It's a boy!!!  WE are having a boy!  We are pretty excited about our new arrival.  I have had some complications with the pregnancy but so far so good.  I was diagnosed with Placenta Previa and some restrictions have been put in place, but otherwise no bed rest so I am still working Fulltime.  Riley is very happy it is a boy.  He was feeling very out numbered and was praying to heavenly father every night for it to be a brother.  It should be a very long summer being pregnant in the wilds of Florida, HOT!!! 

 17 1/2 weeks pregnant!

Baby Boy!  20 weeks...

Lots of stuff has gone on since my last post.  Riley was babtized in May, the kids spent the summer in Iowa with the Dad and the granparents.  Brian and I went to Georgia on vacation in August.  We got a new minivan.  lol- my poor car was sooo ready to bite the dust.  But it held on for a year and half and still had some life in it but we needed to buy something a little bigger, since our family is expanding.  We are expecting our 1st child together in September of 2013.  We are very excited. 

finding family...

My 21 yr old sister, Stephanie. Me, 31 yrs old. Trish, my bio mom. Ashley, 29 yrs old and Kristy, 35 yrs old sisters.





This last Sunday, April 1st to be exact I had the opportunity to meet my biological mom and my 3 sisters. We met up in Daytona Beach and had lunch together and just enjoyed each others company and the beach... I am so grateful that they were able to all come and visit and I hope to be able to continue being a part of their lives and having a relationship with them.

Late Honeymoon!

St. Augustine Beach, in front of our hotel.
At the top of the Anastasia Lighthouse, 219 steps later!
On the Pier in St. Augustine!
Anastasia Lighthouse from our cruise boat through the channel!


Brian and I got a chance to sneak away for our honeymoon last week, since my kiddos were in Iowa for Christmas Break. WE went back to St. Augustine, where Brian proposed and stayed in a hotel on the beach. 3 days of taking in the sites, walking on the beach (day and night) and playing in the waves! WE had a wonderful time and it was a great way for us to reconnect and take time for us as a couple! I love my husband!

I am Thankful!!!

I have so many things to be thankful for this year. It truly has been a wonderful year with a lot going on. So let's start off with just a few of my favorite things. I am thankful for my bio-grandmother and bio-sister being able to find me this summer. It has defiantly completed a chapter in my life that I was unsure would ever be solved. Now, I am excited to finally be able to meet these new people in my life in person! I am thankful for my children, and how they push me to be a better mom. I am thankful to my mom and dad and sister that I left back in Iowa and Minnesota! They are my support team and I love them very much! I am thankful for the new family that I married into. I am thankful for my friends. I am thankful for such a loving husband who makes me feel special even when I don't deserve it!!! I am mostly thankful to my heavenly father who made this all possible. Who continues to push me and hopefully one day I will do his plan some justice!!! Happy Thanksgiving!

Busch Gardens...

I love how Riley is totally ignoring me to check out the map!
Just part of the family, monkey all the way!
Family photo for Fall...


The month of October was pretty busy for us! We are all about adventures down here! Since Brian works for Sea World we get access to the other parks, so we went to Busch Gardens for the day. Pretty awesome!!! Mckenzie is definitely my thrill seeker and would get very frustrated that she was to small to go on the roller coasters. Riley, on the other hand preferred the ground! I'm hoping one day he'll enjoy them! We got to see lots of cool animals too!

Camping in the wild...

The springs... about 72 degrees all the time! Crystal clear and gorgeous!

The coolest old tree we saw... They get so big!
The kids, all ready for the night.... guess they won't get lost!
The springs...


LOL- ok, when I imagine camping in the wilds of Florida, I imagine the swamps, tangling with alligators and maybe a bear or two! We took an adventure to the wild side in the Ocala National Forest last month. We stayed at the Salt Springs which was a gorgeous park. We didn't see any alligators but we did get a chance to see some wild turkeys and buzzards. Almost feed my kids to the buzzards but the biggest mosquitos you have ever seen got to them first, and well me too!

From sea to shining sea!

Gulf of Mexico, Fort Desoto Beach in St. Petersburg! Mckenzie could not keep away from the water...

Daytona Beach, the pier is in the distance, while the kids walk on the beach!

Riley enjoying the waves in the Gulf! Poor kid threw up 5 times because he kept drinking the salt water by accident...

Me at St. Augustine Beach, This picture was taken miutes before Brian proposed to me...

The one thing I love about Florida is the ocean! It is amazing at how much water is here! WE have had a couple of adventures, and I am addicted! We have gone to St. Augustine, Daytona Beach and St. Petersburg. It is all so beautiful!

Wedding day and everything else in between...

Brian and I at St. Augustine Beach, Florida where he proposed to me! So romantic...

Brian and I on our wedding day, Aug 2, 2011-Nauvoo Temple.

Our special day... come true!

Engagement photo!

So, I have been pretty busy in the last six months. Let's go back to April, I mentioned in my previous post that I had met someone and I would be visiting him in Florida. Well, I did and he proposed! lol- needless to say I said yes!!! WE got married on August 2nd, in the Naovoo Temple. It was amazing. 3 days later, with my stuff packed in a moving van and my kids in the backseat, we moved to Ocoee, Florida. This is located west of Orlando. My husband's name is Brian Terry. Yeah, so I am a Terry now! Still surreal, but we are getting used to it! Brian has 2 little girls of his own. Our youngest kids are a week apart, so 2 three year olds-if you could only imagine! and then Riley my oldest and his oldest, Becca are 10 months apart. Nice! We have barely begun our adventure together, but already we have had a blast and we can't wait to see what life will bring us!

