Reid and Stefani Adopt

The week before Easter was a crazy and special week for my family.  My Grandma, Kristy Carroll, passed away on April 10th, 2014.  She was 93.  We knew she wasn't doing well and was going to pass soon, and so we decided we'd do what it takes to go to Utah for her funeral.  It was quite the trip.  This was the first time we have flown with Esther, and the last time we would fly with Isaac as a lap child.  Even though we had chosen seats together on each flight, we discovered that you are not allowed to have 2 lap children right next to each other, so we had to sit across the aisle from each other.  While there in Blanding, which is my home town, Esther got to meet most of my family members for the first time.  My parents, who are currently serving a mission in California, got to come home for just over a week to attend the funeral and help sort out Grandma's house.  This was their first time to meet Esther in person.  I cried a lot at the ...

We are a happy family. Christmas 2013. Lately, I've been teaching Isaac that he is an Archibald, and I (Stefani) am an Archibald, and Daddy is an Archibald, and Esther is an Archibald.  I sing " We are a Happy Family " to him regularly, trying to help him understand the concept of family.  Right now he answers "no" every time you ask him a question, even if he really does want the treat you're offering him.  Esther is starting to smile and coo, and is generally pretty cute.  I can't wait for warm weather to truly arrive to get these kids outside.  I am particularly looking forward to a day at the zoo, and the Archibald Family Reunion.  The snow is still in piles, but is finally starting to melt.  I also really look forward to the day when we can finalize Esther's adoption.  That will be happening sometime in June or July.  I can't wait!  It will be nice to sing "We are a Happy Family" and know that all of us are, by law, Archibalds....

Just a note:  If any of you adoptive families are finding that you can't claim a baby or child yet because you don't have their social security number yet, you can file to get an adoption taxpayer identification number.  The form is called W-7A, "Application for Taxpayer Identification Number for Pending U.S. Adoptions."  You need to do it with plenty of time before April 15, because it may take 4 to 8 weeks to get a number.  With our first child, we had a social security number in time to file because he was born in June.  However, since Esther was born in November, we have not had time to get through the system yet.  Hope this helps any adoptive families looking to claim their children on their taxes.

Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas, and we got a new baby! We were contacted November 4th that twin girls were coming our way.  Super exciting.  Then we met with the birthmother a week later, and a week after that she went to the hospital because her water broke early.  Then one of the heartbeats of our little girls stopped a week after that.  The babies were born Monday, November 25th.  We had a memorial service that weekend, and a burial close to home.  Then we waited for our other little girl to come home and be released from the NICU.  During this time, we had family for Thanksgiving, who graciously got a baby girl room ready, attended a funeral for her twin sister, and made us 8 freezer meals for later in one night!  They were amazing.  We had an outpouring of love from family, friends, and church members.  Our bishop was gracious in helping us find funeral services for Rachel, and his wife helped with the baby shower for Esther. ...

Halloween time in the Archibald household brings our traditional Halloween dinner:  Monster mash, bug juice, and mini pumpkin rolls.  Isaac had a ball this year going trick-or-treating.  He walked in his little monster outfit to over 20 houses in our neighborhood, and when he was done, he handed out candy to the other trick-or-treaters.

I think this video speaks for itself...

Preston  & Clare are my neighbors.  I had the opportunity to babysit them today.  Preston smartly chose the blue cup and Clare chose the green cup.  Preston smartly informed me today that his cup's name was Simon, and Clare's cup was named Theodore.  If only Isaac had a red cup, he could have been Alvin, but instead, he's a mix of Simon and Theodore.  We could possibly dub him Siodore, maybe.