The End is Near...

at least for our time in this house. We have had our love/hate relationship with this house, but at the end of the day it was/is our home. We will always have memories of our home here and are sad to leave. However, we are super anxious for this next chapter in our new home. I'm sure we will have a whole new set of love/hate issues with the new place, but we'll cross those bridges when we get there. Some things we will greatly miss: Haydn being able to go ride his bike around the neighborhood and not worrying, our 'family walk' route that is about 2.5 miles including hills, the parks close by where the boys can go hit balls off the T and play soccer, knowing that people are watching for Emmitt in the streets (he really is an escape artist!), laying on the front lawn watching for shooting stars, living so close to our longtime friends, and our friends of the last 20 months. It's amazing what we take for granted and don't realize it until we are leaving or it is taken away from us. Thankfully we aren't moving too far so we can still visit all our friends!

We are really looking forward to a VERY short drive to and from work for Adam. We also look forward to Adam being able to have lunch with us if he wants (which will be super helpful after this baby comes...and expected at first). There's several other pros' to this list that I won't get into now.

The move starts tomorrow and I'm super anxious. I am ready to get it started...AND over. I look forward to my mother-in-law being here this weekend to help with the boys (I know that wasn't what she wanted the visit for, but I will be forever grateful for the help and piece of mind she is giving me). I'm ready to get things settled and prepared for our new addition (the crib set up, clothes ready for him, meals and snacks ready in the freezer, etc). I'm also ready to get settled back into our schedule again and not have to worry about packing (or unpacking). I remember always loving to move when I was younger but now that I'm the mom moving, it's not so much fun!

Hopefully we won't be offline too long, but if it takes awhile for me to post again it's because we are!

So Much Time, So Little to Do....Errr

I cannot believe it has been almost 2 YEARS since I last wrote. I don't even know if anyone still follows along or not. I plan on getting back on the bandwagon and updating in one location on the happenings of our family. If nobody is following, well, I have a 'journal' then.

So much time has passed, and I have written so little...and we have had some big changes in our lives in the past 2 years. The condensed version: We had a baby, put our house up for sale, sold our house, got a job offer that required us to make a HUGE move, made that HUGE move with a 3 month old baby and barely 4 year old, settled into our new home, and quickly fell into the busy life of a family with 2 active little boys.

Fast forward a bit, 4 year old informs us that it would be in his best interest to home school him (he has a huge love for learning), he started reading, memorizing, and doing simple math. After being in preschool for a year, I felt confident enough that home schooling is an option. Started collecting materials and supplies I thought I might need and started home school over 3 months ago. So far, so good!

Little baby is now a big toddler into everything...literally gets into everything. There is nothing out of his reach if you can reach it. Makes for a long, rough day when trying to get anything accomplished that takes your eyes off him. He may be busy, but he sure is fun!

Now, we have yet another little boy on the way and this is wearing me out! Pregnancy has been easy for me in the past, but this time around I have experienced morning sickness for the first 16 weeks, Braxton Hicks every single day, weird things that gross me out (slimy things are beyond my gagging control), and general feelings of BLAH. This little boy likes to move too! While I'm worn out now, I am really looking forward to having another boy in my home. I love them and they are SO MUCH FUN!

As if this all wasn't enough, we wanted to move closer to Adam's work and get settled in before baby boy comes. Well, we found what we think might be the perfect place to call home for the next couple years, and it's VERY close to work. The catch (because there is ALWAYS a catch), is the BUSIEST weekend of Adam's job. Did I mention that Adam will be busy? Let's just say that I don't plan on seeing Adam much the week prior to this event or the day after. And we are moving???? I AM crazy! We will make it through and one of our awesome friends has already offered to take that Monday after the super busy weekend off from work to help us move. I'm hoping I'll be able to get most of the smaller things moved on my own throughout the week prior to the BIG move day. This gives me about 3 months to get everything settled and ready before we have a newborn in the house again.

