25 weeks

25 weeks pregnant with Brodes
  25 weeks #2

Out and about.

I have also been wanting to tell you about the Farmer's Market. We went a couple of Saturdays ago and despite the rain, we had so much fun. I love seeing all of the stuff, buying the fresh fruits and vegetables and the smell of the market. :) It's a fun thing to do with your family and great way to get fresh produce at a bargain. We left the market with asparagus, avacodos, strawberries, cherries, bananas, spinach, and a few other things that I am forgetting. We spent $12 on food and came home with a lot. I wish I had brought my camera but since it rained it was probably good that I didn't. I haven't documented as much as I would like this year just us living life. I would have had fun getting pictures of the little old guys in the german band. We sat and listened to some live music and Brody LOVED IT! AND again in the rain. :) We went home a little wet, tired, and yet smiling. :) 

The best kept secret! ;)

There have been SO many things that I have been wanting to blog about but have been doing the bare necessities to get by. It's amazing how busy life can get. The weekend of Don's graduation we did something super fun as a family. We took Brody to the Flinthill's Children's festival. We heard about it through a parenting class that we took at church. A woman told us that the Ordway was having a Chilren's festival and putting on productions like "The very hungry Catepillar" by Eric Carle. I love Eric Carle books and I really like this book. She also stated that they sell out fast because the tickets are $5 each. WHAT?? That's crazy. When can you take a child to go see a play for $5.00 per person. So that night Don and I went and looked it up. We got our tickets and wahlah!! Little did I know it was so much more then just a play that we were signing up for. It makes sense, it's called a FESTIVAL. So the day before or so I went online to see what was all included. The play is only one part of the festival there are many things to see and do that are free. They have a variety of performers in Rice Park throughout this fun filled weekend. They also have events going on inside the landmark center. We went a little early and got to see some live African music being performed, and traditional chinese dancers. It was fun. As far as the play went it was sooo good and Brody loved it. It was about 30-40 minutes long. It completely kept him occupied until the end, he got a tad ancy but at 2 I think he did amazing. A play group from Canada came down to the Ordway and did a series of the Eric Carle books, not just the Hungry Catepillar but we also saw the Little cloud and the mixed up Chameleon. I highly recommend that if you live in the area to check this out next year. Even if you don't get to go to the Ordway there are many things to see if you go for the day that are free. It was one of my favorite memories with my family this spring. 

24 weeks

23 weeks & More!

"You're big for 6 months aren't you." I must be really lucky to get these people in my life who don't have filters and they say whatever comes to their minds! ;) Actually mam I am not even six months yet, imagine how big I will be when I am! Anyway, I just had to share that with you all! 

For some reason this week I keep thinking I am 24 weeks, then I remember that I am only 23 weeks. It's weird. Not sure why but somewhere my brain skipped a week. I wish my body would. :)

I am pretty excited about a few things. I have a blood disease. Which I believe I have shared that with you all before. My body doesn't break down iron well and yet somehow my blood looks like I need iron when I really don't. So my midwife wanted me to be on prenatal vitamins with iron and that is how I ended up at the Doctor's getting an ultrasound when I was 16 weeks pregnant. I was having terrible abdominal pain and it ended up that it was because of the iron in the prenatals. Since that episode I have not had peace about staying at my clinic but I also struggled with going through the process of figuring out where to go. It just felt overwhelming. Well a friend of mine recommended a clinic and I pursued it. It's a small women's clinic. There is one OBGYN and 3 midwives that work as a team. They are associated with a great hospital. I had my first appt with them today and really could tell that they had an understanding of my blood disease and how it affects pregnancy. I feel like I will be well cared for and listened to. The appt. was a success. One of the questions that Don wanted me to talk to the midwife about was the sex of the baby. He still feels that because we had an ultrasound where the Dr. said we were having a girl, he thinks that there is still a possibility. So I asked the midwife her opinion and she said that if the ultrasound would have been earlier she would question the accuracy, however, she thinks that if we had an ultrasound and the Doctor said we were having a girl and one where the tech. said we were having a boy she thinks that it's still up in the air! I personally really think we are having a boy. I will also tell you that I am at a place where I am very happy with having a boy and would be happy with either a boy or girl. Due to my blood disease they want to watch the amniotic fluid. So they want me to have another ultrasound and she said that if they can tell the sex they will take pictures! hehee... We didn't get any confirmation at our 21 week  US, the tech just said that it looked like a boy. So we will see. I guess if the baby shows us the goods, we will have a tie breaker. WOW!! How crazy. I am excited to have another US, I love seeing the baby. So that is something fun to look forward to. We went and toured the hospital tonight and it's very nice. The rooms are large & comfortable. You stay in the same room through labor, delivery and post partum. I love that. I really feel so peaceful about the switch to this new clinic and the hospital. SO YIPPEE...

