It’s a…..BOY!

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Wow, baby boy, you sure are loved so much already.  Look at all these people who showed up last night just to see if you were a girl or boy.

You literally had a whole “team” on your side and even those, like your momma, who wore pink wishing for bows and tutus will love you just as much.  They were just trying to support your momma who truly wanted to over rule your poppa and flood him with estrogen.   Maybe next time! 😉

It was so fun having so many of our loved ones around to find out what you would be.  We were hoping to have this little party in our back yard where you will spend time running like a wild man eventually.  However, this summer in Indiana has been nothing but rain and we had another crappy weather day.  I don’t feel nearly as bad for myself and not having our party there as I do all those farmers we love so dearly.

Of course we had a few of our favorite little people who really wanted to help us open the box….Brody and Willow.  You see, they were married the same day we were and thought it was only right.  
At this point I was so nervous about opening this box I truly thought I was going to puke everywhere.  

And then it was time to open!

and OH MY GOODNESS I was definitely shocked when those blue balloons popped out. 
I thought for sure you were a girl!

Check out momma’s face. 
Seriously shocked. 

But so happy!

and I instantly wanted to find that ultrasound pic to see what the tech was so “confident” about!

And then there was the “turtle” they claimed we would see. 
And yup, it looks like a turtle. 

Look at your daddy’s face.  He is so stinkin proud. 
And this one below is where I figure out your cousin, Shailynn, is not so happy about having another boy cousin.  I felt really bad, but there is nothing I could do!

Mommy and Daddy are happy!

 and so are your grandparents! 

Notice how all the grandparents wore blue.  They wanted you pretty badly!
I couldn’t have pulled it all off without a BUNCH of my favorite women and definitely this one, my best friend, for allowing us to backtrack from her clean party barn and make it happen.  She has a little guy too who will probably teach you all the bad things you need to know!

Kynsey’s excited!

The happily married couples!

Here’s a photo of your future wife (inside Melissa’s belly) who should arrive in this great big world about the same time as you.  We’ve already arranged your marriages.  You’re welcome!

Now all I can think about is your nursery and all the little things I want you to have and how I can get ready for your arrival.  20 weeks away!

I can’t stop thinking about watching you and your dad outside in the barn working on things.  I can’t wait to watch him teach you everything he knows….and he knows a LOT about fixing things and building things.  You are truly one lucky little boy to have a dad like him.

I can’t wait to love on you and snuggle you, my very own little boy.  I’m excited to welcome you to this world.

I know that despite the difficulties that come with this last name it’s very important for a family name to be carried on, and you will carry it on well my little man.

There are great big things in this world that are waiting for you and I can’t wait to show you them all.

Love,

Your Truly Fortunate Momma

Happy July!

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July means….
1. Hopefully tons of pool time.  Come on weather. I need you to cooperate. Not just for me but mainly for my farmer family and friends. Enough with the rain and out with the sun. Crops need to dry but grow a bit more and I need a better tan too!


2. We get to find out what the baby is! The tiny party is planned for our immediate family and few friends. We have the box to hide the balloons in and food is all set up! Next Wednesday I will probably be very impatient. In the morning the dr will know BUT we will not know. Then we will take the note to our friend Jennifer at the local flower shop and it will be her job to fill the box with the right color of balloons!  That night we will gather outside and see what this bambino is. I can’t wait! I’m a major planner so I’m totally ready for this next phase of planning…..nursery decor, registry, the works. So exciting! 
3. KTs wedding! Can’t wait for my good friend KT to come home and marry the love of her life…..Ruud. It is going to be a beautiful wedding and so much fun!
4. We are traveling out West to see my bro and sis- in law and glamp at Yellowstone. 8 days out west! We will spend most of our time in Idaho with them but plan to venture off for a couple of days around our 1 year anniversary to glamp in beautiful Yellowstone. I cannot wait to see Mother Nature at its finest. Most of you know I miss, terribly, living in the country. I can’t wait to see what true country life means. The beautiful mountains and amazing wildlife and plants. 
And ONE year?  How has it really already been one year. It seems like yesterday. Sure we’ve had some pretty difficult challenges in this first year but it still doesn’t seem like 12 months has passed! He’s definitely my forever even on the days I slam doors and pout. He knows it’s just the fetus talking. I’ll never be able to tell him how thankful I am for the changes he made for our family. I can’t imagine where we would be without that big step he took. 
Sure it’s no Yellowstone but that cruise to the Bahamas was a grand way to kick off our wedded bliss baby….