During all of this, I still have my "into everything" almost 2 year old and my "home schooling" 5 year old to entertain and hopefully help. We are going to attempt to school through our move. (I know...I already admitted it, I'm crazy!) I think we can do some simple projects and focus on our 'core' subjects that we do every day. Hopefully we will be able to get everything set up right away and get back into the groove of things within a week after moving. (I think this might be possible since it's a local move.) I did finally admit to my mother-in-law that I am stressing a little more than I thought. She reminded me of our moving day almost 2 years ago...when I broke down in tears and showed a side of me that I wished NONE of the people who were there saw. I'm trying not to get too stressed (more Braxton Hicks!) because my stress comes out as anger and nobody should have to bear that!

Well, this is a little longer than I had planned (and I hear my "into everything" son getting into 'something') and should probably get going. I have so much to do and so little time to do it in. Alas, I will continue to update.

Edifying and Uplifting

I had one of the most edifying and uplifting days that I've had in a very long time. I had the opportunity to attend a 'training' by the General Primary President (Sis. Wixom) and then attend a fireside where she spoke along with the General Relief Society 2nd Counselor (Sis. Thompson) and a member of the Area 70 (Elder Reall). I had debated whether or not I should go for a number of reasons. I ended up going (and my mom got to go with me too!) and am so thankful that I did. I'm having a hard time putting into words my thoughts and feelings of the afternoon/evening. Words like "fantastic," "wonderful," and "peace" come to mind. However, I don't know how to explain what I'm feeling to someone who is not of my faith. I've had some trials to deal with lately and started to feel 'lost' but the words shared today lifted my spirit and I know that everything will be just fine. My testimony of the Gospel was strengthened so much today. I know the Lord puts us in place to learn from people at just the right time. I know the Gospel is true, I know that we have a living prophet today to help guide us back to our Heavenly Father. I know that Heavenly Father hears our prayers and wants to help us.

Quoting Haydn

My youngest brother came and stayed with us for a week. We loved having him here. I don't know who loved having him here the most though. Haydn had someone new to play with (and usually only asked Jake to play with him), Adam enjoyed having a fresh dinner every night (because I told Jake that I needed to make him a few things), and I got to spend a whole week with my baby brother before he leaves and serves the Lord for 2 whole years! With that much excitement in our home, Haydn comes out with some funny phrases (and sweet ones too)!
While playing trains with Adam and Jake, Adam picked up some of the tracks to build with and Haydn says "Hey Man, what you doing with my tracks?!?"
While not feeling the greatest and desperately needing a drink of water I asked Haydn if he'd get me a glass of water. Haydn responded "I sure will!"
When we eat anything that Haydn deems as 'good' he says "Yum-yum-yum-yum, doe-soe." (It's supposed to be delicioso)
Every night Haydn gives us kisses and hugs good night. he just started giving my belly hugs and kisses too. He talks to the baby and tells me what the baby needs. He's very concerned that everything I eat goes onto the baby's head and gets in his hair. He then tells me that I need to drink lots of water to get all the food out of the baby's hair.
I'm sure there's more I'm forgetting at this time, but he sure does say a lot of funny things. I love him so much and could not imagine my life without him in it. I am truly blessed to be his mother.

Just this One time

I am only going to complain this ONE time about pregnancy. My body aches and I hardly sleep at night. I am so tired. My back hurts, my stomach hurts, my legs hurt, even my sides hurt! It hurts to walk, it hurts to sit, it hurts to lay down. My legs feel like they weigh one hundred pounds each and the act of getting out of bed is painful. OH! and the random braxton hicks are nothing to pass off lightly. Nothing sounds good to eat and making meals is out of the question. If I have to come up with the idea for dinner, I don't have the energy to make it. I have lots of things to get done around the house before this little man gets here, but I have zero energy to do that. I am barely getting the things finished that are normal tasks. I can't get down and play on the floor with Haydn.  Knowing that there are only 5 weeks left of this is bittersweet. I know it isn't very long, but it seems forever at the same time.
On the other side of things, I am so happy that we have this little guy coming to us. We are all so excited to see him and can hardly wait to hold him and kiss him. We know we'll be tired, but seeing his little face will be so wonderful. There were many prayers asking for him and many more asking for his health and well being. I know I'll miss feeling him move. He'll grow so fast and there will be a lot of "remember when" or "I can't believe" conversations. As uncomfortable as I am now, I am very thankful to be pregnant. I know it could be a lot worse and I have been very blessed through this whole pregnancy.

