And baby makes three...

(this was taken soon after we found out we were pregnat, yep they are pumped!)

So no this does not mean that we have had the baby ... yet. I went in today for my check up and they said I was 1 cm dilated and my cervix was "soft". AKA we are not having that baby today. Well to be fare I am not due until next Tuesday so I was not feeling like we were going to have big news.

So with the due date coming up it had caused me, in all my free time, to do some reflection on the soon to be life change that is almost upon us. For the most part Scott and I are laid back people and to be honest this whole pregnancy was not only a surprise but also has flown by with not a lot of preparation or deep contemplation on our parts. This does not mean we are not excited and have great anticipation for this new little one but with two children at home it has not left us with tons of down time to reflect and discuss, heck we didn't even have time to go to child birth classes.

I also think from our past experience of international adoption we not only had to prepare, we had to do stacks of paperwork, background checks, social worker appointments, fingerprinting, home study (you don't even want to know what that entailed), parenting classes, read books, and the list could go on and on. So maybe we feel like we deserve a little break on the preparedness front. And let me tell you last week my mom gave me a little kick in the butt when I didn't have a bag or the car seat ready yet. I guess I could be a little more prepared :)

So when I look at our family and the two on two ratio for the past almost three years I do tend to have some feelings of, "yikes we are going to be outnumbered" but any feelings of nervousness are quickly extinguished by the excitement of our other two children. They are not only ready for their sibling they are beyond thrilled, which in turn makes me extremely excited as well.

So in the week or so left of our four person family I am going to a. enjoy not luging around a 100lb car seat or huge diaper bag b. getting out the door which two children that not only dress themselves but also get in the car and buckle up by themselves c. not having to change any diapers and d. mac and cheese for lunch instead of whatever is on tap at 3am.

So are we prepare, um no. Are we ready and excited for sure yes. We can't wait to see what our family of five is going to look like. Thanks for checking in, we will make sure to update when little Powell gets here!

Fall, birthdays, and baby on the way!

So this may be a short post because after a great pirate pizza birthday party for a fabulous five year old this 9 month pregnant mamma is ready for bed.

So we have had a great fall, which is my favorite time of the year, I wish it would last for a few more months! The transition back to the house had gone really well. We are not loving the back and forth so much and we miss Scot A LOT during the week but we have so much to be thankful for and so many blessings.

Ellie had been sick for the past almost two weeks. Just in the past two days her fever has broke so we are praying she is on the mend. Mateo turned five this past week, I know I can't believe it, where has the time gone?! We had a birthday party for him tonight with grandparents, friends and cousins. It was busy but so much fun and Te was in birthday heaven. After everyone left, he said "this was the BEST pirate birthday party ever mom!" It was worth the messy house, swollen feet, and prep to see that beautiful face light up.

We are also only two weeks from due date. So it may mean that we could meet this little Powell any time now! I have to confess the pic above is actually about a month ago. We haven't been very proactive in getting preggo pics. It may be the trying to keep up with a 3 and 5 year old, not sure!

I can't believe Thanksgiving and Christmas are right around the corner. I love both holidays and hope with a new baby coming I will be able to enjoy and remember them this year. I sure I will it may just been in a sleep deprived exhausted state :)

So that is all I got tonight, is pirate party mom needs some sleep.

Another move on the horizon...

So the fact that I am not consistent with out blog does not escape me. I think that when things get busy and life looks like it is changing again I need to figure things out before I put my thoughts out there.

For the past year we have been living and Scott has been working at a small college in Northern Mi. It has confirmed Scott's passion for students and higher Ed and also brought us to the realization that living on campus in a one bedroom apartment with three children may not work for the coming year.

So after a lot of pros and cons lists along with trying to make the budget work and praying what would be best for our family we have made a plan for the next year. This weekend we are moving most of our belongings back to our house that we still own. Even though this is not ideal because Scott will be living on campus during the week and the kids and I will be at the house with some going back and forth as well.

It really is a mixed bag, on one hand we will be near family again and the kids are so excited about that. They will also have so much more room to run and play, especially in the winter when the baby comes and we can't get out as much. On the other hand I will be husbandless for much of the week and I know that will be a struggle. I am so thankful for my husband, his work ethic, his drive, and willingness to provide for us while I stay at home. Even though it is not ideal I know that we will make it work. I am sure their will be more refining that will take place and that it will be a year of growth for all of us.

