NOT from my mouth....

Two days in a row now Little Princess has exclaimed, "Math is fun!" She also requested to do it first today!!!!! So, we overcame our struggles and we're now playing with seals in the water to learn subtraction facts! Who wouldn't have fun doing that??? Like I said...it is not from my mouth. I hate math!

The Decision Is Final

Well, we have cancelled our home phone and added a cell phone. Only stinky part is that we have to pay a $59 cancellation fee because we've not been with them a year yet. I could have gotten something for the next 2-3 months that was only $5.99 but it would have been too much of a hassle. It will be a relief when this is all behind us. Oh, and another thing...they don't have that recording that comes on that says, "The new number is..." so I'm trying to think of who I need to give our 'new' number to. Fun!

Ready for a Party!

It is that time again, for me. Time to host a Pampered Chef party. I was supposed to have one back in Sept. but with everything going on back then I put it off. I am totally ready for this one because I'm finally starting to feel better and more social. So far I think there are between 15 and 20 people coming. Not sure where they will fit in my house or if I even have enough seats! I am really looking forward to it. I have ladies coming from church, different homeschool groups, friends outside of those arenas, neighbors. So, it should be a great time of getting to know some ladies better! But I LOVE The Pampered Chef. What's even better is when they come into your house and make delicious food!

Another reason to party...I think Cuddly boy is finally learning to sleep (somewhat) in his own bed. At night he cries and daddy caves in, but for naps we haven't been laying with him and he eventually falls asleep. He's been in there for almost an hour and I don't think he's sleeping yet, but he should shortly.

The third reason...today I gave Little Princess some math review where I pretty much made up some problems. She only got 2 wrong!!!! So, we moved on to subtraction today and we'll see how it goes. I think it just took some perseverance, plus we took a break from it for a couple of days.

Okay, so for Little Man...he has really been answering me kindly lately. Yesterday I asked him to do something and he replied, "Yes, Mommy I will" and immediately did it. That happened twice!!! I heard him tell his sister today to say that!

If only my house were ready. It hasn't been cleaned in forever because I wasn't feeling well for so long. So this week I'll be scrubbing and dusting away!

Cuddly boy exclaiming 'Cake!' at Lynn Meadows, Little Man playing on the train at Lynn Meadows, and Little Princess bowling with our homeschool group.

A to Z Tag

I was tagged by Anna
From A to Z:
A- Available or married? Married for 7 years and 8 months.
B- Best Friend? Zach & My Mommy
C- Cake or Pie? Cake, I've never really been a big pie fan
D- Drink of Choice? I love Cherry Pepsi/Coke with grenadine in it...yum, yum!
E- Essential Item? Sleep & food
F- Favorite Color? Purple of any shade
G- Gummi Bears or Worms? Gummi worms
H- Hometown? Middle of nowhere in the UP of Michigan
I- Indulgence? My computer, and lately Zach & I have been playing Super Mario All-stars after the kids go to sleep...addicting
J- January or February? Either/or...not really fond of the winter months
K- Kids & names? Little Princess, who will be 7 in March, Little Man who will be 5 in May and Cuddly boy who is 2 1/2, not to mention my precious angel in heaven and the bun in the oven
L- Life is incomplete without? God
M- Marriage Date? May 22, 1999
N- Number of Siblings? 0
O- Oranges or apples? Oranges
P- Phobias/Fears? Spiders, Roaches, Car accidents
Q-Favorite Quote? Proverbs 3:5,6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight.
R- Reason to Smile? My kids make me smile all the time! Although sometimes my smile is worn upside down...
S- Season? Summer, no question there
T- Tag three people! If I didn't tag you the last 2 times consider yourself tagged.
U- Unknown fact about me: Hmmm......I have a mole the size of a thumbtack head on my right hip...kinda sexy, huh? Although if you've seen me in a swimsuit I'm sure you've seen it, but I really couldn't think of anything else...
W- Worst habit? Worry
Y- Your favorite food? Lately it is pizza & Taco Bell...but usually anything with chocolate
Z- Zodiac? Don't believe it or read it...

We are now the proud owners of...

