Baby on Board

I have known for a while but been really resistant to writing that we are expecting our fourth baby in May. I had a suspicion a while back and then we did the test and found out the exciting news. This was really the first baby that we had to "try" for and man does it feel good to finally have this great news. It is so interesting to think that five years ago it was just Anthony and I and now our love and commitment has created four beautiful lives. I went to the doctor for the first time on October 13th. I was a little apprehensive when she could not find babies heart beat and decided to schedule an appointment for two weeks later. Needless to say on October 27th, 2010 I heard the little beans heartbeat for the first time. A slow but steady 130 beats per minute.
Anthony and I both think that this will be our last baby. We had always talked about having four children and I truly feel like I do not have the need to be pregnant ever again. Not that I don't enjoy it but we have been so blessed and I am looking forward to adding this next addition to our family. We get asked all the time if we want a boy but I can honestly say that neither Anthony or I has a preference and we will love and cherish whatever we are given. I am so excited to see the girls welcome another sibling :)
My cup has overflowed!

Long time coming

Although I think about writing often, it obviously rarely happens. Life has been busy as it always is. Our family had a great summer. We went to BC, played at a variety of parks, did a little swimming and all around spent a little time together. Summer was rainy so unfortunately we did not spend NEARLY as much time outside as I wish we could have. We did however have one especially great camping trip to Gold Springs Campground which the girls LOVED! It was a great campground perfect for our little growing family. Mckinna started her second year of preschool at Noahs Arc with Mrs. Slomp in September. She likes it and although she tells me little about her days I assume they do great things. Kamryn is growing into a big girl and recently gave up her love affair with her soother. She was only using them for sleeping but it was a hard breakup for her. She is speaking better everyday and we are working on not wetting the bed at night but boy does that girl sleep. She can pee the bed and stay sleeping until the morning...oh well this too shall pass. Charlee has grown leaps and bounds. She is walking, running and climbing like the big girls. She has a few words and about 10 signs. I keep saying I am going to move her to a big girl bed soon so that all three girls will share a room and the nursery will be empty. At any rate, chaos is errupting and nap time is beconning so until next time.

Welcome Home

Well, the girls and I just arrived back home from our trip to the West Coast. I shouldn't say just arrived because we actually got home on Sunday. We surprised Auntie Deanna for her 34th birthday and attended Nana's 89th Birthday. I LOVE BC. I love being there, the smells, the scenery and most of all the people. We have so much family there that every gathering no matter how insignificant it a party. I also have such Amazing friends there that no matter how long the visit it is tough to get enough time to spend with everyone. I think that hardest of all these days is knowing that the time between trips, no matter how short it may be brings big changes as far as the girls are concerned. The last time my family and friends saw Charlee she was a tiny baby, just six weeks old (we went out in September for Auntie Coralees wedding) now she is nine months old and almost walking.
We met Breanna for the first time this trip. She was five months old and BEAUTIFUL. It is interesting and challenging to see my friend as a mom. What different lives we both have from when we met fourteen years ago. I love my "niece" so much and treasure every moment I spent with her, drinking in all her babiness. The next time I see her she will have changed so much and I will have missed all the small steps that she takes to get there.
I love coming home to my husband. Don't get me wrong, it isn't easy for me to leave my friends and family but knowing that I am coming home to Anthony makes the transition much easier to bear. Although I know that our relationship will grow and change and go through ebbs and tides I know that Anthony is my rock. Devoted husband, father, son. I know that he will support me through the challenges and adventures that life brings our way. He accepts me for who I am, who I was and who I am becoming.

I may never be great

but I will try my best to be grateful. I was thinking the other day about how amazing some peoples lives are. You know those people who change the lives of millions of other people. I am pretty sure that I will never do anything like that. I do hope that in my lifetime I will find a way to help at least a few hurting souls though. I think that I realize now more then ever that I really do want to start the ranch.
I think that it is very hurtful to think of the reality that some children live daily. It is hard to remember that children around me grow up with not only no one loving them but the people who are supposed to love them actually hurt them. I think that the word hurt is such an understatement because what some children endure is unthinkable. As hurtful and horrific these thoughts can be I still find myself drawn to finding a way to reach out a hand to help. I don't think by any means I have not done a great job of this so far but I also have a responsibility to my children to ensure that I guard and protect them in anyway I can from being in a situation where their safety is compromised. I also have a responsibility to my husband to love and support him in his career.
I guess that I will pray that God willing the day and the finances will come and we will be able to create a haven where hurting kids have the opportunity to experience the love of God and the support of being in a positive environment. It is my hope and dream to start a small scale version of Mercy Ministries started by Nancy Alcorn in the USA. As a matter of fact, I am hoping that perhaps on my next trip to BC I will get to tour the new Mercy Home in Canada and perhaps chat up the people in charge.

