Ramblings

House?

2012-02-09T06:21:00.000-08:00

If all goes well we hope to make an offer on a house this weekend! To say we are extremely excited would be a HUGE underestimate. We really love this house and want to use this house to serve God. We are just praying that is this is supposed to be our house that everything goes smoothly. In my head...I am already decorating. LOL!

A Pretty Day

2012-02-07T17:20:00.000-08:00

The Moon

2012-02-05T16:46:00.001-08:00

We were out tonight looking at a house and doing some grocery shopping. On the way home, the Professor kept saying, "ball, ball". We could not figure out what he was talking about until we saw the moon. He thought the moon was a ball. It was just the sweetest thing!

A Good Man

2012-01-30T19:56:00.000-08:00

I just have to brag about my husband. He is now a mail carrier, or postal carrier is the term I believe. He is working hard 6 days a week. Most weeks he will be working well over 50 hours and ALL of it is on his feet, walking, carrying and delivering mail and packages. An average day for him is 9+ hours. He is working so hard for us. He is doing all of this to support us, his family. I think he is amazing! I feel so blessed to be home with our kids. I feel honored to be here to cook, clean and make sure that my husband's day starts off smoothly. Sometimes it means I stay up til 11 at night making sure his uniform is finished drying and that his lunch is packed and let me tell you...it is so worth it! It is worth it to know that when gets 5 minutes to eat his lunch he will know I packed it for him (and sometimes I sneak in a note) and it is worth it when our youngest builds block towers with me and then knocks them over. It is worth it when I help the Hippie with a tough math problem. I am so happy to be here at home with our kids and taking care of family. And I am so thankful for a husband who keeps that a priority and that he appreciates what I do as well.

Piano

2012-01-22T17:55:00.000-08:00

Each week the girls have a piano lesson. Sometimes I take them and other times my husband is able to. If he takes them, he grabs his camera and snaps some photos. He took these last week and I think they are worth sharing. I love them. Especially the one on the bottom with the winding path. Which is your favorite?

I Love Daddy!

2012-01-21T07:41:00.000-08:00

Technically I Love Dadd! Since she ran out of room. The Hippie disappeared the other day. She was in her room alone...which NEVER happens. Later she ran out carrying this homemade sign for her Daddy.

You better believe he still has this sign on his desk!

First Date: A Book Review

2012-01-17T19:06:00.001-08:00

I was able to review the book First Date by Krista McGee. This fictional book is based on the story of Esther from the Bible. The story centers around a reality TV showed called The Book of Love where 100 girls from across the country are competing to be the prom date for the President’s son.

At first I thought, “oh great. I have picked some teeny bopper book to review.” But as the story progressed I was truly drawn in. The main character Addy, has a surprising depth of character. Like Esther, she was orphaned and raised by her uncle. Throughout the story, we learn about her parents and how they died and the faith that she inherited from them. Addy, again like Esther, at first has no desire to be there competing for a boy’s attention. As the story progresses she begins to see how God is truly at work in her and around her.

All in all it was a great read, but with a bit of a slow start. I am glad that I had the chance to read it!

Have you ever...

2012-01-16T12:47:00.000-08:00

Met a blogger whose blog YOU follow? I am about to! If all goes well, this Friday I will meet a lady whose blog I have followed for quite some time. We have been into each other in the blogosphere and have been messaging back and forth on Facebook. I am quite excited as she (from her blog at least) reminds me a lot of my closest friend...even down to the fact that they each have 5 sons! AND the lady I hope to meet and my closest friends are also friends on Facebook. I know, small world right? I am really looking forward to meeting her and hopefully gaining a new friend too! So it makes me wonder have you ever met a blogger?

11

2012-01-11T18:49:00.001-08:00

Does anyone think today is special? I sure do! 11 years ago today my husband asked me to marry him! 11 years ago right now we were celebrating with my parents and sister. I was giddy and already busy making wedding plans. To celebrate we made homemade chocolate chip cookies!

A Pretty Day + Awesome Family = Pictures!

2012-01-06T18:41:00.000-08:00

Zoo!

2012-01-02T11:54:00.000-08:00

Thank you Columbus Zoo for allowing Veterans and their families in free. We had a great time and loved having a free thing to do as a family.

Zoo!

2011-12-30T17:12:00.000-08:00

We are so excited! The Columbus Zoo is offering free admission to all current and prior military this weekend only. So guess where we are off to tomorrow? Stay tuned for some great pictures!

House Hunting

2011-12-28T17:43:00.001-08:00

We have been looking for homes in the town where my husband will be working. It has been so much! Today we fell in love with a home! We still have more to look at though and I cannot wait to see more.
When you look at a home what is on your "must have" list?

Christmas Cuties

2011-12-26T12:57:00.000-08:00

I am Pleased To Announce

2011-12-18T18:52:00.000-08:00

WE HAVE A JOB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Starting in January my husband will be an employee of the US Post Office. We are beyond thrilled! 2 1/2 years of uncertainty, 1 year of unemployment and finally, we can make plans and settle in. We went forward in church today to share our praise! We are on cloud 9 and looking forward to Christmas and 2012. Thanks to all of our family and friends who have cried with us, prayed with us and been there for us. We love you all!

Round 3

2011-12-16T17:47:00.001-08:00

Sigh. This morning our Professor woke up wheezing and coughing. So I took him straight to the doctor. Luckily, it was mommy being nervous, but not so luckily he has a sinus infection and fluid in his ears. So Round 3 of antibiotics here we go!

Smitten: A Book Review

2011-12-13T17:42:00.000-08:00

I was able to read and review the book “Smitten” recently. This is a Christian romance novel. Actually it is four novels in one. The authors are Colleen Coble, Kristin Billerbeck, Diann Hunt and Denise Hunter. The central theme is about a small town whose main employer shuts down. As the town, Smitten, faces the fear of the town shutting down, four ladies come up with an idea. They believe they can save the town of Smitten by turning into a romantic town for tourists. Each novel focuses on one of these four women; Julia, Natalie, Reese and Shelby. This was a good, light, easy read. Probably my favorite novel was the one focusing on Natalie. All of them were good. It certainly was not the best book I have ever read, but if light reading is on your list then this book is for you!