New things...

New things are coming... There is change in the air and it's only going to get better! For those who are not aware I met someone. His name is Brian, and he is my heart's choice! We met in October, online, through LDS Planet. He is from Florida, so to be honest I didn't think much would come from this, but we began emailing and then talking on facebook and then finally on the phone. 3 weeks ago, after we talked for 3 months we met for the very first time. He flew to Iowa and we spent an amazing 4 days together. I took him to Nauvoo, his first time ever! And Carthage. We spent a morning at the Iowa Science Center, and just spent every waking moment together. In April, I will be going to Florida to spend 4 days with him. It is amazing at the way our lives seem to take a turn and surprise us! Meeting Brian has been a life changing experience for me and my heart swells at the thought of him and our future together. I can't wait...

And we make a GOAL!

Riley makes a GOAL!
So Tired! He just started practice...
WE are Number ONE!!!


Riley who is 6, started soccer this week! He is so full of energy and loves to be on the move! I think he will do a great job. We had our first practice on Thursday and it was truly an interesting experience. Riley has quiet got the concept that you can't use your hands and for the majority of the practice held the ball. WE have our 1st game on Tuesday, Yeah!

SA conference Ames, Iowa-2010

Giddy-up! Me and Dakota...
I'm alive!
40 feet in the air!
Awesome Possum! Let's do this:)


The SA conference was this past weekend! An awesome time... We did a ropes course and Horse Back riding!

Princess Dress!

My mom has been teaching women in the ward how to re-use things in our homes. She made this beautiful dress for Mckenzie using an old skirt she had found. She calls it the 'princess dress".

growing like weeds!

It is amazing that when your children aren't with you and you finally get to see them again they seem to have grown at least an inch and just appear so more mature. My kids have been MIA in Michigan with their dad since Saturday and having them gone for a week makes me grateful to have them under my roof and safely tucked in their beds. I miss them a lot.

Foggy Blah's!

Mckenzie is putting on her lady bug boots, due to the wetness!

I am so done with winter! I have decided that I definitely have the "Foggy Blah's"! It has been way too cold, way too foggy and just plain old snowy... Typically I don't mind this kinda of weather, but we have been having these really dense foggy days that seem to last forever. The sun has had no chance to break out. The kids are also getting restless. It's March and the rain has started and now it's just too wet. I need the sunshine to come out and play. Bring on Spring!!!

Blizzard 2009!

Riley in the frontyard playing!

Shoveling and more shoveling!

3 hours later and I am really hating the snow and the cold, brrr....

All bundled up!

December has brought us snow and lots of it! We got at least 12inches if not more and then the wind started! It truly was a blizzard. They actually closed schools down for 2 days and then my work was closed for one of those days.

Movin' on! Our new place...

The kids bedroom, just need to add wall art!

It's amazing to have my own room again:)

One of my 2 1/2 bathrooms! This one is the main one on the upstairs floor.

Living room!

Kitchen! Cead Mile Falite...

It's been a month officially since the kids and I moved out on to our own. I have to tell you how exciting it has been and how lonely. WE had to establish our ne patterns all over again, like just the right time to get up in the morning and be out the door to go to daycare, school and work. The kids love there play room in the basement, and so do I since that is where all the toys live and I mean all of them. between 7:30p and 10p are my quite hours. And I enjoy them but miss having other adults around to vent or just discuss the day with. Also living on your own with 2 kids truly makes you grateful for any extra help you can get. Even though I confess to be super mommy alot, Parenting truly takes 2!

Dad's surgery-Triple Bypass!

Mom and Dad before Surgery.

Dad being prepped for Surgery!

Gotta love him!

They aren't nervous, well maybe a little:)

Trying to get some work done before the big surgery!

My dad has been having chest pain for the last couple of weeks and he went to the doctor and had some blood work done. The blood work came back elevated, so they had a chemical stress test ordered . That also didn't go so well. So on Wed, of last week Dad went in for an Angiogram. A couple hours later I recieved a frantic call from mom saying that they were taking dad by ambulance to another hospital in Des Moines that is considered the Heart Specialty hospital. We were then told that Dad would be undergoing a Triple Bypass. Which is a open heart surgery. Needless to say we were freaked out. My dad is 53. And this seemed way to much! On thursday he underwent the surgery, Dr. Pandhakar performed it. They harvested a vein from his right leg, left arm and used one from his chest. They then rerouted his arteries and closed him up. The surgeon said everything went very well. We then got moved to ICU. My mom wouldn't leave my dad's side and needed to sleep, so I stayed at night so she could go sleep in the waiting room, since they wouldn't let us sleep in the room with dad. For 2 days I ran on 2 hours of sleep. Now I remember why I don't work the night shift anymore. But I did get some major reading in:) Dad then got moved to Cardiac/Telementry unit and has steadily made progress. He will be coming home tomorrow. Yeah! I never want to go through that again. It's amazing how you look at life and the things that are the most important to you are relized when a person's mortality is at stake. I love my dad and am so glad that he is in my life!