It's Summer Time

The sun is finally out and shinning with no rain clouds in sight. I love, love, LOVE summer!! Sarah and I have not been able to sing together since I sound "off" when I'm pregnant. I hope this baby comes soon so we can get some good summer practices in. My fingers are so swollen and huge that I can't play the piano either. Oh well, there is a season for everything right? My season right now is to be miserably pregnant :). I have always loved being pregnant but I think this is Heavenly Father's way of letting us know that this sweet baby is my last and since she was a surprise (I'd already decided not to have anymore because of how hard it is on my body and how many miscarriages I've had) I think I'm being told it's okay to have this sweet baby girl but let's not tempt fate any more. I am 32 weeks and 2 days today and I'm hoping I don't have to go much further. I have tried about everything I know to get this baby here. After 12 weeks of constant contractions and swelling my nerves are a little shot. I'm grateful for my AMAZING husband and my SWEET kids who are enduring well with me and hopefully soon little Ashleigh Kae with be here with us.

Sshh!! It's a secret!

About 18 months ago I had a client in my chair who was telling me about a book that was featured on Oprah. The book's title is "The Secret" by Rhonda Byrne. She had amazing stories about what "The Secret" had done for people's lives. My client then continued to tell me how "The Secret" had impacted her life and her sister's lives and all their family members lives. She said it is hard to explain but you just need to read the book. So being a little skeptical but having a nagging feeling that I should read it I asked my Dad about the book. My Dad is an avid reader and reads a lot of books. Ironically he had just barely bought the book that day and had started reading it. So I went out and bought it too. Since then I have read the book several times and even have little quotes from the book as reminders laying around my house in certain spots that only I will see them everyday and a few that everyone can see.

I am pregnant with baby #5 (this will make 4 living and 1 deceased) and my body is having a hard time. So lately I have forgotten to use the secret, BUT, I have seen the power of "The Secret" work in my life amazingly since the day I started reading the book. We bought our first home, we've bought Jess a Jeep (again) and it was everything he wanted (except it wasn't the 4 door; that's coming later), we were able to get pregnant and stay pregnant with this last baby and it's a girl, Jess got an amazing and very rare bonus check right at Christmas time from work, we have put our backyard in and have it the way we want it, all the walls in our house are painted the colors we want; just to name a few. There are many things little and big that happen on a daily basis that we know come from using "The Secret". If you haven't read it I highly recommend it and another book called "The Key To Living The Law Of Attraction" by Jack Canfield.

So I am getting back into the "frame of mind" that I need to be in to make my life the way I want it to be. I want it to be happy and peaceful. I think that being positive and setting goals and having dreams is important in life. This morning as I was flipping through the book I came across a section that really made me stop and think. It said" If you are complaining, the law of attraction will powerfully bring into your life more situations for you to complain about. If you are listening to someone else complain and focusing on that, sympathizing with them, agreeing with them; in that moment you are attracting more complaining situations to yourself." I thought 'how often do we complain?' Seriously on a daily basis how often do we complain about anything and everything? I know the world we live in is a very negative world and focuses on complaining but I have decided that I don't want that in my life. I want to be Happy NOW and always. We have to find ways to be happy and feel good Now no matter what our current situation. (Trust me... I've been contracting for 11 weeks now... I know how hard somedays it can be to not be cranky and just be happy). Once we feel good even though we may not having everything we want it will come. In the book it says "Make a decision that you are going to do everything you can to be as happy as you can in every moment. You will be amazed at how the Universe will flood so many things into your life that will continue to make you happy..." Some of you may be wondering about negative thoughts and feelings one more quote from the book I read this morning is "You do not have to erase negative thoughts you have had. All you have to do is feel good and think good thoughts NOW, and you will shift yourself to a completely different frequency where no negativity exists. No matter what you have thought in the past, whether 10 years ago or 1 minute ago, Now is where all your power is. Right now you can use your power to shift yourself. When you know this, you can move through your life without fear or regrets, because you can always think good thoughts NOW!"