That's it I think for now. Everything is going as good as can be expected. I have the normal aches and pains! Heartburn, sore hips, tired... :) Otherwise they thought that my weight gain looked normal and the baby's heartbeat was strong and beautiful!! :) 

This one is for YOU MOM!!

My mom and papa bought Brodes a cool tryke for his birthday! I picked it out, but they haven't really gotten to see it! So here are some fun pics of Brody's tryke and Brody!

      *Singing* Ring my beeelll, ring my bell..... 

it's a roadster, isn't it cool!!
 



Doesn't he look MISERABLE?? ;)
So you may not know what he is doing in this picture but I LOVE IT!!

Brody is signing THANK YOU!! Love you mom and Papa! 

Thank you for the tryke. :)

The light at the end of the tunnel..

I have put a lot of thought into what I want to say about this post and to be honest I still feel like I don't know how to put my feelings into words. Saturday May 31, 2009 Donny graduated with a Master of Arts in Theological Studies. To say that I am proud of him is an understatement. I was bursting with pride last Saturday as he walked across the stage to get his degree. I can't begin to imagine what next year will be like when he gets his Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy. Then he will be done. It's amazing that we have been on this journey for four years and are finally approaching the light at the end of the tunnel. I have seen my husband fight for this opportunity in many ways. He received a lot of criticism when we sold our house for him to go to school. He had to fight to get into the MFT program, and he has had to fight for the right to graduate. I have never seen him work harder or sacrifice so much to earn these degrees. He originally went into the MATS program with an understanding that it could help him to get into the MFT program. It's a very hard program to get into. After being in the program for about a half year or close to the end of his first year he was told that he just has to reapply for the MFT program and that MATS had nothing to do with getting into the  MFT program. So here he was pursuing a degree without any real purpose. However, once you put a year into a Masters degree you might as well finish it. As graduation approached this year Don informed me that he didn't want to walk. He felt that because it wasn't the degree that he intended it wasn't a big deal. I remember being sad about this. I feel like he worked hard and had earned the right to walk. When he told me that he decided to participate in graduation I was pretty excited but didn't want to make a big deal about it. He didn't even tell people he was graduating, NOT EVEN his own mother. :) BUT I told her. Together on Saturday his mom and I went and watched the ceremony. It was really cool because I saw a change in him. When he walked across the stage he was smiling. I really felt that God used the ceremony, this celebration to show him that he had earned it. It didn't matter if it was the degree that he set out for, he worked hard for it. Also this was a stepping stone to the MFT. Going to the graduation on Saturday gave him a glimmer of what it's going to be like next year as he accepts his degree in the MFT program. I feel like God used this particular ceremony to give him something to look forward to next year, to inspire him to keep working hard and to encourage him to not give up. My heart broke for him this year as I saw that he could possibly quit. He was criticized and judged. He felt so discouraged and beat down. He almost gave up. Now when I think about it, I can't even believe it. The reality that there is only a  year left when he has been in school for the last four years seems like nothing. To almost have had him quit when he is so close to the end seems crazy to me. However, God really used the right people to encourage him. He didn't give up, and that is part of the fight that I saw. So again, to say I am proud is an understatement. Watching him go through this life accomplishment, to see him persevere makes me love him more. I can't wait to celebrate again next year, to see him walk across the stage and get his degree in the MFT program. Which has been his dream and we feel God's plan for his life. I hope that you all enjoy the pictures. Please note the big smile on his face!! I love it.... 

I love this picture. 
Showing off his fancy duds!! 
Donny and his friends celebrating! I love how Don just 

jumps straight up and keeps his arms straight. I think he needs to let loose a little!! ;) 



WOOT WOOT!!!! WAY TO GO BABY!!! I LOVE YOU.