Welcome Home

Sometimes life goes according to plan but not always our plan. What a surprise it was to have John appear at the front door this afternoon 9 weeks ahead of his scheduled return. Between John and his OCS Commanding Officer, it was decided that this is not the right time for him to attend OCS having just added Andrew to our family among some other things. He will be rejoining his old unit for the time being and then go on to the next OCS group in May. We both feel that the decision made to join the next scheduled group was a blessing in disguise and truly what's needed the most for our family at this particular time. But hey...we both got through 5 days of separation. This little trial run I think will better prepare us for when May comes around and he has to leave again. Atleast I know I can make it. Especially with Andrew being almost 6 months and not a newborn anymore. And the summer time will surely keep me and the kids busy. It's so hard having my best friend away. As much as I know he wanted to get this schooling done and over with, I'm selfish to say that I'm SO glad he's back home!! The kids love having their daddy back home too.

"Welcome home babe! We love you!!!"

This Week In Pictures (1/4 - 1/10)

I've learned some things in the past few weeks since Andrew has been born. First of all, playing catch up on the blog (or anything for that matter) is a very hard thing to do. Obviously I don't have as much free time as I used to. I've also learned that Jocelyn is having a bit of a hard time adjusting to her new little brother being in the picture. Common for the once youngest child to experiece so I hear. We're making steady progress though. So between taking care of the every day-to-day things along with a new baby, I'm having to play referee and calling many, MANY time-outs as well. Besides being sleep deprived due to lack of sleep throughout the night...I'm loving every minute of it. I love being a mom. But maybe Andrew could share a little bit of his sleep with me? Not going to happen but a good thought! If I'm lucky - he will be sleeping through the night at two months like both of his sisters did.

This week my Mom flew into town to attend my baby shower and help me with the kids and the upkeep of the home while John left for OCS. It was so nice to see her again and the girls were in heaven playing with their Grandma. We really loved having her here!

{Andrew's first time on his play mat. I'm thinking he's not too sure what's going on.}

{Favorite pastime: SLEEP!}

{Me loving my baby boy!}

{Jocelyn pretending her string cheese is a microphone}

{Andrew trying to eat his Daddy's face}

{HELLO!}

{Jocelyn playing with the letter and number magnets from Grandma & Papa}

{The girls with my Mom/their Grandma}

{Andrew with Grandma}

Bitter Sweet

John left today to report to OCS (Officer Candidate School) and will be away from us for the next 10 weeks. This couldn't have come at a better time (really...it could have)! Just when you think things can't get any harder (knock on wood)...they do! And boy did this day come FAST! The image of John pulling out of the driveway and waving and yelling "I love you" until we couldn't see him anymore is engraved in my mind. The only difference between this time apart and last spring when we were apart is that we have another child so I know I can get through this in one piece. It's going to be one of the hardest times in my life but it will be so worth it in the end as this career move will better our future. That as well as us moving back to Oregon for a little while for John to finish up his degree. Going back home makes this all worth it!

{John whispering to me that he's going to miss me but he knows that I can make it through this time just like he will. That put me into tears! I just love seeing Jocelyn adore her little brother in this photo. So cute.}

It's amazing what separation can do to you. For us...it just brings us that much closer and stronger as a couple. Luckily the kids are still pretty young and they won't remember much of these days without their Daddy around. They do miss him terribly though. Jocelyn just doesn't understand why we can't go get Daddy and bring him home. It's heartbreaking to see how much she misses him when she cries at night. And then of course it escalates into Aubrey crying and then myself crying. Everyday will get better and better. It's not that we won't miss him (because we will) but we'll be able to adjust and get through it as a family.

{This family picture wasn't complete without Aubrey but she was in school and had to say her "see you laters" in the morning}

Somehow, someway WE WILL make it through!

{Jocelyn kissing Daddy right before he left. How precious.}

We're going to miss him like crazy but we're here supporting him every step of the way and can't wait for his return.

{Andrew. Just 3 weeks old to the day!}

Baby Shower

My friends from church threw me the best baby shower for Andrew! We planned it so the shower would be a few weeks after Andrew's birth so he could enjoy the special occasion with us - and so my Mom could partake in the fun while she was in town visiting her newest grand baby. The food was awesome, the gifts were appreciated and needed (1st BOY!) and the company of my friends was a reprieve from the long stresses of the week (John leaving for OCS). I thought it would also be fun to bring along Aubrey and Jocelyn so they could have a night out with their mom and grandma. Both seemed to enjoy themselves. There was a point where I didn't know where Aubrey escaped to - until a blessing was being said for the food. Music pouring out of a piano in the basement was a dead giveaway!! LOL She loves to play the piano and anytime there's one nearby she's on it in a heartbeat. Many thanks again to my friend Heather for taking a lot of the photos from my shower! Not everyone at the party is pictured below but I was so happy to have my friends there to celebrate with me. I had so much fun. It was a great night! :)

{I had to take a picture of the food and decorations - food was great and decorations were so cute!}

{My friend & baby shower host: Annette}

{My friend: Sabine}

{My friends: Ann and Jean}

{Started the shower with a game - Aubrey really had fun with this!}

{Cute pajamas}

{Andrew "helping" me open presents}

{My friend: Heather - sitting with Aubrey and lending a helping hand to hold Andrew for me so I could open gifts with ease!}

{Andrew got some really cute stuff and lots of clothes.}

{My Mom with Jocelyn}

{Grandma with her grandaughters}

{My friend Heather (who took our family photos) framed these awesome pictures for us to hang at home. This was such a great surprise!!}

{A collage of photos Heather put together for us of our family. They turned out so good!}

Our Family Photo Shoot

My good friend Heather came over to our home to capture some family photos for us before John headed out for OCS and to get photos of Andrew while he was still really little: 2 1/2 weeks old. She did an awesome job. We really love how they turned out! Here are some of our favorites that she took that we thought we would share with you.