Life sure carried me away...

I said in my last post that life might just carry me away...

BOY has it!!!

Since that post in July, so much has happened...

Both my kids went off to school in August, leaving me at home with the puppy, Angel. Ayla and Zach have both done amazing in school. Ayla was student of the month in her class for September and is in the accelerated reading program. Zach was student of the month in his class for October. He is doing great and his teacher says he is the sweetest and most polite of her students.

Angel is now almost 9 months old and about 25-30 pounds! She is very well behaved most of the time and even knows several tricks. She has wrapped the whole family around her paw...

After a long time trying, we are finally expected baby #3! We found out in December the baby is a little boy. Caleb Anthony Hembree should be joining us in the middle of May. It has been a bumpy pregnancy - morning sickness, kidney infection, sinus infection, acid heartburn, horrible back pain, and most recently, partial-bed-rest. I hope a month or two of rest will help and then I can go back to a lighter-but normal routine.

We were going to try and move soon, but decided to stay put until this summer. This way we can build our credit so we can buy a new place. Plus, I won't have to move while pregnant.

I can't say this blog will get updated too much before Caleb gets here, but I might try...
I'm pretty sure there won't be much posting this summer since I'll be busy with a new baby, a year old doggy, a seven year old daughter, a five year old son, a hubby of almost 9 years, buying a new home and moving into it, and trying to maintain what little sanity I have... :) See ya around, sometime... maybe...

Where has the time gone...

Wow. My last blog post was in March, right before our vacation. A lot has happened since then...

We went on our vacation. It was great to see my mom, her boyfriend, my sister, my niece, and some of my old friends. We had a great time! The kids even got to play in the snow and go to their first circus...


After vacation, we went back to life as usual. Ayla finished her kindergarten year in school. I graduated with honors. Then, we got ready for summer.


For Ayla's birthday this year, we went to Noah's Ark in Locust Grove. It was so much fun. She actually said it was the best birthday ever!


Zach had his party at home. I did a monkey theme. It all turned out so cute! Everybody loved it!


Bryan's car died. Thankfully, we were able to get financed for a new car, a Freestyle. I get to drive the new one and Bryan took my Taurus.


The puppy we were going to get didn't work out. We went online and found another dog. When we picked her up, she didn't seem to be doing well. We took her home instead of sending her back with the people who had her... We found out the next day that she was very ill. After several trying days, worrying about Parvo, we found out she had fleas, worms, and Coronavirus. After a few days getting fluids at the vet's, she pulled through fine. Angel is now at home and doing great. She is a husky / golden retriever mix. I'm looking forward to working with her! She is a sweetheart.

Both the kids start school in two weeks. It's a little hard for me to think about Zach going to school... But they all have to grow up sometime. Being without them during the day will give me some time to train Angel and some time to focus on myself a little more.

It's also been almost a year (August 11th) since the miscarriage. We still haven't conceived baby #3, but we are still trying.

We are still looking for a home to buy, but that has taken some work also...

That is pretty much the last few months in a nutshell... I might try posting more this fall, but I'm not going to commit to it... life might carry me away again!

Preparing for Vacation...

Things have continued to be pretty crazy around here, so I haven't worried about posting. I thought I would update you on what's been happening since this post.

After LaVerne passed, my health took a turn for the worse. After talking with several people, we thought it may be an under-active thyroid. However, the blood test didn't 'specifically' say that was the problem. My levels were a little elevated, but not to the level of being considered hypothyroid. We haven't been able to get our health insurance yet, so I am just pressing on and ignoring most of the symptoms. Unfortunately, whatever the problem may be, it is affecting our success with conceiving. So we are still working on that... ;)

I am only a few weeks away from completing my Bachelors degree. In about seven weeks I will have a Bachelors in Social Science with a concentration in Education (BASS Ed) and a minor in child development. I'm excited, even though I am unable to attend the commencement. I have made the Dean's List every semester and it looks like I will have a final GPA of 3.87. It's been a long road, but the end is near.

This fall, both kids will be in school, so I wanted to find some way to keep myself occupied. I don't have enough financial aid left to get the other Bachelors degree I would like. I also don't want to pursue a job yet. I want to be able to take the kids to school, volunteer in their classes, and pick them up after school. So, after a lot of research and prayer, I figured out a different way to keep busy.

I have always loved animals. I especially love dogs. Since we decided to get a puppy this summer, I started looking into dog training. I loved working with the last two dogs we had and wanted to work with the new one we get. The more I read, the more interested I became in professional dog training. So this fall, while the kids are in school, I will be working towards becoming a certified professional dog trainer. There are different routes I can take once I am certified. I can work on my own - using my degree and my certification - to be a private trainer or to work for an obedience school. I can also get my state teaching certification and teach somewhere while training on the side. I can also use my knowledge to volunteer. I'm not sure what I want to do right now.

I am very interested in agility training and training therapy dogs. The puppy breed we are getting would make a good therapy dog, but it would depend on the dog's temperament and skills. I'm also interested in rehabilitating shelter dogs, but I need to do more research on that option.

I'm still crafting. I took my business offline, but I am still taking orders. Most of the crafting I have been doing lately has been for charity auctions. I love being able to use my skills to help others! With the kids' birthday parties this summer, I am sure I will have plenty of crafting to do.

I guess the biggest thing going on is our vacation. In just a few days, we are going to Montana for a week. I haven't been to Montana for over 5 years. I am very excited to see my mom again, even though she came down last year to visit us. I will also get to meet my 3 year old niece for the first time. I am also going to see other family and friends that I haven't seen for 5-8 years! After we get back, I will try to post about it.

