two different times...random ladies came up to me and told me that they thought I was 'just so pretty'...there's no other explanation for this other then they were in tune with the spirit & simply knew I needed a boost that day. I needed to be reminded that my Heavenly Father loves me so much! That I am beautiful in His eyes! When I say beautiful...I'm talking about the kind of beauty Mother's hold...it's a glow...they're special...they've been entrusted with God's children...it's such a beautiful thing to be a Mother. A Mother sacrifices so much for her children...her day is spent in service to others...such a beautiful thing that creates a glow. That builds character you can't get any other way. I think some forget that.
So when those girls in the temple told me I was 'pretty', I knew they weren't talking about the Barbie Pretty...they were talking about the Mother Pretty...the glow...the kind of pretty you can see is inside...

Sorry so many of my posts are becoming dramatic... I can't help myself :)

Chris & I can't wait....Chris always reminds me how worth it, this wait will be...and when that moment comes, all of this waiting will seem like nothing! I just know it!!

Easter can't come soon enough!

The Oreos are slowly disappearing...(I saw that chocolate bunny & thought it'd be so cute...nope! just creepy!!)


As are the jelly beans!


I love Easter... Chris and I can't wait to play the Easter Bunny again for all of our favorite lil kiddos!