Brothers and Baths

So Excited!

My Baugh Boys

Sharing

Not So sure

Starting to like it!

Christian's Birth Dad makes that same face!

Other Randomness

Seth reading a story to Spot the new kitty. FD and Seth needed a baby to take care of.

Helping water the trees.

Love a sleeping Baby!

Christian Pictures and story

When Sam and I were dating and starting to talk about our family we both said we always had the feeling that we weren't going to have kids the conventional way. We've joked that we were going to acquire kids anyway we could. We are blessed to have given birth to Seth, fostering FD and now adopting Christian.
Sam and I have also had a special bond with people with disabilities, mine because that's just what I've always done and loved it and Sam because his younger sister is developmentally delayed. She is happily married to a wonderful man who is also delayed. They are happy in a condo they own, both have jobs and are active in special Olympics. His sister found out she was pregnant and after trying to care for another baby she and her husband decided that maybe keeping the baby wasn't the best for the baby. They loved him so much that he needed to be with us. They are an amazing couple! She was the most graceful woman in labor and I'm not even sure if graceful is the right word, no screaming, no moaning, no crying, no drugs just a red face when a contraction hit.

She was amazing and at 6:36 am Christian was born. The next day at 11:15am the signed the adoption papers and he became ours. We are going to have a very open adoption, and are just happy that they are able to share this amazing gift of a little boy with us!

Our Family is Growing Again!

Christian Charles Baugh
Born August 27th at 6:36 am
7 lbs 13 oz
21 inches long

It's not the best picture but we are in St. George picking him up and so I took it with my phone and haven't uploaded the good ones off my camera. I still think he looks wonderful though.

More Fun!

I'm finally catching up on digital scrapbooking my summer pictures.

Summer Fun!

One of our many trips to the swimming pool this summer!

One of the Ninety and Nine

Ninety and Nine
Writen By Michael McLean

I am one of the Ninety nine I am not perfect but basically I am doing fine
I have not lost my way and have not gone astray I am just one of 99
I’m hearing the heart of the fold I’m not mindless but I try to do as I told
I’m not tempted to run and become the lost one
I’m just hearing the heart of the fold

So why is my Sheppard coming this way towards me, he’s holding his arms out and calling my name and yes he is calling my name
How can this be I’m just on of the 99 I have stumbled and fallen but I have kept in line I’m not one he would seek I’m not that unique.

I’m just one of the 99

So why is my Sheppard treating me like his lost lamb and he is searching to find me
And he is holding me now and yes, he is holding me now and teaching me who I am
So why I am I feeling like I am the only one here it’s like I am his favorite
And he takes me aside and he sweetly confides these remarkable words in my ear

He says one of the 99
Have you any idea how brightly you shine
You are safe in this fold and it is time you were told
That I know where you’ve been so I’ll know where you’ll be
Because all of your life you have been following me
You are more than just one of the sands of the sea
Or just more than one of the ninety and nine NO

You are mine you are mine, yes you are mine, all mine

Bye Bye DI

August 21st will be Sam's last day at DI as the Retail Processing Manager. (Pause wait for a gasp.)

We've loved DI and Sam is sad to leave. I loved having personal shoppers keep an eye out for what I needed, lunch at the park with Sam, discount on already cheap stuff, not having to wear a suit every day, but all good things much come to an end.

He was offered a position at LDS Employment as an Associate manager. It's a fantastic opportunity for him with tons of options for advancement, wonderful benefits like only working a few Saturdays instead of all of them, more schooling paid for, networking opportunities, more locations to choose from when we relocate etc. And we can still go and have lunch with him we will just have to find a new park.

We are so excited! This will be great for him and we feel so blessed at a time that others are losing their jobs out of no fault of their own, Sam is able to have options.

spiraling out of your control

Have you ever had those moments that you feel like your life is spiraling out of your control and no matter how hard you try you just can’t catch up, feeling so alone, totally overwhelmed and you know at any second you are going to have a break down, but you’re trying so hard to hide it, hoping no one notices but secretly begging that someone does so you can get some help?

I was there. But, I am so grateful that I had a friend who did notice and didn’t ask if I needed help just decided she was going to help me and did.

There’s a line in a song that I love it’s “After I’ve done my best I know you’ll do the rest because you hear me.” It’s always interesting to me how Heavenly father answers your prayers and makes up my short comings by sending someone to my rescue. That rescue has been many people lately, one that helped me sew a ton of stuff, one that gave me tons of fabulous shoes just because she is great, a neighbor who installed our central air for a tremendous discount, others that call just to check on me. I guess that's one thing lately that I've been lacking. I forgot to focus on all my many blessings and not what I am failing at.

CENTRAL PARK WARD REUNION
The Central Park Ward is having a reunion! The Ward is 85 years old this year. So we are all trying to spread the word so everyone that wants to can come and join us. Here are the details:August 21, 20097:00 PM At the Church See you there!

I can't wait to see everyone!!!

Where oh where...

It's been crazy!!!

We've made 4 trips to the zoo, 15 trips to the swimming pool, a trip to Hurricane, 2 trips to Camp K one to drop off and one to pick up FD, lost count of everything else.
Switched bedrooms with Seth
Painted Seth's room
Bought new bedroom furniture for Sam and I
Sam is so close to finishing the hallway
We are getting ready for our big change coming soon.
More gardening
Canned Apricots, Jam, and fruit leather
Froze peas,
Enjoyed our tons of beautiful flowers,
Starting to enjoy our tomatoes, peppers, zucchinis, squash, tomitallos, raspberries
Soon we will enjoy our nectarines, plums, corn, grapes and much later pumpkins.

So that's what's up with us.

