For time and all eternity

Here are a few shots from the day at the temple.... What an experience! Words are really just too hard to find to express the feelings and emotions that were felt that day. After years of waiting for a little one to join our family.. then having to wait the months to finally know that he is truly ours FOREVER it was amazing. It was also so great to have all of our friends and family with us to show their love and support. We have had such amazing people with us through this journey and are so thankful for that.

Families are forever and we now have one of our own.

A Forever Family (Part 2)

Mike trying out the kayak

Blake and daddy...Blake was such a good sport with his life jacket.

Too bad Preston is too little to drive...he sure looks ready to go?!

Friday morning..early morning...whoever was in town decided to take advantage of the lake and go out for some jet skiing. We also had borrowed some kayaks from our neighbors so there were lots of activities to partake of while at the lake. It was a lot of fun and we all enjoyed ourselves. I think we could have spent a lot more time there but with two little ones, other things on the agenda that day, and all of us trying not to get sunburnt before family pictures we had to only spend a few hours out in the HOT Vegas sun! But we made the most of the time out at the lake for sure.

Grandpa better hold on with Nate in the driver's seat....

Grandma and Grandpa Petersen...Grandpa just returning from a trip around the lake!

Grandma Holly and Preston with his flag...very important

The Urbancic family...Holly, Mike B. Amy, Nate, Dan and Mike A

Blake's first trip to the lake

A Forever Family (Part 1)

So this is going to be a long post (it was a looong weekend)! The family and festivities all started on Wednesday when Gma and Gpa Urbancic arrived. It was nice for them to arrive early to spend some one-on-one time with Blake before everyone else arrived. With that being said...the rest of the family began to arrive on Thursday, and Friday. We had a house full! But what a great occasion. After 2.5 years of waiting... 8 months of being "watched", finalization at court, the time had finally arrived that we were going to be sealed in the temple as a forever family and then Dan was going to be able to give Blake a father's blessing!!!

Grandma Holly and Blake checking each other out....

Uncle Nate and Aunt Katie trying to steal Blake's toy.... HELP!!!

A big family dinner at Applebee's with Dan, Katie, Nate, Holly, Mike (the photographer), Grandma P, Grandma P, Aranne and Blake...right before we went to pick up Mike from the airport

A little bit of the mess that four little ones can make in just a short amount of time....(oldest to youngest...Ellie, Benjamin, Preston and Blake)

America the Beautiful

Not in any particular order obviously...

We had another great 4th of July... this year we decided to head to South Dakota and visit Mt. Rushmore! Where we get these ideas I don't know but they are good ones and tons of fun.

We packed up, jumped on a plane, joined our friends Brian and Cindy and the rest is history. We had a blast exploring South Dakota and the things it had to offer. We were able to do quite a lot in the few days we were there and we had beautiful weather to enjoy as well (not like to 115 we left in Vegas!)

We explored the Rushmore Caves, saw Mt. Rushmore itself, took a train ride, saw some dinosaur remains, went to Wall Drug of course...and we watched a great firework show... with a bunch of other things thrown in between.

Another state, monument, national park, all checked off our top-do list!!!