Looking Back....

So I've spent some time today looking back in awe at where God has brought our little family.....About 6 years ago Josh and I were married and he worked a variety of jobs while I finished my degree.
Summer 04 Josh joined the AirForce after much prayer and talking....we actually decided over dinner on our Thursday date night....I'm the one who brought it up!!! He had always thought about it but thought I would say no so he never said anything (wow, God is so fun!) Josh started bootcamp shortly after. We moved back in with my parents so I could be with them while I finished school. I graduated Dec 04 and got my first teaching job January 05. I waited to tell him until we met up at my best friends house (he wasn't allowed to drive all the way home, too far from the base). We moved into our apt April 05 with the plan to try to buy a house in the next few years.

We STUMBLED upon our house April 06 and started talking and working through the process of buying it. We purchased it from a VERY DEAR FRIEND I work with June 06. I enjoyed that summer playing in my yard and getting things just the way I wanted them.

A year ago February Josh and I decided to start trying to get prego (actually on my best friends birthday :) A year ago March I was in California for my typical Spring Break trip. We weren't prego yet by the first of April so my dr put me on some hormones to try and help out....little did we know that our little one started to grow and the timing of the hormone treatment prevented a miscarriage!

The weekend of April 13th I was heading to my best friends baby shower and a HORRIBLE storm was pounding my house! Josh slept through a VERY DANGEROUS storm and I outran it on my way to the shower. I woke up the morning of my friends shower and felt like DEATH! I could barely function! I made it through the shower and then drove home. I, of course, rushed to the store and got a pregnancy test....still negative. I was actually prego, but not enough to show up on the test.

I took one again about a week or two later and it was positive....I rushed into the spare bedroom where I had a mommy figurine waiting to give Josh (I had bought it months ago waiting for the final positive test). We didn't tell anyone until I had been to the dr to confirm it. They were surprised that I was "very" pregnant as she put it. This ended my OBSCENE pregnancy test budget :) We surprised my parents with gifts, the aunties and uncles got really cute cookies, Jim and Bonnie got a photo album and we also drove to tell Josh's best friend....what a GREAT night!!!

A year ago this month my boss offered me the AMAZING opportunity to teach science campus wide (instead of just 5th grade). I actually took this job just before we found out we were prego....it's my dream job and makes being a working mom so much easier!

Two days before school was out my "morning" sickness began....God is soooo good! I was able to make it through the last few days of school, my family came and moved my classroom across the hall and then I was able to rest and let Miss Stephanie grow all summer.

A month or so into the school year my principal told me I had to move classrooms again. My wonderful family again came to my rescue and moved my classroom for me.

Just a short two months ago my body did the most AMAZING thing I think it will ever do! It labored for three days in which I learned so much! I think childbirth is the most amazing and wonderful experience and though it didn't go as I had planned....I thank God for every minute of it. I am one of those CRAZY women who would rather go through childbirth and skip the whole pregnancy thing!

Since I've had Stephanie I've had complication after complication with breastfeeding and finally had to give it up which broke my heart...but as of today my dr thinks those complications are over and I am back to "normal".

So now I look at going back to work in two weeks and am so excited. A WONDERFUL FRIEND is going to watch Stephanie and will love her like her own. I will be able to go to work, enjoy my kiddos and not have to worry about Stephanie's care. My job allows me to work while at school and not have to bring anything home....letting me have all that time with my family.

This summer Josh and I have tons of time off from work to just be a family which is a dream! We'll be able to visit friends and family and just hang out...I can't wait! It's good to take a minute and look back at all the amazing things God has done in our lives and how blessed we are! Just thought I would share this recap of our journey...thanks to all who have been a part of it!