The Birkeland Family Blog

Today I changed my status at work to PART-TIME! Two 12 hour shifts a week. It was a decision that I have been avoiding for so long. When I chose to get a nursing degree I knew that it just "fit me". I enjoy taking care of others, and I love that I truely make a difference in families lives. I also knew that it would be an amazing career for being a mom and I knew that if for some reason I had to help my family out financially I could. So, I guess it has come to that. In August I was denied health insurance from every company due to my complications in pregnancies so I have been funneled to the government "high risk" insurance plan which is high deductible and premiums are outragious. So right now to insure our family we are looking at nearly a house payment. Ugh! And to top that off we are feeling the sting of our suffering economy. Ugh again! I hate to leave my little Jackers and Emmers but I know they won't be short of love or attention. I will work mainly wee...

LEAVES!!!! Emmi was thoroughly entertained with the leaves this year. Peer pressure was the driving force to even get Emmi into the leaves. Her little neighbor Annie was diving into them, swimming in them and burying herself in them. Emmi of course had to do it "herself too". After she finally inched her way into the pile she never wanted out. She begged to play in them daily until Daddy had to rake them up and bag them. It was a sad sad day! This fall has been absolutely beautiful. We have enjoyed ourselves outside as much as possible. Jack is an outdoors guy too. So, most of our days have been playing in the back yard getting in as much outside time before the harsh winter comes.

Meet my Beautiful Bumble Bee and my Little Leopard!!! Halloween this year was again a warm and beautiful day. We spent the day relaxing, baking sugar cookies (that failed mind you). I always ruin my baked goods somehow or another. Reason I don't bake often. So the night started out by all of us getting our costumes on and heading up to my mom's to show the kids off in their costumes. My mom headed off to work and we were headed to my Dad's to do some trunk or treating. We got into the car....(or should I say "the lemon") And it wouldn't start. We tried for 1 1/2 hours trying to fix it. The night was slipping by. Jack was protesting about being a leopard, and Emmi is in the back seat saying, "mama....can I go trick or treating?" Poor kid! We practiced all day on how to trick or treat. She was so ready to get her candy. We finally got a ride home around 8:00 from my dad. Emmi grabbed her pumpkin bag and we headed up and down Keller Lane....

It's that time again for family pictures for the good ol' Christmas card. I always hate doing this, but you know you just got to do it. It took me weeks to get together everyones outfits. I stewed and stewed about where I wanted the shoot and what style I was looking for. I hired this amazing photographer and I am for the first time extremely impressed of how things turned out. Here are a few sneak peeks! Emmi was handing out fake smiles and frowns the entire shoot. I can't tell you how hard it is to get everyone with their smiles on in one photo. I think that our little Jack stole the show. He was by far the cutest in every photo. P.S. Oh yeah..... I completely CHOPPED my hair. It's been a little hard to adjust to, but a good change.

To put it blatent and direct.......Life has been so freaking HARD! First, my back pain is at the top of my list of why life sucks! It has gotten so bad I had to stop all exercise and just let my body rest and stay chewy. Pain has always been the reason for stopping exercise programs. I am so sick of it. Good news is that I found a certain ridiculous diet that helps the pain. Such a long story I will save you all the details. But, I am getting so super depressed that I pretty much can't eat anything I enjoy without the consequence of pain. Second, I feel like a failure as a mom. I have about the most strong willed 2 year old on the face of this planet. If any of you out there can relate I am so sorry. She is so stinking stubborn and relentless. I am completely sleep deprived and I feel my patience running thin. I am always so ornery and mean. I feel like I need a shrink or someone to tell me it gets better and that she won't be the end of me. Brian and I are constantly saying si...

Jack is official! We blessed Jack on September 6th 2009. His daddy did such a beautiful job. It is always such an emotional thing for me to hear my cute husband bless my child with such wonderful gifts and attributes. It is always a day that I will never forget for both kids. It was so fun to see so many of our friends and family come to support our little Jack. We love you Jack and can't wait to see you grow up!

Yep....It's ME! I feel like I was just blogging about my last birthday. Wow does time go by fast. Isn't it sad that as we get older time goes by faster and faster. When I was in elementry school summer felt like it lasted forever. I remember actually asking my mom when would school start because I was ready to go back. Then when I got into Jr. High and High School summer went by way too fast and I never felt ready to get back. Now as an adult summer is a blink of an eye, and I never felt like I even had a summer. My day was fabulous. Brian got Kelley, my sister-in-law, to watch the kids so he could take me to lunch at the Zinn Bistro. Of course it was amazing. In the evening my bros came over and we just hung with the kids and played on our front porch. I couldn't have asked for better weather. The next night my mom made a big dinner for me. We grilled filet mignon with veggie kebobs. AWESOME!!! She even docorated the house for me. Party hats and all. I can always count on ...