I have tried for some time to get a free piano off of freecycle. At last my wish came true! We were blessed with this piano not only from a fellow freecycler, but it happened to be our Sunday School teachers!!! The one leg is broken and the other wobbly so Zach had to make it a bit safer. Now we need to have a good tune- up and we should be good to go! I'm so excited!!!

UGH, Blogger issues...

Is it JUST me or does anybody else have a hard time getting my sidebar to appear when they come to my page? It appears at first and then disappears and I am getting very tired of it. What is the deal with all the blogging issues lately? I've even heard of unhappy bloggers from homeshoolblogger... Can't we all just be problem-free!?!?!

I Am Weird

Here is my next tag...

THE RULES: Each player of this game starts with the 7 weird things about you. People who get tagged need to write a blog of their own 7 weird things as well as state this rule clearly. In the end, you need to choose 7 people to be tagged and list their names. Don’t forget to leave a comment that says you are tagged in their comments and tell them to read your blog.

1. I have three dads- a biological dad that I didn't meet until I was in 7th grade, a real dad who was there since before I was born and adopted me as his own when I was in about 3rd grade, and a stepdad who has been in my life since I was in high school.

2. My biological dad and real dad (the one I call dad) both have the same last name. It must be a common one like Smith, you are thinking? No, it is Paavola! Not common at all!

3. I am an only child but my biological dad has three sons. I met one of them in college. My dad's wife has children who are many years older than me, but I think I've only met two of them. Oh yeah, my dad is 16 years older than my mom. My stepmom is my dad's first ex-wife! There's even more weird family history, but I won't go there!

4. When I first met Zach I was going on my junior year of college. We met at his freshman orientation! Somehow I was talking to him, found out his last name and found out I knew his brother. He began going to His House and I could not stand him.! He was a puny freshman and so immature! I thought he was very annoying! Well, eventually we became friends and now we're married...and of course I love him now;)

5. I once dated a guy that looks like Jason Alexander, you know, George Costanza, the character off of Seinfeld. Please don't laugh too hard, we all make mistakes...

6. Out of 9 grandchildren on my mother's side of the family only 1 is a male!

7. When my hair is long enough I like to pull it under my nose and 'smell' it... I think it runs in the family as I remember my grandma and aunt playing with their hair in a similar fashion.

Ok, now that you know some weird things about me it is your turn! So, this time I tag: Jodie, Beth F, Heather, Christine, Rebecca, Denise and Anna.

I'm Tagged- Twice

Ok, so here is the first one. A Homeschool Resource Meme.

1) ONE HOMESCHOOLING BOOK YOU HAVE ENJOYED: The Homeschooling Book of Answers by Linda Dobson. I have read many great books since this one, but this was the first book I read on homeschooling about 7 years ago. I think my sister-in-law, Amie, gave it to us. I knew we were going to homeschool but had so many questions and fears. This book really helped me in the beginning.

2) ONE RESOURCE YOU WOULDN'T BE WITHOUT: My computer- we use it for so much- to print sheets, to look up information, to look at pictures of things we're talking about.

3) ONE RESOURCE YOU WISH YOU HAD NEVER BOUGHT: What Your Kindergartner Needs to Know- I never really used this book last year and I'm not sure I will use it in the future.

4) ONE RESOURCE YOU ENJOYED LAST YEAR: Christian Liberty Press Science- The World God Made. We really enjoyed this book last year.

5) ONE RESOURCE YOU WILL BE USING NEXT YEAR: More than likely I will switch to Math-U-See for math.

6) ONE RESOURCE YOU WOULD LIKE TO BUY: An HSLDA membership!

7) ONE RESOURCE YOU WISH EXISTED: A complete curriculum tailored to the needs of all three of my children with their individual learning styles, able to be taught in unison, all the books included and CHEAP! (I have to agree with you on this one, Angel.

8) ONE HOMESCHOOLING CATALOGUE YOU ENJOY READING: I love flipping through the Rainbow Resource catalog. It is huge and shows so many thing I've never heard of.

9) ONE HOMESCHOOLING WEBSITE YOU USE REGULARLY: http://www.first-school.ws/ They have coloring sheets for my little guys, tracing sheets and all sorts of stuff.

