Photos from the Fall

Here are some photos from this fall when Harrison and I were in Alberta (and Mike was still in Texas). Thanks for stopping in!

Pretty October frost

Fascination at the petting zoo

BRRRR Mom!

Hair in your eyes like a highland steer

Kali, Margaret, Grandma and Harrison at the corn maze

Thanksgiving weekend 2009

Lethbridge Corn Maze 2009

Kali, Harrison and Grandma at the corn maze

Harrison taking a ride on Lulu Belle

Grandpa, Blair and Harrison rounding up the cows for the auction

Mommy's helper


My little cowboy!! He's a natural!

Harrison and Grandpa taking Lucky for a ride


Harrison and Grandma gazing at the horses

Harrison and Uncle Blair carving the pumpkin

Our finished goofy smiling pumpkin

Making Progress

If you look closely there are many ways we as a little family are making progress every day, and I am grateful for each and every step we take forward! Harrison is becoming a proud big brother, instead of a jealous little boy. I am so proud of him!! It is definitely an answer to our prayers. Now when Heidi squeaks or cries he says "uh-oh" in his concerned little voice, sort of like saying "Mommy is she ok?" It's really sweet. Much better than trying to hit her when I'm trying to nurse her, that's for sure!

This week we expect Mike to meet with his new boss to finalize their contract which is really exciting news. We have been without income since last March, so to say we are thrilled would be a huge understatement. We have found a house to rent (another answered prayer) but we need to bring in an income first so that we can pay our first months rent and deposit. Our prayer now is that it will still be available once we have the money. After that we will figure out how to get our stuff from Texas to Alberta - one step at a time!

After much deliberation and debate Mike and I have made the decision for me to return back to work. There are several reasons for this decision but the number one reason is because the cost of living in Alberta is so much more than in Texas. We are essentially starting from scratch again. We'd like to own a house again one day but that is going to take time. The company I worked for before moving to Texas is hiring for my position in their Lethbridge office so please pray that they will hire me back. I contacted my old boss and officially submitted my application/resume today, it was such a hard step to take! The posting closes on January 31, so I am praying for an interview within the next two weeks. My heart is torn because Heidi was just born and I feel like she is still so vulnerable and small. I am terrified to put her into child care but it is something we have weighed heavily. Please pray for our transition as a family as we make this giant change in our life. I pray for affordable Christian child care to be available once we are ready. I know the Lord will provide this for us too!

Thanks for reading and thank you for your prayers! We love you all!

Sweet Babies

Today was the first day that I was by myself with both the kids since returning from the hospital with Heidi. Our morning went fairly well, except when Harrison pretends to cry if hears Heidi fussing. I am sure like most of his little behaviors lately that he just wants attention from Mommy and Daddy. This too shall pass, right? I was finally able to catch Heidi with her eyes open although they were a little crossed! Oh well, still cute!!

cross-eyed and pouty with sparkling blues

sleeping sweetly

joyful!

so proud of his baby sister

big kiss

white beard the dishwashing pirate!

Daddy and Heidi

A very proud Grandpa with Heidi


sweet angel

Change on the Horizon

I am so happy to report that my recovery from the c-section is going better, now that I've had more rest. I still can't sleep in the bed, it hurts too much to get up on my own, but thankfully there is a very comfy recliner that I've been making good use of. Heidi and I have been hanging out in the basement living room, snuggling, feeding, and sleeping. I love her round little face and pouty lips. She is spending more time awake each day and opening her eyes more often to glance around. I know I am blessed to have such a happy and content baby. She is sleeping well already, 3-4 hours at a time between feedings.


Harrison is growing up so fast! Since Heidi came home he has added some new words to his vocabulary - up, down and more. These are great words that are helping our communication with him, I am so happy! Today when he saw Heidi for the first time this morning he gave her a sweet kiss. That doesn't mean that he was nice to her all day long but it's a huge step in the right direction! He is going to be such an awesome big brother for her, just as his daddy is to his sisters.


Before Christmas Mike went out to Pincher Creek for a job interview. He is being considered for a site managers position at a wind farm, a position he has desired for a couple years now. Today he received a call from the employer to let him know they have the ball rolling on his work permit etc! What great news! We have prayed and waited and prayed some more since March for a new career position to come his way, and finally today we feel those prayers have been answered. Thank you Jesus! Our understanding is there is one final formality for Mike to meet the corporate manager and then he can start work. This will mean our final relocation will land us in Pincher Creek, Alberta.


Pincher Creek is a quiet little town of about 3,000 people nestled into the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. It is about 40 minutes west of my parents farm, an hour from my brothers home, and about 2.5 hours from Calgary. Mike and I are very excited about this new adventure. Right now we are praying for a house to become available for rent because there isn't a single one at the moment! I know that God is faithful and since he has provided the job, he will provide the house, too. We are still waiting for our house in Abilene to sell, so please pray for that as well. It will be interesting to see how all of this works out, I know that God's timing is perfect! We can't wait to settle into a new church community, meet new friends and get settled in. It has been a long time since we have been able to just have friends over for dinner - it is the simple things in life that we miss the most by not having a place to call our own.

We look forward to sharing more good news with you soon!

Hello Heidi!

Finally, here are some photos of our new addition! Thanks for your patience in waiting for these photos. We are adjusting well to life as a family of four and life with a newborn in the house again. Heidi is doing great and nursing like a champion. She is still a little jaundice but we are confident that this will pass as she nurses more and we hang out near the window in the sun. Harrison had a very rough day when Heidi came home from the hospital but is becoming more interested and less jealous of her each day. We are praying for his obedience and gentleness towards his baby sister. Thank you for your love, prayer and support!!

The big belly at 8 am day of delivery

Brand new baby girl, 9lbs 3 oz, 21 5/8"

Our first family photo

Proud uncle and aunty - because of the H1N1 pandemic they were limiting visitors to 2 at a time and only grandparents and siblings of the baby were allowed. Since Mike's parents live in Texas we were able to substitute Blair and Danielle as visitors. They were so happy!

Uncle Blair, Aunty Danielle and Heidi

One of Mommys first snuggles

She looks so much like Harrison as a baby in this picture :)

Daddy ready to take his baby girl home

Tired mommy ready to go home.

It was -20C the morning we were discharged from the hospital (Dec 31) so Heidi is bundled up ready to brave the cold!

Welcome Heidi Joelle!

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!!

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