It's a.....

GIRL!!!


Today was the big day and all went well. We were amazed at how precious she is already. She is going to be a hoot we can tell b/c she was putting on a show for the ultrasound tech. She had to chase her around to get a good picture of her & didn't much want to have her picture taken. She turned flips and was waving arms & legs! We are thankful to have had a normal ultrasound & that's all we could have asked for. Poor Robbie...he's never going to stand a chance with all these girls but he's the greatest daddy ever and I'm sure she'll have him wrapped in no time!

Unless we change our minds...at this point her name will be Ava Grace!!

Things that make us say...Yippee!

Following is a simple list of the things that have brought the Beaver household joy over the last few weeks & we just thought we would share a few of them....

*Robbie's brother is home from the hospital and while still on meds/oxygen doing much better.
*Spent some quality time w/ our families cooking, fishing and playing games.
*Ball season is OVER...while this may not bring my hubby too much joy, it does me. All the running was wearing me out!
*Cleaned out the garage & had a yard sale earning $150!!
*Started the crazy process of moving Emma in w/ Kayla & got their new bunkbeds & chests put together.
*Emma got her ears pierced! This was a HUGE accomplishment!
*Robbie finally got a used truck so I got my car back!
*Started feeling the baby move/kick/hiccup and love it!
*Ultrasound is scheduled a week from today!
*Got the newest Thirty-One products today from UPS...man it has been like Christmas!
*Went shopping w/ mom & finally got some maternity clothes & at a great deal!

I'm sure there's more things I could mention and some obviously more important than others, but I thought today I need to make a list of all the good things that's happened & not the bad which is so easy to do. God has been good to me and my family & I need to thank him more often for it! So, what's on your Yippee list??

Prayer Request

Please keep Robbie's brother, Nathan, in your prayers. He's been in ICU at Grace Hospital since yesterday morning and will probably be there for several days. He is one of these stubborn men that refuse to go to a Dr. but he finally broke down and went because he was so bad. Now, he's on life support and being given steroids and anti-biotics in hopes to treat what they believe to be vasculitis in his lungs. I had to do some research on this but from what I have found out it stems from a infection caused by bacteria in most cases but can be linked to other diseases such as lupus, or could come from an allergic reaction to medication. Obviously this is hard to diagnose, so they are hoping what meds they have him on will start to work & he will improve soon. They have sent off blood & lab tests that will take several days to come back, so now it's a waiting game. We would really appreciate your prayers!
Robbie went by to see him this morning and decided to go ahead and go to his last drill in Greensboro. It was a tough decision for him but this is his last drill with the 30th and his paperwork for transfer back to Taylorsville was suppose to take place this weekend. Please keep him in your prayers too as he travels back & forth. He wanted to try to go and get done what he had to so he could come back but he knows his brother is in the Lord's hands and all we can do is pray.
I will try to update again soon.

Do You Remember??

Happy Memorial Day! I hope everyone had a blessed weekend. This Holiday has always been one close to my heart, but since becoming a military wife and seeing & becoming a part of the military traditions, it is even more. I spent most of the weekend thinking about all the families that have sacrificed so much. I can not imagine how hard it is to tell your loved one goodbye and send them off to war and then never get the chance to see them & tell them again. I praise the Lord everyday that Robbie came home safely from Iraq. He had a few close calls, one in particular that I didn't get full details until he got home (and for that I'm glad), but God saw it fit to keep a protective hedge around him and bring him home. Some though, did not. My grandfather served in the Navy in WWII, my uncle in Vietnam, and my cousin was deployed several times with the Navy & Army. Military has always been in our family, but I have to be honest, it didn't hit home with me until I was right in the middle of it. I have learned to be grateful for a 60 second time-period, a hot shower, a phone call, a microwave, and even just a rain storm. For the families that have lived the life as a military family you have all my respect & gratitude, and to all the families that support our troops and pray for them daily, you have my deepest thanks. I've thought a lot this past few days over the last 3-1/2 years and I thought I would share a few pictures from our experiences & memories...

