It might be 25 below . . .

If you fingers stick to the mail box.

If you run the heat all day and can't get the house above 66.

If your kitchen pipes freeze.

If your mail box freezes shut.

If you can see your breath inside the house.

If your car requires an extension cord to start.

If your daughters lips are turning blue because she took her socks off in the house.

If stepping outside literally takes your breath away.

If the wipes you left in the car are now a frozen unusable block.

If your windshield wipers freeze to the windshield.

It's been a little different than Arizona =) But we like it here. =)

Up North

Wow, it's been a whirlwind of a few weeks. We arrived here Nov 13th safe and sound. Mike's parents were so glad to see their girls and meet the newest one finally. They met us at the airport with so many sweet gifts to brave to cold air outside. Mike was still driving and he and my dad made it here the next morning. We unloaded the Uhaul and Mike showered and took off for work even though he had been up driving all night. The next few days were a blur of, "yes, I have that, I just don't know where yet" and "um, I think there are clean socks in that pile" and "Which one is crying?" but we made it here and I enjoyed showing my parents around town. Had a great Sunday at chruch http://www.emmanuelbible.org/ and am really excited about getting involved here. People are friendly, teaching is great, they have nursery!!!! Wooo Hoooo!!!

Three days after arriving we had our Grand Opening at the store. Just to give you a little picture. At openening we had 45 employees with less than 2 days training. Our opening week was the 3rd largest in Little Caesars history. We had people lined up out the door from our store past 3 others stores in the strip mall to albertsons front door. Mike worked 134 hours that week. Getting home at 4am, showering, sleeping 2 hours and back by 7. Grand Opening night he didn't sleep, just showered and went right back (second night of the week he missed sleeping). By now we have over 100 employees and some how still can't stay staffed. amazing how many people want a job but just can't work! =) We're doing the business of 4 average stores each day so it's busy but we've ordered extra equipment and supplies and are getting more efficient. Still learning how to handle things like scheduling and employee issues. We are so thankful for the work. It's been a long wait.

At home it's been a little different. Quiet as far as people go. Lots of training issues with Charlize the first week. Seeing some real fruit the last few days (saying, "Okay mommy" "please" "thank you" without prompting) Michaela is doing well. Slept 7 hours straight one time a few nights ago. Hope that starts to be the norm soon. I get internet at home in a week. Shang-hi'd Larry's lap top today and found health ins. and car ins. during nap time. Phew! Charlize has had a nasty cold that has been keeping us away from church and friends. Praying this will clear up real soon so I can start to make friendships. It's been a long two weeks of only 5 minutes a day of adult interaction. The guys are on a rotating schedule by now. Larry opens and Mike closes. So he goes in around noon and gets home between 1 and 2am usually. then sleeps till work the next day. It's been a challenge to try to keep the house quiet and our room off limits all morning but I think after he gets rested up we'll be able to have some good family time in the morning. It's going to require some creativity on my part to change my schedule so this time is used best.

So much more to say but I need to be dilligent with the rest of life. Thanks for all who have been checking in. I get internet next Friday and will answer back then.

2 Weeks and on the road again

Well, we made it to our 2 week check ups today. Michaela made it above her birth weight of 8, 1 all the way to 8lbs 10oz and 21inches. Everything else looks good. I'm doing great, no pain, lifting things again and I lost all the baby weight from Michaela and Charlize!!!! Wooohoooo!!! Now I just have all the wedding weight . . . . =) We're so thankful for both of our "little blessings" and the health God has blessed them with.

The house is packed and we get the Uhaul tomorrow. Time to hit the road!

Charlize has been a crack up lately too.

Today:
Mommy: Charlize, look, who's this?
Charlize: Baby Disher
Mommy: Yep, baby sister. What's her name?
Charlize: Two

Our Other "Baby"

http://www.kfbb.com/news/local/69710987.html?video=YHI&t=a

Here's a link to a local news station reporting on our store. One week from today we will be open! It's strange to think that we started talking about Little Caesars as a possibility the day before we found out Michaela was on the way and now their beginnings are only 3 weeks apart. What a year! =)

We are in the thick of packing and cleaning right now and drive/fly out Friday. Please pray for Charlize to cooperate on the plane. My mom does a great job but she can be a handful on planes.

First Sight

This was the first time Charlize saw Michaela. I thought she was saying "Jammies" but aparently she thought her sister was good to eat. "Nummies". =)

This was about 5am on day 2 or 3, I can't remember.

Going Home

Proud Daddy


Cutest in the nursery

It feels so good to hold you Michaela!

