Motherhood...

What a great way to lead into our great news and special pictures. I had a 12 week ultrasound yesterday and our cute baby #4 is looking healthy and strong; strong heartbeat, healthy spine and active already.  I'm farther along than I thought, so it looks like 13 weeks and a few days.  I'll take any days that get me closer to the next trimester. 

I get asked constantly if I want a boy, and I have to admit that after yesterday I was really hoping to have a chance to have a little boy in our home, but it made me so upset when the interesting ultrasound technician predicted a girl and I was sad. (Who can tell at week 12 anyway?) What's the big deal anyway? What is wrong with having four girls, like it's a disappointment to have four beautiful girls.  So if I do have another sweet Gibb girl, be very happy for me, because it's a miracle every time a baby comes to someone, and especially after going through what we do to bring them here.   Besides, who would be unhappy having any child with this man?

I've just felt sick most of the time, but last week had a reprieve for 6 whole days in a row.  I guess my house really needed to be cleaned.  I also prayed for a glimmer of hope to come to me, and that was Heavenly Father's way of showing me that answer to my prayer.  I also had a chance to get away this weekend and spend some time in the mountains with some friends. I had a great time and laughed so hard it made me younger.  I keep thinking about that when this week I feel like I'm going to pass out and throw up for two days in a row.  It didn't help that Sydney didn't feel well and we spent yesterday afternoon at the toilet, but I was given a great deal of strength and stomach power to take care of her.  She's fine, but it was an interesting day being a pregnant mommy.

I'm grateful for the sweet miracles that have happened. I was diagnosed with blood clots a few weeks ago and they are getting better.  I have a husband who loves me enough to take over in the house and wait on me when I'm not feeling well, when he knows that all I want to be doing is blessing my family and home.  I'm so used to being able to accomplish so much in a day.  It's been humbling to take a seat and really try to enjoy the chance to take naps and move at a slower pace.

I keep up my movement. I have a treadmill next to the couch, so I try to get at least 20-30 minutes of walking each day.  It's taken a shift in my thinking to put myself in a baby producing mode for my body rather than a weight release mode.  It's amazing watching this body become ready to hold a child and give birth.

I just picked a pint of beautiful raspberries from my garden, 3 acorn squashes, a melon, tomatoes and zucchini.  I am blessed with bounty.   I am thankful to be alive and experiencing the good along with the challenging things in life. 

Sisters - Faith, Hope and Charity

I am such a symbolic person. I was sharing a scripture with my children this morning in Alma 7:24 - 

"And see that ye have faith, hope and charity, and then ye will always abound in good works."

Phoebe said she really likes those dolls at Christmas time that say Faith, Hope and Charity.  I sat and looked at my girls and realized that they are my own version of faith, hope and charity.

Faith:

When I was pregnant with Abby,  I had come complications that without slowing down, quitting school, and going on bed rest, would have been really dangerous for my sweet little baby girl.  I always wanted to finish school, so quitting was really hard, but I went forth with faith and I have been blessed with more than I could have seen.  She believes with out seeing the end. I have faith that I will some day finish my education, but for now, I know that in showing faith in God's plan for me and not my own, I have been blessed by a great gift, my Abigail!

Hope:

It took a great deal of hope during my pregnancy with Phoebe. I had a very energetic two year old, and a husband who worked and went to school at the same time, not unlike many women.  But, that same company that paid for school went belly up and Spencer lost his job two months before Phoebe was born.  He went back to school full time, we lived as best we could, and had hope in the plan of our Heavenly Father.   The faith that strengthened us with Abigail carried us once again.  I started to have contractions about 3 months early.  I went on bed rest again and hoped for the best.  Phoebe did come early.... 4 weeks, just in time to be considered early, not premature, and just in time for the last month of insurance to cover her pregnancy.  We have hope in Christ and our Heavenly Father's plan, and we also have our tiny, Phoebe Sue, a sign of Hope.

