Redford Family: January 2012

On January 11th I turned 24. A few days before my birthday we were at the mall and I saw a ring I fell in love with so for my birthday present I got a new wedding ring. It is super cute and I love it! On my birthday I worked like normal then when I got off I spent a little while with my kids and then Jon and I went to dinner and bowling. We actually started bowling league again and the first day was on my birthday. It was a lot of fun. Saturday Jon planned a little birthday party for me at the bowling alley and then we invited people over after to play games. Bowling was a lot of fun we had quite a few people that went then after a few of them came to my house to play monopoly. I am very competitive and I do not lose when it comes to monopoly so of course I had a lot of fun. We stayed up until midnight playing and needless to say, *I WON!*

Carter chowing down on his cake

Carter and I blowing out my birthday candles!

Me and my mom

My wonderful bowling posture ... Isn't in great!!

Blanca and I in front of the beautiful flowers she got me. She is such a wonderful friend (that is probably why we have been best friends our whole lives)

Ralph and Carter bowling

IT'S MY SEALING!!!!

Carter Allan Redford (it was official and it was great)

In May of 2011 Jon's parents asked us when and if we were going to take care of Carter's adoption so he could be sealed. Jon took it apon himself to get a lawyer and talk to him about the steps we needed to take to have Carter officially be Jon's as well as make it legal so we could have the sealing completed. Since we originally wanted to get married at the Portland Oregon Temple we decided to have Carter's sealing there because not very many people were coming to his sealing any way and if we had it there Grandma Redford would be able to attend. The lawyer was really great and told us all the steps we needed to complete in order to have Carter's name changed as well as have Jon's name added to the birth certificate. The first week in August I received a phone call saying to go pick up Carter's new birth certificate, it was great and he was officially and legally a REDFORD! Once we had all the paperwork ready I called the Portland Temple and scheduled Carter's sealing. I planned to have a really big birthday/sealing party on his birthday so we planned for the sealing the day prior. On the 25th we drove to Camas, Wa. where Jon and Amy Duvall live and we stayed the night with them. We then got up early in the morning on the 26th and drove to the temple. When we got to the temple we were early so we hung out and waited a little while before the temple workers came and got us. We all walked with the temple workers and took Carter and Xander downstairs to the nursery area where they stayed and played while myself and Jon got ready for the sealing. It was special, I got ready in the bridesroom just like when Jon and I were sealed. It was a little weird though when we were waiting in the Celestial room because we had pins saying we were being sealed on and people looking at us so I felt weird but it is okay. After we got into the room we had our family around us and it was wonderful. Carter and Xander were brought in and as Carter was holding mine and Jon's hand he kept yelling, "My Daddy!" Jon started to cry a little bit and then as I looked around the room everyone was crying except Carter who continued yelling, "My daddy!" After the sealing was complete, we went outside and took a few pictures. Carter told me continuously how he really liked the Temple and how he wants to go back. It was really cute. After the temple we were headed home and had to stop in Tri-Cities to get things for Carter's birthday party so while we were there we decided to take the kids to Chuck-E-Cheese. My great friend Niki came with her kids and we all played for a few hours. It was fun!