Big adoring Sister

Charlize showing "gentle"

Sung as a Bug in a Rug

Charlize "smiling" for Daddy

What a great experience we had at the Prescott hospitol. The staff was really amazing. Unlike our first experience these nurses didn't expect Michaela to be text book. When she didn't feed on a consistent schedule they said, "oh don't worry, it will come. Her numbers are fine, just give her time to rest." They only came in once a night for pills and vitals. This really helped in our recovery. On Wed Michaela went from 5am to 3pm without eating. I was getting really concerned about this as well as mucus problems. We fianlly decided to get her stomach pumped. More commonly necessary with c-section babies. As soon as we did this she realized she was hungry because her stomach wasn't full of mucus and she ate like a champ. Thank you, Lord! She's done well ever since. We were able to leave Thurs morning and had our first dr apt today. 7lbs 5oz and growing. She's quite the sleeper for now and I'm thankful. It's good to be home but I'm needing the reminder to take it slow. Grandma and Daddy are doing a great job with Hurricane Charlie so I can rest a lot. We're just so thankful to be home and healthy. Thank you to all who have prayed us through this season in life. We're grateful.

Happy Birthday Peanut!!

That's right, Charlize is 2 today. What an amazing 2 years it's been. We love our little social butterfly. She doesn't know a stranger and loves everyone she meets. She's become so flexible in being in different places. Her vocab is exploding. She used a 6 word sentence today. She definately gives us a run for our money in training. Doing the same thing over and over after being told, "no". Takes a lot of patience and persistence but we're hopeful that the results of obedience will come. Speaking of training, she cannot get enough of "potty training". Several times after only a minute out of site I've found her with clothes and diaper off climbing onto the toilet. Hmmm, it'd be great if she would chose to do this when she actually needs to go, not right after. =) But glad she's interested. Think we'll start more after the move.

Our best present was getting Daddy home. He got here Sat and Grandma came today! We met some friends at a park to celebrate the big day. It's kinda neat to be able to celebrate our last day with only one daughter. We can't wait for the second one but are so thankful and have enjoyed every day with Charlize. Sunday I was reminded of the importance of talking to and teaching even the little ones. Last week as we drove away from church I pointed up at the lit up cross and told Charlize that symbol was there to remind us of Jesus. This week, after 7 days of not bringing up the topic, like usual as we left the parking lot Charlize called out, "Bye, church, bye toys." and then looked up at the cross, "Bye Jesus". It's amazing what sticks.

37 weeks

Just a few catch up pics. Friends at the womens retreat with Grace Bible, a trip to the prescott zoo with Heidi and Noah where Charlize hit it off with a badger. And our pastors wife recovering from a broken foot. Charlize always hitches a ride when she can.

I'm over 37 weeks now. Up 19 lbs. thought my iron was low because of fatigue and ice craving but turns out it's at a 12 so no problems there. New symptoms are right hand going numb at night, pain around incision and fatigue. Doc says these are all normal and will pass. I have one last apt. and then am scheduled for the 27th. Please be praying for Mike. He got his yearly head stuff which always includes a nasty caugh that lingers. I don't know what the rules are for going into the OR if you are sick. Praying that he will be all better by then. I have a lot going on next week and am thankful for that.

Whoa Nelly!

This is actually our other truck "Midge" but Mike and Charlize have been spending many an hour in the garage working on "Nelly", Mike's truck from highschool. Charlize loves working with Daddy. She hands him tools wether he needs them or not and he gives her stickers. (squares of duct tape)

Last week I came out side and found Mike on his back on the red dolly you can see here under the truck. Charlize had crawled underneath the lifted pick up and was sitting on his stomach playing with a wrench. Ha! She was so at home.

After getting the truck finished and getting a go ahead from Little Caesars, Mike took off for Montana yesterday. It took him 25 1/2 hours which he of course did straight through. He had some bad weather around southern Montana. Snow storm with little visibility but God was good and he made it safely. We were glad to find everything in order in our rental house and no flooding as there have been water issues in the past. We're gonna miss him again but thankful that we are able to get things going. He will be there for 3 weeks.

He will be flying home on the 25th, we celebrate Charlize's b-day on the 26th and then Vernadine is scheduled for the 27th. It's gonna be a busy week! =) We can't wait.

But He Gives a Greater Grace

In catching up with friends lately I've been burdened that I not just update details but that I pass on the bigger picture of God's hand working in and through us to glorify His name. Since December of last year we've lived in 5 temporary places not counting hotels. All the while living out of a suitcase with no permanent employment going on 8 months now. We've had a pregnancy that we couldn't find health insurance for until I was 4 months along. We've had unexpected bills, 3 months of living in different states than each other which meant loneliness for Mike and the struggles of single parenting for me. And yet in everything God's grace has abounded. We've never missed a meal, always had a roof over our heads, been able to pay every bill as it came and more importantly our hearts and souls have been blessed by a God who knows and cares not only for us but for His own glory and using our lives to bring it about.

Most of this is regurgitation from recent sermons God has placed us in front of.
What is God's grace? The children of Israel have just been saved out of Egypt and have nothing to eat in the wilderness. Exodus 16: 4,5 "Then the Lord said to Moses, "Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day's portion every day, that I may test them, whether or not they will walk in My instruction. It will come about on the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily." God commanded the Israelites to only gather what they needed for THAT day except for the Sabbath. Following this showed faith on the people's part. Faith that they believed the next day the manna would again appear to provide for their needs. On the 6th day a double portion was to be taken as there would be none provided on the Sabbath. Now vs 29, "See, the Lord has given you the Sabbath; therefore He gives you bread for two days on the sixth day. Remain every man in his place; let no one go out of his place on the seventh day." So the people rested on the seventh day. Although the restrictions of the Sabbath are not the same today for the church the concept remains. God is the giver of all things in our lives. He gives the grace that we need for that day and that day only. If He gives us a situation where we need more; then more will be given. God gave the sabbath with it's restrictions; He provided two days of food.

