Christmas

We are so blessed!!! Christmas was sucha great day for the girls!! They some great gifts!!! They must have been really good this year! We were lucky enough to have everyone home this year again! Aunt Jen, Uncle Gage and Ema arrived in Fort Wayne on Sunday and were greated with no power at any of our houses. We hung out at a hotel for a couple of hours and then the power came back. The cousins spent the time playing and watching DVD's. This was the first meeting of Aunt Jen and Jenna!!

We went and got family pictures taken with everyone in them. All the granddaughters and all the husbands/finaces. The pictures turned out great dispite the cold weather. Tuesday brought a day of playing and picking out dresses for Kacee's wedding! Then came Christmas Eve. The girls and I spent the morning hanging out at home and playing. Then we went to Grandma and Papa's house to hang out with Ema and the crew! After baths and getting all pretty we were all off to church in the freezing cold weather. When we returned to the house Santa had filled the stockings. On the way home from Papa's I asked Skylar why we celebrated Christmas and she responded with the following statement. " It is Jesus' birthday and he died on the cross to save us from our sins. We get to go to heaven too." I am so thankful that she understands the true meaning of Christmas!!!! When we got home we had to spread out the oats and glitter for the reindeer to find the house and also have a snack for them.

Then came Christmas morning. Santa arrived at our house and arrived and Grandma's in grand style!!! By the end of the day I had three tired girls and we came home and crashed for the night!!! It was a great christmas filled with family and fun!!! I am truely blessed!!!!

Christmas Break

Today starts our Christmas Break. We had a major ice storm go through the area last night so no school for Skylar today! So I am home and can't leave with all three girls! We have a lot of things that need to get accomplished but I am guessing that I won't get much of any of it done until Chris gets home tonight! I love having them all home but man do they keep me moving. No rest for the weary!

Uncle Pat is home

Today we celebrated with the Akey's that Pat is home from Iraq safe. Christina and the kids put togther a surprise party for him and we spent the day there enjoying the Akey side of the family. Skylar and Lizzy got to play with their cousins and everyone got to meet Jenna for the first time. We are all glad that Pat is home and safe.

Christmas Service!

Skylar had her first christmas program tonight. She was so excited about it! She told her Papa that there were pilgrims and indians in it. She got a little confused! She had some speaking parts and had to learn two songs! She knew them all! She did the typical wave at the parents and family and was making sure that she was being seen when she sang and said her parts! It felt strange to be sitting there and watching my child do the service. I felt like a grown up! Strange feeling to have after having the third child only 6 weeks ago. I was very proud of Skylar and also realized that she is growing up so quickly!

Everyone is healthy!

Finally I am home and everyone is healthy. It has been a hard three weeks but we are now looking forward to Christmas and all the things that it brings. The girls are starting to get excited about it and I am finally getting into the Christmas spirit after getting everything settled in at the house. I hope that everyone has a blessed Christmas! Thanks to everyone who prayed and sent thoughts to us during the time I was in the hospital! I am blessed with great family and friends!

Jenna Update

Jenna went to the doctor on Monday and the doctor says that she is perfect. She now weighs 9lb 8oz. She is a very healthy and happy baby!!!!

Slow Realizations

Well, I was doing really well with keeping up with this. Then my body decided to attack itself and I have been sitting in the hospital for about 1 1/2 weeks. Long story short I have had gallbladder surgury and now they can't seem to figure out why I am not getting better. I am trying to take this time and focus on some deep thinking but sometimes that is really hard. This is what I have come up with so far: be thankful for your health, enjoy and cherish every moment that you can spend with your children because you never know when that time will not be there, rely on God that there is a plan and a reason as to why things are happening the way that they are, be thankful that your family and friends are so willing to drop their lives to help take care of your little family. I will never be able to express the gratitiude I have for my family at this point. My parents have dropped their lives and have taken control of my choldren and made sure that they are well taken care of. This is no small feat considering the ages of my girls. I have also realized how many people are out there that truely care for me and my family and when they say they will do anything to help they really mean it. I just hope that some day I will be able to help these people out in the same way that they have helped me. I haev realized what a blessed church family I am in. I have had reservatons for a while about us switching churches and I now know that we are right where we are supposed to be. The outreach from the church staff has been amazing and always seems to come right when it was needed most. I am also very grateful for the school that I teach in and send Skylar too. These people have become some of my closest friends and they have taken care of my baby at school when I can't be there to make sure she is ok. I will never forget what people have done for us. I have ralized how blessed I am. Maybe that is what this is all about, taking the time to realize all my blessings and not to focus on what we don't have. I got the message God, now can I go home? (my attempt at humor) I know that God will send me home when I am able to be home and be well. Here is my advice to you; take the time to realize your blessings and thank those around you that are always there for you!!!!!