So with that... I am going to do as Peter Pan and Tinker Bell say: Think Happy Thoughts!! I think Walt Disney must have known the secret inside and out :). I want to be Happy and have a happy life so today I am wiping the slate clean and starting fresh with happy, positive thoughts and feelings. And I think I'll keep a running post of the amazing things that happen in my life so my children will know to be happy and positive know that all good things will be waiting for them too and that they can do it too. I may not change the world, but my world will change for me and my sweet little family.

Put A Smile On Your Face

And make the world a (happy) better place!! Today I have had a pretty rotten day. It's a Monday and there really isn't anything too specific other than I am still contracting, swelling, getting headaches and my body just plain hurts. I decided since I had the awesome opportunity to go to work that I was going to put a smile on my face and make it all better.

Results are: I am still contracting, swelling and having nasty headaches and my body still just plain hurts... but while I was smiling and pretending that none of that was going on, I could actually bare it a little easier. When I got home from work I was greeted by happy, smiling, laughing children and a husband. They were so happy to see me :) and I was sooooo happy to see all of them. I realized that even though I am experiencing a pregnancy with tons of problems and that is hurting my body (literally) that I can still be happy and still let my sweet, beautiful family know how much I love them. I am not worried about this baby. I pray for her and I know she is meant to be part of our family. I love her so much already and I know that if she is born early that she is going to be just fine. So Put a smile on your face :) and see how it changes your day... even if you have just run into the garage with you car, ran over your husbands tools in the driveway or turned his G's pink in the wash, laugh and smile about it and see how much better the day can be. I have learned this goes far with our children too. When we laugh at them about the "small stuff" they seem to be much more apt to listen to why we don't do that and they get the whole sentence "let's not do that again!" :)
--J

Let Freedom Ring...

I am sitting in my bedroom with the smell of homemade bread sifting through the entire house and listening to my new neighbors (very annoying and very loud) air conditioner running non stop. I have been reflecting on our freedoms we enjoy. My freedom to complain about such an annoying a/c unit (which for my neighbors sake I'm not sure they are aware of how loud it really is just yet... since it's day time and I am sure they aren't in their bedroom yet and it's probably louder in their room than in mine), my freedom to bake bread when ever I want, my freedom to love my husband and children and family, my freedom of religion, of speech, of my rite to bare arms, to plant what ever flowers I want in my yard, to own what ever car I want (our new Beep Beep included), to have as many or as few children as my sweet husband and I so desire, what color of clothing I wish to wear, the freedom to paint my walls what ever color I want...and the list goes on.

What humbles me most about our freedom is this: That Freedom isn't Free. Never was; never has been. I am deeply grateful for those who sacrifice so much and give their all for my freedom. My husband is one of them, My father and grandfathers a few more, my brothers even a few more. I really am surrounded by amazing men who give up so much to protect what is most valuable to us FREEDOM. Because without it we wouldn't have anything else. Jess and I have many other friends and family (male and female) who currently serve or who have served and my hat is off to you.

I just found out that one of my brothers will be going back to the Middle East in the Fall. His wife has a baby due in the summer and my heart aches because I know, from experience, how hard it is to let them go. I know how hard it will be for him to go and leave behind a brand new baby. He'll miss out on seeing this sweet spirit grow and develop. I know the fears of a military wife who is left behind. But I also know that Heavenly Father will be watching over my sweet brother and that we ultimately have to leave things in the Lord's hands, have faith and trust and know that everything will work out the way it is supposed too. So May God Bless and keep him (and all our soldiers) safe and bring him home again and may we never forget the price of FREEDOM.

A Little Something....

I found a quote today...acutally I think it was the title of a talk given by a General Authority but I decided that I like the title just a little quote that I will probably cut out of vinyl and definitely stick on my bathroom mirror or even somewhere that my children will see it daily. And the quote...drum roll please...