This went on for 40 years. That's a long time! Why? Deut 8:2,3 "You shall remember all the way which the Lord your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord."

The Israelites were not left in the wilderness because God dropped the ball or didn't have a plan. Part was punishment, part was to test their hearts and then to teach them that their sustenance does not come from bread (Ex 16:3 what the people were accustomed to in Egypt and complained that they no longer had) but from God's mouth. He speaks and their needs are met. ie: I was accustomed to a paycheck every other week. That was what provided for my needs. I'm learning that God is not bound by direct deposit in providing for us.

I also think it's interesting that God took them into the wilderness to teach this lesson. Wilderness: associated with drought, no distractions, no comfort zones. Hosea talks of this too in the redemption of the harlot wife. Hosea 2:14,15. "Therefore (because she followed her lovers and forgot God) behold, I will allure her, bring her into the wilderness and speak kindly to her. Then I will give her her vineyards from there . . . " God takes this "woman" out of the land flowing with milk and honey and from the wilderness gives her vineyards. Why? Because only God could provide a vineyard in those conditions. A vineyard in the Promised Land doesn't scream His glory.

II Cor 12:9,10, "And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly therefore, I will rather boast about my weakness, so that the power of Christ may richly dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weakness, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, the I am strong."

God's grace is sufficient, not over abundant; sufficient. He provides what we need just for the moment or the day. That's why we are commanded not to borrow tomorrow's worries because that grace has not been given yet. That's tomorrow's manna. See Piper for more on that one. We had a job this year that we thought would provide 3 to 4 months of savings. I think the words actually came out of our mouths, "This will be a good buffer in case we don't get more manna, I mean work." After some unexpected bills it ended up that we broke even with no savings. But God provided every penny for every bill. How arrogant our feeble hearts to trust only in the security of a savings account rather than for God to take care of tomorrow. Don't get me wrong, those aren't bad. Our problem was where the trust was placed. "For Christ's sake". This is the benefit in these times. Sulking and worrying doesn't change the circumstance it simply robs us of a chance to be well content and God from receiving glory that is due Him.

James 4:1-10 The idea that we can be adulteresses toward God when we lust after the world and it's friendship rather than submitting to Him. vs 6 He gives grace to the humble. vs 8 He draws near to those to draw near to Him. What a comfort.

I Tim 6:6-12 how much more is gained in our walks when it is accompanied by contentment. (which by the way is a choice, not a feeling). vs 10 notice, having money not an issue. Loving it; longing for it is the issue. Where is your hope lying? In chariots or in the Lord our God.

Can I encourage you today? How is God revealing His glory in your life? Are you sharing it with others so they see His name displayed? Or is it stopping with you?

In case you need a laugh . . .

By an anonymous 2nd Grade school teacher:

I've been teaching now for about 15 years. I have two kids of my own but the best birth story I know is the one I saw in my own second grade classroom a few years back.

When I was a kid, I loved show and tell. So I always have a few sessions with my students. It helps them get over shyness and usually show and tell is pretty tame. Kids bring in pet turtles, model airplanes, pictures of fish they catch, stuff like that. And I never, ever place any boundaries or limitations on them. If they want to lug it to school and talk about it, they're welcome.

Well, one day this little girl, Erica, a very bright, very outgoing kid, takes her turn and waddles up to the front of the class with a pillow stuffed under her sweater. She holds up a snapshot of an infant. "This is Luke, my baby brother, and I'm going to tell you about his birthday. First Mom and Dad made him as a symbol of their love, and then Dad put a seed in my Mom's stomach, and Luke grew in there. He ate for nine months through an umbrella cord." She's standing there with her hands on the pillow, and I'm trying not to laugh and wishing I had my camcorder with me. The kids are watching her in amazement!

"Then, about two Saturdays ago, my Mom starts saying and going, 'Oh, oh, oh, oh!' Erica puts a hand behind her back and groans. "She walked around the house for, like an hour, 'Oh, oh, oh!' (Now this kid is doing a hysterical duck walk and groaning.)

"My Dad called the middle wife. She delivers babies, but she doesn't have a sign on the car like the Domino's man. They got my Mom to lie down in bed like this." (Then Erica lies down with her back against the wall.) "And then, pop! My Mom had this bag of water she kept in there in case he got thirsty, and it just blew up and spilled all over the bed, like psshhheew! (This kid has her legs spread with her little hands miming water flowing away. It was too much!)

"Then the middle wife starts saying, 'push, push' and 'breathe, breathe'. They started counting but never got past ten. Then, all of the sudden, out comes my brother. He was covered in yucky stuff that they all said was from Mom's play center, so there must be a lot of toys inside there. When he got out, the middle wife spanked him for crawling up in there."