A Different Day

2011-12-08T12:37:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I had a totally new experience. I was the supervisor for an exam. It was an all day event but a small one. The site I supervised only had 13 candidates testing. Some sites had more than 100! I really lucked out. It was an interesting day. I was glad to do it though and look forward to doing it again at some point in time. Now that I have worked as a supervisor for this company once, I will be eligible to supervise again. So here's hoping! Have you ever supervised or proctored an exam?

Christmas Music

2011-12-04T12:14:00.001-08:00

I LOVE Christmas music! I listen to it all day on the TV radio. I have it on in the van. I love singing it at church. My husband pretty much hates all Christmas music. LOL! So we have a deal, each year we put up our tree and decor the day after Thanksgiving. Starting that very day we can play all the Christmas music we want...as long as we wait til the day after Thanksgiving. It is a pretty fair deal I think. When do you start listening and decorating?

Round 2

2011-11-30T11:23:00.000-08:00

In our area the weather has been glorious and then cold. Sunny, then snowy. Lots of people are sick. Our Professor had a cough for about 2 weeks so we took him to the doctor. He (thankfully) just had a sinus infection. So we did 10 days of antibiotics. He finished them and over Thanksgiving his congestion and cough worsened. I took him back to the doctor yesterday and thankfully his lungs are clear but he needed a different antibiotic. While I am beyond thankful for our health care system I really don't like so much medicine for our kids. But I am thankful to live in a small town where a doctor's appointment lasts for 20 minutes. I am thankful that the medicine was available at the local pharmacy (which has a drive-thru). And I am thankful the Professor LOVES taking his medicine! I must admit though...hard to be thankful for these things when your Toddler pukes snot mixed with smoothie all over you...just saying.
Here's to everyone's health!

Free Entertainment

2011-11-28T17:13:00.001-08:00

The kids did not have school today because of the Thanksgiving break. They invited their friend over to play. I had a great time! They all put Polly Pocket clothes on their fingers and did some hilarious finger plays for me. After their friend left, we watched Polar Express together and snuggled up on the couch. It was a great day and I enjoyed having all that time with our kids!

Thanksgiving

2011-11-25T18:49:00.000-08:00

Family, turkey, shopping, playing, walking, talking, waffles, ice cream, gifts, surprises, blessings and more. That has been our Thanksgiving. What did you do this year?

A Poem

2011-11-20T18:17:00.000-08:00

Written by the Hippie age 7:

Oh Fall

Oh fall, oh fall leaves are falling from the trees.

Oh fall, oh fall feel like dancing in the leaves.

Oh fall, oh fall makes me want to climb those trees.

Oh fall, oh fall makes me nervous to climb those trees!

That's fall all right!

Are you Edible?

2011-11-16T17:02:00.000-08:00

Interesting question isn't it? LOL! Today I was driving the girls to piano and this is our conversation:
H- Mommy! We get to wear pajamas to school Friday!
G - Yeah! It's Pajama Day!
M - Well, maybe you should wear your pride shirts over your pjs in case they draw your name for the Friday pride winner?
G- Well Mommy. Mrs. ________ said we could wear pjs and/or pride shirts and either way we'd be edible to win the prize.
M - What did you say sweetie?
G- We can wear pjs or pride shirts and be edible!
So, I ask again...are you edible? I guess our girls will be on Friday!

Tomorrow

2011-11-16T05:27:00.000-08:00

Man, tomorrow my husband comes home after being gone for 2 weeks but tomorrow is also the one month mark of founding out we lost our 4th baby. I am glad something happy is happening tomorrow but emotionally I kind of dread the day.
Same thing with Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is when we were going to announce the gender of the baby. So while I am excited for Thanksgiving and looking forward to having family come in, I am dreading the day too.
I guess the healing just takes lots and lots of time and I will let myself have it.

A Nice Day

2011-11-12T11:29:00.000-08:00

My husband has been gone for a bit on a business trip. We have been so lonely here without him around. But last night and today were very nice. Last night my mom and I had dinner together and attended a great raffle afterwards! Today my dad took us to a bulk food store (Amish!) and out for pizza and ice cream. It was just a nice day. It feels good to have a good day. I hope your weekend is great!

It goes on and on

2011-11-10T07:12:00.000-08:00

If you missed it the first time, please go back and read about our baby' testimony. We have set up a Memorial Fund in honor or our baby. The money will be used to fund ultrasounds for women who are exploring their options. Our hope is that our baby's brief life will save the life of another unborn child. Well, our baby's testimony just grew!
First, my grandpa made a donation to a Christian University in memory of our sweet baby.
Second, the pregnancy crisis center we set up the fund through contacted us. They said that they were touched by our story and are including us in their upcoming newsletter! Our dream now is that others will read about our baby and consider making a donation or volunteering. Or maybe they too have been down this sad road of loss and miscarriage and perhaps our story can help bring some healing to them.
I am so honored at how God has been using our tiny baby to make a real difference.

Get a Melissa & Doug 25% Off Coupon When You Take the North "Poll"

2011-11-08T15:41:00.000-08:00

Melissa & Doug want you to tell them which of their educational toys you think is the best! Just click on the image below to place your vote in the North "Poll!" You'll Get a Melissa & Doug 25% Off Coupon** to use at MelissaAndDoug.com just for voting!

Living up to his name

2011-11-07T05:52:00.000-08:00

Actually living up to his nickname. The Professor is really a smart little guy. We chose his blog name when he was just a week or so old because of his facial expressions. But maybe he really will be a professor. He is certainly on the right track. Or maybe he will be a famous chef?
One of his favorite foods is a smoothie, or "me-me". He will ask for them. But if I am in the kitchen and I start our blender....he comes running over exclaiming, "me-me! me-me!" and is so excited. Today I asked if he wanted a smoothie for breakfast. He followed me over to the kitchen gate and was watching me. I add in the yogurt, some freshly sliced berries, the milk. He starts whimpering and I said, "What's wrong buddy?' He says, "nana...nana...mees". Which means, "Banana, banana please?" That smart little guy must have watched me often enough to know I ALWAYS put a banana in his smoothie and he was afraid I forgot! He is brilliant...wouldn't you agree?