One thing is for sure, Scott and I have never been on the 5-10 plan ahead track. I truly feel that we live day by day trying to seek out God's will for us. This year may not look how I thought it would but God new this plan all along. I know I will need to continue to trust him for direction and maybe some sanity when the days get long!

It's Wedding Week!

So the summer fun continues! After a two month suspension from weddings after my sister Alisa and her now hubby Miguel's wedding in May we are preparing for Maria and John's big day on Saturday. I LOVE weddings and am so excited for the next and last VanderWeide wedding....

This past weekend was both John and Maria's bachelorette and bachelor parties which was so much fun and this week is tent setting up, entertainment for the reception practice, and much more.

We are so excited for their lives to start together and I can't wait to have a huge party honoring this new union. I will post pics along with the continues travel back in time posts starting next week

Going back in time....

So I am going to do some little 09 recap for all to enjoy, well maybe mostly myself so I can remember this crazy past 6 months of fun with a 4 and a 2 year old.

After almost 6 months in our plush and roomy one room apartment both me and the kiddos were ready to get out of the cold and enjoy the wonderful Arizona winters (and open spaces). Alisa my youngest sister and I decided to go for an extended visit to my parents home in Marana AZ. Not only for a couple days but for a whole month, good thing my wonderful parents are so hospitable!

So off we went on our sunny adventure. They both were sad to leave dad but with Scott coming out about two and a half weeks after we got there we knew we would see him soon. Plus they were both super pumped about riding in a plane, can't you tell:)
Not only did we not have to bring our winter coats we got to spend LOTS of time with Nana and papa abuelo in the sun. Aunt Alisa was a great help and we had so much fun with her. One of our favorite places that we went was the zoo. The kids loved it.
Because the house is basically in the country we had lots of time to hang out and get really dirty, basically Mateo was in little boy heaven. Right next door was a big dairy farm so almost every day we would walk and bike and see all the animals. Papa and Te became fast friends with all the quality time they got to spend together.
We also had at least 2 1/2 weeks where my sister Krista and baby Spencer came to the ranch and the kids were so happy to have there cousin there. We had a a great time hanging out and really just spending time together.
Then finally daddy came! It was our first family trip since the kids came home and it was fabulous. We went to the Tucson rodeo, parks, the desert museum. Scott and I also got to climb a mountain with Alisa her fiance at the time (now husband) Miguel, and my dad.

I have to mention that my creative and wild parents also had come up with a health/detox program for the ranch. We ate REALLY healthy aka. lots and lots of veggies and walked/jogged 4-6 miles a day. It was hard but fun with us all on board and we did shed some weight, I almost lost 20 lbs! So thanks mom and dad:)

Overall our Arizona trip was amazing, we had a hard time going back to the cold and Mateo kept asking to move back! So we are hoping to return this next winter after the new baby is here. So this bring us up to March, now only a few months behind. Thanks for catching up with us!

Returning from the dead!

So after;

a) being told that people are sick of checking my blog and seeing winter pics

b) feeling like I will never remember all the things from this crazy season of life

c) still checking others blogs and feeling guilty about not keeping mine up

d) and after almost six months finding my camera cord to download pics

I have returned to the blog world with joy in my heart!

Obviously there is a lot to cover and one post is not going to do it justice. My last little sister is getting married in two weeks so I will try to bring this blog up to speed while I am home this week.

We have had a beyond busy summer with camping trips, two sisters getting married, one grandpa getting married, college rommie reunions, and yes for all those who do not yet know, getting ready for baby number 3!!! I am 22 weeks preggo and do in November, which I am sure will be here before we know it.

I am going to leave with some ridiculously cute photos of my dream children (and my hot hubby) and give a few more details over the other posts to come.

Children say it best!

 

                                                                                                         

We have been crazy busy and so enjoying this Christmas season.  Both our children are really excited about Christmas this year and Mateo especially, remembers last year and can't wait for it to get here.  We have really tried to keep the focus and the real meaning of Christmas and I was blown away when we were in the cafeteria this week and a student came up and asked Mateo what we did for Christmas, he said in a very excited voice "we are celebrating Christ's birth!"  I was so thankful that he was able to see through all the commercialism and realize that the real reason to be so excited about this season is the gift of our savior.  I hope all of you have a wonderful Christmas and can say with excited anticipation, we are celebrating Christ's birth!

Here are some long delayed pics, now that I have them downloaded.  Enjoy!