Pictures and Finally Ultra Sound Pictures!

 I know these pictures are a little late is getting put up!  Here is Hayden Ezra's foot at 19 &1/2 weeks. I am now 31 weeks!  There you have it the official post naming our son.  With Jaris we had the name picked out before the ultrasound, however with Hayden we were still tossing a few names around and actually Hayden was not even on the original list.  Last summer we had liked the name Silas Asher when I was pregnant before our little one went to be with Jesus, and that name was the front runner this time around.  While Jeral was working on the car he is restoring for his uncle late one night i was looking at names and really like the sound of Hayden Ezra.  Then I found out the meaning of Hayden and was not to sure about it, yet as I sat with Jesus and pondered the meaning I came to realize that there is more to the meaning of the name Hayden than just what we have deemed it to be.  Hayden in German means infidel or heathen.  The truth is that many Christian men and women through out the course of history were considered to be infidels and heathens and were persecuted for their beliefs, beliefs that many of us today fully believe.  They were men and women who did not just go with the status-quo.  They were pioneers and founders of the very blocks of truth we many of us hold.   As I raise my children my desire is that they will choose to follow Jesus, and my desire is that they will not blindly flow, yet instead that they will ask questions, dig deep, and not always go with the status-quo because that is the easier path.  So I am more than okay with the German meaning of my soon to be born son's name.  Jeral and I are so very excited for our third child to be born, and we are also anxious as to how we will parent three children.  Yet we know others have before us and so we will navigate these waters too!

 Cute side profile picture.  I still am in awe everyday that I get to be pregnant with this little miracle!

 Kenzie dressed her self on day for going to hang out with Grandma J.

 Jeral took this picture at his sisters house in Vancouver.  She sure is a beautiful girl!

 Oh sand!  Sand is so fun to play in!  Jeral built the kids a large yet amazing sand box that has been a huge hit with both kids!

 Talk about personality!

 Mommy I do not want my picture taken right now!  I love Jaris' curly hair! Okay who am I kidding i love this boy period!!!!!!!

Father's day at IHOP for dinner.  Yes Jeral picked IHOP as the place he wanted to go.  And hey who I am to complain, he picked a child friendly restaurant so great!!!!!

28 Weeks

Wow I am in the third trimester already.  When and how did that happen?  In some ways I feel this pregnancy has gone by so very fast and in other ways not fast enough!

I saw my OBGYN this past week and I went from measuring small to now measuring 3 weeks a head.  Oh well Jaris was that way too except I measured big the whole way through with him!  Every thing is going well so far with this pregnancy.  I did not get really sick with Jaris until I hit 32 weeks so we are hoping though that this time round will be different.  However I was informed that due to the potential risk complications, even if I do not get sick I will not be allowed to go over due with Hayden. So that means if Hayden has not made an appearance before August 25th, he will be appearing that day!  I will admit the control freak in me likes knowing that I have an end date, that does not include going 10 days over due!!!!!  While I know that many of my friends who have been induced thought it was hell on earth, and I will say it hurt a lot.  Hey labour hurts and that is that!  For me the induction itself was not the hard part.  It was all the stuff after!!!!!  So in 12 weeks max we will have our son in our arms!  12 weeks really is that all I have left?  Yepppppp and then we are officially out numbered by our great kids.

While I truly desire for Jaris to talk more, I do desire he goes to bed at night instead of lying in bed saying, "Bum, bum, bum, bum!" Over and over again, and then stopping to laugh because he thinks he is so funny!  Yes my son you are adorable and very funny, just please go to bed and talk lots during the day!!!!!  Love you!

A Conversation

While driving in the van the other day!

Kenzie: "Leanne, where are you?"

Me: "I am here and I am MOMMMY!"

Kenzie: "I love you Leanne!!!"

I sure do love my daughter!

Almost 26 Weeks

 I absolutely adore this boy!  I love this picture of him.

 I know instead of rushing to help Kenzie I used the tears as a photo opp!  Jeral was there to hold her, and honestly I cannot remember what happened, however a few minutes later - ...

