Wednesday, June 30, 2010

San Diego Ahoy! {SD Part One}

Friday morning we commenced on our annual trip to Mission Beach in San Diego. It's usually our one and only family vacation of the year, and so we cherish it like we do Christmas. We literally talk about it for months like salivating, sugar deprived children waiting for an ice cream truck.

This year we figured that the six hour drive would be manageable with conscious children. As long as we were prepared that is. With a little effort and planning, each of us were well equipped with items to help keep us happy.
Brooke and Brenna had a portable DVD player with a slew of animated DVDs and snacks,

I had two birthy-books that I guzzled down like iced lemonade,

(I read this one, and this one...both are fantastic by the way)

and Kevin had his I-Pod.

We made a quick stop at Kneader's Bakery in Yuma, and after we had our bag of Cinnamon Bread and Fish Shaped Sugar Cookies, we were back on the road.

Fortunately the hours flew by, and it became obvious we weren't in Arizona anymore. Through our gut spattered windshield, I could see the sign "beaches," and I knew we were almost there.
The temperature tipped us off too.

San Diego Ahoy!

Monday, June 14, 2010

Changes

There have been a lot of big changes in the last few weeks.


Moving On Up

We got a second offer on our house about a week after our other one fell through, and we will be closing in a couple weeks if all goes well. We're keeping our fingers crossed! The same day we got the good news about our house offer being approved, we signed on a rental house in Tempe. We moved out on Memorial Day with a lot of help from friends, family and ward members. It's amazing how many people are willing to give service on their day off, and we are so grateful! Going from 982 sq feet to 1550sq. feet, and from a 2 bedroom to a 3 bedroom, has been great. We are loving the extra space and are attempting to fill all the empty walls. Getting used to a new home took a few days, but we are really enjoying it here. It's already starting to feel like home.

Big Girl Beds and the Battle of the Binkies


With the big move, we decided to officially get the girls into their "big girl beds," or twin beds as we know them. We talked them up the week before, and so far they have done really well in them. After a week and a half of getting used to the new house/new beds, we attempted another goal, to get rid of the binkies for good. They only got them at night time/nap time, but we had been meaning to get rid of them before they turned 3. A little late, I know. Tsk tsk! So we headed off to the store to pick them out a "big girl gift," and talked about how we are going to get rid of the binkies now that they are such big girls. They both picked out a Belle Barbie which they call Beauty, and so far they have done pretty well without the pacifiers. Their first night was a long one, as they couldn't seem to get calm enough to go to sleep, but it's gotten better. I must admit that I miss how well they napped in the the afternoon with the aid of their binkies, but it's worth it. Hopefully things will only get easier from here. I am so proud of them as they have done so well with all the changes going on.



Making the switch

At 27wks I decided to change health care providers for this pregnancy. It was a little scary at first to do this, but I felt it was necessary. After my first appointment with the Bethany Midwives, I felt so good and I am very glad I made the change. I know that they are very supportive of my wishes, and I can tell a difference already in the way they treat me during appointments. With my other provider I would have been scheduled to take the 1 hour glucose test in about a week, which I'm sure all moms love to do! With this practice, they give you the option of testing your blood sugar first, and looking at your health history before recommending the 1 hour test. I'm the type that enjoys having more options, especially less invasive ones, and I also like to play a more active role in the decision making. The small differences I noticed in just one appointment helped confirm that I was in the right place.

With all the changes and transitions have come so many blessings, and we are so grateful for them all:)

Friday, June 11, 2010

Our Nest On Evergreen

Five years
thriving within your walls
building our humble nest
of 982 twigs
just enough to call home

With buckets of paint
countless IKEA trips
and sweat
this space
becomes ours

Seasons change
time rides on the wind
saturated with
vacations
school
church callings
holidays
work
date nights
a roof leak
and love

Then new life
an office becomes a nursery
a kitchen remodel
and making room
stacking boxes
on top of boxes
every branch occupied

Bed rest
growing heavy in the sun
hatching twins
pacing the night
sleeping the day
more boxes appear
and our nest grows full

College graduation comes
and goes
and time passes
they are
walking
talking
we are
sprinting
stammering

Struggles
chase blessings
thefts
a new job
loud music neighbors on Sundays
a promotion
little ones squeezing through the patio gate
a promotion
sprints to the attached laundry room in our underwear
new neighbors
new HOA fees

Then new life
new questions
new needs
new choices

Fears
excitement
tears
faith
frustration
days consumed with
prayer
work
and patience

With buckets of paint
countless pages of paperwork
patience and faith
this space
is no longer ours
and we leave our warm nest
riddled deep with our feathers
to find a new one
for the coming season.