Morton Mommy: Our Life in Fast Forward

Because I have neglected this blog for so many months, here is an update of our life in fast forward:

On Nov. 7, the adoption was finalized!

On Nov. 23rd we were sealed to Parker as a family for time and all eternity!

Parker is happy, healthy, and still the cutest kid EVER! He is already 10 months old. He is crawling, standing, and trying so hard to walk. He is eating grown up food and just discovered the joys of a sippy cup. He loves to laugh and enjoys anything with music. His favorite songs are "Parker, I Love You" written by Mom and Dad :-), "I'm Trying to Be Like Jesus", and "Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam". He is constantly on the go and curious. He will put ANYTHING in his mouth. He has over 9 teeth and they are still coming in like crazy. He had his top four teeth and bottom four teeth by the time he was six months! His two favorite things to play with are people and animals. He makes friends with every kid he meets. He loves to talk although the only audible words so far are "Momma" and "Dadda". I can honestly say those are the sweetest words and it melts my heart every time he says it. Matt and I talk literally everyday about how blessed we are to have him in our family!

After 3 months of adoption leave, I returned back to work part-time. After a month or two and a lot of prayer, I decided to quit to be home with Parker full-time. Shortly after that, I was offered a position at BYU-I to teach an online course in Family Studies. This has allowed me to stay home with Parker while still bringing home an income. I am so grateful for this unique opportunity and blessing.

On Dec. 21, 2013, Matt graduated from SDSMT with his Masters in Geology! We are so proud of him!!!! He has been actively job hunting and is currently interviewing with several companies. It has taught us patience, but we know the right job is just around the corner! In the meantime, we have temporarily relocated to Boise to spend some time with our family while we enjoy this "limbo" phase of our lives. It meant we had to leave so many incredible friends and family in Rapid City who we miss dearly, but we look forward to our upcoming adventures.

We have had the chance to go on so many adventures as a family these last few months. Our travels have brought us to Idaho, Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska, and South Dakota. Although we got to see many sites, if Parker could talk I am sure he would tell you his favorite part has been playing with all of his aunts, uncles, and cousins! Here are some pictures from a few of our adventures over the holidays: