Are we There Yet?

Blessings.....

2010-11-08T10:03:00.000-08:00

So....today we are buying a new vehicle, well not new, but new to us. And we are paying Cash. Thanks to a gift from George and JO, as well as a great price from our friends who we are buying it from.

And we sold our Van and bought a cheaper van to replace it. which is an answer to prayer and it took a long time but God is faithful

We also are moving in less than 2 months now. And the place we are in was definitely a blessing from God, butour time was ending soon anyways and so God is so good that we didn't even to have to look at anything. WE were really hoping to be in a position to buy or build right now but though we are making progress on paying off our debt it wasn't as quick as we wanted. And so God has provided this house, it's beautiful house, it's not downgrading at all, but 'up-grading'. It will still be renting but it is the right move right now, it will allow us to live in great place and yet still be able to work towards paying off our debt and keep our focus on our business and what God has for our lives.

I feel right now that we are in the right place, we are standing in the river and we are moving towards the vision that God has given us for our lives, we have great hope for right now and for the future. God's favor is with us right now and I am so grateful for all the blessings so far and know that this is just the beginning. I am trusting Him to meet the other needs we have right now as well.

I leave for my Doula workshop on Thursday.
And Andy and Jenn are due in about 6 weeks now!! i am so excited to meet my nephew and I'm so excited to see what God has up His sleeve next....

life ventures.....

2010-10-23T11:13:00.000-07:00

K, so here i am again. not too bad...less than a week. So, i thought i'd just let you know what is actually going on in my life currently. Owen is 2. He just turned 2 about a week ago, he's very little for his age but very social, funny, smart, is talking alot and makes me laugh all the time. Kael is 4, and i still can't believe he is already 4. He is also smart ( who doesn't think their kid is smart) He's particular..He's a little shy if he doesn't know you at first. He's sneaky and right now both kids are really into pretending with food and i love it. Mike found them a great little play kitchen and so grandma has been sending up packages of 'food' and they just think it's great. Owen pretends to actually eat the food..

so that's being a mom. and i'm still soo grateful to be a stay at home mom. Sometimes i feel guilty that my life consists of play dates and hanging out with my kids, but i wouldn't want to give up that time to anyone else.

But I am getting to do more now that doesn't involve my kids and i'm really excited. There two things in particular that i've been more involved in.
1. is a ministry called Restoring the foundations
I was actually trained to do what is called Issue Focused Ministry with people, and I completed my training last summer and have been doing some ministry here and there. Well now my friend Colleen has also finished her training for the issue focused, so now i have a consistent partner and so we have been doing more ministry together and it has been so exciting.
What you do is you meet with someone for a session and you pray through 4 different areas. And it's amazing How God knows exactly where they need healing, where to go and How he brings that truth and healing into their lives, it's a privilege to get to see that first hand, and it isn't 'us' bringing the healing. It is God but it is very cool to be used by Him to facilitate that healing.

2. and the one other is new. I am in the process of getting my Doula Certification. I've just started I'm reading the books now and I will be attending my Doula workshop in November and i even have been asked by my sister in law to be her doula!! So i am sooo excited and honored that they asked me. I get to be there when my nephew will be born.

so...that is kind of a little more of what's going on in my life.
Mike and I are doing well and we just had our 6 year anniversary and we are growing and still getting to know each other and learning how to be more loving and to work as a team. I'm so grateful that He is not content to keep life as it is but we both strive to really see what God is up to and to go where He directs.

2010-10-18T10:08:00.000-07:00

So.....it's been awhile. I even started a blog post about a month ago, got most of it done even though it took me a long time and then somehow it disappeared. So i'm going to start again. Mike is away right now it's been 6 days and he comes home in another 3 or 4 days. I think it's the longest we've been apart in our 6 married years together. And even tho i cried alot yesterday ( which i really believe was lack of sleep...it's alot taking care of 2 boys on your own ) and i wasn't getting much sleep cause of good things, like visiting with friends and family...but anyways....grandma's are God sent and my mom took the boys overnight. So today is a new day. I got to watch old Grey's re-runs last night til late and then still got to sleep in this morning. Woke up played guitar, started writing some songs...which i haven't really done in a long time. But God has been stirring me up to write songs again but today finally i started some. and it was fun and relaxing and they came easily. they aren't finished but i like them so far.
and i even got to run this morning, was a little hard but felt so good to run again. it's been a week....too long.
it's amazing what sleep can do for you! ( and the help of mom's)
so....i really don't have anything profound to say, just wanted to say something. Not even sure who i am writing this too......my little boy, my baby just turned 2 yesterday. I can't believe it. and kael is 4 now, he's talking so much and getting so smart. I have been married 6 years, and i live in tomahawk. it's such a good fit for us, for our family and for me. I can't believe that i actually ran away from it, that we didn't trust God to know us better than we think we know ourselves. that's all i'm going to say for now....

beauty....

2009-05-22T18:53:00.000-07:00

so, when i was in high school i couldn't wait to get out of Tomahawk. seriously, i was just so ready to get out of here, sure i would never come back. i even thought when i visited why do people stay here, why do people want to live in tomahawk? it's so small and in the middle of nowhere, and to be honest, i judged people, i thought if they stayed here it meant that in their lives they were doing nothing and going nowhere......
and then i lived all over, well not all over, but i lived in vancouver for years and i LOVED living in the city, walking down commercial drive, getting a coffee, picking up fresh fruits and veggies for dinner and it costs me barely anything. i loved the music, the people, all the little shops.....all the coffee shops....that was probably my favorite part, you could see the mountains, take a short bus ride or sky train down to the ocean..lovely, it was lovely....
but we left canada and moved back to the states to madison, and i never loved madison, not at all. i made a great friend and so did kael and mike in our friends Katie, George and Georgie, and they were really the best thing that came out of madison, but nothing about the city itself left me satisfied..
and now we live in tomahawk again. And today i was just struck by the beauty of this place. the trees all around you, in our backyard we have birch trees, maple, lilac bushes, crab apple trees, apple trees and many plants plants....it's gorgeous. i sat in my back yard this morning and breastfed owen and no one could see me, the air was fresh and crisp and it was relaxing. now that i have kids and i'm in this place n my life this is the spot for us. ( i'm not saying we won't ever move) but I could make my mom dinner tonight to celebrate her birthday....kael could play outside today while i made dinner, the breeze is wonderful and i feel refreshed. and i feel also like i am a part of what is doing, that there is a place for me here. a spot to fill, where i am needed and where God will use me to reach people. i am sorry to anyone i judged for living in their small town, i love both city and country and right now , this is the place for me and my family and it's beautiful. the nature around me awakens something in me, let's me breathe deeper....feel closer to God. i love it here. and i never thought i'd say those words.

feeling good

2009-05-12T19:54:00.000-07:00

i know i haven't blogged in awhile. But lately...
I have lost 10lbs We are eating healthy and feeling great.
I also am moving forward with our Restoring the Foundations, was able to pray with one person and another one interested.
I ate asparagus tonight for dinner from my own garden....soo yummy!!!! it is my favorite veggie.
Me and the boys play outside all the time and i love it.
last weekend i went garage sale-ing and got a great picnic table with benches or $5 and got a free table and chairs among other treasures. i love summer and spring. my backyard is turning green, things are beginning to bud, we have a blossom tree, and lots of other beautiful trees.
i love my kids and husband.
i have connected with an old friend and it's so awesome, we hang out every week now and she has a little girl that is afraid of my son...boy vs. girl
And our business is still going really well and i am so excited about it, we are making money and helping other people make money. that's me lately.......

today

2009-04-27T11:26:00.000-07:00

Most of us look at our days in the wrong way: We overexaggerate yesterday. We overestimate tomorrow. We underestimate today. The truth is that the most important day you will ever experience is today.
Make today your masterpiece.

Grandma and Grandpa Bailey

2009-04-22T05:42:00.001-07:00

My Mother-in-law and her husband were here last week visiting ( from louisiana) So i thought i'd post some pics of their time.
we had a great time with them and so did the boys....oh and there is a pic of the house we are renting right now. the outdoor pics are in the backyard as well, (except the barn door, that's at my parents)
We also had a dinner here and a fire one night cause my brother and his wife were in town, so it was all the family hanging out at our house and we loved it!!! especially being the only with kids we were able to put them to sleep and enjoy the fire until late at night.

contest

2009-04-20T12:09:00.000-07:00

so, me and mike are doing two competitions at once right now.I'm pretty excited about them because i feel like change is coming and this is what i need to kick start my life in these areas. I feel as if God has been speaking to me alot lately, it seems like when i read something in a book, i hear it later that day on a cd, on tv or thru a friend. So i feel as if God has been doing some work in me and it's not always easy but God's blessings are showing up in my life because of it. One thing was that i was praying for a crib for owen, and my mother in law and her husband took us to Target to pick out a crib and mattress for him. I was very very blessed. Especially since the week before i felt as if God was saying, that i had this attitude that i deserved things and really i don't deserve anything, anything and everything we have is a gift.

