BIG NEWS!!

On Wednesday Mark and I will celebrate 9 years of marriage. 9 years.  Almost a decade.  I think back to the day before we got married.  We were getting ready to head to the church for the Rehearsal when mother nature had a different plan.  A HUGE storm came through the area.  I mean.....basically a tornado without the tornado.  High winds, crazy rain, hail, etc.  Instead of getting in the car and heading to the church we were headed to the basement to take shelter.  Anyone who knows me well knows I was in panic-mode. Just a few of the thoughts I had:   We aren't going to start on time, dinner will get started late, what if someone can't get there, praying everyone was safe.   The list goes on and on.  Turns out the church had no power, my sister's car was locked in her garage, my future sister-in-law was being pelted by hail, and the restaurant our rehearsal dinner was supposed to be at closed because they were out of power.   Not exactly the start you want to your wedding weekend....

The stress continued the next day as my hair dresser didn't have power for all of us to get our hair done and the church parking lot was a disaster.  But you know what?   It all worked out.  It was a beautiful day with family and friends and we have such wonderful memories to look back on, even if it started off a bit rocky.

By nature I am a planner.  I love lists. (Shopping lists, grocery lists, to-do lists.)  I love checking things off my lists even more than making them. I love schedules and routines, meal plans,lesson plans, and structure.  It's just who I am.  (much to Mark's dismay)  I have decided that it helps me to feel a bit more in control among the chaos of life.  I have, however learned from 8 years of teaching and raising little ones that flexibility has to join the party.  When you have 25 little faces looking at you like you are speaking another language.....you go to plan B. When your kiddo gets sick on vacation or has a melt down in the middle of the store.....you go to plan B.


    In the last 9 years of marriage things have not always gone as we (I)  have "planned".   I have learned that my plans don't always align with God's. We have had to go to plan B more times than I can count.  And you know what?  Plan B usually turns out so much better than we could have ever dreamed.  Mark and I had a major change in our plans very recently.  An amazing job opportunity came up for Mark.  This is his dream job, and a big promotion.  Not only is it a pretty significant pay increase (there may be hope to pay off his student loans after all!),  but Mark will be home every day for dinner.  What??  This is so important to me!  The kids really miss their Dad when he is not here and truly have no time with him 4 days of out of the week.  

   After being offered the position we had some serious things to consider, you see this job means a move.  A move away from the only city either of us have ever known.  A move  away from our family, friends, church, etc.  This was not a decision to be taken lightly.  After much thought, consideration, and prayer Mark accepted the job and the craziness of preparing our house to sell began.  And can I just say....I do not recommend trying to try to sell a house with 3 little ones.  I can't even count how many times in the last 10 days I have been cleaning or Mark has been fixing something and the kids are literally right behind us dumping something on the floor or breaking something else.  What in the world?!

You guys, my "plans"  were to live in this house forever, or until we couldn't get up and down the stairs anymore.  😉  I planned to take the kids' homecoming pictures in the yard out front.  I planned  to see them grow into young adults in this house.  To be here, forever.

When we first decided to make this change I had some serious mixed feelings.  Mostly because I love our house.  I love the memories we have made here.  It is the perfect set up for this phase of our life.  I know it's silly.  It's  house, and I realize that, it just took a little time to digest such a big change.  Now, I feel excited.  We are moving to an amazing small town in Iowa.  The kids are going to grow up in a completely different community than we did.  One is not better than the other, but we are thankful to be able to move out of the city.  Slow down.  Unplug.  Take time each day to enjoy each other and all that God has provided for us.

So as I look back at our 9 years of marriage and almost 15 years together I realize it has been quite the wild ride. There have been so many times that things have not gone as I have planned. It is hard on me at first,. Ht I am learning to walk in faith and trust God's plan for our family.  I am so thankful to have my best friend to share it with. Here is to new adventures...I can't wait to see what is in store for us!

One of our 1st pictures together as high school juniors.