10) TAG OTHER HOMESCHOOLERS: Amie, Marisa, Teena & Marla!

You Get What You Pay For...

Isn't that saying true? About 9 months ago I switched phone company's. The company I had was increasing their rates to at least $70 a month. In addition I had my $40 cell phone bill. So I thought I'd look into a cheaper company. I started looking into Vonage, but go figure they don't have service in our area. So I searched out other VoIP companies and came across Packet 8. It looked great and was cheap. So, I signed up and was happy to not have to pay so much money! Well, I have not been happy with the service of my phone since day 1. I remember calling about it one time and being told it was probably our router. I have static on my phone in certain areas of the house, and with a regular phone company that didn't happen. Most of the time I'm on the phone there is this ticking noise in the background. Sounds like a helicopter. Sometimes when somebody calls my phone doesn't even ring. Lately what has been happening a LOT is that I will call out and it won't ring on my end. It rings on their end and nobody is there (because I hear nothing). What if it were an emergency and I were trying to get help and that happened? Also, the past 3-4 days when I talk on the phone I keep hearing a beeping noise like somebody is pressing a button on their phone. When I finally asked if they were they had no idea what I was talking about. I'm sure there have been other issues also. I am so fed up with the poor service I am getting, even though I'm paying next to nothing. Zach thinks we're fine with just a cell phone. I really like having a home phone also. Or I'm thinking maybe just getting a cell phone for Zach too. I don't know... What do you all think? What works for you? I know Zach is relieved because he has been asking me for MONTHS to get rid of this company! So, sorry Packet 8, but you will be losing a customer soon. I just can't put up with the problems anymore...

And that's my gripe for the week...

Update

I am feeling SO much better today. Last night Zach & the children all prayed over me. It was so sweet. I haven't had cramping since last night. What a relief! I went to bed really early last night. I was exhausted after being up since 2 am! It felt wonderful to sleep. I feel terribly nauseous today but that is a good thing because then I am reassured that my baby is OK! I have been taking it easy as much as I possibly can with three children and a home to maintain! We did some school on the couch, but I sure didn't get much done! Oh well, at least I'm lying low and not over-exerting myself. Thanks for all of your thoughtful comments & prayers! They're totally helping!

Our Scare

Yesterday I felt like maybe I was coming down with a bladder infection because I felt the need to constantly use the bathroom. Off and on through the day I had some cramping and for a while I had a terrible stomach ache. I thought that it would be okay to wait until today to call my midwife. I woke up at 2 am bleeding. It was just real light spotting, but it freaked me out and I've only slept 1/2 hour since then! I didn't bleed again until after I took a shower. I was supposed to baby-sit today (my new job) and so I waited for her to come and was just going to take all the kids to the doctor with me. The oldest is 11 so I figured she'd help. Well, my friend, Robin, who is the one I sit for decided she would just watch my kids and our day got totally turned around! I was so fearful I was having a miscarriage yet at the same time wondered how it could be since just 3 days ago I saw my healthy baby! So, my midwife did an ultrasound and there was the baby with a heartbeat. We even could hear it on the Doppler! I was so relieved I started to cry! Praise GOD! But, the outside of my cervix is bleeding. She said it it like a scraped knee. Nowhere near the baby and I guess the chance of me miscarrying is less than 3%. I feel much relief. I was prescribed an anti-biotic in case the culture comes back positive so I will start taking that and hopefully the cramps will subside. So, please pray that all stays well. I am going to finish lunch and get some much needed rest!

In Real Life

I have been pondering this post for some time. If you look at my list of blogging friends maybe you wonder if I know any of them in real life. So, this post is for those I do know in real life...a sort of reminiscent post. For those who read and that I don't know it is your chance to see my real life friends! I am not able to post on all I know, but I am posting on the 4 that I have known the longest. But, I do know Anna D., Beth J., Bethany, Bobbie Jo, Canaan, Christy, Denise, and Lisa G. Even if I have met them only once or twice!

So, to get started...

