Awaiting Isla...

We now are awaiting the arrival of our beautiful baby girl Isla (EYE-lah). We seem to be completely prepared for her. I am 37 weeks this Thursday and I am feeling very confidant that if I go into labor at any time I will be completely ready. I have even taken some time to prepare emotionally. Haylie and Ethan are so much older now than Haylie was when I had Ethan. I think Haylie is getting a little anxious about Isla's arrival. We have had a few sleeping and potty set backs with her. It is actually getting a little frustrating because she has been potty trained for a little over a year now and these set backs just seem ridiculous to me. But I know to her it is not ridiculous and she is just feeling scared. We never experienced this when Ethan was born because she was so little and unaware of Ethan or a while. So we are taking everything in stride and praying, and then hopefully they will get better once she is her and Haylie realizes we love her no less.
I am so happy to be having another girl! I know I would have loved a boy, but there is something to be said for having a sister. I wanted Haylie to experience having a little sister. I do want Ethan to have a brother, that would be great, but a sister relationship is special. I am just praying that I can nurture that bond between them. That God will bond our family together and that Haylie and Isla can have something special for life. We talk a lot about Isla and her coming into our family. Haylie is very sweet! She will kiss my belly and tell her that she loves her. I think now at almost 3 she gets the concept (at least a little bit) of a new baby.
I have been pretty conscience of spending extra time with Haylie and making her feel important and special to me. We even had a "girls day" together, which was so great to have with her. Having her alone without Ethan and just seeing her personality come out in the conversations we had was amazing. I am going to be taking Ethan out this next week as well to spend some alone time with him too. He knows there is a baby coming but I don't think he quite gets the concept yet. At least not like Haylie does. Michael and I have been talking a lot about being parents to three little ones. I know it will be a change. A little chaotic. I am used to chaos though. Having two toddlers is quite a feat! I feel I can add a newborn to that and still be ok. I am preparing for the adjustment and I know there will be tough days, but we have such great friends and family that are here for us. We also have such an amazing small group too!
All-in-all I think God is knitting our family together so well and so carefully. Michael is so excited to be having another little baby girl and I know I am so very thankful to have such an amazing husband who, I know will be here, helpful, and a great daddy! I thank God for such a wonderful man!

Our home!

It feels so nice to call a place home that is ours. It has been quite a journey to get here over the past few years. Sometimes a rough road, sometimes a funny one, none the less we have finally taken the leap and jumped into the world of house payments, yard work, and many more things that come along with owning your own home. We have been here a little over 2 months now and have already had to fix a few things, but it is fun. Our neighborhood is great. There are lots of kids around even a few that are Haylie and Ethan's age. I know as the weather gets warmer we will be making a lot of friends around here. Even on the few "warmer" days we have had, people are out on walks, taking their dogs out, and enjoying the weather. I don't have any pictures or the outside of the house yet. I will be taking some as soon as the weather breaks this spring. I will post them then!

MORE PICTURES!!!

Mommy and Haylie













Haylie and Ethan giving kisses!














Come on guys...SMILE!













Ethan mopping...














good job buddy!

A Summer BBQ :)

Where did summer go?

I cannot believe it is September already! I think it just hit me that summer is almost officially over. Sad yes, but it happens every year, so it's ok, it comes back next year. A lot of stuff has happened this summer. The reason I haven't posted since June is probably because I have been so crazy with all that life has thrown at us.

Haylie and Ethan are getting so big. Ethan will be 18 months at the end of the month and Haylie will be 2 1/2 at the beginning of October. I am hoping to get Haylie into some dance classes by next year. I think she would do very well. Meanwhile she dances at home, sings too. She is very artistic and VERY active. Ethan's favorite things are to eat and sleep! I cannot believe how much this kid eats! He can eat the same amount as a grown man! If he is like this now, how is it going to be when he is 15? I am afraid of how much my grocery bill will be!

Michael's job has changed again for obvious reasons. Ford is not doing so well in the truck department, as everyone is aware. He has switched plants to Wayne Stamping in Wayne, MI. This is a very good change for him. He is now making the Ford Focus, working the midnight shift. Michael is so much happier and in such a better environment. Dearborn was such a mess and very political. The kind of stress he was under was so hard on him. I am so glad he is not working the weekends anymore! Finally we can all four of us go to church together again! Michael has finished the summer session of school and has decided not to go back this fall. We just think that concentrating on a few other things in life right now were important. I think he might go back at another time in the future.