So the two contests' we are doing...one is related to our business. Motivating us to do daily things to grow personally and to see our business grow.
the other is one my mom started with some ppl at church and it's '40 Days to Prosperous Living'
and the goal of that one is to be healthier in our life, physically, spiritually and emotionally. With both of them you get points for doing things ( or not doing things) Like the healthy living you get a point if you don't watch tv, if you don't drink pop or alcohol, etc..You get points for eating so many servings of fruit and veg, glasses of water etc. Spending time with God, exercising.
So Today is the first day of the healthy living one and i feel great already. Me and mike are also counting calories so hopefully i can lose some of this baby fat and he wants to get lean and work out to get muscle. I've already done lots of the things today and that feels great. The hardest one might be the getting 7-8 hrs sleep....:)
wish me perseverance.

the boys

2009-04-04T06:14:00.000-07:00

warmer weather

2009-03-23T10:12:00.000-07:00

this weekend was gorgeous weather. warm enough for kael to be able to play outside for hours. which was great for me since i was sick over the weekend, mike was able to take kael out of the house for hours and so i could get some downtime. i'm feeling a bit better today but not 100%. i'm excited because this weekend we have our business Conference and John Maxwell is speaking, my favorite speaker. If you haven't heard him or read his books He is fantastic. Also i get to see one of my best friends ever! Jamie is flying in to babysit my boys...which is such an answer to prayer. i'm so grateful she could do it and also soo excited to see her. I don't anticipate i'll be getting much sleep this weekend but i'm looking forward to it!!!

christmas

2009-03-11T06:51:00.001-07:00

i know i haven't really posted lately and i didn't really post any pics from christmas..and i found a few that were pretty cute that i thought i'd post anyways.

vision

2009-03-10T12:07:00.000-07:00

so.....i have been feeling great lately.I feel like my old self. and it's funny cause i feel like i am coming out of a coma or something, although obviously not as extreme, i'm feeling renewed energy for life. I completed the second half of the training for Restoring the Foundations issue focused Ministry. So, now i (with a partner) would be able to take people through a 3 hr session ministering to them regarding one particular issue in their life. Under the mentoring/teaching of my mom and Diane who have been doing this ministry for awhile now. So i'm excited about that but this is where i feel like the old me. I'm ready to go for it, to jump right in and in my mind i want to jump ahead and see the potential of all of this, what we could do here in the city. I'm also excited because i've been asked to join the worship team at church and it would working with one of my oldest friends again. I am excited about singing again, i even had my guitar out a few times this week.....i feel as if i'm ready for life again. i think because we had kael, left ywam and moving to Scotland at the same time it was really hard for me. i was a new mother, i just left a ministry i had been with for 7 yrs and was kind of burnt out anyways.....now i feel like i've had time to rest, even though i have two kids, it's soo much easier this time, i'm enjoying it more. owen is such an easy baby, he's so undemanding and soooo happy. and i have a community around me and i'm pursuing things i feel passionate about I feel soo much more alive. So of course i'm wanting to be off and running, I feel as if i need to have a balanced life, of being a wife, a mum, being myself, having hobbies, and also pursuing ministry in certain capacities right now....so that's where i'm at. if anyone has any advice on anything i'm all open to hearing it....i feel as if i need to realy talk it all out with someone and maybe think it all through myself what it is i want..what is important etc....how to go after the things in my heart.

New pics below

2009-02-27T16:55:00.001-08:00

time is moving fast

2009-02-27T07:07:00.000-08:00

So...it's been awhile. i'm not sure if i have any readers anymore and i'm not even sure i want to keep blogging. it's fading......but i thought maybe i'd do another post and see if anyone is reading..
this is what i've been up to....hhmmm....two boys keep you busy. owen is a very easy baby though, easy and smiley, so fun. i'm loving having a baby again, sometimes i just hold him and smell him and just love being his mum.
kael is into everything and so funny, he loves to brush his teeth, although i'm pretty sure it's the toothpaste he loves more than the brushing. ( don't worry i don't let him eat it) and his new thing is using little chairs..he hauls them all over the house to help him get onto the counter of his choice to get whatever it is he's wanting...vitamins, cookies, toast....toothpaste, and the hand soap is now kept in the cupboard as well as he likes to 'wash' his hands.

i've been sewing, i've finished two baby quilts, one for a friend and one for kael. Thomas and then a girl one. also some smaller projects, like a curtain, pillow, small baby blanket, i even hemmed a pair of pants,

i'm still unpacking my house,

connecting with old friends, and making new ones. i'm going a small group on the book Captivating and my two dear friends Shelley and Mary are in my small group as well as other friends in the big group

i am taking a small course that my mom is leading with her friend Diane. they are both trained in a ministry called Restoring the Foundations, which incorporates a few different counseling/ministry/prayer things and i'm attending training so that i can do short ministry sessions with people on specific issues. and so i've attended one seminar and plan on finishing the next seminar next week. it's lots of reading and then three days of teaching and training.

Also some of you know me and mike have our own business and things are really going well and taking off. We are excited about it

So, that's what i've been up to. the baby is now awake so i should go get him

moved

2009-01-08T20:10:00.000-08:00

ok. so it's really weird but we've moved to tomahawk and the weirdest thing is that it feels like home.
i'll post more later, still very busy unpacking ..just got home from vacation. our new house is great and i have sooo much to do...we have lots of room so anyone can come and visit me!!!!

We MOVED!!!!

2008-12-08T13:33:00.000-08:00

i can't believe it and it's really weird to say it. But we moved back to Tomahawk. it's really weird for me to say it and i think i've been in a little bit of denial about it cause it feels really weird moving back to my hometown but we did and here we are. We are staying with my parents for two weeks, then we go to England for Christmas ( we are meeting up with mike's dad , his wife, her two daughters, mike's sister and her new husband) in Cornwall, England for a week, another city in southern England for another week, then we end up back here and move into our new rental house in January. the place we are going to be renting looks great!!! i'll keep ya'll updated.

2008-11-25T21:16:00.000-08:00

here's just the pics we took at the hotel before the wedding..
andy and jen's wedding was beautiful!!!!

off to the wedding

2008-11-20T15:22:00.000-08:00

We are leaving early tomorrow morning for my brother's wedding!!! Hope the boys travel well and do well in the wedding. kael will be walking down the aisle with a 5 yr old girl ( hopefully she'll take his hand and lead him down the aisle)
I'm looking forward to it once we get there . I get to see lots of my family and see my baby brother get married!!! how great!

look what i did.

2008-11-18T08:22:00.000-08:00

This is what i did!!! i made a baby blanket. My friend Katie is teaching me to sew. So she helped me figure out the sewing machine i have right now ( my mom's ) and we picked out fabric the other day and this was my first project. This little owl baby blanket. I'm very proud of myself. and she's going to help me make a little baby quilt. So i'll let you know how that is coming later ( this week i'm not doing much sewing because there are things to do to get ready for andy's wedding this weekend) So just wanted to share what i did. i'm very happy about it.
actually i have lots to share but will wait for the next post..i'll just do a few more pics of the boys. can't believe owen is already over a month old. it goes soooo fast. even faster the second time.

the simple things.....

2008-11-11T14:50:00.000-08:00

today i enjoyed a nap, (actually the whole family napped) and i got up a little earlier than everyone and snuck downstairs made myself a yummy grilled cheese sandwhich (brie and aged cheddar) and a delicious brownie. and enjoyed the moment to myself....and then they all woke up.

hhmm......

2008-11-10T18:36:00.000-08:00

So today was a little more 'real'. i felt a little more stressed and frustrated that i couldn't get much done with two boys. Everytime i put down Owen this morning he seemed to only last about 5-10 minutes before waking up and crying, and every time i tried to feed owen, Kael seemed to want to climb right up next to me in the rocking chair ( which isn't big enough for 3 )one time spilling a whole bag of trail mix all over the floor. And when i got Kael to go upstairs with me so Owen could sleep a little, Kael was brushing his teeth and so i thought i'd try to change the sheets on my bed and all the sudden i hear 'splashing' and run to the bathroom and kael is playing with his toothbrush in the toilet!!! lovely!!!
but once again i'm grateful that my husband works from home...so i got a shower and made us breakfast on his 'lunch' (which is around 8-9am since he starts work at 4am) and my good friend Katie came over and made the boys (Georgie and Kael) and me lunch and did some dishes for me. And because mike gets done with work at noon, i went out this afternoon and did some more errands, which is sooo easy when you only have a baby. Although i had to get Owen's passport photo taken (because we are going to England for Christmas) and he cried the whole time and it took a long time to open his eyes...but me and the girl at walgreen's finally pulled it off.
it's funny when i had Kael i wouldn't have thought to go out with him when he was only 3 weeks old on my OWN, but today was no problem. Owen is soo much easier to take out than Kael at this point.
And i even got to fold the 4 + loads of laundry that we hadn't touched yet. And we already had more dirty sheets (thanks to owen spitting up most of his milk last night all over the sheets around 5am) and a few more loads to do.
but hey, we're doing well.

the boys n me.

2008-11-08T05:08:00.001-08:00

well....today is my first morning with both boys on my own. (mike has to work occasional saturday's and today is it) So my parents had Kael last week and so he came home last night. And i was soooo glad to see him. It's amazing how quiet the house was without him. It was good for me so i didn't have to lift him but i missed him sooo much.
So, this morning is going well so far. (it's not been long ) But Owen is still asleep upstairs and me n Kael are downstairs and we've already had coffee and breakfast. I even got to clean the kitchen a little. :) so it's a good start for me.
We'll see how the rest of the day goes. i can't believe i have two boys...:)
i'm feeling a little more pain since lifting kael yesterday so i'll have to take it easy today. i dont want to be in pain anymore.....
i love my boys sooo much.

2008-10-21T16:18:00.000-07:00

Owen Thomas Oates

2008-10-18T12:20:00.000-07:00

Hi devoted readers of Jessi's blog. Mike here writing a post dictated by Jessi...currently in a hospital bed feeding our wonderful new son, Owen Thomas Oates.

