No longer on a hill, but still nesting

So life has drastically changed in the last 2 years.  My baby is now almost 3 and has been replaced with a new baby, who is almost 1.  My world has been shaken, but through it all God has shown himself over and over.

I'll start with the new life, late 2013 we found out we were expecting baby #4.  From the beginning I felt like this pregnancy was going to be different.  Our insurance had changed and bit and I felt lead to contact a different midwife this time.  One who delivers at home, but also has privileges in the hospital incase of a transfer.  Turns out that was a good thing, because this sweet little one, who also turned out to be another handsome little boy, came 3 weeks early on 6/25/14.  Labor refused to start, so we delivered our sweet boy was born into his daddy's hands in the hospital.

Two weeks after that I was feeling horrible, not new mom horrible, but something else that I had never felt.  My midwife sent me for blood work, and my leg had been aching all day, but I thought I pulled a muscle being in the garden to soon after having a new baby.  Late that same night I noticed my leg was purple and very swollen... We headed to the emergency room, where we found out I had severe blood clots that were in my legs, pelvis and lungs.  We had to make some quick decisions and my new baby received his first bottle that night.  I was devastated.  Two hospitals and 15 days later I was finally discharged home, and grateful to be alive.  Recovery was till long, I couldn't walk unassisted, I couldn't shower on my own, or even get off the toilet.  This was a lesson on what marriage really means.

About a week after I arrived home we got word that my husband was being laid off from his job that we thought he would have forever.  We lived in staff housing, I was sick, and we had 4 kids ages 7, 5, 2, and newborn.

We started to PRAY.  We'd been praying all summer... but for me the loss of a job was almost scarier then blood clots (yeah, I know... dumb right?)  We started brainstorming and felt like God was calling J to start his own construction/handyman business.  So we packed up, moved our nest off the hill, and back to our tiny house.  850 square feet, 4 kids, 1 dog, 2 ducks and 3 chickens... Oh and the 2 of us as well.

So maybe now that internet is a constant thing, i'll get back to this whole blogging thing once again.