This year my husband was offered a new job 2+ hours from where we were living. Now this new job would be with the same company that his twin brother works for, and near all of his immediate family. We prayed all the way from turning in his application to the day it was offered to him that God would close every door along the way if it was not His will. Every door that opened, we walked through. The job was offered with the criteria we needed. So, he took the job and moved over ahead of the kids and I. As I packed our entire house by myself with 3 children roaming the grounds, you can imagine my attitude. Pure frustration. We found renters for our home quickly. What a blessing! However, 2 days before the move, we found out our renters were backing out. So, what do we do? With our house completely packed up, we decided to make the move anyway.
It was difficult to say goodbye to my family and friends, but this had all worked out so far, so we made the move. Loaded up all of our belongings and made the 2.5 hour trek.
We made the move in March. Anxious to save money and find a place of our own, we began looking around. my sister in law and her husband were so gracious to take us in until we could get settled. The kids LOVED it! The week after moving we got a call from our realtor, she had renters for our home! Praise God! In no time at all that prayer was answered!
All the while my husband is not enjoying this new job like we all thought he would. I just assumed that he would really like it, seeing it was the same field of work and it was so close to his family. April 26th is a day I'll not soon forget. As my sister and I made plans to take all the kids to Chuck E Cheese, I got a text from my husband that said, "Don't leave the house yet." I asked him why...no response. Then my phone rang. He hesitantly told me to stay home, I again, asked why. He then said the words I am sure everyone has feared at some point. "I lost my job today." I asked if he was kidding, as he jokes about serious things with me sometimes. But I knew he wasn't joking this time. There wasn't much else to say. We hung up and I cried. Here we have uprooted our family of 5 two hours from a home that we own to living with family, a job that was secure, my family, and a church that we adored. What now?
As we prayed and talked through the events, we came to the conclusion that if we are doing our part in this, God is going to provide. He has never let us down before, why would He start now? We cannot have fear about this, fear is not of God, and when we are consumed with fear, God's peace has no place to land.
Today is June 19th. It has been close to 2 months with no luck so far. My wonderful husband has been on countless interviews with nothing offered. It didn't take me long to realize we had become a part of this staggering statistic, a large family with no income. Praise God that He has blessed us with such wonderful family. They are willing to house us and help us in anyway that they can during this time.
My husband is a veteran, bless his heart. He is registered for a vveterans only job fair coming up. They are hoping to fill 10,000 jobs at this fair. It is our prayer and hope that God has not offered up a job yet because there is something great waiting for him. What a time of trial. What a test of faith this whole move has been. Praise the Lord He has been the guide in all of this. And even though I don't understand it, He sees the big picture. I am glad He is in control, because if it were me behind the wheel, I would mess it all up for sure!
Let us simply wait on You Lord.
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Monday, May 21, 2012
A Boy and His Superman Underwear!
Recently my family relocated across state for a new job opportunity for my husband. Knowing the move was coming soon and our house was slowly filling up with boxes, I pushed off on the tell tale signs of potty training readiness exuding from my son. There was no way I would be able to accomplish all of these tasks and rush him to the potty before peeing everywhere. So, I waited. Once we moved and were basically settled, I continued to avoid the signs. I think I just wasn't ready to go through this big ordeal again.
A bit of back story. I use the 3 Day Potty Training method. This means that by the end of the third day, your child will be potty trained. You cannot use diapers, pull ups, plastic underpants, or any other "crutch" for the duration of these 3 days. I used this method with my older daughter. They say boys are harder to train than girls....if you believe this, feel free to meet my daughter! It was awful with her. She didn't seem to care if your pants were wet or dirty...imagine my frustration. At the end of the 3 days with Leah, she grasped the concept, but decided playing was more fun, and would just sit and pee all over instead of running to the potty.
Now, I decided that the best time to train my son would be 2 weeks ago, as my husband would be home to help with the other kids. So we went to the store and picked out 26 pairs of underwear for Jackson. Yes, 26 pairs. I wouldn't have a ton of time for laundry, so we had to buy a ton! He was so excited that night as he sifted through all of the different characters on his new, big boy underwear. As we put him to bed that night we told him, "This is the last diaper you will ever wear! No more baby diapers tomorrow buddy!" He was pumped!