Charity:

While pregnant with Sydney Jane,  I experienced a great deal of the true love of Christ.  My sweet husband nurtured me, my friends served me, and I went through quite a few surgeries that helped me understand a little of what our Savior might have gone through.  It is during her life so far, that I have learned a great deal about Charity, and what it means to truly love someone the way Christ loves them. Born in love and continuing to love, Sydney has an incredible ability to give you hugs and loves just when you need them. She loved to cuddle, and she has bound our family in the bonds of charity, the pure love of Christ.   Our sweet Sydney Jane!

The Three Sisters - Faith, Hope and Charity

I happened upon a picture and article of the three sisters in Oregon.  They are faith, hope and charity.  I spent the first twenty years of my life in Oregon, and consider myself, "Made in Oregon."  I loved to look for these mountains, far away in the skyline.  It was kind of a thing to see if you could see them through the clouds, or rain, but they were always there.  Our own faith, hope, and charity are clouded by the events of life, and we may not see the "events" that assist Heavenly Father in teaching us these things until the clouds have lifted and the sun shines.  It is then we lift up our heads and look for our "mountains."  I had forgotten their names and reminded once more, with a sweet God breeze, that faith, hope and charity stand supreme.  They are three sisters, standing strong and supporting the other.  Without them, the future would look dim, boring, and without beauty.  I am thankful for the chance to CONTINUE to gain a testimony of the power of these principles.  I desire to abound in good works all my life and follow what God would have me do.

Love Languages and Temperance

I find it interesting that these two topics came together this morning.  I wasn't able to get back to sleep after Sydney was up this morning asking for milk.  This voice kept nudging at me to get out of bed, I had something to learn.  I had started to read the "THE 5 LOVE LANGUAGES" book by Dr. Chapman and have found it very interesting.  I knew we all had different learning styles and each of us our unique, but I hadn't associated it to love.  I always thought since I was sucha verbal person, I am a verbal affirmations girl, but the more I read, the more I realize how many of the love languages are similar, but different in intent.  I love "quality time."  Anyway, enough about me.

I have been praying to find the way and path to help my children and be more patient with them.  It has taken me many places, and to many books, but this one clicked. My children have love languages too!  I hadn't thought of that.  This changes so much. I am so excited to find out what they are.  I desire so much to show the love I feel inside for them.  This may be a very personal blog, due to the very nature of the topic, and that it is so raw with me.  I love to share what I learn. It invigorates me.

Before I sat to read more from this book, I had picked up the Ensign and started to read the talk given my Elder Kent Watson, "Being Temperate in All Things,".   I found myself recieving personal thought to my mind from a loving Heavenly Father who wants to teach me how to figure these things out with my family and loved ones.   He used this 4 o'clock hour to enlighten my mind and send me a message of love and understanding.  It became clear that temperence is a gift of the spirit.  I love the gifts of the spirit. I have been blessed to have those gifts when I have prayed for them in my life and as Heavenly Father has seen fit to give them to me in my particular time of life.  I feel blessed to understand these things, and to practice what I've read.  We can all practice temperance in the economic and social enviroment we face everyday.   I have really been hit by it this last week.  My coat was taken, hopefully by accident (and it's really cold here in Utah.)  I've learned to appreciate warmth and have been working on letting go of something that really is a necessity.   I've prayed that whoever has it returns it, or gets better use of it than I did.  Either way, it's been a challenge, and may not be for the rest of the world, but I've learned from it.  It's not coincidence that at the moment it was taken, I was listening to someone speak about charity.

So, have a wonderful day everyone.  To whomever even reads this, may you blessed with the gift of temperance.  I am thankful for all the gifts our Eternal Father has bestowed in my life. 

Be Still My Soul  One of my favorite hymns.  The words are great!

I recorded singing it this morning.  This is a big step for me to let go of my perfectionism and share how I feel with song.  It's is early and just sung in the quiet of my kitchen...hope you feel it too!
Download the audio here!
 or click here if you don't have itunes
Create a great day!