Labor started on friday around 12:30pm. After 2 hrs the contractions went from 5mins apart to 1.5 mins apart. When I arrived at the hospital I was 7cm dilated. Contractions became more intense, my water broke and then the doctors expressed concern about the babies heart rate and wouldn't let me move around. I had to stay laying on my right side. After 2 hours of very intense contractions. (mike's hand bare the marks to verify) (jessi talking now...) i got to 8cm, but the baby did not seem to be doing that great. So they suggested an emergency C-section, which i said was fine because i felt they weren't overreacting but were genuinely concerned. So, i was rushed into the operating room, where i was completely put under ( Mike was not allowed in the room either, as it was a rush/emergency c-section not just a routine one) i was out and woke up later in the recovery room pretty out of it, to find out that the umbilical cord was wrapped around Owen's neck three times and therefore if i had tried to push him out vaginally he probably wouldn't made it. so, in this case i am grateful for the C-section, although it is not what i would've chosen, in cases like these where they save little lives i was happy to have my healthy baby boy in my arms. So,
Owen Thomas Oates is the newest member of our family. Weighed 7lbs 6oz. Born on October 17th, 2008.
i'm in lots of pain, but in love with my little boy. And Owen is feeding and sleeping well.......and i think i'll take a nap now.

beautiful fall day

2008-10-10T18:46:00.000-07:00

this week has been soo beautiful. sunny cool weather. well actually today was 75 and sunny, so we went to the park with kael and let him run around..:) here are a few pics of us. it's also me and mike's anniversary and it's been a good day, low key, but good. I got a wonderful card and a gorgeous bouquet from my wonderful husband. i love him more and more all the time.
and i love my beautiful son and am looking forward to meeting my other son. :) Me and mike had a big weekend away in september so i'm happy with today and just hope that i go into labor soon.
i love fall..it's perfect, the trees are changing colors, the air is crisp, i crave hot chocolate and yummy desserts.....a perfect season to have a birthday. ( and an anniversary)
i know some of the pics are a bit blurry but i think they are cute anyways.

a little prayer can't hurt

2008-10-06T18:35:00.000-07:00

hey ya'll. i am soo ready to have this baby. so if you think of it, send out a little prayer for me that he comes soon.....my mom is here until he comes helping me out which is great and i'm getting some extra rest. aren't mom's the best??? i am enjoying my last few days with kael....he is such a treasure and i can't believe we are having another son any day now. i am very very uncomfortable though physically and really want this baby to come out. thanks for any prayers...also just pray tha ti can have the VBAC i truly desire.....

hhmm.......

2008-10-01T08:19:00.000-07:00

i am ready. although i'm nervous as well..its weird that you have no idea when you will have your own baby. no idea at all. could be later today, could be the middle of the night, could be in 2 weeks..who knows....i'm finding everyday i think about it though and hope that i get sleep at night, 'just in case' i go into labor. last night i got less than 4 hrs of sleep, thanks to kael and also just being awake and uncomfortable. my mom is going to come down on friday though because i am having back issues, so from now on i am not suppossed to lift kael at all, or do any lifting. no moving furniture, no major cleaning projects. so my mom is going to come and stay until the baby is born. which is a very big blessing and i'm very grateful.
not sure what else to tell ya'll. not too much going on..just waiting for the little guy to join our family. excited to see his little face and meet him.

kael lately...

2008-09-23T09:42:00.000-07:00

here's a few pics of our wee boy. he's so much fun and i love that he's in my life.

feeling the need

2008-09-22T06:52:00.000-07:00

feeling very much like i need to get things done NOW!!!! like pack a bag for labor/hospital. Get some last minute things i want to have for when the baby is here, maybe make some more meals to freeze so i don't have to do it later. organize the baby's rom/clothes. you know..the usual......

tour the hospitals, register still at one of the hospitals.....i have dr's appointments almost everyday this week, one for kael today, two for me tomorrow..another one on thursday (which is also partly a birthing refresher course/appointment) feeling pretty stressed and overwhelmed, i wish i had someone to just help me with where to start.

changes ahead

2008-09-18T18:40:00.000-07:00

k, peeps. 3 weeks. i'm due in 3 weeks. looks like birth at the birth center is not going to happen unless there is some sort of mini-miracle. So i'm going to tour the hospital on Sunday. i have heard that the hospital has waterproof and portable moniters so i don't have to be hooked up to some machines and be confined to some bed....so that's positive. And my midwives are going to Doula me in the hospital, and they are very respected here so I will not be forced into anything i do not want (epidural's, etc) I feel very positive still that I'm going to have a natural birth. I'll labor at home as long as possible and then head to the hospital when the time comes.....i still need to pack a bag.....
we also got a mini-van and are selling our car. Our car will probably be gone by monday and we just picked up our new (new to us) mini-van. A toyota. it's very nice and i'm looking forward to having a mini-van again. And it has two sliding doors..:) with two kids i think it'll be so much easier and we'll have lots more room in a van.....
AND.....big news i keep forgetting to share...my brother, my baby brother is getting MARRIED!!!!! in november. So very soon and our little family is going to be in the wedding...me, mike and Kael. (not the new one though, hopefully someone will want to hold him during the ceremony) I am a little worried how i'll look in the dress since i'll have given birth not too long before the wedding....but we'll worry about that later.

Weekend Away

2008-09-15T05:36:00.000-07:00

I just had a weekend away with my husband and no kid (except the little one inside) My mom came down and watched Kael for us, and we took off Friday night and headed to Chicago. We stopped at Ikea, and then headed downtown. We got a great deal on the Hilton downtown Chicago. So we got to sleep in (together) all weekend, take naps when we wanted, Go out to eat. We found this great diner for breakfast...and for dinner we had the BEST food ever!!!! None of it was a disappointment at all. We enjoyed just hanging out together and getting to talk and do whatever we wanted. We walked all over the city (so much so that i was in pain and we had to take a cab back to our hotel) but it was worth it. And when i got home my mom had cleaned our bathroom, hemmed sheets for me, cleaned my kitchen and of course she had watched Kael for us, and he was happy and well taken care of. It was such a treat and it was something that i had wanted but wasn't sure that it was going to happen. so i feel very blessed, And then we got to stop at Ikea on the way home and picked up a few things that we were wanting and needing for baby etc. So, it was a great weekend!!!!! the only sad thing was that all our pics got accidentally erased, so we have no pictures of our weekend away.......

a little pre-anniversary/baby trip

2008-09-11T05:16:00.001-07:00

Well, i'm due in 4 weeks. can't believe it's all coming so fast. i feel like there is still so much to do in the house.....like i still need to buy a dresser for the baby's clothes. I've washed them all but they are in a bin in our spare room at the moment.
but anyways...i'm excited because my mom is coming down today, she is going to help me get some stuff done, and then tomorrow, she is going to watch kael for two whole nights while me and mike go on a little trip. We are going to Chicago for the weekend, (it's not that far) just the two of us, staying at a hotel downtown and just going to enjoy the time away. Since the baby is due the weekend of our anniversary and who knows when we'll get to go away together(without baby) AND who knows when we'll get to sleep through the night again once this little one joins us,(especially me with breastfeeding) we thought we'd take our anniversary trip early and it's so nice of my mom to take care of kael here for us. I'm really really looking forward to it. I feel like it is a break i've been craving lately. we can do whatever we want, nap if and when we want, both get to sleep in together ( a very rare treat) and enjoy some couple time. it'll be great for us i know. We are both longing for the time together. so, that's us leaving tomorrow and getting back on sunday. (and i hope we get a little trip to ikea in there)

unknown

2008-09-07T20:58:00.000-07:00

that's what this pregnancy is pretty much about ..and i guess if i wasn't so 'pregnant' i might not be so emotional about it. i had an appointment last week at the midwife's office where they told me that it is actually still unknown whether i can give birth there and they'll let me know.
it's just that i have less than 5 weeks left now and it's been unknown for pretty much the whole 35 weeks so far....i was pretty upset when they told me, but i'm trying to not let me prego emotions get out of control. i talked to my dad last week ad he had met a girl who is about to have her second child as well, but she has to go right back to work cause she can't afford to take more than 2 weeks off , and she has no husband to help her...so it helped put things into perspective a little bit. i will still hope and pray for a birth at the birth center...but even if i have to go to the hospital it'd still be nice to just be able to have a natural birth.....no matter where it is. and in the end i do just want a healthy baby...so tha'ts me for now...lots of unknowns....

Kael's Party!!!!

2008-09-01T08:53:00.000-07:00

Kael's party was a success! A small party but it was perfect. Me, mike and my mom. then our friends Katie and George and their son (and kael's little friend) George. As soon as the party started we let the kids open gifts, so that they could play with the toys. And we had a cookout and just got to eat and enjoy watching the two of them play together. We had balloons out so that when he got up from his nap he could see the balloons and the wrapped presents.....i think we enjoyed watching him open his gifts as much as he enjoyed opening them. He would start to open them and then say ''ooohhh' it was cute!!!
I can't believe i have a 2 year old.
i love his little personlity.
He loves to play,
He loves to watch everyone around him.
i love When he hears a dog, he growls.....
his favorite words are No, yuck, cool, Dang!!!

6 weeks to go

2008-08-27T07:01:00.000-07:00

so i've got about 6 weeks to go....crazy!!! So, i had a midwife appointment about a week ago and they baby was breech, so i was sent to a chiropractor as well as for another ultrasound to see exactly what position the baby was in. My back was adjusted twice before my ultrasound and the chiropacter i saw said my hips were very badly out of place and that's probably why the baby couldn't get his head down there. (Also why i've been in so much pain) And so then at the ultrasound Monday morning the baby had already moved his head down....so another answer to prayer!!! just one thing after another keeps going right. so i'll keep seeing the chiro until i give birth..
and i had my last day of work!! yeah....so so happy for that. i woked last weekend Saturday and Sunday and now i have no more scheduled days....and i'm not taking maternity leave (because they wanted me to work until the very end, and i don't want to do that) so i've just decided that that's it. I'm done with work. So i'll be a full time mom again.
so that's the news in my life right now.....also, Kael had a birthday on Sunday, 2 yrs old, but his party is actually this Sunday, so i haven't blogged about it yet.....

