Looking forward to February 2018

On Sunday morning, the day of our 13th wedding anniversary, I took a pregnancy test that showed up VERY faintly positive!
I had taken one every day for a few days, and was pretty sure at that point that we were not pregnant, but thought, "wouldn't it be sweet if there WAS a little baby on the way, and we got to find out on our anniversary?!" So I took one last one, not even bothering to stare at it for the full 5 minutes like I usually do, because I knew I wasn't...then just before I threw it in the trash, I detected the lightest, faintest positive line I have ever seen, but lo and behold, it was there. I was shocked, excited, scared, anxious, but mostly, in awe of God's gift to us. An 8th child; a new member of our family; completely unique and individual, and a part of us.

I am juuust turning the corner now, at a few days over 15 weeks. Still having some bad days (like a few days ago when I literally laid on the couch all day feeling like death), but I think overall, more good than bad!

I haven't had any negative comments about this pregnancy...either I haven't told enough people yet, or by the time you get to #8 people figure you are a lost cause.

This pregnancy has been easier in a certain sense because there are several big kids now who are a significant help! Not just like, 'getting mama a diaper kind of help', but like doing dishes, cleaning bathrooms, being in charge of little ones, doing laundry, making food...that kind of help. Sometimes I wonder what they even need me for! Totally kidding!! There is still plenty I have to do, but things seem slower and less frantic over all; like the everyday work can be spread out a little more evenly. This is the first pregnancy that I have experienced this sort of help from my kids. It makes me wonder how I ever did this without big kids. All the mamas out there who have only littles...you are heroes in my eyes! I was there, and it was and is hard!! Not that its all easy now, and there is plenty that is harder...but some things are actually easier. I suppose you could say, it sort of evens out at a point, and maybe you trade in one difficulty for another, but thankfully, large family life doesn't seem to get exponentially more difficult. Yet. I am not too starry-eyed or naive to think that things are easy sailing from here on out, and I will probably be on here lamenting over the teenage years that are literally around the corner, but so far, the pre-teens have been a delight!
I love observing my family; something I have been doing more of lately. Its neat to get the chance to watch how it operates. Usually I don't see it because I am running it...but feeling kind of, all-the-time sick, and spending a great deal of time on the couch lately, I get to see things from a different point of view. I can see how each of my kids brings a unique dynamic to our family. They have different hobbies and  tastes in things; some enjoy cooking, others enjoy listening to music, or reading, or building, or playing with little ones, etc...it seems like there is stuff going on all the time, and it all kind of just happens. This shouldn't amaze me, but in a way it does as I think back to my earlier days of parenting when I used to frequently wonder how it was all supposed to work. Now I see. We all help each other; learn from each other; pray for each other; love each other.
Probably the most beautiful thing so far about this pregnancy has been seeing how genuinely excited all the kids already are over their new baby. They are talking about names and deciding that the best ones are the ones that sound the cutest when Josh says them. They are reminding me again and again of the wonderful gift and plan that God has for families...the multiplication of LOVE.
Each child that has been added to our family, has added to the richness of our lives. I am incredibly grateful for the gift of this new life, and we are all so excited to meet this new little person in February!

What's happening around here these days?

Soooo, its been awhile. I have been quiet on my blog here. I guess its because life has ebbs and flows, seasons, and times for things. This past year has been so busy and full and fruitful and yet, also quiet in a certain sense. I am so used to having a new born and building a house, and having my husband getting a  master's degree all at the same time, that I really had no idea what "normal" could look like! But as the kids get older, things continue to get busier. That is just life. But now, I feel like we are going with the natural flow of things, rather than racing ahead, or fighting against it.

Dominic is 12 and will be in 7th grade this fall. He loves hockey and board games, started guitar at the co-op, and enjoys the outdoors and discovering new places in our wooded backyard. He has grown in leaps and bounds and is about to pass me by in height any day now. He is in the confirmation program at our Church and will be confirmed next May!

Stella is 11 and will be entering 6th grade this fall. She is getting ready to take her Cecchetti 1 exam for ballet and is an incredibly poised and lovely dancer. She also plays beautifully on the violin and is an excellent seamstress! I am amazed by what she is able to do with a needle and thread. She will be attending Pine Hills Girls camp this summer for the first time and is super excited!

Gianna is 9 and entering 5th grade this fall. She is a delight to know and has the most loving heart you could ever meet. She also takes ballet and violin and is doing beautifully in both. Her favorite thing to do is write, direct, and act in plays. She is very creative in whatever she puts her mind to!

