For the Beauty of the Earth

Other than my favorite Christmas hymns, "For the Beauty of the Earth," is one of my all time favorites. It was written by Folliot S. Pierpoint in 1864. John Rutter's setting (score reduction for piano and voice - not orchestra and choir!), is the one we used in our wedding ceremony as I walked down the aisle. When I listen to it, I get all happy and feel all the feels. I was listening to it this morning as I was working and I started thinking about our children and how we are raising them in their faith.

The line that says "Lord of all, to Thee we raise. This are joyful hymn of praise!" is repeated several times. It talks about the beauty all around us. In the Catholic Church, marriage is a sacrament and so is baptism. David was baptized shortly after he was born, and on Saturday Abigail will be brought into the church. My preparations for her baptism have been a bit different than they were for David. With David, I knew what would happen, attended the class, knew it was special, but didn't KNOW how special until after. Then I could feel it. This time, with Abby, I already know the joy from David and so already have that feeling. I feel like we really are praising God and raising Abby up to Him with joyful praise. 

Another line says "For the joy of human love, brother, sister, parent, child." I am so excited to explain baptism to David and let him experience it as an observer with his sister. Not only are they human siblings, but they are soon to be brother and sister in Christ. How amazing is that!? Our friends have expressed concern about their kids being noisy in the church during the baptism and I just think it is so special for children to get to witness something so special and amazing, even if they don't yet understand. Sam and I haven't even talked about how to explain it to David, but I am thrilled that we get the opportunity to talk to him about it and let him participate with his sister.

If you get a chance, listen to For the Beauty of the Earth. It is just beautiful and really sums up how I am feeling about Saturday. I hope it warms your heart a little on this cold day and helps you see the beauty all around in everything!

New Year Resolution

On the way home this evening, Sam asked me what my New Year Resolution is for 2018. I really didn't have an answer. I never achieve them so I really hadn't thought about it. We started talking about the house projects and things we want to do with the house over the next year and suddenly it dawned on me: I want...no NEED...to be more organized and declutter at home.

I am great at organization at school. I have paper files and binders and notebooks and digital files. They are color coded and neat. I get complimented on how organized I am and help others do the same. I am efficient and my office space is functional, presentable and welcoming. I have yet to fully accomplish this at the same level in our home. Just ask my mother and she will quickly tell you that I am the queen of leaving "trails." I get home from work and off go my shoes by the door. A couple feet later and there goes my work bag. Then the keys and my purse, followed a few feet later by the mail. I make my way to the kitchen for a drink and the dirty glass goes on the counter. Then to the bedroom where I change clothes and the dirty clothes are by the bed. You get the idea.

It stresses me out and yet I continue to leave "trails." I continue to gather "stuff" that I don't use or use rarely. When people are coming over I want my house spotlessly clean yet warm and welcoming. This has been a point of contention in our marriage as well because I get so uptight and stressed constantly trying to keep things neat and clean. Have I mentioned that we have a 4 year old and a 2 month old?!

With Abby's baptism and consequently lunch celebration following at our house coming up in two weeks...something has got to give! So here it is...my New Year Resolution is to declutter and organize at home to help the entire family (and my sanity!) one step at a time. Just looking at the closet that I worked on the other day eases my anxiety so I am hopeful that as I work on little things here and there, mama will be happy, and then EVERYONE will be happy ;)

Announcement

Hi all!

Our beautiful daughter was born on October 31st at 12:14 pm. She weighed 7 pounds and 11 ounces and was 20 inches long. Mommy and baby are healthy and well, daddy is beyond thrilled, and big brother David is so very proud of his baby sister. He has done amazingly well in transition and love her so much.

More updates soon!

~The Schlaich Family

Abigail Christine

This pregnancy has been easier in some ways and more difficult in several others. Easier because I knew what to expect...the growing pains, the movement, the poking and prodding. Easier because I didn't have to go through the gestational diabetes processes, yet knew what to eat to maintain my health and was able to gain minimal weight. I feel like I have a fairly good idea about what childbirth and after will be like, despite "every birth being different," as I am regularly told by others. I feel good about all of that.

What some know and some don't is that last fall we had a miscarriage that resulted in two surgical procedures. I felt great when pregnant with David...never sick. I knew something was wrong when I felt sick all of the time, and then the bleeding started. I was diagnosed with a "blighted ovum" and told there was never a baby there. It was hard. We had just told family and then had to turn around and share the bad news. Women don't talk about this stuff, but as soon as I did start telling people, friends, family members, and strangers came out of the wood work to tell me that they shared in my experience. That is all a story for a different time, but my point in writing it here is to say that because of that experience, it made this pregnancy harder.

Every twinge, every time I didn't feel good - was scary and stressful. I have been so much more uncomfortable this time around, and haven't slept in what feels like weeks. I bled for the first 10 weeks. We only told our parents and my principal so I could go to all of my necessary appointments without too many questions. The first time we saw the heartbeat and saw our little baby on an ultrasound we both felt so relieved. At 12 weeks, we finally shared with the world the good news. 

At 18 weeks, we found out that this little baby is a girl. David was so excited! As long as he has been aware of "brother" or "sister" he has been telling us that he is going to have a sister. Thank goodness that worked out because I cannot imagine the 3 year old levels of disappointment if we would have announced baby was a boy!