Our Daughter

2011-11-04T17:20:00.000-07:00

Our youngest daughter, the Hippie, kicked Selective Mutism in the bottom last night!!! She was in the 2nd grade musical at school. When she got on stage, I got all choked up. Then I noticed she was actually doing the motions. AND her arms were going straight up in the air and everything. Her music teacher had given her a one line speaking part. She had said it a million times at home, but I was unsure how she would do. So there was our daughter, who 3 years ago would not speak to a waitress, joined cheerleading but could not even wiggle a finger during the cheers and would take weeks before speaking to new people and there she stands on the stage. She looked beautiful and happy and was laughing and singing. And she was the second smallest kid out of the 100+ kids. She walks up to this microphone and reaches up to lower it to her mouth and with perfect pitch and clarity she said her line!!!! It was clear as a bell and took all my will power not to stand up and scream. It was awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!

"The Christmas Note"

2011-11-01T07:45:00.000-07:00

I just love all the heart warming stories about Christmas time. I was recently able to review the book “The Christmas Note” by Donna VanLiere. She is the author of the book “The Christmas Shoes”. I greatly enjoyed that book and the subsequent movie and song as well. So I was greatly anticipating “The Christmas Note”. The book revolves around two main characters; reclusive and socially awkward Melissa and extroverted almost pushy Gretchen. From the first page you are drawn in. You can tell secrets are lurking and you want, or need, to discover them. The plot unfolds rather predictably but with several unique twists thrown in as well. When the book ended I was sad to close the chapter on this set of characters. I immediately passed the book onto to my mom for her to enjoy as well. This would be a great read any time of the year, but extra special to enjoy this Holiday season!

All Clear

2011-10-31T11:31:00.000-07:00

I had my post surgery two week check up today. I was extremely nervous. I am not sure why exactly? I guess fear of the unknown and not knowing what they would do and if they would have any more bad news. However, it went exceedingly well. Everything is good and normal and I have the all clear! That felt great to hear. To top it off, we were blessed with an amazing doctor and nurse. They actually know who we are. And the doctor spent 30 minutes just talking and sharing with me. She is also a Christian and she said how much she has been praying for us. It drives home the importance of having a doctor you trust and that treats you well. During this entire process we were treated with the utmost respect. Our baby was ALWAYS referred to as a baby, my husband was fully acknowledged and included every step of the way and great care was taken to ensure that we had privacy. It's not like it made it good, but it certainly helped and made us feel confident in the advice and care we were being given. After getting good news from the doctor, I can now focus my prayers on a good news about a job for my husband!

Our Baby's Testimony

2011-10-28T07:07:00.000-07:00

I don't always go into a lot of details about our life. I usually share what the kids are doing, photos etc. But this is for our baby and I need to get this down so we can always remember.
In June of 2009, our oldest daughter was attacked by a dog. She was in surgery for several hours and will soon be facing more reconstructive surgery. That day seems to mark the beginning of many struggles for our little family. About 2 months after the attack, we learned we were pregnant! We were so thrilled and excited! One week after a positive pregnancy test, the Army told my husband he would be losing his job. See, he was in the Marines when he was younger. Then he became a newspaper reporter, and a darn good one too! But one day he interviewed a man and his wife (who are now dear friends of ours). They had a son in the military, and the dad was now wanting to enlist because he had been so inspired by his son. This inspired my husband. At the time we just had the two girls. He wanted to serve and truly WANTED to be deployed. He wanted another father to stay home with his family for a year. We all fell behind him in 100% support. He had to receive a waiver for his age...he was technically too "old" for the Army. They granted the waiver and he was off to Officer Candidate School! He passed with flying colors, but he was in the very last class that did NOT get to chose which branch they wanted. He was given Armor. He was pleased, he loved those tanks. However, in the grueling school he attended, he just could not make it. He could do the 15 mile ruck marches carrying a 60 pound backpack and a 30 pound gun, but during a 10 day exercise he received a "no-go". We were upset but we were told that he could get rebranched. He was disappointed because he loved Armor, but was excited to get another branch and deploy. To this day we do not know exactly what happened, but he was not allowed to rebranch. So one week after learning we were pregnant....we lost our job. We ended up moving in with my family. He was then awarded a job with a major contracting company and he was going to serve in Iraq for one year under LOGCAP IV. So, we moved into a rental and started doing all that was on our to-do list for him to leave. Then we waited...and waited....and waited. Politics intervened and our contractor lost the bid...so we lost our job....again. Since then we have applied at over 500 places. He has applied for everything from cleaning chicken guts on a 3rd shift job to management positions. About 12 months into our unemployment journey he was given a great job...but it is temporary. In fact, it ends in November. In December all our benefits come to an end and we have no idea what we will do. We are scared and trying so hard to get work. So, we were not trying to get pregnant. But we did. God blessed us with Baby 4. Baby 4 was our surprise baby. The day I found out, it was the first day my husband was working at his temp. job. At first I was a little scared because we had not planned for baby #4. But then excitement took over. I mean, God knew what He was doing and He planned this Baby. I felt overwhelmed with gratitude and I knew, I KNEW, this baby was special. That God had big plan for our baby. My husband felt the same way and we were anxious to welcome this baby into our home. At 7 weeks, I went in for a date confirming ultrasound. The doctor turned on the sound and at 7 weeks pregnant, I saw and heard our baby's heartbeat. I cannot explain what that moment felt like, but I can tell you...I felt God's presence in the room with us. I was watching a miracle. At 7 weeks, some ladies have not even found out they were pregnant and yet there was a beating heart. Amazing. When we got the news at 15 weeks and 3 days that our baby was gone. I felt like my world was crashing around me. How could God give us this baby who was supposed to do great things and then take the baby away? During this journey of healing I learned that our baby can and DOES have a testimony. Our baby will make a difference. Our baby will save at least one life. We have set up a memorial fund in honor of Baby #4. The money will be used to give ultrasounds to ladies who find themselves unexpectedly pregnant. The ultrasound will show them that they are carrying a life inside of them. While I do not want to publicly share the information, if you feel led to donate, please email me at cliffsgirl2001@yahoo.com
We are so excited to see how God will use our precious baby to make a difference in the world. Our baby did have a plan and I praise God for the time we had baby #4 in our lives.

Time is Passing

2011-10-28T04:17:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe that we are rapidly approaching the 2 week mark of losing our baby. Sometimes it feels so long ago, other times it feels like yesterday and many times I still am in disbelief. I am sure this is all normal. Right now my husband is away and the pain feels worse when he is gone. Then when he gets back he is leaving us for two weeks. I really do not look forward to this at all.
He still does not have a permanent job lined up so keep us in your prayers for that too. His current job ends in November.
I go to the doctor Monday for my post D & C consult. I am praying for good news. I am not sure why it would not go well, but I am very apprehensive for the appointment. I have many questions for our doctor.
We do have a small bit of good news....our Hippie is having a 2nd grade musical at school and she has a speaking part!!! We are all excited about that.
I hope you all have a good weekend!