Joseph is 7 and will be starting his First Communion preparation this fall, in order to make his First Holy Communion at Easter next year, which he is so excited about! He is the most willing and helpful guy in the house. I almost never need to ask him twice to do something because he is always up for the task, and even when someone else is complaining, he joyfully offers to do their job for them. I am constantly amazed by his generosity. He enjoys building legos with his little brothers, explores the woods and plays games with his older brother, and also loves hockey!

Ezekiel is 5 and just finished up his first year of speech therapy. He is making great improvements with his speech, which is good for all of us, because the boy loves to talk! He is incredibly smart and amazes me with his building skills. He really has a talent for such things, and I would not be surprised to see him do great things with that gift! He also has a knack for being quite athletic and agile. He is a tiny guy, but everything he does is BIG!

Noah is almost 4 and he is the sweetest little boy on the planet. He is super laid back (most of the time), and enjoys snuggling, sleeping, eating, playing outside, legos, and story time. He is fully potty trained now and enjoys his "big boy" status (most of the time)!

Joshua is about to turn 2!! He  is so full of personality that it blows us all away at times, and keeps us laughing always! He loves tea, nursing, music (especially the song "Ophelia" by the Lumineers), story time, dancing, playing outside, and doing everything everyone else is doing. He is loud, and sensitive, and really has an amazingly dynamic personality. We are all so smitten by this darling little boy!

I am still homeschooling our children and taking advantage of the amazing home school co-op that is located at our Church. I took an adult ballet class this year for the first time in 13 years! It was wonderful, and ignited an old passion of mine. I also got into running this year. I regularly get out for a 3 mile run about 3-4 times a week. It has become a favorite activity of mine; a time to connect with God and de-stress my mind at the same time.

Peter is hard at work, as usual! He takes such good care of me and our kids. He has been staying very busy at his work, and also, working on house projects, playing hockey and coaching hockey, helping his niece with the plumbing in her new house, and taking me out on lots of dates (to help me stay sane)!

Peter and I  just celebrated our 13th wedding anniversary this May 29th! Where has the time gone? Its cliche, but so true.

We are finished up with school and on to summer break over here already! We have a big summer ahead of us. I will hopefully have opportunities to update this blog with all of our summer news!

Thank you for reading!

To be Pro Life

What does it actually mean to be Pro life? There seems to be confusion in the media on this topic and I have heard it from people in closer circles as well. I have heard it coined: "pro birth"; that pro lifers are only interested in babies being born and then have no concern for their quality of life, or anyone else's. I honestly do not understand where this ridiculous idea comes from because I know a great number of pro life people, and not a single one of them views it this way. 
I know people who dedicate their lives to fostering and adopting children; who become missionaries in other countries; who give generously of their money and self to serve and protect those in need, both born and unborn; who lovingly and generously have and raise families; who visit the sick and imprisoned; who set up and fund homes that take in and help mothers who cannot care for their children...this is what it means to be pro life. It means to know and value the inherent dignity of each human being, born or unborn; young, or old; healthy or sick. And often, it means to stand up for those who are most innocent and most in need of protection. The reason the pro life movement exists and takes special care to defend the unborn is because the unborn are the group that are most undervalued, not because they are the only ones who matter. All lives matter. And they matter at whatever stage of life they are in. Should I assume that if someone says he is for the group Black Lives Matter, that therefore, he doesn't place the same value on the lives of people who are not black? No. It is obvious that he is simply taking a stand for a group of people who is being undervalued. It is the same with the pro life movement. The most largely killed group of people, is that of the unborn; the most defenseless among us; those without a choice or a voice.  And that is why the goal of the pro life movement is to be their voice. 
But to be pro life doesn't just mean to value all stages of life, but to value each individual as well. 
To be pro life means to use our minds to pray for others, instead of judge them; to use our words to comfort others, instead of condemn them; to use our hands to protect others, instead of hurt them; to use our arms to welcome others, instead of push them away; to use our feet to walk with others, instead of running away from them.
The pro life movement is an organization that gives a voice to the voiceless, and unfortunately, because the unborn are so incredibly undervalued, it is an imperatively needed group; but to be pro life means ever so much more. It is so much more than an organization, or a platform, or a political stance; it is a way of living, that sees and responds to the inherent God given dignity that each human being possesses, both in large scale ways, and the small everyday ones too.