Lovely Day

Today was such an awesome day. 75 degrees in February! We took advantage of the nice weather and hit up playgroup at South Park. We stayed for over an hour and a half. Elise had a great time playing and Jake seems to really enjoy just being outside.
Jake got to take his first ever ride in a swing. At first he didn't make any expression but then smiled a bit and even starting laughing at points. His big sister Elise learned a lot about how to gently push a baby, 1.) so the baby is happy and safe, and 2.) so the big sister doesn't get popped in the mouth. Luckily Elise is the toughest little girl I know so she wasn't too phased by it all.
After Ava got home from school she was begging to go on a walk. I had some friends coming over for a few minutes so she had to wait. As soon as Daddy got home we all set out for a nice walk, the doggies included. Ava walked Maya, who always has to stand by me and meanders this way and that, tangling her leash and getting in every one's way. I walked Quartz because she's getting old and is very afraid of things (can't hear or see too great anymore). She also become quite heavy and doesn't have much endurance. Elise rode her big wheel and Daddy pushed Jake in the stroller.
It felt great to get out and enjoy the unseasonably warm weather. I even gave my toenails some fresh polish for their inaugural stroll in the ole flips flops.
Lovely.

Jake's Twin

I'll bet you didn't know that I had twins. Or is that Jake's "girlfriend" (as his sisters like to say)? The first time he saw what we lovingly call "Giant Baby", Jake just laughed and laughed and was so excited to touch the baby. He thought it was great when I made the baby move around, talk, and wave to him. We like to put Giant Baby in the bumbo or in the exersaucer but she ends up just about anywhere. My heart has skipped a beat one too many times though when I see the giant baby face down or in the corner or somewhere unsafe and my mind registers the baby as Jake - but then I realize it's not him and all is well.

All Wrapped Up

Every baby needs some cute after-bath pictures. Here are some of our cute little guy. Almost 8 months old!

Snow Captions and Anecdotes

We've had a lot of snow this year! Much more than I can remember in a long time (excluding last Christmas but that is another story). We made the best of it, playing when it wasn't too cold, making a snowman and just having fun. This snow (below) wasn't particularly wet so making a snowman proved challenging and the girls were quite frustrated so they pleasantly asked me for help (demanded it with tears of frustration), so I obliged, but only if they'd pose for a pic. Jake was a trooper and sat in his carseat watching his sisters play for a little bit.

The girls somehow think hot chocolate after playing in the snow is a must. I apologize for the Michigan State sweatshirt - it was a gift from someone who worked in a t-shirt shop as it was leftover.

Remember the Blizzard of 2011?? Chris went in to work that day they were forecasting over a foot of snow, quickly developing. I mentioned that he should probably come home early but didn't head home until after 2pm when a lot of the snow was already accumulating. He called and told me he was on his way. I realized that there was going to be no way he could get into our driveway (already had 6-8 inches of drifting snow). I put Jake in his high chair (above) with a few snacks to keep him busy and appointed Ava to "be in charge" (she loves hearing those words - think Candace Flynn). Please note he has more than "a few" snacks by the time I come in. ;) It was so cold and windy that one of my eyebrows was accumulating snow and freezing every time I turned to shovel a bit more. I was able to shovel enough (halfway up) for Chris, with his momentum, to get up our driveway (most of the way). He still had to push it a little with me in the driver's seat to get it into the garage -but we made it!
Chris thought it would be cool for the girls to experience a "blizzard" so they went out for about 20 minutes.
Once there was a snowman...In the sun he melted...Here are the girls on a warmer day checking up on their snowman. After this picture was taken Ava proceeded to karate chop the rest of it down.

