Ahh the Winter...

       I feel like this winter has been very mild. But for whatever reason, ever since Matt brought home a cough from work I can not get my kids healthy! Soo frustrating! But life goes on... So for now we are just upping their Vit's and hoping that we can catch a break. I love my kiddos and all the extra snuggles but I'm slightly over hearing them (especially Sam) cry because the coughing hurts. :( This is the one part of healthcare that I HATE! The waiting to see if their body will kick into gear and get it done. So far we've had ups and downs but such is normal. It has to get worse before it can get better. I just hope that it will start getting better soon! *Fingers Crossed!*

       Other than that things are moving along (slowly) on the house repairs/updates. I'm currently working on painting out cupboards. The ones I have the first coat on look soo much better than the brown! Everything in my current Kitchen is just so dark that it feels so much smaller than it actually is. The grey definitely helps to lighten it up and breathe some new life into these cupboards and all their years of use. My goal is still to eventually replace all of them, but for now while that is just a pipe dream I'm just going to give it all a face lift and start liking what I see again. I really wish I would've known what I wanted in here before we moved in. But I'm glad that I know now and can get it done and make it gorgeous! Matt helped me pick out the colors (and by "helped" I mean told me to pick whatever makes me happy, such a smart husband!!). I'll have to post some pictures once we get it all painted and looking amazing! But probably before I get the decor up (because I'm still deciding those minor details).

But that's about all the excitement going on in our lives for now. Hopefully some of it will end soon!!

Who knew the tears would come so quickly...

       I've always been protective of children. Especially since my parents added Daniel and Matthew to our family. They taught me what it meant to be an older sister, and what it meant to have someone younger then to care for. They are the ones that taught me how precious life really is. Matt is the one that made me want to adopt a child, and provide a better home and stable environment to grow in.

       Then Eric came into my life, and I learned about a new kind of love. The love a mother has for her children. I knew that loving a my own children would be different then how I feel about my nieces and nephews. But I didn't realize that having a child of my own would affect every other part of my life. I didn't know that once I had a child that I would grow to be more protective of children. I didn't even know that I could be more protective of children then I already was!! Then books that my dad used to read through his tears to me as a child made me start crying as I read them to Eric. Songs on the radio about children started touching me in different ways. Stories on the news about children being abused made me angrier and want to save the children from their abusers. Posts on blogs about children with incurable diseases brought me to tears, just from the pictures, and crying uncontrollably from their stories.

       I used to think that crying over anything was a sign of weakness. But now I know that crying for the right reasons is not weakness. If anything it's a sign of a loving heart. I hope that is something that I can teach my children as they grow. I'm sure when they are young they will be as baffled as I was when my dad cried reading us stories at night. I hope to teach them to embrace the caring natures they are born with, and use it to better the world around them in anyway they can.

Just cause I can't help but take pictures :)

Sleeping with Ayden and Cambree

With Skyler and Ayden

This is my "grumpy gills" face, depending on the cry it either means feed me/hold me/get that camera out of my face ;)

Loving life with Matt

Sleepy face

Sleeping with Daddy after a hard night in the hospital

Sleeping with Grandma Hennen

Sleeping with Grandpa Hennen

First nap at home in his crib :)

Sleeping on Mommy

Enough with the pictures already!!

Hide-a-baby sleeping with Daddy

Meditating on Mommy's lap

"Hi Dad"

"I don't want to hear it"

Now I just need to remember to bring my camera and get some more pictures with the Long side!! :)

Crushed...

       This is probably a premature despair on my part, but currently it's all I can think about since I got the call from Matt's commanding ROTC officer... I found out Thursday night that Matt's training dates for this summer were moved from June 13-July 11 to July 8-Aug 6. Which means that unless this little boy comes the week of July 4th Matthew won't be here to see him come into the world... So I've been contemplating what that really means to me. I guess I never really thought about what it would be like giving birth to my first child without the support of my amazing husband. Every dream I've had about giving birth Matt is always right there beside me, helping me and sharing the pure and ultimate joy of finally meeting our son. But since that call, I feel like all my hopes and dreams are being crushed and thrown out the window. I mean this is our FIRST. You only get one of those... Granted you also only get one second, third, forth and fifth too... but having that first one, the one you base all your expectations for the other deliveries on, having that one crushed just feels so much more depressing to me (at least for the time being as I have yet to experience the others). I keep hoping that MSG Straight got him mixed up with another cadet like he has in the past, but I don't dare believe that to be true...
So on Monday I'm going to talk to my OB about possibly inducing the week of July 4th, but I don't think he'll agree to it... But for now I cling to the hope that he will agree because it is an extenuating circumstance... If not I'll just hope and pray that I'm like my mom when it comes to the first child. Because in all reality having Eric any time after July 1st would still be considered full term... So I just hope and pray that Eric feels the same and is ready to come meet his family that couldn't be more excited to have him.

My Wonderful Mom

       Since tomorrow is mother's day I thought I would take a min to tell you about my amazing mom.

       My Mom knew from a very young age that the church she was attending wasn't the right one. The true church wouldn't change it's doctrine based on who was preaching that Sunday or have it's name changed based on the priest at the time. Because of this she kept looking for the true church. When she was 19 two missionaries knocked on her door, and she knew from that moment that what they were going to tell her was true. She worked hard with her family and the missionaries and to this day remembers the missionaries that baptized her and the gospel they taught her. She was baptized on September 7 at the age of 19 and converted my Dad at the age of 21. Her and my dad were married in a chapel in MN (before the temple was built there) and then later were sealed in Idaho Falls. My mom has the strongest testimony out of everyone I know. She is continually striving to learn and grow in the gospel.
   
       My mother has been a source of inspiration to me though out my life (struggle as we may with communication). She has been there to help and teach me every step of my life. She is the one who taught me that anything worth doing was worth sacrificing for. She is a beautiful strong woman who raised 11 children, and is now the grandmother to 23. She is so caring and compassionate that she will often go without to make sure that her children and grandchildren are taken care of. Together with my sister (and even before we could help) she has made several blankets and clothing items for everyone in my family. I can't think of one person that she hasn't helped in someway shape or form. She is always working and trying to be the best person she can be. I'm so grateful to my mother for not giving up when all I did was fight with her as a child. I'm so grateful that she took the time to teach me how to sew, knit, cook, clean, work and try. Her example has taught me to keep going and to never give up. Her example in service has taught me to serve and given me a grater desire to serve and to find the true joy that comes out of service. My Mom is always doing anything she can to serve and help people grow. She is always willing to teach anyone who is willing to learn. She is a wonderful caring daughter of God who knows the true joy of teaching children. She loves music and enjoys teaching the many children in her ward. For her the joy comes not just from the music, but from the look on each child's face when they get the chance to show how far they have come and the joy that they express in their own individual ways. She often holds piano recitals in her home for the children so they can have a chance to play for their grandparents/parents and siblings. Each of the recitals that I've attended I've personally seen the pride and joy on each child's face as they walk away from the piano after playing for their family and the applause that follows.

     I hope someday to be as strong as she is.

    I love you Mom!!