Having Fun In Virginia!



Megan and Olive!

 Dear Olive,

Megan has called and informed me on how lovely the visit is going! She can't believe how big you've grown over the last 2 months! She told me the two of you got to spend some alone time in the hammock outside in the 70 degree weather! I'm stuck back here in St, Louis with 30 degree weather! Burrrrr! Apparently you are the "BEST" baby ever! You only cry when your hungry and wet. Your Birth mommy was the very same way. Her father and I were blessed with Megan being such an easy baby. Your mommy Lori said it took you a while to get your days and nights figured out but Megan said you only wake up twice a night now! ;-) I hear you two went shopping all day and are enjoying a nice relaxing dinner. By the picture above it looks as though you three "shopped until YOU dropped" haha! I love all the pics that I am getting from your birth mommy! Here are some more:



All smiles when you found out you were going shopping! haha!

 Know That We ALL Love you baby girl!

Olive You Forever!
Grandma Holly

Megan's First Visit to Virgina!

Dear Olive,
I am so excited for your birth mommy! She is visiting you right now for the weekend! She promises to send me pictures so that I can blog about her experience. The neatest thing happened to her on the way. On the airplane, she was sitting right next to a lady that is a birthmom herself! She had given up a son 13 years ago and a daughter 7 years ago in open adoptions! They shared their stories and tears! There really is a God who knows what we need at the perfect time to help us get through times like these. Here are some pictures that I have been sent. I promise to update them as your birth mommy sends them my way. You are growing so fast!

Olive You Forever,
Grandma Holly

P.S. Megan promises me she is giving you lot's of hugs and kisses from me! ;-)

Look like your birth mommy here!

Doing what your birth mommy does best! SLEEP! haha!

Morning Smiles!

Good Morning!

Dear Olive,
I woke up this morning getting a text from your mommy with this picture! My day has started off perfect now! You are so beautiful. I do believe you look more like your birth daddy Ben in this picture! ;-) You look so happy and I can tell you are going to have the sweetest personality.

Had the nicest dinner with your birth mother and birth grandma Debbie last night. We talked about many things but of course we talked about loving and missing you. We all are so happy you are so blessed! We have a lot to be thankful for here.

Speaking of, You birth mommy Megan started for first real job! You would be so proud of her. She is working at a place called State Beauty Supplies. She has a lot to learn but she is loving working around all those beauty supplies! haha! She plans to work so hard to learn everything so that when she starts college in the Fall she'll be able to focus on school and work. She wants to make you proud one day just as she is so proud of you already. Your birth mommy and daddy are so working and educationally driven and have become mature young adults with a full life ahead of them! They will BOTH make you proud one day.

Open adoption was one of the hardest decisions they will ever have to make but it is one that gives all three of you a chance to live life and become something meaningful and important. We only get one chance to grow up and I continue to pray for all three of you that you have a blessed and fulfilling (not to mention healthy and happy) life! I grew up happy but my mother was young and had to raise me and your great aunt Kelly alone. We didn't have much but we were loved! My prayer for the three of you is that you have a chance at life minus the struggles and hardships of a broken home.

Olive, sweetheart, know that we love you and can't wait to see you again soon!

Olive You Forever,
Grandma Holly



Great Aunt Kelly's creation



Today Is A Blessed Day!

Dear Olive,
Today is a blessing do you know why? Because your mommy and daddy sent us the most recent pictures of you! You are so adorable and getting so big! WE LOVE YOU!! A BIG thanks to your Mommy and Daddy!

You and Momma Lori

Learning new things all the time!

Seriously! Can you be any more cuter!

So Happy!

Olive You Forever!
Grandma Holly

Meeting The Ladds

Dear Olive,

This morning started off sad for your birthmommy and I because we were thinking about how much we miss you! I hope you know how much you're loved by us! Not only our family but friends too! Today I want to introduce to you The Ladds. They are very good friends of ours and have been so supportive of the open adoption.

