Happy Thanksgiving

Sorry for the lack of update for awhile. Just wanted to pop on and send a little hello out to you all and hoping you all had wonderful Thanksgivings.
Micah's been very busy lately working full time at a stressful job and also partime at the bookstore, which is getting busy with the holiday season. Micah also has started setting up a gathering at the bookstore where people get together and play a card game that him and several of his friends play and has been doing a really good good there.
I'm now just over 35 weeks along. only less than 5 weeks to go till baby #2 is here. it's been coming really fast and i've been slightly stressed arranging where the little girl is going to go when she gets here so christmas thoughts have kind of gotten put on the back burner. so please don't feel neglacted family if presents fine there way to you late or anything like that. you are all in our thoughts we just don't have all the means or mental capcity to be thinking on the subject much.
sawyer is being a big love bug lately, i think she knows something is coming because she just constantly is wanting to be head. some of it i don't mind like the extra hugs and loving throughout the day and before bed but it's also a hinderance to daily chores and quiet times. another reason she's been extra lovey is she has had teeth coming in, she's now up to 5! she still is happ most of the time though she seems to enjoy releasing her excitement in big bursts of screaming sometimes (trying to get them to be quieter) but she love her mommy and daddy and everyone else pretty much (social butterfly) which will be kinda nice that she's okay with others when her little sister gets here, and then we know also that she will love having a sister.
well love you all, have to go. i'll put up pictures later

Sawyer-isms

just a little share time on things sawyer likes

Sawyer likes sitting in daddy's lap

and playing with mommy's hair

She likes running up and down the hallway

and playing outside

She likes splashing in water

and taking baths

Sawyer likes loving on her puppy Casey (or any other animal)

and throwing toys for him to play with

She likes brushing her teeth (2 is pural)

and brushing her own hair

Sawyer likes her yellow blanket

and teddy bear

She likes walking on her toes

and climbing on her toys

Sawyer likes gulping down her sipping

and feeding herself

She likes playing with her new alphabet magnets

and reading books

Sawyer likes talking

and talking some more

Cars, work, and happenings

So we have had much happen here. my car broke down not too long ago which we had fixed, then micah's car got a hit and run (thankfully only have to pay the deductable) friday we got micah's car back and saturday headed to lincoln for an army workshop, we got back into town and my car again broke down, acting just like it did the first time :( my car has worked so great for all the years i've owned it and then all of a sudden it just breaks, twice. we're hoping that it's just the same thing that happened last time because then the mechanic won't charge us again to fix it but if it's not then.... we'll have to find a way to pay for it. :( pray that its the same thing.

micah has started his job but we feel kind of at a loss because upon taking it we had the impression that he would be getting more hours and a little better pay they slightly deceived us with throwing a manager job at us, which it really isn't. it's just frustrating but we know something will come up and we will get everything figured out, God will provide for us when we think there is no way. He is good and i'm clinging to that.

sawyer is as active as ever and growing slowly but surely. her hair has gotten long enough for pig tails which just makes my heart dance thinking of all the fun girlie things i can do with her hair as she continues to get bigger, though it also makes me sad thinking how fast she is growing :(

i started an etsy site http://www.etsy.com/shop/Lesleyar trying to sell a few things that i've made. clothes and crafts and also a few paintings. its kind of exciting to sell things makes you proud thinking someone might want and like what you've made. i've also got a few people that want to commission me to do a few painting outside of my site. just a little extra money. always good. we also got to take sawyer to her first parade, just a couple blocks for our house. she was very excited dancing to the bands and picking up candy, though she wanted to go a little further than i'd let her go. though the weather was a little chilly it was still a good time.

at the parade all bundled up

watching the bands pass by

sitting with daddy... he's so cool and has the neatest things, like phones and remote controls :) sawyer loves climbing all over daddy and sitting with him on the couch... it's really cute seeing them together! (also micah is wearing his work shirt lol)

Absence

Sorry that we've been way for a little while; a lot has been going on. Sawyer about a week ago had a checkup and to my great relief the doctors are finally agreeing with me and saying there is nothing wrong with her. her weight still isn't on the chart but she's following her own curve. it's just nice having this nagging feeling gone from the back of my head, trying to make me think maybe i am feeding her wrong or maybe she does have something wrong with her, worrying is not a fun game. her height is 25% so that is on the growth chart so she'll be a shortly like her mom :) nothing wrong with that though. so good news there.

and micah was offered a job and we've just been waiting on his background check so we're kinda just in limbo at the moment. we're keeping our fingers crossed there though.

Also on friday our car broke down my cute little car that i've had for years and never given me trouble :( it just makes me sad. it has been in the shop for several days. now i have no clue about cars but i was told the water pump broke which then broke the timing belt... and i'm also told that these things are both very important. :S the vehicle is supposed to get done this evening and we're hoping it's not too expensive especially with micah not starting a job yet, we're trying to trust God and not worry about finaces here but we need some help in not worrying sometimes. I'm sure it will all work out. We've been barrowing some vehicles from members of our church because our other ones don't have room for sawyer (legally lol) we thought it'd be a challege there but we've been blessed with the people wanting to help us out and offering their cars to us. very thankful we're taken care of there and that God has provided. Thank you Bilstein's and Wicker's there.