My great friend Rebecca is the one I have known the longest. We grew up together, going to elementary and high school. I have so many great memories of us- from playing on the playground and going to her house a few times, to seeing her horse and being in study hall together. From passing notes and passing crushes to basketball games and Tech hockey. Here is an old picture of Rebecca and I. Keep in mind that this is in 1994... We liked to hang out in the library in the mornings before classes got under way. Miss ya Rammer and so glad we still keep in touch. Rebecca is new to blogging, so be sure to check her out along with her adorable family!

I can't recall who of the next two that I met first, but I am going with Marisa since she is my relative! I remember when her family first started coming to our church. I remember when I "dated" (for a short time) her brother! No, we were not related then! I remember our great times on youth outings, our trip to Grand Forks, all the many boys, and picking strawberry's on her farm. I remember Mom & Kim's wedding as we both were bridesmaids. You see, her family introduced my mom to my stepdad, Kim (it IS a man!). So, that is how we eventually became related. I remember sleeping at Grandma & Grandpa's and our many holidays together. Ris, I miss you and I'm so glad you blog so I can keep up on you all. I love seeing pictures of the kids and hope one of these years we can all get together again! So, here is Risa...

Risa, the back of this picture says we were acting like Steve's! Guess with the hats backwards???

Onto Jodie... What can I say about her. When her family came to church it changed my life! Well, same with Risa's since I did gain a stepdad! Jodie and I became fast friends and were inseparable whenever possible. We seemed to be youth group 'rebels'. We were the ones to be watched by Bonnie (she was like a Nazi) at Bible camp. We were the ones who snuck out of a Billy Graham crusade to go riding with boys. We were the ones who snuck to a dance behind her parents back and got busted. Seemed wherever we turned we headed for trouble. Thankfully it wasn't the kind of trouble kids nowadays get into! I loved going to her house and riding her horses (although I had a scare) and we had quite some 4 wheeler rides (or was it a 3 wheeler?)! Remember the car that disappeared? And the bricks up to your window that could have been from that Goodreau guy down the road? Freaky stuff! Jodie, BFWTHIH, right??? It was wonderful to see you this past summer! Can't wait to get together again! So, here's a goofy picture of us (well, me):

Onto the last person. She is my sister-in-law. I didn't really know her well, but I had met her through Marisa. I remember when Amie's youth group and our youth group went to Six Flags together. I remember the sleepover and Risa's (picture taken below) and getting to know Amie a bit. So, Amie was dating Jeremiah (who is now her husband)...and years later we meet up again in college at a His House retreat! By this time they were married. Who would have thought I'd meet Jeremiah's little brother and fall in love with him? Who would know that one day Amie and I would be 'related'? It is really weird when I think about it. While I don't chat on the phone with Amie often (or anybody listed above or anybody in general), when we do talk we just pick up like old times. I really enjoy visiting with her and we never run out of things to talk about! It was great when they came down to visit in October and we got to go out shopping together! Amie, this is one of the only pictures I have of you...thought you'd appreciate it;

And I'll leave you with this last picture:

Girls, I still have my mouse!!!

So, who else wants to participate in my game of In Real Life? If so, let me know!

Baby Picture

Today I had an ultrasound. It was supposed to be a 3D ultrasound but little baby would not cooperate and get in a proper position! I saw the geneticist because I have had a grandma and aunt that have had babies with anacephaly. I wasn't at all concerned, I knew the little babe was just fine. We did manage to get some good pictures! This baby is SO active. Even at our first ultrasound the little thing was bouncing all around. Today it looked as if he/she was dancing! He/she also looked like they were waving to us- the sweet thing kept moving their arm! I don't remember my other babies EVER being this active for an ultrasound! Hopefully for my next one they can get some 3D images!

UGH!!!!!!

WHY are those pictures not showing up???? I have an appointment this morning but I promise to sometime today play around with it all so you can see my cute munchkins;)

Pictures, Pictures, Pictures

Don't you just love that smile? I do!

Not a happy camper at all. Not sure what he was throwing a fit about.

No, she is not going to be enlisted in the military, nevertheless she had to try on Daddy's boots.

The other night as I was talking on the phone Cuddly Boy fell asleep next to me- very rare for him to fall asleep like that!

