Safari's

As a last minute idea before fall break was over, we found this cool place online. Safari's is an exotic animal rescue open to the public. We went and checked it out and it was AWESOME! So many different kinds of animals that you can actually see close up. Way better than the zoo. The kids had a blast.

On a sad note, one animal we visited named "rocky" was a Liger (mom was a tiger, dad was a lion); one of the largest animals they have......huge..........killed his handler only weeks after we visited. Oddly enough, the man went inside the cage during feeding time and a normally very happy Rocky attacked the man who later died. Nothing like that has ever happened there before and it was odd to see the situation on the news since we had only just been there. Here are some pics of Rocky. So sorry to hear about such a terrible accident.

Fall Break

Fall Break was awesome......we filled our time with so much stuff. Knowing the baby changes things a lot around the house, I wanted to really focus some time on the kids. Shad and I took our kids and their three cousins out for the day to Putt and Jump, Pizza, and a Movie. We had grandma to come along and help. It was a long but super fun day for everyone.

Suessical the Musical

Okay, I wanted to expand our "arts" experience so we tried Suessical the Musical. It was really fun and different for us compared to our normal entertainment. The kids enjoyed it and there were some really talented people in the show.

Welcome Baby Brin!

Well, after a long 48 hour induction, we have her!! I am emotional just thinking about. It was the most difficult labor I have experienced. They say the more children you have the easier it gets. Well, meet the exception to the rule! Long but blessed, truly. There were many twists and turns in which we thought things weren't going to go our way, but God stepped in every single time. He is always faithful!

Her name is Brin Delaney Ekstrum, weighing 6.1 lbs, 18 3/4 inches long. We were induced at 37 weeks, but she is measuring a little smaller gestationally. She had a small setback with jaundice but is now cleared, and is spending her first weekend at home! It's funny, we thought for so long about whether or not to go for the fourth. Now, it's hard to believe we almost didn't.

School Update

Okay, so we went to meet teachers Tuesday. It was a little chaotic with so many parents there at the same time. But, I got a good feel of each of the teachers. The first day was yesterday, and yes, they loved it! They all like their teachers and each one has qualities that make them a good fit. Like Addison's teacher has a booming voice so Addie can always hear (Addie has a hearing loss in her right ear), and Ragan's teacher is very relaxed and goes with the flow (Ragan is a control freak so she doesn't do well with teachers who are rigid), and Collin's teacher is nice as well. Of course, I still feel like I am missing too much of them, but I guess that is a part of growing up. The schedule is so awesome though. School starts at 8:50, ends at 3:15, it's right by our house so it's a 5 minute drive. Excellent. Someone from the school called me today to let me know Addison bumped heads with another little girl at recess. Just a bump, no stitches. PRAISE GOD!! I was impressed that they called me to advise so I wouldn't be worried when I pick her up today. I guess I didn't expect that from them. Shad is pleased as well. But his life doesn't change with this, just mine. So he doesn't really know the difference since he works. But I know he is happier to see the children in school. I really didn't have the guts to admit that this might be better for us. Shad pushed me to be open minded and not pre-judge the system. Thanks honey!

School Choice

You might already know that we began homeschooling last year, for 1/2 the year. So, the intention was to continue doing our thing this year. However, we have decided to go ahead and enroll the kids in the Owasso Public School system. I never thought I would use the public school system. We haven't simply out of fear and of the unknown. I want to KNOW what they are doing, KNOW what curriculum they are using, KNOW the teachers. So, we are going to take every step necessary for us to feel "in the know", ya know? The kids are really excited. Right now, the goal is to have the kids in Owasso for two years and then move them back to a private christian school, and STAY there. We have some debts that have been trying to strangle us so we need to take this time to get our financial stability back. It is really hard to admit that you can't truly afford something you really want. Especially when it comes to the well being of your children.

I don't think either of us are still completely sure of our decision, but I know you cannot make decisions out of fear. So, we are taking the fear out of the choice and seeing what they have to offer. Worst case scenario, we bring them back home and keep doing what we have been. I guess the key is to find peace. I had great peace when bringing them home last year, and love that we got to spend so much time together before the baby comes. Life felt too busy and chaotic. So now, I feel "ready" for a baby. Maybe that was God's plan all along. We didn't even know what kind of financial trouble we were in when we made the decision to bring them home, but God's timing was so perfect. After a couple months, we realized it was the absolute right decision. I don't think God is here to rescue us out of every financial roadblock, but through trust in God, you can learn maturity and stick-to-it-tiveness. We were the ones who weren't being mature in our spending so now we are reaping what we have sown. Let's toast to new sowing for our family and a big harvest down the road!!! Here are some pics of us today before we went school shopping.

Collin's Fourth Birthday

What a sweetheart! I am so blessed.

The baby is a coming............

Okay, so technically I have 6 weeks till my due date but leave it to good 'ol blood pressure to change the game. Looks like they will induce me in 3 weeks. We are so looking forward to meeting this little girl. Her name is Brin (middle name still under constuction). This is the fourth so we feel we know what to expect but at the same time, we are still anxious.