 Crisis is averted and all is good.  Apparently now Kenzie is seeing something she is thinking about eating.  Look at her licking her chops!

Deep in thought!  I love his curls and wings.  His hear get so curly after it is washed, and then flattens after he sleeps on it!

We have been getting back into the routine of life since our family get away!  It always seems to take about a week to adjust back to life here on the farm.  Kids have to get used to going to bed at a proper time and we have loads of laundry to do and a home to get back in order etc.  I am so grateful for such an amazing husband at times like this. Jeral helps out so much with everything that needs to get done, and also tackles my to do list before Kiddo Krahn #3 comes along in approximately 14 weeks and 3 days, and trust me the list is a big one.  I think the biggest project is going to be getting the boys room ready.  Besides repainting the room, we also need to re-do the closets and that is going to be a big job, plus we will hopefully find another dresser similar to the one I bought on Monday so the boys have similar if not matching dressers.

We realized this week that I am as far along in this pregnancy as I was in my pregnancy with Jaris when we brought home Kenzie who was only 2 days old.  Looking back I realize how clueless we were about the reality of how much work having two infants would we.  Yet I am so thankful that we were clueless otherwise we would not have chosen the path that we chose, and I simply cannot imagine a life with out MacKenzie Joy.

Hayden is moving a lot these days, and I am enjoying laying still and cherishing every time he moves inside of me.  This is my last pregnancy and I want to enjoy to the fullest the moments that I am present and aware of.  With two toddlers to run around after I know I am not as aware of Hayden's every kick, roll, and punch.  Plus he kicks towards my back and those are harder to feel, at least until the end.  Then those will hurt my back, yet he is worth whatever comes my way, and I have a great massage therapist!

Mother's Day

Jeral and the kids are outside playing while the soup is simmering on the stove so I thought I would take a moment to write a Mother's day post.

As I sat in church today I took time to be grateful and appreciate that today I am in a very different place than I was back in 2009 on this day.  I said thanks for the miracles I get to hold and love everyday in Kenzie and Jaris.  I asked God to hold close Hope and Annabelle and to tell them I love them, and last yet not least I said thanks to God for the miracle of my son growing inside of me.

Through out the whole service I sat most of the time pondering what today holds for many women.  Many times tears welled up in my eyes as my heart ached for those who long for children. I thought about how I used to sit at the back of the church and fight the overwhelming feeling to sob because I was afraid of what others would think, and in reality today there were most likely many women around the world feeling the same way I used too.

I thought about those who have lost children and how they may ache to get to hold them one last time, and yet again tears welled up in my eyes.  I thought about my two precious angles with God, and how I miss them many days, and while I am so thankful and happy to have Hayden growing inside of me right now, he is not meant to be a replacement.  I have had many conversations with my friend whose son went to be with Jesus at 2 and half years of age and how holidays and special days of celebration just will never be the same and how hard it is when people say have a great day.

I thought about my own mom, and what a fantastic Grandma she is and how lucky my kids are to have her as their Gramba (as Kenzie calls her).  I thought about my mother in law and also how much she loves my kids and how much they love her!

I thought about the three women who have been my spiritual mother's over the years, and how they have no idea how they have shaped and molded the kind of mother I desire to be and have become.  Sherry, Joan, and Joy (yes Joy you are included in this list, maybe one day I will get to explain it all to you face to face, and if not there is always heaven, however then words will not be needed).

I believe this is where I will leave this post for today.  May today be the best day it can be for all of you.  I know it is for me and my wonderful miracle of a family!

Home Sweet Home and a Few Pictures!

 Just a few shots of the kids at the aquarium!  They loved it and we in such awe and wonder.  It was really fun as there mom to watch them having so much fun.

 The Beluga show!

 A frog

 Love that face

 Happy Boy

The Best show of all the Dolphins

Well we are home sweet home and it is so nice to be back. I actually slept a little last night which was so very nice!  Nothing like our bed!  Now it is getting all the laundry done, the flowers watered (here is hoping they did not freeze or I may be planting some more things again!), and the house tidied.  I have to get food for the house and so on.  Maybe tonight I will get out and do that!  We had a fantastic trip and it was so nice to see everyone we saw!  We are hoping to get away one more time before our little guy is born, however we will see how our schedule goes and how I feel!  I still can't believe the little guy has been growing in me for 25 weeks!  Only 15 or so to go!!!!!!!!!