Ranting

I know I have had a few posts where I ranted. I have no problem expressing my feelings about different subjects, so after much thought and a number of topics I can't wait to write about, I've started a new blog just for that purpose. I know...I will probably make some enemies or hurt some feelings, but I should be able to write out my opinion on subjects too. So, to keep this blog more about my family, the other will be my pet peeves and other 'controversial' topics. Feel free to check it out RantingwRachel.blogspot.com
If you don't want to hear my ranting, don't check it out. Either way, I won't be offended.

To Georgia and Back

I have been home for a few days now from Georgia. It was so great getting to visit my sister and her family. It's been two and a half years since I saw them last! It was also great getting to road trip with my youngest two siblings. Yes, I had talking points and they believe there were cross references. My mind works that way though...everything can be related. =) It's not often that I get to sit down and talk with these two so it was great to have hours upon hours to talk. It also helped to see funny things on the road, like a mattress tied to the back of a semi moving truck.
I guess there was too much fun being had, because I didn't pull my camera out much. I didn't even get pictures with my sister or of her family. Kind of bittersweet I guess. It was so fun getting to see where my sister lives and the people she hangs out with. After we arrived EARLY in the morning Sunday, we all went to bed. However, Haydn had slept in the car for hours already and was ready to play. Sure enough, he played with his two cousins. He hadn't ever really been able to play with them before. They were instant friends and he calls them his cousin friends now. How we miss our cousin friends though.
One evening we went out to my sister and her husband's favorite Mexican restaurant. Haydn had fallen asleep in the car on the way to the restaurant so he was LOTS of fun once we got there. He is very much like his father, very cranky when he is just one of the following three: hot, sleepy, hungry. This fantastic evening, Haydn was all three! The waitress was taking our drink orders after putting chips and salsa on the table. Haydn thought the little carafe of salsa was a beverage. I asked him what he wanted to drink and he insisted that he just wanted "this." After I explained to him several times that he really didn't want it to drink and that it was not a beverage, he insisted. The whole time he was unwrapping a straw. Finally he put the straw in the salsa and took a BIG GULP! I knew what he was going to do, so I announced to everyone to watch. Sure enough, the salsa burned his mouth and he was in desperate need of a drink. However, we had just placed our orders. The only thing I could give him to calm the heat was a chip. This is not the first time I have seen someone do this. When Liz was younger, she did the same thing. The difference, Liz didn't know she was drinking salsa. She thought she had picked up her cup of juice which happened to be red.
We were able to go see several historical buildings in the downtown area. It was actually pretty cool the history of the town. I think we chose the hottest day to go and do that because it was 103 degrees. Whew...it had been hot before we left, but not quite in the 100s yet! We had heat advisories and heat index over 100, and the whole time I had been driving around town with the windows down. (I love fresh air!) But there is definitely a difference when you are walking around in 100 degree heat and riding around in 100 degree heat index.
We also got to go the to aviation museum. Apparently there was a 2 star general at the air force base close to the museum and he had a goal of getting a museum set up. There were lots of airplanes and WWII items. Going through a WWII section was kind of difficult for me. I am currently reading a book series that follows a family through the trials of WWII. Some things are a little more graphic than I can handle and I have a much better understanding of the war. Adam loves history and I really wish he could have gone.
We spent most of our evenings playing board games. I LOVE playing games. We were able to have great conversations during this time too. There's a few games I'd like to add to our family game collection. The worst part of the trip was that Adam wasn't with us. We missed him so much and hope that next time, he can go. He was just too busy with work to be able to take that much time off.