And lastly and LEASTLY
I’m not even acknowledging what the end of the month brings. I will NOT get depressed this year about the start of school. Too many exciting things to come in the fall.
At least I’m going to tell myself I won’t get depressed. 
Wish me luck on that. I love my job but I tend to get pretty weepy when I know my extensive time with family and friends is winding down. 
If we could just all live on a compound together that would be great. I’d be a much happier person and my husband probably would go crazy. 
Oh July…..LET’S DO THIS!

16 weeks

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Finding out about this little fetus around 6 weeks and looking back……has it really been 10 weeks since then?

Apparently it has!
Last week we heard the babies heartbeat and our doctor has a hard time keeping up with the babes movement because he or she kept moving around. She called our baby “very active.”  Oh great!
I lost two pounds in between appointments and my husband threw me under the bus and made sure to tell my doc I was eating popcorn for dinner. 
Trust me, I know better but for some reason dinner is my struggle. At this point in the day I am very nauseous and nothing sounds good. The last thing I want to do is cook and even my favorite reputations don’t sound great. Food just doesn’t sound good. Occasionally I could get down some popcorn so I figured that was better than nothing. Apparently not. 
I’m working on the eating part and ice cream and slushies (particular Tuttle’s strawberry) are my cravings most days. 
This heat is brutal and I’m starting to feel pregnant as in overweight and large.  Got myself a little hard pooch (as opposed to my soft one before) and getting up and down our stairs leads me to huffing and puffing.  I need to keep up my love of walking but that’s going to require early mornings or late nights and then consuming even more calories that already don’t sound good. 
My apps and book say 3 different things for this week. The baby is either the size of a dill pickle, lemon, or avocado. I think they relate the baby to foods just to make me feel more nauseous. 
I’m avoiding telling you about the really nasty gross perks of pregnancy.  I save all those for telling my husband. He wrinkles his nose and shakes his head but deep down I know he loves it.  He’s just as gross so who cares. He’s a man!
Just less than a month and we find out what bambino is. Going to keep it a secret all day and take the news to our local florist. We will have her put balloons in a box and have a reveal that night with some family and friends at our house. Can’t wait for that!

Telling the littles

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Hiding our news from the little people in my life has been REALLY hard.  I’ve wanted to tell them but knowing it wasn’t totally “safe” yet kept me from sharing our news.  I also wanted to tell them in a fun way and it was perfect that it fell around the time of our family game night with the Ruttans.

It was hard to find a “game” to tell them but I decided on some good ole fashioned balloon popping. They were actually excited to pop balloons!

Inside each balloon was a word for the final message, “You’re going to be big cousins.”

Check out their reaction here!

I’m so fortunate to have had these 3 in my life and prepare me, somewhat, for what motherhood will be like.  Uncle Mike and Aunt Addie love you all very much and we look forward to you showing our little one the ways of life in the family. 
I love that Brody has named the baby Rosy Flower in hopes it will be a girl. 
I love that Kynsey giggled uncontrollably when I showered her the ultrasound pictures and wanted to know every detail of the gender reveal party. 
I love that Brayden and Kendyl were so excited and even said, “that’s unbelievable!”

All our special little ones are excited to be a part of our little ones life which only means one thing…..this baby is already Fortunate. Already blessed. 
So very fortunate, 

We’ve got big news!

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Mother’s Day has never been that easy since 2001 but today I can’t quite get the smile off of my face.  I’m so excited to tell the world that we’ve been blessed with the gift of becoming parents….in November!

It’s been difficult to “blog” since finding out because it’s hard to talk about anything without blabbing about our great news.

So, let’s start from the beginning.

