Frogs, Snails, and Dino-Burgers

Our 3 year old has been really cracking us up lately with the things he says and does. Here are a few gems:

*Aidan was trying to play underfoot in our bathroom before church one morning, so we asked him to please take his toys to another room. He walked out and said, "Good-BYE, Your Highness!" Then shut the door.

*Aidan loves to look at his big dinosaur book in the car. We've learned that the ones with teeth ate meat, and the ones with no teeth ate plants. I pointed to a particularly toothy dinosaur and asked Aidan what it ate.
He shouted, "A BURGER!"

*Aidan loves to play in the backyard with his big dog, Griffin, or "Giff-bo" as he calls him. Sometimes their games carry on until after the sun goes down and we can only keeps tabs on them by Aidan's light-up shoes. One evening, our motion-sensitive light clicked on, and standing there in the spotlight, Aidan raised his arms and yelled, "LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!!!..."

We about passed out at that ^^^one.

*Last but not least-New house rule: No snails allowed in the refrigerator.

Here are his latest faves:

Favorite book: Stellaluna and anything I Spy
Favorite game: Zingo
Favorite color: green
Favorite treat: Sonic Slush, a GREEN one.
Favorite animal: Dinosaur
Favorite song: Jesus, You're My Lighthouse
Favorite Bible Story: Goliath (Go-WY-uff), and Daniel in the Lions' (Wyons') Den tied
Favorite Letters: O and S
Favorite thing to wear: his new light-up tennis shoes (Size 12, aaahhh!!!)
Favorite thing to debate: Bedtime and wearing a jacket, tied
Favorite foods: Chicken Nuggets and Corndogs (has no idea Mommy buys the veggie ones which are actually very yummy!)
Favorite instrument: DRUMS. :}

Rockin' Around the Clock

"One, two, three o'clock, four o' clock rock..."(four AM, that is)

This is the song that one of Aidan's new cars plays. I've heard it so much that it plays in my head even when the car isn't making a sound. It would be a little maddening if it wasn't the perfect theme song for our life right now. Aidan has RSV, and we've been up around the clock giving breathing treatments, and bringing fever down. He had it about the same time last year, and I thought we'd dodge it this year, but no such luck! At least we were home before he got sick.

We did have a wonderful Christmas with our family and friends. When your birthday is Dec. 22nd, birthday and Christmas seem to get blurred in a whirlwind together, but we did our best to make each one separate and special. Below are some pictures of the fun things we did. Enjoy! Also, enjoy the music, if I can get it to work. Just pause, switch songs or mute your speakers if it annoys!

Aidan's Airplane Birthday Party with his little friends

Birthday dinner with family

North Pole Flyer train ride in Austin

Christmas morning we all went to Mimi's in our Jammies for breakfast (we had to take Aidan's new train house, of course.) Then we headed to Helotes to see Nana & Dad-Dad.

Sea World Trip with cousins, Mason and Marin




Behind the scenes with Shamu! Thanks, Leslie!

*Funny Sidenote~ As we headed to the Budweiser Clydesdale house, I told Aidan that we were going to see the big horses that lived in the stable. He then asked, "Where Baby Jesus lives?"

We also had Christmas Eve with the Karr side, and Christmas with my extended family on Sunday. Whew!!! I can't believe all this happened in little more than a week! It's good to be home-even if we are sick! Just pray that none of our little cousins gets sick too!

Wishing you and yours good health and a very happy 2009!

~Brooke, Aaron, and Aidan

This Time of Year

We love the Christmas season around here! Not only are we anticipating the celebration of our Savior's birth, but also Aidan's birthday on the 22nd. It's a busy time, but one we are enjoying even more with an almost 3-year-old running through the room in his red slippers nabbing candy canes off the tree when he thinks we aren't looking. We love rocking by our fireplace and reading all our Christmas books as we explain over and over how the love of God came down for the world in a tiny baby. Even though the three wisemen in our play Nativity set sometimes arrive by firetruck or airplane, Aidan's grasping the concept as much as a kid his age can!



I look at my son, and I can't imagine my life without him, and I'm so thankful to God for creating him just for our family. I'm also thankful for his wonderful birthmom, Mary, who chose us. (Yes, Aidan's birthmom is Mary too!) As he grows and understands what it means to be adopted, we share his story with him again and again and show him the pictures of how he came to us. Aidan now can answer who's tummy he grew in: "Mary's tummy!". He knows that God told her he was supposed to be our baby, and Mary listened to God, and that's how we became a family.