Touched

2011-10-25T18:59:00.000-07:00

I continue to be touched by people coming forward to share their stories with me. Others come forward to tell me they are praying. Just today I had an email from a lady my sister-in-law knows. This particular woman has two children in Heaven. Just now when I logged onto my blog, there was a comment left by a woman who recently lost a 4 month old daughter followed by losing another baby in a miscarriage. While I hurt at hearing their stories, it does help heal a part of me too. To know that others have made it through the loss of a child. If they can do it, we can too. To know that strangers are praying for us...it is amazing. All the people willing to share their losses and experience, it is touching in a way that only those who have children in Heaven can understand.
Meanwhile, my parents bought me a book that has been a huge help on my road to healing and I wanted to share it here. It is called "I'll Hold You in Heaven".

If you have ever lost a child, or had an abortion, this book is an amazing resource. If you ever know someone who loses a child or has an abortion and are not sure what you can do, I urge you to consider buying this book for them. I have found hope and healing in this book. It has answered questions that have been on my heart and mind. Each question is answered directly from the one true source...the Bible.
For those who have been praying for us, I thank you. We can feel the prayers and we ask that you keep praying whenever we are brought to your mind. There is no map for this journey and we appreciate the prayers to keep us moving forward.

One Week

2011-10-23T15:51:00.000-07:00

It has been a week since that awful appointment. It feels like a big milestone that we made it one week. Today was our first time to attend church since losing our baby. It was so, so hard. I am thankful that the day is behind us. I find that when I am home, I feel strong and like I can get through this. But when I go out in public, it scares me. I worry that I will break down and cry. I see pregnant women everywhere. I see cute newborns. I see people buying baby gifts. I see birth announcements in yards. Before I know it I feel that depression pushing in on me and my emotions creeping closer to the surface and then I just feel so tired. I am not sure how long this feeling will last. I know that getting out is good for me. I refuse to cancel any appointments or events. The things that get me through....God, my family, our kids, my husband, those that share their stories with me and knowing that one day, in Heaven, we will meet our precious baby.

The Club No One Wants to Join

2011-10-20T18:30:00.000-07:00

When you first become parents, you feel like you have joined a club. At least, my husband and I did. You know, you see another parent dealing with a fussy child and even though they are strangers, your eyes meet and you silently acknowledge..been there done that.
In the past few days, my husband and I feel we have been forced out of a group and into a club we want no part of. In our church we were one of five pregnant couples. Now they all have their babies and ours is in Heaven. While I am beyond thankful that their babies are safe, we are now out of that group (so to speak). We have now become part of a club...parents who have lost a baby. And it is not fun. Through this, I have been so blessed by others who have come forward and shared their stories. No two stories are the same. Every situation was unique and every single lost baby...so very well loved. I will say this, until you have lost a baby you cannot imagine what it feels like, and I pray you never do. It is a different kind of loss. Our family feels smaller. It truly does. Our family is no longer complete and will not be complete until we are reunited in Heaven.

Loss

2011-10-17T16:44:00.000-07:00

I really do not want to share this. Today we went in for our 15 month check up. Everything was going along nicely, until they went to find the heartbeat. The doctor tried and tried and eventually took me to the ultrasound machine. She could not find the heartbeat there and the baby was measuring three weeks small. I was sent to hospital and had more ultrasounds done and was given the news that our special Blessing #4 is in Heaven. To say we are heartbroken is an under estimate. We feel this loss keenly. In our minds we were a family of 6 and we feel incomplete. My eyes are swollen and burning and it really feels like I should not be able to keep crying...but I do. Since my body has not miscarried I have to have a surgery done. Please keep our family in your prayers.

I love Fall!

2011-10-14T19:25:00.000-07:00

I love our kids!

Fall!

2011-10-12T18:58:00.000-07:00

I LOVE Fall! And so do the kids. We have had gorgeous weather lately and spent lots of time outside soaking up the sun....and leaves.

Do you do the flu?

2011-10-10T19:11:00.001-07:00

Well, actually I mean flu shots. Do you get them? Why or why not? I took the Professor in for his 15 month check up. He is in the 58th % for his weight, the 81st for his height and 87th for his head. Looks like he will be tall and smart! LOL! While we were there he got his flu shot and I got mine. I told my sister-in-law and she went to get hers. The girls are getting theirs tomorrow. What about you?

Halloween is Coming!

2011-10-08T17:36:00.000-07:00

Are you ready for Halloween at your house? Do you celebrate Halloween? We let our kids dress up, but only in happy costumes. We also live in a town that upholds that "Halloween is about dressing up and getting candy" mentality. So our trick-or-treating hours are always on the Sunday before Halloween from 2-4 in the afternoon. No worrying about late nights, cold weather and kids darting across dark streets. I don't think there is a house in town that does not have someone at the door passing out candy. Families like us who are out with their kids, just leave a big bowl of candy and let people take it. And yes, they have been totally honest. We even had leftovers last year. So our family IS ready. The girls will be beautiful princesses and the Professor will be Kermit the Frog!

Waffles

2011-10-06T17:01:00.000-07:00

The other night my husband was traveling and I was alone with the kids. I was tired and I was hungry and we were all ready for dinner. I had just enough mix to make waffles for myself and the kids. I did not count on the Professor liking them as much as he did though. The Hippie ate two waffles, the Genius ate 3, the Professor ate 1 and I ate 1 1/2. The girls LOVE when I make waffles. Now, I better remember to add that to my grocery list next week. Waffles are a tradition in our family. Any time we are rained or snowed in, I make waffles for everyone. Do you have any traditions like that?

Cherished: A Book Review

2011-09-30T06:43:00.000-07:00

I was given the book “Cherished” by Kim Cash Tate to review. This book brings to life two characters, with seemingly nothing in common, and brings them together in a very unexpected way. Now, to be very honest, I started reading this book and really was not enjoying it. I was about three chapters into it and not really sure I wanted to keep going. However, the description on the back of the book sounded so good I determined to forge head. By chapter six, I was unable to put the book down. While it starts off slow, it rapidly picks up steam and leaves you breathlessly turning the pages to see what happens next. In retrospect, the reason the first few chapters feel slow is because they are laying important ground work for the rest of the novel. The two main characters are Kelly; a wannabe song writer with a secret, shame-inducing past and Heather; a woman who slept with a married man and followed it with a one night stand with yet another Christian man. I cannot say how these two come to know each other because I feel it gives too much away. However, this book leaves you wanting book 2. I am not sure if the author is planning a sequel, but if she does, I will snatch it up. Hidden in the page of this fictional book is an example of pure, true love so amazing it inspires you to forgive and live your life differently.

