Gratitude

I feel like I need to spill my guts! Testimony meeting isn't for two more weeks so this will have to do.  I have felt so blessed this last two weeks! One year and two weeks ago I found out that I was pregnant with Julia. I was a little (okay quite) upset about the news. I felt overwhelmed and guilty for feeling overwhelmed because I have so many friends that can't get pregnant or its so hard for them to get pregnant.  I spent hours on my knees crying and asking why...(if you can't guess...I'm a control freak and having kids a year apart was not in the plan). I worried what other people would say. What kind of remarks would have to listen to? Life just seemed so unfair. For weeks I refused to look our bishop square in the eyes because I was afraid he would seem my troubled heart. I again then would feel guilty because other people had such bigger problems then I did and it seemed that they were handling it much  better than me.  I finally accepted what was happening and resolved to handle it the best I could and to pray for strength. So I did...every day! Strength to handle the nausea and the hormones. Strength to not yell at my boys every single day. Strength to accept this blessing the Lord was giving us.

Answers to my prayers came through loving friends and family who would call me and cry with me and give me encouragement.  Relative good health throughout my pregnancy and  kind ward members who would take Matthew as often as they could and gave me encouragement through their own tales of close pregnancies. Realization that I don't have to do it alone and that it is not a weakness to ask for help. (Thanks to my visiting teachers and friends that helped keep my house clean!)

  And most of all the hymn "How Firm a Foundation" 

Third Versus: 

Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed,
For I am thy God and will still give thee aid;
I’ll strengthen and help thee, and cause thee to stand
Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand.


This song would come into my head every time I started feeling discouraged or that I couldn't go on.

A year later I can say how thankful I am for the experiences that I had the last year.  I have been so blessed. Julia is the perfect baby and completes our family. I couldn't imagine our family without her.  I am so happy and thankful to a loving Heavenly Father that knows better than I do! I am so thankful for the lessons that I have learned this year.  Everything is as it should be and I can do all things that I am asked to do if I am willingly to trust in my Father. 

The First Snow Day

My boys woke up this morning, super excited that snow was falling from the sky! They managed to wait until Peter got home from school to go out and play in it! They had so much fun! I could hear them giggling and laughing and it made my heart happy and warm. There is nothing like your child laughing to warm your heart!

 Peter of course had to eat it! What fun would snow be without eating it?

 Andrew preparing to attack Peter!

 The fight is on! Andrew made these huge balls of snow while Peter made little tiny ones. I think Andrew had the right idea!

 Some running in the snow! Making boot prints!

 More eating of the snow! I, like Andrew, prefer to eat it right out of the sky!

Peter prefers to scoop it up and eat it!

After about twenty minutes of playing it was time for some hot cocoa and a movie! Maybe winter won't be so bad this year! It being the first time in two years that I'm not sick with morning sickness has me more excited for the winter and all its possibilities! But then again, I hate snowy roads! You win some, you lose some!

All Hallow's Eve

This Halloween seemed to go on forever! Between school parties, office parties, a carnival, a ward party, and family parties I was exchuasted! As were my kids! The fun started two weeks before the grand event. We had some of my family over to celebrate my sister's birthday and decided to pull out the costume box.  The above shot is of my sister, Rachal trying on one of the wigs. The one below is of my brother also with a curly hair wig!

 Then it was time to crave pumpkins! It was quite a feat to crave six pumpkins but we did it! This is a picture of Julia with the boys craved pumpkins. Anth and I finished ours when the boys went downstairs to watch the great Halloween classic, "Charlie Brown and the Great Pumpkin." Fitting,  I know!

The night finally arrived! We had a flower....

Isn't she cute?

I can't believe how fast she is growing! She is almost four months old! She loves to smile and will at anyone that calls her pretty or cute! (Vanity starts early, I guess!) But when its time to pull out the camera.... I can't get this girl to smile for the world! She is way too interested in the big black thing Mom is pointing at her.

Grandpa was finally able to get her to smile! I love how she smiles with her whole face! Her eyes light up and you can tell that her soul is shining through as well! 

and then a clown stepped into the picture!  Peter had a large rainbow wig put chose not to wear it for trick or treating because it was scratchy!

Matthew was a dragon ( a costume I got at a garage sale for 3 bucks) but he didn't get to go trick or treating because of cold and also because he developed the natsy habit of gagging himself and threw up all over it in the car after the school carnival! ( We later found out he had a double ear infection. Who knew it could cause kids to gag themselves in order to relieve the pressure and pain. )

A scary pumpkin also decided to join us in our hunt for sugar! Andrew decided last November that he was going to a scary pumpkin and often reminded me about through the year! I'm glad that he thought this pumpkin was scary enough!

My sister decided to join in the fun of trick or treating and put on this wig and glasses for the adventure! 

Overall it was a great Halloween! Anyone want some candy?