Ever since then I always bring my camcorder to show and tell in case another 'middle wife' appears.

One more from Nebraska

I had to get this one added in here. Charlize is a little girl who loves to dance. We went to an out door concert at Southpoint and Charlize loved dancing and waving to every person in sight.

At 22 months now she has just now started to like tv. Bob the Builder is her favorite along with Yogi Bear and The Pink Panther. This month she has started lots of repeating and has started putting two words together. Usually MY juice! As if I'm wanting to steal her goobery sippy cup. We also started very casual potty training. She's shown a lot of interest and tells me everytime afterward. So we got a chair and we'll see how things go. I'm not determined for her to get it down now but willing to let her try while I have extra time to focus with her. She has also done so well adjusting between different houses but is really starting to show when Daddy is away for weeks at a time. We're so happy he's coming to see us in AZ tomorrow for a couple of weeks. Then we'll have one more month apart before "Vernadine" comes and then we should be done, Lord willing.

Thanks to everyone who's been praying through our last few days of trusting God. After a last minute curveball from Little Caesars over finances we were able to get Larry and Linda off to their training class in Detroit this next week. Mike has demo'd and cleaned the store and set up bids for the remodel. Our coming soon sign is up. Mike will start the remodel as soon as our financing is cleared and we are able to order the appliances. We are praying this will be about two weeks from now but thankful that we get to see Mike in between! Honestly this last change has been one of the hardest to trust and be joyful I think because we all felt like we had crossed the tough hurdels already. Just a reminder to us that we are in need of God's blessing everyday and in every step. More on that in the next post. =)

Great Falls

After a great month of July with my parents it was time to see our new home. We took off for Great Falls, MT and made it in 16 hours. Not sure I'll be able to do that on my own with 2 little ones but thankfully I have 3 sets of family between here and there. We arrived Tuesday at noon. Charlize squeeled with delight, "hi" when she saw her Mimi so we left her in great hands and Mike and I went to sleep after being up driving all night. The town is cute. Downtown actually reminds me a lot of Lincoln's just not as tall. There is a beautiful city park, residential areas are nice and the main strip (Hwy89) runs right through town and this is where most of the commercial business is located. Missouri River also runs through town and we saw three deer drinking at the edge of someone's yard right by the bridge. We met some of Larry and Linda's new friends for a picknick. Wed. we had non-stop apointments, banks, realtors, etc. In the afternoon we got to see a rental house that was available. Rentals are very sparse right now. One company owns 300 units and only 10 are available right now. This goes for apt and houses. We really liked the house and the price was doable so we filled out our application, today we were approved and we move in next week! Yay! I get to unpack! I'm no longer homeless!! =) If there were a fireworks symbol on here I'd be using it! =) Thursday we left our hotel at 9am and toured some more towns. After lunch we said goodbye and hit the road for AZ. charlize did great considering but it was still a long trip. We had smoke from a fire all across ID and NV. Got confused with consturction in Vegas and drove an extra hour there. Bummer. Drove over the Hooer Dam. Have you seen the new bridge? It's huge!!! Mike thinks as big as the dam itself. I felt really tiny driving by it at night. We pulled in our driveway at 6:30 this morning. Mike and I both got naps at different times but not much else accomplished today. I did get to the doctor and praise God things are still going well.

So what's next: The plan is that Larry and Linda come down from Montana and get their stuff from storage. They also found a condo to rent. All of us will pack up and move our things. I'll be there for about a week to unpack and then Charlize and I will come back to AZ until the baby comes. Mike will be staying in MT to get the store remodeled and ready for opening. Then he'll come to AZ in time for baby and we're hoping to have all of us up North 2 weeks after she is born. This is of course all with God's blessing and contingent on His will. It's been a very good process to go through as we trust God in every turn, change, twist, rewrite and blind corner. I know that He will continue to provide for us because He promises so in His word and this last year year has had no lack of evidence to prove it. Just the fact that we were only in MT for 48 hours and in that time found a house so that I can move in before the baby comes is just amazing to me. I'm humbled by God's good hand and His grace toward us. It's a busy week as we have to figure out what to keep here for the next two months as it has to fit into one pickup in Nov. By the way, last night I slept in my own bed for the first time since Dec. Ahhhhh! I love my bed, I love my bed, I love my bed! Oh the little things that make pregnant life easier. =)

Nebraska Trip

The 3rd one this year that is. What a great time we had getting to see all of Charlize's cousins and many of mine as well. My cousin Sheila got married and what a joy to see her at the wedding and meet her new husband, an Italian! It was a beautiful ceremony in both languages with much culture. The Flower beds are at the Sunken Gardens in Lincoln. Monica and I used to run through these planning our weddings as little girls. This year was the most beautiful I remember seeing it. We also got to go watch Papa cut down a tall tree. Charlize loved it. Everytime he brought down a big section she would yell, mo, mo! This was also the day she said her first phrase. "Mama go"!

From the mind of a 9yr old. . . . .

