Family and Laneah Baptism Pictures!

 My gorgeous family <3

 The love of my life and me <3

 The girls :)

 The boys (SO outnumbered) :P

 That face! <3

 Love this bunch of mine <3

 Cute :)

 So cute :)

 Cute :)

 Love <3

 We make some cute babies!

 <3

 Oh my <3

 Ah! <3

 Look at that angel :)

 So pretty :)

 Just so pretty :)

 My favorite baptism picture! <3

On the road to following Jesus :)

Emersyn Rose Thomas

Hard pregnancy, hard labor and delivery, but easy baby :)

Almost 9 lbs and 21 in long!

Preborn Pics of Emmy

Between never having been good at taking pics, being insanely busy, and having a hard time with this pregnancy; I have done a horrible job updating on Emmy! Here are a couple ultrasound pics. She has been doing really good ☺

Sheesh! Been a while...

I post VERY regularly on Facebook about our day to day things and usually save my blog for things more personal and discussions of my beliefs.

Some big things since I posted last:
- I got all A's and B's for my 1st year back at school!
- We are buying a house! We are currently waiting for it to be appraised. We should be moving in before February is done :)

"We will be tested, often to our limit. Yet all of us know or are assured that we will never be tested more than that which we can endure." - Robert D Hales

I have heard this quote many times but it registered with me very strongly as of late. We got hit HARD with trials a little while ago.
-The driver side window is off it's track and being held up with duct tape
-We have a tire needing to be refilled weekly
- We found out our much needed income tax return was going to be delayed this year because of cracking down on theft
-We were in the process of waiting to see if we were approved for our loan for the house
-Frustrations with my calling
-Current house we live in is OLD, and we had an influx of mice coming in and crapping in\on\around TONS of our stuff
-Bo changed his tax claims on his paychecks to all of us so his checks would be larger from now on (He didn't claim us all for a few years so our returns were larger), but there was a problem with the paperwork and we got LESS than usual for this month (It has been fixed)
-On top of all that, our furnace stopped working for a few hours (It was fixed quickly) but it was just the cockroach topping on my crap sundae

I started balling. I prayed "God, I am done! I know you don't try beyond where we are able but I am at my limit! Please ease some burdens!" I kid you not, within a couple of hours, our furnace was fixed (As stated above) and we found out we were approved for the loan! Burdens have been slowly easing since :)

I know our Heavenly Father is there, that He loves us, and listens to us. I don't now about any of you, but I hate being tested to my limit; even if it isn't past what I can handle. I know, though, that growth doesn't happen without some pushing.

Doubt your doubts, before you doubt your faith ~Deiter F Uchtdorf

One of my apologetics books had a section called "Mormonism." I was already nervous at what I was going to read. (The book was written by evangelical christians). Even though you got the sense they didn't believe a lick of it, they got several things right... and a few things wrong; especially the part where they said we "have a different gospel and a different Jesus than theirs."

After reading this chapter, my faith started to shake. But I have had too many feelings, blessings, and revelations to find this gospel false. Just like you don't go to the podiatrist to fix your heart; you don't read an evangelical chapter on the restored gospel. So I went to lds.org... and Jeffrey R Holland did it again! (I don't know how many times his messages have helped me). I found "The Only True God and Jesus Christ Whom He Hath Sent." This article strengthened my faith and increased my knowledge.

For anyone who wishes to know, read/listen/watch this article:

Elder Holland "The Only True God and Jesus Christ Whom He Hath Sent"

Latest Pics :)

 Nay and Rhych has a sleepout with daddy in the living room

 Daddy and I were hosing down the kids

 Laneah's Tball getup

 Rhycherd's Tball getup

With all the pics of Nay and Rhych getting taken, Kae was grunting and wanted some pics taken of herself :P

Some Updates...

I am almost done with physical therapy. I can now bend my knee to 63 degrees (I have another appt today, hoping to bend it more). I took the straight leg brace off a couple of days ago and have been doing pretty good, the leg is weak but is getting stronger by the day :)

I was asked to join and accepted a membership with the National Society of Collegiate Scholars! It will definitely help me with my future career :)

Laneah and Rhycherd started T-ball last week. They seem to love it! Mommy and daddy sure love watching them :)

Kaedence started walking a couple weeks ago! Such a big girl :)

OUCH!

I dislocated my knee cap for the second time in my life a week and a half ago :( It is always so painful and I hate when it happens! Blessing though: because it happened so soon after the first time (Just about 2 years ago) and because it popped out so easily (Barely tapping Kae's highchair with my knee) the doctor recommends surgery. That's a blessing? YES because after this surgery, it should never happen again! He will be reconstructing one ligament while loosening the other. I will be in a full leg brace for 4-6 weeks with physical therapy starting 2 weeks after the surgery. I am NOT looking forward to that recovery time but am very much looking forward to never going through that dislocation again!

Happy 5th Birthday Nay!

My beautiful firstborn is now 5. I just can't believe it! Look how tiny she used to be! Ever since she was born, she has just been the sweetest thing. We love you Laneah, Happy BELATED Birthday!

Updates!!!

 This little beauty is almost 7 months old! She is now a pro at crawling! :)

 All 3 of our precious children :)

 Laneah graduated from homeschool preschool! We start Kindergarten in the Fall!

 My 2 little girls :)
                                      
Apparently crawling isn't enough, she is now pulling herself up on things like crazy!

Bo got another raise! He is still loving his job!

I have started online school at Liberty University Online. It is a christian school and so far I am loving it!