At the beginning of the summer we started our search for our first home. WOW! This is a very frustrating process! All of the foreclosed/bank owned homes are great deals but they would require not only a lot of work but a lot of money to make them livable. Finally we found a home that we LOVED. It was a little smaller than we wanted and it only had a one car garage, but the basement was very nicely finished and it was all updated and newly painted etc. We put an offer in on it last week and waited all weekend for a response. Yesterday we found out that the owners owe more on the house that what it is worth in this market so they can't sell it and they will be taking the house off the market. What a huge disappointment! I know God has different plans for us and the house we will be living in, but I don't want to move in December! So the search for the perfect home for us continues!

Another reason we were hoping very much to move soon is because we are once again expecting. YES! You heard me right! Third times a charm I guess! We are very excited to be having another baby but under a little stress because we were not expecting to be expecting until we moved to a home. Now there is just a little, no, a lot of pressure. So if anyone knows of a great home in the metro area for sale PLEASE let me know!

Other than all that we have been having lots of fun this summer! We have been to the zoo a few times. Usually we are busy having play dates with our favorite friends, playing with cousins, and visiting grandparents and great grandparents. Having barbeque's and relaxing afternoons are one of our favorite things to do. Oh, and I FINALLY just got a new camera after dealing with my broken one for a while. I can post pictures now! YAY!

God Bless all of you! Life is so good! God is even better!

Springtime fun!

WOW! Spring flew by fast!

The springtime is a very busy time for the Perry Family. We had Easter really early this year for some reason, but I love Easter. We always pull out Passion of the Christ (which is a great movie to watch at Easter) but I don't think anyone would disagree that it's a very hard movie to watch. I always sob uncontrollably. After Easter there was Ethan's first birthday! That was fun! We had a party with close family and friends. We celebrated and had cake! It was a great time. April comes and we have Haylie's birthday, my birthday, then my niece Abby's birthday and my mom's birthday are on the same day, my niece Jaimie's birthday and then don't get me started on May! The springtime of each year always seems so busy but it also seems full of life, love and happiness. It's fun having all the birthdays. There is never a shortage of family time, oh, and cake! :) Charity and Demian added another celebration to April! They got married on the 18th in Nevada in the Valley of Fire. Congrats you guys! I will add pictures later!

Michael is FINALLY back in school. I think we are all getting sick of Ford Motor Company! I know it will be a few years but I am very ready for him to have a new job. He has started at Rochester College (a small Christian college in Rochester Hills) and is going for his counseling/psychology degree. I know he will most likely need his masters after this and that will take even longer, but I am encouraged. I know God is leading our family down this path and I also believe we will be blessed for being obedient. Crazy things are happening at Ford and that is why I want Michael out of there so badly. He is leaving Dearborn Truck. They cut his shift there. For a few days the company told us he was laid off indefinitely. WOW, that was scary! The hopeless feeling of your husband not having a job anymore is not something I want to relive. By the grace of God and in His infinite wisdom, the company was wrong and Michael can go back to Wayne Assembly plant, right next to Michigan Truck where he used to work before Dearborn. I know this is all so confusing. It's confusing to Michael and he works there! So we are not sure on all the details yet and nothing is 100% but it looks like things are going to be OK and our plan of getting our very own FIRST house will happens soon!

The kids are doing great! Haylie is two now and so smart! Her vocabulary just skyrocketed! I can understand and carry on an entire conversation with her. Ethan is 15 months old today! He is getting a lot of words and signs too. I started to sign with Haylie when she was a baby and it has worked great with both kids. It helps us to communicate with one another without words and without frustration which is an added bonus! They are getting so big! If you would like to see videos of them you can go to our YouTube page and watch all our videos!

http://www.youtube.com/user/mikeandcorrie

The summer is a very busy time. We are never without something to do! We are always having play dates at the park and playing with friends. Life is so busy but it is so fun at the same time. I love being a mom and a wife! It is the most fulfilling job I have ever had.