Last I wrote we were heading to the hospital the next morning to meet our daughter. Mike and I were told to arrive at 8:00 am, which we did and then we were told to wait, which we also did. And we waited. We were called to the OR at 4:35 pm and made it all the way to the doors and were turned back to the room to wait some more as there was an emergency c-section that needed to be done before mine. I definitely was not urgent just very hungry as I had not eaten since the night before at 10 pm. When we were finally called to the OR for the second time it was 8:10 pm as we waited to be wheeled in. What a long day, now for surgery.
Everything went much more smoothly than my c-section with Harrison as far as the spinal and surgery "experience". I was calm and knew what to expect and the anesthesiologist was amazing. The only pain I felt was the initial local anesthetic and even that wasn't bad. The surgery was quick and so was the recovery. There were even some girls that I knew from high school that were the nurses, so I was able to visit and catch up as the feeling came back to my legs.
Heidi (noble) Joelle (God will be willing) arrived into our lives at 8:42 pm weighing a whopping 9 lbs 3 oz and is 21 5/8" long! What a big girl!! She is absolutely beautiful and perfect, I can't take my eyes off of her. She looked just like Harrison when they first showed her to Mike and I, I thought I was having deja vu on the operating table. There are definitlely things about her that are unique though. Her eyes are a much lighter blue than his were and she has light hair! Those were both surprises for us, so we'll see how her eyes and hair end up changing in a few months.
I'll have to write more in a bit as my mother duties are calling, and I gladly go!!
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Our Last Day
Wow! It is so hard to believe that today was our last day as a family of three! I really wanted to spend the day with Harrison, sledding or doing whatever makes him happy these days but unfortunately he has not been feeling well and did not feel like doing much today, so we hung out inside and tried to just enjoy the day together.
Over the last week I have been having various levels of anxiety about naming the baby Audrey. I think the name is beautiful and I like the meaning (noble strength) but I just didn't LOVE IT, you know? I have since been reassured by several moms that this is something normal to experience. I didn't think it was "normal" because with Harrison I was sure from the day we decided and never wavered. This was new to me and has been the cause of many sleepless nights this week. Mike and I have now decided on a "new" baby name but are going to wait to meet her tomorrow before making the big announcement. Stay posted for an update soon!
Christmas Eve and Christmas day were wonderful for us. Harrison definitely has the knack of opening gifts now. Last year it was fun to help him and watch his reactions but this year it was hard to keep him out of the gifts that weren't for him - he wanted to help everyone else! My what a difference a year makes!
I am so excited to meet our daughter tomorrow, I know it's going to be hard to sleep tonight! I've loaded up on the sleepytime tea, so I hope that helps. We head into the hospital at 8 am tomorrow morning, but since the OR is not officially "open" we may be waiting around as any emergencies will obviously take priority, as they are running on fewer staff than normal due to the holidays. My brother and his wife are going to be there in the morning with us and my parents will come visit later in the day as we are only allowed 2 visitors at a time because of the H1N1 risk. Also, sadly Harrison cannot come to the hospital at all because of the H1N1. This is sad for me because I know I'll miss him terribly. He'll also have to wait until Wednesday or Thursday to meet his baby sister for the first time. I understand why, but it is still sad for us.
So will she look like me or Mike? Will she have a head full of hair? I made her a cute (not-so-little) headband with a large white daisy on it, can't wait to share our photos! I pray your holidays are going wonderfully for you and your families. Can't wait to start off our new year with another bundle of joy!
Much love,
The Burnetts
Over the last week I have been having various levels of anxiety about naming the baby Audrey. I think the name is beautiful and I like the meaning (noble strength) but I just didn't LOVE IT, you know? I have since been reassured by several moms that this is something normal to experience. I didn't think it was "normal" because with Harrison I was sure from the day we decided and never wavered. This was new to me and has been the cause of many sleepless nights this week. Mike and I have now decided on a "new" baby name but are going to wait to meet her tomorrow before making the big announcement. Stay posted for an update soon!
Christmas Eve and Christmas day were wonderful for us. Harrison definitely has the knack of opening gifts now. Last year it was fun to help him and watch his reactions but this year it was hard to keep him out of the gifts that weren't for him - he wanted to help everyone else! My what a difference a year makes!
I am so excited to meet our daughter tomorrow, I know it's going to be hard to sleep tonight! I've loaded up on the sleepytime tea, so I hope that helps. We head into the hospital at 8 am tomorrow morning, but since the OR is not officially "open" we may be waiting around as any emergencies will obviously take priority, as they are running on fewer staff than normal due to the holidays. My brother and his wife are going to be there in the morning with us and my parents will come visit later in the day as we are only allowed 2 visitors at a time because of the H1N1 risk. Also, sadly Harrison cannot come to the hospital at all because of the H1N1. This is sad for me because I know I'll miss him terribly. He'll also have to wait until Wednesday or Thursday to meet his baby sister for the first time. I understand why, but it is still sad for us.
So will she look like me or Mike? Will she have a head full of hair? I made her a cute (not-so-little) headband with a large white daisy on it, can't wait to share our photos! I pray your holidays are going wonderfully for you and your families. Can't wait to start off our new year with another bundle of joy!
Much love,
The Burnetts
Monday, December 21, 2009
False Labor and Numb Hips
Well, only 1 weeksleft to go now until our little family becomes a family of 4! To the heartburn/indigestion I'll add false labor and numb hips to the joys of pregnancy I've been experiencing as of late.
Saturday night I started having contractions around 5:30 pm and I wasn't sure if they were contractions, real or falsies, or what was actually happening. They came on stronger the second round at about 7:45 pm or so, this time shooting across my lower back and radiating into the rest of my pelvis. Pure bliss, let me tell ya! After groaning on the couch for a bit I decided to call one of my best friends since I would consider her a pro at childbirth, having 4 kids herself and assisting many other friends with home deliveries. We talked about what I was experiencing and from what I could tell her she figured I was either in false labor, or early labor. Her advice to me was to start walking as much as I can if I wanted to have the baby. Laughing a little, thinking "I live on a farm, where am I going to walk?" I bundled up in my boots and jacket and headed outside to the farm yard. I walked for about 20 minutes until my legs were a little too chilly to keep going and nothing else was happening. I had a less intense contraction around 10 pm, and that's when I figured that the baby was in no hurry to arrive tonight and that I should try to get some sleep, just in case things progressed later on.
I had 2 more contractions coming nearly exactly 2 hours apart at 12 am and 2 am but after that they stopped. Surprise, surprise, no baby yet, just "false" labor. I don't know what's so false about it, the discomfort is real enough for me!
If sleep isn't already hard enough to come by, no my left hip is completely numb. I try to rub it, or have Mike rub my lower back to see if the feeling will come back but it won't. I am hoping this is sciatia and that it will return to normal after I have the baby because it sure is inconvenient to say the least.
I am praying that either labor will come again and Audrey will arrive before Christmas or that there will not be any labor and we will just walk into the hospital on our scheduled delivery date and have the baby then. Only one more week of waiting...
These days my thoughts are drifiting more towards wondering what Audrey will look like. Will she have lots of hair like Harrison did and look more like Daddy? or will she be bald and fair haired like Mommy when she was a baby? How much will she weigh since Harrison was a whopping 9lbs 12 oz (but I had gestational diabetes with him, not with her). What color will her eyes be? Will they be anything alike in personalities or complete opposites? Will she eat well, will she sleep well? Will breast feeding be easier the second time around? Will my recovery be quicker this time? I'll finally be able to sleep on my tummy again (insert happy dance here!!)
I am also more anxious than last time to be able to start exercising and walking again, once my c-section is healed enough. I've definitely had enough of this pregnancy weight literally hanging around. It makes me a little sad about not being in Texas over the winter since we can walk outside without jackets, mitts and boots, enjoying the fresh air. I am having a hard time adjusting being back in Alberta in that way for sure. Thank goodness Mom & Dad have a treadmill so at least indoor exercise is feasible.
I keep counting down to the baby's arrival and I have been forgetting all about Christmas! Christmas Eve used to be such a big deal for our extended family - a time when I knew I was going to see all my cousins at my Grandma's house, eating amazing Hungarian food, and stay up late so we could open one present on Christmas Eve. I am excited for the new traditions that we'll be able to create with our own little family and with my brother's children when that time comes. This year will be quiet and that's ok. Different, but still ok. I hope all that are reading have a wonderful time with friends and family this holiday season. It is my prayer that you take time to remember the real meaning of Christ-mas, the arrival of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ.
Blessing to you and yours!!
The Burnetts
Saturday night I started having contractions around 5:30 pm and I wasn't sure if they were contractions, real or falsies, or what was actually happening. They came on stronger the second round at about 7:45 pm or so, this time shooting across my lower back and radiating into the rest of my pelvis. Pure bliss, let me tell ya! After groaning on the couch for a bit I decided to call one of my best friends since I would consider her a pro at childbirth, having 4 kids herself and assisting many other friends with home deliveries. We talked about what I was experiencing and from what I could tell her she figured I was either in false labor, or early labor. Her advice to me was to start walking as much as I can if I wanted to have the baby. Laughing a little, thinking "I live on a farm, where am I going to walk?" I bundled up in my boots and jacket and headed outside to the farm yard. I walked for about 20 minutes until my legs were a little too chilly to keep going and nothing else was happening. I had a less intense contraction around 10 pm, and that's when I figured that the baby was in no hurry to arrive tonight and that I should try to get some sleep, just in case things progressed later on.
I had 2 more contractions coming nearly exactly 2 hours apart at 12 am and 2 am but after that they stopped. Surprise, surprise, no baby yet, just "false" labor. I don't know what's so false about it, the discomfort is real enough for me!
If sleep isn't already hard enough to come by, no my left hip is completely numb. I try to rub it, or have Mike rub my lower back to see if the feeling will come back but it won't. I am hoping this is sciatia and that it will return to normal after I have the baby because it sure is inconvenient to say the least.
I am praying that either labor will come again and Audrey will arrive before Christmas or that there will not be any labor and we will just walk into the hospital on our scheduled delivery date and have the baby then. Only one more week of waiting...
These days my thoughts are drifiting more towards wondering what Audrey will look like. Will she have lots of hair like Harrison did and look more like Daddy? or will she be bald and fair haired like Mommy when she was a baby? How much will she weigh since Harrison was a whopping 9lbs 12 oz (but I had gestational diabetes with him, not with her). What color will her eyes be? Will they be anything alike in personalities or complete opposites? Will she eat well, will she sleep well? Will breast feeding be easier the second time around? Will my recovery be quicker this time? I'll finally be able to sleep on my tummy again (insert happy dance here!!)
