Expectations!

So...MY expectations for this year were this... Wanted to get really involved in our student ministry. Was ready for the next stages for our family and began putting the infant baby stuff behind us. With all of this in mind and May and June being crazy months, I didn't pay attention to one small detail! Yes, I am pregnant... I am now 13 weeks and am due the beginning of February. I am amazed that God thinks I can handle this but I am up for it. I am just in awe of having another little one when my baby is still a baby! AH! I am praying for strength and patience. For God to do something in me that will change the lives of my children!

Perspective...

Every Tuesday morning I take Abby to a gymnastics class at our local YMCA. I've decided to run on the treadmill while she is at class. I am thankful that I can take Micah and put him in the child watch for about an hour. When I first took her I found myself complaining... as usual. But today I received a different perspective... What I do with my time and I mean every minute of the day should not be about me. "How can I benefit" and "I should get the best since I am paying for it". My complaining list just went on and on... I am not sure why I have been so challenged lately on this part of my life but wondering if there is something God truly wants me to learn. As I walked around the Y doing my thing, I began to see through totally different eyes. Like I put on someones glasses and had to squint my eyes a little. I saw what I think Jesus sees all the time. That is people that are so lost and confused that they don't even know where to turn. People that literally have nothing but try to live like they do. I have to be honest... I am not sure I want to see this way all the time... After a few minutes my heart began to get so heavy. I don't know where this is going to lead me and what God wants me to do but I was brought to these verses:
"In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding."
Ephesians 1:7-8

A Life of NO complaints...

Is it possible or just a far off goal that can't be achieved? Today was one of those days where I could have complained all day!!! But every time I came to that point, for some reason I was reminded of the simple blessings in my life. In the past year God has done so much in my life! I have been seriously been overwhelmed. When we moved back to NY, I guess "my plans" were so different that what God had planned. I look at my relationships, the birth of a SON, the purchase of a HOUSE, and being a stay at home mom and realize none of this was in my plan. Except for the house thing... that was definitely in MY plan! I am simply overwhelmed.

I think that is why I have come to the point where my complaining just seems so silly! I want my life and what comes from my heart to TRULY reflect the heart of God. He is stirring something deep within me.

The Forgotten Blog...

Since I have joined Facebook, blogging has been the last thing on my mind. I am one that can not maintain anything more than my e-mail and facebook. I realized today that I haven't even been checking my blog. Juggling has never been easy for me and for most days surviving motherhood is the only task for the day. These past months have been great! The kids have been growing in so many ways! We have done work on our house and I recently became brave and changed my hair. I have had the same hair color and style FOREVER! So... after turning 30, I guess I wanted to stay "hip" (it makes me laugh to even type that word). Never really considered myself "hip". But, I love it! Makes life a little more refreshing. I am going to try and put together a post of before and after pictures for the house so you can see the transformation from "80's" to 2009! Not sure how long that will take... based on my past blogging history, it will probably take awhile. We shall see...

I have to write about a special person. She was brought into our lives when we moved back to NY. She has become a part of my crazy family and loves my children more than anyone else I know. She has watched our girls so many times without asking for anything in return. I can always be at peace knowing that they are taken care of. So this is for you, Nikki... my favorite friend... I love you.

Pickering Family 2008

Every three to five years my (joy) side if the family takes a family photos. It is a stressful day because there a ten children and it is very hard to get them to cooperate. I think we got some great pictures...

My mom and dad...



Pickering Family



My oldest brother Matt and his family...



My sister Holly and her family...



My brother Luke and his boys...



G & G with all the grandkids...



The WHOLE family...

Micah's favorite Christmas present!

This is now Micah's favorite thing to do, other than eat. He loves to sit in his high chair and play. Or should I say beat on the toy!

Memories from Christmas 2008...

The loves of my life...


Priceless... Micah spits up on Cora and she didn't realize it till seconds later when she feels it on her hand!!!

From Halloween to Christmas... ?