Allison, John and Jackie Ladd

Allison and your birthmom went to school together since 2nd grade! John and Jackie are both dear friends to me. Jackie and I have spent many hours and some tears talking about you. For Christmas they wanted to send you a very special gift to remind you of where you were born, St. Louis, Missouri!! Now anyone from St. Louis knows it's important to be a Cardinals fan! In fact WE WON the World Series this year, the year YOU were born!! Yeah!! It was a very exciting time around here for us! Your birthmom is coming at the end of the month and plans to bring these gifts to you and your big brother!

Jackie picked out the cutest socks and headband to go with this!

This is for Big Bro!

You will always be our little cardinal fan! ;-)

The Ladds are so excited to meet you next time you come to visit. In fact we hope to take you and your family to YOUR FIRST Cardinal game! ;-) We will have so much fun! Olive, know that we love you and miss you AND are so happy you were blessed with a wonder family!

Olive You Forever!
Grandma Holly

Introducing Birth Great Grandmother!

Mary Engelbreit is on of my favorite artists!

Dear Olive,
Every mother is a daughter! Today I am going to introduce your Birth Great grandmother Karen! She is my mom and your Birthmother Megan's grandmother! She is one of the most caring and creative (but she wouldn't ever agree) person I've ever known! She has taught me how to quilt, sew, knit and any other creative ideas I have! Your Birthmother is starting to catch on to the craft thing! Maybe one day you will too! ;-) Your mommy is quiet creative and has such a love for creative things that I have a feeling you will too some day! On your Birthmother's side of the family we are strong and independent women! Sometimes this is a blessing and others not so much. Strong minded and strong willed comes to mind ;-) We will see as you develop how that goes! Here is a picture of us:

Me, birth aunt Kelly and birth Great grandmother Karen!

My relationship with my mother has always been close. The joke in the family is "I'm her favorite!" ha ha. (Sorry Kelly!).  I give my mother ALL CREDIT of who I am today and why I have such a close relationship with your Birthmother! Knowing who we are makes me think of the future as we watch you grow up and becoming an amazing women. You are so very blessed to have two great mommies to help make who you will become! Your mommy Lori is a beautiful women that I know will instill in you great morals and values!

Your home will always be in your mommy's eyes!

You get TWO best friends!

The hat with the flower Great Grandma made for you!

As I was saying before, your birth great grandmother Karen has passed on the gift of making things to us. Recently when we visited back home in Springfield, Missouri for Christmas, I noticed something she put on her tag to you with your gift to be sent. Here's a picture:

If you look real close you can see the creative way she wrote your name! Using a big O with the word live in the middle! I was so excited to see this because it represented your birth name but ALSO the word live means to have life! You are such an important life in ALL of our lives! Without you, our families would not be complete! Know that YOU ARE LOVED by so many family members and friends! Even though I can't hold you in my arms everyday I DO carry you in my heart baby!

Olive You Forever,
Grandma Holly

Snow Day!

Dear Olive,

We are snowed in today! Ok well maybe "iced" in is a better way of putting it. In Missouri we always say you can't trust the weather because it changes every 5 minutes! So true! Just yesterday we had temperatures in the 50's and we still felt like we were having Spring weather. I was planning to meet with your Grandma Debbie (Ben's mom) for lunch today but we both decided to wait until next week since the roads are bad. We both talk about how much we miss and love you!

Grandma Debbie (Grandpa Brad in the background)

I think they are planning to come visit you in Feb!

Your Great Aunt Kelly is making you a stuffed Elephant! She is so creative and thinks of you often. Here are some pics of the elephant she's making you!

cutting out pattern

Our Motto! ;-)

Her unique add

Almost finished!

Great Aunt Kelly and Me!

Allomother has a lot to do with your story your birth mommy gave you when she picked the theme of Elephants! The word has meaning so when your old enough look up the word! ;-)

Today I have thought a lot about you and wonder how big your getting. I never worry if your ok because I know that you have a good mommy, daddy and big brother to take care of you! I hope and pray you know how loved you are by so many people!

Olive You Forever (sweetheart),
Grandma Holly

PS
Your birth mommy got her first car! Now if I can just get her to get a job......;-) Love you!

Not much but it will get her to work and back!