Another story I want to remember about this winter...
We have an elderly neighbor a few houses down. On the day after the first snowstorm of the season, the girls wanted play outside in the snow so I took them out while I did some shoveling. I noticed one of my retired neighbors out. He had shoveled his own drive and sidewalk and was now working on the elderly man's drive and sidewalk. When he was done with that, he came over and helped me. I knew he must've been tired. Fast forward a week or two when we got another several inches of snow dumped on us...School was canceled but we still had playgroup that day (tour of Papa Murphy's - quite fun btw). After we got home I told the girls they could play for a few minutes while lunch was cooking (Papa Murphy's pizza of course). Jake was napping. Chris had already shoveled our drive the night before but I looked over and saw the elderly man's driveway untouched. I kept trying to think of how I could help so that the retired man across the street wouldn't have to shovel the elderly man's drive again. I couldn't figure out how I could go over and shovel with two kids playing, lunch in the oven and a sleeping baby.
Deep in thought, I look up and who do I see walking by in their suits and ties?? The Missionaries! The missionaries for our church are living with a couple in our neighborhood. I saw the two young men, waved, and asked what they were doing out (there was at least 5-6 inches of snow on the sidewalks and everything was closed really). I asked, "just looking for something to do?". One of the elders replied that they were looking to see if maybe they could help someone shovel snow or something. (DING! An answer to my prayer). So of course I offered up a suggestion and said, "Actually, there is an elderly man down the street who could use some help." I took them over to the man's house (3 doors down) and introduced myself and the elders and asked if they could shovel his drive. When we walked up he had been hunched over trying to use his leaf blower, without much success. So the elders started shoveling away (in their suits and ties mind you - and also no coats...but I guess I'm not their mom. ;)) I did send Ava and Elise down with extra gloves for them.
I knew they would be coming back to my house to return the extra gloves when they were done so I got some hot chocolate ready to give to them along with some foil-wrapped slices of Papa Murphy's (stuffed crust mind you), pizza. They were quite happy to receive said things when they returned.
What a great thing. I do believe the Lord answered my prayer to help the elderly man. His prayer was also answered. I'm thankful that the missionaries were in tune that day to know which way to go - where help was needed. No coincidence in my mind.

I just need to blog

I don't know what exactly lead to the demise of my blogging practice - but I realize I just need to blog - but without constraints. No promises to blog every week or make some goal that I know I'm not going to keep. Not going to pretend my life is perfect, that my house is always clean and perfect looking or that I'm always my best self. Nope - let's be real. No pressure to get everything "updated" - not sure that will ever happen. But I know blogging makes me happy so that is what I want to do!
Anyway, I'll start with some recent pictures of each my kids.

Above is Ava all dressed up for a tea party playdate she was invited to.

Here's Elise making faces for the camera and asking to see the picture each time I take one.

Here's Jake, 7 1/2 months old, enjoying playtime in his exersaucer and laughing at Elise making faces (above).

I'm ready for some sunshine. This fall and winter has been a bit mediocre at best. ;) Since November Jake has been dealing with either sinus issues or ear infections. He's finally healthy (knock on wood) and we hope he stays that way - at least for a while. My great sleeper turned into a baby who awakes 2 or more times a night! I don't know if it's habit (from waking due to pain from ear infections) or if he's just hungry! I've been a bit of a zombie but am on the mend (hopefully). All in all though, things are good. I'm thankful for my sweet little children and caring husband!

Our Little Guy is Growing!

My little boy is getting bigger! These pics were taken when he was about 3 1/2 months old (so about a month ago). We love Jake's personality. He's pretty easy going and tolerates his sisters fairly well. I love the gurgling, cooing, talking noises he makes. He likes to look you in the eye for a long time and really check you out. He definitely has eyes for his mama and can find me very quickly in a room. Jake is a great sleeper. I make sure he is dry, fed, and burped, then I wrap him up like a burrito, lay him down and give him his binky. To la-la land. Jake loves to practice standing and likes to be in an upright position. Although he does enjoy trying to grab his feet when lying down. One of his new favorite things is his exersaucer. He can play with all of his toys (he likes to lick them - it's pretty cute to see his little tongue sticking out as he reaches to get a toy), and can even turn himself around.He has a great sense of humor and a nice laugh. Whenever I change his clothes and strip him down to his diaper, he must think it is tickle time because when I touch his tummy he just starts laughing like crazy. He also likes it when I nuzzle him by his neck - get a laugh just about every time. We love having Jake around!