Birth Center here we come!!!!

2008-08-19T09:16:00.001-07:00

so, here's the update, for those of you following my blog posts....i met with my midwife yesterday and she said there was some information just released that the birth Center could do secondary VBAC's and also some primary VBAC's. (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean) So, i don't even have to be part of the study but i can give birth at the Birth Center!!!! Yeah!!! Another answer to prayer!
So, now the baby is still in the wrong position, his head is up(Breech). So, the next thing i would like prayer for is that the baby turns his little head down and gets into the right position for birth. My midwife has suggested i see a chiropractor that she knows that can do some adjustment that sometimes helps the baby get into position, so hopefully i'll be doing that this week, along with some exercises to get him moving....so pray that he moves his little head down.
thanks for all your prayers and support in all of this. I feel very hopeful and as if God is with me every step of the way. 7 weeks to go!!!!

things are moving along....

2008-08-17T05:40:00.000-07:00

it may not seem like alot, but i'm really proud of myself. We are starting to get our house more organized and clean for the arrival of baby # 2. :) We moved Kael to a new bedroom, and that was alot of work but we managed to get his room done yesterday. It looks really good, it's not much different from his old room, but it's a little smaller, because i"m going to take his old room and turn it until a guest room/office/baby's stuff room. the baby will probably be sleeping with us for awhile but we needed a place for all his clothes, diapers, etc so now we can put that all in that other room and even though we have three bedrooms mike had been using one for an office but now he's in the basement so hopefully we can actually let guests have their own room ( instead of the couch)
And yesterday i felt the urge to go through our stuff in the basement, (our 'storage) and purge some items, so i've mananaged to get rid of tons of stuff, consolidate and i've gathered all the baby items (and started to wash them) so i can bring them upstairs. I'm feeling pretty good about my progress.
Its kael's birthday in one week, so we're getting his presents and hopefully we'll have a party on the weekend after his birthday. I'm excited because i think he'll actually enjoy opening his presents this time.
Today my plan is to get that 'other' room looking better, organized, cleaned, set up etc. and to go through some boxes that we haven't even touched since we moved in here.

tired

2008-08-14T08:48:00.000-07:00

I went to michigan recently with my family and my aunts said they read my blog and they have nicknamed it the 'whiney' blog...so in honor of them, i'm going to whine a little more today...i'm tired. my prego belly is making it harder to sleep, and also i just lay their awake, and we're still trying to get kael sleeping through the night again. (it's just the traveling and a wee cold at the moment) so he wakes up and then i'm awake for another hour, and then i get back to sleep...and last night was one of the worst nights, mostly just me not being able to sleep....Kael was actually fine) Except that he woke up at 5am and would not go back to sleep.......so all that to say ..i'm tired......
but on happier notes....i got to talk to my good friend Joanna last night on the phone, whom i haven't talked to since i left vancouver (almost 2 yrs ago) and it was so nice to catch up and just hear how she is doing.....it is so refreshing just to talk to a great friend. and hear other baby, labor and toddler stories.
i'm going to make zucchini bread for the first time and i hope it's good because a neighbor of my parents gave me huge zucchini's fresh from his garden, so i'm hoping to make as much as i can and freeze some for when the baby comes so mike can still get something to eat. :)
and just little reminder please keep praying about the birth center i get the news on monday. and as a p.s . for those praying...i'd really like a doula and so i just need the money and i need to find the right person.
thanks for all the prayers and listening to me whine...:)

i would like your prayer!!

2008-08-10T19:58:00.001-07:00

Hello all. i wanted to give an update on where things are at with my pregnancy and ask for a little prayer. So, things are going well, I'm 31 weeks. It's all coming so fast. just over 8 weeks and i"m due. But i'm not sure where i'm having this baby yet. :)
First of all, at my 20 week ultrasound i was told I had placenta previa. - Which means that the placenta was right over top of the cervix. So, i was told that there was a chance if would move but if it didn't towards the end of pregnancy it can be concerning and if it never moved you would have to have a C-section. Which of course I do not want to have, knowing already what they are like. So, they scheduled an ultrasound for 30 weeks, and when i went in for that ultrasound they told me that placenta had moved and it was no longer a concern at all!!! yeah!!! answer to prayer. Seriously, we were praying and my parents were praying and I didn't tell alot of people because i do believe in the power of words and I didn't want anyone speaking negative about my upcoming labor and delivery. I want a natural birth. I know things are unpredictable but that is what i'm hoping and praying for. That I will be able to have a completely natural birth. so I truly believe it was an answer to prayer that the placenta moved. Now, that i know that i can go for a natural birth......i really would like to give birth at the birth center I have been going to for my prenatal care. and this is where I need some prayer. As you know, last time with Kael I tried for a natural birth and that didn't happen, in the end I had a C-section. So, now in Wisconsin ( and lots of places) it becomes complicated when you would like a VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean) and birth centers are not allowed to deliver VBACS. But my birth center here in madison has been approached to be part of a study, and i guess if you are part of an official medical study then you could participate, and i dont know all the particulars and i know the whole time we've been going it has been something they have been trying to figure out what to do. So......i'm asking for you to pray that they would agree to be part of this study, so that i can give birth there. I know not everyoe will understand my reasons and some will, but I would prefer the birth Center to the hospital. I would feel much more comfortable there. you can check out the pics of the birthing rooms www.madisonbirthcenter.com they are great. the are very comfortable rooms designed for giving birth. A birthing tub, your very own , large bathroom with shower and toilet.....and it looks and feels like your at home. So, this is what i really want. They said they will give me a final answer at my next appointment which is August 18th. So i'm asking for prayer that I could get a yes, that this is where i can give birth. I appreciate all your prayers.....thanks.

this baby is coming soon.....

2008-08-01T04:57:00.000-07:00

wow, i can't believe that i am 30 weeks already!!! that means this baby is coming soon. He's moving more and more and i can tell he still has room to do flips cause sometimes i can feel his whole body moving around. it's exciting. it's so hard to imagine another baby that isn't kael. And all of the sudden ( i think now that we've stopped traveling) I'm in nesting mode. I want to get the house organized, i want to get all the baby stuff we need. (because we moved countries alot when kael was little sometimes i just bought and sold some of his stuff in scotland so there are things i'd like again. So, i'm on the hunt for baby things ( today there is a big sale at Babies R Us i'm headed too) And i'm trying to get the house organized (stuff unpacked that we hadn't unpacked yet) and try to figure out where to put all the new babies stuff.......like i need a new dresser etc. so that's what i've been up to lately.
i haven't worked all week and it's great. I only really have a few more days of work and then i'm done!!! And that is exciting. This week has been great to just spend time with kael, and mike. Mike has started a new job (kind of) it's still working for his dad, but now he takes calls from customers and so he has to work a British work day so he now starts at 3 am and works until 11 am. Mike sitll has to adjust to the time schedule but I'm loving it. I get up with kael, make us all breakfast, mike has his 'lunch' then so he eats with us too...and then i spend the morning with kael and mike's done at 11am (once in awhile 12pm) and then we all take a nap together and have the rest of our day.
I am enjoying it alot!!! And soon we will meet this new member of our family. crazy!!!! and exciting!!!!

it's been awhile

2008-07-28T10:09:00.001-07:00

So, I've been away traveling again. My family went to Michigan and rented a house right on the lake. I just got home Friday. It was great!!! My brother was there with his girlfriend Jenn ( whom i love) , my parents and then we got to see my Grandma, my Aunt Penny and Kelley, my cousins Brian, Lexie and Brenden..and got to swim lots, sit on the beach, eat yummy food and have a great time with everyone. Kael had a great time as well being with everyone....being the center of attention. He loves to be with his grandpa...wherever that is....
so now i'm back in Madison. and our air conditioning is fixed (yeah!!) and i'm looking forward to the next two months, i'm hoping to try out some new things, try to be a little more creative and enjoy whatever time i do have right now before the next one comes along... i don' t have any pics yet of michigan on my computer so i'll post some pics of scotland and michigan soon.

HOT

2008-07-14T14:14:00.000-07:00

I will blog about the rest of scotland later...but now we are home and our air conditioner is broken and i feel like complaining....it's suppossed to be 90 tomorrow and today i'm so hot..what am i going to be like tomorrow??? they better come fix it asap!!! i'm pregnant and HOT

scotland continued

2008-07-03T13:15:00.000-07:00

just wanted to keep you posted just a little..we are getting ready for lisa's wedding. Tomorrow is the wedding...tonight was the rehearsal. But this week has been great. We have rented a cottage/house with mike's mum and husband (Ronnie) have been visiting some friends and have seen some of Scotland. it's been very relaxing...although now that the wedding is getting closer there is more running around to do..and more to be done....but it's going to be beautiful. kael tried on his kilt the other day and he looks adoreable. i'll just post some pics from this week, not sure when i'll get to post from the wedding....but here some pics for now....

scotland

2008-06-25T19:19:00.000-07:00

So, i'm off to Scotland tomorrow morning. Lisa ( my sister in law) is getting married and both mike and kael will be sporting kilt's. so i'll make sure to take lots of pics. I'm not sure who reads my blog anymore....but i hope you all caught a few posts ago that i found out i'm having another boy!!! we are very very excited.
k, i might post from scotland, i might not..we'll see.....

jamie

2008-06-23T16:30:00.000-07:00

ahhh.....my dear old friend jamie came to visit this week. She was in Wisconsin for a wedding and I ended up getting her for almost 4 days. It was GREAT!!!! I saw her in January, but this time it was so great to have her here with me, mike and kael. we all loved having her here. And me and jamie stayed up way too late every night talking...it's soo nice to have a friend around who knows you, someone you feel comfortable with, i treasure my friendship with her and am sad that i don't know exactly when i'll see her again........love you jamie, thanks for coming to visit.

