A Wonderful, Spectacular, Splendid Day!

Friday was a very special day! A wonderful, spectacular, splendid day! A day of celebration and shouting for joy day! It was the day that we all became just the "Plumb Family."
It started out with a bit of nervousness. There were a few questions from the kids. "will I have to say anything Dad?" asked Taylor. I responded by assuring him that everything would be okay. I really didn't know what to expect myself. We headed off to Fresno and into the great big courthouse where we were met at the front door by a few armed gaurds that made us go through the metal detectors. After a brief ride in the elevator, we arrived outside our court room door. A few moments passed as we watched a few other families that must have been there for the same reason. They all looked very happy. Taylor, Seena, and Roman seemed to be in high spirits as they all smiled blissfully.
Finally we were greeted by the bailiff as she opened the doors and announced our names. We entered the court room unaware of what was to come. The Judge appeared soon after and placed a chair right down at the table where we were sitting so she could visit with all of us up close and personal. Not what we had expected! She was very nice as she talked with each of the children and asked them all individually if this is what they wanted. My heart soared as I heard each response . . ."Yes, I do." After she was finished with the children it was my turn. "Do you willingly, of your own free will, accept the responsibility and rights of being the father to these children," she asked. I responded without hesitation, "absolutely, yes." Lastly the judge turned to Catherine and asked only one question. "Do you agree that your husband should be given this responsibility?" My wife answered by simply saying, "yes, I agree completely."
What a marvelous day it was. We signed a few papers (Taylor was able to sign his own) and filed them with the court before we left. Part of the adoption included ammending the birth certificates. The kids are now, Taylor Wade-Easley Plumb, Seena Marcia Plumb, and Roman Wade Plumb. Roman did ask if we could change his first name to Shadow, but we respectfully denied his request. After we finished we took the kids to breakfast at Mimi's to celebrate. I am so proud to be Dad. It was like Christmas time in April for me. It made me appreciate all of the wonderful things that come with being a Dad - things I often forget about. In our day to day lives we tend to get busy with all the peripheral distractions and lose sight of the most important things. For a moment I was able to truly appreciate some of what is most important to me. It was a wonderful, spectacular, splendid day. A day that I will never forget.

The Newest Plumb's.

Adventures at the Zoo!

This Crock looked hungry.

Heard of a bath?

Have you hugged a Giraffe lately?

Where is the shark?


Hello from Roman.

The anteater was less interesting than Mom with a camera.


Did you see that bird Dad!!

Ewww . . . it's a bit slimy.

Look Daddy, look!

I said look, right now!

The sealion was out for a swim.

Looking for a monkey.

There they are!

So much of her Mother

Allison is growing up so fast and the tiny helpless infant she once was, is changing into a very independent and beautiful girl. I remember when she was born very vividly. Almost as soon as she was brought into our lives, she was whisked away to the childrens hospital. I remember feeling frustrated, sad, upset, and scared. I also remember having to make a choice. I had to choose to go with my new infant daughter to the childrens hospital or stay with my recovering wife and leave my daughters care in the hands of strangers. I remember feeling at that very moment, a sense of overwhelming love for my wife and I stayed with Catherine as I watched them cart Allison away in her incubator. The older Alli gets, the more she reminds me of her mother. She definetly has her own strong personality, but she has so much of her mother. There was a time when I literally had to convince people (family included) that Allison looked a lot like Catherine. As the time has passed, that is no longer the case. I sometimes wonder why I was lucky enough to find Catherine. And then I wonder what I did to deserve another part of her in Allison. I suppose I am just lucky. Or for those of you who believe in fate, I guess I found it.

Happy Birthday Seena - 9 !

Birthday time comes only once a year and Catherine and I try and do something special that will create a lasting memory. This year Seena asked to join Mom and Dad on their night out. Each Saturday evening, Catherine and I set aside a few hours for some "just us time." Seena's birthday wish was to be included for one of these evenings. As it was her birthday, I was compelled to grant her wish. After a small family birthday party and a few presents we headed off to one of my favorite restaurants, Yoshino's Teppan Yaki. Seena was brave as she tasted the variety of different types of Japanese cuisine. She really enjoyed the Yaki Gyoza and her Sukiyaki steak, but tossed her shrimp over to her little sisters plate where Allison gobbled them up without hesitation. Seena was even treated to a happy birthday serenade in Japanese! After dinner I retired to our home with a tired little girl as Mom and Seena headed off to the movies. Another birthday done, and many more to come. I hope it was a memorable one for Seena. Happy birthday to my sweet daughter.

Meet Connor Timothy Plumb - First look in 4D!

After much anticipation and two failed attempts at seeing this shy little guy, all mom had to do was feed him chocolate to get him to come out of hiding. We were scheduled for a 4D ultrasound over a month ago in which Connor hid his face from view the entire visit and we were unable to get a peek. We rescheduled the appointment for four weeks later only to watch him duck behind his arms and legs. He is a persistent one. His parents however, were more persistent and his mother ate some dove chocolate to get his moving a bit. We were finally able to get him to come out of hiding for a few minutes which we captured on DVD, and he was a bit unhappy to say the least. If you look closely, you will see that one of the two photos is of him making a pouty face.

My Pretty Ballerinas

It will never cease to amaze me what frothy material and an idea will do for a little girl.

Happy Birthday my sister

Thank you for sharing a wonderful evening with us. Thank you for living a life worth emulating. Thank you for your laughter, your light, your beautiful way of looking at life. Thank you for your joy, your energy, your curiosity, and your ability to figure out a way to do almost anything. My life is better because you are a part of it. I am grateful that we are sisters, but even more so that we are friends. Thank you.