All our news seems to be tainted with good and bad, for Sunday was my birthday :) but we were sick ALL day so we were stuck inside on the couch on a very nice day, me cleaning up very dirty diapers and throw up off and on. the sickness only lasted a little over a day but has left me with excessive tiredness and a slight ill feeling lingering in my stomach that has yet to go away. I blame the pregnancy for squeezing and pressing my insides for that though lol. and though we were sick we did get to spend the whole day together just kind of lounging and had we not felt awful it would've been a very pleasant day.

Celebrate my Hunny!

We're still adjusting to being together but really everything has been going so great. I was worried the weeks prior to Micah's return and like all worrying it seems to have been a waste and all for nothing.

Though it is going very smoothly of course we have had some bumps, but even with those included it's felt just so great having micah home. both of us have some high running emotions, with my being pregnant and his stress from deployment, and we both have been so understanding. And for me just being able to watch Micah's love for sawyer

and just how much she seems to have grown to love him, it's like she's happier or more complete having him home, which is so true our lives are complete with micah home.

And we are happy that he gets to be home on his birthday and enjoy it! Micah we love you happy birthday... (one day early)

HOME!

Well Micah's finally home! friday night we picked him up at the national guard base, in lincoln where he flew in. It's so great him being home again. we've been busy seeing some people and relaxing around the house, watching sawyer. Here are a few pictures from the night we picked him up.

Almost!

The last couple of days have been spent in preparation because tonight Micah is finally going to be home! We'll pick hom up at 8:50 it's all an exciting mix of emotions bembarding me. If i wouldn't have taken time out of the day to just collect my thoughts they all would have gotten out of control. just so many things to think aout and a very many i shouldn't think about and God really helped me with it. Micah has been in the States since around monday sometime and has been in Fort Hood doing debreifings and classes and turning equipment in. Sawyer has been very entertaining this week, with enjoying all her new toys she's received on her birthday. she dances all the time when there is music on and plays the piano on her new car been a little spoiled this week but it's deserved :)

She been a great distraction from all the commotion and she heightens my excitment to soon be able to share her silly antics with her daddy

here i'm blowing some bubbles and casey's jumping and biting them while sawyer giggles at him

Sawyer's 1!

yesterday was little sawyer's first birthday... hard to believe how fast that year has gone... We had a small little get together for her with some family and friends but it was a good time.we went to the lake in town and enjoyed the nice weather and guests.

cake! had it made because i just didn't have time to attempt to make anything...

sawyer gt her own little cupcake she she could destroy it if she wanted :) and she pretty much did

nana helped clean sawyer's fingers off

some of the guests

opening presents

it was a fun time all we needed was for all our family to have been there to make it better... love you all and wish you could've been there/.

Baby #2

Tuesday I had an ultrasound and found out that baby number 2 is good and healthy... everything is great and right on track. we also found out that baby #2 is also little girl #2! micah will have lots of women around but also is going to havea mighty big fan club in his own home! We are very excited and micah might be a little smug for guessing the sex correctly when I really had no idea. lol and it makes it great that we have all the clothes from sawyer to use over and don't have to buy a lot there.

Also Micah will be leaving iraq next week and heading to fort hood for demobilization before coming home for good. it's all very exciting!

Productivity

The last couple of days my creative juicy have been running, or I've just had a kick in the butt to actually do something... lol and really it's been a lot of fun. I've sewn, organized, and painted. I mean i do things all the time cleaning and picking up and all that jazz but it's nice having things to show for all your work. Creating is one of my great joys that God has given me... i think i need to do it more.

I was just stumbling through the internet the other day and found a super cute pattern for a little puppy stuffed animal... this is the 1st attempt so it's a little ragged the 2nd attempt was sent to my dear sweet sister who needed a long distant hug. (hope you liked it)

Here I pieced together a little dress for Sawyer for some wedding we have this summer including my mother's. I also for the second time only did a little embroidering. it turned out pretty good, though you can tell it was a novice attempt, hope it goes through the wash. and it's just super cute on sawyer... though i didn't get any pictures yet. ;) i will tho

Here is a cover out of an old pillow case. It hides a bunch of movies from view... more aesthetics than necessities.

This I've been working and for a little bit and with all the stuff that keeps coming up it took much longer than wanted to finish.... BUT it did get finished and it is my 2nd commissioned artwork ever! I'm very proud of it and think it turned out really well... i was scared for awhile... :)

here is some of the organizing I did in sawyer's room. they are on a shelf before and she would always take them and walk of with her shoes and head bands and such so i put them where she wouldn't get them and where i could always find them, and not have to go looking... kids are so crafty and we've got an extra mischievous one... lol

Speaking of the little girl here is her first ever ponytail... i just love that her hair is long enough to do this! and now if she's in a outfit that makes her gender ambiguous then i can add one of these and no one calls her a boy.... I just hate my little girl getting mistaken because i find her to be a beautiful little girl and not boyish. :)

This is just a cute sign i saw on a walk i went on... in the fast moving technology world the church is still trying to reach everyone... well i know i didn't have many pictures of us but I'm sure my next blog will be full of them... just wanted to share some of my recent accomplishments :D love you all!

Flood Waters

Well here in norfolk and in the surrounding areas has had a lot of rain. 2 or more inches a day for several days. the waters have started to recede now but for awhile many roads and houses were flooded from the nearby overflowing river. here are a few pictures from around town. These are after the waters started to receded a very little.

the river that overflowed here the waters are right below the bridge

a field south of town

in front of some businesses

our mall parking lot