Grades

2011-09-29T17:48:00.000-07:00

So...just gotta brag for a minute here.
Mid-terms came home today:
The Hippie got ALL G's (which means good) and very positive comments from her teacher!
The Genius:
Writing - 100
Reading - 98
Spelling - 103
Math - 98
Social Studies - 93
Science - 97

We felt they deserved a little treat so we picked up McDonald's for dinner. We are so proud of the girls!

Overtaken

2011-09-25T17:00:00.000-07:00

If you have ever eaten breakfast at my house, then you are probably aware that I typically do not buy sugary cereals. On hand I will usually have Mini Wheats, Bran Flakes, Cheerios, Life and maybe Raisin Bran. Usually that is it. However, with this pregnancy I have really wanted Cinnamon Toast Crunch. My husband bought me a box few weeks ago (I kept refusing due to the price). He came home with it and I ate two entire bowls and just loved it. Today I was doing our grocery shopping for the week. If you know my typical shopping method, I usually do not buy things that were not on my list. But today.....cereal was on sale. Like a really good sale. But you had to buy 10 boxes. I think baby #4 overtook my body because I went to check out and I had 10 boxes of cereal. 5 of them were Cinnamon Toast Crunch, 3 were Cookie Crisp and 2 were Multigrain Cheerios. What??? I was honestly shocked to see it. LOL! I got so tickled I think the cashier thought I had lost my marbles (maybe I did)! We came home and my husband was like, "Is there something you want to tell me? I mean, in 10+ years you have never bought Cookie Crisp and did I see FIVE boxes of Cinnamon Toast Crunch??" To make it worse, he does not like a single cereal that I bought.
Any guesses what we had for dinner tonight?
Baby #4 and I are very happy.

#4

2011-09-19T18:39:00.000-07:00

I had my three month check up today. It was a great appointment. They did an ultrasound because at my very first appointment my due date and the size of #4 was off by a little over a week. So today was to confirm the due date. The baby was measuring right on target! I got to hear the heartbeat! I am still claiming that this baby is a girl and according to my history...we had a girl heart rate of 156 bpm! I got to spend a few minutes gazing at our sweet baby. The doctor happens to be pregnant with her first baby, so she really took her time and let me just watch the baby. She pointed out the arms, legs, facial structure, heart, pudgy little belly.... The baby is already adorable, you can just tell. #4 was kicking and waving up a storm! Thank you Lord for a sweet, healthy baby!

On Display

2011-09-14T16:56:00.000-07:00

The Hippie's latest painting is now FOR SALE at a local coffee shop!!! We are so excited! 6 years old and already has her art work for sale! We are amazed! We priced the painting at $20 and we will see if anyone wants to buy it.

A Wonderful Appointment

2011-09-13T06:21:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I had my appointment for lab work. If you have been pregnant, you know the one I mean. Lots of tubes of blood. Not a very fun appointment. However, yesterday was different. I had a nurse who really listened to me. I am at that phase in pregnancy where I am feeling good, energy is coming back, no more ickies BUT too early to feel those movements or to hear the heartbeat at home on our monitor. So, you worry. I told her that so she takes me into a room and tries to listen for the heartbeat. We could not hear it (which is normal) so she took me to another room and gave me an ultrasound! I saw a tiny little foot and saw the heartbeat flashing on the screen! Now I can rest easy again knowing that our baby is safe and healthy! I was so appreciative of her listening to me and taking the time to make me feel comfortable. It is just amazing every time you see an ultrasound and see the development. Already the baby is looking less bean-like and much more baby-like!

Quick Pic

2011-09-12T05:57:00.000-07:00

He is growing up so quickly!!! It's hard to believe that this time next year he will be 2 years old and officially a big brother. Time flies! I am enjoying the moments here at home with him and loving being an at-home mama!

What they don't tell you about boys....

2011-09-07T10:56:00.000-07:00

At 14 months old the Professor can climb onto tables, climb up on his cars and "surf" and climb onto other verry dangerous items. But he cannot speak sentences or string two words together. At 14 months the girls were talking and talking and talking but were happy just to be walking and running. Being pregnant and keeping the Professor out of trouble is exhausting! LOL! He is so cute though and I think that is keeping him out of trouble.
In other news....things have worked out for me to continue working at the coffee shop but just 8 hours a week, no weekends and no early hours. I am so happy to stay on and have such an easy schedule. I love when things work out so great like this.
Happy Wednesday!

Our Day Off

2011-09-04T18:40:00.000-07:00

Our day also included tons of rain EXCEPT for the time we needed to be outside, a freak nosebleed that meant we had to stop and buy a new shirt, a trip to my favorite store IKEA (and bonus...I had a $50 gift card!) and a trip to the girls favorite place for lunch. The only thing we had to pay for was the lunch. It was a wonderful day! I did feel very guilty not being at church and missing but it was a wonderful day as a family.

It's always something...

2011-09-03T18:23:00.000-07:00

The girls started school this past week. So far the school year is off to a great start, but I am excited about (hopefully) home-schooling them again next year.
We are now a little over 8 weeks pregnant with baby 4 and I am so ready to go in for my lab work. I know that sounds crazy, but I cannot feel the baby move yet and just getting confirmation that the baby is safe and healthy is always wonderful. I am definitely feeling the first trimester yuckies and tiredness. But I am so blessed to have such minimal discomfort.
Tomorrow we are being horribly naughty and skipping church. We try to never do this, but we got some free tickets to an event and have to use them or lose them. So we are celebrating the Hippie's birthday early and having some FUN family time tomorrow.
I, sadly, had to turn in my notice at the coffee shop. It was a tough decision, but me working, being pregnant and having a husband traveling was just a little too much. Plus I was really struggling with the day care issue...both actually leaving the Professor and paying for the daycare when I made so little money to begin with.
My husband is still working AND working on his MBA so we really do not see much of him right now. We are just praying that this job will turn into something permanent.
Other than that, noting much is new.
How are all my friends in the blogosphere?