Since July last year we’ve “tried” to join the parent’s club.  We shared in sadness almost every single month when things just hadn’t quite been in the timing we had hoped.  We heard of others getting pregnant and I shed a few tears because I’m extremely impatient and wanted my moment NOW.

I received gifts of encouragement from friends. Thanks Patti!

I tracked my temperature daily and just about ran out of ovulation tests.  I tried the electronic and cheapy ones.  (fyi….the cheap ones are the way to go)

I waited for those smiley faces.

 I used an app and told my husband exactly when the magic had to happen.  It almost became stressful.

Scratch that, I totally made it stressful.

We prayed.

We prayed a lot.

I cried.

I cried a lot.

And then one weekend we went on a long hike in Brown County and I though, “man I am really out of breath.”  I had taken a test that was negative but still had some early symptoms and kept pushing them aside.

Too many times had I felt like I had the right symptoms and had proven wrong.

Monday of Spring Break rolls around and Mike heads off to work.  I hopped out of bed and decided….what the heck.  May as well try.

Then I was in total bawling, freaking out shock when that little faint line appeared.

So I did what every single girl does.  I told the dog and then panicked that the line wasn’t dark enough so I facetimed my baby making expert friend, Melissa.  Her sweet little boys answered and I screamed, “get mommy!  I think I have something to show her!”  She ran to the screen with makeup all splotched on her face and said “show me now!”  I showed her and she confirmed it.  I was pregnant!   
I wanted to call my husband so bad but I also wanted to tell him in person.  So I told the dog some more.  She seemed to not care one bit. 
That day I ran some errands and picked up a few things.  I might have stopped at Barnes and Nobles to use up some gifts cards…
I also might have stopped at Babies R Us just to look around and buy something for my gift to daddy.  
I sat on the couch nervous and excited and waited for Mike to come home from work.  He sat down and told stories about his day as I listened patiently acting like nothing was up. 
Finally, I told him I had been crafting all day and asked if he wanted to see what I had made.  

It was quite fun to tell my husband he was going to be a daddy.  You can watch below.

His tears were exactly what I needed.  I had wanted to tell him all day long on the phone but I was so glad that I had waited.  
I had always saved the ring box he proposed to me with and used that to put in a pacifier.  

That night (March 16, 2015) we wanted to shout to the world our good news, but I already knew that wasn’t a great idea. 
We’ve waited as long as we can to tell everyone.  We’ve heard our little cherubs heartbeat twice and we continue to pray that this pregnancy is successful.  
The first time we heard the heartbeat we both cried.  It’s just the most incredible feeling to hear that heartbeat and see the little “bean” that is growing inside of you.  
Last week we were able to see the progress and growth of our little one.  I’m still in shock by the change!
My best friend was so kind and gracious to help us get some pictures done for our big announcement.  They turned out wonderful and we did the best we could with a crazy dog!

I promise to get back to regular blogging.  I have so much tell you about the joys of becoming a mother….the nausea, exhaustion, mood swings, and more!  I doubt I’ll hold back much though I’m sure my future children wish I would.  
It’s just too exciting not to tell you it ALL.  
You can thank me later! 
Two more pics I created with ideas from pinterest……  These are things I’ve already learned that I’ll do for baby #1 but probably not ever again, so why not, right? 

AND I received my first ever Mother’s Day present this morning.  I cried.  Maybe it was the hormones or maybe it was because I was so stoked my husband recognized that.  He’s a busy guy right now so it’s so nice to be thought of.  

So incredibly fortunate, 

Weird.

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Ever wake up and immediately try and recall what you ate because your dreams were so bizarre? 

Ever told your husband and he had equally as weird dreams? 
No?
Ok. Maybe just us. 
So last night I got little to no sleep due to some extremely weird dreams. 
They all revolved around my husband leaving the baby. The baby that we don’t have. It was a boy, by the way. He left the baby on the bed. And then of course it rolled off. He left the baby in the car. He left the baby by itself in public. He kept leaving our nonexistent baby everywhere.
What does that even mean? 
My husband’s dreams involved the dog. In his dream he pulled the dog’s paws off. He said it wasn’t bloody, but real disgusting. Since then he’s been adoring Shiloh all day apologizing for having such an awful dream about he removal of her very important paws. 
Are we totally screwed up, or what?
Happy Sunday!

