Happy Birthday Brent!

Last Sunday, October 25th, Brent turned 29 years old. Can you believe it? He is almost 30. I asked him if he felt old and he stated no he did not, but next year he may. Debbie stated that she will cry next year when he turns 30 because then she can no longer state that her children are in their twenties. She will soon have to say she has one in their 30's meaning that she is aging herself.

To celebrate, Josie and Brent did yard work. They brought in firewood and other outdoor things, while I grocery shopped for a small get together that I was having for him. Since, he was off on his birthday, I decided to throw a small birthday party for him. His parents, brothers, and my sister and kids all came over to enjoy a Mexican themed meal to help him celebrate. The meal included tacos, nachos, rice, taco dip and who could forget margaritas. We made margaritas including virgin margaritas for the kids and me. The kids LOVED the margaritas. As Jacob stated "Mmm...good...more Margarita Uncle Brent." It was so cute and funny.

Josie and I baked the cake in the morning and she had a blast doing it. She kept stating as we were making it "Happy Birthday Daddy!" as she tried to sing the song. It was so darn cute.

Brent loved his birthday gift Josie got him. It was photos of him on his tractor. The whole tractor situation could not have come at a better time.

Happy Birthday Brent!

Fashion Statement of Her Very Own

Josie has recently started to show us her very own style. She picks out her own clothes, shoes, and such. If you pick out something and she does not like it, she will let you know. I do not know where exactly she gets her sense of style sometimes, but it cracks us up.

Here are a few style photos Josie has been sporting around the house.


She loves this hat. I bought it only because it made me laugh really hard. She loves to play with it in the basement. It is part of some dress up clothing that she has. She loves to wear it around the basement when the fire is going and it is like 100 degrees in the house.








Pink snow books with fur, Minnie Mouse ears, purple sunglasses, mismatched jammies what style she has.

20 Weeks Along Already

It is hard to believe that I am already 20 weeks along. This means that I am officially half way through my pregnancy already. Can you believe it? Brent and I can not. Yesterday, Wednesday, October 21st, Brent, Josie, and I ventured to my doctors appointment. It was my 20 week appointment, which means it was sono day. We love sono day. I love being able to see the little one. It is amazing the different technology they have come up with since I was pregnant with Josie. My doctor just built a new building and instead of viewing the images on that small screen to the side, they now have a big screen TV at the end of the bed. I mean it was huge like a 40 inch screen. Seeing it larger really made a difference.

I know most of you are wondering, so what is the sex of the baby since that is what they can tell at 20 weeks. Well, Brent, Josie, and I opted not to find out. This is the same thing that we did for Josie. If you find out you are taking out all of the surprise of everything. So, all of you will have to wait like Brent, Josie, and I to find out the sex on or around March 8th.

Brent and I always bet each other what how much I will weigh at my appointments. It is an ongoing thing for us. For instance, the winner got to pick where we ate for dinner and I won! So we enjoyed Avanti's for dinner. Yummy! I gained 8 1/2 pounds in the last 5 weeks. That is an average of 2 pounds per week. Which made the nurses laugh, because they know about our ongoing bet. They made sure that Brent knew I was being weighed with my shoes on and a sweater jacket over my t-shirt that adds extra weighed. So, this puts my 20 week pregnant body weighing in at 110 1/2 pounds, with shoes and a sweater coat on. They stated that most of it is water weight for me and that is true. I gained around 60 pounds total with Josie and it was all water weight. It all came off after a few weeks, so I hope this time it does also.

As far as the baby's weight. He or she is ahead of schedule. The baby already weighs about 13 ounces. This is what the sono machine figured up after making all of the measurements. The machine estimated my due date as being March 6th, 2 days earlier than stated at my first appointment after getting all of the measurements. They state that they never change due dates because it is more accurate at the first one then with any other sono. So, I am still due March 8th!

The baby's heart beat is not as high as it was at my first sono appointment. At my first appointment it was 170 beats per minute and yesterday it was only 137 beats per minute. I questioned the discrepancy between the two and they said it was nothing to worry about. They were able to see everything that they needed to meaning the development of different parts and everything looked great and was still in the normal range. Lots of things can factor in the babies heart rate, so I had nothing to worry about because it was still a steady good beat.

The sono tech asked if I could feel the baby move yet and I stated that I could. Stronger at times, but yes. As she was conducting the sono the baby was moving all over the place and we had to laugh because she simply had to chase him or her around. About once a day, I get a really good kick from the baby always in the same spot. I mean this kick is breath taking. I was holding Josie last week and the baby let out one of those powerful kicks and I just about dropped Josie. We figured out why it is so powerful. The baby in the sono had its heal of its foot flexed and pushing against the wall. You could really see it. She said that it already had some force and it would take nothing to give that a really good kick. So the heal of the foot is what I am feeling being jabbed into me.

The baby rests really really low. I mean I can not even cross my legs if I wanted to because the baby sits so low that it puts to much pressure on me and I am uncomfortable.

I am always their very last appointment and yesterday they were right on target. In fact they did not have 2 appointments before me so they were eagerly waiting on me to get there. I was the only patient in the office. My doctor even came in and watch the sono with us and pointed out different things and answered all of our questions right in the sono room. Usually the sono does the sonogram and discusses stuff with you then you go and talk with the doctor. So, it was kind of nice having both the sono tech and doctor in the room to discuss different things as the sono was taking place.

Josie loved seeing the baby wiggle and jiggle on the large TV screen. She kept going baby sleeping and loved to listen to the heart beat.

Here are a few photos from my 20 week appointment.