I am also more anxious than last time to be able to start exercising and walking again, once my c-section is healed enough. I've definitely had enough of this pregnancy weight literally hanging around. It makes me a little sad about not being in Texas over the winter since we can walk outside without jackets, mitts and boots, enjoying the fresh air. I am having a hard time adjusting being back in Alberta in that way for sure. Thank goodness Mom & Dad have a treadmill so at least indoor exercise is feasible.
I keep counting down to the baby's arrival and I have been forgetting all about Christmas! Christmas Eve used to be such a big deal for our extended family - a time when I knew I was going to see all my cousins at my Grandma's house, eating amazing Hungarian food, and stay up late so we could open one present on Christmas Eve. I am excited for the new traditions that we'll be able to create with our own little family and with my brother's children when that time comes. This year will be quiet and that's ok. Different, but still ok. I hope all that are reading have a wonderful time with friends and family this holiday season. It is my prayer that you take time to remember the real meaning of Christ-mas, the arrival of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ.
Blessing to you and yours!!
The Burnetts
Friday, December 18, 2009
One week 'til Christmas
For me it's hard to believe that Christmas is right around the corner, yet I will be the first to usher in a New Year for sure! Bring on 2010 and all it's blessings! This week has been encouraging as we are another week closer to welcoming Audrey into our family, and another week closer for me to not be pregnant anymore. It really feels like it's been more than 9 months. I find that there are 2 types of women - those with perfectly round baby bellies, no stretch marks and not a pregnancy complaint in the world - and the rest of us! I am definitely not one of those women and as much as experiencing pregnancy is a miracle I am ready to move on to the next step, mothering 2 babies!
When I ask Harrison where his baby sister is he'll lift my shirt and pat my tummy and give her a big licky kiss. It really is sweet. I hope that he is as sweet and receptive with her when she is outside the tummy. He is also learning to identify Santa Claus everywhere. Pictures, wrapping paper, you name it. Very cute!
Today the temperature is above 0C for the third day in a row, so we are going to bundle up and head outside and make some snowmen before the weather turns cold again tomorrow. I think I'll pull him around the yard in his sled and then we'll make a little family of snowmen. Sounds fun!
This week Mike received some great leads for jobs here in Alberta that are starting ASAP, so please continue to pray for his work and the Lord's provision for our family.
With love,
Jenn
When I ask Harrison where his baby sister is he'll lift my shirt and pat my tummy and give her a big licky kiss. It really is sweet. I hope that he is as sweet and receptive with her when she is outside the tummy. He is also learning to identify Santa Claus everywhere. Pictures, wrapping paper, you name it. Very cute!
Today the temperature is above 0C for the third day in a row, so we are going to bundle up and head outside and make some snowmen before the weather turns cold again tomorrow. I think I'll pull him around the yard in his sled and then we'll make a little family of snowmen. Sounds fun!
This week Mike received some great leads for jobs here in Alberta that are starting ASAP, so please continue to pray for his work and the Lord's provision for our family.
With love,
Jenn
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Very Early Morning
Today I have discovered it is very hard to find something to do at 2:15 in the morning that won't disturb everyone else in the household. I have been wide awake all morning and the internet is the only quiet option that seems to be helping me cope. Only 13 more days until all my time will be filled with middle of the night feedings, but until then what's a girl to do?
I have caught up on blogs that I follow, definitely enjoying reading about other peoples lives in warmer places while our temperatures plument below -20C or worse. It is supposed to "warm up" this week, maybe the snow will melt briefly but I'm not going to hold my breath.
Today I have my second last appointment with Dr. Browne before the big day. I'll see him again next week before my pre-op appointment at the hospital on Christmas Eve. Such a strange time of year to be having a baby - if we could have planned around it, we would have! I know that as parents it has crossed my mind how hard it will be to make sure that Audrey has a special birthday each year that isn't over crowded with Christmas and New Years celebrations. A new parenting challenge indeed!
Please (continue) praying for us as Mike has yet to secure work here or elsewhere. At this point desperation is setting in a little bit and we are willing to go wherever we have to to be able to provide for our family. I will most likely be returning to work in some capacity, so please pray that my former employer will re-hire me in their Lethbridge office so that I can be close to my immediate family. Please also pray for Mike to receive a job offer come January.
Well, I think I am going to sneek back into the bedroom and try to get some shut eye before Harrison sings we awake with his sweet chanting of "mama, mama" in about 3 hours time. Sweet dreams!
I have caught up on blogs that I follow, definitely enjoying reading about other peoples lives in warmer places while our temperatures plument below -20C or worse. It is supposed to "warm up" this week, maybe the snow will melt briefly but I'm not going to hold my breath.
Today I have my second last appointment with Dr. Browne before the big day. I'll see him again next week before my pre-op appointment at the hospital on Christmas Eve. Such a strange time of year to be having a baby - if we could have planned around it, we would have! I know that as parents it has crossed my mind how hard it will be to make sure that Audrey has a special birthday each year that isn't over crowded with Christmas and New Years celebrations. A new parenting challenge indeed!
Please (continue) praying for us as Mike has yet to secure work here or elsewhere. At this point desperation is setting in a little bit and we are willing to go wherever we have to to be able to provide for our family. I will most likely be returning to work in some capacity, so please pray that my former employer will re-hire me in their Lethbridge office so that I can be close to my immediate family. Please also pray for Mike to receive a job offer come January.
Well, I think I am going to sneek back into the bedroom and try to get some shut eye before Harrison sings we awake with his sweet chanting of "mama, mama" in about 3 hours time. Sweet dreams!
Friday, December 11, 2009
New to Digital Scrapbooking
Hey! Here are some of the recent layouts that I've been working on. I am new to digital scrapbooking so I would love some feedback. Thanks for viewing!
Melting Moments, Toffee Bars and Butter Tarts
Sorry it's been over a week since I've last taken the time to update our blog. Maybe nobody noticed?? Both Mike and I really enjoy sharing our lives with our friends and family through this blog and we really enjoy the comments that you leave for us, whether they are just to say hi, some funny commentary, or encouragement. Thanks for reading and for supporting us!!
Only 17 more days left... no, not until Christmas, until our darling daughter arrives! The nesting urge has kicked itself into high gear making me want to wash, sort, clean, and organize everything I can get my hands on. This is not always possible/easy since we are not even living in our own house a the moment. I need to learn that some things are just off limits. I am sure it is driving Michael mad because he can't even put his dirty clothes on the floor for 5 seconds before I am rushing around scooping them up and putting them in the laundry basket. I am so grateful for his patience during my crazy pregnancy stages. Some days it's like I don't even know myself. I can't imagine what my husband thinks/feels!! Thankfully this too shall pass, like the terrible year that we've somehow managed to survive. Oh how we are looking forward to blessings and change in 2010!
I saw the wonderful Dr. Browne yesterday for our weekly appointment and he said everything is looking just fine with Audrey, nothing out of the ordinary to report. On Tuesday I was a bit concerned because I didn't feel her move all day long. I tried drinking a cup of juice, laying down, massaging my tummy and nothing could coax her to give me a little nudge or kick just to let me know she was ok. Finally as I laid down for the night she moved a little bit and I was able to rest knowing she was going to be ok. I went through the same thing with Harrison and actually went to the hospital to get checked out. I am learning that it is fairly common at the end of the pregnancy not to feel them moving as much because they are sleeping more and preparing for the big day and they are just simply out of room to move. Nevertheless, I am very glad that Audrey was back to her semi-active self the next morning.
I forget which morning it was this week, but when Mike, Harrison and I made our way upstairs the temperature was about -35C and the windchill being reported on the radio was -50!! Those are the days you don't even consider going outside. I was just praying our Xterra would be able to start when we needed it to. Yeesh! So much for a "mild" winter in Alberta.
Since we are living on a very tight budget (essential purchases only), my baking this year had to be limited to 2 or 3 selections. As you can tell from the title of this entry I chose to make Melting Moments, which are a cookie that apparently melts in your mouth, Toffee Bars and traditional Butter Tarts. I am hoping to get them done today and I am sure that Harrison will have fun helping Mommy mess up the kitchen.
Let's see, what else is new this week... Some time ago I purchased Photoshop Elements v7 (along with some intensive help books) so that I could learn how to scrapbook digitally. Of course I procrastinated on jumping in and tackling the huge learning curve. Well, now since all my traditional scrapbooking supplies had to stay behind in Texas - until further notice - I've been wanting to scrapbook but didn't have anything to work with, except the new software. I spent a few days downloading tons of freebies from great sites like www.twopeasinabucket.com, and www.designerdigitals.com, organizing my photos and files and then I finally did it. I watched a couple video tutorials and jumped into my first layout. Wouldn't you know it, I LOVE IT!! I love it so much in fact that I don't think that I will scrapbook traditionally anymore. The cost is way less, it is faster, easier and more fun/less stress. You virtually can't make a mistake with digital layouts, everything is reusable, resizeable, repositionable, and you can change the color of everything!! WOW! I know it has been around for years but I am new convert and definitely a HUGE fan! I will post some of my new layouts soon.
I think that is enough for today or else I may not have anything to write about for another week!
Happy Holidays,
The Burnetts
Only 17 more days left... no, not until Christmas, until our darling daughter arrives! The nesting urge has kicked itself into high gear making me want to wash, sort, clean, and organize everything I can get my hands on. This is not always possible/easy since we are not even living in our own house a the moment. I need to learn that some things are just off limits. I am sure it is driving Michael mad because he can't even put his dirty clothes on the floor for 5 seconds before I am rushing around scooping them up and putting them in the laundry basket. I am so grateful for his patience during my crazy pregnancy stages. Some days it's like I don't even know myself. I can't imagine what my husband thinks/feels!! Thankfully this too shall pass, like the terrible year that we've somehow managed to survive. Oh how we are looking forward to blessings and change in 2010!
I saw the wonderful Dr. Browne yesterday for our weekly appointment and he said everything is looking just fine with Audrey, nothing out of the ordinary to report. On Tuesday I was a bit concerned because I didn't feel her move all day long. I tried drinking a cup of juice, laying down, massaging my tummy and nothing could coax her to give me a little nudge or kick just to let me know she was ok. Finally as I laid down for the night she moved a little bit and I was able to rest knowing she was going to be ok. I went through the same thing with Harrison and actually went to the hospital to get checked out. I am learning that it is fairly common at the end of the pregnancy not to feel them moving as much because they are sleeping more and preparing for the big day and they are just simply out of room to move. Nevertheless, I am very glad that Audrey was back to her semi-active self the next morning.
