Finally a New Blog!

I can't believe it has been 3 months since I have last blogged. Here I am blogging at 7pm, the boys need a bath, laundry needs folded and the kitchen cleaned...who says I have to have a perfect house right?!! On top of that Bill is gone this week. Let's just say I am in survival mode already and it is day two of Bill being gone. Peeling Tyler off the cement porch this morning to get him into daycare was not the best part of my day! It never fails though, when I come and pick them up, Tyler is the first to run to me and scream "MOMMEEEEEE!!" I love it!

Tonight I just sold the boys' baby bedding to a lady at work. A part of me is sad, but another part is excited to start a new chapter in life! We are thinking we are done at two, but who knows we go back and forth all the time!! LOL! After seeing little Chase it almost makes me want to have a third, but then I wake up to reality when my 2 1/2 year old isn't even showing signs of wanting to be potty trained! I thought Drew was strong willed, but now I know what a strong willed child is after having Tyler. I really need to buy that book "Raising a Strong Willed Child" by Dobson. Anyone have any words of wisdom on raising boys...my ears are open!!

Ending on a great note,I have a brand new nephew, Chase Robert Axline! He is sooo adorable! Congratulations Carrie and Sam! Can't wait to see him again!

Don't forget to wear green tomorrow! Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

I Pledge Allegiance...

Last week driving the boys into daycare Drew surprised me one morning. He saw an American Flag on top of one of the building's downtown and said, "Mommy look it's Amewica!!" He was so excited and I said, "Yes that is the American Flag. Drew do you know the Pledge of Allegiance?" And to my great surprise he said, "Yes, mommy." I then asked him to say it. He then starts out, "I pwedge awegiance to the fwag of the United States of Amewica." He says the entire thing as I am crying! I was shocked to find out he knew that. It is amazing how much he is learning in preschool, just two days a week and even his first semester! Time sure is flying raising him. Yesterday it seems I was holding him in my arms. Sniff...sniff...

I just had to share that my almost 4 year old knows the Pledge of Allegiance!!! The next great President...the possibilities are endless!!

He Is Jealous For Me!

I am so excited for Thanksgiving this year! We have a lot to be thankful for this year. It seems this year has really been a character building and defining year for me and for Bill and for our marriage. When Bill lost his job I thought, "God what did we do wrong, or why are you punishing us?" But it wasn't that at all. In the 7 months Bill was laid off, it was like the Lord was stripping us of all our trust in man and showing us that He is the one to trust in. Trust in man can only take us so far, it is Faith and Trust in the Lord that makes us strong. The Lord took care of us the 7 months Bill was laid off! We didn't have health insurance and our boys were not sick once in 7 months that he was laid off. For two kids, that is a complete miracle! The Lord provided a roof over our head and food for us to eat! I am so thankful for Richard and Patsy for opening their home to us for 5 months. The Lord even opened the door for my old job back! Even though, I would rather stay home, I am so thankful that He has provided this job for me! I am thankful Bill has found a job with American Family Insurance! We thought the door was shut on this job and the Lord opened it back up again for him. I am rejoicing this year that I have learned more and more about the Lord's love and faithfulness and I am so "THANKFUL" for His many blessings upon our life!

I love this song from the "David Crowder Band"


He is jealous for me, Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realize just how beautiful You are,
And how great Your affections are for me.

And oh, how He loves us oh
Oh how He loves us,
How He loves us all

He is jealous for me, Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realize just how beautiful You are,
And how great Your affections are for me.

And oh, how He loves us oh,
Oh how He loves us,
How He loves us all

He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.

And we are His portion and He is our prize,
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes,
If his grace is an ocean, we’re all sinking.
And heaven meets earth like an unforeseen kiss,
And my heart turns violently inside of my chest,
I don’t have time to maintain these regrets,
When I think about, the way…

That He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.
Yeah, He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.

Yeah, He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.

I'm Surviving!

It is day 4 and I am still alive! The week Bill leaves for training Tyler, of course, gets sick with a fever on Monday. I used all my sick time on Monday, and I had my wonderful mom and mom-n-law watch Tyler for me on Tuesday. When I took him to the Dr. on Monday, they had to swab him to check for strep. That was horrible trying to hold him down while he was saying "No, mommy, I'm scared!" It broke my heart to hear him say that. I didn't even think he knew that word yet. Luckily it is just a viral cold and he doesn't have strep or H1N1! YAY!

On a brighter note, we now have awesome water pressure! This lady that lives down the street had someone put a new gauge on the water tank. I guess they barely had any water pressure and with a quick fix like that, we should have done this years ago!! It is great to be able to fill up a bathtub in less than 5 minutes now!