See you soon!

LaVerne

We will miss you, Grandma.

I am glad you are no longer in pain. I can't wait to see you again, walking tall and strong.

We love you, LaVerne.

What a crazy year...

I'm not going to try to post every month like I did last year. Things are just too crazy. Business comes and goes. I tried to get a charity started, but haven't had much support. The kids are growing up. We are still trying for another baby. Life is just crazy. When I think about blogging, I'm too busy. Then when I have the time, I just don't feel much like it... Like today... But I'll follow this post with another explaining why I'm not in a writing mood today...

Part of it is weather induced depression. It has been foggy and raining and dark all day.

Second is, my son has been clingy, demanding, fussy, and just annoying for the past two weeks. Not sure why.

Third, I keep getting reminded how big my kids are getting. They'll be 6 and 4 this summer and both of them will be in school this fall.

I was also recently reminded that if I hadn't miscarried last August, I'd be about 8 months pregnant. Instead we are 4 months into trying again. I've been ready for another baby for almost two years, even though we only started trying for one last April. I am okay with what had to happen. The hard part is watching my friends get pregnant and have babies. I know if it is God's will, it will happen in time. It's just hard for me to wait...

My birthday is just a few weeks away. I'll be 26. It's really not old, but for some reason I FEEL old...

In the midst of all that emotion, we found out we will be visiting Montana soon. I haven't been back since we moved almost 5 years ago... I'll get to see some of my family, including a 3 year old niece I've never met. I'll get to see old friends. And I'll get to spend time with my mom, who came down last year to visit us. This is great news! But it adds to the emotional roller coaster I'm currently on...

This morning we got news that my grandmother, LaVerne, was in the hospital. She is the last grandparent I have. She has been battling several health issues for a while. She has Parkinson's and falls a lot. Recently, they found clots in her lungs and put her on Coumadin to treat it. But she fell this morning and hit her head, causing bleeding on the brain. Because of the medication, a blood thinner, they cannot operate or anything. It is hard to let her go, but I am glad she isn't suffering and in pain any more. They will take her off life support once my uncle arrives from Colorado. We went through this situation when my grandfather Kern passed a few years ago. He was having heart problems and was on the same medication. When he had a stroke, fell and hit his head, they were unable to operate.

It's just a lot to deal with at one time. Plus I have a lot of friends going through things, both good and bad, and I feel for them also. There is just so much emotion...

I just wanted to pop on and vent a little. I know there aren't a lot of people who read this blog. It's more of a place for me to share, vent, and express myself. But for those of you who do read, thanks for putting up with my emotional wreck of a person right now...

Christmas Blessings

A small tree with my children's ornaments. They each have one for each Christmas. There is also one Ayla made in school. There are some that they won as prizes in Sunday school for answering questions about the Nativity and Jesus. This tree reminds me of the little blessings in my life. My children are healthy and growing. Ayla is doing very well in school. They both love Sunday school and learning about their Savior. It fills my heart with joy!

I decorated in a country Christmas theme this year. Simple and understated. I used some ornaments and decorations from when I was a child. It reminded me of the years my mom struggled to make sure my sister and I have a wonderful Christmas. Somehow, she always managed to make it wonderful. I'm reminded of snow and Christmas Eve on my grandparents farm. My Grandfather would go outside and ring bells on the porch, leaving gifts outside the sliding glass doors of their living room. Then, as the kids ran for the door and brought the gifts inside, he would slip back in and stand at the living room entry to watch. I remember clam chowder, smoked salmon, and ham rolls. I remember Christmas dinners with the family gathered around, talking and laughing. I remember Grandpa going to the china cabinet to pull out his jar of salt water taffy so each of us kids could have a piece.



This Christmas, as for the last five, we have been in Georgia. We have celebrated with Bryan's family and our friends. We have been awed by the glory and grace of our Lord. I know my grandparents are celebrating together, in Heaven. Their grandkids have grown and had children of their own. While I cherish the memories of my childhood, I am busy making new memories with my children, who are growing up so fast.

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas. I pray that the year to come brings Blessings to you all.

With Love, Jessica and the Hembree Family

The View from my Desk...

To my left, about 7 feet from where my desk chair sits, is this window.

Outside this window, I can see evidence of one of my favorite times of year.


The leaves are orange, red, brown, yellow, and gold. Some have 'floated' to the ground already. Here and there, little evergreens stand ready for Christmas time...



The air is chilled. The colors are rich. The emotions stirred are varied...

I am reminded that this is the death of summer. The plants and animals are disappearing. It's getting cold. I'm reminded of the hardships we've faced and the loved ones who are no longer with us...

But I also know it is the holiday season. Time for Thanksgiving and appreciating what we have been blessed with. It is a time to gather with friends and family and celebrate the love we share. It is a time of food, gifts, love, and bounty. Christmas is coming and it brings a reminder that, although it is cold and the world is dying, Christ is with us. Just as he rose, the world will renew itself in time...

We celebrate giving, thanks, love, kindness, sharing with those who are less fortunate than us, counting our blessings and blessing those around us, spending time with our loved ones, and remembering that God loved us so much he gave us his Son.

To all my friends and family, the ones who read this blog as a way to know what is going on here in Georgia with the Hembree family...
I love you! I miss you! May God bless you this Holiday Season!