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About Me

My photo
Western North Dakota , United States
My husband, Allen, and I are high school sweet hearts. We started dating Sep.99'- I kind of followed Allen home one day, and never did leave, is Allen's story. November 02' we were engaged, and on November 22,2003 - we were married. Having been married for 6 years in 2009, marked the 5th year we had been trying to start our family. With the referral of a Fertility Specialist from a friend, our IUI attempts ended up being a complete success despite my doubts. We welcomed our sweet little girl, Hayleigh into the world on June 30,2010 at 6:28am after 37wks and 1 day of gestation. She weighed 7lbs 14oz and was 20 in long. We found out that we were Baby #2 on April Fool's Day- a complete surprise! Reid Allen was born 11/13/12 3:24am 9lbs 8.2oz 21", after 38wks 5 days. Our 3rd baby, Eva Jane, was born on April 19, 2015 after suffering a pregnancy loss June of 2014. We are currently anxiously awaiting baby #4 due 2 days before Eva's birthday, so we are having Irish Twins! Our family is so blessed and happy to be growing!

Sunday, February 26, 2012

Tidbits- Bedtime!

These pictures were all taken yesterday. One is with Allen lying with Hayleigh on the couch for her nap, and the other is from last night when Hayleigh and Bentley were having their bed bottles together, watching Mickey Mouse Club House. 





Lazy Sunday = Minnie Mouse Cookies


Today has been such a lazy day! We did not get much accomplished. I ran to the store, to pick up the few groceries we needed, while Allen stayed home with Hayleigh. After an hour of intense shopping, I finally got home, helped Allen get groceries in, and then put Hayleigh down for a nap. While Hayleigh napped, Allen and I went out back and practiced shooting our new handgun. When we move, we have to be a resident of Montana for six months before we can conceal and carry. Anyway, after Allen was satisfied that he would not want me to be shooting it at him with it- I made a pretty tight little group with it, we went and visited our neighbor for a few. I ran back to the house just in time for Hayleigh to wake up. After cleaning up the kitchen, and putting the last of the groceries away, we watched an episode of The Pioneer Woman on the DVR, and I got the notion to cook something sweet. ( The episode was all chocolate) While at the store I just happened to see these pre-made cookies with Minnie Mouse on them. I usually don't buy the pre-made cookies, but decided it would be something fun Hayleigh could help out with. Not much to do on cooking, but something simple Hayleigh got to do. I didn't get any pictures of her putting the cookies on the sheet since I was holding her and helping her with them. Here is what we ended up with:





Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Tidbits

Hayleigh now really loves to say Grand ma Maw, and look at her baby pictures. She started all of this a week ago, while at my moms..aka Grandma maw Sue's, and Hayleigh was pointing at the pictures on the wall of her and Grandma Sue. She would say, "Baby, awww!" and then point at Grandma Sue, and say, "Grandma Maw, Ma Maw Sue" Sure did make me smile some~


After the whole Grandma maw deal, we went to pick me out a bicycle for my birthday at the local bicycle factory store- part of my birthday from my mom. We walked in and Hayleigh says ohhhhhh! Needless to say, they had A LOT of bikes- small to large, very overwhelming! I know where I will be going to get Hayleigh's first bicycle! They had the cutest little girl bikes with baby doll carriers on the back- just like a  child carrier on a grown up bicycle. SOO CUTE!!! Anyway, the people working asked what kind of a bike I was interested in- I went from wanting a bright colored- orange, purple, pink, blue mountain bike to letting my mom, and Hayleigh pick one out for me. Of course, I had the final say, but I think what we ended up with is a really beautiful nice bike for me to shofer Hayleigh around on.

This is it!! Minus the child carrier though 

Up close you can see the white walls and the yellow rims, along with the peacock feather details on it- very beach like theme for going to a mountain community - but I love it! 

Hayleigh has been laundry basket surfing lately- I've posted pictures of that, and she has just been a plain stinker - she makes me smile at what silly stuff she does-

Hayleigh's morning routine with Toby-
 watching Mickey Mouse Club House 


Eating out one night 

What Allen caught her doing when she went into our room

What Hayleigh did when she saw Daddy standing in the doorway....

