This month we really didn't do anything too exciting. Basically for the first half we just waited for winter to end. Then when it started warming up, we got outside. We cleaned up our yard and started to till our garden. We started some seeds inside and have planned everything we are going to plant. The girls LOVE playing in the dirt. Last night we came in to get ready for bed and found out that Kamille was trying to bury Lillian.  The poor girl's diaper was filled and she looked like a homeless child. When we moved into our house, the front had these two bushes that have overgrown by a lot. They cover the whole front of the house. We trimmed them down the last two years, but this year we are trying to pull them completely out and plant something smaller and more aesthetic.

With the overgrown bushes!!

Working in the garden

Our basement backed up a few months ago. We had a plumber and a septic guy come take a look and pump our septic. In a week it backed up again. Everyone we talked to said they would have to wait until the ground thawed and then we would have to pay a lot of money to have a new septic and drain field put in. They suggested having our septic pumped every week (that's way too expensive). At the time I couldn't figure out WHY this was happening, why couldn't someone just come fix it and we could move on with our life! We learned to live on very little water. I washed clothes at the neighbors until we could figure out a system that worked. We bathed in very little water (basically a sponge bath). Luckily we could use our toilets just enough that it wouldn't back up. We washed dishes in the dishwasher and had the hose empty into the bucket. Then we would carry the bucket outside and water our frozen bushes. It was sooooo much work. I now know the reason why though!

We learned A LOT! More than anyone could teach us. I'm a basically an expert on septic systems and care. I now know how to glue pipes together and how to install an effluent pump. I learned that cleaning chemicals and soaps kill the necessary enzymes and bacteria needed to eat away sludge. We had to buy commercial grade bacteria/enzymes to flush down our toilets. I learned that our dishwasher uses 9 gallons of water every time we use it. A normal bath for us is about 12 gallons and laundry uses a lot more water. These past 2 months we have dropped our water bill by $50 and after all our hard work and research we have a working septic. We are still cautious and watch our basement and outside drain like a hawk. I'm happy to say we haven't had any disgusting flooding for a month. :)

Now on to the better things in life: Kamille... she is growing so fast and is getting more sassy everyday. She is definitely a threenager! She loves bossing Lillian around and drags her everywhere. She doesn't like potatoes or broccoli but will eat pretty much everything else. Her favorite thing to do is help me make cookies. She eats the cookie dough like her father. She likes to watch me cook in the kitchen and helps me tidy up the house. Vacuuming is her favorite. She likes being a sunbeam in church and calls her teacher Grandma. She always comes home and tells me about Jesus. It makes my heart happy.

Lillian is a ball of energy that doesn't like bedtimes. She seems to stay up a few hours after Kamille and just runs non stop for HOURS! She like all food and I don't know if she has a favorite food yet. She loves to be outside and is friendly to everyone. Lillian is a flirt, every man she sees she smiles and says "hi" all sweetly. We have to keep an eye on her for sure. Everywhere we go she just wants to run! It makes everyone around smile to see me chase after her. They always tell me "You sure have your hands full" Then I like to see their faces when I tell them we have a third girl on the way.

Devin graduated this month!!! He has his Associates in General Studies and the best part is his company paid for him to finish. YAY! The oil fields are starting to pick up and there is a shortage of workers. This worked in our favor because Kinder Morgan decided to give ND employees a wage increase and a nice retention bonus! We have been blessed to find such a great company and area to be in!

I am now 16.5 weeks pregnant! I can feel our little girl moving around occasionally and have been passing my early tests with flying colors. They are really watching for gestational diabetes and preelalmpsia this time. My bump is starting to show, but I just feel fat. I have more energy now and I'm not feeling nauseous as much. I spend my days cleaning the house, cooking food, and chasing after two active girls. I work on preschool work with Kamille and lately have been going on walks to the park. I am waiting on my 20 week mark and then I can start getting things ready for baby, like going through the 20 totes of baby clothes, sewing a quilt and all that fun stuff!

God be with you,
Kaylynn Jackson