This week I've had the blessing of serving in VBS at the church where I grew up. It was amazing looking at a T-shirt display from years gone by how many I could remember specific lessons, verses or themes. I worked with 4th grade this year and had 4 very energetic boys in my small group. You might enjoy some of the following conversations.

Day 2. Topic: Good thoughts vs. bad thoughts. We have a cowboy theme so I shared II Cor. 10:5 about taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. I told them it was like taking a lasso around a thought and taking control. Asking yourself, "Is this a good thought or a bad one". If it's a bad one, what do you do?
Boys: (yelling) (nothings quiet when you're 9) "Throw it away"!
Tonya: that's right. Then your mind is blank so what should you do?
Boys: ????
Tonya: The Bible tells us to put good thoughts in like Bible verses.
Andrew: But that's the opposite of what Star Wars teaches because Jedi are supposed to clear their minds.
Tonya: and that's exactly why we need to be careful to base what we believe on the Bible and not on movies or tv.
boys in unison: Oh!
Tonya: We need to listen to God because He is so wise.
Spencer: Yeah, probably even more than Yoda.

Day 3: Topic:Scripture is inspired by God.

Tonya: Why is it important to know that the Bible is inspired by God?
Boys: ??????
Tonya: It's important because we know what's in the Bible is true because it came from God.
Tonya: (writing) what did I write down on this paper?
Boys: (reading) Tonya is 96 years old.
Reid: Really?
Tonya: What do you think? I wrote this down. Am I telling the truth? Could I put this in the Bible just because I say it's true?
Andrew: No way, you're only in your 40's! No wait, 30's.
Tonya: Wait a minute, not till next year, I'm still 29....
Reid: (total shock on his face) You're only 29?!!? My mom's 43 and she looks way younger than you!!

What a blessing it's been to be around young hearts and minds this weeks. They are such eager sponges.

We're Employed!

What a process! During our trip earlier this year around the country we stopped in to see some good friends who live in Nashville. At the time we had considered not making that leg of the trip simply because of gas money but decided it was a good time to see the Howe's. Jon was just in the process of opening up his first Little Ceasar's restaurant and so we got to see and hear about his process of getting involved with this company. At this point Mike and I had been looking for construction jobs but were open to anything God brought our way. After leaving the Howe's house we talked a lot about their endeavor and after talking to Mike's parents it started to look like something we should at least look into. After much paperwork, study, thinking, planning and always prayer we applied to the company and Mike and his parents went to interview at headquarters in Detroit. Last week we were approved into the company and this week we were promised a reserved area in western Montana.

The plan: we will be looking to open several new stores in a three city area. (Great Falls, Helena and Butte). Mikes parents are headed up next week to scout out possible store locations. Then Mike and his parents will go to Detroit for 6 weeks to train at headquarters. This will take us up to the time that baby "Vernadine" (nickname--not real name) is born. Charlize and I will stay in Prescott so that I can make my baby apointments and all four of us will stay in Prescott until baby is here and I can travel. Probably Nov/Dec. The plan then would be to load up the storage unit and move to a rental in Montana. We're not sure yet which town our first store but we will try to rent near our first store. The hope would be that if God blesses with lots of business and good managers that we would open the rest of our stores one at a time over the next few years.

How do I feel about this?? Lets see: we need work; God provided a good job. I'm craving stability; this is definitely a long term adventure. I love new things; Montana is definitely new. I've been living out of suitcases since Dec 12th; I GET TO UNPACK MY STUFF!!!! I am so thankful for God's provision and He has definitely taken us down a path to help me see this as a good thing. I'm not a fan of driving in snowy weather but He has also commanded me not to fear so apparently I still need refining. (I know, a shocker to everyone =) ) I'm excited for a new adventure and excited to Mike tackle a new challenge.

How to Give Yourself a Hickey

So the other night Charlize and I were cleaning out the trailer. (I'm moving into the big kids house!!!) One item we found was her shade for the truck window that has suction cups. I showed her that I could make it stick to things. Namely my forehead. She thought this was hilarious so my addiction to her laughter only drove me to stick it to my head again and again while she squealed, "mo, mo, mo"! It wasn't till the next morning that I looked in the mirror and realized the results were not so temporary. And that is how I came to walk around Prescott as a 5 month pregnant woman whose husband is out of town with a hickey in the middle of my forehead. =) Oh my!

Catch Up

I know that it's been forever since I've caught up wtih pictures and video of Charlize so this is mostly a month or so old and random items but I wanted to get these put up.

Q: How does a girl play with a bulldozer? A: By pulling off the tracks and using them as a bracelet.

Happy Easter!


Hanging out with Grandpa.

Lincoln has one of the best indoor play areas I've ever seen and Charlize had a blast here.

It's a Girl!!!

Today I'm 18-19wks depending on who you ask. =) We had our ultrasound yesterday and got some great news. Our second child apprears to be a girl (much clearer to me this time than with Charlize who I doubted till they pulled her out) and is very healthy. She is measuring a little smaller than the due date that I've calculated but either way we'll schedule a c-section around the end of Oct. She was curled up pretty tight and we got great views of the spine, arms, legs, face, brain, heart. It is so amaing to see your child's heart beating with in you. This was my first ultrasound when I could also feel movement so that was pretty cool to feel her move and see it at the same time. Mike couldn't be at the ulrasound because of work in California so I got a hold of him several hours later and he's excited about another girl. I think my excitement comes from having grown up with sisters who are some of my closest friends. Even though it's not a guarantee that they will be close I'm excited for that opportunity for them.