Our most recent picture. Lol!

-Katie-

P.S.   If you know anyone interested in moving to a great house in an awesome neighborhood close to a city pool and park....send them our way.  😀



     

What a 3rd Child has Taught Me

          As I have shared before, Emmett James was a COMPLETE SURPRISE BLESSING.   The story is  funny to me now, but at the time I was in serious shock.  I had felt sick and exhausted for many weeks, but attributed it to the craziness of back to school time and the stress of the passing of my grandmother.  When my pants started not fitting I told Mark I thought I needed to go to a GI doctor because there was definitely something up with my stomach.  The thought of being pregnant was not even on my radar.   It wasn't until I walked through the meat department at the grocery store and nearly lost my lunch that something clicked in my mind.   I remember when I found out I called my sister and the first thing I could think of was...." I am never going to leave the house again."  There were days when I felt completely overwhelmed with the two children we already had. I could not wrap my brain around having another in tow.
         

     

       Emmett has been such a gift to our family and he has taught me so much.  So this blog post is for him as I share how he has helped make me a better Mommy and Wife.  So here are just a few of the things I have learned from having a 3rd kiddo.  

1.  It will never be quiet.   

      It just won't.  Not in the car, not in restaurants, not in stores, not outside.  It's just never quiet.  Also, people will stare.  Some will smile. Some will ask questions, but many will just stare at you in disbelief as you are trying to sing your way through Target.   Oh well.  There are worse things. 

2. As long as everyone has clothes on, matching doesn't matter. 

    I have to admit.  I was one of those Mom's who thought their children should always match.  Shoes to clothes.  Bows to clothes. Shirt to shorts. Two of the SAME sock. Owen's shirt to Nora's dress on Easter, Christmas, etc. You get the idea, right?  Bahaha....all of that has gone out the window.  I am over the moon if Owen and Nora get dressed in the morning on their own!  We do try to pull it together for church on Sunday morning, but other than that....most anything goes. There just is no time to worry about what everyone is wearing. 

3.  It will always be messy.  

      I remember the first "play room" I made for Owen.  Color coded bins with matching labels to put the duplos in one, the cars in another, and animals in yet another.  Again....out the window.  Please....just throw the toys in the giant bin so I don't break my ankle! 

4.  Dinner doesn't taste so bad cold.  

       I truly do try to be organized, especially at meal time.  But 90% of the time Mark is not home for dinner. (or lunch, or breakfast)  The moment I sit down to inhale, I mean eat my food, somebody spills their milk, or needs ketchup, or needs to be convinced that broccoli is delicious. Ha.  But you know what, it's okay.  This is how it is right now and it is okay. Cold food still does that job. 

5.  It doesn't matter.  

      At the end of the day.  It doesn't matter what you got done.  If the house is spotless or looks like a tornado came through.  It doesn't matter if you made the most delicious dinner, or ate macaroni and cheese.  It doesn't matter if Owen made the toilet over flow and broke a fan in the same day.  It doesn't matter that Nora went through 5 outfits and there will be more laundry just because she needed a wardrobe change. (or 5) It doesn't matter that I have mushed banana and cheerios down my pants from my littlest love.  At the end of the day, it doesn't matter.    What counts are  the snuggles when they first wake up.  The stories before bed.  The game of tag in the backyard, hearing the kids shriek as they see Mom getting in on the fun.  

Emmett has taught me to let go.  Matching outfits on Easter Sunday or jammies on Christmas morning don't matter, not to me, not anymore.  Emmett has taught me to enjoy.  To not sweat the small stuff, or even the big stuff.  Emmett has been the biggest blessing to our whole family, but especially to me.  He has taught me that it is okay.  It is okay to have good days and bad days.  It's okay to forget things and for things to not turn out.  Maybe some of you learned this a long time ago, but it has taken me 3 kids and lots of chaos for me to finally let go.  

Thank you EJ.