Sorry i haven't kept up very well on here. Well to catch up, Brad got notification at work that he won't have a job as of Oct 15 (or was it 14, i honestly don't remember). So we are searching for a job. Okay that was really the only bad news in this situation. Here is some of the good news: First of all, the church has some fabulous programs that will help us find a job. Also, because Brad is being let go, the company will continue to pay for his education for the next 3 years! So he can go back to school and get his degree. And Finally (though not by the least measure the last of the blessings coming from this) we have both received confirmation from the Lord, that this is the best thing for our family in the long run. So we continue to be faithful and pray for direction. Brad has applied to a couple different jobs so we'll see how it goes!
Summer has been good to us so far. The girls like to play outside and ride their bikes. I'm still not ready to think about the fact Ellie is going to school. But she's so excited to go! Alyssa wants so badly to go with her that i will probably end up putting her in preschool. Isabella is growing up so big! She likes to pretend with her sisters and she would be sooo happy if she could just sit on my lap and read stories all day long. Bethany is (finally) getting bigger. She's so alert and likes to grab things. She's trying to sit up and crawl. My girls are all so beautiful and fun to be with!

One other thing that has been changing in my life is my house. Any one who knows me well enough to have come to my house knows that i'm not the best housekeeper in the world. But i found a website that has really helped me get a grip on it. Okay so it really shouldn't be such a huge deal, but i feel like celebrating the fact that i've finally kept my kitchen, living room, bathroom and the bedrooms at least mostly clean for the past month! (CLAP CLAP CLAP! YAY!) Not to mention i've also stayed on top of the laundry! (that never happens!)

Okay, now that i've done that i just want anyone reading to know that it hasn't been easy, and doesn't look like it will be soon, but I love my family and look forward to the changes that are coming! I especially want Brad to know that no matter what, I will stand with him and by him in the decisions that have to be made in the next 3 months. I know that our marriage will only be stronger through these trials we are experiencing! I love you, Brad! And I ALWAYS will!

Thanks for your support everyone, we really appreciate it!

Welcome extendeds!

Wow! Time sure flies when there's so much going on! Eleny had her kindergarten evaluation a few weeks ago. The lady that interviewed her said that she was ready to go and I'm only freaking out a little bit. lol. This last week we worked really hard to get Eleny into her own room. She says she loves it. It was quite the investment of time to get the back bedroom cleaned out enough to make it habitable. It was the place to store all things that had no home, like an entertainment center that wasn't being used, a large coffee table that doesn't fit in the living room, a couple of sewing desks, all of my misc. crafting supplies and all manner of junk. But after 2 days of solid cleaning we got it done and now Eleny is enjoying the freedom of her own room.
Alyssa now gets to sleep on the top bunk of the bunk bed and figured out how to climb down on her own after only 2 days. She's afraid of heights, so we are soo proud of her for conquering the ladder of the bunk bed. Also with this move Isabella went from the crib to a big girl bed (the bottom bunk) and she's experiencing the thrill of not having to stay in bed just because mom or dad put her there. And probably the most sad of all is Bethany was finally able to make the move from the Bassinet in Brad and My's bedroom to the crib in the other room. I know its all a good thing but when no one is looking I still put Beth down for naps in the Bassinet, shh don't tell. J/k.

My baby is now 3 weeks old! She is growing soooo fast! When we went to the doctor, she weighed 7 lbs 9 oz. The older girls all love to hold Bethany. Alyssa's birthday was on the 4th, and we had such a Great Day! We went to the Treehouse museum and let the kids run and play. They made crafts and played in China, Mexico, Africa, and Japan. Then we came back and paited with karo syrup and made a BIG mess! All in all our family is adjusting well to the new addition and we are looking forward to the changes that are still on the way!

So I had forgotten how quickly a simple diaper change can turn into a need to scrub down the entire room and bath both baby and self. Bethany Annette Johnson was born on January 21 at 4:44. She weighed 6 lbs 15 oz and was 19 1/2 in long. So far she sleeps better than i had expected. usually around 3 hours at a time in the night. After she was born, while we were waiting for her to be weighed and measured, Brad was holding her, and she totally peed all over him! Haha!
My other girls are adjusting. Some better than others. Eleny and Alyssa are helpful as long as i bribe them with pennies. (It works surprisingly well) Isabella is very protective of her baby. If Bethany cries, she gets upset and looks to me like 'fix it mom!' Its hilarious! The first day that Brad went back to work, Eleny went to the sink and got a nice big cup of water. Then she dumped it on Alyssa's head. While I was getting Alyssa into some dry clothes, she did it again to Isabella! We've all been adapting in our own way, and with any luck we'll all survive!