Bo and I finally got to go to the temple for the 1st time in 2 years at the Indianapolis Temple, Oh it was wonderful :)

Latest Pics of Kids - Ready For Church :)

I am such a blessed mommy :)

Kaedence 6 weeks

This is my little beauty on her blessing day :)

She is such a good baby! She sleeps from 10-10 every night with only 1-2 feedings! I am one very blessed and happy mom!

I had made it 5 1/2 weeks of breastfeeding her on my boob! The longest I have ever made it! But I have an overactive letdown and she would just squirm and pull off and swallow lots of air which caused her gas :( So I decided to exclusively pump. She loves her feedings again :)

She will squirm on her tummy a few inches! It just blows our minds! She has tried to roll from back to tummy several times too :) She is now talking a little and batting at toys out of excitement :)

I love my Kae Kae :)

Kaedence Marie Thomas

 This little beauty joined the outside world at 7:50 am on July 11th :)

Laneah and Rhycherd both ADORE her :) Nay always wants to hold/play with her and Rhych always says "She's so adornable" :)

Birth Story:
I had been having prodormal labor for weeks, so when contractions would come on I would not get overly excited and time them for a while. But the little boogers would always go away. At 3:00 am I woke up to the most painful contraction I had felt. It lasted about 1 1/2 min. Then another one came 5 minutes later. They kept coming every 5 minutes and lasting 3 minutes each! All the "exercises" we had been practicing for labor pains (rubs, massages) made me mad! They made the pain worse! So I had Bo put a hot washcloth on my back during contractions while I was in bed or had him pour the hot bath water on my back, stomach, and thighs while I was in the tub. I tell you, I did NOT want to be touched! We timed the contractions for about 2 hours before calling the midwife. She asked if she should come or if we wanted to labor alone for a while longer. We wanted to be alone. At this point I am groaning through these things. They HURT! We called our friends to come get the kids. They live about an hour away and have 4 kids to get ready so we knew it would be a while before they could make it. About 7 am I got into the tub again and felt a new pain, only what could be described as transition contractions. Oh my heavens, I couldn't even get enough oxygen to moan they hurt so bad! Thank heavens, I only had to endure 4 of those before I felt like I had to go to the bathroom, got up, sat on the toilet, and my water broke! Immediately I looked at Bo and said, "Call Rhoda, I feel like I need to push!" Bo called her and she was on her way... But no amount of speeding could get her here in time :P 10 minutes of me saying "Honey, I can't do this!" and Bo calming me down saying "Yes you can honey. It is almost done. You can do this!" and little Kaedence was delivered by her daddy in our bed with her siblings in the next room :) Needless to say, Bo called our friends and told them nevermind :) My midwife and her nurse showed up a few minutes later :) The kids were not freaked out at all, they were actually in awe when they saw her :)

I am so proud of myself for having made it through all natural. It was amazing to feel and see how God has this process happen, BUT I have also realized I am a woman who does not mind being numb from the waist down (I have never had complications from an epidural) and will NOT do childbirth natural again :P

Some Great Labor Quotes!

Throughout this whole pregnancy I have watched TONS of natural labor videos on youtube. Today I watched one with some AMAZING quotes I wanted to share:

Your pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding - Khalil Gibran

Birth may bring you face-to-face with your insecurities, doubts, inadequacies, and fears. It may also bring you face-to-face with your joy, determination, willingness, and courage. -The Pink Kit

The power and intensity of your contractions cannot be stronger than you because it IS you -Unknown (I agree this is true with NATURAL contractions...)

Nay's Recital Photos!

Laneah had her first ballet recital a few weeks ago :) She got to wear some light make-up (Powder, mascara, lip stick) and that made her day! She looked absolutely gorgeous! We are so proud of her :) I will post the videos once we get them put into a format appropriate for our computer :)

3rd Trimester Photo and Update!

I reach 37 weeks on Tuesday! She can come safely anytime starting then! It is crazy that she could be here so soon :)

Just A Quick Update!

Sorry I have not posted in a while! Our computer was on the fritz and we finally just had to buy a new one :/

But another reason why I haven't written and for a much happier reason is, we are moving! I am not liking having to move a 2nd time in this pregnancy but it was what God had in store :) We are going to be moving into a 4 bedroom, 1 1/2 bath, 2200 sq ft rental home with a basement and fenced in backyard! It is also on Bo's office property so Bo will just be walking across a small field to get to work! It is a lovely home and we are so excited! We have been cleaning it slowly and the landlord (Bo's boss) is letting paint areas we want :) It has been exhausting but wonderful!

Laneah will be doing her ballet recital! It's at the end of this month, so hopefully in early June I can have pictures from that up :)

Just Had To Share :)

Whenever I need to be in the kitchen for an extended period of time cooking, I put on a cd on the computer and play it in the kitchen with me. I started playing the latest mix cd Bo made for me, and Nay all the way from upstairs says, "Mom what are you cooking?!" I love how they know when mom is making something :)

Rhychie's Dance Class

There is no uniform so no pic :P But I just had to share how much he loves his class :) They just dance to fun music withprops but he loves it :)

Nay's Ballet Class

 This is how Nay wants her hair done for class :)

 The little princess posing

With the pics I took of Nay, Rhychie said "Picture of Rhychie in underwear?" :P

But she LOVES this class! And so do we! The teacher leaves a slot in the door so we can see the class anytime we want :) And the waiting room is just fantastic! It's got a kitchen, 3 slides, and lots of smaller toys so Rhycherd does not get bored :) We are both hoping Laneah wants to do the optional recital in May, we would just love to see her in it :)