I have now realized that the last time I posted was right after Halloween. Here we are... just week after Christmas. I know I don't even have to say it but "TIME FLIES"! This holiday season was wonderful. Thanksgiving was great! We put up our Christmas decorations during Thanksgiving break so that we could enjoy it longer. Now the decorations sit on the dining room table ready to be put back in the Christmas bins. I has to keep reminding myself to take in every moment... This was Micah's first Christmas. He slept through most of it but it was fun to see him react to all the excitement. It is funny... even with all the emphasis on keeping Christmas simple and the reminders that it was Jesus' birthday, the famous phrase of the day was, "Are there anymore presents for me?". It was very hard to keep the girls in check with why we celebrate Christmas. Then it was my birthday... Let me tell you a story... I will make it short! Two weeks before Christmas, Anthony and I found out that we were surprising each other on the same weekend. I was surprising him with Buffalo Bills tickets for Christmas and he was surprising me with a weekend away for my "30th" b-day. So after a week of discussion as to how both of us were going to pull of our surprises... we compromised with a weekend in Niagara Falls. That way he could still go to the game. Our weekend was great. We had two beautiful hotel rooms, lots of great food, great conversation and well... can't share anymore... (hee hee) This was truly a Christmas and birthday to remember!
This is our living room in the junior presidential suite...




The amazing view from our hotel room!!!

A blurb in Time!

I have been meaning to post for about two months now. Tonight I have realized that it has actually been two months. Micah is now three months old and has become the sweetest and funnest baby ever!!! I can't imagine what life was like before him!

The girls are loving their brother. I love to see them talk to him and make him smile and giggle. It is such a beautiful thing to see your children love on each other. Cora is a big first grader and Abby is loving pre-K. Abby just loves life! She embraces whatever comes her way. Cora is an amazing reader and I am enjoying her love of books.

Anthony and I are doing... well... life just gets to busy! I am turning 30 in December and am for some reason not doing so well with that! I feel like life is just going to be different... I don't know...

With that said... I am very excited for the holidays and having my girls to myself this coming week!

Blessings...

Some days I get so caught up in the things we don't have, stresses of the day, and just plain business THAT I forget of all the blessings! I forget that I have three healthy children, a solid marriage, a house of my own, two cars, a great dog (most of the time) and my health. I wish I would stop taking this all for granted and be on my knees every morning thanking God instead bringing Him so many requests. Life for me has dramatically changed since Micah came into this world. I am now in a new place in my life... One that I can't put into words...

I just found a bunch of pictures from the day Micah was born that I hadn't seen!!! So here are some amazing moments from August 13, 2008...

Back online...

o... Since the day Micah was born and I became a mother of three... I can believe how fast the day goes by. Some days I can't even keep track of what time it is. But I have learned to just take one day at a time. These past five weeks have been a journey for me. Going from a steady routine that I could control to everything spinning out of control has made me put so many things into perspective. I was having such a hard time with the demands of Cora, Abby, Micah and Anthony. I am just one person and did not know if I could handle it. BUT God continues to whisper in my ear the I am not doing this alone. He is there when I am stretched beyond my capabilities and reminds me why I wanted to be a mom. Oh and I love being the mom to these crazy kids. I am so in love my new son. He has brought more meaning and joy to my life!


Enjoy the pictures of the past few weeks...

Micah John Schiavone

7lbs. 8oz.
20 inches

August 13th started off to be such a quiet day. A day of laundry and cleaning... A regular checkup to see if I was progressing and little did we know it was going to be Micah's birthday!!! I was checked into the hospital at 3pm, my water broke at 5:15and then he was here at 8:39pm!!! I am sitting here still in amazement of the whole day! He is such a great baby so far... and so cute!

35 weeks and counting...

So the last time that I posted I think I was still in my second trimester... I can't believe how fast time has gone and I am now less than five weeks away from being a mother of three! This pregnancy has been great so far... despite some swelling and crazy movements of the baby. I have been trying to live life abundantly even though I am carrying a heavy watermelon under my shirt. Anthony and I are in week two of NTS camp up at Houghton College. Our youth group was here last week and this week Anthony is doing afternoon rec. and helping out wherever. We brought the girls this week. They are so excited to be with us. We don't usually take our kids to youth group things but felt they would love it up here. So far so good... We are on vacation next week!!!! So, we are not going anywhere but just going to chill out and spend lots of family time. Well... since the last time I posted... Cora turned six, she got a kitten, we bought a new van, I have doubled in size and Abby now has short hair! I love life!

(Pictures will come soon when I finally download them to my computer.)

Something funny...

This picture was taken back in April on our Spring Break trip to Myrtle Beach. This was the first time I realized I could use my belly as a rest. What a perfect place for my morning coffee!!!

What a special mother's day...

We were able to celebrate mother's day this year with both families!!! We haven't been able to do this since we were married. It was a wonderful day.

Think Spring...

The one thing I absolutely love about my house is that I have lots of flowers!!! Tulips, daffodils, peony's, lilacs, roses, and some I am not even sure what they are called. It is so much fun to always have a fresh bouquet of flowers in my dining room...