Baby #3

That's right, we're expecting baby #3! And, I can't believe how fast my tummy is growing with this one. I'm wearing a BeBand in the picture because it's very uncomfortable to fasten my pants and this band holds them up even when they're not fastened. How cool is that! I've only gained 1 pound but I feel and look like I've gained lots more. We found out yesterday that I have placenta previa meaning the placenta is covering my cervix which explains the spotting I've had with this pregnancy. I've been nervous to make this pregnancy public because I wasn't sure how things would turn out. Thankfully the baby is very healthy as we've seen in 3 ultrasounds now. He or she is measuring a little over a week ahead so my doctor is going to move my due date up. As of right now, I'm just saying that our due date is early November. Anna especially is very excited about this new little one. She says she wants a brother but when talking about the baby she calls it "her" and tells us it's name is Emma. Audrey doesn't really have a clue yet but I'm sure once my tummy gets bigger, she'll understand that something is in there. I go back in 2 weeks for another check on the placenta. Until then I am to rest as much as possible with no lifting, pelvic rest, and no exercise. We are so thankful for everyone's prayers and praise the Lord for seeing us through this not-so easy time.

Audrey's big girl bed

Miss Audrey moved into her new big girl bed on Sunday night and is doing really well with it. She was up a few times that night but since then has done great. It's like she's grown up overnight not wanting me to rock her anymore or sing to her, but just tuck her in and turn out the light. That's kinda hard for Mommy to swallow but I'm thankful she's doing well. We'll see how long her excitement over her new bed lasts. :) By the way, I hope you enjoy hearing her fake laugh in the video. I hear it lots each day and it still makes me smile. She's such a goof!

Anna is reading!

Anna loves to read and I've been wanting to get it on video for awhile now. She really likes Dr. Suess books. When she slows down, she does great!

Audrey Beethoven

The girls love to play the piano, Audrey especially. She often climbs up on the bench and "serenades" us with her latest masterpiece. She had her 2 year check-up yesterday and she's growing well. She weighed 25 pounds putting her in the 25th percentile and was in the 75th percentile for height. Dr. Walker was impressed with how flexible she is. I'm wondering if she's not double jointed because she can get herself in some incredible positions. She knows all of the alphabet, all colors except red consistently, and counts to 12 so she's doing well learning like a little sponge. She's quite the tough girl, didn't even cry when getting her shot at the doctor, not even a whimper. Michael and I were shocked as her big sister has to be restrained by 4 adults when she gets shots. We're working on potty training. She does well somedays and other days she argues when it's time for her to try to go. Hopefully, by the end of summer she'll be completely trained. Enjoy the videos... I love to hear her sing!

Oh Poopie!

Oh poopie, literally! I had changed Audrey's diaper upstairs, tied it in a bag, and then asked Anna to go gently toss it over the railing so that I could take it out to the garage when we got downstairs. So Anna took the diaper and tossed it over the railing. She then came back to Audrey's room and said, "Mommy, the diaper is on the light." I thought she meant the piano light which is somewhat below the railing and didn't think much of it. I finished getting Audrey dressed and then we headed toward the stairs. I was SHOCKED when I saw which light Anna meant! I laughed my head off first and then thought, "Oh no! How are we going to get that down?!" I didn't even want to attempt getting it down for fear that I'd break something so we just left the smelly diaper hanging on the chandelier over the entry way until Daddy got home. Anna was so proud to show him what she did. :) He was able to reach across the railing with a rake and get it down thankfully. It's a good thing he got it down too as we had Bible study at our house that night. I'm sure our friends wouldn't have appreciated the latest air freshner we had. :)

Chores with Grandma

We visited my family in IN a few weeks ago and Anna got to enjoy a special treat while there. Grandma Kathy let Anna feed the animals and Anna thought she was big stuff! Michael and I hate that our girls won't know much about farm life. We both grew up as farm kids and learned a lot from it. Hopefully our girls will get to experience a little bit of it whenever we visit our parents. I miss farm life sometimes. Doing chores in the morning and at night kept me in great shape and there's something fulfilling about caring for animals and just being out in the country. It's in my blood I guess. Anna loved playing with the cats especially. She told Mom that her clothes were too big and we got a good laugh out of that, that's just part of it!

Easter

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My Savior My God

We sang these lyrics in church yesterday and I couldn't even sing as tears ran down my cheeks. This song really touched my heart and I'm sure many of you are familiar with it. As we begin to focus on Easter and as we journey toward the mountain tops and valleys in our lives, what a blessing that we have a Savior who gave His life for us and NEVER leaves our side!

My Savior My God by Aaron Shust

I am not skilled to understand What God has willed, what God has planned I only know at His right hand Stands one who is my Savior

I take Him at His word and deed Christ died to save me; this I read And in my heart I find a need Of Him to be my savior

That He would leave His place on high And come for sinful man to die You count it strange, so once did I Before I knew my Savior

Chorus (2x’s)

My Savior loves, My Savior lives My Savior’s always there for me My God: He was, my God; He is My God is always gonna be

Yes, living, dying, let me bring My strength, my solace from this spring; That He who lives to be my King Once died to be my Savior

That He would leave His place on high And come for sinful man to die You count it strange, so once did I Before I knew my Savior

My Savior loves, My Savior lives

My Savior loves, My Savior lives

Happy 2nd Birthday Audrey!