Busy like CRAZY

Whenever people say they have been too busy to do something I quietly think to myself that that is a lame excuse....we will always be busy. This past few weeks I feel like I have been too busy. I have spent the last three weeks working and trying to be a good mom and wife and I would like to not only applaud but give a standing ovation to the working moms out there. You ladies who work and take care of your families are amazing. I feel like after just three weeks my motor is running out of steam and I need some mommy time aka sleep.
The girls have been little troopers and we have marvelous people around to help look after them and shuttle them around daily. Fortunately we have also had dad at home to help pick up the slack. He has even taken time out of renovating the basement to help with the housework, run Kinna to preschool and even on two occasions take Kamryn to gymnastics. I think that going back to work is going to be hard on him because he is enjoying being home with the girls and interacting with them.
I have a good time teaching though and I miss being in the classroom. I enjoyed interacting with the kids and staff and yet I know that I belong here with my girls...at least for now. I missed them dearly each day and it was hard to hear about what they had done. I think it was especially hard because the weather was beautiful so I was secretly longing to take the girls to the lake and have some outdoor fun.
We did have our first two pony rides of the season this past week. My goal for this summer is to get the pony out at least a couple times each week. He has been highly under utilized and the girls are getting big enough now to actually begin to learn to ride. It is kinda neat to see Kinna and Kamryn sitting up there holding onto one another and the reins. I am not certain what the future holds for them horse wise but I know a great deal of my fond memories revolve around horses.
The farm is looking a little rough but I think that our family is going to work together to clean it up in a few weeks. I feel mostly to blame for the mess and the need to clean. Although a great deal of the mess is the fault of my animals some of the blame can also be shifted to mother nature and the passage of time.
Have I mentioned lately that I love my family. I have been reminded many times over the last few weeks just how lucky I am. I have a man that loves me, three BEAUTIFUL little princesses, a home, food and so many luxuries that many people do not share. I am blessed.

Lego

One of my very wise friends once said that everyone is like a piece of Lego. Some people are like the big green board. They have a lot of bumps which means that they can accomodate many other pieces of lego. These are the people who have tons of friends, are always surrounded by people and love to make new friends. They make new friends with great ease and never seem to have enough relationships around them. Then there are the long skinny pieces that can accomodate quite a number of other pieces. Just like lego pieces get fewer and fewer "bumps" some people come with fewer and fewer social "pegs" I have often thought that I am like one of those two prong pieces. Not that I literally only need two relationships but I am the type of person who although I enjoy the company of others I really only desire true relationships with a very few people. The people around me may not agree with this statement because I am by nature a very social person who enjoys getting to know new people. I have a genuine desire to find out personal information and important information about the people around me I just have no desire to recipricate this.

Surrounded

I am so thankful for my friends. Right now I am trying to start up a small home business. I have created to market a baby wrap style carrier that turns into a bag. It is trendy and stylish yet at the same time very functional. The idea came out of the best product I discovered in three kids which was the Cuddlywrap. I wanted to take this simple wrap one step further and create something that was a little bit more stylish.
Well, my friends (and husband) have absolutely been the driving force behind this little endeavor. It started when my friend Crystal generously offered to loan me her sewing machine. Then following that my mother in law let me borrow her serger but I seem to have burned it out after only two wraps. Although they assure me it was not my fault I can't help but feel responsible for this unfortunate mishap. Then my friend Kathy stepped up and offered to let me borrow her serger which I discovered from the sewing store lady was like the Mac Daddy of sergers in it's day and still is a "Very good model, not at all an introductory serger." I will not take the comment to heart because I can assure you that I have no in clings of even beginning to think that I am even a beginner seamstress of any sort.
Just when you thought I certainly could not get any more generous souls in my path yet another friend, Tammy, offers to let me use her embroidery machine to add a "professional" logo to my product. And believe it or not it does not stop there, Jen a mother of two young boys with a husband out of town offers her professional photographic talent to help me take pictures for my instruction manual and advertising.
Did I mention my friends are AMAZING? I cannot believe the outpouring of support that I have received and I count myself so blessed to have so many people in my life that are SO willing to give of their time and their processions. Although I often tell people thank-you I really do want these people to know that I think thank-you is insufficient for what they have done. I hope that as we travel in this life I will one day be able to provide something to each of you that you are perhaps not able to provide for yourself. THANK-YOU :)