The next morning came and I was dreading it, but I had to keep a positive attitude or Jackson would not respond well. So on went the underwear! His first character choice? Superman. Needless to say there were many accidents the first day. 17 to be exact. But the major problem wasn't the accidents. Jackson was so excited about all of his new underwear that he wanted to keep changing them! Every 5 minutes he wanted to wear a different character...this became old very quickly.
As the day wound down and bedtime came around, he was doing much better. I just thought to myself, "tomorrow has to be better." And folks, it was! It all began to click with him. That is just the way this method works. He only had 4 accidents the second day. The third day, 2 accidents total. And those don't actually count as accidents. As a boy, he had a hard time aiming at times. Finally! Success!
The fourth day we ventured out of the house with him. We went out to eat. And guess what? He went potty like a big boy twice at the restaurant! Jackson's concern is not how many characters he can wear in one day anymore. He wants to keep Superman clean!
A bit of back story. I use the 3 Day Potty Training method. This means that by the end of the third day, your child will be potty trained. You cannot use diapers, pull ups, plastic underpants, or any other "crutch" for the duration of these 3 days. I used this method with my older daughter. They say boys are harder to train than girls....if you believe this, feel free to meet my daughter! It was awful with her. She didn't seem to care if your pants were wet or dirty...imagine my frustration. At the end of the 3 days with Leah, she grasped the concept, but decided playing was more fun, and would just sit and pee all over instead of running to the potty.
Now, I decided that the best time to train my son would be 2 weeks ago, as my husband would be home to help with the other kids. So we went to the store and picked out 26 pairs of underwear for Jackson. Yes, 26 pairs. I wouldn't have a ton of time for laundry, so we had to buy a ton! He was so excited that night as he sifted through all of the different characters on his new, big boy underwear. As we put him to bed that night we told him, "This is the last diaper you will ever wear! No more baby diapers tomorrow buddy!" He was pumped!
The next morning came and I was dreading it, but I had to keep a positive attitude or Jackson would not respond well. So on went the underwear! His first character choice? Superman. Needless to say there were many accidents the first day. 17 to be exact. But the major problem wasn't the accidents. Jackson was so excited about all of his new underwear that he wanted to keep changing them! Every 5 minutes he wanted to wear a different character...this became old very quickly.
As the day wound down and bedtime came around, he was doing much better. I just thought to myself, "tomorrow has to be better." And folks, it was! It all began to click with him. That is just the way this method works. He only had 4 accidents the second day. The third day, 2 accidents total. And those don't actually count as accidents. As a boy, he had a hard time aiming at times. Finally! Success!
The fourth day we ventured out of the house with him. We went out to eat. And guess what? He went potty like a big boy twice at the restaurant! Jackson's concern is not how many characters he can wear in one day anymore. He wants to keep Superman clean!
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Time flies when your having babies
I think about how it seems like just the other day we brought Leah home from the hospital. New parents. Young parents. We had no idea what we were doing! And now, this week, I have to register my baby for kindergarten! Unbelievable! I think because Lucy is our last child, I am fighting with time even more! Every month I take her picture to keep record I her growth, I just hate that I have to place a higher numbered sticker on her onesie!
I am sure I am not the only one who has thought, "what did I do before I had kids?" But I honestly don't remember doing anything a worth while as raising children! What a blessing and honor it is to have them for this short time. After all, they are only on loan, they belong the the Lord. So, however fast this time goes, I MUST cherish it. I MUST make the most of it. And I MUST live and guide them. Oh these preciouse little bitty times are so short. Soon they'll be grown and moved on. I love these little babies. Yes, my babies. Always my babies.
Friday, August 26, 2011
my growing up baby girl
My daughter Leah is going to be 5 years old this December...quite a milestone birthday! She is so excited to turn 5. Turning 5 to her means so much! It means she is getting bigger, she is going to school, she will then like watermelon and broccoli...who knew so much came with turning 5.