I forget which morning it was this week, but when Mike, Harrison and I made our way upstairs the temperature was about -35C and the windchill being reported on the radio was -50!! Those are the days you don't even consider going outside. I was just praying our Xterra would be able to start when we needed it to. Yeesh! So much for a "mild" winter in Alberta.
Since we are living on a very tight budget (essential purchases only), my baking this year had to be limited to 2 or 3 selections. As you can tell from the title of this entry I chose to make Melting Moments, which are a cookie that apparently melts in your mouth, Toffee Bars and traditional Butter Tarts. I am hoping to get them done today and I am sure that Harrison will have fun helping Mommy mess up the kitchen.
Let's see, what else is new this week... Some time ago I purchased Photoshop Elements v7 (along with some intensive help books) so that I could learn how to scrapbook digitally. Of course I procrastinated on jumping in and tackling the huge learning curve. Well, now since all my traditional scrapbooking supplies had to stay behind in Texas - until further notice - I've been wanting to scrapbook but didn't have anything to work with, except the new software. I spent a few days downloading tons of freebies from great sites like www.twopeasinabucket.com, and www.designerdigitals.com, organizing my photos and files and then I finally did it. I watched a couple video tutorials and jumped into my first layout. Wouldn't you know it, I LOVE IT!! I love it so much in fact that I don't think that I will scrapbook traditionally anymore. The cost is way less, it is faster, easier and more fun/less stress. You virtually can't make a mistake with digital layouts, everything is reusable, resizeable, repositionable, and you can change the color of everything!! WOW! I know it has been around for years but I am new convert and definitely a HUGE fan! I will post some of my new layouts soon.
I think that is enough for today or else I may not have anything to write about for another week!
Happy Holidays,
The Burnetts
Friday, December 4, 2009
24 days and counting!
I had a really great doctors appointment on Thursday, I finally had the chance to meet the doctor who is going to do my c-section for Audrey. Dr. Browne is very personable man, he was raised in Britian and studied in Saskatchewan. He really took the time to talk with me about my situation, my concerns, etc. After discussing the pregnancy with me he decided to set the delivery date for Monday, December 28th. I will find out the exact surgery time in a couple weeks but I am so excited to have a date! YAY!
I mentioned that we were going to take Harrison for his first snow sled ride a couple days ago. After bundling him up nice and warm we strapped him into his new sled and off we went! Mike towed him around the front yard for a couple laps (it's a large farm yard) and then Mike pulled the sled around behind the house near the garden so that Harrison could go down an actual hill. It was so cute to watch him go down the hill and raise his mitten hands in the air, smiling like crazy! I will post some photos as soon as I have a chance to get them uploaded.
Other than that we are enjoying the blizarding weather that most of Alberta is experiencing tonight. Tomorrow we are going to Lethbridge for the Christmas Farmer's Market, very exciting! Thanks again for reading, looking forward to your comments.
I mentioned that we were going to take Harrison for his first snow sled ride a couple days ago. After bundling him up nice and warm we strapped him into his new sled and off we went! Mike towed him around the front yard for a couple laps (it's a large farm yard) and then Mike pulled the sled around behind the house near the garden so that Harrison could go down an actual hill. It was so cute to watch him go down the hill and raise his mitten hands in the air, smiling like crazy! I will post some photos as soon as I have a chance to get them uploaded.
Other than that we are enjoying the blizarding weather that most of Alberta is experiencing tonight. Tomorrow we are going to Lethbridge for the Christmas Farmer's Market, very exciting! Thanks again for reading, looking forward to your comments.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Holiday Traditions
I love this time of year, especially all the holiday traditions that we celebrate or participate in as a family and/or extended family. What do you and your family do to make the season special?? I was reading about one of my friends on facebook and her and her children practice the 25 days of giving starting December 1st. To them it doesn't have to be financial giving, but giving of simple gifts, time, etc. I think this is a really great way to celebrate the meaning of Christmas with your children and is something I'm considering when our kids are old enough to comprehend the idea.
Part of our Christmas traditions is getting together with my larger extended family on my moms side. Last year it was hosted in Calgary with dinner and a fun gift exchange that included 26 people. We are loud, boisterous, and merry and I love every minute of it. This is something I experienced growing up and desire to share with our kids as well. I love that we always include everyone, in-laws, friends, it doesn't matter, the more the merrier! I will be missing out on these festivities this year because we'll be celebrating the delivery of our daughter! What a wonderful Christmas gift!
Speaking of Audrey, I have my first appointment with the OB tomorrow and since I am only 3.5 weeks away from delivery I am sure that we will discuss the actual date. I am getting anxious for her arrival because each day I am in more and more pain/discomfort. Night time has become very uncomfortable for me and nearly always sleepless. I am so glad that I have Mike at home right now to help manage Harrison during the day so that I am still able to get a little rest here and there. All part of preparing me for the newborn experience I am sure. In some regards it does not seem like it was 19 months ago that we had Harrison but in other ways it feels like only yesterday. I am so excited to see how he will be and how he will interact with Audrey. My instincts tell me that he will hardly notice her until she can "do" stuff with him, but I am a bit leary about the jealousy factor. I hope that he can remain the sweet boy that he has been so far and that "sharing" mommy won't be much of an issue.
I am looking forward to spending some time with my very good friend Jill before she heads off to Tahiti to spend 5 glorious weeks with her husband. Some of you will be thinking "must be nice" but let me reassure you that those two have earned every minute together in paradise. Jill and Jaco were married in Namibia this summer but then had to spend months apart before seeing each other again briefly. She is also winning the fight against lymphoma right now and has been a complete inspiration to me with her positive attitude. They deserve all the happiness in the world and I'm sure being together in Tahiti won't hurt!!
Tonight I am trying to do the impossible task of picking out only a few Christmas baking recipes so that I can get my ingredients tomorrow. Everything looks and/or sounds so good that it's hard to only pick a few to make. I am sure whatever I make will be appreciated right? So how can I go wrong!
I'll let you know about the delivery date and the selected recipes soon! Thanks for reading!
Much love always,
Jenn
Part of our Christmas traditions is getting together with my larger extended family on my moms side. Last year it was hosted in Calgary with dinner and a fun gift exchange that included 26 people. We are loud, boisterous, and merry and I love every minute of it. This is something I experienced growing up and desire to share with our kids as well. I love that we always include everyone, in-laws, friends, it doesn't matter, the more the merrier! I will be missing out on these festivities this year because we'll be celebrating the delivery of our daughter! What a wonderful Christmas gift!
Speaking of Audrey, I have my first appointment with the OB tomorrow and since I am only 3.5 weeks away from delivery I am sure that we will discuss the actual date. I am getting anxious for her arrival because each day I am in more and more pain/discomfort. Night time has become very uncomfortable for me and nearly always sleepless. I am so glad that I have Mike at home right now to help manage Harrison during the day so that I am still able to get a little rest here and there. All part of preparing me for the newborn experience I am sure. In some regards it does not seem like it was 19 months ago that we had Harrison but in other ways it feels like only yesterday. I am so excited to see how he will be and how he will interact with Audrey. My instincts tell me that he will hardly notice her until she can "do" stuff with him, but I am a bit leary about the jealousy factor. I hope that he can remain the sweet boy that he has been so far and that "sharing" mommy won't be much of an issue.
I am looking forward to spending some time with my very good friend Jill before she heads off to Tahiti to spend 5 glorious weeks with her husband. Some of you will be thinking "must be nice" but let me reassure you that those two have earned every minute together in paradise. Jill and Jaco were married in Namibia this summer but then had to spend months apart before seeing each other again briefly. She is also winning the fight against lymphoma right now and has been a complete inspiration to me with her positive attitude. They deserve all the happiness in the world and I'm sure being together in Tahiti won't hurt!!
Tonight I am trying to do the impossible task of picking out only a few Christmas baking recipes so that I can get my ingredients tomorrow. Everything looks and/or sounds so good that it's hard to only pick a few to make. I am sure whatever I make will be appreciated right? So how can I go wrong!
I'll let you know about the delivery date and the selected recipes soon! Thanks for reading!
Much love always,
Jenn
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Where in the world are The Burnett's?
Hi to all of those who read our blog, especially those we don't get to talk to all the time! Life is crazy, upside down and backwards lately. If you read our last post Harrison and I were just headed back to Texas to be with Mike and to live in Brownwood. So much has happened since then, I am not even sure where to start!
Well for starters, Mike, Harrison, Ginger and I (the whole Burnett Bunch) are now in Alberta, at my parents farm. We are 4 weeks away from the delivery of our daughter Audrey if she doesn't arrive any sooner than that. I have been in a lot of pain. I use the word pain with discretion because I wouldn't normally say pain but what I have been experiencing has been excruciating at moments. I am not sure if it is because my two pregnancies were so close together but my c-section scar has been unbearably painful at times. I see my new general practitioner in Lethbridge tomorrow and the OB on Thursday, so I will see what they say about it all. I would really like to have another ultrasound just to make sure everything is ok with me and with Audrey. It has been over 4 weeks since I last saw a doctor and I should be seeing one every week by now.
Mike did receive a job offer in Brownwood to manage a satellite/communications retail store but it was a new store and very slow to get off the ground. By the time we made the decision to head north the store hadn't even opened yet and Mike hadn't actually been able to start work. I am sure that the job had potential for someone in a position to wait but without and income we were really feeling the pressure. Then things got worse.
When I returned to Texas I had an appointment with my OB in San Angelo. Thankfully we received good news that Audrey is doing great and measuring on target. We even discussed a delivery date of December 29. But when I went to the clinic they informed me that I was NOT showing up in the Medicaid database even though we had applied back in May and Harrison had already been approved. At first when Mike called Medicaid to find out what was going on he was told that "unfortunately sometimes applications just fall through the cracks". Not a very satisfying answer. So after reapplying we finally received a denial letter saying that I would not be covered by Medicaid for the delivery because I have not lived in the USA long enough. I cannot say how many tears I cried over this news, after all Harrison and I had just traveled for 15 hours to get back to Texas to be faced with such a big disappointment, knowing health care in Alberta is completely free. So frustrating!
