On the Move Again!

That's right, we're moving again as most of you know. However, our plans have changed (again). When Ty go laid off we were planning on moving back to Michigan since that was our best option. However, God has different plans for us and has opened some amazing doors. I have no doubt this has worked out only because of God and the timing is no coincidence!

Let me start at the beginning. About 3 months ago Ty interviewed for a job in Illinois just because he thought the job looked interesting and because it was closer to home. He wasn't really applying to other jobs because he was happy where he was in WV, however, he thought this IL job was a great opportunity. So he interviewed, but even after following up with them, he never heard back. He figured he was out of the running, so left it at that. Then, literally 15 minutes after Ty was laid off at his current job he got an email from them asking him for a second interview. He was thrilled and shocked because he hadn't heard from them in SO long. Anyways, to make a long story short he drove to IL to interview a week and a half ago, had a third interview last week and was then offered the position on Thursday, right before Christmas. Probably the best Christmas present we've received. We are so thankful and so excited and a little stressed all at the same time!

So, as of Thursday we had one week to find a place in Illinois, pack and get everything that comes with moving in place. Ty went yesterday to find a place for us to live temporarily (until we get to know the area). Today and tomorrow we are packing like crazy and Thursday we are loading up and moving to IL. Ty starts his new job on January 10th! What an answer to prayers that he got a job so quickly! It will only be 1 month from when he got laid off until when he starts his new job! You have no idea how much weight we feel lifted off of our shoulders now!

From Riley's perspective:

Riley has been begging for a camera for a while now. So instead of buying her a "kid" camera, we gave her one of ours to use. I love looking through her memory card every once in a while and seeing things how she sees them. Here are just a FEW of the funny pictures I found on it:

Cowboy Lincoln going potty!

The cheese on the counter that someone (Riley) took a bite of when I obviously wasn't looking!

Ty hanging out with L and E!

Lincoln who had some major bedhead going on and who I think needed to go potty :)!

Emmersyn @ 5 Months

Seriously, look at those cheeks!

Scooted herself under the couch!

My little sickling--she had a nasty cold for about a week!

I'm going to do this one bullet style:

• Rolling over from tummy to back and back to tummy.
  
• Loves the exersaucer.
  
• Wearing size 6-12 month clothes but mostly 12-18 months (especially one piece outfits/jammies). Size 3-4 shoe.
  
• Weighs at least 17.5 pounds.
  
• Smiles and laughs like crazy. Loves when R and L play with her. Grabs toys and loves looking at herself in the mirror.
  
• Has been nursing every two hours for weeks now--it's exhausting for me but I'm determined not to quit!

Emmersyn's Firsts

The last couple of weeks have been big for E! She has been trying a lot of new things and her personality is really blossoming! Here's a post of all the things she's been doing the past two weeks:

First time in her Bumbo seat:

I love sitting her in it when I get tired of flipping her back over when she rolls over. She's only figured how to go from her back to belly and gets mad when she gets stuck. This seat is great for her to sit up and see what's going on!

First time in the exersaucer:

First cereal:



Lesson learned: Nurse this kid BEFORE trying to give her cereal or she gets REALLY mad!! Poor kid acts like she's starving, but clearly her thighs tell a different story!

Rolling over:

I was beginning to think E was going to be immobile forever. She was always so content laying on the ground and not moving. However, she's now figured out that if she rolls over she can A. get to things and B. get attention by screaming when she gets stuck on her belly!

Dedication

Sunday was a special day for our family. We dedicated the kids to the Lord at church. We have never done it with the older two because we never had a chance since we've always been moving, however, we thought we'd be here a while longer. Come to find out, we'll now be moving in 3 weeks, but it is still something that is very important to us so we did it anyways. What a great opportunity to be accountable to each other, the Church and most importantly to God to raise and teach our children about the Lord and steer them in a direction to come to know the Lord as their personal savior!

I was a little nervous how R and L would be on stage, because you just never know...but they were great. The pastor prayed for each family individually (there were about 7, including us) and each time the pastor said "Amen." my kids shouted it "Amen" after him. I was a bit embarrassed, but the congregation of 3,000-4,000 got a kick out of it!