Idiots

/ ashleyeileenp / 1 Comment

Two people come to mind this afternoon when I hear that word 

1. Governor Pence
It’s very disrespectful to say such a harsh word about an elected government official. I get it. I’m a little bit sorry, and a whole lot not sorry. 
The fact that he has made a declaration today to shorten our state testing sounds fabulous. He steps in as a hero and everyone thanks him for taking care of the problem. However, if he thinks I’m a fool to fall for this crap…..he’s crazy. 
I think he had this all planned out. He planned the “swoop in and save” move to get in better graces with the educators crew.  He’s probably even got a shorter test already made and copies ran to smooth the whole deal out. 
You’re not fooling me, sir. 
Idiot. 
2) Kanye West
So many reasons not enough energy to waste on you. 
Mostly it’s that you married that other idiot, Kim. 
Also because you want to believe your opinion in the music industry is the only one that should matter.  Get a clue Kanye, you’re not the Almighty. 
I must say I feel better. 
I apologize for venting. 
Happy Monday y’all. 

Dear Birthday Twin

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 Dear Birthday Twin,

9 years ago when you came into this world I never knew how much I could love someone else who I had to share the same day with.  I know you totally understand that, because…..well…..we are basically one in the same.

Over the years I’ve become more accustomed to sharing our special day together, and quite frankly, I really can’t imagine it any other way now.

Being in the delivery room on the day you were born kept e 
Celebrating at all your birthday parties has always been the best. 
When I’m 90 do you promise to drive me to Olive Garden for the must do birthday dinner?
You’ve always been so fun to dress and play with. 
A true princess no doubt. 
The day your parents left you with me and I decided to try on all your baby bikinis was definitely my favorite…..until you peed all over the chair and I knew I was in trouble.  
Your chubby self just smiled and drooled.  
My partner in crime.  

I’m very grateful your mom has always included me on special days. 
Things like venturing off to a princess tea party all dressed up. 
I’m a very lucky aunt to be a part of all that.  
And because we have the best BEST friends in the world I get to spoil your best friend too. 
She’s like a niece, but not technically, and I love that you’re okay with that.  wink wink 🙂

Then Brody came into your world to throw things out of alignment.  
I love this picture because you were so stinkin excited to have a sibling. 
Some days you might want to reflect back on this pic to remind you how truly adorable and funny he is.  🙂
 You’ve been trying new things like crazy lately, and that’s just another of the million reasons I love you. 
Throwing yourself out there to see what you like. 
Conquering this world one day at a time.  

Our 4-H fun is what makes the summer the best. 
That and those pool days at my house. 
You’re an amazing baker, crafter, and sewer. 
Always remember how incredibly talented you are! 
I haven’t made it out this year, but I will soon….promise. 
I always learn so much about life when it’s just me and you. 
Those are my best days. 
Lunch at your school. 
Lunch or shopping on a Saturday. 
Our best days together are just you and me and our sassy selves.  

My goodness you were cute, right?  

Your eyes just light up a room.
Big and beautiful eyes to sparkle and shine. 

And your attitude. 
Well, it’s like 99% awesome and 1% like me.  
Or, maybe a little more one way or another. 
Either way, your attitude is what makes you YOU. 
It’s what will make you an incredibly strong woman. 
Strong enough to conquer whatever you choose to do in life. 

Your beauty is incredible. 

And your love for Relay and helping the world. 
I know that by next year you will totally be capable of running Relay if you so choose. 
I’m fully ready to pass that down to you as soon as you want. 

Your passion for things that I love always excites me. 