If you can imagine having 2 houses for sale for over 6+ months, no income since March, a baby on the way, and no health care coverage you can imagine how overwhelmed Mike and I were both feeling. We were worried because Harrison's birth was considered "normal" for a c-section as far as no complications for him or I and his hospital bill was still $23,000 (thankfully covered by our health care at the time). So best case scenario we would end up with a $20K hospital bill if everything went according to plan. If there were any complications, or she was born prematurely we could be looking at a bill of $60,000 or more. This was not a financial risk we were willing to take for our family at this point in time (or ever really) and so we made a decision to move to Alberta.
Lots of people have asked us what our plans are. Right now our top priority is for a safe delivery of Audrey. That means keeping my stress level down for the next 4 weeks, managing the pain that I've been having and simply preparing for her arrival. After that, Mike needs to secure work and whether that is in Alberta on a work visa, traveling with a wind position, or a permanent position in Montana we are open to all the opportunities that come his way. Please pray for our family as we make this huge transition. I can't say enough about how resilient Harrison has been through all the changes life has thrown our way this year. We are definitely looking forward to ending the year on a high note with the birth of Audrey and the blessing that are headed our way for 2010.
Well for starters, Mike, Harrison, Ginger and I (the whole Burnett Bunch) are now in Alberta, at my parents farm. We are 4 weeks away from the delivery of our daughter Audrey if she doesn't arrive any sooner than that. I have been in a lot of pain. I use the word pain with discretion because I wouldn't normally say pain but what I have been experiencing has been excruciating at moments. I am not sure if it is because my two pregnancies were so close together but my c-section scar has been unbearably painful at times. I see my new general practitioner in Lethbridge tomorrow and the OB on Thursday, so I will see what they say about it all. I would really like to have another ultrasound just to make sure everything is ok with me and with Audrey. It has been over 4 weeks since I last saw a doctor and I should be seeing one every week by now.
Mike did receive a job offer in Brownwood to manage a satellite/communications retail store but it was a new store and very slow to get off the ground. By the time we made the decision to head north the store hadn't even opened yet and Mike hadn't actually been able to start work. I am sure that the job had potential for someone in a position to wait but without and income we were really feeling the pressure. Then things got worse.
When I returned to Texas I had an appointment with my OB in San Angelo. Thankfully we received good news that Audrey is doing great and measuring on target. We even discussed a delivery date of December 29. But when I went to the clinic they informed me that I was NOT showing up in the Medicaid database even though we had applied back in May and Harrison had already been approved. At first when Mike called Medicaid to find out what was going on he was told that "unfortunately sometimes applications just fall through the cracks". Not a very satisfying answer. So after reapplying we finally received a denial letter saying that I would not be covered by Medicaid for the delivery because I have not lived in the USA long enough. I cannot say how many tears I cried over this news, after all Harrison and I had just traveled for 15 hours to get back to Texas to be faced with such a big disappointment, knowing health care in Alberta is completely free. So frustrating!
If you can imagine having 2 houses for sale for over 6+ months, no income since March, a baby on the way, and no health care coverage you can imagine how overwhelmed Mike and I were both feeling. We were worried because Harrison's birth was considered "normal" for a c-section as far as no complications for him or I and his hospital bill was still $23,000 (thankfully covered by our health care at the time). So best case scenario we would end up with a $20K hospital bill if everything went according to plan. If there were any complications, or she was born prematurely we could be looking at a bill of $60,000 or more. This was not a financial risk we were willing to take for our family at this point in time (or ever really) and so we made a decision to move to Alberta.
Lots of people have asked us what our plans are. Right now our top priority is for a safe delivery of Audrey. That means keeping my stress level down for the next 4 weeks, managing the pain that I've been having and simply preparing for her arrival. After that, Mike needs to secure work and whether that is in Alberta on a work visa, traveling with a wind position, or a permanent position in Montana we are open to all the opportunities that come his way. Please pray for our family as we make this huge transition. I can't say enough about how resilient Harrison has been through all the changes life has thrown our way this year. We are definitely looking forward to ending the year on a high note with the birth of Audrey and the blessing that are headed our way for 2010.
Monday, October 26, 2009
T minus 8 hours!
It didn't ever seem like this day would really come! We're getting on the plane and heading home overnight tonight! I don't think Harrison has any idea that we're going on the "big plane" as I've tried to explain, but I pray he does well. We get to the airport in Calgary at 10:30 pm, fly to Toronto (3.5 hrs) deboard the plane, go through customs and depart for Dallas at 8:45 am. I sure hope he sleeps on this big flight. Once we are boarded for Dallas the flight is only 1.5 hours. My good friend Kristen is picking us up and then we'll have a 2.5 hour drive to Brownwood. This is going to be a big travel day for us and plenty of prayer has covered this trip. We can't wait to see everybody but especially Daddy!
Mike has been working SO hard to get everything moved from our various storage places into the house in Brownwood. He worked so hard that he actually fell asleep in the bathtub for 1.5 hour the other night! Yeesh! I can't wait to get into the new house and make it our home. At this point only the Lord knows how long we'll be there, but we are determined to make the best of it. The carpet has been replaced, and the house has been cleaned, now all it needs is a little paint to make it feel like our "own" place. Thank goodness paint is relatively cheap and goes really far when making a change.
We won't have internet until December 8th since that was the soonest service appointment they could give us. I will try to blog as often as I can but you can always reach me on facebook or on my cell phone in the meantime.
I have a doctors appointment when I get back to Texas too, so I am excited to get checked out and see how little Audrey is doing! We'll try our best to keep y'all posted! Much love!!
Mike has been working SO hard to get everything moved from our various storage places into the house in Brownwood. He worked so hard that he actually fell asleep in the bathtub for 1.5 hour the other night! Yeesh! I can't wait to get into the new house and make it our home. At this point only the Lord knows how long we'll be there, but we are determined to make the best of it. The carpet has been replaced, and the house has been cleaned, now all it needs is a little paint to make it feel like our "own" place. Thank goodness paint is relatively cheap and goes really far when making a change.
We won't have internet until December 8th since that was the soonest service appointment they could give us. I will try to blog as often as I can but you can always reach me on facebook or on my cell phone in the meantime.
I have a doctors appointment when I get back to Texas too, so I am excited to get checked out and see how little Audrey is doing! We'll try our best to keep y'all posted! Much love!!
Friday, October 23, 2009
Thoughts on leaving and coming home
It has been 50 days since I have seen my husband and since Harrison has seen his Daddy in person. Of course we have web chatted when the time has allowed but it definitely is not the same. We are ready to go home. I am ready to go HOME. It is funny how I have spent 26 years of my life in Alberta and 2.5 years in Texas but now I feel like Texas is my home. Home really is where your heart is, and my heart is with my husband Michael, no matter where in Texas we are.
I am ready to go back and to get ready for the arrival of our baby girl. She is getting bigger and bigger and so am I. It seems like this pregnancy has taken forever, but that's probably because we knew about it almost from day 1. I am ready to paint her room, buy a crib and dresser (looking for a white set if you know anyone selling one!), and to get her clothes washed and put away. Although we have spent so much time with my parents I am glad that they have decided to come down to Texas for Christmas anyways so that they can be present for the birth of Audrey. That is very special since they live 1800+ miles away.
We have moved yet again. I think the Lord is trying to change my mind about moving because I really don't like it. I grew up in the same house I was born in for 18 years until I went to university so moving was never part of my life; it feels like we haven't stopped moving since I came to Texas. I know this isn't our last move, but I hope that it is our second to last move. I have always sentimental about having our "forever" home, and I truly pray that the Lord will answer that desire one day.
As for leaving the farm... *SIGH*... We have had a really great time here outside of missing Daddy. Grandpa and Grandma have both been so awesome helping out with Harrison, teaching him new things, and exploring everything around the farm with him. I know it has been a joy for them seeing Harrison in his everyday life and nothing else will replace the squeal and huge smile he gives them everyday when they get home from work. They have helped us out so much there is no way that we could ever repay them and I know that they don't expect us to. It is my hope that we have taken enough videos and pictures that Harrison will remember his time here even though he is so young. It has been so nice to just call up my brother and sister-in-law to go to a movie, or invite them over for dinner. Those are things that simply can't be replaced in Texas.
We have made some good memories while we've been in Alberta but I know that more are yet to come. It is not the end, just the end of this "visit". Bitter sweet but worth every minute. We can't wait to see you on Tuesday Daddy!
I am ready to go back and to get ready for the arrival of our baby girl. She is getting bigger and bigger and so am I. It seems like this pregnancy has taken forever, but that's probably because we knew about it almost from day 1. I am ready to paint her room, buy a crib and dresser (looking for a white set if you know anyone selling one!), and to get her clothes washed and put away. Although we have spent so much time with my parents I am glad that they have decided to come down to Texas for Christmas anyways so that they can be present for the birth of Audrey. That is very special since they live 1800+ miles away.
We have moved yet again. I think the Lord is trying to change my mind about moving because I really don't like it. I grew up in the same house I was born in for 18 years until I went to university so moving was never part of my life; it feels like we haven't stopped moving since I came to Texas. I know this isn't our last move, but I hope that it is our second to last move. I have always sentimental about having our "forever" home, and I truly pray that the Lord will answer that desire one day.
As for leaving the farm... *SIGH*... We have had a really great time here outside of missing Daddy. Grandpa and Grandma have both been so awesome helping out with Harrison, teaching him new things, and exploring everything around the farm with him. I know it has been a joy for them seeing Harrison in his everyday life and nothing else will replace the squeal and huge smile he gives them everyday when they get home from work. They have helped us out so much there is no way that we could ever repay them and I know that they don't expect us to. It is my hope that we have taken enough videos and pictures that Harrison will remember his time here even though he is so young. It has been so nice to just call up my brother and sister-in-law to go to a movie, or invite them over for dinner. Those are things that simply can't be replaced in Texas.
We have made some good memories while we've been in Alberta but I know that more are yet to come. It is not the end, just the end of this "visit". Bitter sweet but worth every minute. We can't wait to see you on Tuesday Daddy!
Thursday, October 22, 2009
BREAKTHROUGH!!!
God is SO good and faithful even when I falter and want to give up hope; He is there waiting to catch me when I fall! This week has been an amazing breakthrough for our life situation and I just want to share and praise with you!