To me, Leah turning 5 means many other things. First, its devastating. My baby is growing up! She seems to have matured so much in the past few months, and I can only imagine how much she is going to grow from now until her birthday. I know that kids have to grow up, obviously, it is part of life. But I'll tell you what, I am not a fan.
My son is going to be 2 next month and my youngest daughter will be 3 weeks old in 2 days...I feel like the time is just slipping away! Since having Lucy, Leah has continued to amaze me with her big sister skills. She helps so much around the house. She asks to do things like sweep, fold clothes, and feed the baby. And while I snuggle with her on the couch I think back to when she was only 3 weeks old. I feel like it was just a few months ago. We were living in North Carolina and it was just her, my husband, and I. Now, we have moved back home and we are a family of 5...5!!! Life sure has changed since Leah was born, but it doesn't make it any easier to watch her grow up and change. Although I am so proud of who she is turning out to be. I love you Leah Michelle, you are such a blessing in my life!
To me, Leah turning 5 means many other things. First, its devastating. My baby is growing up! She seems to have matured so much in the past few months, and I can only imagine how much she is going to grow from now until her birthday. I know that kids have to grow up, obviously, it is part of life. But I'll tell you what, I am not a fan.
My son is going to be 2 next month and my youngest daughter will be 3 weeks old in 2 days...I feel like the time is just slipping away! Since having Lucy, Leah has continued to amaze me with her big sister skills. She helps so much around the house. She asks to do things like sweep, fold clothes, and feed the baby. And while I snuggle with her on the couch I think back to when she was only 3 weeks old. I feel like it was just a few months ago. We were living in North Carolina and it was just her, my husband, and I. Now, we have moved back home and we are a family of 5...5!!! Life sure has changed since Leah was born, but it doesn't make it any easier to watch her grow up and change. Although I am so proud of who she is turning out to be. I love you Leah Michelle, you are such a blessing in my life!
Thursday, August 11, 2011
D Day Finally Came!
Being 40 weeks pregnant with my third child was completely frustrating. I never made it that far with the other two, I thought for sure I would go into labor early. Leah, now 4 1/2, was 16 days early, and Jackson, almost 2, was 5 days early...so what's the delay with this one? As each day passed all I could do was think of when this baby would actually decide to come. It was difficult to get anything done, I didnt want to start any projects that would be left unfinished. Everytime I got up to use the bathroom I wondered if my water would break. But no, it never happened. As I passed 40 weeks, the word "induction" krept in. I was due August 2, 2011 and was scheduled to be induced on Aug. 6. That morning I was so anxious to get the ball rolling, but it was delayed until 5pm. Baby was not going to be coming on the 6th. We used to cytotech to get labor started. It worked great! Once labor began, my body just took over, a first for me! I was thrilled. As it got more and more intense I decided to get an epidural, I was able to calm down and focus on the task at hand. Now, we decided not to find out what we were having, so this made delivery even more exciting. As I approached 10 cm I began to get nervous. Even though I had an epidural, delivering a baby is no easy task. Much to my surprise, baby had come down and it was time to push. It was the most calm and controlled event ever. I couldnt believe it! Baby was finally here! I began to cry, my husband did too, and all I heard was my husband saying, "it's a girl!" My baby girl was here! She was so beautiful! She weighed in at 8lbs. 6oz. and was 20 inches long. A full head of black hair and the spitting image of her big sister. What an imediate blessing!
Now, we are home with our day old baby girl, Lucy Joyce. She is such a wonderful addition to our family. We are a family of 5, and it doesnt seem possible. It's so wonderful to see Leah being a big sister, she is such a little mommy. She sings to Lucy and feeds her, she loves to help any way that she can. Jackson likes to give her kisses, but doesnt show too much interest yet. He is pretty busy playing these days. I am a little nervous for when my husband goes back to work. I will be a stay at home mom with 3 kids...and I am not too sure how its going to go. But for now, I am going to soak up this beautiful view of our brand new baby girl sleeping on her daddy's chest. I have a blessed life.
