An anniversary apart....

Karl and I had to spend our third anniversary apart today.
He worked all day, and then had d-groups.
We also are pinching pennies, so we couldn't try and mask the lack of time together with big fancy gifts....
But, it still was a lovely day.
I let him off the hook, and put the boy to bed last night, and then stayed up until 2AM to clean the house.
I wanted him to wake up surprised.
And he was.
I then woke up to an email (his gift) that was very lovely.
At risk of embarrassing him, and showing off how much he loves me, I'll share it:
"Happy anniversary!
Thank you for cleaning the house last night!
You must have stayed up late, and worked hard.
It looked so good this morning.
Thank you too for the drink in the fridge.
Thank you for taking care of the kids the way you do.
The way you really pay attention to every little change they go through.
And how you show them love no matter what.
Thank you for your overwhelming abundance of patience,
With me and the kids.
If I could go back and pick any woman to be the mother of my kids
I would pick you, hands down.
Im sorry that this all I did for you for our anniversary
I love you very much
And I always will
No matter what
Have a good day ashface
Karl"
He says "I'm sorry that this is all I did"... but what he doesn't know is that I would take that lovely letter over a fancy schmancy gift any day.
I then made him a steak, peppers, and cornbread dinner.
And he willingly put our smaller, much more comfy bed up in our bedroom, and our bigger stiff bed in the guest room.
(Which we can do, because our little lady is spending most the night in her bassinet)
He's off to d-groups now, and it's just me and the kiddos.
But, I have a few more tricks up my sleeve.
Anywho, Here's to a wonderful husband and a very happy marriage!

Life is well!

My little girl is teething her second tooth.
She is also increasingly getting better at balancing while sitting.
I don't see her crawling for a good month or more though.

Ethan, my darling boy is going to be a talker like his momma!
He is understanding way more than I thought he does,
and is starting to prove it by saying things I didn't expect to hear at just 21 months.
Today he came up to me, gave me a hug, and said "I'm happy".
He also has been saying things like "come on, mom. let's go"
Other sentences are "I don't want more books"
"I want that one" (I want "X" is a popular one)
He's also started to call Karl by his first name, and me by "honey".
As a kid Karl couldn't say his "R"s, and so he'd say his name "cow-all"
Well Ethan has a hard time saying the "R" in Karl as well, and he calls Karl "cowel"
It's so stinking cute.

My parents moved in next door, and are sleeping there tonight!
Ethan walked from our house to their house today with Daniel, sans parents.
I watched through the window with Evelyn in tow.
He's growing so fast!

Babies, Babies, Babies...

I got to see a newborn baby today.
It totally gave me the baby itch!
Their little hands, their baby smell, their total floppiness.
We better get our foster license soon before I go make them the old fashion way!
Where are my babies?!!?

Well, I have two of my favorite babies here with me tonight as Karl is gone at D-groups...
Evelyn is sitting!
And Ethan is talking in 2-3 word pseudo sentences!
The other day he saw a hurt dog on TV and literally started to cry and looked at me with the saddest pout ever, and said "No! No! NO! NO hurt doggies!".... my boy.

Here are some of my favorite pictures from our family shoot.
Pictures by Kasey, editing by me.

Ups and Downs

Today had it's ups and downs.
But the ups were so awesome, the down's didn't hold much merit.

UPS:
I slept in, and spent all morning with my kids cuddling in bed.
I had my first dentist appointment and had NO cavities! Nothing - perfect teeth (this far!) after not going for 22 years.
My parents watched the kids last minute for our dentist appointments, we were expecting to bring them - so yay.
My parents invited us over for dinner last minute too.
Ethan pointed at his bed and asked to go to sleep!
I got the kitchen cleaned (while waiting for a clients album to upload)
I got to eat chocolate ice cream
Evelyn had a great 6 month appointment, and is right on. She's 15lbs and only 50th percentile (dropped again) - but Doc says it's totally fine, and it's just genetics.
Karl was able to get next monday off for us to celebrate our 3rd anniversary
I found $150 in my purse in cash!!!!! What!? I know! I'm not sure how it got there but, it was awesome. I am not sure if I literally lost it in my purse (it was in a weird pocket) or if someone slipped it to me - but it was so awesome to receive as things are tight right now.

Downs:
I felt like I wasted the day today and stayed up until now to "catch up" .... not good.
I was incredibly nervous about my first ever dentist appointment, for nothing.
Ethan decided to take a nap at 8PM and we gambled hoping he'd stay asleep for the night - and lost. He woke up at 10 and stayed up until 1AM.
The dogs ate my favorite chips (Hot Cheetoes and Harvest Cheddar Sun Chips) which I NEVER have in the house, and I didn't even get to open them yet! These dogs are on their last legs.
I really really really am anxious to get this foster thing started - I want my babies now!
Evelyn has been super super super cranky since her shots, and has cried most of the day away.

She's sitting!

Evelyn just learned how to sit on her own!


... and she has just learned to take off her diaper too!

Hearing God...

I think that God has given me a revelation..
Okay, so maybe not a revelation.
But, he has been laying something on my heart lately.
The only way to be truly happy is to live for something other than yourself, and to follow Him in to what ever passion He gives you.
Sounds totally simple and logical right?
Well you don't even know the weight of it until you start living it.

I am so pumped to foster.
My heart is already heavy with love that I want to pour all over the kids.
I don't even know them yet, but I already care for them.
I wish that I could whisper in their ears that "ti's going to be okay, it's going to get better soon..."
I wish that I could put them in cute litle PJs and give them a bed time snack, and but them to bed with a cuddle blankie.
I wish I could witness to them that there is a different way, and that they can be loved, and they don't have to do a single thing to deserve it.
I am so ready.
I am so happy with the choice that our family has made to foster.

Waiting for a call!

Well, we just found out that we don't have to do anything with our pool, and we are officially waiting for God to give us precious children, in due time.
I know that Karl and I will pass our interviews, our background checks, and such.
The only reserve I had was that we have small children, are young, and our house is still some what in it's "foreclosure" state.
Well, the small children actually isn't a problem at all - and neither is our age.
And now we've just found out our house (aka pool) is totally fine too!
I am so stinkin' pumped.
I wish I had a "due date", a count down, or even a reasonably accurate time line until we'll get a call.
But, unfortunately I don't.
I know that we are waiting on our enrollment,
then we have our big whopper of an interview,
then they send in all the paperwork to be approved.
Then we wait.
So how long - who knows!?
If I had to guess I'd say by Thanksgiving...

Also, by random chance, or God really...
The house next door was bought by my mothers land lord.
He's offered it to them to live in for now, and to buy it when they can.
So, my mom is moving in next door!
I am so excited!
And my dad is a stay at home dad of sorts, and said he'd be happy to help me by being my MANNY!
aka man nanny, for 15-20 hours a week once we get foster kids.

God is awesome.