What the girls think about Baby #4

2011-08-30T17:51:00.000-07:00

The girls are just incredibly excited about Baby #4! They cannot stop talking about it, praying about the baby and discussing names and gender preferences. I am convinced this will be another girl, but the girls really want another boy. Here is their conversation:
G - What do you hope we have?
H - A boy.
G - Me too.
H - Why do you want another brother?
G- Because then if we ever get invited to a dance party we all have a dance partner....Mommy can dance with Daddy, you can dance with the Professor and I will dance with the baby because he may be too heavy for you to lift, but we can trade if you want to.
Yep. Sometimes life in our house IS that sweet.

In Case You Were Left Confused

2011-08-29T12:51:00.000-07:00

Or just are not real observant....LOL!

This picture has my husband, myself, the Genius, the Hippie, the Professor AND baby #4 there at the end! Yep. We are expecting blessing #4 in April. We are all extremely excited and cannot wait to meeting this new little one. I am feeling pretty good. Quite tired and do have some all day yuckies that come and go, but really nothing to complain about. The reactions have been pouring in and are fun to hear. The Hippie wants to feel the baby kick and the Genius wants to go shopping. Everyone is excited to find out...boy or girl??? I would like to just wait and be surprised but I am afraid I have been out voted so we should be finding out the gender later this year!!!!

We Like Even Numbers!

2011-08-28T11:24:00.000-07:00

I told you...we liked even numbers!!!!

Where has the time gone?

2011-08-25T17:27:00.000-07:00

My husband and I have now been married for 10 years. 10 years! We are going away for a belated getaway this weekend. We could not be more excited! So forgive the lapse in blogging while we are away enjoying each other for a very special weekend celebration!

At the Park

2011-08-18T19:01:00.000-07:00

First Haircut!

2011-08-17T17:11:00.000-07:00

The Professor does not have a ton of hair, but he had a lot of lightweight, fluffy hair. So when the girls were getting their back-to-school cuts, I asked them to do his first cut too. He was already cute but now his new do really shows off his big brown eyes!

Latest Art Work

2011-08-16T05:46:00.000-07:00

The Hippie is entering a new painting into the county fair. She wanted to paint a picture of her sister jumping rope. Here is the photo she wanted to use.

But she told her art teacher she wanted to do an abstract of it. It took her a little over an hour to create this painting. I am beyond impressed! I think she is very talented. What do you think?

Litter Bug

2011-08-14T18:39:00.000-07:00

We use cloth diapers, hang out clothes on the line, recycle and collect our cardboard to drive to a recycling center. So I guess most people think we are at least semi-green. Our girls follow in our footsteps. You can find them checking the bottoms of plastic bottles to see if they can be recycled or not and during school they bring home their empty juice boxes to recycle them. The other day we pulled up in front of our local grocery store and I heard a horrified gasp from the backseat. The Hippie said, "MOMMY! Why does this store want us to litter?" I said, "They do? How do you know?" She said, "Because that sign says 'To Litter'" "Um...honey, that says 2 Liter". LOL!! Hope you got a laugh out of this one! Love our kids!!

Supply List

2011-08-13T03:51:00.000-07:00

Man, the girls have a school supply list a mile long! Today my husband is taking the morning off and we are going to take them shopping for school supplies. It should really be fun and will be good for all of us to do something together.
My husband got home last night but is leaving very soon again plus he has a ton of work to do for his MBA classes. It is definitely a busy season in our lives. I am guessing there are some lessons for us to be learning during this time though.
For today we are just going to focus on each other and the kids and enjoying this day that we have together!
What are your weekend plans?

Three Months

2011-08-11T17:16:00.000-07:00

While I am so thankful that my husband has a temporary job, it is going to be a long 3 months with him mostly gone. It reminds me of our time in the Army and even though this is easier than our time in the military, people still say really goofy things that make you upset.
That being said, this week has gone surprisingly well. The kids have been (mostly) well behaved and I have stayed (mostly) on top of the house work. I am also still working part-time at the coffee shop. I love meeting the people there and making coffee, but I am one tired mommy! I am looking forward to tomorrow night because my parents are picking up my favorite pizza and bringing it over here for dinner! Yea!!!

Make Ya Smile

2011-08-06T18:26:00.000-07:00

Told you I could make you smile.
Have a fantastic weekend!!!

A Lucky Lady...

2011-08-05T04:28:00.001-07:00

Miranda as the ONLY one who entered to win the free Women of Faith tickets...you and your sister are going to be attending and getting free boxed lunches!!! Congrats! I will send you an email!

Sweatin'

2011-08-04T19:07:00.001-07:00

We held a garage sale the past few days and boy did we sweat! I think it has been about 90% humidity and about 90 degrees out. However, we sold a lot of items and made some decent money! I wish we could go have fun with the money...but it will pay for our utilities this month. Not the most fun way to spend the money, but I am thankful for a/c!

We have been growing some watermelons here at home and today found our first watermelon buds!! They are about the size of a dime and the Hippie cannot wait for them to get bigger and bigger. I cannot wait to get a house some day and plant a real garden to let our kids get that whole experience!

Busy, Busy, Busy

2011-08-02T19:08:00.000-07:00

Man, it feels like we went from 0 to 300 overnight. My hubby is working, I am working part-time, the kids are busy.... It is actually a little crazy. Plus my husband is going to be traveling a lot with his new job so I am going to have a lot on my plate.
I think I will need to start going to bed before 10 p.m. just to keep up, but it is hard. If you are like me after the kids are in bed you A. relax and then B. start cleaning all the things you could not get done during the day!
What are you up to these last few days of summer???

Book Review "Sweet Sanctuary"

2011-08-01T18:48:00.000-07:00

I recently received the book “Sweet Sanctuary” by Sheila Walsh and Cindy Martinusen-Coloma. The book drew me in from the very first page. I just love it when a book can do that. The main character is a lady named Wren and her musically gifted son Charlie. Wren and Charlie make a cute team and are very well-developed characters. Wren has an eclectic family and they each have their own secrets…secrets that are bound to come out when Wren’s grandmother gets involved. Wren’s grandma shows up unexpectedly and demands a huge 90th birthday party! It turns into quite the occasion…even if Wren was not all that excited about it. Also, in case you were wondering, there is a love interest in this book.
I loved “Sweet Sanctuary” and upon reading it immediately passed it onto my mom for her to enjoy. If you need a great summer read, then hurry and get this book today!