Seth thought Aunt Leah's Dog Buffy had the coolest crate.

Grandma Baugh playing with Aiden

Cousin Cameron isn't he so cute?
Lunch with the cousins, Alice, Jr., Ethan, Rylee, Naomi, Hope and Seth

Seth after a yummy lunch with the cousins

Swimming with Grandma Hall.

Pictures, Pictures and more Pictures

Playing in the fountains at the all abilities park
Always loves the slides

We said good bye to our beloved Subaru! I loved this car. With the all wheel drive I never did get it to slide in the snow or ice. We had to trade it in for something bigger.

Our new ride. Story of how we ended up with a mini Van is in the post below. I really do like it though.

Seth and Ethan sitting nicely snacking on Crackers. They are nine days apart, but like 10 lbs too.

Seth beating up on Ethan for no reason, he's just a big bully. But we're working on it.

Sam feeding the Giraffes.

Seth on the Conservation Carousel

Feeding the Monkey's

Orange Lion Tamerins

My zookeeper for a day!

We named the Kitty Moshoe.

The kitty was hiding behind our shoe basket and Seth kept saying more shoe, more shoe. Which sounded a lot like Moshoe, so that's how he got his name.

Cowboy at heart.

Moved to a big boy bed. Vroom, Vroom.

Bathtime Bubbles.

Chillin' with the puppies

I have a ton more pictures (like over 500 from Sam's zoo day), but I figure this is good for now to give a general idea. I have pictures of FD too, I promise she was there, its just been really sensitive lately and I have to be really careful.

Sam's semester ended this week so he is off for a whole month!!! I'm so excited. He and I both start back the end of August. So I have until then to get all or our house projects done. Wish us luck!

Loose Change

I will load the pictures for this post later, they are on the desktop and I am on the laptop.

What's been up with us?
Sam-
School, School and More school. The semester ends tonight so I will get Sam back for a whole month. So he can finish all the random projects he started around the house last break. Sam has also been working a lot because his boss had a heart attack in Hawaii last week. He's doing really great and everything. For Sam's birthday Seth and FD got him a gift certificate to be a zookeeper for the day. Tuesday he got to go to the zoo and play with the monkeys. He got to go inside the enclosures, feed multiple types of monkeys and feed the giraffes. He had so much fun.

Seth-
is talking up a storm and is climbing all over. He moved into his big boy race car bed and out of his crib, he is working on a 10 step program to kick his Binky habit.
We drove up to Layton and saw my cousin that was here visiting, she has a little boy that is 9 days younger than Seth but twice as big. Seth was a big bully but had fun. We've been busy switching Seth's bedroom around and playing outside. He loves swimming, slides and playing with dirt and rocks. He's a boy through and through.
We also went to the zoo the day Sam was there being a zookeeper. Seth loved running around and making the animal noises. The Cheetah didn't appreciate Seth's "cat call" though, and began to charge the fence. The next day Seth and I went to Liberty park with some friends from Salt Lake and played at the all abilities park in the fountains and on the playgrounds. He loved it.

FD started a summer program she attends Monday- Friday and is loving it. They go swimming twice a week, and to tons of other fun activities. She was able to attend girls camp for the whole week thanks to some great leaders! She got hair extensions in and is loving it. Black, pink, blonde, and purple. I figured it's summer and she can have crazy hair and it will have to redone before school anyway so why not.

Me-
Same old Same old. Still running around keeping the house going. We bought a minivan... yep a minivan. I swore I would never ever drive a minivan, but our subaru was just getting to small. I researched tons of SUV's. Sam and I went the to the dealership I told the salesman up front I didn't want a minivan, but that I needed a 3rd row seat for hauling kids, some of which are teenagers and some are in carseats. I wanted room to haul all the stuff that accompanied kids, to sit higher off the ground than a car and some other things. The salesman Aaron was great and let me drive all the cars I thought I wanted (Expeditions, Pilots...) and then let me decide that it didn't meet my needs. So I finally relented and he showed me a minivan. Easy access to 3rd row seat, built in car seats, deep storage in back, storage in the floor, rear climate control, higher off the ground, great gas mileage, great price... it was everything I asked for except it was a minivan. So I gave in and got a minivan and love it. So if you need a car in the near future go to Car town in Lehi, Aaron is great!

So to all the people making speculations, yes we rearranged Seth's room, and we got a minivan for more room but no I am no pregnant, but yes some changes are coming.

More people should be special

This is a beautiful song by Collin Raye, written about his granddaughter with neurological disabilities. There aren't many songs out there about children with disabilities and their impact on people's lives, and this one seemed to be just so perfect. I love this song.

My other favorite song about a child with a disability is "God's Will" by Marina McBride.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJnoBbueEc0
I've spent the majority of my life "serving" individuals with disabilities. Serving is in quotes because I've gained so much more from them than they could ever gain from me.
I gained Sam, because a client set us up, and he's my favorite.
I can't tell you how many times I've heard "it takes a special person to do what you are doing." I just don't get it. How could you not? They are amazing individuals that have wonderful talents and attributes to share if people just take the time to realize it.
One of my favorite attributes of most people with disabilities is they don't care what clothes I'm wearing or how my hair is done. They care that I'm there, they accept me for what I am and I accept them. Sometimes I wished more people in the world were "special".

Suckers for a stray...

Kitten found in the parking lot of DI. Seth and Sam fell in Love...

Sam got Nina cat 2 years ago for Father's day, and now this one for this year's father's day.

He's really mellow, he let me put him in the tub and give him a bath, Seth snuggle him, and so far gets along with the rest of the zoo at our house.

It's a boy, any ideas for names?

Snowball is not an option.