Hayleigh eating her hamburger all by herself!

Being silly taking a bath




 Last night, I gave Hayleigh one of my pots, and spoons, and spirial uncooked noodles- she thought that was top drawer!



The good, the bad, and the ugly

I know its been a little stretch again, but I'm still here, we are still here.


The past week and a half has just been on thing after another- everything in this world is making this whole moving thing as hard as possible to achieve, but we still have our heads up. I told Allen yesterday that, and that we will make it through this. What went from an exciting adventure, and a really good chance to change our lives for the better, has gradually become a burden. There is soo much anticipation on the week to come- Allen's last week here at home with us. I moved one of my vacations up, so we could enjoy, or at least try to enjoy us being together before he has to leave- a week from Friday. In the week leading up to Allen leaving, we have to get another vehicle for him- hopefully will be done with that tomorrow, along with help him pack for his trip, and pack his stuff he is leaving behind for the move. I am going to also start packing everything else, starting with the closets after he leaves too.


 It is soo surreal that this coming week will be our last week together in our house. Sad but true, and on the upside, we will be moving to better things, even if we are leaving behind everything we have ever known. What a great thing it is at the same time, this move. We can start over, and change anything in life that we want to. This does not mean that leaving the people behind that have been there for us makes this any easier. I just wish I could pack them up too, in a box, and take them with us. That would make things soo much easier. I have been dreading leaving these people behind, but I am at the same time relieved to be leaving others behind. I really think that some bridges we have with some will be burnt for good. I wish things were different, but I cannot change what or who these people are. Some times you just have to let go, and it is for the best. I have no regrets, I just hope that they do not either.   For some people, if we do not want to see them again, we don't have to...plain and simple... better than small town life here, where you will still bump into them every now and then. This all does not mean for one minute that I do not miss them. I just miss the good memories we have shared over the years.


The only other thing I hate about the move is people avoiding us. Really? Some have been doing it for a few months already, but, some have just about jumped ship. It really does hurt when some of the people you love the most and that are there for you, just go MIA. I know it is because we are leaving, it is absolute that we are leaving, and we are not changing our minds about it, and they have finally realized this. Some days, I feel alone because of this. I thought that after we moved, I would be a little lonely, but it has already begun to hit some days. After all of this started happening, I had to just stand back and take a breath. I am just soo grateful that we have family that no matter what happens, they are here for us, whether or not they want us to go, they are here and are trying to help even if they are hurting.


With everything going on, and going though one of the toughest parts of my life at the same time, I've been trying to plan all that I can. We still have no date set yet on when Hayleigh and I will move out to Montana, just a general idea of a month and a half to two months time. It really just all depends on how everything goes for Allen out there, and how easy it is for us to find a place to move into too. We were trying not to move until after Hayleigh's birthday, but I think that would be too hard on Allen to wait that long now- him out there by himself for four months, instead of two and a half to three, as originally planned. Anyway, yesterday, my mom offered to help plan part of Hayleigh's birthday party this year, since we will be having it at her house anyway. What a relief that was! Just thinking about getting everything together for that makes me cringe. At least we have the theme, the place, and a general idea of what everything will be agreed upon now. Since we will probably be already moved by then, we will have to plan on flying back to celebrate Hayleigh's birthday- even if we are a week off. When we will be back will depend on the week Allen has off with work, since he gets a whole week off a month with pay.


Anyway, you get the jest of things. Planning, and waiting, and hoping it will all work out without losing our minds.

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Valentine's Day with slight chance of snow

This Valentine's Day we got snow- granted, not enough to go out and build a snowman in, but at least get to break out the snow suit. Aunt Magen got Hayleigh this snow suit from Old Navy for Valentine's Day this year, so we HAD to get it out just for the occasion even though the snow had melted by the time I got home from work :(( I know that we will have plenty of snow to play in, in the future, I just wish we could have had one good snow this last winter here in Illinois to enjoy before we moved. Hayleigh loved her outfit, and snow boots soo much she was mad at me when I made her take it all off. She even trotted around in her boots in the house, again today at Grandma Sue's.

