New home.

My new room

We signed the lease for our new place yesterday. It's in Monterey...well, technically it's Seaside. About a mile or two from Leif's work. He could ride a bike or walk:) Its also 0.8 miles from good friends of ours. Only God could make something like this happen... There is no way Leif and I would have thought to look for housing where we did if it wasn't for someone at his new job telling him about it. Then it just so happened that our friends also lived in this community. And within walking distance. Only God!

Our home is going to be in ex-military housing, which is kind of fun. Our house... well I guess really it's a duplex, was built in the 1950's and I'm in love. Anything built before 1970 is perfect to me. It's also double our apartment size, so that's a plus. I also love that we live in a community that is both civilian and military. I feel safer knowing I'm surrounded by the Navy, Army and Air Force :) Too bad I don't get their discount.

I'm excited to have a front and back yard. I will be able to have my garden that I've been wanting for! I'll also finally have my dishwasher and my own washer and dryer. Thank Jesus! Seriously, I'm tired of doing the dishes by hand, and doing the laundry was becoming a lot more complicated now that Riley is moving about.

Leif and I are so excited for the move. Our packing party is on Tuesday and we'll be packing up until about the 12th or 13th. Then we're off the 14th. The closer we get to moving, the more ready and excited I become. 14 days!

Good Friends and Food.

I have good friends. Really, I have wonderful friends. And my favorite thing to do with friends is cook & eat.






Last night two of my favorite people came over and made us dinner. We went to Trader Joes, picked up some things, & got some Champagne to make mimosas. What followed was a lovely Chinese dinner outside on the patio. So perfect in so many ways! I'm blessed!





I think not being able to have dinner parties, or Family Sunday Dinners will be one of the hardest parts of moving. Its such a big part of our lives and it'll be weird not being able to throw one of these dinners together. Thank God for trains, buses and cars:) And I'm already thanking God for the people He'll bring into our lives when we move.

Growing up.

Riley reached 6 months on the 25th.

The 25th was also Memorial Day. I hope you all enjoyed the holiday, spent it with friends & family and rested! We had a good Memorial Day, it was a nice break and change of pace:)

Good News/Bad News

So we have some good and exciting news: Leif got the job in Monterey! We're very excited, nervous but excited:) This is going to be a new adventure for us and we're ready! We can't wait to experience something so different than we've ever experienced before. While its nerve-racking to move away from family and close friends, its thrilling because you don't know what to expect. We're being thrown into something very new, where we will definitely have to leave our comfort zone. We know that God has big plans for us and knows whats He's doing. Its such a comfort and joy to know that our God is leading us somewhere to better serve Him.

We found a community about a mile and a half from Leif's job, that was formally military housing. Its for government employees and I believe ex-military. They have some houses open and we're praying that we're able to get one. It would be a nice change to live in a house, instead of an apartment. And I would love a yard! Also, who doesn't want a free gym membership? We're going to start packing this coming week, just a little by little... And we're enjoying our last few weeks here in Southern California. It's going to be hard to leave but, and its weird that I say this, it feels like its time.
Our bad, well sad, news is that most likely I've miscarried. Most people don't like to tell people they're pregnant until about 12 weeks, when your risk of miscarriage has gone way down. But I wanted to make sure I shared that I was pregnant with as many people as possible. Because it is so important to me to have all the support and prayers possible. And if I did has a miscarriage, I would still have the support and prayers .

Thursday I started spotting, but then it stopped and I made an appointment for the following day. Instead of sitting around that night I went and spent time with close friends. I needed to be around people that loved and cared for me. It helped. I slept well that night, comforted by prayers. The following day we went to the doctor and saw the sac. It was too early for a heartbeat and too early to tell if the baby was growing normally or abnormally. That was hard to hear, I was praying we would hear a heartbeat. Instead I was sent to the lab to test my hormone levels. I have to go back on Tuesday to retest and then have the levels compared. If they have gone up then that's wonderful, if not... Well no so good. The bleeding started again last night and when we went to bed it was hard. I was in so much pain, I just cried because it hurt so bad. When I woke up this morning I had peace. While we're still praying and hoping, both Leif and I are at peace with what has happened. There is a chance I'm still pregnant but its a small chance.