Women of Faith Indianapolis Giveaway!!!!!

2011-07-29T18:49:00.000-07:00

I was all set to go to the Indianapolis Women of Faith event August 19-20 2011. I was selected as a Women of Faith blogger. I was extremely excited and honored. However, after 15 months of unemployment my husband has found an amazing temp. job! However, this means I am unable to attend. This is GREAT news for my readers though. If you can find a way to get to Indianapolis on August 19-20 I will give you my two free passes which include free boxed lunches as well!

Let's keep this simple...

Mandatory entry:
Be a public GFC follower of my blog and tell me why you want to go to Women of Faith 2011.

Extra entries:
Blog about this giveaway and link back to this post - 5 entries
Tell me who you want to take with you - 1 entry

This giveaway will end in one week on Friday August 5, 2011.

Best of luck!

Coffee Time

2011-07-26T18:00:00.000-07:00

My first full day at the coffee shop is under my belt. I had SO much fun! I am so glad to be making coffee once again. I came home to a (relatively) clean and organized house, happy kids, and an amazing husband who had even done laundry for me! I was able to relax for awhile and then make homemade fajitas for dinner. Now I am pretty tired and have another full day of work tomorrow, but just wanted to say hi to everyone!

Summer is flying

2011-07-24T17:55:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe how quickly this summer is flying by! We have all been so busy and this week is another busy week. I have even written out all of our lunches and dinners for the week. I am working almost 40 hours this week and my poor husband is trying to manage 3 kids, his classes for his Master's and job applications. I am hoping that having all the meals written out will make it easier on all of us. We did a big shopping trip tonight to prepare for it all. We ended up being at the store for over an hour! When we went to check out, we were all organized and everything, but I had gotten 4 peppers. 2 red, 1 yellow and 1 orange. Peppers are usually pretty expensive but this week they were 4 for $5 so I knew we had to have fajitas this week. But when the lady rung them up they said 2 for $3. Now, I know it is a minimal difference but still, I pointed it out. The lady looks through the weekly flyer, but the peppers are not in there. So she sends this guy over to check. And guess what? I was right! It serves as a good reminder to check, re-check and triple check your receipts. They had not fixed the problem at that point so anyone buying peppers is overpaying. A dollar may not seem like a big deal, but it is to me. Anyone else ever have that trouble?

Back

2011-07-21T19:08:00.000-07:00

We are back from a (free) much needed getaway! I am going to post one little picture from our time away. It was a wonderful little trip and our only cost was a little gas and 1 meal! Not too bad for 2 nights and 3 days! I am starting a part-time job at a local coffee shop so the blog may get a little slowish for awhile, but please keep checking back. Once I am in a good work routine and such I will be better at posting! Meanwhile...enjoy the pic!

LOL! Don't you love the cheesy smiles and dazed expressions??? Guess that is what happens with lots of sugar and convenience foods combined with lack of sleep...but I still think they are adorable!!

Guess Where I am Going???

2011-07-20T13:05:00.000-07:00

Yep. That's right! I am heading to Women of Faith this year! It is my first time and I am extremely excited! I will be blogging, tweeting and facebooking about this event along the way, so stay tuned!!!

Kids in Summer

2011-07-16T18:45:00.000-07:00

The girls were "helping" the Professor play with one of his birthday gifts. LOL! I am not sure that pool was designed for 3 kids, but they all love it!

When Things Just Don't Go Your Way....

2011-07-14T12:26:00.000-07:00

You may end up with a very swollen, very painful thumb like mine...

It was all just a lousy accident. The girls have been attending a Vacation Bible School with some friends and we have been taking turns with pick-up/drop-off. Last night was my turn. It was beautiful outside. The four kids were being cute and funny. We got to the church and the two kids realized they forgot offering. I reached into the van to grab a few quarters for them and BAM. Someone closed the sliding door on my thumb. I quickly opened the door and noticed..."man this hurts". But I shook it off, I mean, there were four scared kids looking at me. I really thought I was fine and so I grabbed the little ones hand and we set off for the front door. The closer we got, the worse I felt. We walked in and I saw a chair and immediately sat down. I was saying, "girls get ______", because he has to be walked into his room and signed in. That is the last thing I remember. Next thing I know they are people shouting at me and shaking me. Evidently, I totally passed out. They got me onto the floor and I was saying "where's ____" because I was so scared! Luckily, leaders had taken him back to his room safely. I ended up being there about 30 minutes before I could manage to sit up. It was awful! I have no idea why I fainted or anything. They said I was in shock. But shock from what??? I mean, my thumb hurts, but not as bad as labor or anything. I will say...fainting in real life is very UN-romantic.
Have you ever passed out? If so, why?

Weird Fact..

2011-07-11T19:04:00.000-07:00

7-11-11 and I made my 1,111th post. How weird is that???? Anyways, here are a few leftover pics from the Professor's 1st birthday. Here is the Hippie helping him open up his gifts.

The Professor LOVES his Nana!

He also enjoyed playing with the wrapping paper...

The Genius and Nana blowing up the Professor's new pool.

The Genius is pretty cute and summery...don't ya think?

Cake Eater

2011-07-09T19:04:00.000-07:00

I just love the cake platter my parents gave me a few years ago. I had trouble coming up with a theme for the Professor's first cake. He loves trucks and cars though, so I thought a little traffic light would be cute. I am not much of a cake decorator. But I am very pleased! It was cute, colorful and tasted good. But the important thing was the kids liked it! The Professor dug right in but really he barely ate any. He ate maybe 2-3 bites, but made a huge mess. LOL! It was a blast! I cannot believe we have a one year old!

Best Buddies

2011-07-09T05:22:00.000-07:00

Last night was kind of bittersweet. The girls first year of swim team came to end. The Hippie's best buddy is on the team, so they will not be seeing each other every day anymore. Here are some pics of them playing with the Professor...yeah, he is pretty spoiled.

The Professor LOVES hanging out with the big kids. The girls loved hanging out with all their friends at the meets. IF you have never been to a meet...let me tell ya. Meet is an appropriate word. LOL! Meets are just a giant social event. There are kids running around laughing, playing and snacking. Adults are cheering and catching up with each other on the latest news. They really are quite fun!