Mike and I do have a name picked out but we're still working on the middle name and are going to wait until she's here to share that part. Last night I was cleaning out computer files and found some videos of Charlize in the first few months. I realized how much I had forgotten from the beginning and I'm excited to experience it all over again. Here's one of the things we are looking forward to:

We can't wait to meet you baby girl and see how God has created you in His own unique way.

San Clemente

God has again provided for our needs with a short term job. Some friends of ours from Phoenix bought a vacation house in San Clemente, CA that needs to be remodeled. Mike left last week to work on it. Logistics just didn't work for Charlie and I to go so we are staying in Prescott for the time. Looks like our part of the job will take 2-3 months and we'll try to fit one or two weekend visits in. So far Mike has been pretty lonely being in a new town all alone with nothing to do after work in the evening. He is getting help later this week from an old co-worker to help the project along. I think this life is effecting Charlize the most. Every morning she asks for her Da Da. Everytime she sees my phone she asks to call him and there are usually tears involved when we have to say goodbye. It's hard to see but on the other hand I'm glad she is remembering him and that she loves him so much.

Charlize and I have done some exploring and I'm starting to understand the labrynth of Prescott a little better. We're also starting to make some friends from church. The weather is so nice! 55 at night. 85 days.

Linda and I planted a garden which has proved to be quite the challenge here. Almost every morning we find a new plant that has been eaten to the ground. A little discouraging but we built some cages yesterday that should help. So far we have tomatoes, peppers, basil, cillantro, strawberries, rasberries, blackberries, carrots, onions, cucmbers, zuccini, watermellon, cantelope, corn and mint growing. We'll see how it goes.

The Ultrasound

We got to see baby Jolly today! Praise the Lord for a good day. We finally found a babysitter (thanks Molly) so Mike could join me. Thankfully everything they could see looked healthy and she said my placenta is attached high at the back which aparently is good. =) We got to see both lobes of the brain, bones in the hands, spine, face, femer. So fun to see what goes on inside and it's making me really excited about this child growing within. Unfortunately the umbilical cord was strategically placed between the legs so no "show and tell" this time around. We expect full cooperationg next month when they do all the measurements. =) This one was for the purpose of establishing the due date. They changed my due date by over a week but I happen to know they are wrong. =) Either way, Oct 27th or Nov 5th we look forward to meeting this blessing from the Lord sometime this fall as the Lord wills. He has been so gracious to us and we are thankful.

14 weeks

Well, I finally had a doctor apt. today. I really like my new doctor. She's friendly, informative and great bed side mannor. I got to hear the heart beat which is always comforting. I have an ultra-sound next Tues to confirm due date of Oct 27. (one day after Charlize). However this baby will also be a c-section as Prescott doesn't perform v-backs. They do not have anesthieiologists on location at all times and it could take 30min for the on-call to get there. Small towns sure are different. =) But, she said she always schedules for 39 weeks which will be fine with me at that point to go a week early. That also gives the kids a week between birthdays which is nice. My sister Jodi and my birthday are 5 days apart and it always worked well to have our own weekend to celebrate.

God has been blessing us with work lately. Mike has two small jobs this week and then two larger ones coming up. At this point it looks like we have work for the next 4months! Praise the Lord. He is so good to us.

Charlize, meet God.

Charlize and I were reading a book about how God has created our bodies. Everytime we get to a body part we point to it. The last page just talked about God so I asked Charlize where God is. (even though I know He is everywhere) I pointed up toward the sky. She turned her head, looked up and said, "hi".

back in AZ

Thank you to everyone for all the prayers over the last few days. I felt every one! Monday was travel day as well as the first time I had been out of bed in 6 days. My mom got me to the airport and we found out the flight was delayed by an hour. (always happens to me in Omaha). Thankfully I was feeling well, just tired so I got to use a wheel chair and my mom got to come through security. We finally got on the plane which was only half full so I was able to use three seats for us. This helped a lot! Charlize had room to squirm and squirm she did for 3 hours straight! It was a lot of work and I had to make numerous appologies to the couple in front of us and she threw her book over the seat and pulled hair. Thankfully I didn't feel sick until the last few minutes.

When we got off the plane I couldn't find Mike. I wasn't strong enough to hold Charlize so I made her walk with me. All the sudden she was tugging on my arm. I thought she was trying to get away but then realized she saw Mike and was running to him. I'm so glad she didn't forget him. After a very long two hr ride we were home. The last few days we've been trying to make the 2 hr time change. (charlize got up at 4:30am Tues)

Today is my first day to be alone. I've been a guest in someone's home since mid Dec. and although it was a great time I'm just enjoying being by myself today. Mike and his parents are taking care of Charlize which is great since I'm back to jello and water and resting. I hit 11 weeks today! I'm hoping it's like last time and I only have two more bad weeks to go! I think I can, I think I can, I think I can!