Happy Valentine's Day Everyone!

Wordful Wednesday.....TOBY!

We just got home from supper with Allen's grandparents, and Hayleigh started yelling for the dogs again- her new favorite past time. Toby, our smaller min pin is Hayleigh's dog, and her absolute favorite. He wants any and all attention from anyone soo much, he will risk being smacked, ears yanked, and just tortured in general by a 20 month old little girl, just because he loves her, and wants attention. Toby is a good dog, and even though he never does come to Hayleigh in the video, does actually come to her when she yells for him most of the time.

Monday, February 6, 2012

It's Official!

Well, this whole relocating thing is now a real reality. Allen made it official today when we faxed his copies of his acceptance letters of employment to Halliburton today. As of now, he is still to be in Williston, ND on March 5th.

So, now that the ball is rolling on that front, we have been house hunting for a place to rent to the point my eyes feel like they are crossed. We know that housing in the area Allen will be in will be next to impossible, so we are looking into around the Shepard/ Billings area for now. We should have a better idea about where we will be living after Allen gets out there, and can actually go around and see the area.

I am now very overwhelmed over the need to start packing up stuff here at home before I procrastinate until the last minute.

As for things going on right now, Hayleigh was sick Friday with the flu. Poor girl! She has been teething- 4 molars coming in all at once, so she has been stuffy, grouchy,not sleeping well, and running a slight fever from that. Add the teething with flu and that equals a mommy ready to pull her hair out. That's is how I felt Friday. I ended up staying home with Hayleigh, so Allen could go and get fingerprinted for his Hazmat endorsement. The whole day, Hayleigh was whinny, crying, running a fever- NOT HAPPY AT ALL. I was giving her medicine around the clock for the fever/pain from the teething, but for the flu- there was not much I could do. We made Jello, and she ate that with some fruit- and had some milk, only to throw it all up 5 times later that afternoon/evening. Not so funny thing when a kid pukes- she would try to run away after throwing up, the dogs tried to go to the puke and eat it, I'm trying to get Hayleigh to stay in one place, and keep the dogs out of the mess. YUCK is all I have to say about that.

Saturday was a better day- just slight fever from teething, and CRANKY. She sure has turned into Ms. Cranky pants. I cannot wait until those teeth finally break through!

Sunday, was spent relaxing, cleaning, cooking, and visiting with friends. We watched part of the superbowl, and that was pretty much it. I couldn't sleep last night, trying to figure out what we would be doing a few months from now- just worrying about everything I possibly could.

One of the very few times Hayleigh was really happy, was when we caught her doing this: 








Thursday, February 2, 2012

From Limbo to High Gear Part Deux

continued from Tuesday's post:

Yesterday, Allen had his phone interview with Halliburton. I was at work while this was going on, and just as soon as Allen got off of the phone interview, he called me at work. He was soo excited! I cannot tell you just how great that was to hear the excitement and hope in his voice again. The person that interviewed Allen was very reassuring to him, and basically told him he would be getting a call with a job offer just as soon as he could report back to HR. This afternoon, the same lady who had called two days prior, called Allen again. This time she had a job offer! Allen was told if he wanted to accept the job offer, he needed to be in Williston, ND on March 5th to start training. Allen was smiling when he was on the phone with the lady, discussing the different things he would need to get in order for when he would make the trip out. Allen got off of the phone finally, and gave both me and Hayleigh hugs and kisses.

Through all of this long wait, it has finally paid off. We never did think we would ever be doing this, but God has a plan for us. Even though we are going through hard times, and may not be able to see what good can come out of a situation, we have to trust that there is a plan. I know I have a very hard time accepting this a lot of the time- I have to have a plan of my own.

As for if this will all work out, only time will tell. Allen will be spending a month and a half to two months out there before we will go- to make sure this will work. I imagine we will be flying up there for a few days to look at homes to rent, and the area in general before we make the big move up.

For now, we are happy that Allen has a job, and our plan is now kicked into drive. This is our chance to have a better life for our family, and I hope that this is it!