And this is how his race car ended up! He carries that thing EVERYWHERE!

Painting with Chocolate Pudding

Today we took the plunge and painted with chocolate pudding. As you can see, they also enjoyed eating it! I think Cuddly Boy ate more than he painted! Here are some of the comments they made while painting:

Little Princess: "This is a tornado and this is our house."
Then she took her two pieces of paper and put them together to make a different design. She then said something about the United States. Then, "This is me going all over the world to tell people about Jesus." Then she said one part looked like trees.
Little Man: "These are aliens. This is a road and the aliens are crushing a car on the road."
Cuddly Boy: "Kitties." He was too busy enjoying the taste.

It didn't make as much of a mess as I thought it would- thankfully!

***Note- Yesterday when I first posted this the pictures turned out fine. Let's hope that it all works today when I post it- and that the pictures stay posted. Not sure why they didn't show up...

Just In Time...

I almost missed this years De-Lurking Week. Now Jodie, don't laugh in spite of our recent emails. See for yourself that it is true. I know the timing is rather funny...

So, to you out there who read my blog and don't comment. Who are you? How did you find me? Do you know me in real life? Why do you read my blog? Why don't you comment? Please, people, we bloggers LOVE the comments of our readers! And you know...I know you are out there reading, even if I don't know who you are. So come on, enlighten me and leave me a note! Don't be shy!

More Ramblings

I have a confession...I think I am getting addicted to Mario Brothers. Zach has downloaded it onto his zip drive and I can climb into bed, plug in the laptop and play away. Last night Zach and the munchkins were watching a movie so I sat for over 3 hours playing! It is actually funny because I get so far and then he thinks he is going to come in and join! I of course let him take turns too, but it frustrates me to no end when he accidentally warps me or kills me;) No like I don't kill myself... The kids get a kick out of it too, but they prefer to play Megaman. I never heard of Megaman until Zach! I grew up with a classic Nintendo and played Mario, Zelda and other games. I played Sonic in high school- boy was that fun! I love games like Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy. At least I have something to do while I sit around and feel like doo-doo. I just haven't been in the reading mood lately, even though I was given new books for Christmas.

I think my Little Princess finally had a light bulb go off concerning math! A few days ago she was struggling to understand a few things. Maybe it was because she was getting sick and I didn't know it. Maybe it was because it was the afternoon and her attention span was not that great. Or maybe I just wasn't explaining myself too well. So, the past two days we do math right after Bible. And she gets it! Of course it helped for me to prepare a few extra things to show her. She was a bit distracted today though, with daddy being home! Math was not my highlight in school and even Zach says how much he hates it. I pretty much made it through trig by cheating and using my TI-85 and storing notes in it. I hated geometry. If I didn't have a calculator I would be lost! And there is proof- I can't get the checkbook to balance for nothing! Now Zach wants to take over the bills so it will probably get worse- just kidding hon! I am wondering if next year I should switch to Math-U-See.

Sometimes Little Man writes his numbers and letters backwards. I hear this is normal for some kids and I keep meaning to purchase Handwriting without Tears for him. Today he learned the number 20 and he wrote it exactly like mine! I was so proud of him! Sometimes he will try to write 14 but will write 41 so I wasn't sure how he's write 20! He also learned the letter W and wrote that perfectly! It is so fun to teach your own child and see them get it! He is so proud of himself when he gets praised for his good work!

Cuddly Boy likes to be the biggest helper. I can ask one of the other kids to do this or that but Cuddly Boy says, "ME" and runs to do it. If I put dishes away he is right there helping. I wish he'd help his siblings clean up the toys that well though! I must admit though, that I really enjoy when he comes behind and helps me out! He learns so many things on his own- or maybe he just picks them up from Little Princess and Little Man- but it is fun to see him learning also!

Remember back in August when I got my awful haircut? Then I got it semi-fixed in October? Well it finally grew enough to go and get it completely fixed so today I got it cut. I will have to try to take a picture. I hate when they fix it so nice and I know I'll never get it to look like that- maybe if I had 4 arms! I also got my ring back today, so now I can go to church in style on Sunday;)

Well, I am off to bake some cookies. Warm, homemade chocolate chip cookies sound wonderful and we had new neighbors move in so what better way to welcome them to the neighborhood?