Now, we are home with our day old baby girl, Lucy Joyce. She is such a wonderful addition to our family. We are a family of 5, and it doesnt seem possible. It's so wonderful to see Leah being a big sister, she is such a little mommy. She sings to Lucy and feeds her, she loves to help any way that she can. Jackson likes to give her kisses, but doesnt show too much interest yet. He is pretty busy playing these days. I am a little nervous for when my husband goes back to work. I will be a stay at home mom with 3 kids...and I am not too sure how its going to go. But for now, I am going to soak up this beautiful view of our brand new baby girl sleeping on her daddy's chest. I have a blessed life.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
And baby makes 5!
I am 32 weeks pregnant with my third child. I am sure I have mentioned that I have a son and a daughter, so this time around, my husband and I decided to keep the gender a surprise. Nobody, except the good Lord, knows what we are having this time. We are really excited to meet this new little one, and we are surprisingly not anxious at all about "what it will be." Now, just recently we realized just how pregnant I actually am...I am 32 weeks...that means there are only 8 weeks left until my due date. And as we all know, a due date is an estimate. My daughter, who is now 4, was 16 days early. And my son, now 18 months, was 5 days early. So if we follow trend, it will not necessarily be 8 full weeks until this bundle of joy arrives. While realizing this not so new information, we started to panic, just a little bit. We have clothes and blankets for a boy and a girl, so we just thought, we are all set right? We didn't think about the things that we will need to buy or dig out of storage. So, although it was a short list, we started to chip away at it. We are breathing a little easier now that we are getting things organized.
Now, just because we started to get things ready for baby, doesn't mean that reality had hit us full on. Today I had a check up with my OB today. He measures my belly, listens to baby's heart beat, and asks if I have any questions or concerns. I tell him no. He then responds this way. "OK, everything looks great, we will schedule your last 2 week appointment today and then I will see you every week! Have a great day!" Wait a minute, what?! I am going to be seeing you every week...already?! This is real. This is happening. And it is happening so incredibly fast! I have been a stay at home mom of 2 for so long, things have become routine. I am going to have a 4 year old, a 2 year old, and a newborn baby at home. We are going to be a family of 5! We are going to have sleepless nights, midnight feedings, emotional siblings, and long days. But how blessed am I that my family is healthy and growing?! There are women that cannot have children of their own. There are families that have children with mild to serious health issues. There are children that have parents that don't want them, or don't care for them. God has blessed my life in ways that I could never have imagined possible. And the best part is, that He blessed me with 3 (almost :)) children to care for and to love, but they are just on loan from Him. Ultimately my children are God's children. He has given them to me as gifts to bring joy to my life. To help me learn and grow with them. What a gift, and what confidence my creator must have in me. So, my growing family of 5, however stressful, however overwhelming, is my joy. Because that is what God intended them to be for me. Thank you Lord for trusting me with your children. I know I fail at times, but you still believe I can do it!
Now, just because we started to get things ready for baby, doesn't mean that reality had hit us full on. Today I had a check up with my OB today. He measures my belly, listens to baby's heart beat, and asks if I have any questions or concerns. I tell him no. He then responds this way. "OK, everything looks great, we will schedule your last 2 week appointment today and then I will see you every week! Have a great day!" Wait a minute, what?! I am going to be seeing you every week...already?! This is real. This is happening. And it is happening so incredibly fast! I have been a stay at home mom of 2 for so long, things have become routine. I am going to have a 4 year old, a 2 year old, and a newborn baby at home. We are going to be a family of 5! We are going to have sleepless nights, midnight feedings, emotional siblings, and long days. But how blessed am I that my family is healthy and growing?! There are women that cannot have children of their own. There are families that have children with mild to serious health issues. There are children that have parents that don't want them, or don't care for them. God has blessed my life in ways that I could never have imagined possible. And the best part is, that He blessed me with 3 (almost :)) children to care for and to love, but they are just on loan from Him. Ultimately my children are God's children. He has given them to me as gifts to bring joy to my life. To help me learn and grow with them. What a gift, and what confidence my creator must have in me. So, my growing family of 5, however stressful, however overwhelming, is my joy. Because that is what God intended them to be for me. Thank you Lord for trusting me with your children. I know I fail at times, but you still believe I can do it!
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