Birthday Wishes.......

The pink doll is the cake we got Maddie for her 5th Birthday!! So my baby is 5 today......5......I have a 5 year old. Ron and I have been parents for five years, five.....half our married life. She starts Kindergarden tomorrow.....just typing this brings tears to my eyes....my baby is growing up, a little too quickly!! I miss her being little, but I look forward to her being a big girl and sharing things with her. I look forward to her learning new things at school, and in life. I don't look forward to the boys and the clothes and the shoes.....all those things that go with having girls!!! I love how caring she is to others and what a loving child she is! I love that she will radomly tell me she loves me, or Ron. I love that she still hugs and kisses us many times a day! I love this big girl and the little lady that she is becoming!!
Maddie - Honey - I look forward to the days and years ahead when we will get know each other better and spend time doing and talking about girl things. I look forward to the day that you will come to me with questions, about life, about boys, about anything. Your Dad and I are so proud of you and the little girl that you are and have become in these past five years. Happy Birthday Honey!! We look forward to many more!!!!

She inspires me......

If you know anything about kids and learning sign language, then you have probably at some point, have run accross or heard about Signing Times.....We LOVE Signing Times, all of us!! But, more then the TV Show (that is no longer on the air) the DVD's with Alex and Leah, and the CD's with their silly pizza songs...is Rachel!! The brains behind well actually in front of the camera. She is a mom to two girls, both with disabilities that require them to have learned sign language to communicate. She is amazing as a person, a performer, a singer, but most of all she is amazing as a mom.......if you've never visited her blog, take the time to check out this entry. **** WARNING: TISSUES NEEDED**** She inspires me to be a better person and a better mother. I admire her more then she will ever know! Rachel thank you for taking the time to put this into words, and thank you for teaching all of us!! YOU are amazing!

http://www.signingtime.com/rachel/2009/07/24/strong-enough-to-be-your-mom-part-2/

Political Quote that Applies Today.....

You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich. You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong. You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift. You cannot lift the wage earner up by pulling the wage payer down. You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred. You cannot build character and courage by taking away people's initiative and independence. You cannot help people permanently by doing for them, what they could and should do for themselves. .....Abraham Lincoln

News....

Another Graduation picture........

Ok, so I have some additional news to share! First and formost, Ron got a job!! YEAH!!! and relief!! After being unemployed for almost 8 months, finally a breakthrough!! He is working for a company called PCA (Packaging Corp. of America) and it isn't too far from home!! He isn't driving but rather is a Materials Handler in the Warehouse and is working graves again! We struggled with graves when he did it at Winder, but this time it is different, it is a straight 8 hour shift!! Ron can't recall a time in his life that he has ever had a straight 8 hour a day job! Normally it was 10, 12 or even 14 hours for him! Til the job was done!! So this will be a nice change!! He is excited to be working again and having adult conversation and be out of the house!! i am excited to have him working again!! LOL!!

More exciting news......we found out the same day that Ron got his job that we are also getting something else a little new!! Back in January, we began paperwork for foster care. We finished all the requirememnts/classes in Febuary and have since been waiting for placement of a child!! Last week on Thursday, we got a phone call that they have a child for us. I am SO excited!! She moves in a week from today and her name is Holly! She is 14 and will be in the 8th grade! The kids are so excited to have a "big sister" and Ron and I are excited for the oppertunity to help this little girl and open our home to her. This weekend we worked on her room and moved some things around. We went to Ikea and got some things she will need!! I can't wait for her to move in! What a wonderful experance this will be to teach our kids about helping others. I am really looking forward to it on so many levels!!

So with this news, that brings about more changes!! Since Ron is working evenings/early mornings, that doesn't allow me time to work from home anymore as those were the hours I was doing it. Yesterday I was able to give that company my notice, so after this week I won't have to worry about working from home. In addition, because Holly is approved to attend the after school program that RISE offers, I won't be working that any more after this week as well, so my hours will only be M-F until 3:00 ish instead of 5:30 ish!!! That allows me so much more time with my family, which of course I couldn't be happier about!!! I will continue to work my normal 9-3 as long as Ron can survive the kids during the day! That is the summer program and it ends in about 4 1/2 weeks anyway, so for my working carear.....it should end soon and then I can get back to spending time with my family, learning all about Holly, and spending time with my friends who I have sincerely missed!!

New Pictures....

So back at the end of May, Maddie and Aidan graduated from pre-school!! Madelyn from her second year and Aidan from his first year. Maddie starts Kindergarden in August, the day after her 5th B-Day!! I LOVE this picture of them together from graduation day!!!

Isaac got his first big boy haircut!! From curls, to nothing! It took Ron and I a few days to get used to his new little guy look.....

Before:

And After:

So we are having a...........

Oh my gosh, I am so excited!! We found out today that we are having another girl!! Dont' get me wrong, I LOVE my boys and I would not trade them for the world. They are so special to me. They make me laugh and they make me cry and I love them both dearly!! But I really wanted another girl. Maybe more then I thought!! I was totally prepping myself for this baby to be another boy, after all all the boys in Ron's family have had girl, boy. boy and the first of them to have #4 it was another boy!! So I figured we would surely follow suit and this baby would also be a boy!! Could I handle three boys in my house growing up?? Not too mention the bigger boy that resides here too?? What would happen after Maddie got bigger and moved away, me alone with these boys?? I couldn't picture it....not me...growing up without brothers!! This pregnancy has been alot like when I was prego with Maddie, but still it could be a boy!! Like I said, prepping myself........and then today, we go to my ob appt. My Dr. listens to the heartbeat. I tell him, we have the ultrasound this afternoon, so what are your predictions?? He says Boy!! I told him I hoped he was wrong!! Again, still prepping myself because surely the Dr. knows what he is doing!! So then we go to the Ultrasound appt. this afternoon......and they start right away asking if we want to know the sex......UM HELLLLOOOOOO...obvisouly they don't know me...I am a planner!! I HAVE to know the sex of this baby!! And they look and say GIRL!!! What, yep, GIRL!!! Tears start rolling from my eyes. I am so excited!! Two and two...I couldn't ask for anything more!!! I love these kids so much and to know we get to be blessed with another one makes me so excited!! What a wonderful day!!!

Old picture.....

.

OK, so this is another OLD picture..... and wow how we have changed!!! Ron and I got married in 99 at a drive thru wedding chapel in Las Vegas...this is a picture from our "wedding" What a fun time we had and such fond memories that trip holds for us. Plus what a conversation starter when asked where we got married:-) Anyway - it has been on my mind alot lately because we will be married 10 years this September. We have been through so much together in the past almost 10 years and IMO we have become such better people for it. So much has changed in our lives and we still have so much ahead of us. Good and bad I am sure!! We have survived deaths and celebrated births, survived layoffs, purchased our first home, taken many trips and vacations, started traditions and a wonderful family.....and although it isn't Sept. yet, I can't help but thinking about our Anniversary this year and how grateful I am to have a wonderful husband and father for my kids who truely loves me for who I am. Not an easy task on some days, I am sure!! I love you Ron!! Thank you for all you do and for who you are and the person you have become!!

On a side note....I am LOVING these thunderstorms we have been getting almost daily!!!