Tough Hours

It is 1:00 am and once again I just got home from work and can't sleep. So, why not blog! Next week I start picking up my 4th night in a row at work. I am worried about how this is going to work. This week alone I have closed all 3 nights which has me lucky to be sleeping by 1:00 am and then up at 7:00 with my little morning baby. I am just NOT getting enough sleep. I have started having lots of headaches again too. It is not fun to be around food and going from table to table and making polite conversation when your temples are throbbing out of your head.
When I started working I told myself ok- I can do this for 6 months. That has been my mantra I have repeated to myself over and over again. Now I find myself saying, you can make it until next summer. Just one more year. I hope I can.
I have come to the conclusion that working a day job would be so much easier and less stressful. I would have my evenings with my family, I would not be up till all hours of the night and then still have to get up at the crack of dawn. Life would feel more normal. It is really hard to put in a full day with two kids and a house to take care of and then work up the energy to run my butt off at work. The problem is I am just not willing to put my kids in daycare and have somebody else raise them. I want that privilege. Poor little Emily still cries every time I even start putting my work clothes on. When she sees Joel she starts crying more and lifts her chubby little arms up to me and cries, "mama". Try leaving to that-- It is tough! It ultimately is worth it to always have them with one of us though. So, I will quit my whining and just keep persevering. Please pray for Joel and I. The not seeing each other much is definitely a strain for our relationship. We literally will be going 4 days in a row without looking at each other. 3 has been hard enough. I know sometimes life is tough and I would have to say it is feeling that way right now. I know I will get through this and be a better person because of it. It makes me rely on God more because I am out of my comfort and what I want, and I just have to trust he knows best and there is reason for this.

New look

For those of you who didn't notice I decided to give my blog a facelift. I found a template named Emily and thought it was fitting so that is what you will be seeing now. I have so many other things I should be doing but isn't that the way life always is. I am now working 4 nights a week. I feel it! I don't know how I am going to stay out until 11-1:00 4 nights in a row and get up with kids at 7 each morning. This season too shall pass.
I am off to get ready for work.

We Survived

Watch out blogging world I'm back with tons of stuff to share. It was a great trip and we are really glad we went. The girls had lots of fun. Abby asked if we could just move her toddler bed right into our unit. She did not want to leave and kept asking if we would come back. Our room was really nice. It had a living room and a full kitchen and dining area and french doors leading onto the deck overlooking a nice pond. It was really a relaxing place.

We were on the 2nd floor and my parents and Josh and Paula and Jonah were on the 1st floor in a 2 bedroom unit so we were walking back and forth a lot. Emily wanted to do it be herself and she would walk the whole way to the elevator and then have to get down on her hands and knees to bear walk over the little crack in the floor for the elevator. She was so afraid of that little opening.

The girls did amazing in the car both ways. They were really, really good kids. Emily had a tough time getting to bed there but once she was out she was great. Abby slept all by herseld on the fold out couch and loved it. My girls are growing up!

We were able to go to Noahs ark but I didn't get a singe picture as I didn't want to carry my camera around a water park. It was a blast there. Joel and I were able to fly solo for the day (no kids), and we went with Josh and Paula and Jonah. We went on every ride they had including the point of no return and the black anachonda and the time warp. They were awesome. We had to drag Paula up the 20+ flights of stairs for the point of no return. It was a slide you layed down on your back and went straight down. It was exhilirating. I did it twice and would have done it more but those stairs to get all the way up were killers, and going down that thing gives a person the worst wedgie. It was horrible. :-) The time warp was my all time favorite ride. You are in a pitch dark tunnel in a raft with 3 others and all of you sudden you hit a steep drop off. I was backwards going down the drop off and seriously thought I was going to fall out or pee my pants or both. (Don't worry neither occured) You then go round and round like a flushing toilet and then it spits you out the opening. What a rush!
The black anachonda was fun too. It is the worlds longest water coaster. It was really fun. They had lots of great water rides. I am such a water park person. I don't care for roller coasters all that much but get me in a water park and I am like a kid in a candy store. We did the lazy river and the wave pool and just classic easy water slides. It really was great.
That night for dinner Joel and I and Josh and Paula and Jonah all went out to a nice restaurant and taught Jonah a thing or two about manners! You should have seen him eating his ribs. I should have taken a picture.