I remember how it felt on Dec. 14, 2005 boarding the plane to California, excited and nervous, unable to really grasp that I would have a baby, my baby, with me the next time I saw Texas. After serious illness, infertility, and a previous failed adoption, it seemed so surreal and UNreal that this was finally happening for us. But our Savior knows the desires of our hearts! He used all those things to bring us our son, and He constantly reminded us of His love and provision throughout. Our child could have been born in any state, but he was born in California where we have family. I was so honored to witness his birth, cut the cord, and feed him his first bottle. Mary invited me to share her room, and at night Aidan slept between the two people on earth who love him the most- one enough to choose life and then let him go. We were released from the hospital with Aidan on Christmas Eve and drove to my aunt's house where my whole tearful but joyful family was waiting on the driveway. We were granted permission to travel home to Texas on New Year's Eve where friends greeted us in the airport, and Aaron's whole family was waiting on our driveway!



The Lord brought this long-awaited child to our home so closely tied to the time another long-awaited Child came for the whole world. You see, two miracles happen for us this time of year, and for this we give God all the Glory and praise.



"For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given..." Isaiah 9:6



Christmas Morning 2005

Aidan Michael, God answered our prayers with you!

Mary, I am humbled by you. We love you.

Family and friends,

"Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord." 2 Peter 1:2

Our Little Fireman...

Aidan delighted in dressing as a fireman for our church's fall festival and Halloween! He even had his own "fire puppy"! We had a fun time with family and friends at church, and then with more friends and neighbors on a moonlit Halloween hayride as he trick-or-treated for the first time. We think Aidan may have taken his fire fighter status a little too seriously because the following Wednesday, he proceeded to set off the fire alarm in the children's building at church. Aaron went to pick him up while I taught children's choir, stepped in to the classroom to get his bag, and Aidan ran into the hall and pulled that nice shiny red lever (probably had been planning this awhile). Both father and son were mortified, and the fire department was called off in time. I don't think he'll do it again...very soon.

Number 1 Son

Daddy: Aidan, next month you're going to be three years old!

Aidan: No Daddy, I'm NUMBER ONE!!!

Pumpkins and Polar Bears

Aidan has attached himself to Cassie, the large white teddy bear that was mine as a child, a fact that warms my heart and makes me smile. He carries her and his other "animals" all over the house, and they all sleep with him too. The other morning, I was getting ready in my bathroom with Aidan and all his furry buddies, as he systematically balanced each one on the edge of the tub. He then exclaimed, "Mommy! Look at Cassie Bear!" I looked over at my old bear performing her gravity-defying feat across the rim of my tub, and said, "Wow! She's talented!" To which he informed me, "No, Mommy. She's a polar bear."

Below are some pics of our trip to the pumpkin patch and of Aidan being Aidan. Enjoy!

Beach Trip

*As I was buckling Aidan into the car this morning, he told me: Mommy, you're a beautiful Bunny Rabbit!"

...and I knew it was going to be a good day! :)

In September, our family was finally able to go to the beach! Our trip was up in the air due first to Hurricane Dolly, and then Ike. We were able to skirt around Ike and have a great time! A cold front blew in while we were there and it made for some overcast, but eventually gorgeous cool days-a first for our beach trips that are usually hotter than blazes! Aidan had a blast with Nana, Dad-Dad, Mommy, Daddy, Uncle Trey, Uncle Justin, and his BFF Emmie.

His Favorites were:

1. Riding the BIG tube rides at Schlitterbahn S. Padre (This kid is FEARLESS.)

2. Playing hide and seek in the condo with Uncle Trey and Uncle Justin.

3. Eating fried fish at "Dirty Al's" (SO yummy!)

4. Racing his trucks and playing with Nana in the sand.

5. Hunting for shells (there were LOTS b/c of the weather)

6. Jumping waves (and wiping out) in the surf.

7. Eating shrimp and corn on the cob at our shrimp boil.

8. Visiting the sea turtle rescue center and feeding lettuce to "Merry Christmas" the Green Sea Turtle.

We always love our family beach trip, and look forward to continuing the tradition for years to come!