Love you, little guy!

Ava & Soccer

An exciting thing happened Saturday at Ava and Elise's soccer game. Ava scored her first and second ever goals!!
Ava hasn't ever really shown much interest in running as fast as she could or being super aggressive. We were ok with that and figured it was good exercise and that she'd either eventually pick it up and enjoy it a lot or would lose interest. Before the game before this one, I talked to Ava about how to run faster. We've told her lots of times that she's bigger than a lot of the kids and has longer legs and therefore could run faster. Finally, I told her that if she moved her arms faster and said, "ZOOM!", that she'd run faster. I was half-kidding but she tried it anyway. After the game she told me that she tried saying, "ZOOM!" but that it didn't do much but that when she moved her arms faster...."all of the sudden I was passing all these kids!"
Fast forward to yesterday's game and now that she can run past a lot of the kids, she has a tendency to get the ball more often. She was even more aggressive in getting the ball and took it to the goal several times and finally scored 2 goals! I was so proud of her. Amidst my cheering and clapping for her, I admit I teared up a little. GO AVA!!!

Church BBQ Contest

Back in July, our church held the 3rd? annual BBQ Contest. Anyone who wants to can enter a rib and/or chicken contest. The people who do the smoking spend a large chunk of the day at the park tending to their food. Then, the rest of us get to bring a side and enjoy. It was a VERY hot day, in fact there was a heat advisory, but we went anyway. Who can turn down free smoked meat, I mean, really?




The church leaders finally figured out how to get Chris more involved - by eating lots of smoked meat. They asked him to be a judge this year. Who would say no to that?

The Judges Table



Elise was having lots of fun. We didn't stay super long because of the heat but it was just about right.


Here's Jake hanging out. He was about 2 months old in this picture. He didn't seem to mind the heat and stayed very calm. He loved it when I let him drink water out of my cup and didn't seem to care that he dribbled it all over himself.



This was one of those evenings with a newborn where even though it was a little bit of a hastle getting everyone ready to go and be where they needed to be, it was nice to get out of the house for a bit of family time outdoors. The girls were having so much fun playing at the park with friends. There was a big group of kids planted in the sand of the volleyball pit. After the bbq, we went to DQ for some cold refreshment and then home for baths!

Things the Girls Say

If I'm going to make good on my goal to write twice a week I better get going. I just have to remember that I don't have to have pictures in order to post.

The girls have some things that they say that I want to remember.
Each of my girls has had a saying that they've used to express how much they love us. Ava would say, "I'll keep you forever". Elise says, "You're in my heart." Very sweet.

Lately when Elise is sad (like from me saying no, she can't have cookies for breakfast), she'll say, "Mommy, you make my heart sad." yeah...

Today, after Elise pooped in the toiled (we're working on that), she asked if she could have a tootsie roll. I said yes, but got distracted taking care of Jake. Both girls came in while I was changing his diaper and said I forgot to get them a tootsie roll.
Elise says, "Mommy, you make my mouth sad."
Then Ava (who we usually give a treat to too), says, "My teeth are crying!"
I rolled my eyes and laughed at the same time.

In related news, the other day Elise comes out of the bathroom and says, "Mommy, Daddy I pooped in the toilet!" We started to get excited and then she quickly said, "It's invisibile." So now when she really does go she makes sure to say that she went "for real".

Also today, I asked Ava to get me a onesie for Jake because the one he had on was wet from all of his teething drool. I joked, "bring me a onesie - but not a twosie...or a threesie." Ava comes running back to my room with a onesie in one hand and a pair of pants in the other. She holds out the onesie and says seriously, "Is this a twosie or a onesie?"

Other quick things. Elise says mumember for remember, noonicorn for unicorn, calls oranges womens (lemons), banama for banana and furfect for perfect. We've tried to correct her on all of these things but they seem to be unchangeable at the moment and we're kind of ok with that.

NEW WEBSITE LAUNCH!

Hi All -
My NEW photography website is now up! Check it out and let me know what you think!