10 Weeks--1/4 of the way through!

The days have been up and down lately. Yesterday was really good and today not so much. Mike started a side remodel job yesterday and we are thankful even for the little ones. He also has a lead at the local Home Depot. He's hoping to have another conversation tomorrow with one of the managers. If anyone can sell Home Depot's product; Mike can. Most times when he has a question there he realizes he knows more than the employee on hand. I have one more week here in Lincoln. I'm thankful for the help but looking forward to seeing Mike. After this we move back in the trailer. We've decided to live there until the baby is born to save some money. (or until I can't fit through the door (a serious possibility)).

Yesterday I was looking through pics on our camera. One of Mike came up and Charlize immediately said, "Da, da!" That's a pretty rare thing still so I was glad that she still recognizes him. She's really starting to babble. Every animal says "bow, wow, wow" according to her. It's pretty cute. She's really trying.

Prescott

Yes, Cristina, we are looking at Prescott at this time as a more permanent stop. As permanent as a Jolly can be any way. (6 moves in 4 1/2 years of marriage). =) Mike is looking into some of the newly created gov. jobs. One option is at the V.A. hospitol and there are several other options that revolve around construction/maintenance. At this point benefits are a bigger factor than pay as rent is pretty cheap there. We've found some houses under $700. PTL! We are praying that God would lead Mike to the right place for work and that He would bless quickly if it's His will. Also that we would remain trusting Him no matter the timeline. I'm hoping to be feeling better by May and look forward to seeing all of you in the valley soon.

Case of the Yukks!

Sorry it's been a while. Thanks for everyone who's praying. It's been another though 1st tri-mester but better this time as I have help and a better diet. (my mom makes my food) Last time i couldn't stand to smell the cooking so I ate freezer meals. Not so nutritious. Mike is currently driving our trailer back to AZ. (Prescott). Charlize and I will fly back on Ap 8th. That way my mom can help me for a few weeks and then Mike's mom can help me finish up. Please pray for continued strength and health for me and obedience from charlize and job for Mike. I'm getting dizzy.....more later.

Simple Math

3+1=4

Or at least it will in October. =)

Next Stop: Hammond, IN

Now we're in Hammond with my oldest sister. They had some snow damage in their dinning room so Mike is redoing plumbing and electrical and then replacing drywall on the ceiling and two walls. Quite the project when you have 4 kids running around the house. We'll probably be here a few more days and then finally head back to Lincoln and eventually AZ. I'm getting really anxious for this to be over but it's great to have time with my sister and family. They are so much fun to be around.

PS: Jon and Jen we got your message. Our cell is dead and I can't find the charger. Thanks for a great time. We made it in at 1am and the trip was smoothe.

Next Stop: Nashville, TN

Finishing up Houston: We had a great time in corpus Christi. The only snafu was when Mark got chased down by a dog while on his bike. As he tried to defend himself from being bit, he crashed his bike. We were all at breakfast without our cell phone so it took him an hour to get a hold of us. After 6 cars passed him while he was lying in the middle of the road finally someone stopped to help. We were all thankful when we found out he was just sore and had no broken bones. Mike finished the fence yesterday and we left at 8pm for Nashville.

Traveling all night went quite well. Charlize slept all 14 hours! I was a little bummed to miss Louisiana along the 10 in the dark but the swampland was still ominous in the dark. Huge trees towered over us on both sides of the road. They must have been 30 or 40 feet tall. Mississippi was a smoothe drive but as soon as we got to Alabama the snow started. Around 5am we had to pull over for Mike to rest his eyes. We had been looking into the snow for so long I was expecting any minute to see in big bold yellow print, "Long Long ago, in a galaxy far far away. . . I took the next shift driving and pretty much prayed the whole way. We saw 4 major wrecks involving jackknifed trailers or flipped over cars that completely stopped the freeway. Thankfully we were never involved and they were all on the other side of the freeway. I think by the end of the night we must have seen 30 cars that had slip off the road. Made us thankful for a heavy truck and 4 wheel drive. We finally pulled into our friends house at 10:30 am. We had a great lunch meeting our friends extended family and enjoying lots of hospitality. Our friends are in the middle of opening their first franchise of Little Ceasars here in Nashville.

After lunch Charlize and I were both in much need of a nap. We both went down while Mike took a shower. I slept about three hours and after talking to Mike tonight apparently I got up and picked up Charlize in my sleep and took care of her till Mike finished. Then handed her off and went back to bed. I remember none of this. Hmmm, I think maybe I can't miss a nights sleep as well as I thought. I wonder what other chores I could learn to do while I sleep. This could be a good deal! . . . . maybe.