"Let Go"

Two words I never knew would change our lives so drastically! Ty heard those two words on Thursday from his boss at work. He, along with his entire department and most of the people in the Operations department, had been let go. Just like that. He went to work one day, went about his normal schedule, then out of the blue got called back to his boss's office, was told they were doing major reorganizing in his company and that his position had been terminated.

I have to be honest, I never thought we'd be in this position...ever. Ty is a very hard worker, he has a great education, and people love working with him because he's such a positive person! It wasn't his fault that he was let go, but the possibility of being "let go" just never occurred to us. He was with a good company who seemed to be doing well.

So, here we are, with a brand new baby (and two other little ones), in WV with no family, plenty of bills, and now no income. Most people would be freaking out right now and I'm not saying that we aren't but we are doing our best to trust in the Lord and lean on Him during this time. My sister sent me this verse which has really stuck with me and each time I start getting upset, down or worried about how we're going to make ends meet I think of it:

Matthew 6:25-27

²⁵ “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?

²⁶ Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

²⁷ Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

I know God has a plan for us and our family and He gave us the opportunity to move down here for a reason. Now, He has something bigger and better in store for us. I am so proud of the way Ty has handled the situation. Last night Ty's co-worker (who used to be his boss when we first moved down here, she hired hm) and her husband stopped over for a few minutes. She said that one of the reasons she hired him to begin with was because he subtly witnessed to all of them during his interview (she is a very nice, Christian woman). She also said that through his year working with his company she saw Ty witness to many co-workers and that he had gotten many of them interested in finding out more about God. Ty told her that then everything we did, moving down here away from family and friends and now getting laid off, was now worth it. Maybe that's why God opened the door for us to move here. Maybe it was for Ty to impact his co-workers lives. Maybe it was to lead others to the Lord! I am proud of my husband and know God will provide and protect us!

We're praying for a new job to come our way quickly, but until then we are planning on moving back to Michigan at the end of the month (right after Christmas). We moved down here for his job and now that he no longer has it, there's no reason to stay. 5 moves, in 5 years--yikes! I've been hoping we would move closer to home, so I'm glad we are, just not under these circumstances!

A Lot To Be Thankful For!

I do have a lot to be thankful for! Family, friends, health...I could go on and on. We went back to Michigan for Thanksgiving since Ty won't have enough time off for Christmas. I was excited, we were going to have almost a full week, which we needed considering we have to split our time before 4 places (since both of our parent's are divorced). My sister also moved back to Michigan so I got to spend a lot of time with her and Micah! Also many of our family members got to meet Emmersyn for the first time! I suppose these pictures will speak for themselves:

At Ty's Mom's side:

All R kept asking to do was "feed the goats"!

E meeting Great Gpa Arent!

Ty, R and his sweet sister, LaCross!

At Ty's Dad's:

They liked the cat until they got scratched!

Meeting Gpa Paulk!

At my Mom's:

Thanksgiving dinner!

Since we won't be home for Christmas the kids opened a couple of things!

R loving on baby Micah

A Christmas tradition: all the guys get matching boxers, then have to get a picture in them

This is where L spent most of his time at Gma's: in their shower, playing.

At my Dad's:

Uncle Kolby and Aunt Britton meeting Emmersyn

Scooters!

Lincoln loved this little robot and kept making it walk between his legs.

Emmersyn @ 4 months

Emmersyn is 4 months already and it's hard to believe! She's a very sweet baby and has a calm and laid back personality. She loves her hands and still constantly sucks on them, although she does take a pacifier and doesn't suck her thumb. She still hasn't rolled over yet. I always say her big belly gets in the way. I am okay with her not being mobile yet, because I know how much more difficult things get once she does. She's a big, chubby baby and I LOVE it. In the next few weeks we'll be starting cereal and hopefully that will help her stop nursing every 2.5-3 hours and help her sleep through the night again. She's still waking up once a night, although I'm pretty sure it's so she can have me all to herself for once :)!

At her doctor's appointment she was 16 lbs. 7 oz. and 24 inches.

Most of the time she tolerates being on her belly...other times she doesn't...