I have been "panicking" so to speak. Call it pregnancy hormones, the need to nest, I don't know what it is, but I have been so worried lately that I wasn't going to make it back to Texas before the pregnancy DO NOT FLY deadline, which is rapidly approaching. I am 30 weeks this week, only 8 more to go and we will be welcoming our daughter! Every way we looked at our "situation" which we having loving come to call our train wreck, there seemed to be no end in sight, no hope that things were going to change, even though in my heart I knew better. The reality of it all just wasn't very pretty.
Well praise God that he is bigger than all things, especially the ones that seem impossible!! This week several HUGE events occured that have opened the door wide open for Harrison and I to return to Texas. The biggest stumbling block was that Mike still didn't have a job. I want to clarify this - my husband is NOT a lazy man, in fact he is the furthest thing from it. Mike can take pride in whatever he's doing and he has always worked as if he is working for the Lord, no matter what the task. This is something I really admire and love about him. I am so proud to be his wife! He has looked high and low for work, all kinds of jobs from wind turbine careers to Wal-Mart and NOTHING has fallen into place - until now. This week Mike went to Abilene for an interview with a communications company that is opening a store in Brownwood, which is where we will now call home. After the interview the good news came... "the job is yours if you want it!" Music to our ears and sweet blessings to our family!! He attended a orientation directly after his interview and was able to start work immediately, in fact, he is out working in Brownwood today!
Not only did the job fall into place, but after WEEKS of trying to figure out how we could afford new carpet for the house we are moving into, friends of ours from Alberta incredibly blessed us by paying for part of the cost! Mike's Memaw also recognized our need for healthy, clean carpet for our babies and paid the remainder of the cost. We have been so blessed!! The carpet was installed yesterday and looks amazing! Please understand that it's not that we wanted new carpet. The old stuff (30 years+) was worn paper thin and severely stained to a point nobody should be living on it. This was another HUGE barrier for us to come home because we needed to know we had a safe place for Harrison and Audrey to play and live. Thank you Father!
After 7 months of hoping and praying for work, watching our savings dwindling down to nearly nothing we are so excited that the Lord has seen our need and answered our prayers! His timing is perfect. There are so many situations where we would have gone wrong, or chose a different path if a job had come sooner etc. but He knew and delivered us exactly when we needed it!
One more item of praise is that Harrison and I were able to get a flight home immediately instead of having to wait until November 10th. The prices just seemed to be excalating every day that I looked and low and behold yesterday they dropped from $600+ to $202!! So we are able to fly home sooner for much less money. Amazing!!
I want to personally thank all our friends and family for being there for us during this trying and challenging time. I wish I could say that we handled every step of the way with faith and perseverance but I know that we had our moments where we stumbled. Mike and I have however grown more in love through the distance, we have a new appreciation for Gods timing and His blessings. We know that God has used our friends and family to work miracles through. Thank you for being His vessels!! Thank you for your prayers and encouraging words. This would have been a VERY dark road to travel without being surrounded by such awesome people. We love you!!
I have been "panicking" so to speak. Call it pregnancy hormones, the need to nest, I don't know what it is, but I have been so worried lately that I wasn't going to make it back to Texas before the pregnancy DO NOT FLY deadline, which is rapidly approaching. I am 30 weeks this week, only 8 more to go and we will be welcoming our daughter! Every way we looked at our "situation" which we having loving come to call our train wreck, there seemed to be no end in sight, no hope that things were going to change, even though in my heart I knew better. The reality of it all just wasn't very pretty.
Well praise God that he is bigger than all things, especially the ones that seem impossible!! This week several HUGE events occured that have opened the door wide open for Harrison and I to return to Texas. The biggest stumbling block was that Mike still didn't have a job. I want to clarify this - my husband is NOT a lazy man, in fact he is the furthest thing from it. Mike can take pride in whatever he's doing and he has always worked as if he is working for the Lord, no matter what the task. This is something I really admire and love about him. I am so proud to be his wife! He has looked high and low for work, all kinds of jobs from wind turbine careers to Wal-Mart and NOTHING has fallen into place - until now. This week Mike went to Abilene for an interview with a communications company that is opening a store in Brownwood, which is where we will now call home. After the interview the good news came... "the job is yours if you want it!" Music to our ears and sweet blessings to our family!! He attended a orientation directly after his interview and was able to start work immediately, in fact, he is out working in Brownwood today!
Not only did the job fall into place, but after WEEKS of trying to figure out how we could afford new carpet for the house we are moving into, friends of ours from Alberta incredibly blessed us by paying for part of the cost! Mike's Memaw also recognized our need for healthy, clean carpet for our babies and paid the remainder of the cost. We have been so blessed!! The carpet was installed yesterday and looks amazing! Please understand that it's not that we wanted new carpet. The old stuff (30 years+) was worn paper thin and severely stained to a point nobody should be living on it. This was another HUGE barrier for us to come home because we needed to know we had a safe place for Harrison and Audrey to play and live. Thank you Father!
After 7 months of hoping and praying for work, watching our savings dwindling down to nearly nothing we are so excited that the Lord has seen our need and answered our prayers! His timing is perfect. There are so many situations where we would have gone wrong, or chose a different path if a job had come sooner etc. but He knew and delivered us exactly when we needed it!
One more item of praise is that Harrison and I were able to get a flight home immediately instead of having to wait until November 10th. The prices just seemed to be excalating every day that I looked and low and behold yesterday they dropped from $600+ to $202!! So we are able to fly home sooner for much less money. Amazing!!
I want to personally thank all our friends and family for being there for us during this trying and challenging time. I wish I could say that we handled every step of the way with faith and perseverance but I know that we had our moments where we stumbled. Mike and I have however grown more in love through the distance, we have a new appreciation for Gods timing and His blessings. We know that God has used our friends and family to work miracles through. Thank you for being His vessels!! Thank you for your prayers and encouraging words. This would have been a VERY dark road to travel without being surrounded by such awesome people. We love you!!
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Can You Hear Me?
This is actually the title of a book/bible study I am working through right now by Brad Jersak (a Canadian author). I stumbled across the book on a friends book shelf and asked if I could borrow it because just by the title it seemed like a book I needed in my life at this exact moment. After contemplating the title I began to wonder is this the question I am asking God or is it what He's asking me???
Once into the first chapter I realized that this is what God is asking me... Can you hear me? So many times I am guilty of falling into a repetitive prayer life, instead of having a conversation with a living God. I used to be very diligent about seeking what the Lord actually had to say to me - not in an audible voice, but in that soft, inner whisper that He often uses when we take the time to truly listen. Lately, it's like the circumstances in our life have been spinning so wildly out of control that I have not taken the time to stop and listen. That doesn't mean that God still isn't trying to get through to me.
The major scripture in the first chapter really, REALLY encouraged me so I want to share it with everyone:
The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice." "I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. (John 10:2-5,14-15)
The author goes on to say "The Lord is making a point here about his voice: he has one. He uses it. He speaks. His sheep - those who have ears to listen-hear it, know it, and follow it.
God does speak. He is speaking all the time. He speaks in many ways. The problem is not with God's voice. The trouble is with our ears. We do not hear or perceive what he is saying. We might even go one step further to say that we do hear him - we are just not aware that we hear him. Or, perhaps we're not ready or willing to listen."
In my personal walk (before reading this) I have often wondered "why is God being silent now, when I need Him the most?" I am so grateful for this simple teaching that God is always here, He's just waiting for us to listen. I am also very grateful for such a patient Father!!
I am excited to share more of this journey with you as I read further and explore further with God into the Scripture of His heart. If one thing is certain, He does not want this train wreck that we've been on to continue! He wants the very best for his children, all of us, and I am ready to claim back what has been stolen from us over the last 7 months. My prayer is that as you read this you will grow a desire to go deeper with the Father whose love for you is never silent!
Once into the first chapter I realized that this is what God is asking me... Can you hear me? So many times I am guilty of falling into a repetitive prayer life, instead of having a conversation with a living God. I used to be very diligent about seeking what the Lord actually had to say to me - not in an audible voice, but in that soft, inner whisper that He often uses when we take the time to truly listen. Lately, it's like the circumstances in our life have been spinning so wildly out of control that I have not taken the time to stop and listen. That doesn't mean that God still isn't trying to get through to me.
The major scripture in the first chapter really, REALLY encouraged me so I want to share it with everyone:
The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice." "I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. (John 10:2-5,14-15)
The author goes on to say "The Lord is making a point here about his voice: he has one. He uses it. He speaks. His sheep - those who have ears to listen-hear it, know it, and follow it.
God does speak. He is speaking all the time. He speaks in many ways. The problem is not with God's voice. The trouble is with our ears. We do not hear or perceive what he is saying. We might even go one step further to say that we do hear him - we are just not aware that we hear him. Or, perhaps we're not ready or willing to listen."
In my personal walk (before reading this) I have often wondered "why is God being silent now, when I need Him the most?" I am so grateful for this simple teaching that God is always here, He's just waiting for us to listen. I am also very grateful for such a patient Father!!
I am excited to share more of this journey with you as I read further and explore further with God into the Scripture of His heart. If one thing is certain, He does not want this train wreck that we've been on to continue! He wants the very best for his children, all of us, and I am ready to claim back what has been stolen from us over the last 7 months. My prayer is that as you read this you will grow a desire to go deeper with the Father whose love for you is never silent!
Monday, October 19, 2009
Time with 2 Great Friends!
This week Harrison and I were blessed to visit with good friends of ours, The Janzen Family in Cochrane, Alberta from Tuesday to Saturday. Not only was it great to see them but it was also wonderful to be back in Cochrane; there is so much I miss there from all the individual, unique shops, to the beautiful Bow River and the majestic Rocky Mountains right in your back yard.
Getting there on Tuesday was another story. There just so happened to be a snow storm the night before that continued into the morning we were leaving. After checking the road reports (which actually said "poor conditions") we decided to still head up to Cochrane but to take our time and go slow. I wish I could say the same for the other drivers on the road! There were spots that were a little scary but we made it safe and sound.
I had such a great time catching up with my matron of honor Cindy. Sometimes it is hard when we can't connect on the phone when I am in Texas, just with the difference in time and family schedules, but give us a cup of coffee or tea and we pick up right where we left off. It is such a blessing to have a friend like that!