Picking names is really hard for us as teachers. More often than not there has been a student with "that" name that we would prefer not to share names with our own children, we want something Biblical, something strong as an adult, but something cute as a kid. And something that teachers can pronounce at first glance (Lord knows our last name isn't easy!). David is Sam's middle name, King David in the Bible, and James of course has Biblical roots and is Sam's dad's name. David James Schlaich. And so far, we have avoided nicknames! For our baby girl, we have chosen Abigail Christine. Abigail was actually King David's wife in the Bible and a very well-respected and honored individual, and Sam and I both have a love for US History and feel like Abigail Adams was a very smart, strong woman. Christine is my middle name and just seemed to fit. But don't ask David if you can call her Abby! He will tell you that is NOT her name! :) We plan on calling her Abby for the record...

In the last two weeks, my blood pressure has slowly crept up and so yesterday my doctor made the decision to induce early. We check into the hospital Monday going into Tuesday at midnight, and should have a Halloween baby! At my ultrasound yesterday, she gave us the perfect "Thriller" pose...Halloween was meant to be! Monday I will just be Mom - I get to take David to preschool, make sure my house is in order, tuck him in that night at my parents' house, and then Sam and I will go to a late dinner just the two of us. We did the same the night David was induced and it was a special time for us. And during my 6 weeks of leave after she is born, I get to be Mom to both of my kids. I get to volunteer in David's classroom and take him to school. I get to be a more attentive wife. I get to cook better dinners for my family. I am so excited!

I know there is a lot of change coming our way, but I couldn't be happier. "For this child we have prayed." After everything last fall, I feel like Abigail is truly an answer to ALL of our prayers, and the three of us cannot wait to become four! Abigail Christine...you are already so loved and your village is ready for you!

Baby No. 2 here we go!

Greetings family and friends!

I can't begin to tell you how many times I have logged into this blog thinking that I should update, but then get side tracked or there is something more pressing I need to get done, so I click out and here is sits...neglected and not at all up-to-date! In fact, it has been over a year since the last post. I plan on trying to remedy this over the next few months. A couple of quick updates since our last post:

• The house in Airway Heights sold and we have bought a 1956 brick rancher "fixer-upper" in Cheney...closer to my parents and Sam's work...
• Sam now works for the Cheney School District as an elementary music specialist, the Jazz 2 Director at the High School and the Visual Caption Head/Instructor for the Cheney High School Marching Band.
• I am in my second year as a Principal Assistant in Spokane Public Schools.
• David is 4 and started preschool this year - he LOVES it! We are working with him to "be David" and not copy other kids' not so great behavior, and most of the time he does really well. His teacher really likes him and we enjoy reading his communication journal each week to see what he is up to. Usually has something to do with his great communication skills. :-)
• And last but certainly not least in the "major updates category..." we are expecting baby number two to arrive any day now...due in just three short weeks on November 10th!

So, even without listing all of the small things that we have been up to, the big things are BIG and have been BUSY with everything going on. Busy of course is not a change! Hoping to post another update later today or tomorrow about our precious baby on the way and how amazing it has been watching David get ready to be a big brother!

That's all for now folks!

~Heather

Green thumb?

I'm so excited! My garden is growing! I am totally flying by night here...no research...just seeds in the ground. Our parents have had gardens and recently Sam's dad expanded and up until recently my mom even had a greenhouse. Not me...just my two list planter boxes!

This year I planted green onions, radishes, carrots, spinach and bush beans. They are all coming in beautifully! We will be able to have a home grown salad! 

I will need to do research here soon because I think something is eating my bush beans. 

If nothing else, my flower pot is still alive!!!

The Schlaich Way

The Schlaich Way:

Every three years since we have been together we have had major changes. We were together for three years when we got married, bought our first home and I changed jobs. Three years later, Sam changed jobs, we sold our house and bought our current home, and shortly after had a baby. Is everyone seeing a pattern here?

We know that many people will think we are crazy and wonder what we are doing. But, in the Schlaich Way, big changes are coming to us once more. We have thought long and hard and have done research and more thinking over the past few months...I would even venture to say past year, about what our future holds and came to the following conclusions:

I recently accepted a position in Spokane schools as a principal assistant. This is confirmation that I am only a month away from graduating with my administrative certificate. My job situation could change but that is a step forward. So...new job - check. 

Knowing that my loans will come due and I do not have a job lined up that pays on the administrative pay scale, along with the lack of safe feelings in our neighborhood, we have decided to sell our home. We love our house, and if we could transport it somewhere that we didn't have to call the police regularly for illegal activities, we would. David's safety is number one for us and this neighborhood has not turned out to be what it was supposed to be. We knew it was not our forever home so it's okay. The house is on the market and we are patiently waiting for it to sell. We have looked at a few houses (temporarily downsizing in order to achieve our five year plan/goal) and we are fairly happy with what we are seeing in the market (and shocked at the other half of the market we don't like!). Buy/sell house - check. 

There is no number three right now and no number in the works. We are good with that. We are excited to see what the future holds and are proud of our decisions and in doing what is best for our little family, even when the path is not always the easiest. :)