"Don't Let The Voice of Critics Paralyze You!"

For all who have a dream, know where you are going and what you want to do... don't listen to the critics. Take Jess for example; for 4 years his army unit (with the exception of one awesome company commander Capt. Hamilton) told him he couldn't go to school, wouldn't go to school and would be only good for enlisted army service. They laughed at his dreams of flying helicopters or being a dentist. Look where he is now. He has almost all of his schooling done for flying helicopters and is about half way through with a Global Aviation Degree (which by the way, you don't have to have in order to get an amazing job flying). Way to go Babe and show the world you can do what ever you have your heart set on. And don't forget...

"Don't Let The Voice of Critics Paralyze You!"

Furniture

I finally was able to take pictures of our new furniture that is about a month old now. We love it. It's microfiber and amazingly comfortable. Now we have an all matching living room. Jess hung the mirror and now we just have to decide on a few pictures and frames and then I think the front room will be done. With the exception of one wall that needs to be painted :).

This is a close up of the couch and the mirror. I love it. The kids love the furniture too. We just have to remind them to keep their shoes off it. Easton thinks it's his job to distress the center table with his matchbox cars and gets really upset when we tell him that's not for his cars. He'll get over it!!

All About High School

Gininnia tagged me a while ago and I'm finally getting around to it so here goes... trust me it's not that impressive.All About High School Tag
1. DID YOU DATE SOMEONE FROM YOUR SCHOOL? Went on a few dates with guys from my school and a different school, but nothing serious :)
2.WHAT KIND OF CAR DID YOU DRIVE? My parents cars, nothing too cool :)
3. DID YOU PASS YOUR DRIVER'S LICENSE TEST YOUR FIRST TRY? Yep!!
4. WERE YOU A PARTY ANIMAL? Nope!!
5. WERE YOU CONSIDERED A FLIRT? Nope...too shy!!
6. WERE YOU IN BAND, ORCHESTRA, OR CHOIR? Not in High School.
7. WERE YOU A NERD? No but I got good grades, I was just shy.
8. WERE YOU ON ANY VARSITY TEAMS? No
9. DID YOU EVER GET SUSPENDED/EXPELLED? No
10. CAN YOU STILL SING THE FIGHT SONG? No it's been too long.
11. WHO WERE YOUR FAVORITE TEACHERS? Ms. Rose and Mr. Winder
12. WHERE DID YOU SIT FOR LUNCH? In the hall or off campus
13. WHAT IS YOUR SCHOOL'S FULL NAME? Woodscross High School
14. WHAT IS YOUR SCHOOL'S MASCOT AND COLORS? Wild Cat, blue, white and red
15. DID YOU GO TO HOMECOMING AND WITH WHOM? Yes. Can't remember the first guy but Jess took me to Homecoming too.
16. IF YOU COULD GO BACK AND DO IT AGAIN WOULD YOU? I think H.S. is over rated :)
17. WHAT DO YOU REMEMBER MOST ABOUT GRADUATION? I was so excited and I didn't have to go back the next year :)!!
18. WHERE DID YOU GO SENIOR SKIP DAY? Shopping with friends.
19. WERE YOU IN ANY CLUBS? Pep club and FBLA
20. HAVE YOU GAINED SOME WEIGHT SINCE THEN? Well I've had 4 kids so yes I think so.
21. WHO WAS YOUR PROM DATE? Jess Haag
22. ARE YOU PLANNING ON GOING TO YOUR 10 YEAR REUNION? Nope
23. DID YOU HAVE A JOB IN HIGH SCHOOL?Yes. I worked at Classic Skating and that's where I met my awesome husband (and for all those wondering no Rob had nothing to do with getting Jess and I together or even married, although he claims too.)

Now I tag Renna, Rachel, Megan, Kim, Jen and anyone else who wants to join in the fun. Post and let me know so I can go read yours :)!!
--J