Enjoy the pictures below-- We really had a blast! Thanks mom and Dad-- What a great memory for us and the girls!




Auntie Paula and both girls
Uncle Josh and Emily

Emily and Jonah playing with sock puppets
The girls and a very red daddy feeding the ducks and fishies
It was getting too dark and you can't see them but there were tons of them.
Playing memory before bed.

Auntie Paula and Emily swimming
Uncle Josh and Abby
Daddy and Abby
Joel took Emily on a paddleboat ride and she loved it. She looked so adorable sitting there in her life jacket and hat. Just a little pudge.

My family, being the adventurers they are, took turns going on all kinds of extreme things. This in in particular looked awesome but Joel and I decided we weren't spending money on extras so we just sat and watched them all have fun. This is my Dad he jumped out through that hole in the square thing and he is free falling down to the mat below. There are no cords or anything attached to him it is all air. Here he hit the net

and the end result
We were at this place for quite awhile and the girls were really good troopers. They found things to do to entertain themselves. This being on of them. This is my dad bungee jumping

Here is Jonah bungee jumping
Jonah and Paula went together on a swinging bungee type ride
Here they come...

We went on an original duck boat tour. They are old army boats all rebuilt and they take you both on land and water. It was really cool. It got going really fast while on narrow trails and through canyons and then in the water it was slow. It was really pretty to see some of Wisconsin that way though.
Emily with Auntie Paula
Here is what the duck boat looks like while in the water. It has big tires for when it comes out of the water.
Uncle Josh and his buddy Emily. Emily loves Uncle "Dosh" and wanted him or my mom over anyone else.
Uncle Jonah and Emily

The view from our unit. It was really pretty. I would sit out and do my devotions in the morning to the sound of the fountain. It was great!
Emily loved the deck because she loved the ducks. She wanted the "Duhs" all the time and would yell for them.
Both girls were pretty excited about them.
My mom and Dad on the paddleboat with a crying Abby. She liked it at first and then just freaked out and wanted off. We don't know what scared her but she wouldn't go near it again the whole rest of the time.
Our resort-- it was really a nice place. It was so great of my parents to give Joel and I and the girls our own unit. Emily was tough to get to sleep-- the first night she screamed bloody murder a half of an hour. Once she fell asleep though she slept through the night so it was good. It would have been hard to be sharing a unit with others. We were very thankful for it!

an adventure

Tomorrow our family is embarking on an adventure. We are going to attempt a vacation! My parents are coming to pick us up and we are going to Wisconsin Dells. Our little family of 4 has never shared a room all together. It should be interesting. My parents were really great and got us our own room at a resort so if there is crying at least we will be the only ones hearing it. My oldest brother Josh and his wife, Paula are coming and so is my youngest brother Jonah. My mom has even willingly told us that she will take the girls for a day so Joel and I can go to the water parks by ourselves. That should be really fun. I am just praying we survive the car ride, it is 5 hours with kids and my dad's driving-- what a combo! :-)
I am sure I will have lots of tales and pictures when I get back. Have a great weekend everybody!

Freedom

I have been attending a ladies bible study the past months where we are reading a book about prayer. This section we are on now is particularly hard as it is about praying God's will. The thing I am realizing more and more lately though is as hard as that is, I want it. I want to pray it because I want it. No matter what that means. If I am not in God's will for my life than I want things to change. God is so very real! He is truly amazing and I just want more and more of him.
If two months ago someone would have told me that I need to pray God's will over the most important things in my life I would have laughed and told them they were crazy. Anyone who knows Joel and I know how insanely protective and worried we are about our kids health and safety. They are our babies and we feel such a need to protect them ourselves. All that does is create worry; lots and lots of worry. We can't do anything in our own strength and they are not ours to begin with. God gave them to us and they are His! Knowing this and knowing He is in control has been life changing as of lately. The worry has begun to fall away. I just feel different.
Like I said God is amazing and I don't know how I started to change. Lots of areas in me are changing and I like it. I didn't realize how many thoughts I didn't hold captive to Christ I had rumbling around in my head. What a difference prayer makes. Whenever I think something or feel something I shouldn't I just pray about it. Sometimes I want to be mad, hurt, bitter ect... and I just tell God that and ask him to help me. It is amazing. I wish I would have lived under his total control years ago. Our job here on earth is to reach as many people we can with the gospel and get as many people to heaven with us we can. In order to do that our lives need to reflect God. I don't want to be the petty, bitter person holding on to wrongs that I feel were done against me. Nor, do I want to be the nagging wife, or the worried mom, or the one who has to fit in to be popular. I want something different and I am going for it!