Be sure to follow my site one way or another - via facebook, twitter (yeah, totally new to that), or by subscribing to my blog.

Photography News

Been working on my photography business. Tomorrow, we launch a NEW WEBSITE! Check out my photography blog for more info!
www.lorigeorgephotography.blogspot.com

Labor Day Weekend Stay-cation

On the Saturday before Labor Day, we decided to do something as a family We weren't going out of town so we decided to have a stay-cation and went to the Topeka Zoo. It's a great zoo for family with children because it is small and well shaded (I'm pretty sure I've said this lots of times). The weather was gorgeous! We were trying to decide whether to go on Saturday or Monday (Labor Day). I'm glad we chose Saturday, (a), because of the nicer weather (Monday was hot), and (b), because I was sick on Monday and Chris was suffering from major allergies. Here are some pics (with captions) of our day.
Here's Chris and the girls, oh wait, can't say that anymore! Here's Chris with the kids getting ready to tour the zoo.
Here's Jake first time facing out in his carrier - first time with Daddy carrying him. So cute! Jake did very well. He took a cat nap and seemed content most of the day. I've noticed he likes being outside for the most part.
The girls making silly faces saying, "take a picture!"
I guess we went on a day where they were celebrating an anniversary or something so that had a big to-do with the elephant enclosure. The elephants were "painting" canvases that you could purchase. I have a few thoughts on this. Yes, elephants are wonderful, fascinating animals - really, they are. However, they weren't really "painting" like I've seen on tv. Ok, fine. That's ok. These elephants paint with their snouts? or the end of their trunks. They would pick up the paint from the tray and then paint a little on the canvas (one elephant just wanted to eat the paint and smear it on himself...must have been a toddler-elephant), then the trainers had the "blow" on to the canvas too - a type of splatter-painting I suppose. All I have to say is GROSS! I'm sorry but while I'm happy to support the zoo by purchasing my ticket, I can't make myself purchase a canvas of elephant snot that wasn't really painted as much as it was sneezed on. I'll save my $20 - $100 for something else - like concessions. or not....but enough about elephant "painting"! ;)
"Elephant snot for sale. Get your elephant snot!"
Ava and Elise thought it was cool and walked along the fence to view the artwork or snotwork if you will. Ok. I'll stop.

Looky - here! One of the giraffes wanted to either spy or get in on the action. I thought this was a cute pic of the girls looking at the tall little guy.
One neat thing was that a baby hippo had been born a few weeks prior to our visit. Look closely and you can see him by his mama. We stood and watched for a while so we could catch a glimpse of him between his hiding behind mama and lying on the ground.
We got to see a rather famous little giraffe up close that day. Hope, is a young female giraffe born with a hoof deformity. She has special shoes made every four weeks to help remedy the problem. We got to see them muzzle her and then give her medicine. It was interesting because there was quite a crowd gathering with lots of little children, watching as the corralled the giraffe into the area. We were all admiring this beautiful creature when one of the zookeepers whipped out a muzzle and started wrestling with the giraffe to get it on her. There were definitely some gasps and dropped jaws, especially from children, because it looked like they were hurting her. I explained to my girls what was happening and the Hope didn't like taking medicine just like they sometimes don't.

After the zoo, we went to another favorite spot, Gage Park. We played at the park for a while while Chris and Jake waited in line for the train. We got to ride the train (counter-clockwise this time), and had a lot of fun. After that, we finished off our staycation by eating at The Olive Garden. Sometimes it is hit or miss - this time it was good.

Kickoff to Soccer Season!

Soccer season has begun! Ava has been playing soccer for a few seasons now. Last season, Elise started to show an interest in playing so we decided to cross our fingers and let her try it so this post is about her inaugural game. So far she seems to have a lot of fun, although being only 3 1/2 has its disadvantages. Above Elise is kicking her very first goal kick. She'd never practiced one before but did pretty well (after a couple of tries).

Here is the mom/aunt/kid/baby blanket. Note Jake getting fed by Aunt Kelly so Mommy could photograph.