I will leave you with this joke for the day:

Pregnant Nun

Pat is not feeling very well and he decides to go to a doctor.
While he is waiting in the doctor's reception room, a nun comes out of the doctor's office. She looks very ashen, drawn and haggard.
Pat goes into the doctor's office and says to the doctor: "I just saw a nun leaving who looked absolutely terrible. I have never seen a woman look worse."
The doctor says: "I just told her that she is pregnant."
Pat exclaims: "Oh my, is she?"
The doctor responds: "No, but it sure cured her hiccups."

So, the morning sickness isn't over after all...guess I wasn't ready for that Chinese food...

Mending???

Well, Little Man and Zach are all better. It seemed like nobody else would get sick but yesterday right before dinner Little Princess complained her tummy hurt and she would not eat her dinner. Last night when she lay in bed the poor girl got sick. Good thing we had put something in there for her to puke in if need be! This morning she is fine- she ate her breakfast (it took awhile for Little Man to get his appetite back). She is playing normal so we are working on some math. I am wondering when and if Cuddly Boy and I will get it. If we do I'd rather it be sooner than later and just get it all over with! But so far he seems fine.

Me? I'm just dealing with sinuses or something and my voice sounds all funny. I hate that because then it seems like it takes forever to get back to normal. I still feel nauseous a lot but I've noticed the past couple of days that I'm beginning to crave things. Thankfully! I was getting tired of nothing sounding good. Today Chinese food sounds wonderful. Maybe we will get take out;) Last night I actually cooked again! I made spaghetti and meatballs and it was SO good! The boys scooped it right up! I'm wondering if we didn't all enjoy it so much (besides Little Princess) because it had been awhile since we had a good home-cooked meal!

Forgot an Anniversary Wish...

It totally slipped my pregnant brain to wish my husband a Happy 8th Anniversary of being a Military Man on January 6th! Honey, I am so proud of you for persevering through it all and continuing to serve your country!

By the way, my boy and man seem to be doing better and so far nobody else has gotten sick. I just pray it stays that way!

HELP!!!!

Oh man, PLEASE PRAY for us! Cuddly Boy awoke with a fever this morning. Didn't eat breakfast, but ate lunch and has been OK so far. Zach came home from work sick with the flu (funny how he got the flu shot...). Little Man just puked on the carpet. I am still dealing with all-day sickness and just about puked while cleaning up his. I am just sitting here crying and waiting for everybody else to get sick and wondering how I will do it all. Please pray for us....the puke thing just makes me even sicker.... Thanks!

This N That

Well since Zach went back to work yesterday we went back to school. It has been an easier transition than I thought it would be, but by the time we're done with lunch I am ready for a nap! It has been nice to get back into our routine again and to feel a bit productive. The ironic thing is that yesterday I puked twice- once at night and once in the morning. Go figure, the day that Zach's gone! At least for the most part you feel better afterwards, but it is so gross...sometimes I think I'd rather feel miserable all day. I am hoping it all passes soon, but tonight I'm feeling icky again. It is weird how nighttime is worse than the rest of the day, although all day long I feel sick.

Little Princess began learning about insects yesterday and it has been fun learning with her! Little Man has some Big Backyard magazines so I think I may supplement some with those and learn even more about insects! I hate bugs, but it is interesting learning about them! Little Man had fun doing some matching today and I love seeing his smile of pride when he does things right! It has been fun watching Cuddly Boy play with whatever sibling isn't doing school at the time. Today Cuddly Boy and Little Man were reading books together! Yesterday Little Princess made me a kite. It is pretty creative. I love when they do things like that out of the blue. Now she just made me a red heart! Little Man loves to draw things and one day he drew Batman and it was quite good! He'll probably be a good artist like his dad!