dress-up

Abby and our neighbor girl Hannah playing dress-up
Abby-- I got these dresses at a garage sale for 5.00 each. They are size 4T and 6. I thought since my girls are two years apart they would have a blast playing dress up in them. Leah and I would have loved something like this when we were growing up.
What a dollie
Posing for pictures

We are going to have to do a lot of practice for Abby now. My cousin called me today and she is getting married in January and asked me if the girls could be flower girls. It sure will be fun to watch them walking down the aisle! Thank goodness it will only be as a flower girl. I will not rush the real thing!

City Days

Our town had its city days this weekend and we took part in pretty much the whole thing. The church does a dunk tank as a fundraiser. I was supposed to sit in it but when I showed up they had already shut it down. I was kind of glad I didn't have to.

This was our church's float in the parade. The girls have never been to a parade before and loved it! We got bucket loads of candy. It was ridiculous!

Abby and her friend Eva riding the train.
Abby loved it!
Here they come
Emily didn't ride it but just sat in there and loved it.
What a cutie!

Pallbearers

Here is Joel with his 3 cousins, Isaac, Andy, Joel and Josh. They didn't all plan to wear blue with eachother or anything. Joel had brought along his blue shirt just because and he was going to wear white until he saw everyone else was wearing blue. They really looked nice!

Safe and sound

Joel and I made it safely home today. What a long, beautiful trip it was. Joel and I both feel very blessed for going. His family is so amazing! They have so many reasons to be bitter and upset with God and they aren't. In fact, they glorify him and trust him all the more. It is such a beautiful thing. His Uncle's place is gorgeous! Him and his brothers own this whole little private lake and it was surreal being there. Joel and I both come home feeling encouraged, refreshed and challenged for how we want to live our own lives.

A big thank you to my aunt Deb who came and stayed with the girls the whole time. We really, really appreciate you! It was so nice to know they were in great hands.

long drive

Joel's uncle Dave called tonight and asked him to be a pallbearer for his aunt's funeral. We are going to be in Canada for the funeral. This situation is so sad. They lost thier son a few years ago and the son left behind a wife and 4 kids. They have just dealt with so much loss already. Please pray for them. His aunt was an amazing woman who loved God. Even with the death of her son she just kept loving God- and believing in his perfect will.
She really left a legacy for all of us to follow. I hope I can have half the strength and trust in God she has shown in her lifetime. Thank you for your prayers for his family!

Josh's party

Abby's little friend Josh had a 4th birthday party this weekend at an awesome place called Pump it Up. It was a blast! Joel and I had so much fun going through all the different mazes and slides. Abby keeps asking when we can go again. Hopefully soon.


All the kids at the party
Joel and abby playing air hockey

going down the big slide- it was so fun. I really felt like a kid again.
Birthday boy Josh and his mom and little brother
Joel and Abby coming up the slide
Emily's favorite thing was this little airplane car. She was on it constantly.
Joel coming down the slide with both girls.

sad news

We just recieved news that Joel's aunt Vangie went home to be with Jesus. She was the one I wrote about earlier asking for prayers because of her diagnosis of terminal cancer. I can't wait until I get to heaven someday and can ask God why some people who pray for miracles/healings get them while others don't. I know we can't possibly understand his perfect will so we just have to trust and believe. It is still really sad though. If you think of them you can pray for her family she left behind. Thanks!

Goodbye Uncle Caleb

Caleb drove down to say good bye to us lastnight. He leaves next week for boot camp. He joined the army infantry.


Caleb's Mullet
Joel and I had no clue that he had one so when he pulled up lastnight we just couldn't quit laughing. Caleb and Jonah for years have sung a song about having a mullet. "Business in the front and party in the back." He actually did it weeks before having to chop it all off and leave for boot camp.
Uncle Caleb and Abby
Uncle Caleb and Emily-- Doesn't he look great with short hair?!!

Caleb-- We love you and will miss you and will be praying for you constantly. I will be thinking of you alot during boot camp! Good Luck!