A few things about Elise at this age:
1. She is SUPER SPUNKY! She's sassy, aggressive, easily excited, FULL of energy, and a fighter...meaning she'll stick up for what she thinks is best. We played a game one time where Mommy was pretending to be the wolf, Ava and Daddy were the sheep, and Elise was supposed to be the shepherd. Instead of trying to get the sheep to follow her away from the wolf, she comes and tries to "fight" the wolf, aka Mommy, and she meant business. She was going to protect those sheep at all costs. She's also been known to try to throw a few punches at a Mommy or Daddy or any other kid who makes her sister Ava cry. We then have to have a sit down talk with her of course.

Well, on the soccer field. Her spunkiness was evident. You could hear me across the field yelling, "Elise, no pushing!", "Elise, no hitting...kicking...". She wasn't very happy with one of the kids in particular and I think she wanted to "fight" him a little. NO matter her size or her age, she's ready to duke it out. While this is all cute and funny for us to watch because we know she doesn't quite get it, the good parent side of us has let her know that is not OK.

2. She has tons of ENERGY and tries very hard. I swear, since the womb, Elise has been an energetic one. Elise being my second, I remember thinking, "Man, this kids moves a LOT!" She continues to be the most wiggly kid we've know and can bounce off the walls at any moment. As a result, she gets tired and it comes on all of the sudden...then the whines and cries start - but we try and understand and try to work with her.

On the field she got worn out pretty quickly but was determined to give it her best. I'm almost embarrassed to say but Elise didn't quite notice or care when the ref would blow the whistle. (I think she didn't quite understand). She saw it as her opportunity to get the ball and start kicking it around. I honestly think she didn't get it. One funny moment was when someone had scored a goal - she ran into the goal and gave the ball a good kick. The ref also knew her name already within 2 minutes of her playing.

3. Elise is EXCITABLE. Elise gets excited so easily and it shows. Last year in gymnastics she hopped up and down for half of the class with a big smile across her face because she loved it so much. Same with certain aspects of soccer. She just grins and grins when she does a good job.

Overall, Elise had fun, did some running, did go after the ball with some aggressiveness, although her shorter legs and size and her lack of experience, meant that the older kids got more touches. Ava had a good time too. She's started to go after the ball more and is one of the bigger kids this year. The point is that they have fun, get some exercise and fresh air and learn some athletic skills.

See Ava in the back? Go, Ava!!

Here she is - our new little soccer player with a huge grin! Stay tuned for a season recap later on.

I'm Back

I've been doing some thinking about how I spend my time and what is really important and what is not. I've decided that blogging IS important - at least for the family history - record keeping aspect of it. I LOVE looking back on past posts and seeing the pics and reading the stories, some of which I've already forgotten! I feel sad that I haven't kept up these last couple of years and I realize that I'm missing out on great opportunities to record the things our little family is doing so that we can look back and remember again. I don't think I'll ever regret spending time updating the family blog. I might regret not doing it though (already do).

SO...Here's my goal. From now until the end of 2010, I'm going to post 2 times a week (even if it's twice in one day).

I'd also like to pose a CHALLENGE to all of my blogging friends or readers of this blog. I CHALLENGE you to do the same. Post 2 NEW BLOG Entries EVERY WEEK left in 2010. I think you'll find that you will enjoy it and will be oh so happy you did it in the years to come.

Any takers?

It's BUMBO Time!

CLICK TO ENLARGE! (I posted this last pic of Ava because I think the first one of her in the bumbo is a little distorted for what she really looked like.)

I did this side by side of Ava and Elise after Elise was born and now I have to add our 3rd little one. So the first pic is of Ava, the 2nd of Elise and the last, of Jake.

So what I want to know is...WHO LOOKS LIKE WHO? I've got to get some baby pics of Chris and I up here too.

2-Months!

I can't believe our little guy is already 2 months old...and then I also can't believe he's only 2 months old. Jake has been a joy to have in our family. He's really a mild mannered baby and is a great night sleeper, often giving us a 8-9 hour stretch at night. Naps are a different story but I really can't complain. We haven't had Jake's 2 month well visit yet but I'm going to guess that he's following the pattern of my first two and will be over 90th percentile in weight and height.

