New Year, New Changes

Every new year has a fresh start, and 2009 is no exception. But for our family, 2009 will bring lots of changes in our household.

Travis got a new job. An incredible job! With incredible benefits! Too good to be true almost! Except for this one really terrible thing...the training for this new fabulous job takes place in Portland, OR, and other sites around the country, and it lasts for 90 days. So he is leaving this Sunday and will be gone for 45 days, home for 5 days, and gone again for 45 days. He will probably not be able to be here when the baby is born, but you never know.

He will be an Assistant Site Manager for Vestas, International. He will be starting out in Ventura, and then will oversee the building of the Hampton wind turbine farm. He will manage the Hampton location and probably be transferred back to Ventura over time.

The job is an incredible opportunity in an exciting field and we are very thrilled. We were even more excited to hear about all the great benefits (free health, vision and dental insurance for our entire family, company vehicle, four weeks vacation the first year, and on and on). The job would be too good to be true...if it wasn't for the training. Travis will learn so much during the training, we just wish it wasn't for so long (and wasn't during my due date).

Travis leaves on Jan. 4th to fly to Portland for two weeks of "classroom" training in their leadership academy. He will then fly to an unknown location (he find out Monday where) to have on-the-job training for two weeks. Then back to Portland for my classroom training, etc. etc. He does get to come home on my due date, Feb. 13th, for 5 days of a break. For the first time I am praying that I make it to or go past my due date!

After the break he heads back to Portland for another 45 days of training and "graduates" from the program March 27th. In all he will spend 7 weeks in Portland and 5 weeks at wind turbine sites across the country or Canada. It will be an amazing experience for him!

It is a lot to sacrifice, but we agree it is the best decision for our family's future. We know from experience (um, truck driving anyone?) that sometimes you have to sacrifice big things to reach your goals. So we decided to go for it.

We both have a lot of mixed emotions...we are incredibly excited for the opportunity, AND incredibly sad that we have to be apart. We are so thankful that I have family nearby (mom and dad, sister Karen and her husband, Aunt Gayle and Uncle Louie, cousins, etc.) to help me through the last month of this pregnancy and the first 6 weeks of our little girl's life.

We have prepared the girls as much as we can, although it is incredibly hard for a 3 1/2-year-old and a two-year-old to understand that Papa will be gone a long time. He will get a company cell phone and laptop right away and we are planning on talking and e-mailing lots!

And because I am me, an incredibly emotional and hugely pregnant hormonal woman, I need to take a minute to gush about my guy. I am so very proud of him! He has worked so hard for our family so that I can stay at home with the kids and I am so thankful. He has put in a lot of long hours for years at his previous job (his last day was today) and it is awesome to see him get a great job that he deserves. Despite lots of tears of sadness on my part, I am so thankful and joyful about this new opportunity.

Please keep us in your prayers, especially on Sunday when we have to say goodbye. Travis and I aren't usually apart (remember when we lived in a truck together for YEARS?) and I know it will be hard. But our family will be stronger for this experience.

My new year's resolution is to make it through the first three months of this year with my sanity. ;)

Happy 2009!
Lori

Overheard at Our House

On Christmas Eve our church passes out candles and the congregations sings "Silent Night" by candlelight.

Zella had gotten a flashlight (with a sleeping bag/backpack) earlier and when the lights dimmed she yelled, "Oh no Papa!" Travis asked her what was the matter and she said "It's dark in here and I didn't bring my flashlight!"

Madeline insisted on holding the candle and I was trying to keep it upright. She tilted it and hot wax dripped on my hand. I said ouch, and told her to be careful. The rest of the conversation went like this...

Madeline: Mommy, are you tough?

Me: Yeah, I'm pretty tough.

Madeline: Mama...tough people don't say ouch.

Yep...I got slammed by my 3-year-old on Christmas Eve. :)

More later,
Lori

Long Time No Blog

I can't believe I haven't posted since October. That is like five years in the blog world. :) We have been very busy! Lots to catch you up on now that my computer is up and running again.

My computer died and we are having the pictures recovered, but I don't have them in my possession yet, so I won't be posting photos for awhile.

I am 33 weeks pregnant and look like I swallowed a basketball. This little girl is a mover and a shaker! (Just like her big sister Zella). The girls love talking and singing to my belly, and coming up with names for her. Currently Madeline would like to name her Rapunzel, and Zella would like to name her Sister. Travis and I thought we had decided on a name, but then I had a dream the baby was named something else. We have a little more time to figure it out, I suppose.

Madeline loves preschool. We were shocked at student/teacher conferences when her teacher told us she doesn't know Madeline that well because Madeline is so quiet in school. I almost fell off my chair. She is NEVER quiet at home! Always singing and telling stories. When I asked Madeline why she was quiet at school, she told me that school is very serious and she is there to learn. (sounds like her Aunt Kate!) She has made a lot of new friends and loves to do crafts.

Zella turned two three days after Christmas (I will have to make that a post of its own!). She is on "fast forward" all the time. She doesn't walk, she runs...she just goes and goes. She has a great vocabulary and just talks and talks all day. It has been fun listening to her put more sentences together and really get to hear what she is thinking about. Her glasses broke for the first time (I accidentally stepped on them after she threw them on the ground) so she has been wearing her old pair for two weeks.) She tells anyone who will listen that I broke her glasses on purpose. Little stinker!

Travis has had a lot going on. There are big changes on the horizon for us. Seriously big changes that require a post all its own. I will update you in a couple days.