Last week we took Tyler to Riley Hospital to get an x-ray on his hip and we are so excited that the Dr. said he is completely fine! PTL! That was a huge sigh of relief. We should of had the x-ray done at the beginning of this year, but then Bill got laid off and without insurance we decided to wait. I realized how blessed we are to have two healthy boys. It was so hard sitting in the waiting room and seeing all of these little children in wheelchairs. What some of these parents go through day after day after day for their children just breaks my heart. Oh, and what really made me upset for these families, you have to pay to park!!! I could not believe that at a children's hospital we had to pay to park. Realizing that some of these parents have to go there multiple times a month, it just stunned me! I thought Riley Hospital was to be one of the greatest hospitals and to ask the patients to pay to park is just horrible I think.

To end on a good note, I got my drapery rod that I ordered from Target this week! I can now hang up my drapes in the living room! YAY!! This is something I will not attempt on my own, I will wait for Bill. I am not Mrs. Fixit that's for sure!

Home...What a Sweet Sound!

I never did think we would be back in our old home once we moved almost two years ago! It feels great to be at home again! I haven't blogged forever, and now I finally have a moment to do so!! I am still sifting through some boxes of decor and TOYS! It is nuts, I think my boys now own more things than Bill and I combined!! For some reason that just doesn't sound right! I am not wanting to get rid of some old baby toys just yet, just in case we might have another one a couple years down the road. Storage is a big issue, I am thinking we need to get Drew a bed frame now so I can put things under his bed!! We might just get bunk beds for the boys. Tyler will be ready for a big boy bed in about 6 months or so. I am not sure I am ready for it yet. He wakes up about 6 to 6:30 am still, and just thinking of him being able to get out of bed on his own, freaks me out!! He is so funny though, his new thing to do now, is stick his fingers in his ears and scream!! He is so much fun! :)

Drew started preschool a few weeks ago. He really likes it a lot! He is still crying, but the minutes are getting less as the weeks go on. He is already starting to trace letters! I am so glad we have him at a Christian preschool, he comes home and when he is just playing on his own, I hear him start singing songs he has learned at school. It really is a sweet sound! He has such a sweet and tender spirit about him.

The boys will start daycare at the end of this month. I think it is harder on me more than anyone. Tyler will be just fine, he is very social, but I am more concerned with Drew. There has been so much transition in his life, that one more thing might be too much for him. I am praying that he adjusts quickly and smoothly. :)

The next month to month and a half will also be tough for Bill and I. He starts his training in Columbus, Ohio, in October. He will be training through the week and home on the weekends. If you think of us, please be praying for our family during the 5-7 weeks he is in training. It will be tough, but I know the Lord will give us His grace and strength to get through it.

On a side note, I have just downloaded all of this summer's photos to Picasa and you can see all the fun things we did this summer! Now that we have internet to our computer it is easier to download all my pictures on Picasa! :)

Hi-Ho, Hi-Ho It's Off to Work I Go...

The time has come where I must hang up my apron, my favorite pair of pj's, and lose my nice tan I have acquired this summer and go back to work. It has been a great almost 2 years of staying home with my boys. I have enjoyed every moment of seeing them grow. Some accomplishments that have happened since staying home with the boys. I have potty-trained Drew (that was a major YIPPEE!!) I have finished Drew's first year of his baby scrapbook. I haven't started Ty's yet, but I am hoping to get back into my old group soon! Let's see, oh, I think I have mastered the Chocolate Chip cookie recipe. LOL! Atleast when I was in Iowa, I made the best chocolate chip cookies! Bill has even said my baking has gotten better. I will miss my baking time with the boys when it rains outside. Sniff...sniff...

Moving from this chapter in my life will not be an easy one, but I am looking forward to what the Lord has in store for us next. Tyler will be going to daycare for the first time since he was born. He did go to Sherry's house for 4 weeks before we moved to Iowa, but that wasn't nearly a daycare. I called it his baby spa! She pampered all day long, he smelt like baby oil when I picked him up. :) For some reason I am having an issue about leaving Tyler. I thought I would be more upset about Drew starting preschool, but leaving Tyler at daycare seems like it will be harder. I know Tyler will be just fine, he is my social boy anyway, he will fit right in. I will miss them like crazy, but I will enjoy every moment of our time together on the weekends.

I start back to work August 3rd. I have taken my old job back at the good ol' Courthouse. Believe it or not, they took me back after I turned down their offer in April. It was definitely a timing thing. I was able to enjoy this summer with the boys and Bill was able to get his insurance license done! The exciting thing is we will be moving back into our old house sometime in August. The way things have started to unfold is just a part of His plan and makes me realize how much He is in control!

One Bad Haircut!

Bill got his regular haircut at Christina and Company "TRAINING" Center yesterday. I tell him he is crazy to keep going there, well now he will not be going back. It was bound to happen, he got a terrible haircut! I think the girl was going for a military cut and need I say more. The pictures speak for themselves. So Bill ended up having to shave his whole head! I actually think he looks pretty handsome! :) Enjoy the picts!