Out of the mouths of babes

So we were playing outside this morning before lunch. I was sitting on the front porch and Jake was standing in front of me when he pointed to the area between my eyes and my cheek bones. He points there and asks, "Mommy what color is that?" I am thinking he is referring to the mole I have below my right eye and respond, "Well, honey that's my mole and I think it is brown." Jake corrects, "No. What color is this right under your eye?" That's when it sinks in that he is referring, not to my mole, but the huge circles under my eyes--"Purple."

I guess I am in desperate need of a nap!!

No news

I am posting simply because I feel like I should, it's been a couple of weeks. I am just not sure there is anything to post about...let's see...

My dear sister and her husband suffered a great loss at the beginning of the month when their precious daughter passed away. John and I and the kids were so grateful to make the trip to Idaho and Utah to be there for them and the funeral. We were also able to have some great family time despite the circumstances. Jess and Travis--we love you very much!

The kids and I will be heading back out to CO later next week. My mom was nice enough to purchase Taylor Swift concert tickets for my sis, Amanda, and I for Christmas. The concert is on the 23rd. I am super excited--it's going to be so much fun. We head to Lake Powell the following week and the kids start school two days after we get back. Where has the summer gone!?! I can't believe I go to buy school supplies on Sat for my baby to start school. You think she would be terribly disappointed if I made her wait a year? Probably. Time goes by way to quickly.

kansas...

So we're here...again. We moved last Wed. and Thurs. It was a little stressful, to say the least. I am always surprised at how much crap we have. Why is that? We move so much you think we would severely cut down-nope. When you have all your stuff in your house, and I really do try to keep to a minimum, it just doesn't seem like that much, then you pack full a 24 foot moving truck ( I mean really pack full) and it doesn't all fit!!! Anyway, we got all of the important stuff. We packed up pretty much by ourselves, I know, I know, "Clara you're pregnant, you shouldn't be doing that kind of stuff." Well, sorry Mom and everyone else who likes to tell me that--it had to get done. And it did Tues night and we headed out Wed morning.

I really have to send thanks and apologies to John's family for unpacking us when we got into Manhattan. I think I may have been a little snippy, okay, maybe a lot, and I am sorry for that. I really tried to direct it all at John, who has to endure me when I am pregnant, stressed, and exhausted in more way than one. I am so grateful sometimes that John has so many guys on his side of the family because they unloaded it all for us.

We are here at my sister in law's house. We, meaning me and the kids, John had to return to Colorado until a position becomes available here for him. J, as we affectionately call my sis in law, and her family have been incredibly gracious and kind. I am thankful everyday that John and I have been blessed with such wonderful families to really be there in time of need.

Life is okay so far. Some good news from KS is that Kindergarten for Abbi is full day -yeah for that! And Jake will be able to attend preschool for free and it's four days a week- yeah for that too!! Bad news- it's hot as all get out and humid too. Yuck! And I really miss John. I have been away from him before but this is different. He has been such a wonderful source of love and comfort these past couple months. I am glad we have a relationship that has grown stronger through these trials and brought out the best in him. I love him tremendously and I hope that he can join us soon. It would make this situation much easier to bear.

Okay everyone, it's time I tell you all what has been going on the past two months. We moved and that was a lot of work, of course, but everything went well. We are so grateful for all of the help we had to make that happen. A week after we moved in, John lost his job very unexpectedly. The situation was very stressful and very upsetting, but there's not a whole lot to do other than move on... and that's what we are doing... again!!

John was a branch manager for a large credit union in Boulder, that was the day job anyway. Last October he had started working part time at Best Buy and thank goodness for that. Since the beginning of May they bumped him up to full time and have been so wonderful to him. John has decided to take a break from banking and try retail management. He has not found a position there yet.

Having just signed a lease, we had to find someone to take over our lease here and find a place for our family to go that is affordable on our now suddenly very tight budget. After much praying, fasting disappointment and deliberating we have decided to move back to KS. To Topeka. We own a home there but currently have a renter in it, their lease is up the end of December. In an effort to get out of this house and be in a place for Abbi to start K, we are going to stay with John's sister, JJ and her family. They live a couple of miles from our house there.

I need to say that I am so grateful to our family and friends, for their love and support through this time. It's not over yet. I am grateful John has a job (they are going to transfer him to the store in Topeka for now), but we are still looking for a position that can better provide the income our family needs. This is a very difficult leap of faith in many ways, but we are positive that the Lord has a plan for our family and there is something wonderful waiting for us down the road.

News...

I wish that the majority of you were correct in our little poll...nope. It's a boy! I desperately wanted another girl but that's life right? We, of course, will be happy with a third baby boy!! We are going to a specialist next week to make sure that we don't have another 2 vessel umbilical cord (Isaac had one and it didn't amount to anything for him, he has always been healthy). They just like to check because many in the medical field believe that it's a sign of other problems. The other half of the field believes it means nothing more than a lower birth weight. Isaac was only 7lbs 14oz. Yes, I say only because he was my smallest baby by almost a pound and a half. Anyway, he seems to be doing well, moving a lot. He has swollen kidneys but apparently that's not something they really worry about as long as there is enough fluid in the placenta-which there is at this point. It does mean that we will have more ultrasounds. There always seems to be something with these babies of ours and we get like a dozen chances to see our little one before they join us for real. That's nice, even more nice is that despite the precautions, we have always had healthy babies at birth, we are hoping that our luck holds up!!

Signing off (soon)

As you know, we are moving on May second. After that, John will be keeping up the blog from work of he gets a spare minute or two. I really love the opportunity that blogging gives to keep in touch so I am hoping that he does a good job... and I hope to to be back in touch soon!!

Craziness

The week before we left for KS for the wedding, we were also looking for a house to rent. (We did find a really cute ranch home.) We were in KS for over a week and we were home for a week before the kids and I left town for UT. We had a nice time visiting my brother and his family and an awesome time at the baby shower we threw for both my pregnant sisters.

We have a lot of extended family out there in UT so we decided to throw them a shower out there-family only, kind of . So we all got to see many of the aunts and cousins that live that way. It was a great time.

Now we are home and planning on heading back out to UT in two weeks when Jessica has her baby on the 24th. Then we move a week later on May 2nd. I really need to get some packing in there somewhere!!