It's official!!!!

Well, it's been about four to six to eight weeks of wondering depending on which point you want to start counting. Wondering if it's just stress (considering we've had quite a bit of that lately!!) or if it might actually be possible. Well, after five negative tests it's finally come up positive!!!! I should have known better than to even try to get a positive test so soon. Neither pregnancy before ever showed up positive until about now anyway. But, it has been kind of embarrassing to be wearing maternity clothes without that little piece of confirmation. Had a lot of the other symptoms, but some of those you can make yourself feel. So, after four straight weeks of trying to convince myself that I wasnt, I wasn't, I wasn't, I can finally say with confidence that I really am pregnant. Nathan actually said something on Monday about my being pregnant, which made me feel a little better, but it's nice to have the little stick agree with me. Now I can actually have symptoms and not think I need to check in to the mental ward. So, now it's wondering when my due date will really be. According to dates, it's July 24th, 2009. However, with Annika, my dates and the ultrasound were about 3 weeks apart. We'll see! :)

Christmas Getting to Know you More

I saw this on Nathan's cousin's much more updated blog and thought it was cute:

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? It depends on the gift, but I like doing the paper kind as it gives more room for improvements.

2. Real tree or Artificial? I grew up on fake, but Nathan and I have always had a real one. Now, we go to a tree farm just south of Tipton and find the perfect tree, which of course has to be completely adjusted once we get it into the house. Artica did get a purple fake one this year as a Christmas gift.

3. When do you put up the tree? Generally we try for the weekend after Thanksgiving.

4. When do you take the tree down? Depends on our travel to MN. Lately, it's been either on the day of Christmas (sad, I know) or the day after

5. Do you like eggnog? Gag :(

6. Favorite gift received as a child? A pencil sharpener that was electric. I still have it. We had one out in the garage and I had whined one night to my dad about having to go out into the cold garage to sharpen my pencil. The package said from Santa, but I knew.... I kind of get teary every time I think about that story!

7. Hardest person to buy for? The girls, actually. I just don't think they need anything else I have to put away.

8. Easiest person to buy for?

9. Do you have a nativity scene? No, but I'm thinking about starting a collection.

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Normally, mail. This year, I don't think we're going to make it, though.

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? I think it was Mr. Bumbles, but then again, it was a white elephant gift!!!

12. Favorite Christmas movies? I like them all, but the Grinch does get watched every year!

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? When Nathan tells me I can.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? I would have if the rules had been explained about Mr. Bumbles.

15.Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Spritz cookies. My MIL always made some for Christmas. I will miss those!

16. Favorite Christmas song? O Holy Night

17. Travel at Christmas or stay home? A little of both.

18. Can you name all of Santa's reindeers? Probably not.

19. Angel on the tree top or a star? Depends on if it's the year of the angel. Nathan doesn't like something at the top of the tree, but I finally found an angel he could tolerate and we use it every other year.

20. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? We do one present at 6pm on Christmas eve or the stockings if there's not a lot of presents. Then, the rest of the loot gets devoured the next morning. The actual days sometimes vary related to my work schedule.

21. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? The Christmas music starting SO early that by the time Christmas comes you swear if you hear Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree one more time you'll pop Rudolph in his Red nose. (Credit to our Cousin Kelli for this answer)

22. Favorite ornament theme or color? We're collecting snowflakes for the girls for their own trees when they get older.

23.Favorite dinner food? I like turkey for Christmas dinner, but don't mind a good ham, either.

24. What do you want for Christmas this year? I really don't have anything in mind, have had a hard time thinking about it really.

Going to Texas!!!

I'm a little bit excited about getting to go somewhere I've never been, but at the same time, sad it has to be for a funeral. Coming off of a devastating three week journey to the north side of the country, now it's time to go to the south side! My Aunt Anne passed away on Saturday, December 6, 2008 and Mom and Dad are going to come here today so that we can drive to Texas and attend the funeral. I'm excited because I will get to meet in person three of my cousins that I've never met from Anne's family. Supposedly, I've met Cliff when I was 13, but I don't remember that at all. I certainly have never met Janet or Rick. It's not going to be easy as we have to take Annika with us. A man in our church is not doing well and our babysitter would have exponentially increased duties if something happened to him while I was gone. So, here we come Texas! :)

A very sad day

Well, yesterday, we got up and got completely packed and ready to go home. Nathan's dad had already decided that we would not be turning anything off today since she was so alert. However, Andrew still had not made it up to the hospital. We told Charlotte yesterday night before we left that he was coming this morning. We got to the hospital and she was still alert and communicating by blinking. We all were able to tell her we loved her and read Scripture to her. Nathan chose Proverbs 31: 10-22 regarding the virtuous woman. I was so very proud of him for being able to think about that at a time like this. I just pray that I wasn't too proud and that it was a sin! Well, after we had prayed with Charlotte around the room, her breathing started to be different. She wouldn't necessarily open her eyes all of the time now. We decided to go get something for lunch at around 3ish. We all went back and took turns sitting with her and all of us finally staying at about 7pm. In the next 6 hours, we sat around her bed talking about memories, praying and just being there. We all took short breaks around 11. My Father in law went and laid down on a couch in the waiting room and I went and laid down on the floor. It wasn't very comfortable, but it must have been enough since I did doze off for a bit. It was enough, though to be awake enough to witness Charlotte's homegoing. Grieving and rejoicing at the same time is a very odd feeling. We are thrilled for Charlotte in that we are confident in God's promise of salvation and eternal life. We are devastated for ourselves in having lost such a wonderful shining example of God's love and grace. She was a wonderful lady and will be missed very much.

