The weather has been beautiful lately and kind of hot. The girls have been enjoying a little water fun to cool off in all the heat.
The girls got matching swimming suits for their birthdays! They also got a water table to share.
Jennifer also got a slip and slide, as you can see she was a bit nervous at first but after she got going she thought it was a blast! So did Bill, Jennifer insisted that daddy needed to take a turn or two also. I also took a turn and let me tell you it was much more fun when I was a kid!
Mikayla enjoyed some water play too, in her water table.
Jennifer and dad posing at the end of the slip and slide.
Jennifer could not quite get the run and slide thing down so she would just lay down and Bill would give her a push down the slide.
I think sometimes Mikayla wonders what the camera is all about and why I am always pointing it at her. She is clearly not impressed.
The pool has not made it out of the basement yet so I'm sure there will be many more water activities to come!
Jennifer also got a slip and slide, as you can see she was a bit nervous at first but after she got going she thought it was a blast! So did Bill, Jennifer insisted that daddy needed to take a turn or two also. I also took a turn and let me tell you it was much more fun when I was a kid! Mikayla enjoyed some water play too, in her water table.Jennifer and dad posing at the end of the slip and slide.
Jennifer could not quite get the run and slide thing down so she would just lay down and Bill would give her a push down the slide. 
I think sometimes Mikayla wonders what the camera is all about and why I am always pointing it at her. She is clearly not impressed.The pool has not made it out of the basement yet so I'm sure there will be many more water activities to come!
Mikayla got lots of presents and of course as most one-year-olds she would rather eat the wrapping paper, the tissue paper and in this picture the hanger from a new outfit.
Daddy is trying to get the paper out of her mouth but Mikayla thought it was oh so tasty.
A nice clean baby before she digs into her cake.
Mikayla is a great eater but lately as we have been trying to get her to put puffs or cereal in her mouth on her own she just won't do it. It is actually kind of funny, she puts her hands up and refuses to take any food. So we weren't really sure what she would do with a birthday cake. Again she has a look that sort says what is all the fuss about.
She thought maybe she would try just a little.
She kind of got into, with the help of Jennifer. I don't think she really ate any cake though, just sort of smeared frosting all over her face! 
After a busy and exciting day our sweet little girl was just exhausted. She could not keep her eyes open, the poor little girl.
What a great day for our family! Mikayla officially became ours and we got to celebrate her first birthday (a little early). Thanks for helping us celebrate family, it was a great day!
As I lay in bed this morning thinking about the day ahead, I had tears welling up in my eyes. I was thinking about the significance of this day. Today is May 26th, in case you didn't know. This day has significant meaning, yes because today is the day that Mikayla becomes officially ours. However it is very significant for more than just that. You see, five years ago yesterday, on May 25th, we sat in a doctor's with our first born daughter and were told that she had Down syndrome. The next day, May 26th, we sat in our living room processing this news. We talked about the love we had for our daughter, no matter what the world would tell us about her, we loved her with every ounce of our being. We began to discuss how many babies with Down syndrome don't ever get to see the light of day because they are aborted when their mothers are told the news. We then began to discuss that someday we would adopt a baby that needed a home, we would adopt a baby that needed to be loved for exactly who they were, to be loved exactly as God had created them. You see today brings tears to my tears because it was five years today that the word adoption was spoken in our home. It was five years ago today that we decided we would someday adopt. The day that we returned home last April without our son, there was a storm. It was a quick storm, with some rain and lots of thunder and lighting, there was even a little hail. After the storm had passed we were looking out our sliding glass door and we saw a rainbow. I have never seen a rainbow as bright as that rainbow, you could literally see every single color so clearly, it was amazing. As we looked at that rainbow a sweet friend sent me a text message. She said that God had put that rainbow in the sky just for us, to remind us that He fulfills his promises. The sweet thing about that story too, is that the next day when I was talking with some other friends and I mentioned that amazing rainbow they looked at me and said they did not see a rainbow after the storm. God placed that rainbow in the sky to remind us that he keeps his promises to his children. Five years ago today God placed a baby on our hearts that would need a home and today He fulfilled his promise to us.
Even though Jennifer is not graduating to kindergarten next year, the teachers allowed Jennifer to do preschool graduation since she won't be at Central next year. She did a great job singing with her friends, it was a very cute program.
The kids got to walk across a stage and receive their certificates and necklace. Jennifer is actually posing for this picture after the fact because Bill was not able to get one when it was happening, but this is exactly what she did!
The kids did not wear caps and gowns for the program but afterwards they could wear them to take a picture. Pretty cute I think! (the hat was just a little big for her)
After the big program we went out for ice cream to celebrate the big day.
Tonight as we were getting ready for bed Bill told Jennifer that she didn't have school tomorrow. So Jennifer looked at me and told me she didn't have school. We then asked her what we would do all day tomorrow, her response, "play!". She seems to not mind right now that she won't have school but I know in a week or so she will be asking to go back! She really does love it! 
