Welcome Back to My Ghost Blog!

Thanks for checking up on me, Elizabeth! Everything is fine here. We just decided to make things a little busier for ourselves than usual. After all, adding a new baby to the mix just wasn’t challenge enough. We decided to add a couple of other fish to the fry. Here’s a list:

• Mid-February – I decided to start a home based business with The Pampered Chef (www.pamperedchef.biz/pattybrake) which meant 4 shows had to be completed within 30 days of signing up. I did it – yeah! And I’m continuing to do shows and loving it – yeah! However, owning your own business really cuts into your blogging time – boo!
• I am now in week 30 of this pregnancy and realise that baby number two syndrome (the syndrome of not getting as much face time on this blog as baby number one) has gotten ridiculous. I’m enclosing a couple of ultrasound pictures in an attempt to make up somewhat. I would have posted them sooner but I, um, kind of lost them…Poor baby number two. It is hoped this trend does not continue into her/his future. These are from ages and ages ago in week 12 but I think they are pretty cute regardless!

• We have decided that our Mazda Protegé simply isn’t going to fit four humans and a dog therefore we have been mini-van shopping. Ugh. My apologies to all you mini-van lovers out there but I’ve never been one of them. However, after renting one over the Christmas holidays when DH’s family were visiting, both DH and I were impressed with the roominess and convenience. Therefore, we could become mini-van owners over the next few months (if not weeks).

And, our biggest news of all apart from our latest Wee Kicker (who must be doing great as s/he has a very, very strong heartbeat, loves to kick her/his mother with alarming strength and has me puking regularly again which, I’m told, remains a good sign) is the following. July 4th is a big day at our house. We had our first baby on July 4, 2007. Baby number two is due July 4, 2009. And on July 4th, 2009, DH will have completed 20 years of service with the CF, and will be retiring shortly thereafter. He has found an excellent job in the aerospace field in St. Johns, NL and we will be headed East pretty much as soon as baby number two is born (we're kind of expecting s/he to be a week or so late like Iain was so are looking at moving mid-Julyish). Naturally, we are very excited about this huge change in our lives but, the stress! Whoo boy!

This change carries a lot of sadness too as I love being a CF family and am very proud that my husband wears the uniform. I am anticipating a lot of challenges in our future as we adjust to life as 'civilians' (I keep teasing DH that he's not going to be able to wear PJs (combats) to work anymore!) and I know that we will really, really miss our military family and the support the CF has always given us. However, that being said, the wonders of the modern electronic age (like email!) will continue to allow us to maintain great contact with all of our friends and family all over the world.

So, after 13 years of being away from 'home' this summer, my family and I will be returning to the province of Newfoundland/Labrador. This means that I will have to change part of the introductory header of this blog as Patty will no longer be homesick!

To add to the list of things happening in our lives above, we have just listed our house to sell (just, as in, this morning) and hope to be headed to Newfoundland to find a new abode sometime later in May.

I’m not really sure why I haven’t been blogging regularly. If you figure it out, please let me know.