Hilarious

2008-06-15T16:19:00.000-07:00

This is Mike writing here. I couldn't resist it's just too funny not to share.

Jessi woke me up in the middle of the night last night shouting..."Mike, Mike ahhhhh, ahhhhh!" Then she leapt out of bed and turned the light on. I thought she had went into early labour or maybe her water had broke. Then she started saying "There's a spider in the bed. There's a spider...it fell on me!!" So naturally being the awesome husband I am I started looking for the nasty beast so I could destroy it and protect my bride. I asked Jessi how big it was and she said it was about the size of her hand...then I thought....she must be dreaming....is she dreaming? There is no way a spider of that size would be in our room. Then she went on to say that it had fell from the ceiling. Ahahaha lol yup she was totally dreaming. Its was hard not to laugh even at 2am.

we are having.......

2008-06-04T12:09:00.001-07:00

a boy. :) we found out last week. in between all the traveling, we went north for my mom's birthday, then me and mike came home while kael stayed with grandma and grandpa, and during that time we went to have our first ultrasound and we found out that this new little one is a boy!!! we are very excited. We wanted kael to have a little brother, so we're very happy.
on thursday i also went back up north to meet my mom and kael and the three of us continued north to Sault Ste Marie, MI and ONTARIO to go to my cousin's graduation party. it was a fun weekend, very quick and very stressful, Kael hardly slept at all, made me run after him constantly and was very very clingy.i'm guessing because i'd been away from him for a few days. So, i came home exhausted. i think i'm still catching up. i feel really tired and trying not to get the cold that kael has at the moment.
But again our happy news is that kael will have a little brother. no names picked yet....so that's our news!!

my two babies

2008-05-21T17:57:00.000-07:00

2008-05-12T17:15:00.000-07:00

Michigan

2008-05-06T18:50:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, I went up to t-hawk, met up with Andy and my mom, and then Saturday the three of us, plus Kael drove up to Sault Ste Marie, MI to see my grandpa. He's been moved to assisted living recently and we all wanted to see him. My brother hasn't seen him in a long time, so we got to spend some good time with him. Of course we saw my aunts, uncles and cousins as well. Lots of good family time, It was a short visit but a very good one. I also really liked hanging out with my brother and getting to see Kael with all of his relatives. My grandpa's new home is very very nice. It feels like he's staying in a log cabin Lodge thing. And his room overlooks the Soo Locks, so He can see the big ships/boats going right by his window. It's hard to see grandpa being more frail and not the grandpa i remember, but he was doing much better than he was a few months ago. Here are a few pics from my trip....i also very much enjoyed getting to talk and hang out with my mom and my brother.

today matters

2008-04-29T13:06:00.000-07:00

My mother-in-law just left this morning. She was visiting for a week, and it went way too fast. It was really nice to have her here. She babysat for us while we went away for the weekend to a business conference. And at our conference we got to hear John Maxwell speak. He is one of my favorite speakers ever. His teaching is so profound and yet so simple. he's a great speaker, easy to listen to, funny and comes straight from the heart. All his principles are things we all need. I'm also reading his book Today Matters and it is very convicting as well as inspiring. It asks questions like, are you living your life today, the way you want to live it tomorrow?? you can't live in past failures or successes....and you can't just keep wishing for tomorrow..you have to live today in a way that matters, in a way that makes your tomorrow the future you wish and want it to be. Make Today your masterpiece.

I want to live my life in way that reflects my values and constantly be seeking to better my life, my relationships, myself......etc...

so this weekend was amazing.

birthday party

2008-04-20T19:03:00.000-07:00

Today we went to Kael's friend's Birthday Party.....he just turned 2. And it was so much fun. George had a sand pit and a water table...and it was beautiful here...i think i got a little sunburn on my nose. Kael pretty much sat in the sandbox for most of the day and cried when we had to leave. He was throwing sand in his hair and bringing me handfuls...it was all in his hair and diaper.:) great summer day....and we got to hang out with our new friends katie and george.

deadliest catch

2008-04-16T14:30:00.000-07:00

Ok, i know this is weird. but lately i've been hooked on this show. and mike keeps laughing at me. See, Deadliest Catch is on the Discovery Channel and is all about King crab fisherman in Alaska, So if follows them on their boats and narrates what they are doing, how much they are catching, etc etc etc.....and for some reason i really like it. i even watched the season premiere last night. so it's that's my confession......

haircut

2008-04-13T19:56:00.001-07:00

so i'm thinking of getting my haircut. any ideas???

Horton Hatches the Egg

2008-04-08T18:10:00.000-07:00

i'd like to recommend a book to ya'll. it's called Horton's Hatches the Egg...by Dr Seuss (of course)

a great story of patience and faithfulness.

sick

2008-04-01T18:37:00.000-07:00

just a little update.....me and kael have been sick. Saturday i worked from 5am - 1:30 ..a long shift anyways..and i thought that i was just feeling really rough because i was prego....and i hadn't slept lately and it was my third opening shift in a row..(which have gotten alot harder since being pregnant) anyways....i just kept feeling worse and so finally i got home around 2pm...and went straight to bed....was chilled, felt really nauseous and then the throwing up started, i had a fever...i just knew then it was more than being pregnant....i stayed in bed for hours,only getting up to puke. i think i was downstairs on the couch for one hour and then back to bed , so me and mike are laying down and i saw out right away but mike thought he should check on kael and good thing he did because there was throw up all over his bed....so mike cleaned it all up, and then changed the sheets, showered kael off, etc....and put him back in bed, went to go to bed again but thought he heard kael again, so went in there, picked up kael and kael threw up all over him......so mike basically was up all night with the little tyke......and he took care of the two of us all saturday and sunday......and kael was looking really bad on monday afternoon...he wasn't drinking anything, no pedialyte or water. so we took him to the ER, and he wasn't in serious condition but they tried to get him to take fluids and he wouldn't either so they put him on an IV and after that sent us home.....so kael is finally seeming more himself, just tonight for about an hour, he was smiling again which he hadn't done in a long time...it was so nice to see again. he basically slept on and off all day cuddled on my lap, waking up to cry, and readjust but tonight made me feel so much better to see him babbling and smiling again, and looking for his belly button. :) now he's sleeping and i'm sure he'll be alot better tomorrow. i'm feeling ok, better but not 100% yet.....
so i'm sure you really wanted to hear about all that sickness but that's what our live has been these past few days. thank God, mike didn't get sick, i don't know what we would've done without him. a wonderful husband and great dad.

this week i had a life

2008-03-27T17:41:00.000-07:00

this week i actually had a life.
Monday night
i went for coffee with my new friend Katie, just me and her, mike put kael to bed and me and katie ended up talking for hours. it was great.
Tuesday morning was a new mum's group, which i have such a high hopes for. it was a group of women who all have kids around the same age, ( from baby to 2 1/2) and Bonnie is leading it and Bonnie has 7 kids, ( the youngest are 14) So, she has lots of wisdom, advice for us....she's going to give us simple advice , like cleaning tips, cooking tips, and she will also pass onto us lots of other things.
Wednesday: went to Madtown twisters me, katie, kael and george loved it.
Thursday: mum's group and such a beautiful lunch, homemade soup and salad. And all the mom's got to sit around the table and talk while the kids actually played together. It was great.
And so...this week i had a life. And mike even noticed i was happier...
tomorrow is a kids consignment sale i'm hoping to get to as well. hope i find some good finds. and maybe we might go to visit mike's dad. He lives in the caribbean and he might pay for us to go to visit..(in just over a week) just trying to check out details and see if it's all going to work out, since it's so quick......we'll see..........

thanks to my friend eva

2008-03-21T17:27:00.000-07:00

it's so weird, how when things are rough, i actually want to blog, because i feel so lonely lately that it seems like i'm actually sharing with 'friends' what is going on when it put on my blog. But in truth, i actually need to reach out to people....not that those who read this aren't people. but i need to make myself vulnerable enough to reach out to and talk to specific friends....
and this week was horrible...well, the week wasn't actually horrible it's just that all my feelings hit the surface ( as well as i'm sure prego hormones mixing in with the feelings that were already there) anyways..so tuesday i just 'lost it' in a way, i broke down crying to mike, very frustrated with my life, or lack of, frustrated with having no friends with my whole life revolving around kael and mike ( even though i love them dearly of course) and i'm ready to quit work, working while pregnant is not fun, in fact it's getting more difficult to wake up at 415 am and then stand for 8 1/2 hrs....so in the midst of this crying, mike had to go pay a bill, and while he was out, someone knocked on the door and delivered flowers. My friend Eva, from Scotland, didn't even know what was going on with me, sent me flowers with a note that said 'Jessi, just wanted you to know how wonderful and special you are. I treasure your friendship. love you lots. love, eva' and of course that sent me over the edge as well and i bawled some more. it's amazing how just when you need a friends words can just be exactly what you needed to hear. God knew too. so, thanks to my friend eva.....it meant to so much.

madtown twisters

2008-03-19T12:55:00.000-07:00

i'm not sure if i've posted about this yet or not. But i took kael to madtown twisters today. It's a gymnastic place, but everyday between 11am-12:45 they have open todller gym, with lots of foamy toys for them to play with, and open space to run around on all the soft floors, trampolines, so much for kids to do. And kael loves it. he ran around the entire time, finding lots of things to play on/with. and i love it too because he gets to use up all his energy, he gets to see hang/out with other kids ( not that he really plays with them) and i can relax a little it. My friend katie went with me today with her son, George who is just a bit older than kael. it's so worth it. And we can talk while they roam free. the only thing was that this week is spring break so there were tons of kids. but next week will be a bit more calm again. anyways....i wish my posts were about deeper things but that was day today so i thought i'd share.

things i really like lately.......

