School starts back tomorrow so we are soaking in the final moments with a yummy dinner at a Japanese Steak House! Isaac loves seeing his food cooked right in front of him and of course loves the chef’s big, impressive hat! Fried rice for Isaac and delicious beef teriyaki for me and Joel. We made some great memories on this trip and hope to add another little one to our crew to make more memories. Read more »
Of all the trips, vacations and memories we try to do each year, Spring Break might be our favorite! January-March always feels like a sprint, a long, cold sprint. So we make sure to build in a break mid-march to refresh, spend time in warm weather and sunshine and focus on making memories as a family. This year we are Read more »
So many favorite memories to share with you guys from this trip to Disney! Highlights include seeing all kinds of animals (Isaac loves the Giraffes!) the beautiful Florida weather, and of course some quality time with Joel after Isaac goes to bed. So nice to step away from our work and spend time together as a family. More Read more »
Happy Good Friday! In remembrance of today and the sacrifices that Christ made on the cross for us, we are doing fun Easter activities like dyeing eggs for our big, Easter egg hunt on Sunday! From our family to yours we hope you are looking forward to a wonderful weekend with loved ones. Read more »
Sharing this throwback picture from Easter several years ago. Isaac always enjoys dressing up for church on Sundays and especially when he gets to wear a bow tie! He thinks they are so funny and sophisticated. I think they are adorable and love seeing his face light up when we get dressed for church. Read more »
Easter is a very special holiday in our home. Not only do we enjoy a yummy Easter lunch and a fun Easter Egg hunt, but also we take time to reflect and express our gratitude for the larger meaning of the holiday. This year as we are hopeful for another child joining our family we are reminded of how how we are adopted into Read more »
Spring is here! It has felt like a really long, cold winter and we are so excited that the flowers are starting to bloom and that spring is here! Every year in DC we try to get outside as much as possible during spring. This year, we are excited to take our family on lots of outdoor adventures to enjoy the beautiful weather Read more »
Every year Isaac’s preschool celebrates St. Joseph’s Day with Donuts for Dads. Today, we honor Joel the best dad who, everyday I am so grateful to have for our child. This year looked a bit different but drive thru from Duck Donuts, but both Isaac and Joel said they were just as tasty! Read more »
Happy St. Patrick’s Day! We are all decked out in our green gear. Isaac’s shirt says Mr. Lucky, in true holiday spirit. But we are the lucky ones to have had the opportunity to adopt him and create our family. We look forward to an opportunity to grow our family again through adoption. Read more »
I love this photo of Isaac and I wearing green and visiting the White House! Thought I’d share this great Irish Blessing today. “May Your blessings outnumber the shamrocks that grow. Any may trouble avoid you wherever you go.” -Irish Blessing Read more »
We have recently launched our own website! I hope you will consider visiting SaraandJoelAdopt.com to check it out and learn more. Our prayer for this website is that it would showcase our love for one another and our heart for adoption. Read more »
Even though we live in Virginia now, we always make time to go into DC to visit our favorite monuments and museums (Air and Space Museum for Joel and National Gallery of Art for Sara). It is truly a gift to live so close to our national Smithsonian’s and monuments, there is always something new to discover and learn. I Read more »
Sundays are our favorite days. Even before becoming parents it was a day for rest, food and family. Now as parents, it’s a day for us to unplug and spend a lot of down time together. We cherish these days! Read more »
We rescued Scruffy in June of 2010 and our family has never been the same! A 10-year-old, red, Irish terrier and coonhound mix, Scruffy is quite a character. He’s fiercely loyal, smart, and very opinionated, but he’s also very sweet. Scruffy loves to chase squirrels, go for hikes, and eat human food. He can’t wait Read more »
Now that it’s March, we are officially looking forward to Spring! Every year, the cherry blossoms bloom all around town. They are stunning. This view from the tidal basin is my favorite place to go to capture a beautiful moment among the cherry blossoms. Read more »
Date night might look a big different these days (masks, outdoor seating) but I always love spending time with my best friend. Enjoying a meal together is one of our favorite ways to slow down and connect, we cherish the time together! Read more »
Today marks the 7th day of Lent and although it’s been a hard week with no sweets, we are humbled to have a small, daily reminder of the sacrifice Christ made for us. We are in a hard season of waiting. Yesterday, one of the adoption professionals partnering with us reminded me \that even in this season, the Lord Read more »
We have a fun box in our mudroom that Isaac calls his “prize box.” Every time he does something that makes us proud he earns points until he can cash in his points for a fun prize. Positive reinforcement is so important for toddlers and preschoolers and this is a tradition we plan to pass down to our next child. Read more »
Brrrrr! We are sitting here by our fireplace dreaming of sunny days and warmer weather like this day that we spent together by the ocean in Italy. Can’t wait to go back! Read more »
“As soon as I saw you, I knew an adventure was going to happen.” - A. A. Milne. Happy Valentines Day to my love. Each year with you gets sweeter and sweeter. Read more »
Happy Birthday to our rock and the best Daddy! We are so grateful for you everyday, but today in particular, we celebrate you! Read more »
In recent years, it is not too often we get a substantial amount of snow in the winter. But when we get enough snow, we don’t hesitate to get outside and play in it! We love to go sledding, make snowmen and Isaac especially loves to collect it in his big yellow dump truck. Read more »
One of the great things about living in northern Virginia is that there are so many great hiking opportunities. We love to check out local nature centers and see the hawks, owls, frogs, and snakes! Isaac loves to rock scramble in the creek bed and look for interesting things along the way—tiny fish, shiny rocks and Read more »
Today it’s a marble run, tomorrow who knows what Isaac and Joel will build together? The two of them love to spend their afternoons working on projects together. Read more »
We are thankful this year to spend extra time together during Christmas to focus on what’s important: family. Isaac was very excited to Santa’s visit and was counting down the days until Christmas. Here is picture of us on Christmas day! We wish you a blessed, happy and healthy New Year. Read more »
Hope you explore in for a little sneak peak into our life. It's full of unconditional love, fun, messes, and good food! We Welcome you into our hearts and home.
“As soon as I saw you, I knew an adventure was going to happen.” - A. A. Milne. Happy Valentine's Day to my love. Each year with you gets sweeter and sweeter.
