Our big move!

The countdown is on! Little over a month and we will be moving! Finally.

When we first moved to Arizona, we already knew this would be home, forever, or at least for a very, very long time. I moved away from my whole family, willing and ready to start fresh(we had just overcome the hardest year of our lives and marriage) a new slate was much needed, and it has been wonderful for us!
The husband took a very big pay cut, and we had to live with the in laws for a bit, and we moved out and rented a very small 2 bedroom apartment. With our 3rd baby on her way, we need something bigger for our growing family. The rent was decent, and we loved being back on our own.
A home was for sale right door to my father in law and his family. My husbands parents are divorced, his dad is remarried and now my husband has five young siblings a 14 year old sister, 13 year old brother, 9 year old sister and 10 month old identical twin sisters! My brother in law suggested that we buy the house, not thinking it was going to happen we went forward with it. We closed on our first ever home in April of 2009, and moved in, in may 2009. Before we moved in, I knew this home was not my forever home. But, it cost less to buy this 4 bedroom home then it was to rent the small apartment. It was practical if anything else. The neighborhood is run down, a lot of drug and gang activity more less this is what I call the "ghetto". I knew i wanted better for my family and for my kids! I drive them away for school, as I refuse to send them to these local schools. The kids are street raised, and that's NOT my kids, at all.

Our three years is up, and we are ready to move out of here. We couldn't move sooner since we got the first time buyer credit, we had to reside here for 3 full years.

We got a realtor and got the loan approved and started to shop around. We even had a bid on a short sale by the kids school, and we were content and happy with that. Over the next few weeks, we threw the idea around of building our dream home, one we loved, and custom designed for us. If we were going to be spending this much money, we wanted it fit for us.
We want to move into a home and stay till our four kids are grown adults!
So, that's exactly what we did. As a whole family, we picked the neighborhood, the home, floor plan and builder! In April 2012 we picked a lot , signed papers and paid out earnest money!

It's been surreal to watch the home of our dreams go up, and soon it will be done, and ready for us to reside in and start building our life, while making great memories!!

I can not wait to have my dream home, make it even more ours! I hope you follow me as I take on this adventure! I'll be sure to share any crafts i do(which I have many planned) to decorate this beautiful home!!

Soon, it'll be "Welcome Home!"

Dealing with delays

In everyday life we can encounter all sorts of delays. Flight delays, appointment delays etc. etc.
Everyday I deal with a much more serious delay, one that effects every member of my family. Myself, my husband and all four of our children.

That brings me back to the day I welcomed our first baby. Here I sat, looking into those blue eyes in total awe of this precious baby I help create, carried in my womb(us mommies) and now spent countless hours in labor. What a reward, the hard work was over....or so I thought. I lived having a small baby, one so dependent on myself and husband. The weeks passed and I found my self looking forward to her milestones. That first smile, coo, roll, sitting up, first tooth, crawling, walking and talking. Weeks turned to months and my first born was hitting all those big milestones right on track( as on track as society has laid out) I was beaming!
Our second was born, this time a son and like my first those big milestones were just as big! Like big sister, he did it all on time. I was now 2 for 2.

This brings me to our third born, another daughter. She was perfect. A 7 pound baby, with her own personality and I love her as much as the older two. Time flies when you have kids, and she was getting older. I sat back and waited for her to hit those baby milestones. Im guilty for expecting her to be just like her big siblings.
I know that no two babies are the same, not even identical twins.
After she smiled later, coo'd later, sat up later, even crawled and walked a lot later I never have up hope(after all her middle name is Hope) that she would talk right on time. Two very fast years had passed, red flags flew up left and right. Deep in my gut at this point I knew something was going on. She is/was delayed. To this day it breaks my heart and we struggle all the time. Today, she's a very active and for the most part normal and well adjusted three year old. But, she's severely delayed in her speech, and it's just as frustrating for her as it is for the rest of us. Trying to understand what she wants and needs is so hard!
When society sees a child with a delay in speech they all want to diagnose said child with autism. Is she? Maybe, but I've not found myself at the ends I work with her daily, she's been in speech and soon will be go to a preschool aimed at children with developmental delays. This will be great!

I still find myself questioning above, asking why?! But, I get put in check real fast. There is so much more that could be wrong, and as hard as it is....I'm thankful this delay is all we face(for now).
I'm hoping someone whose been in the same situation stumbles across my blog and can lend some helpful tips, or advice. Because dealing with delays can be heartbreaking as much as its frustrating.

Mommies cookie monster

My very sneaky one year old had an Oreo for breakfast. I could be upset, Oreos aren't the best choice at 9am but, you only live once so have a little fun, break some rules and laugh often. He sure enjoyed the cookie, and the mess he made. Silly guy, mommy loves her little cookie monster!

What's the scoop?

Well, what's the scoop? By scoop I'm not talking about a scoop of your favorite ice cream, though that does sound delicious right now. Doesn't it?! I mean, what's the scoop on us? Me and my family. A little getting to know us. I for one love to read about other families!

I'm a 29 year old stay at home mom, to four very busy, very different children. They range in age from 11 years old to 1 year old. In my time as a mom...all 11 years of it, I've seen it, smelled it, touched it, changed it and cleaned it. There isn't a dull moment....ever!
My gaggle of kids is spilt down the middle, 2 beautiful daughters and 2 handsome sons.
Our main man aka daddy is a hardworking guy, works some crazy hours. That on top of two school aged kids, our time together is spread thin. It's the life we know and won't change.

The husband and I have been married for almost 12 years, on 9-16!
We started young, got married young had our oldest very young and somehow, by the grace of God have made it. Hardships? You bet cha! The core foundation of our family, and kids has kept us going and working through some of the hardest things we've faced.

We are currently on a big adventure for us all.....lots of changes are coming(and NO, not a new baby)
We will be moving soon, and we can not wait!! 👍
What are some big changes you've been through?!

I'll be sharing more about us....Im going to get that scoop of ice cream!! 🍦

The start of something new

After reading my friend Cassie's new blog, I got the blogging bug again. I've blogged in the past, usingAOL journals. I stayed for awhile, posting frequently and meeting some great friends. You can't go wrong, blogging and meeting people you still have in your life today! Meeting them in person, and creating lifelong friendships. Score!

So, here's the start of something new. There is a lot of "new" going on in our life.
I hope I can keep up and blog about my life. A busy mom of four kids and a husband. I hope some join me here at my new blog home. ;)

~Tricia