Our Trip So Far

Well I am sitting here in our hotel room wide awake basically for the whole night. Sleep these days is fleeting for me thanks to the growing little boy inside of me! So I thought I would write a post from my iPad! Sorry this will be a picture less post since I have not taken any pictures so far on the trip. I brought the good camera just have yet to pull it out and actually take a picture with it. Maybe that will change today as we are taking the kids to the aquarium.



We left Armstrong Monday morning and stopped in Kelowna for an appointment and then continued on our way to Abbotsford. While I love getting away when we have birds the last few times we have stayed in hotels have been awful to say the least so I was a little worried about how this trip was going to go, however so far things have been great. Well great outside of the ants in our room, and thus having to switch rooms. However that is a minor detail. On our honey moon we had a huge ant problem in the room we were in, in Hawaii and that problem made these few ants seem like a small detail.



So far we have enjoyed meeting up with friends and their families. And we have done a lot of that. On Tuesday we had two play dates! One in Abbotsford and one in Lynden Washington just across the Border. I think one of my favorite moments of the Lynden visit was when I over heard Jeral and Kevin talking as they were pushing their daughters on the swings at the play ground. Kevin said to Jeral, "could you imagine all those years ago in Saudi, that we would both be standing here today talking while pushing our daughters on the swings side by side!". For me it was one of those heart melting moments in part because I am sure that due to different circumstance for both men all those years ago they probably never pictured such an amazing day like the day they stood side by side with their little girls as proud daddies!



Wednesday was more play dates with my dear friends Marie and Trina and then a coffee date with my friend Rebekah. I wish I would have had my camera while the kids were playing at Marie's. At one point three out of the four were sitting in a small circle and coloring together. It was adorable! I so miss the days when I got to see Marie and Trina almost every other week, and yet I am thankful that we still get to see each many times through out the year. It was crazy realizing that this was the last trip down here before we both give birth to our sons. Good friends are a blessing and always will be!



The other last visit probably for a few years was with my friend Rebekah! God brought our paths together for a short time over the past few years and in reality one last coffee date was not enough time to say goodbye before they embark on their next adventure. However a small amount of time is better than no time at all. Many blessings and prayers for you my friend as your adventures take shape!



Both Kenzie and Jaris have loved playing at both Mill Lake and Eagle Mountain parks. Leaving the parks has been a challenge as the kiddos never seem ready to want to leave the fun of the swings and slides! Kenzie will scream, "Mommy, I want park! I want to swing mommy!". So last night as we were leaving Eagle Mountian the bribe was that when we got back to the hotel we would go swimming in the pool! However I did not have a working bribe for leaving the pool to go back to our room. Seriously with little kids I personally think it is a must to stay in a hotel with a pool! So much fun. I love watching their little faces light up with joy and hearing their giggles and squeals of delight no matter how loud they are!



It honestly has been so nice to be away from the farm. To have Jeral all to us not always seeing something that has to be done here and there in the barns or around the property. While I enjoy when we have breaks the best breaks are the ones without the distractions of everyday life at home! I did say to Jeral on Monday evening as wee were heading out with the kids for dinner that it still feels strange being in Abbotsford and not going to CARES to see Joy. funny thing is yesterday I spent the day with three different women who were all a part of the "JOY" club as we called it. There were five of us in our particular club. Four different women all my friends who at one point or other all saw Joy because I saw her! Okay I am starting to cry just thinking about it. Dang hormones!!!!!! Life goes on and for all of us life has changed in big and small ways since those days. Those days feel like ey were a life time ago yet realistically they only ended a little less than two years.

I am working on a post about Krahn kiddo #3 however I think I will wait for another day to write about him here! I am just so thankful that he is growing well and moving and kicking me on a daily basis! I also love that right now it is something I get to cherish between just him and I.