New Baby!

It is very embarrassing that it has been over a year since I updated our blog! I guess it takes a new baby to get me back on track! (This will also serve as a Christmas letter to our loyal followers, since I was not able to send out a letter this year - only a picture.)

Yes, it is true - after many years of waiting to become parents, our little girl finally arrived! Erika Grace Drager was born on November 17th, 2009 at 8:44pm. She weighed 8 lbs 4oz and was 19 inches long. We are honored to have been chosen by her birth mother to become her parents. She is the most beautiful and wonderful little person we have have met. Our love grows for her every day - just looking at her makes our hearts ache with joy and love. Below is a picture taken in the hospital room just hours after she was born. The hospital staff gave us our own room, and we were able to provide all of her cares throughout our time there.

Here are some other fun pics from our first 5 weeks as a family of 3.

It was quite an amazing Thanksgiving & Christmas this year - much celebrating! We pray and ache for her birth mother, however, because we celebrate the very baby she grieves.

Well, the baby news is the biggest news for us, but I will list some of the highlights of 2009 as well.

- January - I (Emily) took a girls trip to Portland, OR for my friend Theresa's wedding. We also finished our home study for the adoption and officially entered the "waiting pool."

- March - Chris flew to CA to attend the Shepherd's Conference.

- April - Emily started mentoring process to become a metro trainer for the Metro Alliance for Healthy Families.

- June - Emily's brother Matt married Julie (beautiful wedding!)

- July - Chris' 20 year class reunion

- August - went to St. Louis, MO for the annual Shaklee convention; took annual Seifert family vacation to Bayfield, WI.

- October - Emily went with her knitting group (the Knitch) to a fall knitting getaway at the Paulsen Pondview Lodge (GORGEOUS - and very productive!); met our birth mother on 10/28

- November - our last weekend away for a while 13th-15th (to Two Harbors, MN) - little did we know Erika would be born just days after our return (she was 2 weeks early).

Chris also worked this summer at our church as a pastoral assistant and has had many opportunities to preach this year, as well. So, it was a full and exciting year. Thank you for your love and support for us throughout. We love you all!

Love,

Chris, Emily & Erika