While I was in Cochrane I was also able to visit with my friend Jill as well. I have known Jill for 11 years and no matter where she is in the world (she used to work on a cruise ship) we have always kept in touch. Unfortunately Jill was diagnosed Hodgkin's lymphoma about a year and a half ago. She has tried various treatments outside of Western medicine and has not had much success. I really wanted to see Jill before she headed off to Mexico for a new treatment option, and thankfully she was able to stop by Cindy's on Friday night. I continue to pray for her complete healing and I can't wait for the day she can share the testimony of her journey. She is such a beautiful person inside and out!
We were sad that our visit seemed so short but at the same time we were happy to get back to the farm, back to our regular sleeping arrangements etc. Harrison sure missed Grandma and Grandpa. Not sure how he will do as we transition back to Texas. He has been so resilient through all our ups and downs, I have no doubt he will love being back home with his Daddy!
Getting there on Tuesday was another story. There just so happened to be a snow storm the night before that continued into the morning we were leaving. After checking the road reports (which actually said "poor conditions") we decided to still head up to Cochrane but to take our time and go slow. I wish I could say the same for the other drivers on the road! There were spots that were a little scary but we made it safe and sound.
I had such a great time catching up with my matron of honor Cindy. Sometimes it is hard when we can't connect on the phone when I am in Texas, just with the difference in time and family schedules, but give us a cup of coffee or tea and we pick up right where we left off. It is such a blessing to have a friend like that!
While I was in Cochrane I was also able to visit with my friend Jill as well. I have known Jill for 11 years and no matter where she is in the world (she used to work on a cruise ship) we have always kept in touch. Unfortunately Jill was diagnosed Hodgkin's lymphoma about a year and a half ago. She has tried various treatments outside of Western medicine and has not had much success. I really wanted to see Jill before she headed off to Mexico for a new treatment option, and thankfully she was able to stop by Cindy's on Friday night. I continue to pray for her complete healing and I can't wait for the day she can share the testimony of her journey. She is such a beautiful person inside and out!
We were sad that our visit seemed so short but at the same time we were happy to get back to the farm, back to our regular sleeping arrangements etc. Harrison sure missed Grandma and Grandpa. Not sure how he will do as we transition back to Texas. He has been so resilient through all our ups and downs, I have no doubt he will love being back home with his Daddy!
Thursday, October 8, 2009
The Christmas Wish List
A few weeks after arriving here at the farm Grandma & Grandpa received the all wonderful SEARS WISH BOOK in the mail. I'm sure I am not the only one as a child that used to go through the book until it's pages were well worn and familiar, circling my Christmas wish items or sometimes for the really, really important items, even tearing out a page or two.
Well Christmas time is just around the corner, as Wal-Mart has wonderfully reminded me by putting out their wrapping paper before the Halloween costumes are even off the racks yet. This Christmas is going to be very different for our family though. We are already receiveing one of the most beautiful gifts imaginable, our daughter Audrey Grace. Who knows, we may even still be in the hospital for Christmas this year, if necessary. I guess it goes without saying that my wish list for this Christmas is a little different than usual...
1. My very first wish is for a job for my husband. Not just for the obvious reasons like food & shelter, but for his well being too. I want him to know that he is doing his very best, but I know for most men that means providing in some way for their family. This is what I wish for the most.
2. My second wish is to be settled in a place we can call HOME before our daughter arrives. Wherever that is geographically doesn't even matter. I just want to be under the same roof as my husband, son and daughter, especially for Christmas.
3. Thirdly, I wish for a safe delivery for Audrey Grace. We have no reason to suspect or anticipate any problems, so we are just believing that everything will go smoothly. We can't wait to meet our little girl!
4. Some much needed baby items; this is the longer list.
A double baby stroller,
A white baby crib and dresser/change table,
Some much needed girls winter clothes for a newborn,
And a variety of general baby items (you can look up our registry at Wal-Mart.com)
If all these wishes/prayers are answered then nothing else would make me happier. I must say that I am looking forward to the passing of Halloween so that the Christmas spirit can arrive in full glory!!
Well Christmas time is just around the corner, as Wal-Mart has wonderfully reminded me by putting out their wrapping paper before the Halloween costumes are even off the racks yet. This Christmas is going to be very different for our family though. We are already receiveing one of the most beautiful gifts imaginable, our daughter Audrey Grace. Who knows, we may even still be in the hospital for Christmas this year, if necessary. I guess it goes without saying that my wish list for this Christmas is a little different than usual...
1. My very first wish is for a job for my husband. Not just for the obvious reasons like food & shelter, but for his well being too. I want him to know that he is doing his very best, but I know for most men that means providing in some way for their family. This is what I wish for the most.
2. My second wish is to be settled in a place we can call HOME before our daughter arrives. Wherever that is geographically doesn't even matter. I just want to be under the same roof as my husband, son and daughter, especially for Christmas.
3. Thirdly, I wish for a safe delivery for Audrey Grace. We have no reason to suspect or anticipate any problems, so we are just believing that everything will go smoothly. We can't wait to meet our little girl!
4. Some much needed baby items; this is the longer list.
A double baby stroller,
A white baby crib and dresser/change table,
Some much needed girls winter clothes for a newborn,
And a variety of general baby items (you can look up our registry at Wal-Mart.com)
If all these wishes/prayers are answered then nothing else would make me happier. I must say that I am looking forward to the passing of Halloween so that the Christmas spirit can arrive in full glory!!
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Snow Day!
Last night Harrison and Mommy had a date night at home while Grandma and Grandpa went out with Uncle Bob & Aunty Dianna to celebrate Grandma and Bob's birthdays. Grandma's birthday is actually this Wednesday, so we are going to have to think of something special we can do to surprise her.
For our "date" last night I made banana bran muffins with Harrison. He stood very nicely on a big chair next to the mixer while I poured all the ingredients in. He loved watching everything get blended together, and was particularly thrilled when we started pouring the mixture into the muffin tin. I think his most favorite part was watching them grow and bake in the oven! Wish I had a picture of his little face pressed up against the oven window.
After a yummy breakfast of fresh muffins this morning we jumped in the truck with Grandpa and drove up to the mountains to help Uncle Blair and Aunty Danielle collect their firewood for the winter. As we got closer to the mountains it started to rain a little bit and as we climbed higher it started to snow! Along the way to their campsite we had to stop for some ranchers that were moving their cattle in for the winter. Harrison was pointing and squealing because the cows were all over the road. Very fun!
Once we arrived Grandpa, Uncle Blair and his friend John went with quads and the truck/trailer to go cut down the dead trees while Harrison, & I, Aunty Danielle and John's wife Marla stayed in the camping trailer and kept warm as we watched the snow come down faster and faster. The snow flakes were getting bigger and bigger and soon the trailer was full of wood and it was time to head home, AFTER we put on Harrison's snowsuit and played in the fresh snow!!
With the first flakes of snow falling on his face Harrison let out a huge squeal! He kept looking up trying to figure out what was this snow and where it was coming from. It was perfect sticky snow for snowballs and snowmen. Here is Harrison's first snowman! We had such a fun day in the mountains.
First time in snow!
First snowman
Mmmmm! You can eat this stuff?
At the trailer with Uncle and Aunty
On the quad ride with Uncle Blair
For our "date" last night I made banana bran muffins with Harrison. He stood very nicely on a big chair next to the mixer while I poured all the ingredients in. He loved watching everything get blended together, and was particularly thrilled when we started pouring the mixture into the muffin tin. I think his most favorite part was watching them grow and bake in the oven! Wish I had a picture of his little face pressed up against the oven window.
After a yummy breakfast of fresh muffins this morning we jumped in the truck with Grandpa and drove up to the mountains to help Uncle Blair and Aunty Danielle collect their firewood for the winter. As we got closer to the mountains it started to rain a little bit and as we climbed higher it started to snow! Along the way to their campsite we had to stop for some ranchers that were moving their cattle in for the winter. Harrison was pointing and squealing because the cows were all over the road. Very fun!
As the snow started to fall
Cattle round up
Cattle round upOnce we arrived Grandpa, Uncle Blair and his friend John went with quads and the truck/trailer to go cut down the dead trees while Harrison, & I, Aunty Danielle and John's wife Marla stayed in the camping trailer and kept warm as we watched the snow come down faster and faster. The snow flakes were getting bigger and bigger and soon the trailer was full of wood and it was time to head home, AFTER we put on Harrison's snowsuit and played in the fresh snow!!
With the first flakes of snow falling on his face Harrison let out a huge squeal! He kept looking up trying to figure out what was this snow and where it was coming from. It was perfect sticky snow for snowballs and snowmen. Here is Harrison's first snowman! We had such a fun day in the mountains.
First time in snow!
First snowman
Mmmmm! You can eat this stuff?
At the trailer with Uncle and Aunty
On the quad ride with Uncle BlairThursday, October 1, 2009
Big Boots to Fill
So, the play group went ok yesterday morning. It is held in a classroom at a local elementary school in a good size room with lots of stations. There is a mini kitchen, a large table for crafts, a reading area, a water station, a foamie block area for smaller babies and another area for miscellaneous toys. I don't know if yesterday was a "regular" sized turn out but I found it very crowded. There were 12 mothers and several had 2 kids with them, so I think there were close to 20 toddlers.
I didn't end up getting any pictures this time because I was kept very busy making sure Harrison was playing nicely. He was great with the other kids, it was more the toys I had to keep an eye on. If he wasn't trying to "borrow" a toy from someone else (always a tractor, imagine that!), then he was putting the non-water toys in the water station or in his mouth.
Harrison loves water any way he can get it. In a sippy cup, from the garden hose, in the tub, in the sink or pool. If he can play with it or drink it (or both!) he is a happy camper. So, of course, the first station he spotted was the water station. It is a big tub with cups and water toys and a gravity drain that spins its wheels as water is poured in it. This thoroughly fascinated Harrison except when the other kids poured the water in he would grab it and tip it towards him to try to watch where all the water was going! This was really fun for him but the other children didn't think so, so I gently tried to coax him away from the water for a bit. It's always a good time to learn about sharing and moderation.
For the most part I just let him explore the room and only interjected when he wasn't being a little gentleman. Oh, and when he tried to eat a big glob of play dough! I really wish I could have had my camera out for that. We had some other ups and downs, like snack time. They made the kids crackers, cheese and sausage for snack with a glass of milk and since Harrison is allergic to dairy, I said no thank you to the milk and took the cheese off the plate right away. This did not go over well and everyone had the beautiful opportunity to listen to Harrison cry while they had their snack. Oh well. Hopefully tomorrow goes better. We'll give it one more shot and hopefully get some pictures too.
