A Hope and a Plan

Every single blog seems to start the same way.....it's been too long.  A lot has happened in  less than a month. The biggest news, is that Via is going to be a big sister. Our due date is May 12, 2014, and we couldn't be happier. This news has caused us to take a step back and count our blessings as we plan for a new and different future.

Among our many blessings, a few that we count daily are as follows:

• Justin's ability to stay home with our little girl.
• The flexibility of my job.
• Our church family, and the friendships that are growing on that front.
• Via is a happy, healthy, growing girl.
• Living in a home we love that is not 10 hours away from most of our family.
• The freedom to enjoy nightly family devotions.

As we think about the changes that will come with having two kids, we are praying about a few things:

• That Justin will be able to find a good job in a field that he loves - either ministry or non-profit.
• Continued health in both our children.
• Wisdom about a changing childcare situation - as in, could we make it work that this mama stays home? (Sshhhh, don't tell my boss)

God is good. When I was pregnant with Via we had a plan for Justin to work at home and take care of the baby, and for me to keep working for FedEx in Harrison. When Justin was let go of his position and I had a promotional opportunity, things worked out even better than what we had hoped for. This time around I expect it will be the same. We have a plan and a hope and God will tailor it all to meet our needs, even if that means learning more dependence on Him.

So, please pray with us.

Speaking of Stay-at-Home parenting, my cousin-in-law and good friend, Alicia Fisk, posted an article to Facebook that I found to be very thought-provoking. Here's a little nibble (you can have the whole meal here):

"Finally, it’s probably true that stay at home moms have some down time. People who work outside the home have down time, too. In fact, there are many, many jobs that consist primarily of down time, with little spurts of menial activity strewn throughout. In any case, I’m not looking to get into a fight about who is “busier.” We seem to value our time so little, that we find our worth based on how little of it we have. In other words, we’ve idolized “being busy,” and confused it with being “important.” You can be busy but unimportant, just as you can be important but not busy. I don’t know who is busiest, and I don’t care. It doesn’t matter. I think it’s safe to say that none of us are as busy as we think we are; and however busy we actually are, it’s more than we need to be."

In other news, Via will be one in less than a month and I am for real planning her birthday party (not just talking about it). I finished the invitations last night, but won't put them in the mail for another week or so.  I still have to make her tutu (already bought the supplies), finalize and execute a plan for cake and food, make decorations, and put together a little picture guessing game.  

Since I last posted, Via has become much better at walking. She still goes between crawling and walking, but hardly ever wipes out any more. Still no concrete words, but I can tell they are on the tip of her tongue. She listens to and mimics much of what we say. We have reduced her formula intake and have upped her "people" food allotment. Hoping for a smooth transition to whole milk when she hits that 12 month mark. She has four teeth, and when she is fussy we say, "She must be teething." So far we are wrong. My mom has started coming to our house to take care of her on Wednesday's so that Justin can get a full day of studying in each week. It is a major blessing for all of us, and Via does great with her Grandma Becky.  

And in case you forgot how cute Via is:

Clapping.

Big sister.

 Walking.

 Sweater Weather.

Team Fiskederich after finishing the Twin Cities Shortcut to the Capital (10 miles) on October 6, 2013.