A few things about Jake - His first real smile was a day before he was 4 weeks old and happened at church. Chris had been holding him while I did a few things. I came back, sat down and held him and he looked up at me with a big, big, grin. Of course it melted my heart. I wouldn't officially say that he's had his first real laugh yet but he's been close. He does lots of vocalizing and you'd swear he was talking to you and telling you something really important. I just talk back to him and enjoy the conversation. Jake is also a pretty strong little kid. He's doing a great job holding his head up for the most part. His new favorite thing is to practice standing. I pull him up from lying down to a sitting position and then to a standing position. The girls think it looks like he's dancing because he bobs up and down a bit. He likes to push with his feet when on his tummy as well. He'll also bat at the toys above him when on his play mat. He doesn't love his car seat but we're hoping he'll enjoy it more when it isn't so hot. He likes to be held, swaddled and also likes baths. I like that he also does a good job going to sleep on his own...if you count giving him a pacifier going to sleep on his own. I do. It's so much better than having to rock them to sleep.

Most of all, we love our little guy and the sweet spirit he brings to our home. Each day he grows bigger and starts to do more things. He's already outgrown so many clothes and is mostly wearing 3-6 month items right now.
Love you Jake!

Photography Tip: Notice the difference between the first two and the last photos? The last was taken without a flash. It was a quick effort but you can still see such a difference in shapes, tones, color and shadows. Most cameras have an Av or Aperature Priority Mode (even point and shoot cameras). Try lowering the Aperature (this will allow your camera to collect as much of the available light around) to the lowest your camera will go and snap a photo. Too blury or not what you want? Increase the amount until you get a good balance of what you are looking for. Be sure to make sure your flash is off.

Ava First Day of School

Today was Ava's first day of school. I definitely had a mix of emotions from excitement for her to sadness at the thought of her being gone every day, etc. We walked Ava the two or so blocks to school. After picking her up after school I told her how much I had missed her and she said in her happy Ava voice, "Well, I'm back now. And I had a GGGreat time!" I was happy to hear that. Life has now completely changed - ready or not.

Baby Jacob!

Baby Jacob is here! He was born on Monday, June 21st at 5:15pm. He was 9 lbs 5 oz and 21 inches long. More details later (he'll be 4 weeks old tomorrow) but I thought I'd post a few pictures for those who check my blog. FYI-I tend to share a lot more on facebook so if you're not on there yet as my friend - let me know!