Your goofiness. 
I ask you to pose for a picture. 
You do. 
Then, you ask if it’s going on social media. 
Most likely….yes. 
Because I totally want the world to know I have the most rockin’ niece around!
And lastly…the head flower girl of my dreams. 
You led the pack down that aisle (all but one) with fierceness and beauty. 
You knew your duties and never failed to amaze me. 
You stood by my side as I married my best friend and quickly asked to call him Unkie Mike….or Unkie Bert. 
We would be very blessed to bring a baby into this world with a cousin like you. 
No, we would be EXTREMELY blessed. 
I know you’ll take care of my own like they were your siblings. 
You see….we are just incredibly lucky that YOU were born 9 years ago.  

To end, I want you to know that I hope that 20 or 30 or 50 years from now you choose me to spend just a little of your day with.  Because quite frankly, there is no better gift than to spend time with you on this day.  
Love, 
Your Favorite Aunt Addie

A little push

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Lately I’ve been getting these crazy signs from God and I must tell you about it.

Back on January 1st I decided that adding a little of God’s word and a devotional to my daily routine probably wouldn’t be a bad thing.  Now, I’m far from a Holy roller…..but a little dose of His word in anyone’s life can only do some good.  
I couldn’t decide between two devotionals, Jesus Calling and 5 Love Language Daily Devotional. I haven’t even read the 5 Love Language book.  I’ve purchased it….but haven’t read it.  
I decided I would start reading both and if it proved to be too much I’d set one aside for next year.  
Let me tell you, so far, I get something from both of these devotionals every single day.  Sometimes it’s even a little freaky and I kind of think.  Ok God….I get it. You’re here.  
At the beginning of the year I also decided to join the SSMT and choose two verses a month to memorize.  My first verse in January was Philippians 4:6 (NIV) “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”  (It’s so cool I can type that without looking it up.)
I chose that verse because I’ve been struggling with my patience and anxiety about a certain step in life that everyone’s expecting us to take.  I’m totally ready, but I’m starting to tire of waiting for this next step.  Every time I found myself getting upset or anxious that it wasn’t part of His plan yet, I read that verse over and over. 
Would you believe me if I told you it was even one of the verses in both of my devotionals?  What are the chances of that? 
Craziness.  
God’s craziness.  
On the 15th it was time to choose a new verse.  Back on the 1st I couldn’t decide between Philippians 4:6 and Jeremiah 29:11.  So, of course, I decided Jeremiah 29:11 would be my second verse to memorize.  This is a more common verse, and I’m excited to actually have it memorized so I can repeat it to myself often.  “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

This morning I opened up my Jesus Calling devotional and what do you know…..there is Jeremiah 29:11 staring me in the face.  And today’s devotional was all about recognizing who is really boss.  Not me….nope.  Him!  I like to be bossy, not going to lie.  Just another reminder of the fact that I need to quit trying to figure out what is happening and just let it happen.  
It’s really crazy how life works sometimes.  
It’s when you’re just at that low point and you need a little push back up. 

Reflections and Resolutions

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Back on January 1st of 2014 I vowed to make these my goals….

A bad habit I’m going to break: leaving my straight iron on
didn’t totally happen but I did purchase one that turns off automatically!  score!

A new skill I’d like to learn: quilting…something very simple
nope…didn’t accomplish because my sewing machine broke.  Currently searching for a replacement

A person I hope to be more like: Pioneer Woman
I did try many new meals (a lot of hers) so we shall call this one a success – However tonight I tried her corned beef and cabbage and it was a major FAIL.  Never again.  I also think my nose is absolutely ruined from the smell.  

A good deed I’m going to do: serve at a women’s shelter or soup kitchen
Did not accomplish….fail

A place I’d like to visit: Idaho
Our next vacation…for sure!  Hopefully summer. 

A book I’d like to read: the Bible
read more this year than the year before!

A letter I’m going to write: to my friend Lauren R
communicated a little but no official letter…..fail

A new food I’d like to try: some Asian cuisine besides chicken fried rice
success

I’m going to do better at: communicating to my loved ones
I think success….some may disagree

So as the year 2015 begins I’d like to tell you about a few things I plan to work on.  Some people call these resolutions….these are just my HOPES.  I feel like the word “hopes” is a bit more realistic.

My 2015 hopes and plans….

