IT'S A GIRL!!!!

More information will follow when I can think clearly... But we are officially expecting a 5 year old little girl! The call came tonight, and I cried for joy, sitting in a restaurant, not caring who was watching!

One Long, Busy Day

That is what today was. Long. Busy. And on top of that, we used an entire tank of gas. Oh well, the price to pay for getting documents State Certified... one step closer to sending the dossier. Jenna says that the next time we have a busy day planned, she is going to hide where I cannot find her so we can stay home.

Poor Jenna. We had to go to the bank, post office, 2 different Secretary of State offices (two different states), back to the first Secretary of State office, the county court house, and back to the post office. We made it back home with barely enough time to meet the kids off the school bus. The weather is bitter cold and windy, and Jenna fell, nose first, on the sidewalk. Now, she has an ugly little scrape on her top lip.

I am exhausted, and it is just now time to start kiddos on homework and get dinner started.

I will be sooooo thankful to get this dossier submitted. Our original goal was Feb 28th, and because of our unexpected month long trip to MD, we are a little behind, but not too much.

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This is my Valentine's post from Lot's of Kids, last week:

I Know What Love Is:

Valentine's Day is getting closer, and it has made me think. When I was growing up, my father would buy each of us a red heart Valentine's Day balloon. Even when I was a rebellous teenager, my dad instilled in me the concept that I was loved unconditionally just because I was me, even when he did not approve of my actions. When I was older, and married, my dad would call me every Valentine's morning to remind me that he loved me. Throughout the year he would call me randomly through the week to just say hi. A Daddy's Love is a precious thing.

I know, you were thinking that this would be all about my wonderful hubby, right? Well, it is. See, he loves me unconditionally too. These past few months have challenged me in ways I never anticipated. You know what I found out? That old phrase "my better half" isn't that far off. Not to say that Scott is better than me, or that I am better than him. No, we are just two parts of one whole. When I am discouraged, he encourages me. When he is frustrated, I provide a different perspective. We work together. It is not me and him, it is us. And I am so thankful for that us.
I have been called many things in my life. I have many responsibilities and duties. But, we are a team. I know that there are a lot of families that function very well with the husband that "brings home the bacon" and the wife who "cares for hearth and home." That is great, and if it works for you I am happy for you. I don't mean to offend any one else, but that is not how our home works. We have a more collaborative style. Every decision involves us both. We coordinate our work schedules so that one of us can be with the kids. Our kids take up a lot of our time, and when we work opposites shifts, sometimes we pass each other coming and going. But, we always find time each week for just us.

I have often been told that I am only successful at what I do because I have a husband who allows me to do those things. Well, I wonder if they ever considered that we are successful at what we do because we work together to get it all done as a family. We do not have a bunch of kids because my poor hubby was tricked into them in order to make me happy. No, we have a bunch of kids because WE made the choice. We choose to raise our family with values and morals that we hold dear, and that includes working together as a family unit.

Just a few weeks ago, my father passed away. I have had a lot of conversations with people about the measure of a sucessful life. In my opinion, success is not based on who can earn the most profit and have the most stuff. Success is based on values and supporting each other as we influence the people around us, hopefully for the better. At the end of the road, the only thing that we can take with us is our integrity, and our name. We all have a legacy to leave. I hope that as I live each day, others will see my life and know that I am successful because of the love and encouragement of these amazing men that I call my father and my husband.

I am blessed everyday because of the unconditional love that these two men have shown me. One told me from the time I was small that I could do anything I was willing to work for, and taught me about God's unconditional love by his example. The other one supports and encourages my efforts as we work towards our goals together.

So there it is. Love is unconditional. There is nothing on this earth as empowering than to know that kind of love.