Time flies

As I sit here, holding my baby boy trying to make his tummy better, I am once again reminded how fast time goes. This year Jillian will finish high school, Jordyn is a freshman, Jeana will turn 21. Where did my little ones go and why did they get so big so fast. I am so glad Joseph still wants his mommy when he doesn't feel good because one day he won't.  I hope and pray that as they grow up and leave the nest that is our home that we have taught them what they need for life on their own. I want them to know that there is a God and He loves them. I want them to know we love them. I want them to have faith in themselves that they can do anything they set their mind too. I want the best for them in everything. I pine for the times when they were little but have so much joy in what they are becoming. Yes, one day all my little ones will be big, but for now I will keep rocking my baby and will one more moment with him.

First cast...

I know I know, I am terrible at keeping up with our blog. We are always busy and it falls at the end of the to do list. Things are going good here in SoCal! We had a Disneyland trip with all the kiddos recently, which was fun and spontaneous. But before that, Joseph received his first cast. He fell on the stairs and fractured both his radius and his ulna in his right arm. He was a real trooper though and we were positive it was just a sprain and since it was a holiday weekend we waited an extra day til the doctor was open. Surprise, Surprise, it was fractured. Joseph barely cried after the initial fall and didn't complain at all. Can we say, high pain tolerance. Well he has it. He is rocking an awesome green cast and has found ways to use it ie: hitting walls, banging on chairs etc. Of course this happened just a couple months after having him fall and cut his head which we had to have glued closed. I think he needs to be bubble wrapped and wear a helmet at all times. The fun never ends here in the Skinner Clan

No matter where you go

I am so grateful that no matter where we go we are always part of a ward family. Moving has been a rough transition on all of us, but knowing we have a ward family has helped a lot. We have friends and "family" no matter where we end up. How many can say that (except for all of us in the LDS church). Seems like a weird thing to think about this long into our move I know but it really hit me yesterday. As I drove with a new friend to the cannery and winco (a new experience) I realized how I have friends here as well as back in Vegas. People from Vegas were definitely worried about us during the fires. I was grateful to know we were loved and cared about. However, here in Valley Center we were united in a different way. There is just something reassuring about being somewhere, far from loved ones, and knowing that you have people around you who care about your well being, honestly. I miss home, I miss our old ward/stake family. I miss walking into Wal-Mart on a Saturday night and having a meet up with everyone else as they make sure they are prepared for Sunday. But I am liking, dare I say loving, it here. Its different, but different is good and the blessings have outweighed the challenges.

New Experiences

As I sit here listening to the news about the fires plaguing our valley I almost giggle at the thought that my sweet husband is in Texas at this moment freaking out because he is away and doesn't know what will become of what surrounds his family. I don't giggle because it isn't a very understandable feeling on his behalf. I giggle because it seems that as much as you feel like all is good things can change so quickly and many don't even worry about it until it is upon them. This isn't true for my husband. He is ever vigilant and concerned for our well being. Always planning ahead and making sure that we are prepared for any eventuality. When we moved to CA he bought a trailer and it is ready to hook up to the truck and head out, filled with camping equipment and ready for boxes of pictures and papers to be added. He is always making sure the cars are filled with gas. He made sure we bought a generator and we even *gasp* have a landline in case our cell phones go down. He made sure that our girls, who are on the go constantly these days, have bags with clothes and necessary things just in case they can't get home. This isn't new for him. He is the proverbial boy scout, always prepared. This is why the thought of my daughters being without him at girls camp or my sons not having them at a scout campout scares me. I now realize that I never fully appreciated this facet of him as much as I should. Maybe I just trust in the Lord to much (not possible) or don't ever worry that bad things like that will happen. Sure the washer or dryer will break or a kid will get sick. Those are normals of life. They happen and life goes on. But what about those things that happen that can devastate or damage. If a fire were to hit our area I know that we would be fine because my sweet man has made sure of it. I should be more vigilant and with moving here I think I am better than I was in NV but I can do better. I love that my husband is so prepared and ever patient with me. Maybe that's why I don't worry, because he does and I know he will protect us in any instance.

Busy Life

It is amazing how busy life gets and how totally wonderful. The kids are healthy and happy and we are blessed beyond belief by Heavenly Father. I know I should post more, however; I never seem to take the time. I keep getting wrapped up in my kiddos and the every day. Just this morning I was reminded that sitting and watching cartoons with Joseph was ok when he asked if he could hug me. How could I resist such a sweet request from someone with no other motive but the joy of a hug. I need to constantly remind myself that it is the little things. Like the ride to see my grandma on her birthday, I had two hours of uninterrupted time with Jeana during our drive. We may not have had a life altering conversation but we did talk and she may not have thought it was a great day, but I enjoyed every moment. Take the time to breathe and just be. Watch your children play, turn down the radio, put down the phone, listen and laugh.

Whew!

To say that a lot has happened in the last 2 years would be an understatement of momentous proportions. We have had two graduate from high school(that would be Jessica and Jeana), added another Skinner to the family (Joseph) and moved from Nevada to California. These are just the BIG milestones in our lives and doesn't even compare to all the things that happened since my last blog post. As tough as some of these things were and as wonderful as others have been, I really have felt Heavenly Fathers love for me. I have realized that life has a way of happening and continuing on despite what you may be dealing with at any particular time. When I was put on bed rest it seemed so hard but worth it knowing that a precious baby boy would be joining our family. I knew that I could handle a few weeks of being bored and uncomfortable for the end result. When my kids graduated, as sad as I was at the idea that they could go on and leave me, I was thrilled that they had grown to be so wonderful and responsible. I see that they have grown so much especially with all the challenges put forth the last 2 years. When Jimmy's work decided they needed him somewhere else we didn't struggle as much with whether or not to move but the actual move itself. You find that when you have been in one area for so long that your friends become family. Things you didn't realize people did for you or were around for are all of the sudden become very crystal clear. All of the sudden we were alone, something Jimmy and I hadn't had not experience since before Jessica was born. Yet thru everything, never once have we wondered if God loved us or if He had forgotten us. The challenges have been plenty, however; the joy has been even more. We have found a wonderful place to live and are part of a fantastic community. We are part of an incredible ward who has welcomed us with open arms. We have had sadness, we have had excitement, we have had joy, we have had love. More importantly, WE HAVE HAD EACHOTHER! I cannot express the love I have for my Jimmy and the children, it is too great. We have our moments but all families do. But thru it all we have never stopped loving one another or supporting each other in our pursuits and endeavors. We are a forever family warts and all.

Bedrest

It's been forever since I have updated our blog, however; so much has happened in the last few weeks and months that I can't help but post. Also, I have a little bit more time on my hands seeing as I am on modified bed rest and not able to do a whole lot for that last few weeks of my pregnancy. We are very excited to welcome our newest and #7 addition to our family very soon. My actual due date is May 4, however; due to placenta previa it looks like our newest arrival will come mid April sometime. We are very excited and I am finding that my faith has been strengthened in the Lord thru all that has happened in the last year.