An AMAZING weekend!

For those of you who know and LOVE my sister Shana as much as I do, I thought I would share with you our most wonderful weekend we had last week. For those of you who don't know her, I will feel you in, and am quite positive you will soon see her in the light that everyone that comes into her path does!
Shana is amazing. She is the kind of person everyone wants to be like. She's beautiful, kind, thrifty, industrious, hard-working, devoted, motherly(and she has been her whole life...trust me! She still thinks she's my mother sometimes..eheheh) and many more things that I could go on to mention, but truth is she will probably read this and yell at me, so...whatever:)
So here begins my story...her story. Shana was able to have 2 children of her own, but after that, the doctors warned her that if she were to have more children it would mean her life. But being the person that she is, she didn't take the news easy. She has always wanted several children, and she is the kind of woman to handle it. Her husband and her prayed and prayed for years, enduring a lot of heartache. They finally realized another child for them was not possible. However, about 2 years ago, they decided that maybe adoption was the way for them. They put in their papers and patiently waited until July 30th 2008 when she got the call that they had a son for her, and he was to be born on August 1st! It was an amazing time. I am sure that some of you remember my excitement from it all. So, on August 1st Jedediah Steven Mortensen was born.
Not too long after, in the month of November, Shana's family was chosen for National Adoption day to be the family in the valley that got to finalize their adoption early in order to promote it. So on November 13th, Jed was made an official part of the Mortensen family. It was really neat. The judge made a big ordeal of it, and Shana's sweet family was on the news, and it was very special and emotional for them and the rest of our family.
Here they are at the event.
This is where they stand before the judge, and swear to love him. what a SWEET picture!
Adoption has come to grow very fond in all of our hearts. I was able to serve in orphanages in Ecuador and see the profound effect of what taking a child into your heart (and home) can do for you and for them. And on top of that in March 2006 my Brother and Sister-in-law recieved one of the biggest blessings of our family, our own little man Mitchel! I remember sitting on the bed in the apartment when I got the phone call from them, and i started jumping on the bed sobbing. Caleb came in very confused, but that memory still brings tears to my eyes. He is great, and we love him. And now adding Jed to our family has been amazing too. I had quite the same reaction to Jed's. Lots of tears, lots of emotion, and loads of Gratitude to our Father in Heaven for hearing our prayers.
But, making him officially theirs doesn't end with a judge. No, they still needed to have him sealed to them so it could last not only in this life, but for Eternity. So that brings me to this most WONDERFUL OCCASION of sealing Jed into the Mortensen family. I can't even begin to express to you how beautiful it was. My family is really lucky to have done this before, and get to do it again! There was sure an amazing spirit that day. I thought I would better be able to express my feelings on the subject, but I'm finding it a little difficult and incredibly emotional. All I can say is that I love this guy! He is so sweet, and I KNOW that he was meant to be a part of our family, and I am so grateful that he is. Here are some pictures from the big event....
Even if we had to drive in this crap-ola weather,

And even if everywhere we looked there were these...

It couldn't keep us away from this!!!
Don't they look beautiful!? Kira and Reese were great. I think it's really special that they are old enough that they are going to be able to remember this.

Jed loves his Grandma very much. I think the feeling is mutual:)

Jed has some competition though, because everyone else really loves grandma too! But I don't think he minded...(check it out, he's holding her hand!)

Mitchel really LOVES babies. He was kissing on his cousin. I tell you what, he's so cute I could just squeeze him to death! Funny story actually. Emersyn was asleep, so I went and laid her in the corner of the couch, and covered her with an extra blanket on the side so she couldn't roll anywhere. The adults were all playing games in the kitchen, and all of the kids were sleeping except Mitchel, and he was watching a movie. When it came time to leave, we went to get Emi, and she was clear on the other side of the room laying there under the piano smiling and playing with Cousin Mitchel! He must have just picked her up and moved her. Thank heavens he was gentle and sweet. Very cute!

Funny thing is here he is treating and loving Adi the same way when she was a baby:)

And one last picture of the awesome FAMILY on their special special weekend! I am so grateful for good family.