Baby #2 profile


Baby #2's feet


Baby #2 began to suck it thumb while the sonogram was taking place. Here is a photo of it.


The baby is bringing he or her hand up to their mouth. The baby in this photo is looking directly at you.


Baby #2 profile


The belly is growing


If I stand more to the side like in this photo you can really tell that I am pregnant compared to the photo below.


If I stand more facing you, you can not really tell how pregnant that I am compared the photo above when I am turned a little bit more.

An Amazing Woman

Mom and Me at my wedding - July 22, 2006

On October 21st, 1956, the most amazing, courageous, loving person that I know was born, my Mother. Even though at times, I thought these things were not true, they simply were. Today, marks what would have been her 53rd birthday!

Happy Birthday Mom!

It is very hard for me to believe that 3 years ago on September 27th, 2006 my mother passed away from her long hard battle with cancer. She was a real fighter in my book. She battled this disease numerous times throughout her life until it ultimately made her so weak she could not do nothing but forfeit the game. She did not go down without a long hard fight however. It is hard to celebrate her birthday without her, but I still take time out of my day every October 21st to help her celebrate what would have been and still is a special day for her.

On April 12, 1975, she married the love of her life (my Dad). Without these two High School sweethearts finding each other and getting married, I would not be here today. So, everyday I thank the lord for the gift of love. Without love, I would not be here, which means that Josie and baby #2 would not be here (obviously going to be here for baby #2) either.

If she was living, she would be celebrating today with her family that loves her very much and her grandchildren that she would not be able to get enough of. Grandchildren was the one thing that she always wanted and mentioned numerous times before her passing. I believe that if she was alive today, she would be spoiling these kids rotten.

Writing this post was very difficult for me today. Today, should be a happy day to celebrate the joy that this amazing woman has brought to my life and the eye openers that she has made me look at, but ultimately as I post I have to wipe away the tears from my face. I had a doctors appointment today and sonogram and all I could think about was how great it was for my mother to be with me spiritually and view the sonogram of her next grandchild.

Words can not express this amazing woman. If you know her, you probably have a list a mile long of kind words to describe her. I know I have a huge list. There were times that we did not get along as I was growing up, but not every Mother/Daughter relationship is. It was not until the last few years of her life that we got really close and when she passed away I lost one of my best friends. My father and Grandmother both think that they can see my Mother in me. And when they state, that I am proud. She was an extraordinary woman!

Since her parting, I have learned to cherish every day of my life. We just simply do not know when it will be our last and I want Josie to have lots of memories that she will cherish forever like those I have of my Mother.

Here are a few photos of my Mother to help us all remember the woman that she was.


My Mother and Father's Wedding - April 12, 1975 (Harry and Grace (Mom's Parents), my Mom and Dad, Lorraine and Dave (Dad's parents)


My Mom and her Father, Harry - walking my Mom down the aisle to get married


My Mom and Dad at Jamie's Wedding


My Mom and Dad's Wedding photo - April 12, 1975


Me, Mom, and Jamie - before heading out for my last party as a free woman - July 2006


Jason, Jamie, Mom, Me, Brent, Dad, and Kasey at my wedding


Really old Family photo


This was a typical summer day at our house growing up. Mom tanning on the deck and us kids playing in the yard. Mom never had to do laundry all summer long. We got up, but on our swimming suits, showered, put on our jammies, then started over the next day.


Flowers I purchased to have displayed at church on Sunday in memory of my Mom's birthday

Some of these photos are thanks to my Grandmother who gave them to me after my Mother passed away

Pumpkin Patch

On Saturday, Josie, Brent, my sister Jamie, her husband Jason and two kids Jacob and Presley decided that we were going to venture out to an actual pumpkin patch and hand select our very own pumpkins. I have never been to an actual pumpkin patch before and obviously Josie hasn't either. We have been trying to go now for a few weeks however with the bad weather that we have been having it just didn't happen. That was until Saturday. The sun was shining at least it was when we left the house and the temperture was not freezing cold. I have to admit it though the temperture dropped as we were there.

The kids had a blast running through the open pumpkin patch trying to find the perfect pumpkin in thier very own eyes. Jacob wanted a "BIG" pumpkin. The kids were so funny they would find one and go "this one?" then walk a few feet "this one?" This went on all afternoon. Brent was really tired as he had worked the night before and was woke up very early to Josie kindly asking him to go and giving him hugs and kisses to try to persuade him to attend with us. As you can tell, it worked. Now, who can say no to my precious baby girl?!

The kids hand selected thier pumpkin of choice as did Jamie and I. I chose a large pumpkin and poor Brent had to carry it though the field for me. It was huge and weighed a ton. Man, I love being pregnant, because if I wasn't he would have had be carry it myself and there is no way that I could have made it through the whole patch. The patch I have to admit was pretty much picked over, but I think we found a few good ones.

Josie chose a tiny pumpkin and being the mean Mommy that I am (you know) made her carry the pumpkin through most of the patch. At first, she loved it and would not let me even touch it. That was until she got tired and wanted me to carry her. Brent keeps getting on me for carrying her way to much. Not that he cares, but that I am pregnant and does not think that it is good for baby #2 and me. You know since she ways close to 30 pounds. So, I made her walk, because I did not want to mess with the rath of Brent yelling at me to put her down and make her walk.

When we got back from the patch, the kids enjoyed a little play time on train that was set up for the kids to play on.

The kids were wiped out by the end of our adventure. Josie fell asleep shortly after we got into the car to go home. Poor kid all of the walking that she did and fresh air that she got simply kicked her little butt.

Overall, we had a wonderful day as a family! Here are some photos from our Family Fun day at the Pumpkin Patch.