I know that God is good, I also know He has a plan and usually I don't understand this plan. This is one of those times I don't understand but I'm not upset. I always thought I would be but I'm happy. I'm so blessed and thankful. All I can think about is just how wonderful and good my Father is. If my baby wasn't suppose to be born, then it wasn't. God knows more than I, and trust Him. Last year, I wouldn't have said that but thankfully I've learned how to trust and let go of things. God will bless me with more children when the timing is right. I don't doubt that at all!

Its amazing how amidst tragedy you really can see just how great God is.

Thank you all for your prayers and love:)!

Grizzly Bear and The Red Balloon.

This is a beautiful video that I just had to share. I've been watching it all morning. I first saw it over at Cup of Jo, a blog you should all follow. I know my life is better now that I've found this blog:) About the video though, its edited with scenes from Albert Lamorisse's "La Ballon Rouge" (The Red Balloon), set to Grizzly Bear's song "Two Weeks". So lovely and enchanting. Really.

*I'm sorry the video isn't centered!

A little trip.

Leif had an interview in Monterey yesterday, so he took me with him for a quick little trip. Since we have another little one on the way we're most likely not going to be able to have a "just the two of us" kind of trip for awhile:) We left Sunday afternoon, without the baby, and returned late last night. While it was a short trip, it was the perfect amount of time to catch up with Leif, catch up on sleep, and catch up on some movies we haven't been able to see. I loved being alone with Leif. We missed Riley, but we really enjoyed each others company and the freedom to do whatever without planning ahead and worrying about if we had enough diapers and wipes.

We walked around Monterey, rented a movie, went to a movie, ate seafood, got massages, slept in, stayed up late, fought a few times, went to Trader Joes because we love it, danced in the car many times, & visited with friends. It was good. And now we're happy to be home and have Riley back, haha. I'm looking forward to our next trip without the baby, or babies... Whenever that will be.

Cherished Moments.

Everyday Riley and I go on a walk, or sit in the grass. We people watch and car watch:) Riley loves watching the cars the most. She's amazed by them. I really enjoy these times, when its just me and her sitting together. She'll look up at me and laugh, then go back to watching the cars and people. Yesterday I set her in my lap and played with her feet, she thinks its great and lets out the most happy string of giggles. In turn it makes me laugh. I stopped for a second and told myself to remember this moment and to always cherish moments like this. I know she won't always be able to sit in my lap, and I know she won't let me play with her feet forever. She's going to continue to get older and we'll continue to do other different things together, and I'll cherish every one of those moments as well.

I don't want to take any of our times together for granted.

Gratitude Thursday

I'm having a really hard day. I wouldn't call it bad, just hard. Difficult to get through... So I thought it would be a good time to start of my gratitude Thursdays again:)

I am grateful for Riley smiles.
I am grateful for ankle rubs from my husband.
I am grateful for encouraging phone calls from my mothers.
I am grateful for the peace and quiet I get at naptime.
I am grateful for tonight! I get to spend with good friends and art.
I am grateful for meatless corndogs and trail mix.
I am grateful for NPR and All Songs Considered.
I am grateful for dancing.
I am grateful for bright colors that make my life so much better.
I am grateful for the lovely people in my life constantly praying.
I am grateful the strength God has given me today. I need it.

Summertime.

Summer has arrived. At least it feels like it has. The weather has been perfect and hot. We even got to take Riley swimming the other day... She had fun a lot of fun splashing about with Leif, while I of course took pictures. :)

I love summer. Two years ago was the summer I was dating Leif, and we spent a majority of it apart from each other. We had only been dating one month before I moved back home for summer vacation. I spent that summer writing him lots of letters and emails. My evenings were filled with phone calls and online chatting with him. Then that August, we eloped. The following summer I was going to turn 21, and I was also 4 months pregnant when summer began. Leif and I spent that summer watching movies most nights, playing Wii, and going to the Farmers Market. I really enjoyed that summer. Leif and I really kept to ourselves, trying to enjoy every minute together because in just a few short months our daughter would be joining us.

This summer will be a lot different than my previous summers. I'm a mommy this summer, and I'm also pregnant, again. I will be moving to a whole new place, one I've never lived in or close to. It will be my first summer away from my family. But I am looking forward to taking Riley to the beach, be it in Monterey or in Oregon. I'm looking forward to sewing curtains and seat cushions. I'm looking forward to cooking more meals for Leif and giving Riley ice cream for the first time. I'm looking forward to sign language and polaroids. I'm looking forward to date nights with my husband and staying up late playing wii tennis. I'm looking forward to train rides and bike rides. I'm looking forward to the change my life is about to take on this summer.