Fort Jackson

Robbie's Graduation from Basic Training


Deployment Ceremony

Robbie as a gunner in the Caymen

Still using his electrical skills even in Iraq

Homecoming!!

And last but definately not least...a couple from the Raleigh History Museum we visited in March...

This Flag was flown in 2004 during Operation Iraqi Freedom

This plaque listed the names of the 30th HBCT soldiers who lost their lives during Operation Iraqi Freedom 2003-2005 and the 2009-2010 Deployment that Robbie was with.



"Where Liberty Dwells...There is My Country" Benjamin Franklin

Busy, Busy, Busy!

Last week was filled with ballgames and will so continue until mid June. Not 1 or 2 but all 3 of my "children" are playing ball now. I can't deny, I really don't mind being the mom on the bleachers cheering them on! I love it!
This past Saturday we grilled out with some of our close friends that we hadn't seen in a while and just enjoyed some family fun together. We are very thankful for the sweet friends we have!
Sunday, was Mother's Day and the day started off with a wonderful church service that spoke to my heart and then followed by lunch with my crew and my parents at Kobe's. I hadn't had Kobe's in years...and to eat there at 7 wks pregnant was a huge accomplishment. With the girls, I couldn't get within 10 ft. of Japanese food. We spent time afterwards with Robbie's mom, who praise the Lord is doing much better now after her cancer scare was determined to be broken bones & torn muscles that she had been living with for some time now. I'm so thankful for our Mother's and how much they do & mean to us.
This week I've been getting the girls rooms ready for their new bunkbeds that my dad graciously picked up & delivered for us today and finally sold Kayla's old bedroom suite. It should be interesting on how this new living arrangement will work out. Emma has already claimed the top bunk and has a justified reason in doing so: "But, Mom, Kayla sleep walks and we don't want her to fall off & get hurt". HAHA! I laugh because Emma is never this nice to her sister, meaning she is trying to get what she wants.
Tonight & in the morning, I'm finishing packing yet again for our trip to Greensboro for the 30th HBCT Yellow Ribbon Ceremony. This "ceremony" is mainly scheduled classes for soldiers and their spouses and families that encourage them back into a normal routine and the how-to process. Hopefully one more Ceremony next month and things will get back to normal for a while.
Robbie is also hoping to get a phone call this weekend about a job. He went Tues to Asheville to fill out papers and do a drug test for Johnson Controls Temp Agency (Adecco), and hopefully will start sometime next week. This will be a big answer to prayer if he does get the job. We desperately need another mode of transportation. My car has seen a lot of miles lately and I don't think I'm ready to learn how to learn how to ride a motorcycle!
I'll end tonight with a couple pics of my babies playing ball! Hope you all have an awesome Friday!

Upside Down & Rightside Up

Needless to say, I have not dissapeared totally, more like just spread real thin. The Beaver household has been busy to say the least but I thought I take a sec to share a few of our main events the past couple of months. The job hunting continues for both Robbie & I, however, Robbie has had 2 interviews with 2 great companies and we are currently weighing the options & waiting on call backs for next week. Un-employment has been a challenge in its-self, but just meeting the weekly requirements & producing current info hasn't been a cup of tea either. I wonder sometimes if it's really worth the little amount you get...oh well. I really am thankful that we can sign up I just wonder sometimes why the government has to be so unorganized & complicated? Who am I kiddin, I am a miltary wife, I know better than that!

The Welcome Home Ceremonies have started from Robbie's deployment. We attended the one in Raleigh a couple weeks ago & it was so good to see all those soldiers of the 30th HBCT back on U.S. soil. The girls had a blast with the kid-friendly set-ups. I've attached a few pics from our weekend in Raleigh. We have two more ceremonies to go in the next two months then Robbie will be released back to his home unit- Taylorsville & things will go back to normal until his next rotation.

