Crawling!!!

Maybe not technically, because Aaron doesn't get up on his hands and knees to do it, but he is definitely moving!  He lays on his belly and pushes with his feet, pulls with his hands and rolls side to side to move forward to get toys.  It isn't terribly fast, but he went at least four feet while I was watching him to get a toy that he wanted!  I made him do it a second time so Greg could see it and I could get it on camera, and then he was so tired out he just fell asleep on his tummy on the floor!  Sweet baby! 

Thankful

This Thanksgiving I am thankful for so many things...  For my new job, because I am happy there, because of the peace of mind and security that it brings to our family, because of the benefits that come with having a good job and an income and the things it will allow us to do.  I am thankful for good friends, both for friends far away and near by, ones that I have spent time with in person and for the surprisingly close friendships I have found online with my March Mommies group.  I am especially thankful for Family, both our own little family and also for our extended family that gets bigger and bigger the further you go.  I know not all of my family members have had good years, some have had a lot of hard things to go through or health problems that are ongoing.  I just hope that they all know that they are loved, wherever they are and whatever they are going through. 


Family has been highlighted for me this year as I have witnessed friends loosing family members.  I always love my family to death and try to never take them for granted though I know I probably do sometimes and I know as a wife and mother I sometimes am grouchy or short with Luke or Greg or don't spend as much energy as I wish I did with Aaron.  But this year I have seen friends loose their mother, spouse, or young child, and those friends are often on my mind.  I have seen them walk through the dying processes with their loved ones so gracefully in a way that left no regrets.  I can't begin to imagine what this has been like for them.  I have given my boys bigger squeezes and I hope loved my friends and family better because of knowing these people.  I know that even on my worst days with my boys they would give anything to be able to have a screaming toddler in a store or a sleepless night with an infant that just won't sleep. 

This year I am also grateful for new life.  I am so grateful for Aaron and how healthy and happy he is.  After loosing our angel almost 2 yrs ago this pregnancy and now sweet baby was such a gift.  I treasured every moment of it and was so grateful to be able to go to the Yoder Birth Center instead of a hospital for delivery.  And now we also have a new nephew, Charlie.  Watching my brother and sister-in-law go through this pregnancy and delivery and now almost two full weeks of parenting for the first time, I am so, so grateful.  I know that Andrea had some added worries early on because of my experiences, but thankfully her pregnancy was a healthy one, her delivery was safe and joyful, and her baby is healthy and beautiful!  I am beyond happy for them.  Knowing how wonderful the parenting experience has been for me I can't help but be excited for them as they get their first chance to know that indescribable love of a parent for their child.  As they are blessed so am I.

I am so richly blessed in so many ways and I know that God has helped me through the hard times as well as the good times.  I am grateful for a God who is everything and more.  For a faith that teaches me and carries me.  For a faith community which is loving and vibrant and which searches carefully for God's will in every situation. 

This has turned out to be a very good year for me.  This time last year I could not have seen what might be ahead, or how God would use hard things in my life to bring goodness.  I had a hard time letting others know how hard things were for me at that time or asking for support even though I really needed it.  I wish I had been able to do things differently, to not have to go through the hard parts, but with out the really hard parts I would not be where I am today, I would not be so richly blessed by the changes those hard things brought to my life.  So that is why I say this was a good year.  It wasn't easy, but the end result is that my family and I have been changed so much for the better.  If we hadn't been forced to make changes I don't know when they ever would have happened, and these changes are soooo good.

In the next month we will find out if we will be accepted for Service Adventure Leadership positions and where we will be placed if accepted.  If we don't get in this year it will be OK, the changes we have made this year mean that either way it will be good.  We hope that we will get a placement, but we know that there are several couples applying this year and limited placements so those in charge need to consider carefully what will be best for both the couples applying and the placements that need leaders next year.  If we are accepted that will mean a lot more good changes in the next year.  If not we will look for other ways to make good changes in our lives. 

So anyway, I just want to wish everyone a very happy Thanksgiving and send you all so much love!  Your love and support means so much to me and I am thankful for you!

New life!!!

I am an Auntie again! 

Charlie John was born on Monday, November 14th!  7lbs 4oz and so beautiful!

Andrea had a long hard back labor but she and Ben did amazing and now there is this beautiful and healthy little boy in the world.  We are so blessed!

We just barely got Andrea's shower in before the baby came, just like me with Luke the shower was 2 days before the baby was born!  I think Ruth even mentioned that at the shower, "wonder if Andrea will have the baby in 2 days like you did?!?"  Now I have to get some baby blankets made!  The fabric is supposed to get her tomorrow or the next day so we will see how fast I can crochet!

Facination!

This is a set of percussion instruments that Mimi and Papa got for Luke a long time ago, and Luke still loves to play with them which is why they were out, and it's a good thing Luke was in bed when this happened.  Aaron loves to sit and play and so I set him down next to the box with all the instruments inside the box.  30 minutes later he is still very happily playing with each instrument, moving them around, moving the box around, etc.  Love these simple toys!

PS!  I have a new nephew!!!  Charlie John was born today to Ben and Andrea.  All are doing great!  Congrats and love you all sooooo much!

Messy eaters!

This is Aaron tearing into a piece of bread the other night...

And Luke has mastered the art of eating ice cream so slowly that it doesn't all end up in his tummy!

Newness

Luke has a NEW sweater made by my mom that he wore for the first time on Thursday. 

At first he refused to put it on.  He was afraid it would be too itchy and hot because he had tried it on so many times without a shirt under it, and I basically had to force him to put it on while he screamed at me.  Even after I got it on him he kept saying that he didn't like it, that he didn't like those colors, that it was too hot, etc.  We set off for the funeral of our friend Cookie and he stopped complaining.

Thankfully at the faspa after the funeral all of these people who knew my mom was making him a sweater kept coming up to him and saying, "Is this the sweater your Gammy made you?  It's so beautiful!!!"  Pretty soon when someone came up to say hi to him he was starting the conversation by saying, "Look at mine sweater!  It's BEAUTIFUL!"  Later when we were at home he didn't want to take it off, and then when he got it dirty and I had to take it off he cried for about 10 minutes because he was so mad at me for making him take it off! 



Aaron has a NEW tooth that he got yesterday (Friday)!!!  It's on the bottom and you can just barely feel it, not see it yet, but it is definitely there.  I was begining to think we would have to get him the first ever set of baby dentures so we did the silly happy dance around the house after I found it.  Unfortunately the boy also came down with a horrible chest cold yesterday so pray for all of us because as long as he is sick none of us are getting any sleep. 

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And I have a NEW job!  I have been working as Contingency staff since mid September and just last week the manager called me up and offered me a full time night shift position!!!  I took it of course, I really love where I am working right now and I am so greatfull for the way God has provided for us with this full time position which will gaurantee me the hours and bennifits our family needs.  It will be an adjustment  to switch my hours around again, but we are very thankfull.

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More posts to come!

 

A very dear and amazing woman went to heaven Monday morning.  Cookie and Dave have been a part of my world as long as I can remember, and a very good part of my world, teaching, loving and inspiring me and so many others.  Here is a link to her blog charitableliving.net.