As usual change is upon us. I am starting to become a little better at adapting to it, but it still wrings me around the neck a few times. We found out recently that Joseph will be deploying this summer, and while we knew it would happen eventually, we really hoped it wouldn't happen quite so soon. We are in an interesting time warp right now, watching each day pass by knowing it brings us closer to the dreaded departure, all while trying to hold on tight to every moment, every smile, tear and hiccup, not letting anything slip through the cracks. Its hard knowing that when he come's home Conner will be closer to five then four, Brooks closer to three and Emmalynn will be in the 9 month range. That's a lot of growing and changing! So for now we cherish the time we have and prepare for a lot of change the best way we know how.





The last picture just cracks me up. Conner and Brooks spend most of the day taking turns holding Emmalynn, and sometimes little sister just doesn't want to be held...

Two weeks

Its been busy busy busy around here!` Little girl is growing up to fast already in my opinion and of course the boys have seemed to age tremendously since her arrival :( We are all doing great and I hope to soon find the time to update more regularly, but for now I am going to try to be good about at least posting pictures!

One week old

Words will have to come later, but we are loving our sweet new girl!

Emmalynn Grace!

Emmalynn Grace has arrived! She was born Tuesday night, 8 lbs 2 oz and a whopping 22 inches long. She is my first non-intervention birth (no drugs what so ever) and man was is powerful and awe inspiring! (and painful! haha) We are all incredibly smitten with her (well except Brooksie, but that takes time).

Celebrating 60 years

This past weekend Joseph and I had the opportunity to leave the boys behind and drive up the coast to celebrate my mother's parents 60th wedding anniversary. It was a beautiful immediate family gathering that spoke of the many wonderful years my grandparents have spent together. It was slightly emotional celebrating this big event with out their oldest daughter Christi, but our family is growing despite its loss and there is definitely something in that to celebrate. For the past four years Joseph and I have been the sole provider of great grandchildren, but this year brings not only Emmalynn into our family. My cousin Nicole and her husband Paul just had their first son, Jacob, three weeks ago (at a whopping 4.5 pounds too!), and Christi's son Justin and his wife Rachel announced that they are expecting as well. I am so excited for all this new life to join our family!
We had such a fabulous time! We stayed in a little cottage off of the club that my grandparents have been member's of for over 30 years. It felt just like when I was younger and we would go on family vacations together, except this time I was one of the adults (hard to believe we are all adults now) and got to see parts of my family that I knew existed, yet had never been a part of. It was so much fun being a kid in this family, but being an adult has its perks as well.

Since I am almost 34 weeks I did not get to participate with the wine enthusiast, but it was a blast to recount family memories, both hilarious and sad, and to get the opportunity to just sit with family without little ones underfoot (although I could not wait to get home to them!).

As a side note, can anyone else see the resemblance I have to my mother in the last two pictures? As I get older I am looking more and more like her, which is wonderful since after 26 years, the "she's your daughter?!" statements were getting a little old :)

A Brothers Love

Not much needs to be said with this photo, don't you agree?

Quick Wordless Wednesday before its Thursday

Side note: I finally got some sterling silver in my hot little hands and have been having so much fun !Of course I forgot to take a picture of my most recent one before handing it over to its new owner though :sigh: (it was beautiful if I do say so myself)