Five kids - 5 & Under! (Missing Two kids Over 18!)

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There has been so much going on in our household that I could never write about everything! Many, many changes. Here are the highlights (& low lights if you are a pessimist):

Elliott Lochlyn Stever was born on May 30, 2011 weighing over 9 lbs! Healthy and beautiful. She had to be readmitted to the hospital for jaundice-related issues for a couple of days but recovered beautifully. She is a bright light in my life - the most perfect baby. Content, happy, smiling, healthy, expert breast feeder, etc.

Braylon's adoption was finally finalized after much stress, tears, financial hardship, and love on July 18, 2011. We are very blessed to have him in our lives. He is our only son and very special of course. He is just growing and learning and challenging everything I have ever known or felt about children. He is so smart and wonderful and challenging and stubborn and all 2 years old! His progress is amazing and ongoing. He will have surgery for hernia repairs in October of this year.

One of the main changes / challenges our family has faced is the loss of my job. Because of a ridiculous government, horrible ethics & morals, and a heart wrenching decision to put my children first, I am now a stay-at-home mom. These are my opinions of course, so please do not get overly upset by my adjectives. I have worked outside of the home since I was 16 years old. I am now 42 years old and trying to learn how all of these amazing women - mostly younger than me - do this job! It is the most challenging, difficult, tiring, wonderful, blessed, amazing thing I have ever done. Economically, we have been challenged more than any time in our lives. It has been terrifying at times. Food, clothing, housing, health insurance - these are things that so many of us take for granted. I do not any longer. Thank God for a hardworking husband and father. My husband has found work and never stopped providing. He immediately took on the role of sole breadwinner and has worked so hard day and night. You know, I woke up this morning and discovered something wonderful: This Halloween I will not worry about what day trick or treating falls on so that I can hurry my work to be finished early and rush home at 5 pm. This year I will not worry about getting Thanksgiving and the following Friday off - I will be home to cook and teach my children how to make dressing. This year I will be able to finally do Christmas crafts with my children. I can enjoy and savor the week of Christmas. I can read about the birth of baby Jesus to them. I can take my time the days following Christmas morning and clean up slowly. I can BE with my family.

None of these thoughts and feelings and opinions are in any way judging working moms - I have always been a working mom. I am just absolutely so blessed to be able to attempt to run this household and raise my children and be a wife to my husband. I would not change a thing.

New Valentine's Day Thoughts

I am one of THOSE people - I have never liked Valentine's Day. Not when I was a child, not as a teenager, not as a single woman, not as a married woman. I made exceptions for my kids but was still not really "on board" with the whole concept. Personally, I would rather be told "I love you" and say, "I love you" any other day of the year. For no reason in particular. But.....

This year I am especially and deeply thankful for my husband and children. My husband is hands-down the greatest man I know. It is a privilege and an honor to be his wife. I would not change one thing about him because even his imperfections make him who he is. I still look at him and my heart melts. We are so connected that I would feel incomplete without him. I know, I know......do people really feel this deeply about one another anymore? Well I am here to tell you - yes!

I am also so blessed by all of my children. I always feel great love for them. However, this Valentine's Day, I am so blessed and fortunate to have 6 beautiful children and one on the way - a total of 7 mighty blessings! Babies ranging in age from 22 years to 22 weeks in utero! It is amazing to be a mother - something I have been for a long time. It is, by far, my greatest accomplishment and my greatest source of joy and pain.

So, this year I will actually celebrate the dreaded "Valentine's Day" because of the blessing of my family. To all of you, I love you unconditionally and forever with a love as deep as any ocean!