2008-03-13T11:55:00.001-07:00

well, i'm in a good mood. so i thougth i'd share some of the things i've been enjoying greatly lately.....

KT tunstall's album 'eye to the telescope' me and kael like to dance to it.

naps...i had a nap today while kael napped and i know it's the reason i feel 10x better.

pickles....again me and kael love them

sunshine and warmer weather...currently it is 47 and feels like summer.

the book Beautiful Boy

my mom...she sent me clothes she bought for me ( just cause) and we're going to visit her this weekend ( hopefully my dad too) and i know she'll take care of me.

and i love my friends ( even though right now i'm missing them terribly)

musings.......

2008-03-05T13:28:00.000-08:00

well, i'm not sure if you'd really call them musings... right now as i speak kael is dumping lots and lots of crumbs on the floor from the muffin he didn't eat. one thing i'm so sick of is our dirty floor, and it takes me forever to sweep and then kael no time at all to make sure there are crumbs and food all over it again.
what i want right now is to sit with a hot cup of tea and a yummy muffin and read. without interruption, without me needing to get up and do anything unless it's something i want to do.
i'm reading the book called giving birth.
I had an appointment with a midwife on monday to discuss my options for a VBAC.
.....ok that was a few days ago. it's friday night. my floor is still dirty. i just watched the movie/documentary " The Business of Being Born' and i recommend it to anyone having a baby or interested in the whole idea of midwives vs doctors. Very very interesting movie. it makes me so want to have a homebirth. It is very similiar in it's views to a book i'm reading currently 'Giving Birth'
so....more days later......i miss having friends. feeling pretty lonely lately. and i want someone to cook a homestyle meal for me. roast beef and gravy or something. that's all for now. this post isn't really about much....

WE GOT IT!!!

2008-02-29T17:56:00.000-08:00

We had mike's interview today....it wasn't too bad. some questions but not digging questions. and at the end she told us she was approving the application. So in a few weeks mike will receive his green card in the mail!!! yeah!!!!! so so happy. And tonight we're hanging out eating pizza and watching a movie with my brother and his girlfriend. good times.......

off to get a green card

2008-02-27T07:01:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow we are heading to Minneapolis/St Paul to spend the night and then on Friday at 1pm Mike will have his interview for his green card. We will both be there and they will take us in different rooms to interview us. (to see if we're really married) So today i'm getting the rest of his paperwork and stuff ready. ( hope i have everything) and i'm a little nervous cause it's the government n' all that we are meeting with. But i know that we are a legitimate marriage and we have a kid which i think should help a little.....ahhh.....yesterday I worked from 5am- 1:30pm and then i had to go back to work at 5:30 and was there til 9:30for a training session with all the staff. so i'm tired today and my legs are very tired. but overall i'm glad it's over and the training was fun. anyways....onto the green card stuff....

Major Disappointment

2008-02-20T18:11:00.000-08:00

Well...tonight i went to a birth center to check it out. They have a tour every wednesday. And i loved it. it had beautiful birthing rooms, very much like a relaxing bedroom....a whirlpool tub to labor in or give birth, a nice bathroom with a big shower...and then came the time for questions..and my only question tonight was if it was there a problem if my first was born by c-section. And the answer i didn't expect came and brought on my major disappointment. Birthing center's in wisconsin are not allowed to have VBAC's. (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean ) So, no matter how nice the birth center was - I cannot give birth there. But i could have a home birth (isn't that weird) but insurance doesn't cover home birth , only hospital or birth center. So, i'm kind of stuck. I do have an appointment with the owner of the birth center in 1 1/2 weeks and hopefully she will be able to help me figure out my options. I'm very disappointed. i wish i could just fly back to Vancouver and have elizabeth deliver my baby again. And here midwives do not have hospital privileges So even if i see a midwife for my whole pregnancy when it comes time to deliver the doctor has to deliver. It's soo frustrating and i feel like the US is behind the times and need to get with it. So i'm kind of at a loss.

highly unmotivated

2008-02-18T15:30:00.000-08:00

i'm tired, and whiney. my stomach has not completely given up on me yet. but it's not really that sure it wants to be nice to me either. i'm not throwing up but i'm not feeling so great. nausea ...and tired. i don't want to do anything. i don't want to cook any meals for mike because everything sounds gross, all my stomach wants is bagels and cream cheese, or pizza or really tame food. i feel guilty for not eating healthier but i can just barely eat. ahhhh.....and my house is a mess. kael's toys are everywhere and i just can't be bothered to pick them up right now. i feel like a bad mother and wife. i know it will pass. i just wanted to whine.

Super Nanny

2008-02-13T18:31:00.000-08:00

Do you ever wonder 'what would super nanny think ???'

shoes

2008-02-13T15:31:00.000-08:00

check out kael wearing my shoes....

just once

2008-02-12T14:28:00.000-08:00

so all of the sudden friday night i started feeling very sick, it hit quickly and just had to lay down, it hurt so bad, like acid burning my stomach, constricting my chest and making my back ache. i've had something similar after my c-section and i'm just not sure why i'm having it again. I'm sure it's because i'm pregnant but it sucks so bad. i pretty much couldn't do anything but the necessary. and mike was gone and couldn't come home so i had to take care of Kael on my own, so before his bedtime i put him in the tub for an extended bath while i threw up( it didn't seem to scare him or anything) he was happily playing in the tub. and then it went away, in the middle of the night felt horrible again but by 4am (when i had to get up for work) i felt mostly better. but not all better i ended up leaving work a few hours early. so my first unpleasantries of being prego again.
mostly i am just exhausted. and running after kael seems to take so much energy.
for some reason i can't get an pics to load i'll have to post again later

5 weeks

2008-02-07T10:46:00.000-08:00

well...
i'll take leanne's advice. I'm 5 weeks prego right now. Crazy huh? I am due October 9th (emily n josh's anniversary and the day before our anniversary. And i'm feeling great. it's weird. I'm not feeling sick at all. which is weird since last pregnancy i was feeling sick all the time. I feel extremely tired and some little pains here and there but overall feeling great!!! I wish i could nap every afternoon but i don't always get to. But my birthday was this week and it was great. I was amazed by how many birthday wishes i got. My mom came down and took us out to this great restaurant. She even made me cheesecake (which she's never done before and it was soo yummy) I got cards, presents, flowers delivered from my in-laws and because my mom was here i got to take a nap. :) I usually have this sense of disappointment on my birthday and I didn't have that at all. I didn't expect to feel disappointed and I was actually blown away by how many people wished me a happy birthday. i felt very loved and thought of. Thanks everyone!!

2008-02-04T15:42:00.000-08:00

super hero

2008-02-02T12:38:00.000-08:00

i think kael looks like a super hero in this little outfit. for some reason i love his pj outfits so much...maybe the way they make his belly look really big. and he loves the broom and the swiffer....dust pans, little brushes. he's so funny.

lately.....

2008-01-21T08:23:00.000-08:00

Well.....this week has been a bit busy. sorry for the lack of posts. Last week I went to visit my friend Jamie. I had such a great time with craig and jamie. Lots of girl talk, movies, hanging out...just relaxing. it was weird to be kid-less and husband-less for a few days. it was good for me though. It was nice to just be me. and to be with someone where you can just pick up, catch up, not have to worry about explaining yourself...etc.....you know. friends that know you.

and friday night we had our first trip to the ER with Kael. It wasn't like an emergecy where we were rushing to get there etc...but it is really the first time we've had to take him in. He hasn't really been sick, only a cold her eand there but not many. We have been very blessed. So, he had had something in his eye earlier in the day and we rinsed it out but his eye was swelling and it wasn't really getting any better. It was red and watery. So we called a nurse hot line thing and she suggested taking him in. We had to wait awhile, though kael wasn't screaming or anything so it wasn't painful waiting. just waiting, tired though because by the time we took him was about 8pm. We got home shortly before midnight and was told it was two small scratches on his eye, we picked some eye ointment and it's all good. By sunday morning his eye was looking way better already. And the only thing that really bothers him is us putting the ointment in his eyes. Other than that He's doing great. He likes to be very vocal these days. lots of yelling and excited screaming. fun times.
that's what's happened lately......

visit

2008-01-08T05:41:00.000-08:00

Last week there was tons of snow outside my house and now there is hardly any. i can see most of the grass in my yard. we had a heat wave like lots of others and it makes the winter seem so gray. even though it's warm i'd rather have sunshine, cold weather and the white cover of snow on the ground. it just looks dirty and gray now.

this morning i am watching my new friend Katie's kid. He is 4 months older than Kael ( although much bigger, kael is on the small side for his age) and they are playing together and i think it's great. They have both gone down for naps now, which i'm kind of amazed they both went down so easy. George ( that is the little boy) is our first guest in our house, funny isn't it and he's not even 2 yrs old. i love seeing them together. it's the first time i've noticed Kael actually playing with another kid as opposed to just playing around each other.
And speaking of another visit...
i am going to visit Jamie...i am so excited. I leave on Saturday and i get three whole days with her. I'm not even taking Kael. It will be my first trip away from him. So weird. Well, actually that's not true, I've taken trips before but they have all been for business etc...this is my first for fun. Me and jamie. it still seems unreal and i' not sure what i'll do with myself. I can plan my day and not have to think of nap times, bed times, eating, when is his fussy time etc...we can just do whatever we feel like. weird. i'm really looking forward to it and my mom is going to watch Kael while i'm gone so that Mike can still work. so i'm looking forward to my visit.

crepes

2008-01-03T18:47:00.000-08:00

last year mike decided that he wanted to learn to cook, so last year for christmas he got himself a cookbook that really gives you lots of tips. so he didn't really learn to cook at all last year. he made eggs once or twice. But this year he decided to make crepes. So the other night we had dessert crepes...i had honey ad butter on mine. so great. And then for breakfast we had ham and cheese crepes. I must say i was highly impressed. i have never made crepes and i dont like making pancakes, but i love eating crepes and his turned out perfect, even the first one.

