Why private?

I am still working on sending out the emails so that people who wish to can still read our blog after we make it private this week. I have been asked by a few people why we are making the blog private. There are several reasons, but the main reason is because of Brady and his age. He and his friends are now getting on the internet more and more. Right now he loves to have me put things up on the blog, but I know that as soon as one of his friends comes across something they find funny and uses that to tease him he will change his mind. That isn’t to say that that sort of thing isn’t going to happen anyway, but growing up is hard enough. If I can still share our story, but do it in a way that may protect each of our children in some fashion, I owe it to them to do that.

Some people have emailed me and said that they would like to keep reading, but that they don’t want to be nosey or intrude if those are our wishes. I can’t stress enough how much we enjoy sharing our story with others. I can’t necessarily say I think it is the most exciting story now that the initial drama of the adoption is over, but it is still a joy to share. We are happy to let anyone that is interested continue reading. Please don’t hesitate to email (jnhoverstreet@yahoo.com) or leave a comment and we’ll add you to the list. We just want to have a bit more control over who can see some of the more intimate details of our lives.

Blake will begin school a week from Tuesday. He will get to ride the school bus across town to Brady and Madison’s school at the end of each day, and he is so excited about that. Every bus he sees he says, “Bus, Me! Bus, Me! Beep Beep!”

Here are a few pictures that were taken awhile back that I don't think I have shared with you yet.

This really is typical behavior for these three!


I think this picture of Blake is soooo cute.


Here's Miss Madison!

Going Private

I wanted to let you know that on September 1st we will be making this blog private. Please leave a comment with your email address or email me at jnhoverstreet@yahoo.com if you wish to keep reading about our journey. Family, friends, co-workers, adoptive parents, potential adoptive parents, etc … we love sharing our story with you so please don’t hesitate to send us a message if you are interested. We just feel that now it is time to control who can see our blog and who cannot.

Friday was the first day back to school for Brady and Madison. Below you will see our traditional back to school photos in front of the fireplace. Blake will not start until after Labor Day so he gets to hang out with Nana and Grandma for a couple more weeks. When he saw Brady and Madison with their backpacks he thought he needed to find his Elmo backpack and join in on the fun. The bottom pictures of Blake are compliments of Brady. Brady insisted on putting an outfit together for Blake to wear on his first day back to school. I thought he meant Blake’s first day back, but I guess he meant on his first day back :o)

Back to school sentiments

I find myself a little emotional this evening. Today we welcomed back the teaching staff to the district and tomorrow Justin and I will go to back to school night to ‘meet’ Brady and Madison’s teacher. They will start school on Friday. Also today I went to the open house for the preschool center Blake is going to go to -we think (more on that another time). Anyway I have a million and one things I need to get done tonight and was very intent on getting all three children in bed early so I could get started. As I sat on the edge of Madison’s bed the business of the day began to leave me, and I remember how important our time together was. We had a great talk and then on to Brady’s room. He is just getting to be so big. He is mature in his conversations and understanding of so many life issues. I then went back into Blake’s room. He was content as could be, but I scooped him up and rocked him to sleep tonight. It was more for my satisfaction and comfort than for him. Which brings me to my little ‘soapbox’ I need to get on if you will…..

Teachers: Our family has been praying for you. We pray that you begin the year renewed and full of love for teaching and for children. I personally remember the excitement of a new group of students entering the room and pray that that excitement continues as the days wear on. Please know that you will now be spending more time with our children than we will get to. You are shaping their lives and have so much influence. We are trusting you with our most prized possessions and do so willingly and expecting that you will care for them the best you can. You are such a gift in our children’s lives hope that you will remember that on the most challenging of days. Please be patient with the parents that seem overbearing and unwilling to turn their children over to you completely.

Parents: We need to be supportive and understanding of our children’s teachers. I often see or hear complaints about various teachers (more on blogs and such not so much from our district specifically). There are very very few teachers that ever mean any ill will toward a child. They may do things a bit differently than we would like. They may not fully understand our children’s idiosyncrasies and meet all of their needs everyday, but I can guarantee you that they are giving the best they can for that particular day. For those parents that do get a teacher in the small percentile that really are negatively impacting your child, know that you are your child’s best advocate. You owe it to him/her to help the teacher see the negative effect their behavior is having on your child. But please be patient with the teachers and know that they have 20+ little ones they are trying to teach and care for – a monumental task to say the least!

Ohhh I could go on and on, but the bottom line is that we need to support one another and always do what is best for children. We hope and pray that this school year is blessed with positive relationships and a rich learning experiences around every corner.

Good morning!

We just got done putting the kids to bed and little Blake says to me, "Night Night, see ya in the good morning." He is so darn cute. Brady and Madison get such a kick out of his little phrases.

A few pictures to share. You can see how little Blake is compared to his big brother and sister.

Back to work.

I anticipate my blogging days are going to be few and far between now. I started back to work full time this week. August for me at work is like tax season for accountants – completely insane. Nothing like jumping back in with both feet. Thursday marked the 3 month mark for Blake being home. He changes so much each day. It is hard not to be with him and witness all of the changes first hand. The grandma’s are watching Brady, Madison, and Blake for the next couple of weeks until school starts. It is a blessing to have this arrangement for them. I wish I had time to give more specific updates, but this is the best I can do for now. I will share a few pictures for your enjoyment.

Here is Brady practicing his spying techniques. I think he looks like a cat burglar coming down the laundry shoot!



Here is Blake in his 'beep beep'.


There are some times as a parent that you have to choose to enjoy the moment and the photo opportunities your children present to you. Last week I had told Madison to go in and take a shower. She asked very sweetly, "Mom do you mind if I just take a bath in you and dad's bathroom." I told that would be fine. About 15 minutes pass and I asked Brady to holler in at Madison and have her get out of the tub. Another 5 minutes passed and I realize that I haven't heard a peep from my three little angels which tends to be a bad sign. I go into our bathroom to find the tub filled with bubbles and the three of them making beards and wigs with the bubbles. Initially I was a bit annoyed because now they would have to not only still have to take a shower to rinse out all of the soap, I knew I would be the one cleaning up the tub full of bubbles. But they were laughing and having so much fun, I decided to grab the camera and mark this down as one of those times they will look back on and laugh.