I'm back and here's the highlights:

Let's hope this is once again the beginning of a long and happy blogging roll. Or in other words, here's hoping I don't flake out again and neglect my little corner of the world wide web for so long. I hope your fingers are crossed. Maybe you've just given up on me at this point and if that's the case, I wouldn't blame you. I just know that with all that's been happening and the upcoming happenings that I couldn't stay away any longer. So even if I am the only one to view these words, then that's good enough for now. And *gasp* if there should be some faithful, loyal reader perusing this then bless you for not giving up on me.

Here's the quick run down of events and happenings that I have woefully not shared in the past 3 months:

~Luke is talking up a storm and continues to add new words to his vocabulary everyday.
~He still excels at animal noises and cuteness - no lie on the cuteness.
~Jake, Luke, and I flew to Denver the end of May to visit my fabulous sister Erin, who showed us a wonderful time and left all parties involved wishing we lived closer. (hint, hint...)
~The waterline to our house broke and we got to experience a few more joys of home ownership. Yay! You're jealous, aren't you?
~My sister Kimberly turned 30 in there and celebrated with a total envy provoking Caribbean cruise. I am not jealous, I am not jealous, I am not jealous...
~Jake had his (oops gotta count in my head here) um, yes! - 34Th birthday mid-June. I am still apologizing to him for how sadly he was neglected in this. Truly, my worst honoring ever. No lie on that one. I suck.
~We celebrated this glorious country of ours on the 4Th of July surrounded by Jake's family. It was so much fun and actually made me consider tent camping again. My past young women camp leaders would truly be amazed by their most improved camper.
~I hosted, thanks to my wonderful in-laws, a most memorable BBQ with some of my friends that I have met and grown to love through the Internet. So thankful to know, that they are not scary old men.
~BUT, the absolute highlight, best news of all, that I am so excited about, and my main reason for this post is.....

WE ARE NOW OFFICIALLY APPROVED TO ADOPT ONCE AGAIN!!!!

Can you sense my excitement with that statement?? We started the application process almost a year ago but for one reason or another had to stop or put it on hold. I feel like we've crossed a huge hurdle and an enormous weight has been lifted. I don't know why it took us so long but it did. Things went really well and we can't wait for the next step. What is that, you might ask? Well, its complicatedly, simple. We need someone to choose us to be the parents and family for their baby. We are hopeful and prayerful but for now we wait and try to do our best to get the word out in the hopes that someone may know someone who may know someone who might by considering placing their baby for adoption. We are told this is our greatest chance of success. Please consider yourself informed, asked, begged, and implored to freely share our desire to adopt and our information. We are on LDS Family Services website, www.itsaboutlove.org and can be found there by searching Adopting Family Profiles and then entering our first names which are, for those who may not know, Jake and Mandy. You never know whom you may know that may need us as much as we need them. We'd love for you to be that connection to the next addition to our eternal family.

So that's it for updates. There will be more forthcoming. This week in fact, I promise. Luke turns 2 on Wednesday. July 22Nd. Yikes!! Where has the time gone?? I am both sad and excited at the same time. So, please, check back and celebrate with us. I promise there will be pictures, lots of pictures. If you're lucky, I might even post some from the past 3 months. Stay tuned!