Jeep Fun

Kimberly & Clara are having tons of fun in a toy Jeep that a sweet lady at our RV Park gave the girls.

Here are a couple videos of Kimberly's driving...

Counting at 23 Weeks

I remember the feeling of incredible relief that I felt when Kimberly was born, full-term (38 weeks) and despite having elevated white blood count, was healthy and not headed for a NICU visit. Amazing how quickly the sharpness of those memories fade into the canvas of life...until you begin the journey again.

Once again, I'm back to counting. Counting the days that we make it further, counting the days that we really need to have left, counting the days without contractions, counting the days until I can deliver in Kalispell... this morning I woke to 23 weeks 4 days. That means 6 weeks 3 days until I can deliver in Kalispell. Ideally at least 12 weeks 3 days until baby arrives.

Basically, we are on the same course that we had with our previous pregnancy... I am effacing way too quickly and that increases the risk of pre-term labor. Thankfully, since we are very aware of this, the doctors, both at home & on the road, are keeping a close eye on the progression. 

Medication, rest, lavender oil, relaxation, positive thinking, please *please* don't say bedrest, lots & lots of water, oh the list goes on. And guess what? The very active little girl who keeps our lives in constant disarray, reminds me everyday that this time of counting is so worth it. 

I'm also reminded of how often life's experiences don't play out exactly the way we would want or expect, but through it all, God is teaching us and leading us on a journey that while unknown to us, is completely planned by Him.

Some pictures of our week:

An Overdue Update

What happened since my last post? 17 weeks of pregnancy! Right around the last post, the usual first trimester yuckies hit me full force and I cleared any unnecessary tasks from my schedule...including but not limited to dishes, cleaning, writing, etc.
Now that I am over half-way to our November 22nd due date, I'm ready to dive back into the blogging world. I have missed writing! I have missed sharing some of our funny adventures! I have missed sharing the cuteness of Miss Kimberly as she is rapidly growing.
A quick summary of the past 4 months... the 6 month project Jason worked on in Las Vegas completed the beginning of May and we were able to go home for a wonderful month of enjoying home & catching up on trailer repairs, house repairs, vehicle repairs, lawn mowing, doctor appointments, taxes, etc. Yes, a month goes by pretty quickly without the "vacation" feeling when your schedule is packed with "catch up" details! However, the weather was lovely, cool, RAINY, and it felt good to be back in small town.
June brought us back to work and we are now in & out depending on doctor appointments for precious baby on the way.

Some photo highlights:

Snuggles with Daddy when he gets home from work. 

Walking baby doll on Easter Sunday while wearing a new hat.

Loving mom's heels.

Transition to a toddler bed in May.

Chocolate pudding... what else is there to say? :)

While attempting to weed the overgrown front flower bed, I looked over & guess what I found!

She reminded me of all of the "houses" we made in my dad's hayfields & wheat fields. I'm sure he was THRILLED having everything knocked down prior to harvest! 

To come? I would like to do a series on "Life in a Travel Trailer" as well as resume sharing our daily adventures of life on the road & at home. Be sure to email me any questions you have about life in a trailer so I can include them in the series!
Have a joyful week!

Gratitude

Do you know that feeling, where you are so exhausted, but yet somehow unable to fall asleep & the only thing still functioning is your thoughts? Last night, that was my experience, and my thoughts began to run rampant. I soon realized that I was upset and bothered by a situation beyond my control… right on the heels of turning another situation that was out of my control over to God and knowing such sweet peace.

Why is it, that after victory, our inclination is to turn our focus to another worry or another perceived injustice in our lives? What happened to the praise that was on our lips such a short time ago?

Luke tells us of when Jesus healed ten lepers. All ten were desperate for a cure when they saw Jesus at a distance, calling out “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” Jesus, had compassion on them and after being cleansed, only ONE MAN returned to Jesus!! It says “One of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving Him thanks.” Luke 17:15,16 ESV

I've always wondered in my heart how the other nine could be so ungrateful after such a life-altering cure. Last night, I realized the state of my own heart. I wrestled with worry & what-ifs last week, driving myself crazy knowing that I should stop the thinking that wasn't helping anything. After praying as well as asking others to pray, I finally knew the peace from God that I was so desperate for. Gratitude filled my heart…for a day, and then I found something else to work myself up over & gone was my thankfulness & in its place was this dark stain of ungratefulness.

I wonder if life just consumed the other nine men? They no doubt were so excited to go see their friends & families after being separated from them due to the leprosy, but imagine… had they gone back to Jesus, they could have taken something so much greater than themselves to share with their family. The man who returned to Jesus heard words that he would never forget, “Rise, and go your way; your faith has made you well.” Luke 17:19 ESV The footnotes add the translation of “your faith has saved you” What a life-transforming moment for that man.

In my ungratefulness, I too am sharing only my sinful self with my family. The time spent in praise & thankfulness to our King is time well spent & time that we can share the benefits of with the ones around us.

Indeed, as I reflect, I am so thankful that the song coming to my thoughts is “It is Well with My Soul”. Praise God, because of Him, it IS well with my soul.

"It is Well with My Soul"

1. When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
   When sorrows like sea billows roll;
   Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
   It is well, it is well, with my soul.
• Refrain:
  It is well, with my soul,
  It is well, it is well, with my soul.
2. Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
   Let this blest assurance control,
   That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
   And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
3. My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
   My sin, not in part but the whole,
   Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
   Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
4. For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
   If Jordan above me shall roll,
   No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life
   Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.
5. But, Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
   The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
   Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!
   Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul!
6. And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
   The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
   The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
   Even so, it is well with my soul.

Horatio G. Spafford, 1873

Springtime Fun

Days seem to go smoother if I keep Kimberly busy with appropriate activities...instead of the ones she likes to tackle, such as taking pens to the furniture, finger painting with yogurt in the living room, or climbing to new heights.

