Big Changes!!

A lot has gone on in the past two months and it has been amazing to watch how God has worked everything out!  I have been able to stay at home for 2 solid years now and it has been wonderful!!  I have enjoyed every minute of it.  I have spent the past year keeping Aubry and she has been a blessing to us as well.  She came not longer after I had a miscarriage and I loved having a baby back in the house.  Around that same time though, I got pregnant again.  Thankfully I wasn't near as sick this time around and it wasn't too difficult baking a baby and taking care of 3 kids:)

  Fast Forward to March.  Sweet baby Harper was born (who wasn't so sweet at the beginning) and that same week Aubry begins walking at 9 months old.  I take three weeks off from keeping Aubry and then pick right back up again.  There some days I didn't know if I would make it.  Most days I definitely didn't know if I was coming or going.  Going from 3-4 has definitely proved much more challenging than I had thought it would be.  Keeping Aubry has definitely helped us in the money department, but hasn't kept us from having to go into savings....all the time.

  So, I took Maddie to gymnastics one day and they said they were opening a preschool and were looking for teachers.  The pay wasn't great, but more than I made with Aubry and I thought it might bring some sanity and structure back in my life.  I was going to send them my resume so I emailed a few people about using them as references.  One was our Children's Director at church.  I work the nursery some at night so I thought he would be a good one to use.  He didn't write me back and my feelings were kind of hurt.  A few days later he flagged me down at church.  He was curious as to how set I was at going to River City and wondered if I would be interested in working at our church, under him, for the MDO program.  I could not believe it.  We live 5 minutes from church and I had always heard it was hard to get a job there.  This one practically fell in my lap.  We have met a few times in the past two months and I am so very excited about this new chapter in my life.  It only worked out so perfectly because God orchestrated the whole thing!!  We have been praying and praying about what I should do, and I am totally confident that this is his will.

  I will work 20 hours a week Tuesday-Friday.  Tuesday and Thursday Turner and Harper will be at MDO with me, Wednesday I work from home, and Friday Harper gets to stay with me while I work.  I will still be able to take and pick up everyone from school and Turner will continue to go to Bartlett Baptist M,W, and F.  He loves school, so he will be thrilled to be going 5 days a week.  I will sub for teachers when they are out, but am going to spend most of my time planning a Christmas program, and working on curriculum for the classes.  I start August 13th, so I will have Maddie's first week of school off to get her squared away and to try and get in a routine.

  Shortly after my first conversation with David, Megan found out she was pregnant again.  It was another confirmation that I was going to have to do something different.  I love Aubry to pieces and am excited to have another niece or nephew.  But without a shadow of a doubt I know I can not take care of anymore children.  So come January, Megan and I both would have to be figuring something else out.  Fortunately Megan was able to find someone else quickly and I was able to commit to this job.

  I am a little nervous about going back to work, but think I will really enjoy what I am going to be doing.  In the midst of all this I went to my 6 week postpartum check up (it was actually 3 months before I made it there).  They found two masses which needed to be removed.  So a few weeks ago I had outpatient surgery and thankfully, everything is fine!!!!  I can name too many people (young people) that I know in the past few months who have been diagnosed with cancer.  It made for a few scary weeks for me.  But again....God worked everything out and I am just fine.

  I have made a little office area in the corner of our bedroom and that is where my laptop is now.  I never really come in here during the day, which is why the blog keeps getting updated from the phone.  Hoping to be able to continue keeping up with everything even though I won't be as home as much.  Football has gotten back in full swing and Kev goes back to work Monday.  So, he won't be around much for a few months.  Turner will be in school five days a week, playing soccer, and singing in choir at church.  Maddie will be in first grade going to gymnastics three days a week.  Harper will hopefully continue doing what she is doing....not much!!  With Maddie and Turner, I was always eager for them to begin eating baby food, crawling, walking.  With Harper I know she is probably the last one and am in no hurry for any of that.  As long as she is healthy and there isn't a medical reason she isn't doing those things, my third baby can keep on being lazy:)

  So, lots going on here and things are about to get crazy busy, but we are thankful for everyday and are looking forward to what is to come!!  Ky post up next.

Stay at Home Monday!

Still blogging from the ole phone...have to find time to sit at the computer soon.  We just got back from our annual Ky trip that I will post pics from soon.

Yesterday was a great rainy in the morning,  just chill at home kind of day.  I have got so much that needs to be done around the house before school starts!  I love looking at pinterest for organizing tips, but have a very hard time implementing them.  Two weeks left before the craziness begins, so hopefully I get some things done:)

Harper got in the jumparoo for the first time yesterday and seems to like it.  I can't believe how big she is getting.  She also gets in the exersaucer now for a few minutes at a time:)  She is reaching for everything!

Yesterday afternoon I picked up some posterboard and we painted.  I was so impressed!  We painted the sky, an apple tree, and flowers.  I still think of Turner as my little (big:) baby boy and I was so proud of his picture.  They have always enjoyed doing arts and crafts, but I didn't realize he could paint/draw as well as he can.  Maddie did a lot of drawing in Kindergarten so I knew what she could do.  Turners projects were more cutting/coloring/gluing and not as much drawing.  On computer paper they tend to just throw paint on and not really make a picture of anything.  I plan on stocking up on posterboard and doing this more often!!

It was a good day!

H is 4 months old!!

This baby:
-Loves her stroller, feet, Maddie and Turner
-Always falls asleep about 7:30 and might wake up once to eat before 6.  She is our best baby sleeper!
-She still likes to be swaddled with her hands out.  In the morning it doesn't look like she has moved throughout the night except to sometimes kick her legs out of the blanket.
-Takes 5 ozs at a time and usually has 35 oz a day.  Thinking this might be a bit much.  Cant wait to take her for her checkup and get her stats.  She is our chunk!!
-Still not interested in rolling over but tolerates tummy time.
-Sucks her thumb, hand all the time.  Could take or leave paci.  I know it could be hard to break, but it is pretty stinking cute right now!
-She wears 3-6 month clothes and size 2 diapers.  I think she will be out of both before long:)
-Such a happy baby and blessing to our family!!

Lack of Blogging...

Is not due to lack of things going on.  About 2 months ago my camera broke:(  I bought a new one but don't love it.  So now I take a bunch of pics from my phone.  It is easy to post a bunch of pics from the phone to the blog...but I hate actually blogging from my phone...so here are a few random pics and I will blog from the computer next.  We have had a lot going on that I want to share!

Bartlett Fireworks!

VBS!!

Last week the whole family was at church working/participating in Vacation Bible School.  The theme this year was Colossal Coaster World and it was a great week!  Kevin was in the charge of Rec and my mom and I did the craft/snack for kiddos entering and leaving Kindergarten.  This was our last year to have Maddie with us but next year we will have Turner:)

Harper didn't love being in the nursery so a few days we had Boo Boo keep her instead.  Aubry did great though.  We had 135 kids come through and everyone seemed to really have fun.

Last night the kiddos sang during the church service to finishn off the week.  Afterwards there were hotdogs, ice cream, and a huge waterslide set up outside.  Our SS class had a pool party after church yesterday and ate together.  Then last night we had the fun at church.  Talk about being super easy putting the kids to bed!!  They were exhausted but had a fun day.  Harper was a trooper through it all.  She never fussed.  Just took a few bottles, was passed around a bit, and was happy as could be:)

Thankful for our church, for having a family that is willing to serve, and kiddos that love being there!  Looking forward though to a lowkey week:)  A swim party, fireworks with friends,  and a trip to Savannah are the main things on the agenda for the week!