It's hard to believe this little sweet pea is 2 today! The time has flown by and on some days, barely creeped by. She has taught us so much about patience and joy and we are so thankful that God chose us to be her parents. We love you Audrey Elizabeth! As always, she will not look at the camera and smile so here's the birthday girl minus a birthday smile. :)

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A new blanket

At MOPS we learned how to make no-sew fleece blankets and I wanted to make a big one for all of us to cover up with when we're watching a movie. If Michael and I sit down on the couch the girls are usually on our laps and we typically have out multiple blankets. Now we can all cover up with one and it's great! Of course it makes a great blanket to wrestle on the floor with or make a fort with too. I love the cheetah print. :)

Ornery Audrey!

Miss Audrey was being silly on our bed. She LOVES to jump on any bed, especially Anna's. Daddy got her this shirt when he was in TX.

Daddy's Cowgirls

A few weeks ago, Michael traveled to San Antonio for a conference and we were all soooo happy when he got back home. He brought back a suitcase full of goodies for us girls... I'm not sure who missed who more. =) Anna was all ready to ride her pony with the new pink cowgirl hat!

Baby Audrey

Audrey loves to play with babies and pretend to be the baby. Anna has her trained well putting a paci in her mouth, getting in the doll crib, fake crying... oh my!

Pro-Life Rally

On Thursday, my good friend, Karri, and I loaded up our kiddos and headed to the State Capitol building to take part in a Pro-Life rally. Many legislators were in their offices that day and West Virginians for Life are hoping to get a bill passed that will require that women who are seeking abortion will have the opportunity to see their child via ultrasound before they determine to end their pregnancy. There were many of us "pro-lifers" in attendance and we're hoping that our legislators "heard" us as they prepare to vote on this important matter. The Capitol building is BEAUTIFUL! The dome on the top is made of real gold. The pictures below show what it looks like on the inside. They spared no expense with this building as much of the interior, floors and walls, are made of marble. It truly is breathtaking! Our governor spoke and stated that he is pro-life! Praise the Lord! The display below is for the Pregnancy Resource Center that I volunteer with. It is the only one in the Charleston area and is completely run by volunteers. I really enjoy working with the moms who come in for counseling. Many of them are so young and in such tough situations. What an awesome cake! The black bear is West Virginia's state animal. Audrey loved looking at these. She kept calling them teddy bears. :) It was very warm in the capitol building so before getting back on the bus to head toward our vans after the rally, we decided to let the kids get some fresh air and burn off some energy outside of the Capitol building. The kids were determined to run up the steps and get to the top! They made it up all the steps - great exercise, especially for Audrey's short little legs! Also had to snap a quick picture of the flag flying. On their way back down - I love this picture looking up at the building. Riding the bus around town was the highlight for the kiddos. Anna was beyond excited! The girls' shirts are just a little long but they love to wear them. They make perfect night gowns! :)

Upward Basketball

Anna only has a few games left of Upward Basketball. We've really enjoyed watching her learn and play and she's had so much fun with her friends and coaches. Warming up Guarding her "man" Anna brings the ball down the court several times during each game. Her dribbling has really improved since the beginning of the season. After each game, the team gathers and their coach gives out colored stars that can be ironed onto their shirts. Each color stands for something different. Anna has gotten the stars for Christlikeness, Best Offense, Best Defense, Best Effort, and Sportsmanship. In the picture above she's getting the star for best Sportsmanship. Her coaches are so good with the kids, we are very thankful for their guidance and patience. :) The videos (click on the play button even if they appear black, they should still work) give you an idea of just how chaotic the games can get with several 4-7 year olds all trying to learn how to play the game and go after the ball. Anna's not overly aggressive but she does have a lot fun playing and that's what matters.

Happy Valentine's Day!

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The following was taken from a blog that I love to read by Jill Savage (http://www.jillsavage.org/). She is an incredible woman with an incredible ministry for Mothers. It's too good not to share. Immature love is a noun. A thing we long for. A feeling. An expectation of what someone will do for us. Mature love is verb. An action we take. A decision. A choice to do something for someone else. Unfortunately too many of us have yet to mature in our love and our relationships bear the scars of that fact. But it’s never too late to grow up. And if we want our love to last a lifetime, we can’t afford to keep believing that love is a noun. The feeling of love is short-lived. We have to transition to understand that long-lasting love is really a verb. But what does this English lesson of nouns and verbs have to do with real relationships? How do we take this concept and apply it to real life? Maybe these scenarios can help paint the picture.  Love as a noun spent all last week wondering what your spouse was going to do for you for Valentine’s Day. Love as a verb spent all last week preparing your expression of love for your spouse.  Love as a noun feels despair when you no longer feel “in love” with the person you are married to. Love as a verb understands the ebb and flow of feelings. It focuses more on expressing love than feeling love.  Love as a noun demands its own way. Love as a verb works to understand differences and is open to new ways of doing things.  Love as a noun finds faults in others. Love as a verb gives grace and forgiveness.  Love as a noun expects others to serve them. Love as a verb serves freely.  Love as a noun expects to always feel warm and fuzzy and “in love.” Love as a verb realizes that often we have to choose to love even when we don’t feel like it.

Happy Birthday Michael!

Happy Birthday to my amazing husband! He's the big 3 0 today and we're not letting him forget it. =) I'm so greatful that God chose him for me. He is my best friend and a wonderful father to our girls. They are very lucky to have such a hands-on daddy but most important, a daddy who strives to please the Lord each day.

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Fun in the snow

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