This week we cleaned out a cabinet in the kitchen and I discovered just how many paper bags I had shoved in there! (Yes, I did take my insulated totes to the store today... although insulation against the heat was admittedly my main motivation.) Ripping the paper bags open and coloring on the inside makes for great fun. Kimberly loves stepping on our pictures too... something about the crinkly noise paper bags make.

We often go for walks; Kimberly pushing her stroller & dolly while I push the "back-up" stroller.

Checking out leaves in the grass.

A little grossed out by the leaves in the grass :)

Note the hats on both babies as well as Kimberly's purse hanging on the stroller...just like mommy.

Helping Mommy

Have you read the children's book, We Help Mommy, illustrated by, Eloise Wilkin? The stories she illustrated have stayed in my memory as favorites. (Thankfully, there is a new hardcover collection out that is MUCH cheaper than buying the collectible Golden Book on Amazon)
Anyway, in the book, the two little children sweetly get up in the morning and assist their mother all day long with a short little pause to go play with their friends. As a mother, I do believe this may continue to be a favorite story of mine! :)
As one way to combat some of Kimberly's tantrums, I have started giving her "jobs" to help me with. It is proving to be a great distraction & useful in keeping her occupied since she is at the stage where it is a lot of fun (don't worry, I have no delusions that it will always be this way).
Drying dishes:

First she dried the back.

Then the front.

What a funny expression on her face!!

Time to put it away!

One day last week she finished wiping something off & took the towel to the garbage...such a normal stage for kids, but so funny to watch how serious they are while doing it!

Next lesson... teaching her to fold the towels she is so good at pulling out of the drawer? :)

When the Tantrums Hit

The eyebrows smash together as her eyes begin throwing sparks. Next comes the shrieking and if she is looking for extra impact, she throws her head back as she begins stamping her feet. Somehow she knows that the best tantrums also include throwing yourself on the floor,kicking arms and feet, and much to my horror, she seems to think that she gets bonus points if she crashes her little body into things.

Parents are warned about the "Terrible Twos," but as a new mother, will I survive my daughter at 15 months?

In my mind, I go through the list.... She's been eating all morning, some toast is laying discarded near her... she can't still be hungry. She slept well last night. She has a clean diaper. Her clothes don't look like they are an issue. I'm paying attention to her (or was until now when I am not sure what to do!). She has lots of toy options. I gave her teething oil a little bit ago in case those molars are bugging her again today. She has her favorite snuggly blanket nearby. We are in normal surroundings and we were having a calm, peaceful morning.

It's super easy to be second-guessing what could be causing this behavior, but bottom line is my job is to teach her how to handle anger in healthy ways and I am at a loss!

How do you parent with grace through the long, tantrum speckled toddler days? What has worked for you in dealing with tantrums?

Fearless Mending

There are a number of things that I am very good at procrastinating at. Mending really isn't one of them... at least when it comes to my husband's jeans! You see... I am actually an excellent mender. If by definition an excellent mender means that the specific spot mended will never tear again.

Raspberry Jam for Kimby

It's sometimes the little things from home that make living on the road "homey"... like raspberry jam made from our raspberry bushes.

Great and Special Visitors

It was with great excitement that we welcomed Grandpa & Grandma Jeske into our home away from home the beginning of January.
Thank you for visiting us despite the colds we had!!

Big smiles across the room

Grandpa, you make funny noises!!

Grandma, I can put socks on my hands? This is fun!

Socks or mittens...hmmm.

I like this new game!!

We sure love you Grandpa & Grandma!

Tea in the Fort

When you live in a small space, you often run out of space. To combat that, Kimberly & I create lots of forts and play in the even smaller spaces until it is time to pick up our toys and then it feels like we have a GIANT living area!
The other day, I was a guest in Kimberly's fort. She is a very gracious & entertaining hostess! If ever you receive an invitation to have tea at Kimberly's, I highly recommend leaving the dishes, laundry, dinner, work, etc for this special moment.

Welcome to my fort!

Don't mind the static as you crawl through the door! 

This was the response when I asked if I could have a cup of tea. I had tears in my eyes, my little hostess was so sweet!

Notice that in our tiny forts, we maintain an emergency exit... just in case ! :)

Such hospitality, she shared the last drop of her tea!

This was funny, she randomly fell over backwards laughing the entire time. Silly girl!

"Would you like any more tea?"

"My turn!"

Snack Time

Three and a Half Months?!?

Really? How did so much time go by?! This morning I turned on the computer to find an exciting email... I won a copy of the book Desperate: Hope for the Mom Who Needs to Breathe from Little Writer Momma! Very exciting. The next thought I had was *hand covers head in embarrassment* that I have not updated the blog in so long and SOMEBODY ACTUALLY SAW. *eeeks*
It's not that it hasn't crossed my mind, or been written down on 3 1/2 months of lists... more it is a result of this:

Kimberly took home a scar as a souvenir from Hawaii... not fun, especially as I am terrible when it comes to blood. Note the suitcase mess in the backround. Yes, it was on the last work day there!

Back home.... note the "unfolded" folded towels. 

Peas & Squash... can it get any tastier?!

Happy Birthday to our precious one year old! Cupcakes with frosting, celebrated in the trailer in Las Vegas.

"This is how we paint with yogurt," says a happy Kimberly.

Visiting Grandpa Clarke in Duluth, beginning of December.

Home for the Holidays, a wonderful White Christmas!

Cuteness & Mess. You decide.

Still climbing, in spite of the scar and several bruises. Tough to keep ahead of what she might think of as a great idea!

Oh, mushy love! This is one of my favorite sights, Kimby & Jason snuggled in for a nap.