Stewart Reunion 2012...

So this past weekend, we had the Stewart Family Reunion at our house. I'm really not sure the last time this family had this many family members together at one time, but this had to be a record breaker! It has been in the making for a couple of months I'd say. Carolyn, my mother in law, was one of the ring leaders in getting all the family together and planning the whole thing. The only thing Mike and I did was supply the setting, easy peasy on our part! There were family members who came down from Kentucky, Indiana, and Ohio. Uncle David was to come from Oklahoma, but had to cancel at the last minute because of storm damage. Sure missed you David! 

So here goes.  I'll let the pictures do most of the talking.

This is the place. If they saw the sign and the house, they knew they were at the right place!

Flowers out of my flower garden were cut and put in vases on each table. 

Tables set up for family heirlooms. Loved seeing all these items! This one was my absolute favorite!!

Honestly, how cool is that?!? And the original stockings too! 

They think this was the original box it was received in. Looks pretty darn old to me! ;)

How about this little tidbit of info! Amazing huh?

Believe me, the kids weren't bored either! Had lots for them to get into! They had a blast!

Carolyn (My MIL), Mary, and George (David, the other brother not pictured)

George, Betty, and their daughter Sherry (Sherry's daughter Jazmine not present)

Mary and Howard with their daughters Linda, Debbie, and son Ronnie

Now pictured with their grandchildren.

Now with their great grandchildren. 

Carolyn and Vernon with their son Mike (my hubby)

And with their grandchildren.

Ronnie and Brenda even got a ride in the old Fairlane!

I had one little surprise for my in laws. 2012 will be there 50th wedding anniversary! So I had a cake made and brought it out to commemorate this major accomplishment!

Happy 50th Carolyn and Vernon!! Thanks for showing us what true commitment, values, and marriage really mean! 

Holiday World ...

We took a family trip when Tay got out of school a week ago. We were ALL looking forward to it.  So of course we knew the funnest place to go, Holiday World! That place rocks, free drinks at every corner, food prices aren't outrageous, and the best part, Splashin' Safari!

The drive up there wasn't bad. Check this happy girl out!

And of course, the other backseat passenger. Check out this happy little camper!

And thank you Disney for the movie on the way up there! Was a life saver. Aiden was glued to the movie all the way up there.  Could he be any happier in those pictures!?! Cracks me up!

AND, riding in this little jewel was totally awesome. Mike borrowed it from work. Love those job perks! Very very comfy!

This is where we stayed. It's right down the road from the park. Actually it's the only hotel within about 15 miles of the park. And yes, we were in Santa Claus, Indiana.

This is the lobby inside the lodge, all decorated for Christmas, all year long!

Beside the lodge, there was a small lake. The waiter in the restaurant gave us some rolls and told us we could go feed the fish.

Ummm, very big fish! This boy caught one of the catfish and let Tay touch it. Aiden declined.

Next up, was this awesome place!!

First up, Tay driving!

Aiden and I sat in the back seat. I think he liked it. :)

Oh yeah! He loved it all!

These two rode most rides together. 

We've seen one of their Dive shows before. Pretty neat I think. As we were watching, I noticed something.

Do you see it yet???

Now do you see it?  

Why, the Korean flag of course! ;)

And of course, little "A" needed some run time. And I have to say, he LOVED this area!

This kid has no fear! 

Then he finally passed out!

Hot and tired, the end of day 1, but oh so fun!

Tay had won a bear at one of the games. Aiden took a liking to him back at the lodge. :)

Day 2, Splashin' Safari, what an awesome place! 

Wish I had gotten more pictures of this place. It was absolutely huge! Aiden actually went down the kiddie slides in one section of the water park. He'd walk up the little walkway and came down the little slide all by himself.  He had so much fun. Tay and I rode a few big things. Mike rode a few things himself. There just wasn't enough time to ride them all. 

I have to say, we all had a lot of fun. Can't wait to go back! 

Priceless ...

Yep, I'm still here. It's been a long time since I've posted an actual blog post. Life with the Lemmons' has been non.stop.busy. Don't see much relief or anything slowing down anytime soon either. So, moving onward.  Tay is now out of school for the summer! Yah!  Her last day was May 22. Mike took the 24th and 25th off of work so we could all take a family trip together. (That blog post with lots of pictures, will come later.)  : ) I've got some catching up to do!

I found the DVD of Aiden's baby pictures I'd put upstairs (for some unknown reason) a couple of weeks ago. I never misplace stuff, okay, hardly ever. But occasionally I put things "away" for the time being and deal with them later, when my OCD kicks in and I reorganize. Any who, I'd had the idea I'd like to print all of Aiden's baby pictures that were on the DVD and put them in an album.....all 335 of them.  We'd received the DVD last year at some point, from Holt International.  It was all the pictures the foster family took of Aiden while he was in their care.  They start when Aiden was 3 months old, March 2010 when the foster family first got him and ended on February 28th, 2011, the actual day Mike and I left for Korea to go get him.  So I took the DVD to our local Wal Mart and had all of them printed. I'd also had his newborn pictures we'd received with his file, plus all his check up pictures while we were waiting to go get him, printed. Next, I had all our pictures we took to document our trip to South Korea printed. I'd also bought 3 photo albums to put all these pictures in.  Man that's a lot of pictures! Then the task of getting them in order, Oy!  Luckily, the pictures the foster family took of Aiden had the date imprinted on the pictures.

So here is the beginning of Aiden's life,

all documented, page protected, organized, in order from start to finish. The only thing I don't have is the first 3 months of his life. In his paperwork, it said he spent those months with a foster family in the city he was born in, Daegu. Don't have any other information about those 3 months. But I've got everything from that point on. I've got our adoption baby book, I'm still working on, my Trail to Aiden Lee blog I had printed into a book, which has every detail of our journey to him, and last, all 3 photo albums full of pictures!

So .... 675 pictures printed at Wal Mart = $78.
(3) photo albums to put all the pictures in = $39.
Having the beginning of Aiden's life documented  = PRICELESS!!

You Know You're an adoptive Parent When ...

Loved this and just had to share it!!




You Know You're An Adoptive Parent When . . .

1. The fact that there are 143 million children without a parent to kiss them goodnight has made you lose sleep.

2. You realize DNA has nothing to do with love and family.

3. You can't watch Adoption Stories on TLC without sobbing.

4. The fact that, if 7% of Christians adopted 1 child there would be no orphans in the world, is convicting to you.

5. You spend free time surfing blogs about families who have experienced the blessing of adoption.

6. It drives you crazy when people ask you about adopted child's "real" parents.

7. You have ever been "pregnant" with your adoptive child longer than it takes an elephant to give birth. (2 years!)

8. You had no idea how you would afford to adopt but stepped out in faith anyway, knowing where God calls you He will provide.

9. You have ever taken an airplane ride half-way around the world with a child you just met.

10. You believe God's heart is for adoption.

11. You realize that welcoming a child into your heart and family is one of the most important legacies you could ever leave on this earth.

12. You know what the word "Dossier" means, and you can actually pronounce it!

13. You have welcomed a social worker into the most private parts of your life.

14. You shudder when people say your child is so lucky that you adopted them, knowing full well you are the blessed one to have him or her in your life.

-Author unknown