Oklahoma City Memorial

While we were in Oklahoma we were able to visit the Oklahoma City Memorial. This memorial was built after the Oklahoma City bombing took place in 1995.

The Oklahoma City bombing was a terrorist bomb attack on the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995. It was the most destructive act of terrorism on American soil until the September 11, 2001 attacks. The Oklahoma blast claimed 168 lives, including 19 children under the age of 6,^[1] and injured more than 680 people.







There is a chair for every individual that was killed in the bombing. Each chair has that person's name engraved on it and at night the bottom of the chairs light up.





On a corner adjacent to the memorial is a sculpture titled "And Jesus Wept", erected by St. Joseph's Old Cathedral. St. Joseph's, one of the first brick and mortar churches in the city, was almost completely destroyed by the blast.

For more about the Oklahoma City bombing copy and paste this into your browser: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oklahoma_City_bombing

The morning after

Last Sunday Kirk and I woke up to the sweetest sound. Andi Grace was squirming in her bassinet ready to eat. I look at her and cannot believe we are in Oklahoma and now have a newborn. The planner in me is freaking out but the mommy in me is enjoying the moment one by one.



Today Andi Grace gave Ema a little surprise for being such an awesome big sister. I am so proud of how Ema is handling the whole baby thing. She is doing great and loves to be a big helper.

Ema is offically the Big Sister!!

The last week that we shared with Ema before we got Andi Grace was kinda bittersweet for me. All kinds of fears ran through my mind. I wondered how Ema would adjust to not being the center of attention. I wondered how she would do having me dedicate a lot of my time to a newborn. As usual she rolled with it and proved to Kirk and I that she was a "big girl" and she handled it with grace. She has her moments don't get me wrong but each day is better and better. She is a great BIG SISTER!

The moment she had been talking about. She could not wait to hold her.

I love the smile on Ema's face in this picture! She looks so proud!

Our newest addition!

As most of you already know the last few months the Richardson home has been a little crazy to say the least. I started my new job and so far it has been great. I left for my dreaded 3 week training in Nashville at the beginning of September and I just completed it. OK so where my life completely turned upside down was last Friday. This is how it went. I get done in Nashville and I'm on my way home. Kirk worked from home that day and I wanted to be in Covington in time to pick Ema up from school. I walk in the door around 1:00 and Kirk's phone rang. It's Jeanna - the lady that had been helping us with our adoption process. She called to tell us that "our baby" was born Friday September 23rd around 7:30 am. Kirk and I stood in the living room looking at each other in shock. She continues to tell us that we could come to Oklahoma anytime to see her but she would not be able to be discharged for 7-10 days because she was a premie weighing in at 4 pounds and 15 ounces. Oh the questions that were running through my mind.

1. I have a new job that I haven't even finished training for- How will they feel about it?
2. I am no where near ready to bring a baby home.
3. I have NOTHING for a baby.

I had to begin to prioritize. First I had to finish my training. I only had one more week and that could not be put off so we enjoyed our last weekend as the Richardson 3 and got the ball rolling on our home study. While in Nashville I registered at Babies R Us and did a lot of praying! I came home on Friday, we completed our final touches on our home study, had a baby shower, and packed (again). Saturday we left for Oklahoma for another adventure that God had perfectly planned out for us. We arrived at the airport around 4:30 pm and our life was forever changed at approximately 5:15 pm when we met Andi Grace Richardson.


When we held her for the first time we both were overcome with emotion. She was so tiny. I don't think I had ever held anything so small. She was 4 pounds and 15 ounces of pure joy!