Thankful Thursday

I thought this would be a great time to explain what my clues mean. For all of our readers that have not guessed, we are going to have a baby. Surprise!!!! Yes it was very much a surprise-a wonderful and exciting surprise. We are expecting the baby to be arriving around Dec 12th. My mom and John both think that it is a boy. My midwife joked that it is twins. Right now I am feeling great other than very, very tired. I only feel nausea when I have not eaten, so I am trying to do several small meals during the day.

Jessa loves to look at little babies, but I think she is not going to be happy when this baby comes home to stay. Emma wants to have a baby boy, but I think she would be happy to have either. I will keep you informed about all the excitement.

I have to say that I am very thankful to God for the opportunity to be pregnant again and give birth again. As John says, "I am getting my three children" and John's dad now only needs one more grandchild to fill his quota of 7.

A very full last two weeks

Emma splashing in the puddles.

Jessa loves making big splashes.

Emma is winning the race.

Jessa is catching up in the race.

Daddy moved the girls' house out for them to play in. Boy do they love it. Thanks Dawn and Chuck.

Emma thinks it is great to feel the breeze in her hair. As Emma says... "It's windeeee.."

Bennett and Nicholas were over the last two Fridays due to their spring break. Bennett decided to make a tower with Alla.

I think Alla and Emma are attacking Bennett. Do you like how Jessa is the quiet observer.

Emma is posing out in the grass.

Jessa is planting some flowers for us. How do you think she is doing?

We want to pass on some thank yous for this weekend. Gramma and Grampa for watching the girls on Saturday and Granddad and Nana for coming down to work on the kitchen and go to the Birthday party. We are in the mad rush to get our house together to put it on the market. We are in the need of a bigger home. I will explain more later this week. I have left a clue somewhere on the blog site. We pulled down the kitchen ceiling on Saturday and are putting up a new one on next Saturday. I have gone around and made lists for the things that have to been done in each room. I feel very overwhelmed.

We could use all of your prayers to get this work finished and not have this house on the market for long. God definitely has a plan for us. He also has a great sense of humor.

A very touching post

I ask that anyone who reads my blog, please take a look at the blogsite that I have the link for on the side - a place called simplicity. It is a very moving post about our service men and women.

A new family member

Alla is kissing Jessa

Emma saving Daddy from Alla

Jessa is trying to eat Alla

The girls are wrestling with Daddy and Alla. I am not sure who is winning.

Jessa is resting with Alla

Emma and Jessa are putting Alla to night-night.

Jessa playing croc hunter

Emma is hugging Alla

Alla is a very large soft alligator that we found at Sam's Club. The girls fell in love with it.

We had a good day. The girls are getting big enough that they can walk in the mall and completely enjoy it. They must of covered half of the mall with very little problems.

We got to talk with Gramma and Grampa in Germany. It was great to hear from them. We miss you!!!!

Thankful Thursday - one day late

Doesn't she look like an angel?

The girls like trying to find Bennett's belly button.

Jessa really loves her cousin.

The girls enjoying an afternoon in the park.

We think they want to take a walk.

My thankful Thursday entry is one day late. God has blessed me with some much. I hear stories or read blogs about other families that are going through so much in their lives. I look at my life with my family and feel very blessed.

Thankful Thursday

This is my first Thankful Thursday posting. I have to admit the idea for this posting is not mine. I got it from another blog site. I have been feeling that I need to include it in my blog. The premise for Thankful Thursday is to thank God for something in your life or day. I thought my first TT was for all the mom's out there. I thank God for the days that children do not nap!!!!



We have had a very sick week. Jessa started with a fever on Friday and we headed to the doctors on Saturday to check her ears. They were fine and we were sent home with the feeling that it was just a cold. By Sunday, Mommy and Jessa were getting worse and Emma just did not seem right. Monday, Daddy took the day off from work to care of the girls (all of them). We headed back to the doctors due to the continued fever with Jessa. Upon the doctor checking her out, she was diagnosed with scarlet fever and strep throat. The doctor immediately wanted to see Emma and she was diagnosed with strep. Mommy received the diagnosis also. We spent the following days at home with multiple doses of antibiotics and tissues.

I decided that the girls needed one more day of a good nap before we started to get back to a regular routines. We had a normal morning filled the activities around the house, playing with babies, dancing, reading, and then lunch. We headed off to bed for some well deserved rest on the girls' and mommy's behalf. On a normal day, the girls are off to sleep within 20 minutes of going up. Today was not a normal day, Emma decided that she did not want to nap and within 40 minutes of the girls going to bed, she had Jessa awake.

I bet the moms out there are wondering why I consider this a Thankful Thursday. I was also wondering that as I was getting more and more upset about how the evening was going to go with two very tired girls. I made the realization that God has given me everything I prayed for. I remembered praying so hard for a child and wondering if I would ever be a mom. There are many days since I have become a mom that I fell like a complete and total failure at this motherhood stuff, then Emma will say "thank you, mommy" with her arm outstretched or Jessa says "mommy, happy". I just have to smile and realize how Thankful I am for God and His Blessings.

A side note, we are all getting better. Now we are just waiting for Daddy to come down with it!!!

Wonderful Pictures of Jessa

I thought it would be fun to see how much Jessa has changed in 20 months. I hope you enjoy it.

I find it amazing how that little baby that grow inside me could be a true person with ideas and feelings. God is great!!!!

I have been reading a blog recently about a family that lost their home in a fire. The strength and courage of this family is incredible. I know that is truly do to God and His strength and power. If you want to read some incredible insights into how to live your life, please connect to to aplacecalledsimplicity.blogspot.com. Your life and humility will certainly change. God Bless people like this family.