Have you ever read Janette Oke Love Comes Softly series? I read them a LONG time ago. They are quite good and easy reading. They are making the books (at least some of them) into movies. I had requested the movies for Christmas and got the first three. The past two nights the kids and I watched the first two. I had seen the first one before as we had rented it, so I knew what was going to happen. I still managed to cry! It has been a long time since I've read the books so I don't remember everything that happens. Last night I even cried in the second one. Sometimes it is nice to have a good girly movie to watch and cry with! The kids even enjoy watching them and they are good, clean Christian movies. It is nice to find a movie that the whole family can watch.

Today it was pretty mild out so after Zach came home we took the kids to the park. It is weird to think its January and we're playing at the park! We had some thunderstorms in the wee morning hours that I guess produced a tornado about 1/2 hour away. I tell ya, one time that thunder boomed and I must have jumped a mile and just gripped onto Cuddly Boy, who was sleeping in my arms. At least we didn't get all of the rain they were predicting. It was a beautiful, sunny day out.

The kids have been fighting over the sex of the baby lately. Today Little Man said that if its a girl he's going to kick her. I think no matter what they end up with they'll be happy. I keep trying to tell them that we're so blessed to have a baby coming into our family that it doesn't matter if its a boy or a girl. I think it is so sad that today people put so many limitations on how many children they'll have. We get so many comments, even from people at church..."I can barely handle 2" "After 2 we took care of that" etc. Whatever happened to looking into the Word that says that children are a blessing and reward? People feel so burdened by parenting nowadays and it really saddens me. It isn't always easy no matter how many children we have, but why cut off the blessings the Lord can give us? I guess they are calling it the 'Quiverfull Movement' and they even had something about it on Nightline. I mention Nancy Campbell from Above Rubies alot. She is briefly interviewed! I can't even imagine thinking that "I am done" with the children I now have. I have no idea how many more we'll be blessed with- be it 1 or 6, but I will see it as a blessing and take as many as I am rewarded. Anyway, didn't mean to get into that big spiel...

P.S. to appointment

You would think that after being pregnant 4 other times somewhere in there somebody would have told me that I have a tipped uterus. So, its my 5th pregnancy and yesterday is the day I find out it is tipped. I was just a bit floored that no doctor shared that info with me previously!

First Appointment

Today was my first appointment and I was very impressed! I wasn't sure if it would just be an ultrasound as they had scheduled another appointment for Monday to do all the other stuff (exam and all). Well today they did it all. I was really nervous and not as excited as Zach was. I think because last time I was so excited and they couldn't find a heartbeat and I lost the baby. Well, I don't have to fear any more! We saw the little heart beating and that baby is active already- was moving all around! I got tears in my eyes when I saw him/her! What a blessing indeed and I am so thankful that my baby is well! The midwife was so super nice and I feel so good about everything! I could not be any happier with the care I think I'm going to receive especially for a military hospital!

So, it's a new year...

and another day on a new calendar. I guess we really don't get into the whole celebrating the New Year thing. I mean it is nice to reflect on the past year, the good and the bad, where we erred and how we can change, but that is something I think we need to do daily. We don't party or drink, so there is no need to find a baby-sitter and be hung over the next day. I have to tell you, and I know I've said it before, these people in the south get crazy with their fireworks. And when in the middle of the day I'm trying to nap and fireworks are going off I am not a happy camper. Well, last night had me awake for probably almost an hour. I remember when we invaded Iraq and watching that first day as Baghdad was getting hit. I thought it was happening here. Bang after bang and boom after boom. And you know that I was the only one in my house to awaken to it. Then as I lay there I thought how funny it would be to wake early in the morning when all of those crazy people are sleeping and start shooting some off...but of course I'd never do that. I cannot wait to leave this crazy south and move back to where my roots are. Guess I am a true Yank and don't see that changing.

On to other things, the past two days I've felt much better than the two days prior. When we came home from Destin I felt so sick and all I did for two days was lay there and pray I wouldn't be sick. Last night we went out to dinner and then we went and saw 'Night at The Museum'. It was really good. It was funny to watch Cuddly Boy jump in a few spots. Today we took our tree down and I'm cleaning house. It has really gone downhill these past few weeks that I've been feeling blah, so now its time to scrub away! Especially since Zach is still home to help out with the kids that while. So, I'm going to attempt to clean off my desk.

Happy Monday and Happy New Year to you all!