Teething Woes:)

Riley has been teething for a good week now. I guess really its been longer, more like three weeks, but we didn't really think much of the drooling and constant gnawing. Last Sunday night Riley started getting fussy and cranky right before bed, and we would sit up with her for about two hours straight, while she screamed and cried. We did this for five nights in a row. It was hard to watch my daughter be in so much pain, and I was so grateful for Leif's help! She'd wake up at 3 or 4, screaming because of the pain. That sucked because we had adjusted to Riley sleeping through the night and I did not miss those early morning feedings! I finally bought teething tablets and more teething rings. Those have been lifesavers! So has Tylenol:)

Friday night came around and she slept through the night. Then Saturday. And Sunday night we checked her mouth and her tooth had surfaced, ready to break through. She also slept through the night. This morning we checked again, and part of the tooth has broken through. Thank Jesus! I was hoping she would only have to deal with two hours of teething like the last time, but I'll take a week over a month any day! It could always be worse right?

Happy Mothers Day!

Happy Mothers Day!
I enjoyed my first Mothers Day, and I hope you enjoyed your Mothers Day as well!





I hope you were all blessed by your families today!

Milestones.

The last few weeks Riley has reached a lot of different milestones. She holds her bottle now with no help, always grabbing it out of my hands. That makes shopping and going out much easier for us. She sits without support, and can actually stop herself from falling over by putting her hands out. Riley holds her spoon and I let her feed herself when I'm in the mood to be patient:) Otherwise I hold her hand, cause she'll grab the spoon from me, so we can get it over with. Her first tooth broke through a couple of weeks ago which we weren't expecting at all. I hate sticking my finger in her mouth because she'll chomp down and it hurts! She's reaching for everything and anything, if she's sitting on my lap I have to make sure she can't touch anything. Or else it'll all end up on the floor or in her mouth. What I'm most excited about is Riley can now scoot and crawl a bit. Thankfully she can't go far so I don't have to baby proof everything. But everyday she seems to go a bit further...

I wasn't expecting all of this so soon, but I guess Riley has other plans.

God is in control!

God has given me peace. A lot of it.

Leif will no longer have a job come June 11. There's no more funding for his position and they're over budget. Its understandable, no one is concerned with giving NASA money because there are more important things to spend money on at the moment. We found this out on Tuesday and at first I cried and was upset. But then I spoke with my mom and she told me I had a choice: "I could mope or I could trust God". I decided to Trust. So while Leif and I could be complaining, stressing about money, worrying, etc. We have chosen to allow God to do His job. We have chosen to trust Him with everything and continue to live our lives knowing that He is good and He will take care of us.

With this choice God has given me peace. I have no fear. I simply have hope. I also have excitement:) While this is very unexpected, we're seeing it as a blessing in disguise. We're considering so many different options. School being the top one. Leif was a psychology major and has wanted to go back to school since he graduated two and a half years ago. We're talking about grad school. Should he pursue a MA or a MA & a Phd? Where would that put our family for 2 or 5 years? We are talking about what we should do, where we should go, but we don't want to forget that God is the one who is really in control and at the end of the day we're going to end up where He wants us, and doing what He wants us to do.

Tonight was a bit hard though because we've become so involved with our church and have grown close with so many people. It really hit me tonight, after I spent a weekend at church, that I might not be here for much longer. That I won't be around all the wonderful people that bless me so much in so many ways! Its hard for me to imagine leaving this community that God has blessed us with. I've never felt apart of a family and community like this and it scares me a bit to leave it. I love church, I love being surrounded by people that are constantly uplifting me and encouraging me. Leif and I are finding ourselves being blessed always. Why do we have to leave?!

At the same time, I know Leif and I will leave the church knowing that we have learned a lot. Although we haven't been there for very long, we have learned so much. Especially me. The women in the church have been great examples of godly wives and godly mothers. They are godly women. The type of woman I am striving to be everyday! I know God is good and He will guide Leif and I to a church that He wants us to be part of.

While its a bit daunting not knowing what our future looks like, where money will be coming from, its so comforting to know that God is bigger than job loss:) When we were in this situation last year He took care of us. Why wouldn't He do it again? We know He will!

Hallelujah!

Please keep us in your prayers, we appreciate them. We definitely believe that when two or more are gathered, prayers are answered!