Next Stop: Houston TX

What a nice break Houston has been from the cold! We got in at 3:30am Sat. Traveling with a sleeping one year old is so worth the late hours! We've been enjoying time with Mark and Monica and Reagan. It's been in the 60's and with the light humidity it feels like spring! Mike is working on the back yard fence that collapsed from the hurricane last fall. All over the neighborhood you can see new and old fence boards as almost everyone had some damage. Right now M&M and their backyard neighbors have one large combined backyard. The neighbors have a large bird aviary and the kids enjoy watching the parakeets. I had both kids at Home Depot and must have had 5 people ask if they were twins. What fun to have cousin time together. That's something that I really miss in our long distance family.

Wednesday all of us are headed to Corpus Christy for some fun in the sun. Padre Island is only an hour from there so we might have to fit that in. I guess Padre has the Caribbean like beaches. hmm I think that's worth another hour. =) Monica was able to get an apt for Charlize before our insurance ran out so she's working on four shots today. She's pretty fussy but this is a great place to deal with it rather than a traveling day.

Our main accomplishment of the week: Charlize taught Reagan to walk. He definately thrives on the encouragement and is very wobbly but aren't we all with something new. =)

Next Stop: Rapid City, SD

Friday night we made the drive between Gelndive and Rapid City. This was by far the worst weather we have had traveling. It wasn't too bad though. I have learned that when it's freezing out side you need to bring the baby wipes into the truck. They don't work well when they are frozen solid! What barren open country though. Not many stops along the way. We tried to buy dinner and they didn't even take credit cards but she was sweet and took my out of state check.

Rapid City was gorgeous! The black hills are beautiful with all the pine trees and rocky hills around every bend. Sat we took as a vacation day and visited Mt. Rushmore. It was snowing pretty good so we didn't stay out long but there's quite an exibit indoors as well. The presidents faces are 60 feet tall and origionally the plan was to do complete busts but the master sculpter died shortly after the faces were complete. He was the highest paid person on the project at $1.50 per hour!

We knew very quickly that we want to look into this area more closely so we didn't spend a lot of time there now. Our plan is to spend a few days here at my parents in Lincoln, NE and finish removing a wall from their living room. Then we'll leave Charlize here and go to Rapid City just the two of us so we can look into things a little closer.

We're also thinking of fitting a trip to Texas to see Mark and Monica. Friday is Marks last day at Voss and so he'll have a few weeks off before starting a new one. We'd like to go see Corpus Christi with them. I'm so ready for some warmer weather! This job change is Mark's decision and has come with much prayer. We're excited to see what God has in store. Kinda funny that all three of us girl's husbands have changed jobs this year. =)

Thanks to everyone who's been writing...we miss you all a lot!

Next Stop: Glendive Mt

Grrrr....I just typed a ton and the computer erased it all. Ahhhhh! Okay second try. finishing up Idaho Falls.....Sunday we went to church and increased attendance by 30%. There were a total of 10 people there and thus no nursery. They were so gracious about Charlize who made it about half way through. On a side note....anyone who's ever sat in front of Mike in church....the hyms were led by someone with twice the country twang of my husband. It was great!! They were such a kind group of people and was so refreshing to be in Christian fellowship. The whole church took us out to lunch and were so helpful in telling us about the area.

By 1pm we were on the road and drove North and crossed the ENTIRE state of Montana. What a gorgeous state. Mike and I mused that maybe God was practicing for heaven when He made Montana. We saw the sun setting as we gazed across the Big Sky state with amazing mountains, free range cattle and rarely any houses or any kind of developement. 1am we pulled into Glendive, slept in a truck lot and ran into our friend Bryan at breakfast. It was a good thing because our phone doesn't work here and we didn't know where he lived. We've really been enjoying staying at Bryan and Annas for frienship, good food and lots of laughs. The roads are still snow closed in ND so it'll be another day or so until we hit the road.

Next Stop: Idaho Falls, Idaho

With news of a snow storm coming in we hit the road and didn't stop till we got to Idaho. We put in 12 hours on the road yesterday. Traveling while Charlize sleeps is always easier and it was a gorgeous drive. The road between Fort Collins and Laramie is so beautiful. We saw huge slanted rock formations that you could tell used to be flat and had at one point been removed from the surface whether by flood or earth quake. Later than night most of Utah and Idaho we traveled roads with snow covered mountains towering on both sides of the road. Under complete cloud cover the moonlight still shone bright, illuminating the deepest of snow filled crevaces while the rocky surfaces hid in plain sight. We pulled into a truck stop around 11pm. and spent the night. Charlize woke up as we moved her to the trailer. She had already had 5 hours so to her it was morning. Ahhhh. We finally convinced her to go to bed at 1:30. I was so exhausted!

In between Ft Collins and Laramie

Hmmm, I would love to have seen how this happened . . .

Our Little Traveler
Idaho Falls, ID



A little fun at the town museum

Next Stop: Fort Collins, CO

Notice anything wierd about the above pic?

Downtown Fort Collins

Yay! We finally have some fun hair!
Enjoying the 60 degree weather on the biggest play ground I've ever seen!

What a nice break the last two days were. We traveled south only an hour and found 60 weather in Fort Collins. What a beautiful little town. Home of Colorado State University there are lots of familiar venues and yet it has a home town feel, quaint down town and beautiful view of the foothills of the rockies.