Three Thought Thursday: Season 2, Episode 1

1. So I made up my mind, and I'm back! But maybe not as rigorous as the 2010 "season" though. There's a lot going on. Let me explain. I love writing. Heck, I got my degree in English for that very reason! So writing the weekly Three Thought Thursday has really been a joy for me. Not to mention just the mental release of all the weekly build up that doesn't often get let out to anyone other than Mark. I love it. And on most weeks, writing the post has been fairly easy. I usually start thinking about it by Tuesday or so and almost always know exactly what I'm going to write about before I sit down to the computer. But I must admit, there were multiple weeks when I forced myself to get up early in order to write the post. Or found myself at five in the evening on a Thursday realizing I still hadn't manage to write my post. Life is busy as a stay-at-home mom. I think some people picture us sitting on the couch watching soap operas, occasionally getting up every once in a while to get the kids a snack. So not true. Toddlers want and need a lot of attention. They need you to play games with them. Teach them how to pretend and make-believe. Read them book after book after book. Show them how to do all the things that come second nature to us adults. And guess what? Newborns have an entirely different set of needs. Feeding. Changing. Holding. Rocking. Half way through this year I'll be responsible for filling both of these sets of needs. For three separate people. So while, yes, I hope and plan to continue my weekly posts, it's with no New Year's resolution to do it every single week. No guarantees, no guilt if Thursday night arrives and there's no post up and I'm stuck between should I go ahead and go to bed since the boys and the baby are all asleep? or should I try to crank out a sloppy Three Thought Thursday real quick before the baby wakes up to eat again? For my health and the health of my family, I have to make myself choose the first option. So that's that. Sound like a deal?

2. I hope everyone had a great new years! We celebrated our Christmas with Mark's parents on New Year's Eve and spent the day just hanging out, eating, opening gifts, and enjoying each others' company. Oh, and if you have facebook, you probably saw the pic I posted of Kolbe in one of his totally awesome new Power Wheels cars that he got from G-ma. Yes, I said one of them. There's two. A red and black four wheeler was intended for Rudy but he's a little too short to ride it on his own just yet. Both rides are staying at G-ma's right now as we don't have room to store them. Talk about a cool Christmas surprise! Sheesh! And of course we spent New Years Day watching Texas Tech win their bowl game and then bits and pieces of the multiple other bowl games. Love bowl season! And so sad college football season is almost over! Since New Years, we've been busy trying to get back to normal. With Dada home indefinitely right now, it's been fun to get to spend lots of time together as our little family. Though I think Mark might be ready to jump out of his skin. We even all got to go to a sonogram on Monday to see our new little baby. I'm twelve weeks along right now, so we weren't able to tell if it was a boy or girl just yet, but it was so exciting to see the tiny little toes, round little head, and perfect little body of our baby. Just like his/her big brothers were in-utero, this little one was quite the swimmer! Won't be long before I'm getting to feel all of that commotion! Kolbe was totally fascinated by the sonogram process and couldn't believe how the little "camera" worked. Rudy was just along for the ride. We go back on January 31st when I'll be sixteen weeks along. Should know by then if we've got a brother or a sister! (I'm still totally sure it's another boy!)

3. The job hunt continues for The Asmussens. And can I just say Yuck! We knew we were pretty lucky when our first job just fell in to our laps. Really, it required no effort. They pursued Mark and it was a done deal. The second time around has definitely not been as easy. Mark has received lots of "leads" on different jobs that are available, which is awesome. It's great to have friends and references that are willing to back us up. The only problem has been that basically none of these jobs are in Lubbock. There was one that was a possibility, but it ended up being a no-go. Other than that, the only opportunities we've heard about in Lubbock are in fields that Mark isn't really interested in or willing to go in to. So could we be moving? If you would have asked me that question six months ago, I'd say not a chance. But life changes and you have to bend and mold to each situation God brings your way. Being an Air Force kid, I have no problem at all with moving. I grew up doing it every few years. But being pregnant and moving sounds pretty much miserable. And I have to admit that selling our little house would be both challenging and sad. And adapting to a new city, a new baby, and a new family dynamic would potentially be a lot to handle. We like Lubbock and the friends and family we have here and really didn't plan on moving right now. Maybe some day but not right now. But our plans aren't ever exactly God's plans. So we sit here trying to figure out what He wants next for us. Such a hard discernment process. But I know in the end it will all be for the better. Who knows? Maybe moving somewhere new--a fresh start--is just what our little family needs. Like Mark brought up a few nights ago, my dad left his hometown to attend the Air Force Academy and start a life of his own. My mom married an Air Force man and never returned to Lubbock where she grew up. Mark's mom moved away from her little hometown of Dalhart, TX and his father moved away and started a life for himself too. It just seems like the normal pattern of life for many people. I know some people remain in the same city they grew up in and raise their family in the same city, same church, same schools. And maybe that's for us. But maybe not. Maybe we do have to start a life of our own somewhere. We just have to listen and be open to anything. And know that God will get us through whatever comes our way.