Thankful

In light of everything that has gone on this Summer and Fall with our family, I have made a list of things I am thankful for. It can be easy to fall into the "woe is me" feelings, and I always want to remember the things I have to be thankful for.

Here it is:

• A beautiful, healthy daughter.

• The baby being bottle fed so Joel can get up with her in the middle of the night during weekends.

• 2 beautiful healthy sons.

• A husband who has a new resolve to seek the will of God for his and our life.
• An immediate and extended family who has been a support to me physically, emotionally and spiritually.
• The realization that God is the perfect Father and yet His kids mess up all the time. I can take it easy on myself that my kids aren't perfect (Thanks Lindy!).
• A roof over our heads, Joel's great job, cars to drive and food to eat.
• Being able to say I experienced "natural" childbirth.
• 3 weeks of sleeping through the night after Olivia was born while the nurses took care of her.
• John, JohnPaul, Jesse and Josh.
• A bi-polar roomate that helped scare reality back into our family.
• Living Hope Church and Pastor John Bishop.
• That the boys 'colored' on my cedar chest with my deodorant and NOT crayons or markers or something else I can't get off!

Three kids...it's an adjustment!

Olivia has been home now for 4 weeks and is doing really well! She is 7 weeks old now and weighs about 7lbs. She's eating like a champ and growing like a weed. We are so happy to all be at home together getting to know each other and learning to be a family of 5. My doctors are still having trouble stabilizing my platelet count so I am finishing up the 4th (of 4) i.v. treatment of Rituxin tomorrow. Hopefully, this medicine will do the trick and we can REALLY get to being a "normal" family again.

Hunter is now 2 and has really gotten BOSSY! We are constantly reminding him to talk nicely to Mommy and Daddy and Will, and to use his kind words. He's stinking cute though, so we have to make sure to turn around before we laugh at him so he doesn't think his behavior is appropriate!

Will and I are going to start doing "school work" since we weren't able to get him started in Preschool this fall due to all the baby/health stuff that was going on. We're going to try to get him in to the pre-k. class at our church this January.

Both boys really love their sister "Baby Olivia" as Will calls her and "Eeyah" as Hunter calls her. This girl does not lack for attention!