Widows and Widowers Conference

I'm a very blessed lady. There are 3 ladies that I consider to be some of my very best friends and we have a common bond. We all lost our husbands. We joined the dreaded widow club, but through it we have found each other and I love these ladies. We had the opportunity to go down to Salt Lake and attend a widows conference this last weekend with the theme being "Finding Peace in Parenting". It couldn't have come at a better time. Being 6 months into my remarriage with Tony, challenges have come up and I have found myself discouraged at the stepmom I am and expected to be. The lesson I continue to learn is to be the kind person I am, and change my reactions to situations to make them better.
I drove down with Heather and Jen and attended the Friday night conference. I left uplifted, but yet a little sad that Tony couldn't be there. I was hoping I could share with him what I learned so that we could do things together.  I was feeling very down about that and I was very surprised and pleased when I received a text from him saying that he found someone to cover his shifts at work. He drove all night Friday night to be with me for the workshops on Saturday. Amazing, he is simply amazing. After driving all night and sleeping for a few hours, he met up with us at the church and we were able to attend the workshops together. It was all about step parenting, which I needed tremendously. I hope Tony got as much out of it as I did. It uplifted me quite a bit and gave me hope that it won't always be so hard. As long as I keep close to the Lord all things will be turned to good, even the bad stuff. I'm glad I went. So glad I got to spend time with friends and with Tony. So grateful we were able to spend time with Jeanna, and it was just nice to get away for awhile. Melissa had a wonderful weekend spending it with Stephanie Green and the Whiteleys. So glad it turned out good all the way around.

It's a GIRL!

That's right...another girl...where will we put her you ask? Good question, haha! No, just kidding we have it figured out. It will be tight, but you do what you have to do right? I'm really excited for this little girl. I'm excited for Melissa to have a sister that never has to leave our home. She is super excited for a little sister and I am so happy about that. Tony Jr. is still the lone brother in the midst of 6 girls, he almost cried, but quickly recovered. He is right smack in the middle with 3 girls on each side of him.

I get a little teary eyed just thinking of what the next year brings for me. To have Melissa turn 8 and get baptized and have a little one to bless close to the same time, what a blessing! The changes I've gone through this year have been overwhelming and hard, but oh so worth it and I couldn't be happier. Now that I'm halfway through this pregnancy and really am counting down. I want to hold this baby girl in my arms and just enjoy her. I've waited so long not knowing if I would ever get to experience a brand new baby of my own again. I'm so blessed!