He's 1!

Our little guy turned one on Friday and we celebrated with a small party at Grandma's house. I really didn't want a big party since we did just return home and everyone has been giving us gifts like crazy! Not to mention the fact that we had two showers, one of which was just two weeks ago. So this wasn't necessarily a "party party" - it was more of a "come and meet our baby" for our family that lives on the other side of the state.

JJ had a blast and was very excited to meet his cousins from Cleveland. Everyone was so happy to see him and we were just glad that they could all come and visit for a few hours. He didn't waste any time diving into his b-day cake, as you can see in the pictures. By the end of the afternoon he was ready for a long nap and Jerret and I were too!

Saturday night I took my nephew AJ to the GX International show and we watched skateboarders, break dancers, rappers, and listened as a few of the performers give testimony on how they became followers of Christ. The stories they told were pretty powerful, and we listened as one guy told how his mother had him at 15, had two other kids by the age of 18 (all with different fathers) and said that he watched his mother get beat by her boyfriend day after day. They ended up running away and living in shelters and even their car when there was no place left to go. Through all this he learned that there was a place to turn, and that led him to believe in something bigger than us all. It was so awesome to watch as people in the audience - kids in fact - were so moved by these stories that they proudly stood up and said they wanted to know more.

One of the girls (she was a dancer) told her story of being abandoned as a baby on the stairway of the police station. I don't remember exactly what country she was from, but she was born in Asia and was adopted by a Norwegian couple who took her home with them to Norway. Hearing her speak and listening to her story made me think of JJ and how lucky we are to have found him. So many people that we meet say what a lucky boy he is to have been adopted by us, but we are the lucky ones.

Tomorrow is JJ's first day with the sitter :( She is a wonderful lady so I know there is nothing to worry about, but I am just sad that I can't be home with him. Jerret's cousin who came to visit was telling us how she is now able to work from home 4 days a week and only goes in on the 5th day. I am so jealous! She still has to take her son to daycare, as it is just too hard to work with a little one at your feet, but man - how nice would it be to not have to do hair and makeup every morning?!?