Ballerina

 

Carrie has always loved to dance.

This week she has been obsessed with the cartoon "Angelina Ballerina." As she watches she gets up and dances, imitating the moves she sees. She has been showing off her ballet moves all week, and of course, I  love to watch her! It just might be time to get her into a dance class. :)

finally got some snow!!

When we woke up this morning and saw it was blizzarding outside, I was instantly glad that the kids and I had nowhere we needed to be today. We got quite a bit of snow, and the snowplow didn't make it down our street until about 4 in the afternoon. My car is not great in the snow. So... we just stayed home. :) We got some jobs done around the house, the kids played outside, enjoyed some hot chocolate, played games, colored, and watched a movie. It has been a cozy fun day at home with the kids.

playing tag

hot chocolate mustache

yummm

from the mouth of babes

My kids are always saying things that I tell myself I need to write down so I don't forget them. Unfortunately I am not usually good about writing them down, so sure enough... I forget them. Today I just wanted to take the time to remember a couple of the things they have said this week that have stuck with me, and have made me smile. :)

- Carrie was playing and being funny so I told her she was a silly goose. She responded, "I'm not a goose mama... I'm a chicken!! We are all chickens. We are a chicken family!" We laughed and laughed.

-One afternoon the morning sickness was getting to me, so I told the kids I was going to go rest for a few minutes because I wasn't feeling well. They went off to play. Later that evening I was talking to Andrew, and told him thank you for being such a good boy earlier, and letting me rest. He looked right at me and said, "Thanks for being my mom." He doesn't express those feelings often, so when he does it really means a lot. He totally melted my heart with that one.

I am going to try to take the time more often, as things are said, to write them down.

brother and sister

It's no secret that I love these two kids... like crazy. Nothing makes me happier than to see them playing, giggling, and getting a long with one another. Of course there are those other moments too when they make each other cry, but in the end they still consider each other to be their best friend. They know that no matter what, the other will still love them. And I think that is pretty neat.

spring in January...

It has been unusually warm for this time of year. Even despite the fact that we need more snow, I can't help but enjoy the warmer temps! The kids have loved it too. We have been able to go on walks, and they have spent a lot of time in the backyard playing, and riding bikes.

back!

I have taken a nice little break from blogging, and to honest... I have needed it! It being a new year I am making some goals for myself, and one of those is to get back into blogging, more for myself than anything else. It has been so long that no one probably ever checks our blog anymore, and I guess that is okay. :)

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This last year has been quite the emotional roller coaster for me. I have felt inadequate as a mother, trying to help my son through some challenges. We have been tried financially as we have been unemployed twice. These are just a couple of the trials we have been through this year, but also the two that I have learned the most from. 

**WARNING: this is a LONG story... I won't be offended if you decide to skip to the end. :)

I had been wanting to see a doctor and have my son Andrew tested, but had decided to wait until he was done with school for the year, and would have his sixth birthday in July. Unfortunately, mid June, Kevin was laid off from his job. I was frustrated  about it, but not having health insurance we didn't have a choice but to wait. Kevin started working again in August, and as soon as we got our health insurance cards I set up an appointment for Andrew with his doctor (his school teacher had come to me expressing some concerns about Andrew, and things had also escalated to an all time high at home). We met with the doctor, and Andrew was diagnosed with ADD. That was no surprise... but still didn't answer all of our questions. We decided to try some medication in hopes that it would help him at school, and wanted to also get him in to see a counselor to further help him, and to also learn how we can better communicate and work with him at home. It had only been a couple of months, just as we are getting into this process, that Kevin again lost his job, and we were again left without any health insurance. The first time Kevin was laid off I went instantly into panic mode worrying about money, the house payment... ect. This time around, however, I was more concerned about my Andrew, and not being able to get him the help that I know he needed. At his point, the only thing I could do to help him was to pray. Of course this was not the first time I had prayed for him, but this time it was different. This time I felt helpless, and I was able to hand my problem over to the Lord. I then was comforted to know that in the end, everything would be okay. I was hoping to receive an answer in the way of an idea to help Andrew. That didn't happen, but I knew that the Lord understood my concerns and frustrations. I knew that the Lord would not leave me alone with no help for my son. I knew that I just needed to be patient with myself, and with Andrew. So we just kept going day by day as normal. It wasn't long, however, before things started to change. I didn't do anything differently as a mother, but Andrew began to change. I have watched him become more content, calm, and rational. He argues less, and gets upset less easily. He hasn't thrown one of his tantrums for almost two months. When he does get frustrated, I can talk to him and we can work through it fairly easily. He even seems HAPPY. He is not perfect of course, (he is still a six year old boy), but I have seen remarkable growth and maturity. I love my Andrew SO much.

To someone on the outside, this may not seem like a big deal. But to the mother on the inside who has struggled for years... this is a miracle. I don't know if this will be lasting, but I do know it is a blessing. Through it all, I have been left feeling grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who never leaves us alone. I have been humbled by the many ways in which we have been blessed. I have been reminded this year what is truly important in this life, and that is our families. It was a rough year with some lows, but we have never experienced such highs, either. I look forward to a new year, and a new chapter in our lives.

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Things to look forward too in 2012:

Kevin starting a new job (on Tuesday!!)

Carrie turning four

Andrew turning seven

spending lots of time with my kids

better scripture reading habits

(hopefully) buying a mini van

having baby #3 in June!!!

Me turning 30

more thoughtful FHE nights

dejunking and organizing

first day of school : 2011

Andrew is in FIRST grade this year. It has been an adjustment for us having him gone all day, not to mention that is has completely worn him out. There have been a few nights where he has fallen asleep really early (5:00-6:00), and slept through the entire night. That is not normal around here!! He is learning a lot, and so far has loved first grade!!

Carrie started preschool the same day. It was kind of a last minute thing, but so far she has also loved it. It has been good to give her something to do a couple of days a week while Andrew is gone all day. But I must say... I have LOVED having the chance to have more one-on-one time with this sweet girl. She truly melts my heart.