Exhale...a little

Thinking about the last few weeks or even months brings quite a few emotions to the surface. The whole process of selling a home and buying a new one, which includes all of the financial considerations, packing & moving logistics, etc. has been quite overwhelming. Now that we have officially moved, the rush to get everything unpacked and settled with me being about two weeks away from my due date is even more overwhelming. I find myself going from being on the verge of tears (or letting them spill over) to trying to think calming, peaceful thoughts (and saying lots of prayers to feel those things) to trying to focus on what is most important and putting those priorities where they should be - top priorities.
Throughout the last week or two we have received SO much help and I am incredibly thankful for it. For those who really know me, they know that I am very determined and fairly independent, used to doing what I want to do and having the strength and energy to do it. (but also going overboard sometimes). Unfortunately I have not been able to "do whatever I want" and have been struggling with back pain, exhaustion and physical weakness.
I wanted to take a minute to write down some of the thoughts I've had as I've reflected on the elements of this trial I am going through. First of all, when thinking clearly, I realize that this trial I am going through could be a lot worse. Many people have to suffer so much more. I'm thankful that the child growing inside of me that will be born into our family oh so soon is thriving. What a blessing. Second, I KNOW that my Heavenly Father is watching out for me. On our next to last house showing, I was home with both girls by myself and had to hurry and get the house clean (again) and with a very hurt back. I remember being almost out of time and trying to dry and clean the shower (things have to be spotless in my mind), I was at my end. As I was wiping the shower down with a towel, my back throbbing, pains shooting down my leg, I burst into tears and pleaded with my Heavenly Father. I told Him I couldn't do it anymore...that "this" (meaning the moving to a new house) was what we wanted...etc and asked that He please let us do this if it be His will. Within two days I believe, we had three offers. I KNOW that Heavenly Father, while giving me this trial for my own good, was looking after me.
Third, this time has really made me rely on others and ask them for help. I had people come and help me pack, I had people help clean, and lots of willing helpers (family, friends and a few I've never met) to physically move our house full of stuff. This experience has taught me to be grateful and to appreciate the sacrifice of others. I now know how it feels to truly be in need, to feel helpless and to rely on others to help me through. Going forward, I think I'll be more aware of the needs of others and will better understand how I can help them when they are tired, weary or in need of help from another.
Fourth, I'm learning patience. I tend to get these lessons often - still working on it. We purchased a home that is twice the size of our old home but is older and needs some cosmetic work to get it where our old house was - but it has so much potential and so much space (and really isn't nearly as bad as I make it sound - the basement is awesome!) I've been hung up on how much stuff I need to do like paint, put tile in, rid ourselves of the atrocious popcorn ceilings, etc. I'm learning (it's still a struggle I admit) that these things really don't matter, especially right now and that in time we'll have the time, energy and money to take care of these things. I'm learning to focus on what is more important.
I'm learning that Heavenly Father is in control and that I need to trust him. This baby wants to be here. I had a scary situation early on in pregnancy that ended with me having to have surgery at 5 weeks pregnant. The baby has been thriving this whole time and will likely be yet another large baby that my body has been known to produce. I'm so thankful for Heavenly Father's hand in this process. I am looking forward to the birth of our third child, our first son. I know things will continue to be challenging, especially in these weeks to come, but I know that I will be able to handle them.
Lastly, I am SO grateful for my loving, hard-working husband. He might be a little hard to get to know because he isn't the type to want to be the center of attention or to impress people (although he's a bit of a joker), etc...but to the few who really know him, they know how much he loves his family and how NOTHING else comes before them, how dependable he is and how he will see what needs to be done (especially around the house) and will do it. He's been keeping the laundry clean, the dishes washed, food in our pantry and so much more. What a blessing he is.
So as I sit and look around at all of the boxes to be unpacked, painting to be done, and things to organize or get ready...and have absolutely no energy or physical strength to do them (and very little time left), barely able to walk, and with giant "cankles", I try to remember the blessings that I do have. I try to remember that things aren't that bad. I try to remember that I have help...that this too will pass...that there is a lesson or lessons in all of this.
I am going to count my blessings. I am going to persevere and continue to pray for strength and to keep thinking positive thoughts.
I am also going to take a deep breath and...exhale.
All is well.

Family Update

Now that I am on facebook, I tend to make my annoucements there and neglect my blog. I know not everyone is a "face-booker" so here's an update:

We sold our home recently. We went several weeks with plenty of showings and then one weekend got three offers with a rumor of a fourth. Even with that many offers we still didn't get quite what we had hoped but were relieved that the process would be nearing an end.

As for a new house, we are purchasing a house around the corner from us actually. It is very similar to our home, (almost the exact same floor plan upstairs) but has a full, finished, walk-out basement. The basement is really what sold us. It is spacious and light-filled, has a huge playroom among other things. The new house is 5 years older and is clean and well-kept but will need some TLC as far as the cosmetic things go. We'll have to wait a while before tackling a lot of that stuff but that is okay. We'll have more important things to worry about - like a new baby.

As far as the timeline goes for us, we close on our new house on June 1st. Then, the baby is due on June 22nd. It'll be quite a crazy period where I know I'll need tons of help since I won't be able to do a lot and won't want to risk going into labor early from over-doing it. But luckily, I have a lot of family and friends who have offered their help. We'll need it for sure.

So that is the update for our family for now. Lots of changes! We are definitley happy though to at least know now what the plan is. The time we spent wondering what was going to happen was a bit stressful...(okay a lot!)

Until next time...wish us luck on the move!