Happy New Years!!

2008-01-01T11:18:00.000-08:00

Well, i just wanted to post. Nothing special going on today, but feeling good Feeling hopeful about the next year. Today i got to sleep in (thanks to mike) i've even been able to read some of my new book, a Thousand Splendid Suns and i made some yummy cheese and potato/veggie soup. and i'm looking forward to eating it. We're just relaxing, Kael is so active, he loves the dustpan, spatula's and the broom......and his new toys.
i'm going to enjoy the rest of the day.....watch movies, eat yummy soup, read.....hang out with my boys. today i've just been thinking how nice it would be to have my friends over. but i'll just have to think happy thoughts about them..:) love ya'll. enjoy your new day. A new year, new beginnings..fresh starts and continuation of all the great things from last year.
Happy New Year.

Christmas

2007-12-28T14:01:00.000-08:00

Well, i can't believe christmas has been here and gone. It was a great christmas. So much fun with family. My dad made Kael his very own play house, with windows and shutters and doors.....and inside was a red shiny radio flyer wagon. sweet!!!
he tries to haul the wagon around on his own, it's hilarious. and as you can see in one of the pics he also likes to lay down in it and take a ride.
andy and jen were home as well...so the whole family went bowling.....and me and mike did horrible when it was us against my mom and dad and andy and jen.....we were the worst couple ...

Kael got to play in the snow for the first time ( those pics coming soon) i missed out on the snow forts.....but andy jen and mike all had their own. ( i was in town having lunch with my beautiful friend shelley.....which was great as well)
let's see......not much else to say just wanted to give a little update and post some pics...i have to explain the last pic, Kael got this toy that is a zebra and it makes noise etc....and so Kael had to press the buttons/things that made the noise but it would scare him so he would run and hide behind my mom, and the last picture is his little skeptical face and my mom laughing at him....so funny!

2007-12-15T06:54:00.000-08:00

We Are back. We were gone for 10 days to various islands in the caribbean. We really went to see Mike's dad, who now live's in Turks & Caicos Islands, but we went throught the Dominican Republic ( which everyone down there refers to as the D.R.) And his dad lives on this tiny island called Salt Cay, it was great. Beautiful beaches, their house is great, perfect for living on an island, lots of charm.
Kaels' hair was all curly because of the humidity...it was awesome. now that we are back you can tell he really needs a haircut.

Me and mike both got our diver's certification and that was really cool. I was afraid at first to do it..but i want to be able to try new things so i did it.i read something just recently that said to do things you are afraid of. so I just went for it. and actually the more i learned the more comfortable I felt. We saw two giant lobsters. ad lots of other really cool fish. Since we have relatives down there we'll probably get to dive some more.....

Mike's birthday is tomorrow so i'll have to think of something to do....:) anyways...lots of laundry, and stuff to do. can't believe christmas is so close now.

2007-11-28T07:37:00.000-08:00

well. hello all. sorry i've been so lame at posting lately. i feel like there has been lots to post and not much at all.....
so like i said, we moved into a house. and it has much more space to roam around in. we are still slowly getting settled in. it's so nice to feel like you are really in your own house though. ( not really ours, but you know what i mean)
so, what's happened......
1.i went to michigan with my mom to see my grandpa. and it was so fun to see my aunts and uncles and cousins.....and to show Kael off. My little cousin who is 3 was so excited to see Kael one day and she ran into a coffee table and got a big bump on her head.
2. mike and kael were both sick, throwing up and everything and i wasn't even there to take care of them because they were with my mom ( and i was in madison working)

3. a few days after getting back from thanksgiving we were making a fire in our new Pellet stove in our new house and it exploded (inside the fireplace) and smoke was everything and so the fire department came with three trucks and two police cars, they blocked off the road and so we were all outside, and i met all the neightbors...;) great huh?

4. and now we are going to the Caribbean on Monday,to visit mike's dad, who lives in Turks and Caicos ( islands right next to the bahamas, the dominican etc....)

so.......i can't get any pics to upload right now i'm not sure why...so that's all for now. sorry for the lack in posting.....hope some people are still reading.

ohhh yeah!!! last night i went to an Over the Rhine concert right here in Madison and it was soooo great!!!! and mike , being the best husband ever had emailed them earlier to say...' my wife is a big fan could you dedicate a song or meet her or something) so it didn't work out but the manager was touched by the romantic gesture of my husband that she is sending me a free cd...how cool is that????
so i'll upload pics soon of our new place and stuff.......

well well well.......

2007-11-17T18:16:00.000-08:00

what can i say?? we moved. we were prompted to move out of our old neighborhood by some sketchy things going on in our area.....it prompted the quick move. we are now in a house. we are renting a gorgeous old house. lots of character....hardwood floors, fireplace, three bedrooms, basement, and an upstairs... i love it. it's weird that it's ours. i mean we didn't buy it. but we are renting it and it's nice to be in a house. we have to get it kid proofed. kael has to adjust to the hardwood floors......poor little guy has slipped a few times..and now we have stairs....so we need to buy baby gates.....we have had piles of boxes, chairs, luggage etc in front of stairs....so once we get the house settled, the baby gates set up etc.....i will feel more relaxed in our home. yiu can all come visit now....please do.....this house is old but it has so much character, a red kitchen with shiny nobs.....and cool tiled counters, cork floors..etc.....and the bathroom is sooo nice....and the bedrooms are all different shades of green. oohh please come visit me.

i'll post pics soon.

moving

2007-11-12T20:56:00.001-08:00

hey peeps! we're moving. and i've been out of town, therefore there has been a lack of posting. we are just moving within madison, to a house though!! yeah!! and it has a piano in it. stay tuned for updates on my life.....

tagged

2007-10-31T08:19:00.000-07:00

well...joanna(well actually sophia and ella) tagged me in her blog and
Here are the rules: You must list one fact that is somehow relevant to your life for each letter of your middle name. (If you don't have a middle name, use the middle name you would have liked to have had.) When you are tagged you need to write your own blog-post and then choose one person for each letter of your middle name to tag. Don't forget to leave them a comment telling them they're tagged, and to read your blog.

so here goes....hmmm....

M - mother, i am a mother, i love it more everyday, i love it more than i thought i would....i love being Kael's mum. it's tiring, but it's so worth it. my time with him, as his mother is precious to me.

A - authentic....that's what i long to be. i long to be authentic, for my insides to match my outsides..and for that to bring life to others, to be positive, passionate and alive. so i know i'm not always truly authentic, but i strive to be and i want that to be me.

E -enjoying.....the fall weather, my morning coffee, my quiet times, my son, my husband. enjoying the journey, enjoying the spot i'm in right now.

ok, i'm not sure if that is exactly what i was meant to do..but that has taken me all day..i'm so glad my middle name is only three letters.....

so....i tag: audrey, shelley, and......rachel
that's all for now..off to tomahawk and then michigan for the next week..( and they have dial up still and there'll be no posting i'm sure) so til then.

one of those days

2007-10-28T10:53:00.001-07:00

kael is napping and for once i have taken the time for myself. no cleaning, no dishes, no laundry, just me, my journal, my bible, ...reading and now blogging..it's been great. it's beautiful outside, gorgeous sunny weather, some trees still holding onto their leaves.....and crisp air. ooohhh i love it. we've been busy lately,our anniversary , we went to Kansas City for business meetings, and my mother in law and her husband were here visiting. Which is always nice, they spoiled kael and had such a great time hanging out with him. and now next weekend my mum is retiring..so we're going to celebrate with her and i might go with her to visit my grandpa...i'm not sure. anyways.......just wanted to say hello. i know it's been awhile. we are thinking of moving into a bigger place, we found a place we love, it's a house ( and it even comes with a piano) So we'll see what happens, we 'd have to sublet our place first. With mike working from home our little apartment is kind of cramped, but who knows, we're not desperate to move, but it woud be nice if it works out. i miss my friends still. and over the rhine is coming to madison at the end of november. yeah!!! so there's all the news.....kind of random, but here's some recent pics.

another little trip

2007-10-14T19:03:00.000-07:00

anniversary. we had our 3rd anniversary on Wednesday and so this weekend, we went up north, dropped off kael with my mom, and we went back to minocqua and stayed at a little resort on the water. It was nice. Not amazing,but nice. And we had lunch overlooking the water, and did whatever we wanted. the best part is that we got to sleep in...(not so romantic but if you are parents you will understand) it was lovely. that's all for now.

a little trip

2007-10-03T10:44:00.000-07:00

Well my mom was in janesville this week for some training thing, so me and Kael decided to go visit her. We went out to dinner and took kael swimming at the hotel. It was lots of fun. he liked swimming alot.....he didn't sleep so well. but it's ok now. he had a really long nap this morning (making up for that hour of not sleeping from 3:30-4:30am) it was really col to see my mom for a night and be able to have a good time talking and connecting again. and then this morning i dropped her off at her training and it was at this botanical gardens ..so i wandered around these beautiful gardens for more than an hour, sipping my coffee and enjoying the morning. it was great. so quiet and peaceful and i love being surrounded by beauty. it was refreshing that's for sure. just wanted to share.