We had a great holiday season! I hope you did as well.

Happy New Year!
Lori

Finally...a Belly Pic

Zella wanted to touch my belly.

On our 9-year anniversary.

We finally got around to taking a picture of my belly. Here I am at 20 weeks on our anniversary. I'm almost 24 weeks now and I've grown a little. I'm definitely bigger at 20 weeks the third time around! I was just starting to show at 20 weeks with my first. Geesh. And I've only gained a couple pounds! I still have 23 pounds left to go. ;)

A Marathon Mini-Vacation

We took a mini-vacation last weekend to the Mall of America in Minnesota. I won a hotel stay, four wristbands to Nickelodeon Adventure (theme park inside of mall), a Mall of America coupon book, and a gift card to go out to eat at a raffle for Cystic Fibrosis. (My twin, Lisa, puts on a fund-raiser for Cystic Fibrosis every August.) I was thrilled to win the trip and we decided to extend our stay and make it a family getaway. Travis took Monday off work which was great.

We left early Saturday morning and stopped for a couple hours at Cabela's in Owatonna. Travis had a lot of gift cards to use so the girls and I checked out the aquarium and mounted animals display. (Kinda cool and creepy at the same time...there was a waterfall in the display and the girls loved that.)

We headed to the hotel, swam and ordered pizza. We had a lot of fun and still got the girls to bed at a decent time. Sunday morning we ate breakfast and then headed to the mall. We were there for 7 (!) hours and had a blast. Travis and I were both shocked the girls made it that long but they were just so excited for all the rides. Travis had to take them on most of them, because the safety bar of the little kids rides wouldn't fit over my pregnant belly. (I was okay with that...especially after we all rode the balloon ride and I almost got sick.) There were also fewer rides Zella could go on, so while Papa and Madeline went on the roller coaster, bumper cars, etc. Zella and I rode the train and merry-go-round over and over.

They both were in awe of the rides and were very good all day! We anticipated that we would stay for a couple hours, go back to the hotel room for nap/rest time and then go back to the mall. They didn't want to stop, though so we just followed their lead.

Here are a few of the pics from the day...

Our family at the end of a long day of fun!

Playing at Lego Land. It was all fun and games until Zella threw a Lego at someone.

Travis, Madeline & Zella at the top of the Ferris wheel. It was Madeline's favorite ride.

Papa and Zella

Zella "driving" the school bus. Her favorite ride.

Madeline waving from the Blues Clues ride.

The pool was really cold and the girls didn't want to get in, so they

swam in the bathtub instead.

Mama and Zella on the merry-go-round.

Papa and Madeline riding the race cars. Papa's long legs barely fit!

Travis snuck away and rode all the scary roller coasters while we shopped for souvenirs. He had a blast and thought it was weird that I didn't want to go on any of them. I seriously can't stand roller coasters OR any scary rides. Pure torture.

On Monday we headed to Ikea (my favorite store!) and got some things I needed. The girls had fun playing in the kids area. Then we headed back home.

We had an incredible time. It was nice to spend time as a family! Travis has been so busy with work, and the girls and I have had a very busy schedule, so it was very relaxing to spend some time just the four of us. It was strange to think that this will be our last "vacation" as a family of four!

More later,

Lori

Happy Anniversary!

Travis and I got married 9 years ago today! Hard to believe. We've been through a lot, good and bad, and there is no one else I'd rather ride this roller coaster with. Happy Anniversary, honey!

Love,

Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice

I am almost 21 weeks pregnant and we got to have an ultrasound last week. We were very thankful to find out the baby looks healthy! We were also thankful to find out we are having another girl! Travis will definitely be outnumbered with three girls, one wife, and a female dog. He can handle it though! :)

The girls are very excited and talk to my belly every day. Zella proudly announces to people that she is going to be a big sister like Madeline. Too cute.

We are having a hard time coming up with a name we both love. Suggestions are welcome! I think I finally have the comments fixed, so don't be shy. Madeline wants to name the baby NECKLACE so we could really use some help.

More later,

Sept. 11th

I was going about my morning, making muffins, getting Madeline ready for preschool, etc. when I glanced at the calendar and saw today's date. It's hard to believe that it has been seven years since that fateful Sept. 11th, when we were attacked by terrorists and our world changed forever.

So much has happened in those seven years...I was working at United Way in Des Moines at the time. I was meeting with a translator to translate a brochure I wrote into Sudanese (there is actually a large population of Sudanese in Des Moines we were trying to reach) when we heard the news. The man was so distraught he left the building in tears. I watched on the TV in our lobby later as the towers fell. Like most of you, it was hard to wrap my head around what was happening. It was so surreal.

In the last seven years I became a truck driver and lived in a truck, moved back to my hometown, became a homeowner and a mother of 2.5 kids. A lot has changed in my family and I can't help think of all the lives lost that day, and all the changes those families have endured.

When we were truck drivers we had the opportunity to travel to the 48 continuous states. I have seen most of this beautiful country, and it is indeed amazing. I felt such a sense of patriotism that continues with me today. We are so fortunate to live in America!

I know people have different views on the Iraq war, and different philosophies on what our country has done right and wrong. Lately there has been a lot of mudslinging in the Presidential election, as is usually the case. But through it all we should never lose sight of what it means to be an American, and the sacrifice our military has made to protect our freedoms.

My thoughts and prayers are with those who lost loved ones in the attack, and the many military men and women who are still protecting us.

God Bless America!