A Thanksgiving Gift

Today was a very difficult day as we traveled up to MN for the third time yesterday. Tuesday night on the phone conference with the oncologist and ICU MD, it sounds as though my dear mother in law Charlotte is not responding now to anything that the doctors are able to do. Her abdomen incision is not healing and her kidneys are only producing urine because of the majorly high dose of continuous Lasix that is being given to her. They have asked Nathan and Andrew to come up north to be with her when they stop things on Friday. When we got to the hospital we were greeted with the news that she was alert and responding to questions, although her body was in no better shape. Nathan and I were not sure what to think as now this was the 3rd time we'd come up to find out she was doing better (not that that is a bad thing!). We were able to talk to her several times today and at one point Nathan related a story about our engagement at Charlotte's encouragment and she winked at Nathan, then looked past him at me and winked at me. :) It truly was a gift from God. We're just not sure what to think about what to do. Do we go home tomorrow or do we stay for a bit and see what happens? We will just have to trust the Lord to do what HIS will is. I have a feeling from my experiences that this is her final rally.

These three blankets are my first Christmas presents for the year. Several years ago, I made half of a regular sized blanket for Artica for her dolls. She loved it and of course, once Annika knew what it was for, she had to have one too. I found a super easy pattern (3 dc and a few chains here and there) and made her a blanket for her babies. Well, Artica saw the "new" one and not only did she want one too (of course), she thought it would be a great thing to give to several of our short friends this year for Christmas. We've inherited four new little friends this year and we're going to my mom and dad's for Christmas. So, I agreed to make 5 more. At first it was rather overwhelming thinking about the project, but God gave me the time to make four and the 5th one is almost done too!!! I spent 11 days either driving to and from MN (twice) or sitting in a hospital room or ICU waiting room. Since I'm not one to sit around much (I'm sure I probably need some Ritalin!) I took my crocheting with me and worked on it rather diligently to my surprise. But, here's the final result. They are all about 24 x 24 in and just the right size for a short person to wrap around their respective dolls ;) Plus, it got rid of some of my stash - always a bonus for the husband, eh? :)

Things we're dealing with right now

Charlotte's new diagnosis of lymphoma
Aunt Anne's continued struggle with cancer.
Nathan cancelled his English class and is having troubles finishing up the History one.
Cancelling the class will increase his time in school.
Artica's having trouble in school with paying attention.
She's failed another self test and doesn't seem to think that's a problem.
I would like to be pregnant NOW.
Need new windows and furnace before it's too cold.
It's 32 degrees at night.
I would like to get a different job, but this one pays the bills.
I feel stuck in my job.
Nathan would like me to be home 24/7, but I don't want him working 23/6 to make it happen.
I have a box of apples in the garage that's driving Nathan nuts because of the fruit flies.
A little friend of Artica's now has head lice.
I'm behind on my great Pumpkin party.

The day we heard

Well, today, October 22, 2008, we received news that Nathan's mother, Charlotte most likely has lymphoma. That word just sends total shock waves through my system because I know someone who has died from lymphoma. She was my age and I saw her only hours before she died. I remember reading her carepages website and crying every time I saw it. My friend was a girl from high school whom I really hadn't kept up with over the years other than occasional updates from other friends. I remember being just devastated when I found out that I was the last one in our class to see her alive. Anyway, Charlotte has a 4.5 inch mass in her stomach and is attached to her liver. Nathan wants to know why. What do I tell him? It sounds so placative to say God knows, God will take care of things. She's a Christian, she'll be going to a better place if this is God's timing for her. But I want to know why too. Why does she have to deal with this only 2 weeks after retiring? She should be retiring to enjoy her hard work all her life. It just doesn't seem fair at all. I know that God's sense of fairness and mine are literally worlds apart. That doesn't make it any easier to know that there is something in my MIL that is attacking her system. Nathan and I looked up lots of things on Lymphoma tonight - it doesn't look good. But, we have lots of people to pray for her, so maybe the Lord will heal her and we'll enjoy lots of time together. As it is, if this goes quickly, there will be four grandchildren that won't remember Oma and 2 that will never know her at all. At least until they meet her in heaven. That is a comforting thought.

Inspiration

Well, I've been inspired to blog again, by my friend Jennifer who is again starting. Who knows. This could be interesting. First thing I have to do is figure out how to find my old blog and either get rid of it or bring in the old stuff here. Google is in a round robin of go here, sign here, go here, sign in again, go here, etc. So, I'm just beginning again. We'll see how well this goes this time. I was rather lax the previous go around. Here's to random blathering.