We started a new tradition in our family this year on St. Patrick's Day. We celebrated "Gotcha Day" which is basically a big celebration of the day that we were sealed to each of our kids in the temple. St. Patrick's Day seemed like the perfect day to do it because we were sealed to Ruby & Noah around this time & it's a day that always reminds us of how lucky we really are to have them. We had a nice dinner together, ate cake, opened presents, & visited the temple. We talked about their adoption stories & how special they are & looked back over pictures that made me cry. I loved watching Ruby smile as she looked at pictures of herself as a baby & recite so much of her adoption story. She kept saying, 'I love Gotcha Day, mom!" And I loved seeing Noah smiling & content, asking to be held every so often & then wiggling free so he could run around the temple grounds again. As Tyler & I sat & watched Ruby & Noah run around he said, "Can you believe how blessed we are to have those two? We couldn't have gotten better kids." And even now with all the time that has passed, I still can't believe it.
