Trip to Florida

We escaped the grey of home to head to the sunshine state! In the adoption world, it isn't normal to change scenery so quickly for your new child. However, we are NOT a normal family. Not normal in many ways. :) As it turned out, It couldn't have been better. Just what we needed! Especially Moses. The trip gave us more family time and Moses' little personality is starting to shine through. He's quite a character, this little boy God has blessed us with.

The beauty of blues........ blue sky, blue ocean ...............ahhhhhhh

Alas, vacation did nothing to end the need for the dreaded timeout!! A fun time playing in the potty was had by both boys but ended in a torturous trip to the playpen. NO FUN there.

The pool was just as wonderful as the ocean and no one complained for lack of sand.

BUT ............... The beach is MY personal favorite. The kids stay busy for hours on end and are happy doing so. What more could a Mommy ask for? My only complaint is the sandy mess afterwards. Oh and maybe the packing everything before hand. Other than that, I love it!

We figure this was most likely Moses' first trip to the beach too. He needed no promptings in what to do.

I know this probably looks like a nice picture of Moses and Judah playing together. Looks are often deceiving. Judah is actually 'taking' Moses sand and toys here, resulting in tears...........

So that's it, Peeps. The updates are over and your caught up on the Dominguez Journey! :)

Max's Birthday

Happy Birthday, Max! I can hardly believe 9 years have gone by so quickly. Thank you for being a wonderful big brother and thoughtful son who loves the Lord and desires to honor God. What a blessing you are to your Father and I. We thank God He has blessed us with YOU!!

May God bless you with wisdom and understanding, Son. May His face shine upon you. May He be gracious unto you. May He give you His peace and bless you with His presence.

Easter and More Common Ground

When parenting an adopted child, it is a joy to watch them experience the 'new' and 'firsts'. Something as simple a homemade chocolate chip cookie from Mommy. I know it's special with bio children too. I've experienced that joy. This is different. There is always in the back of my mind what could have been for my boys. All they would have missed. All that wasn't theirs to experience or try. So tasting a warm cookie from the oven for the first time, that's special stuff here right now.



Candy is still a happy place for Moses and Judah. Easter candy from a couple egg hunts produced happy faces and looks of longing. Yes, Moses, I've studied the beauty of chocolate before eating it, too! Yum.....

Then the teasing began. Judah gobbled his up fast. Moses is slow and deliberate about saving his portion until everyone else is done. Then, he shows it off. No, it doesn't end well. Ever.

The big kids loved looking for eggs at Uncle Richie's house.

Moses, Bella and Judah enjoying the treats found in the eggs, thanks to Grandma Vicki.

Tada!!! The boys have found MORE things to do together. If you have toddler boys, you can probably guess what's coming.......

THROWING ROCKS!!!! Thankfully, it was in the pond, not at each other. Another plus!

Still more to come...........

Wrestling and Common Ground

I know, an update has been a long time coming. We're almost into summer! Things have been slow and lazy here and I was just bored with the whole thought of blogging. ha! Seriously, time is precious and deciding just how to spend it has been a balance.

Here is what we've been doing:

Max finished up his wrestling for the year. (Yes, this was just after returning home. I told you I was behind in posting.....) He did great and made Daddy proud on the mats.

Max with his game face on. I wish I could post the picture of the other child's face. Since he's not mine and I don't know who he is I won't. Let's just say he looks scared.

A tough match.....

But he ended it with a pin........ I know it's not cool for a tough guy, but Mommy's proud of you, Max!

Our first common ground between Moses and Judah was..........*drum roll, please* CANDY! A huge surprise, right? I have found that a dumdum sucker cures the afternoon grumpies and allows a few minutes of peace during the 'Mommy's busy making dinner, waiting for Daddy to get home, hungry but can't eat yet, late afternoon- blues'. I don't necessarily like the boys to have sugar, (who needs a 2year old or 4 year old on a sugar buzz?) but when it produces smiles instead of melt-downs, well, it's hardly a question of "Should I?" and more of a "When should I?". :)

Boys can turn anything into a 'war'. Here is a picture of their 'sucker war'.

Our next common ground........*another drum roll, please* A FORT. It seems the boys have made the back corner behind the chair their personal play space. They stashed food away for an emergency and everything! I can hardly complain about their choice. Healthy! Healthy! And books to read! These boys are winning my heart.

On to the next update.......