Other than that I just spent some time taking pictures of Harrison inside for the last couple of days since it has been too cold to really go outside. This morning when we came upstairs it ws -2C/28F. The first ones are a couple of him in his new snowsuit. He wasn't quite sure what to think of it!
I love this second set of photos! Here is Harrison trying on Grandpa's cowboy boots and hat. He REALLY wasn't sure about the hat, but I finally managed to grab some cute shots! Can't wait to scrapbook theses.
big boots
very big hat
no more pictures please
And last but not any less cute, here are some pics of Harrison driving his "big truck" around the living room. Well kind of. Every time I went to take the picture he would stop and step off, so here he is posing for me. Hope y'all had a good week and are ready for the weekend! Blessings!
I didn't end up getting any pictures this time because I was kept very busy making sure Harrison was playing nicely. He was great with the other kids, it was more the toys I had to keep an eye on. If he wasn't trying to "borrow" a toy from someone else (always a tractor, imagine that!), then he was putting the non-water toys in the water station or in his mouth.
Harrison loves water any way he can get it. In a sippy cup, from the garden hose, in the tub, in the sink or pool. If he can play with it or drink it (or both!) he is a happy camper. So, of course, the first station he spotted was the water station. It is a big tub with cups and water toys and a gravity drain that spins its wheels as water is poured in it. This thoroughly fascinated Harrison except when the other kids poured the water in he would grab it and tip it towards him to try to watch where all the water was going! This was really fun for him but the other children didn't think so, so I gently tried to coax him away from the water for a bit. It's always a good time to learn about sharing and moderation.
For the most part I just let him explore the room and only interjected when he wasn't being a little gentleman. Oh, and when he tried to eat a big glob of play dough! I really wish I could have had my camera out for that. We had some other ups and downs, like snack time. They made the kids crackers, cheese and sausage for snack with a glass of milk and since Harrison is allergic to dairy, I said no thank you to the milk and took the cheese off the plate right away. This did not go over well and everyone had the beautiful opportunity to listen to Harrison cry while they had their snack. Oh well. Hopefully tomorrow goes better. We'll give it one more shot and hopefully get some pictures too.
Other than that I just spent some time taking pictures of Harrison inside for the last couple of days since it has been too cold to really go outside. This morning when we came upstairs it ws -2C/28F. The first ones are a couple of him in his new snowsuit. He wasn't quite sure what to think of it!
I love this second set of photos! Here is Harrison trying on Grandpa's cowboy boots and hat. He REALLY wasn't sure about the hat, but I finally managed to grab some cute shots! Can't wait to scrapbook theses.
big boots
very big hat
no more pictures pleaseAnd last but not any less cute, here are some pics of Harrison driving his "big truck" around the living room. Well kind of. Every time I went to take the picture he would stop and step off, so here he is posing for me. Hope y'all had a good week and are ready for the weekend! Blessings!
Belly Laughs!
Oops! I fully intended to use this for yesterday's post but I guess I didn't get around to it in time. Being nearly 7 months pregnant I find this very humorous! Enjoy some belly laughs today!
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Pretty Pumpkin Patch
I could not believe my ears this morning when I was feeding Harrison his breakfast... the lady on the radio said that she was participating in the Run for a Cure (for breast cancer) on Sunday and that they would be running in the rain/snow. SNOW??! I thought that I had either heard wrong or that maybe, just maybe she was exagerating a little, so I went to the computer to check it out. Unfortunately I heard right. There is a 50% possibility of snow flurries on Sunday. WOW!! Guess Harrison will get to use his snowsuit after all. Can't wait to post some photos of that!
Today we had pictures for Harrison scheduled at Wal-Mart in Lethbridge at 10:30. I dressed him in everything except his shirt for pictures, just in case and we headed out the door. Arriving just in time for our appointment, ok just a few minutes late, we rushed in and changed his shirt and began the photo shoot. Really how can you go wrong with a package of 30 portraits for $7.99??? After a bunch of monkeying around (literally) to make Harrison smile I had 8 poses to choose from and only 2 without his hands in his mouth. Thankfully the one I picked was PERFECT. Really, he had a huge smile, hands were down, looking right at the camera, Mommy could not ask for more. YAY! Also a huge thanks to the photo lady at Wal-Mart for being so patient and good with him.
Afterwards I really wanted to find a "pumpkin patch" to take some pretty fall pictures of Harrison while he had on a nice outfit and was in a good mood, so we headed out to Green Haven Garden Center which I had heard on the radio had pumpkins or something like that. When we arrived they had a bunch of pretty fall displays set up and they were all excellent for photo opps, so away we went. Here are a few of my favorites from today...
The pumpkin on the left was over 450 lbs!! Amazing! We had fun out there and all the elderly people shopping for fall plants were loving Harrison too. What a fun way to spend the morning!
Tomorrow is our play date with the grand daughter of some friends of my parents. Her name is Saige and we are going to a play group at a local school. I hope they have fun together and burn some energy. It is very challenging to keep up with a toddler and be 6 months pregnant! Who knew?
Last night I had a surprise phone call from my dear sweet friend Kristen (from Abilene)!! It was much needed and was such a huge help to just feel "normal" again. It was so nice talking with her, I can't wait to get back to Texas to catch up with everyone else!
I also heard from someone today that there is a corn maze with a petting zoo and more pumpkins near where we live, so I think we will try to seek that out sometime this week as well. Hope everyone's week is off to a great start! Thanks for reading and thanks for your comments! Here is one more photo to leave you with a smile... Grandma and Harry Potter!
Today we had pictures for Harrison scheduled at Wal-Mart in Lethbridge at 10:30. I dressed him in everything except his shirt for pictures, just in case and we headed out the door. Arriving just in time for our appointment, ok just a few minutes late, we rushed in and changed his shirt and began the photo shoot. Really how can you go wrong with a package of 30 portraits for $7.99??? After a bunch of monkeying around (literally) to make Harrison smile I had 8 poses to choose from and only 2 without his hands in his mouth. Thankfully the one I picked was PERFECT. Really, he had a huge smile, hands were down, looking right at the camera, Mommy could not ask for more. YAY! Also a huge thanks to the photo lady at Wal-Mart for being so patient and good with him.
Afterwards I really wanted to find a "pumpkin patch" to take some pretty fall pictures of Harrison while he had on a nice outfit and was in a good mood, so we headed out to Green Haven Garden Center which I had heard on the radio had pumpkins or something like that. When we arrived they had a bunch of pretty fall displays set up and they were all excellent for photo opps, so away we went. Here are a few of my favorites from today...
The pumpkin on the left was over 450 lbs!! Amazing! We had fun out there and all the elderly people shopping for fall plants were loving Harrison too. What a fun way to spend the morning!Tomorrow is our play date with the grand daughter of some friends of my parents. Her name is Saige and we are going to a play group at a local school. I hope they have fun together and burn some energy. It is very challenging to keep up with a toddler and be 6 months pregnant! Who knew?
Last night I had a surprise phone call from my dear sweet friend Kristen (from Abilene)!! It was much needed and was such a huge help to just feel "normal" again. It was so nice talking with her, I can't wait to get back to Texas to catch up with everyone else!
I also heard from someone today that there is a corn maze with a petting zoo and more pumpkins near where we live, so I think we will try to seek that out sometime this week as well. Hope everyone's week is off to a great start! Thanks for reading and thanks for your comments! Here is one more photo to leave you with a smile... Grandma and Harry Potter!
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Just Another Day
Wishing there was more to share about today but it was a fairly uneventful Saturday here in Alberta. One praise item is that Harrison slept really well last night and didn't wake up until 8:30 this morning instead of his semi-usual 7-7:15 which was super nice! Who can complain of a little extra sleep when pregnant.
I've been starting to feel the third trimester energy drain, slowly but surely. It's so amazing how meticulously God created pregnancy to be... everything works just like clockwork. I have my next ultrasound on Oct 13 which I am very excited for. It will give us a chance to confirm that we are in fact having a little girl. If not I sure have a lot of pink to get rid of!! Just like with Harrison though I knew in my spirit what we were expecting before we were ever told.
I had to go to the hospital this morning to do my 2 hour gestational diabetes test. I've been praying and praying not to have it and that I don't receive it so we will see that the test says this week. Either way I am prepared to deal with whatever comes. I just wish there was something more I could do about it, but you either get it or you don't so not like I can "fix" it. *sigh*
After taking in that much sugar I just felt blah all afternoon and evening. Blair and Danielle were here at the farm and Danielle was learning all about canning from mom. Last week they did pickles and this week they did pickled beets. I LOVE pickled beets, YUM!
Not much on the schedule for tomorrow because it's supposed to be really windy. For those in Texas thinking "windy" you'd have to be here to understand that 50 mph is a "gusty" day!! I think we will start catching up on Pastor Richards sermon series online... Good plan!
I've been starting to feel the third trimester energy drain, slowly but surely. It's so amazing how meticulously God created pregnancy to be... everything works just like clockwork. I have my next ultrasound on Oct 13 which I am very excited for. It will give us a chance to confirm that we are in fact having a little girl. If not I sure have a lot of pink to get rid of!! Just like with Harrison though I knew in my spirit what we were expecting before we were ever told.
I had to go to the hospital this morning to do my 2 hour gestational diabetes test. I've been praying and praying not to have it and that I don't receive it so we will see that the test says this week. Either way I am prepared to deal with whatever comes. I just wish there was something more I could do about it, but you either get it or you don't so not like I can "fix" it. *sigh*
After taking in that much sugar I just felt blah all afternoon and evening. Blair and Danielle were here at the farm and Danielle was learning all about canning from mom. Last week they did pickles and this week they did pickled beets. I LOVE pickled beets, YUM!
Not much on the schedule for tomorrow because it's supposed to be really windy. For those in Texas thinking "windy" you'd have to be here to understand that 50 mph is a "gusty" day!! I think we will start catching up on Pastor Richards sermon series online... Good plan!
Friday, September 25, 2009
Preparation
Our little family is busy making many preparations to settle into our "new" location in Texas. Yes, the Burnett's are moving again (or still).
