Our little ROCK STAR!

I can rarely get a picture with Nate standing still since he is always on the go so I was absolutely thrilled when I got lucky with this super cute picture! He is such a ROCK STAR! And, we are VERY EXCITED to announce that he is now OUR OFFICIAL ROCK STAR! We received word from the State on March 24 that we were the ones chosen to adopt Nate and we are so honored to be Nate's parents!!! We feel very blessed that we have been given this opportunity to raise Nate and be his placement this past year and now we are super thrilled to know that we will be his Forever Family! We were nervous yesterday as we anxiously awaited the news but once it came, we went out for a big celebration! Dan and Marsha came up and we all went out to eat and showered Nate with lots of love, food, balloons, and a ton of stuff that Grandma just had to buy him!!! (Thanks Papa and Grandma! He is still playing with his dinosaurs!) It was funny too because it was as if Maverick knew something was going on because he was extra hyper when I brought Nate home from daycare! Maverick was bouncing off the walls and was super excited to see his buddy!

So, what happens now? Well, basically it is just a matter of filling out a lot more paperwork but hopefully we will get into court in the next 3-6 months to finalize everything...and when we do...know that we will be having a HUGE PARTY!

Thanks to everyone for all of your unconditional love, support, and prayers in this situation. Jeremy and I could not have dreamed that when we got married we would become instant foster parents to Nate and we certainly did not have any control over the outcome of this situation either. This whole circumstance has been out of our hands, but thankfully God's hands have been ALL over it. We have always wanted the best for Nate and are grateful for this amazing gift and responsibility. We want to thank each and every one of our friends and family who have helped us in so many ways and who have encouraged us with their words and prayers. There is a reason why the old saying goes, "It takes a village to raise a child," and let me just say that we are RICHLY blessed with our amazing village. :)

On a funny note, I was telling Nate yesterday that we were going out to celebrate because he was going to be able to live with Mommy and Daddy forever! Then Jeremy piped in and said, "Well, not forever...only 'til your 18 son!" haha! Let's just hope these next 15 1/2 years don't go by TOO fast...