The girls have about 33 more days of school left until summer break YAY! They've done so great this year in school! All's A's and 3's!! Whoohoo! They have both also decided to play T-ball & Softball again. So, the running to practices & ballgames has begun, along with flip-flop tan lines, gatorades & cheese fries. Our family loves the ballfield. They have their 1st games tomorrow and had pictures today. They are definately just like their daddy when it comes to sports.

Currently, I've been spending a lot of my time at home cleaning (and disinfecting..Kayla had the stomach bug last week & Emma this week)& getting ready for a yard sale next weekend. The house has been torn upside down and it has been a task this week just finding a pair of matching socks! It's amazing how much stuff one house can aquire in so short of a time. I'm still job-searching myself but have enjoyed babysitting some and also filling in at the local attorney's office and I can't forget Thirty-One. I love selling Thirty-One & I'm so glad I decided to sign up when I did. It's been a blessing just getting out & having some time for me and fun meeting new people.

So, I've saved the best for last! Today, I went to my local OBGYN and confirmed that Robbie & I are expecting our 3rd baby!! We are all very excited, especially Robbie & Emma. They have already been praying for that baby brother! haha But, just when I thought we were busy enough, we are about to get a little busier!! God is so good and he has blessed us with so much. We are so grateful to have this little one on the way. I have to be honest, I've never seen my husband's face light up so much in my life...even when we got married ha! He is a wonderful husband & daddy and I'm so proud of him and my girls. They mean the world to me!

Hopefully my next post will not be so long and sooner than the last. Until then, hope you all have a great weekend!

Go Rest High on that Mountain

As most of you know already, Robbie made it home from his deployment safely and we as a family have been adjusting back to somewhat of a normal routine. We took off for a mini-vacation last week for our anniversary and it was great to get away for a while. Sometimes I think it is best to get away from all the craziness is just to get away & enjoy what God has given us. I don't think I'll ever look at a mountain the way I did when we were in TN. I had such peace just standing in the middle of nowhere looking at God's masterpiece. How amazing!
When we came back Monday, I got a call from my mother to let me know about a dear friend of mine, also Emma's teacher at school, had been to the Dr. and found out she had colon cancer. I was crushed to hear the news and scared for her. She was too young....could this really be happening to her??? My mind wondered back & forth the rest of the day thinking on how so many things have changed over the last year. I keep going back to the book I'm reading "A New Kind of Normal" and how no matter what we are faced with in our lives, God is in control at all times and he knows what is best for us & what the future holds. I will ask you to keep my friend, Allyson, in your prayers. She is scheduled for surgery on the 26th.
Today, we are back to the drawing board. Robbie has leave from the military until March 8th, then it's back to job & truck hunting. He was an electrician for Power-Tech Electric before deployment, but as the enconomy proves, there are no electrician jobs open these days. We sold his Blazer while he was gone to help with finances. He is a jack of all trades though & I know something great will come along for him.
This morning, the real surprise came, I got a call from my boss saying there wasn't any way she could pay me to come back full-time, not even part-time at this point. Part of me was a little bitter, part of me knew it was coming, but most of me just thought well, you have to pick up the pieces & go on. God has a plan for you, for your husband, and for your family. So, that's just what I'm going to do. We are going to keep on, keeping on. Robbie & I talked this morning and he told me "Jenn, don't get mad at me, but I prayed God would make a way for you not to go back to work there". He said, "God will make a way, we've never gone without, we just have to let him". I love my husband, he always knows how to encourage me when I seem to need it the most. Most of all, I love my Saviour. I'm so glad to know that if I have nothing else I know I'll always have him, and that's all I need. I'm glad that he is my rock and my mountain and I can find rest in him. I never knew how much I would turn to my favorite bible verse this past year, but I'm so glad I have it and the Lord's promise.

Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.