Today Grandpa, Harrison and I drove up to Calgary so that I could submit my passport for updating. We woke up at 6 am so we could be on the road by 6:30 since it is about a 2 hour drive. The office opened right at 8:30 am and we pulled up when they were opening the door. I jumped out of the truck with my papers in hand and dashed to the door, received my ticket number and prepared to wait in line while Grandpa was getting Harrison into his stroller. As I went to take a seat to wait I happily realized that the number before mine was already on the board. Not even 1 minute later my number popped up on the screen! The lady was super nice that was helping me, taking great care that my renewed passport wouldn't get shipped to Texas, which I greatly appreciated. She did her work on the computer and a few minutes later I was on my way out the door. I quickly glanced at my watch and the whole thing only took 6 minutes!! Great job passport lady! Grandpa didn't even have time to get Harrison out of the car yet. Awesome!
That left plenty of time to have a chat with my dear friend Cindy. We went over to Humpty's and ordered some breakfast while we waited for Cindy to arrive. Instead of eating Harrison was busy making eyes at a pretty little girl about his age a couple tables over, trying very hard to impress her with his truck driving skills. Cindy arrived as we were finishing up our food and Harrison was ready to get going so we had a quick chat in the parking lot while Grandpa kindly helped Harrison walk off some of his energy. It was so nice catching up with a good friend!!
I also have to brag a little bit about Cindy and her thoughtfulness. I had mentioned that if for some reason Harrison and I can't head back to Texas before I'm 8 months along with the baby then I may ask her to help me get some used and give away items together so that we are prepared for Audrey's arrival. Well the very next day she tells me that she has a ton of baby stuff for me! I am so blown away and blessed by all the people that so quickly donated their stuff to us, wow! I can't wait to organize all the little girl clothes! Yay for pink! And a HUGE thank you to Cindy for sure!!
Mike was busy making his own preparations in Texas today. We will be moving into Mike's Memaws house in Brownwood while Mike attends the Trooper Academy in Austin. While we live there all we will have to do is pay for our utilities which is another huge blessing to us. The carpets are very old and worn so Mike is in the process of pulling them up so they can be replaced which will be very nice. I am really looking forward to finally having all of our possessions unpacked for more than 4 months and being able to go through it all and purge everything that we don't need. I am not a collector of "things" and I really enjoy being able to give away items that may be useful to someone else. It shouldn't be long before I am having crazy pregnancy dreams about home improvements again!
Today Grandpa, Harrison and I drove up to Calgary so that I could submit my passport for updating. We woke up at 6 am so we could be on the road by 6:30 since it is about a 2 hour drive. The office opened right at 8:30 am and we pulled up when they were opening the door. I jumped out of the truck with my papers in hand and dashed to the door, received my ticket number and prepared to wait in line while Grandpa was getting Harrison into his stroller. As I went to take a seat to wait I happily realized that the number before mine was already on the board. Not even 1 minute later my number popped up on the screen! The lady was super nice that was helping me, taking great care that my renewed passport wouldn't get shipped to Texas, which I greatly appreciated. She did her work on the computer and a few minutes later I was on my way out the door. I quickly glanced at my watch and the whole thing only took 6 minutes!! Great job passport lady! Grandpa didn't even have time to get Harrison out of the car yet. Awesome!
That left plenty of time to have a chat with my dear friend Cindy. We went over to Humpty's and ordered some breakfast while we waited for Cindy to arrive. Instead of eating Harrison was busy making eyes at a pretty little girl about his age a couple tables over, trying very hard to impress her with his truck driving skills. Cindy arrived as we were finishing up our food and Harrison was ready to get going so we had a quick chat in the parking lot while Grandpa kindly helped Harrison walk off some of his energy. It was so nice catching up with a good friend!!
I also have to brag a little bit about Cindy and her thoughtfulness. I had mentioned that if for some reason Harrison and I can't head back to Texas before I'm 8 months along with the baby then I may ask her to help me get some used and give away items together so that we are prepared for Audrey's arrival. Well the very next day she tells me that she has a ton of baby stuff for me! I am so blown away and blessed by all the people that so quickly donated their stuff to us, wow! I can't wait to organize all the little girl clothes! Yay for pink! And a HUGE thank you to Cindy for sure!!
Mike was busy making his own preparations in Texas today. We will be moving into Mike's Memaws house in Brownwood while Mike attends the Trooper Academy in Austin. While we live there all we will have to do is pay for our utilities which is another huge blessing to us. The carpets are very old and worn so Mike is in the process of pulling them up so they can be replaced which will be very nice. I am really looking forward to finally having all of our possessions unpacked for more than 4 months and being able to go through it all and purge everything that we don't need. I am not a collector of "things" and I really enjoy being able to give away items that may be useful to someone else. It shouldn't be long before I am having crazy pregnancy dreams about home improvements again!
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Starting Over
Today is a new day to start fresh. Our old blog site was good but unfortunately for unknown reasons they went out of business and the site closed. This left us looking for a new home and that's ok. Change is always good. If our family were resistant to change I don't know where we'd be! For those of you who know us well, I am sure you'll agree.
Breathe in the fresh, cool air of autumn. I love the fall, it is my favorite season by far. Warm, sunny days followed by crisp, cool evenings. The weather is agreeable too, especially in Alberta where it is still nice out and we have yet to see the first of that "S" word. SNOW. When I was a kid growing up here it was a regular occurrence to have the first snowfall the last week of October, or on Halloween, which always made things interesting. I've heard before "you know you're Canadian when you sew your Halloween costume to fit over your snow suit!" Until then, we will continue enjoying the beautiful weather at my parents farm near Fort Macleod, Alberta.
Since arriving in Alberta in August Harrison has been having a really great time getting reacquainted with Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle Blair and his new Aunty Danielle. His favorite passtime is definitely driving any type of equipment with Grandpa; the golf cart, the lawn mower, and several different tractors. Grandpa even took Harrison to work to drive the huge front end loader that fills up the dump trucks. I don't know who was happier that day, Harrison or Grandpa!
Sadly we miss Daddy on a day-to-day basis. Mike is still in Texas looking for work. Our piece of good news this week was that Mike had his final State Trooper interview today! He said it went really well and received good feedback from the recruiting officer. It will take about 2-3 weeks for us to hear if he is invited to attend the 3 days of testing in Austin or not. I am fully confident that God has created Michael for this career, and that he has spiritually equipped him for success!! We are so proud of you honey, keep working towards your goals!
Everything is going well on the pregnancy front too. I am now 26 weeks and 2 days along making the countdown until the due date only 13 weeks and 5 more days. We will actually have Audrey sooner than our due date, anywhere from 10-14 days earlier. It does not seem "real" yet that we are about to have a new born daughter and a 19 month old son at the same time. WOW. I hope we're ready!!
Speaking of getting ready I have started making lists... oh how I wish I could avoid this compulsion! I guess it is my own little way of feeling prepared. Yesterday I made a baby list and then created a couple of gift registries online (Wal-Mart, Target, and Babies 'R' Us) which is always fun. For Audrey we thought we wouldn't need as much stuff as we did with Harrison but a lot of our stuff was borrowed and has been returned so there are a few items that we still need to locate.
I've also been keeping busy with paperwork galore. I am requesting a Canadian Citizenship certificate for Harrison which I found out takes 10 months! At least the process is started though. I also need my passport renewed. We are heading up to Calgary bright and early tomorrow morning to the passport office to submit all my documents. I can't get back home to Texas until my passport is renewed because is expires in November, so hopefully all goes smoothly with it.
Next week Harrison and I are starting to attend a toddlers play group at a nearby town. It is only twice a week, Wednesday and Friday mornings from 9-12 but it will definitely help burn off some of the extra energy he has. It will also be really good for him to have some social interaction with kids who are a little bit older than he is. I'm excited to see how he does with it next week.
I think I should stop writing for today, or maybe break it up into 2 posts. Hope everyone is doing well, I look forward to hearing your comments.
Love Always,
The Burnett Family
Breathe in the fresh, cool air of autumn. I love the fall, it is my favorite season by far. Warm, sunny days followed by crisp, cool evenings. The weather is agreeable too, especially in Alberta where it is still nice out and we have yet to see the first of that "S" word. SNOW. When I was a kid growing up here it was a regular occurrence to have the first snowfall the last week of October, or on Halloween, which always made things interesting. I've heard before "you know you're Canadian when you sew your Halloween costume to fit over your snow suit!" Until then, we will continue enjoying the beautiful weather at my parents farm near Fort Macleod, Alberta.
Since arriving in Alberta in August Harrison has been having a really great time getting reacquainted with Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle Blair and his new Aunty Danielle. His favorite passtime is definitely driving any type of equipment with Grandpa; the golf cart, the lawn mower, and several different tractors. Grandpa even took Harrison to work to drive the huge front end loader that fills up the dump trucks. I don't know who was happier that day, Harrison or Grandpa!
Sadly we miss Daddy on a day-to-day basis. Mike is still in Texas looking for work. Our piece of good news this week was that Mike had his final State Trooper interview today! He said it went really well and received good feedback from the recruiting officer. It will take about 2-3 weeks for us to hear if he is invited to attend the 3 days of testing in Austin or not. I am fully confident that God has created Michael for this career, and that he has spiritually equipped him for success!! We are so proud of you honey, keep working towards your goals!
Everything is going well on the pregnancy front too. I am now 26 weeks and 2 days along making the countdown until the due date only 13 weeks and 5 more days. We will actually have Audrey sooner than our due date, anywhere from 10-14 days earlier. It does not seem "real" yet that we are about to have a new born daughter and a 19 month old son at the same time. WOW. I hope we're ready!!
Speaking of getting ready I have started making lists... oh how I wish I could avoid this compulsion! I guess it is my own little way of feeling prepared. Yesterday I made a baby list and then created a couple of gift registries online (Wal-Mart, Target, and Babies 'R' Us) which is always fun. For Audrey we thought we wouldn't need as much stuff as we did with Harrison but a lot of our stuff was borrowed and has been returned so there are a few items that we still need to locate.
I've also been keeping busy with paperwork galore. I am requesting a Canadian Citizenship certificate for Harrison which I found out takes 10 months! At least the process is started though. I also need my passport renewed. We are heading up to Calgary bright and early tomorrow morning to the passport office to submit all my documents. I can't get back home to Texas until my passport is renewed because is expires in November, so hopefully all goes smoothly with it.
Next week Harrison and I are starting to attend a toddlers play group at a nearby town. It is only twice a week, Wednesday and Friday mornings from 9-12 but it will definitely help burn off some of the extra energy he has. It will also be really good for him to have some social interaction with kids who are a little bit older than he is. I'm excited to see how he does with it next week.
I think I should stop writing for today, or maybe break it up into 2 posts. Hope everyone is doing well, I look forward to hearing your comments.
Love Always,
The Burnett Family
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