kael's favorite playground

2007-09-27T10:30:00.000-07:00

fall is here

2007-09-26T09:36:00.000-07:00

this morning i woke up to beautiful weather ( and my thoughtful husband let me sleep in this morning) it's in the 50's today and the colors are starting to come out.i love fall. it's my favorite season of them all. So, put kael in his cute little flannel shirt and headed for a walk in the park. and i actually got exercise. i've been eating better lately but exercise wasn't happening, so i just decided even just getting out was a start. so i'm proud of myself, i love the day already. kael is being a bit cranky but i'm sure it'll pass. he's cute either way and he's mine. ( didn't take the pic and it's not that colorful yet...but i'm excited for it to be. )

i'd love to have a campfire and roast marshmallows and drink hot chocolate. or something like that.

old friends

2007-09-24T19:46:00.000-07:00

lately i've been nostalgic. and realizing how many amazing people i have met along my journey and i wish that i had been better at keeping in touch and wish i was better at keeping in touch.....and now people are married, some have kids, some have moved all over the world......people in teams i have led, schools i have staffed, led, or been part of, it's been absolutely a privilege to meet all the people i have.....
and if anyone of you is reading this..ad is around Wisconsin anytime soon, please come and see me ...i'd love to hear how your lives are going....

stress and food

2007-09-21T13:46:00.000-07:00

so i've realized since living in madison hat i am a comfort eater. i never thought i wasn't but i never really thought about it. but since living here i have realized how much i am a comfort eater. when i bored, when i wish i was talking with a friend..etc...so unfortunately all that weight i lost back in Scotland...i gained about half of it back. so i'm back on a diet. so ....i was watching Martha Stewart ( i know not everyone loves her, but i like some of her stuff) and part of the show was about how the foods we eat can help us to not be as stressed. how they help us 'cope' with stress and interestingly....... i've been feeling better this week. i don't feel as stressed, i don't feel as 'sad' and today and i'm wondering if part of that is the diet. i have been trying to make a conscious choice to be more positive this week, and i've also had more interaction with other women...so i'm sure this is all contributing to me having a better week. but i wonder if the diet is helping as well...more than i realized. so just thought i'd share my thoughts......

hmmm......

2007-09-20T10:18:00.000-07:00

well, not much to say. but i did go to a mum's small group today and i loved it. just being with other mnm's, other women, it was really relaxed, just getting to know each other. i made apple butter, well, am making apple butter. i watched the very last episode of last season's grey's anatomy, and i'm soo hooked on grey's and am very much looking forward to this next season. well...that's about it, i guess. just wanted to post, even though it's not about much.....

September 18th

2007-09-18T08:03:00.000-07:00

today......this very day, september 18th, but 7 years ago.... I joined ywam vancouver. I had already done my DTS and was now returning to be 'staff' . such a crazy thought. so many years ago. this day has always had that significance to me. the day i truly moved from home to start my own life. and what an adventure it was. Randy parizeau and Heidi picked me up from the airport in Vancouver in Randy's little car. I went to my new 'home' and felt so awkward. who knew i would develop some amazing relationships, get the chance to be part of people's lives, be part of people's journey's, take people places like India, Thailand, Morocco....etc.....meet my husband and then on this very day sept 18th 2004, i officially left ywam vancouver. ( i didn't know on that day, although i did suspect that i would be back there) the past 7 years has really been a part of my life that is not so easy to sum up. that's probably why it's been an 'adjustment' it wasn't just school, or an experience it was where i grew up, grew into who i am now. Those friendships i made along the way, those are so meaningful to me, Wade and Jo, Randy and Rita, Mike and Jen, Rachel, Audrey, Angela, Ben, John, Heather, all those i did my dts with and then continued on staff with, my friendships with jamie and emily only grew stronger......all those shared memories of good and bad, all the tears, the laughter, ( girls remember the trip to Angela's wedding and all the giggling in the trailer.....) road trips, i feel like i shared so many different parts of me....i got to be real, transparent, and because of that i drew close to so many of you. this isn't a sad post it's mostly a reflection of such joy in my life. Thank you .....there are way too many people to list..way too many memories, but i am so grateful for all of you, and i'm so grateful for the journey i've been on, i wouldn't trade it for anything. so today is a celebration of where we have come from and where we are going too......

back from vacation

2007-09-16T05:09:00.000-07:00

well...we got back on friday night from our week at the lake. Lake michigan that is. it was great. we were in ahouse right on the lake, so every morning, we took beach walks, sometimes just me and mike and sometimes me, mike and kael. kael got to play in the sand alot, (although it was cold so sometimes he had on a hat, and lots of layers) but he liked the sand and would throw it all over us. he also met my relatives for the first time, my aunt penny, aunt kelly, my grandma, and my cousins, brian, lexie and brendan...and he loved them all, He especially loved my aunt kelly's dog, angus. he really is a people person/baby...:) he loves being around people and he's ecome even more animated lately, smiling and laughing so much. he's soo fun. i love the little person that he is. he's such a little character, and has so much personality.
i'll have to post pics later cause we forgot our camera so we'll have to get my dad to email them to me. anyways....that's all for now. i don't work until tuesday so i'm enjoying my 'vacation' still.

elusive

2007-09-04T12:31:00.000-07:00

so....at times i know i've been honest on here and other times not so deep...i debate what to share, and for awhile felt like all i was doing was complaining...about how hard life was..how tired i was, etc etc.....well i can't say that too much has changed except the realization that it isn't 'where i live' or that kael can be alot of work, it's mostly just me at the moment. i'm not sure what's going on....but i need a change somehow. i feel like i've been lost for awhile....and i'm not exactly sure how to find my way back to peace..some days i find some steps towards it but others it seems elusive. just wanted to share something real.

birthday party

2007-08-30T18:45:00.001-07:00

well kael had cake for the first time. i cannot believe he is 1 yr old!!! it has gone by so incredibly fast, insanely fast. he is a wonder still. he's so much fun, so much personality and i love to cuddle with him ( when he lets me) he got some great toys that he likes to play with now...although today he was still dragging around the pots today, no matter how many toys he has.
at his party, grandma and grandpa were there, uncle andy and his girlfriend. and my friends shelley, nate, with their son sam. and sarah and andy with their beautiful kids...Israel and Arwen.
at the party i realized why you should give out party favors to other kids..so they have something to play with. and we should have opened up the gifts at the beginning to the other kids had more toys to play with.

and the funny thing was that they all hit meltdwn at the same time.....and nap time came shortly after for all kids involved...:) it was fun.

soon

2007-08-29T20:57:00.000-07:00

will post soon pics of kael's party and stuff....feeling sick (head cold, body aches...etc..) and just not feeling like being social. but will post soon

one year ago.

2007-08-23T18:33:00.000-07:00

i was pregnant, in labor, early labor ut still, having contractions, still walking up and down the street hoping that i would dilate further without intervention. i can't believe it's been a year, one year ago, it was just me and mike ( kind of, not really but you know) and wow...i'm glad that right now i'm not in pre-labor/early labor, etc...you know, the pain, i didn't know then it would be so long....anyways, here's a few pics i couldn't find the ones i really wanted to show you of how massive i was. i miss vancouver, lovely isn't it???

little steps

2007-08-20T14:25:00.000-07:00

kael took a few steps..between me and mike...he was so excited and sooo was i!!! stay tuned...his birthday is friday and we'll take lots of pics....

life

2007-08-16T06:30:00.000-07:00

life is moving on. i can't believe the summer is almost gone. it's been so hot here Kael and I haven't even been able to enjoy the summer enough. I'm wondering why i moved back to wisconsin...cold winters and hot summers...i think i prefer the coast. (but we're not really going to move anywhere. ) maybe in a few years or something we'll try the east coast.
anyways....kael's birthday is in 8 days, we're going to go up to my parents house to have a party for him, since we aren't that close with anyone down here. it'll be a small party but i still think it'll be really fun. i'm looking forward to seeing andy again and his girlfriend.
so all that to say that there is nothing much to say.

feist

2007-08-03T19:03:00.000-07:00

my new favorite cd at the moment is 'FEIST" The Reminder.
check it out.

good friends and being tired

2007-07-31T13:26:00.000-07:00

well, last weekend i went to canada. and hung out with jamie....my very good friend and because mike couldn't go to canada craig came over to see him. so they had their 'guy' time and we, girl time ....soo good. ooh how i've missed it. and we talked way too late in the night. ( or early morning)
and had a great time by the water and relaxing. i thought i had more pics of jamie but i don't. mostly because she took lots of pics on my camera but i thought i had more of her. i'm sad that i don't. and i don't have one pic of the two of us....sad. but there are some great pics that jamie took of kael, he was crawling around in the nude and having a great time.
and it's been hard catching up on sleep....i've been working at 5am the last few days, but it was worth it.

my mother-in-law

2007-07-24T17:15:00.000-07:00

well...today we took Linda, my mother-in-law to the airport. She was with us for a little over a week. And like always we had a great time with her and she spoiled us as well. She brought all kinds of clothes for Kael and while she was here bought him some toys, which he loves playing with. She also brought me these beautiful pottery dishes she got for me. They are gorgeous, one is a huge bowl that looks like a leaf, it's beautiful dish. She even bought me an oprah magazine.
Kael got to spend some time with just her as well, while me and mike went on our first trip with out Kael. We went to denver for a business conference and traveling without Kael is so much easier. But i did miss him by the end. So here are some pics of my beautiful mother-in-law. She is such a blessing in our lives and we enjoyed our time with her. Kael will miss her too.
now we're off to see jamie and craig, we leave our house on thursday, spend a night with my parents and then up to see jamie and craig at my family's. i'm really excited.