2008

The past year was pretty eventful for all of our family. Emma came into our lives, Mason and Chris were adopted, Kassie started Kindergarten (and her mother cried all day)...just to name a few. Of course we had to make sure that Emma was a Munn and loved Disneyland, and yet another year that Will and I controlled our impulse to move! Yeah!

Emma was born in April. We love her so much! If I may but borrow the words of the great 4 grader, Mason, "I love seeing all her baby stuff around." Then I can look at my messy house and feel a sense of pride that my little girl has created such a masterpiece in our day of play. She grows up so fast that it seems a waste of precious time to clean up the stuff that I know is just going to get strung out tomorrow. One day she learns to roll over and the next she's pulling herself up to things and she is just going all the time. Little Emma likes to put everything in her mouth, usually trash, and she really likes to be anywhere she's not supposed to be. Take the bathroom for instance. She knows that she's not supposed to go in there so she'll watch for someone to go in, crawl over to the door and patiently wait for them to get done with their bathroom "business", and dive through the door as soon as it opens! It really shows how much I love her that I still think that is funny after the thousandth time!

Mason was adopted by Will in May and we had a big party at the park. Mason knows...we all know...that Will was "Dad" anyway, but there is a more permanent feeling to it now.
He took a break and tried his hand at football in fall of 2008. He was the only player on the team that didn't cry when he got the wind knocked out of him and the coaches really loved him for his great attitude. Every week a different coach would tell me how Mason got hit "so hard!" and when they dug to the bottom of the pile to get him out, he had a big grin on his face. Seeing the way Mason enjoyed the game just made it a blast for me! Even when it was 30 degrees outside and raining so hard that our clothes were completely soaked...I still screamed for The Spartans! Now that football season is over, he's back in karate and working hard to make up for lost time.

Kassie is in gymnastics and she is quite the natural. Her teacher is always singing her praises for her abilities. She is way more bendy than I ever was. Perhaps she gets that and her beauty from her father!
Kassie is both princess and tom boy rolled into one. She isn't afraid of anything and she doesn't mind getting dirty if it's worth it, but she needs her hair fixed and her fingernail polish on while she's doing her death defying feats. The bike was not a challenge at all for her. I took the training wheels off and held on to her seat like a good little worry-wart mother and she didn't even need me. She just took off like it was second nature to her and she gets banged up all the time, but those are just her battle scars. Half the time she doesn't even know how she got them. Too busy being Kassie!

The official date of Christopher's adoption is December 1, 2008, but his biological mom actually signed over her rights and I signed papers on the 20th of November. The Judge just didn't sign until the 1st. Wow...that was a nightmare! I've never fought for something so hard in my life and been so afraid of losing. I am honored to be Chris's lawful mom now though and I am thankful to Julie (his biological mom) for entrusting me with such an awesome kid. I could tell that it was VERY difficult for her to give up her parental rights and I know that in the end she knew it was the best thing for Christopher. We did an open adoption, where she is still able to see him, within reason, and he'll have the chance to get to know her as well.
Christopher's greatest love is Taekwondo right now. He is really good at it and has a goal to reach Black Belt by next Christmas. It's amazing to see how high that kid can kick! He has got some long legs! We are very proud of him for giving his all and doing his best! He was invited to be a member of the Black Belt club a few months ago and those invitations are only extended to students that try their hardest to succeed.

We visited Disneyland (yes again) in September, so that Emma could truly appreciate what she had gotten herself into when she chose to come to our family and she must have already known. She loved it! Just like the rest of us do!

A lot of great blessings have come our way. I know there have been a lot of trials too, but I can't even remember what they are now that I have thought about all the good things that have come our way. I hope that 2009 brings as much hope and happiness as 2008!