1) I’ve joined the SSMT (Siesta Scripture Memory Team) thanks to my friend Jeffer’s invite.  The idea is that I will be memorizing 24 verses of scripture in the next 12 months.  I’m pretty psyched because this will get me reading the bible more, talking to God more, and using His word to guide me and calm me down a bit.  I’ve decided to start with Philippians 4:6 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”  (NIV)

I chose this particular verse because I’ve been having anxiety and worry about our next step in life….children.  It’s not happened quite as quickly as I would have liked.  So through reading this and memorizing it I plan to work on not being anxious and presenting my requests to God through praying just a little more often….especially when I get anxious.

You can find out more about the SSMT by clicking here   It’s through Living Proof Ministries and one of my favorite gals to listen to and get inspiration and guidance from….Beth Moore.  

2)  Less junk food and sticking to the NO’s on my grocery list.  I always keep my grocery list as a “note” on my phone.  I’ve added some no’s to that list….such as Pepsi.  I may treat myself to the occasional pop but I’m no longer going to keep it in the house.  No more buying that Kettle corn popcorn Smartpop I love so much.  There is nothing “smart” about that stuff when you can consume an entire bag, by yourself, in one sitting.  No more purchasing chocolate….my students already know it’s my weakness and they provide me with enough in gifts.  I swear I have enough chocolate from their Christmas presents to last me until next Christmas.  I’m not buying it anymore! I’d like to also say no more ice cream….but saying no just seems silly  How about less?

3) Workout 4 days a week.  Lately I’ve been squeezing in 1…maybe 2 days.  Which is such a waste of my gym membership.  I always tell myself I’m too busy, but I know I feel better after I get there…even if it’s for only half an hour.  In that half an hour I can get 2-3 miles wogged and feel better and maybe…just maybe…eventually look better.

4) No credit cards.  I’ve cut up a few and I’m going to focus on paying them off in 2015.  Then, I’ve kept 2 for those just in case emergencies.  BUT I’m going to keep them somewhere NOT near my purse so they aren’t that easy to use.

5) A cleaner mouth.  We discussed this at Christmas Eve.  If we’re going to try and bring a child into this world we have a lot to work on…..one thing being a cleaner mouth.  Sure they don’t understand it when they are first born but my goodness we will have a child destined for the principal’s office if we don’t clean it up!  We never mean harm by the things we say, and usually they are said with laughter….but still.  Time to clean it up.

6)  Less DVR and more books.  Just today I deleted a bunch of Intervention episodes and other crud.  I always have something on the DVR to watch.  Sometimes I just play in the background to have noise.  Most of it is junk.  I’ll never let my Real Housewives go…..but there are many things I can do without.  And with less DVR I can read this huge stack of books I’ve bought and been craving.  Then, I can spend all my Barnes and Nobles gift cards from my totally rad students and read even MORE!

7)  Last but most importantly…..never forget to date my husband.  The love of my life, my lifetime partner, and very best friend.  We were engaged last Valentine’s Day and married in July and then life threw us for a bit of a loop.  I got so wrapped up in planning a wedding and then we had to focus on some major life changes…and I think we’ve just totally forgotten how to date.  I’ve forgotten how to get all sexy and stuff for him and would much rather throw on a hoodie and go to dinner.  Fact is….he needs to date me….and I need to date him.  We’re still young (kind of) and without children we really should take advantage of all that life has to offer….including special date nights.  It doesn’t have to be a fancy restaurant or something mega expensive, but I should still look my best for him because he always does for me.  We have an entire jar of date ideas that my wonderful family and friends gave us at the awesome bridal shower.  We haven’t even picked one.  I think we need to get on that….pronto.    And maybe….just maybe….if we date enough then my hope for a little one will also work!

I love this man and I certainly hope that 2015 only gets better.  I’ll stand by his side no matter what curves that life may bring us.  It’s hard to even imagine that 2015 could top 2014 when I married the man of my dreams….but I’m hoping it will!

p.s. – I’m typing this on my new laptop the hubs got me for Christmas and it is FABULOUS!!!