A little bit older...

2011-07-08T18:40:00.000-07:00

The Professor is now a 1 year old boy! He had a great birthday. We got all of his gifts at garage sales and he loved them all. He is such a cute, funny boy.

2011-07-05T18:40:00.000-07:00

These pictures make me so proud! For one, I just love my hubby and kids. But secondly, we are all dressed entirely in garage sale clothing and it cost about $2 for all these clothes!
Do you like garage sales? Love them? Hate them? Somewhere in between? What is the best deal you have ever gotten?

A Festive 4th!

2011-07-04T19:05:00.000-07:00

Scones and Horses

2011-07-03T07:41:00.000-07:00

My grandpa asked for a picture of the Hippie on a horse. However, she rides inside a barn and I am leery of using a flash, but here is pic of her grooming the horse. This was not her usual ride. Usually she rides a spunky little pony or a big, old horse. This horse in this photo is old AND spunky! LOL!

Also, I made some homemade scones for my husband's birthday and just had to share a photo!

Have I said...

2011-07-01T18:49:00.000-07:00

how MUCH I love garage sale season??? Today I got the Professor's first birthday gifts for $3 and we got a new desk, desk chair and very special "seat" today and only spent a total of $40!! Plus there were some nice kids clothes included too. Let me know what you think of the pics and if you have any special ideas for sprucing up the new seating!

He currently has a 4.0 on his MBA! But lest you think he is all work....

Mmmmmm..... M & M's!

Yep, it is an old church pew! We actually really like it! I have a dream project for it when we own a home again. But for now it adds MUCH needed extra seating and provided HOURS of fun for the kids today.
So, what are your thoughts?

Flowers

2011-06-30T17:10:00.000-07:00

The other night we went outside after dinner and the Genius introduced the Professor to his first flower. It was very sweet and he enjoyed it. Eventually the flower ended up being removed from his mouth. LOL!

Two Years

2011-06-29T19:25:00.000-07:00

Moms never forget. Even when we wish we could. But two years ago tonight the Genius was in having her emergency surgery. (Read the story here).
I am just so thankful it all ended well and that she is here with us. Snuggling with her tonight during family devotions just felt extra precious.

Pops

2011-06-28T07:56:00.000-07:00

So....what is the Professor up to?

Hmmm, looks like he is hiding something. Wonder what it could be?

Why, it is his sisters cereal!!!!

Pics from the Dolly and Me Party

2011-06-26T18:53:00.000-07:00

Dollar Deals

2011-06-24T18:20:00.000-07:00

I love, love, love garage sales! Today we spent $18 and here is what we got......
2 of the BIG rubbermaid containers FULL of clothing for this fall/winter for our 3 kids. Included are some Gymboree, Old Navy, Gap, Carters, Children's Place, Tommy Hilfiger and more! Some of them still had the tags on too. These are nice clothes. It was a mix of jeans, pants, dresses, pjs, jackets, winter coat for the Professor, rain jackets for the girls, shoes etc. For my husband we got a new razor (electric), a pair of bicycle shorts (new they are about $50), 2 dress shirts (Izod), a new suit, a Nike jacket and a Columbia jacket. I scored big for myself! I got an almost new Liz Claiborne DOWN-FILLED winter coat. It is so soft, comfy and warm! I also found a nice dress coat, a nice fuzzy jacket, about 10 shirts and 5 pairs of shoes. In my stash I had Anne Klein, Tommy, Aeropastle, MUDD, Gap and more! I also scored two vintage (but BRAND NEW looking) vintage suitcases for the girls!

Wordless Wednesday (Chalk Art)

2011-06-22T11:52:00.000-07:00

Our D.I.Y Girl

2011-06-20T11:23:00.000-07:00

We got the Genius her first set of real took for her birthday and a little bird house kit she can put together. She was thrilled! We got these pics of her trying on her tool belt for size. She is a cutie!

Dollar Deals

2011-06-18T13:02:00.000-07:00

What a fun day! We went to a safety fair event and both girls got brand new FREE bike helmets and nice ones! They also got snacks, balloons and got to enter their names to win a free bike. Afterwards we hit our local farmers market and some thrift stores, garage sales and rummage sales. Here are a few of our steals...(we spent less than $5 for everything pictured)!

^^^^^^ a pair of Heely style shoes for $1!

This was actually a lunch cooler, but it was easily attached to my bike and is plenty long enough to hold BIG water bottles!

A Talbot Kids winter dress coat...the coat looks brand new! I find it hard to believe it was ever worn.

A new fruit "bowl"!

A new candy jar for my dark chocolate stash!

A stack of cups, just right for all the little hands around our place.

And a shiny new tea kettle!
I also scored a great piece of real Tupperware, some GAP, Gymboree and Old Navy clothing too. The day was a total success!

He likes it!!!

2011-06-16T18:50:00.000-07:00

I had thought the Professor was getting picky, but evidently it was just the antibiotics messing with his appetite. Today he ate most of an orange, nibbled on a raw carrot, ate part of an apple, lima beans, blackberries and some watermelon!!

Birthday Boy??? Um, not quite yet......

2011-06-15T12:16:00.000-07:00

Come and Gone

2011-06-14T07:53:00.000-07:00

The long awaited visit with my closest friend and her family has already come and gone. 8 kids, 4 adults, 3 loaves of bread, hot dogs, smores, fire pit, glow sticks, tons of laughing and tons of picture taking. It was awesome, but way to short. I have been teary eyed since they left. To cheer myself up, here are some pics of the visit!

Waiting for the boys to arrive......

Nope, not a shuttle...it's the Burtons!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The kids acted like no time had passed and jumped right into play time!

10:30 p.m. and the kids were still swinging...maybe it was all those smores =)

Friends and their babies....I may be biased but aren't our boys and kids the cutest things ever??????

And then they left.
We had such a wonderful time. I love their kids, I love our friends. I am so thankful for friendships like theirs and that they drove up here to visit.

One of these things is not like the other

2011-06-12T12:44:00.000-07:00

I Always Knew She Was a Winner!!!!

2011-06-11T18:02:00.000-07:00

Now we have proof!

The Hippie won FIRST PLACE in the K-3 art division!!!! We are so incredibly proud!!!!

Little Boy Blue

2011-06-10T19:34:00.001-07:00

How sweetly he sleeps...

Summer Time

2011-06-08T05:44:00.000-07:00

A little bit of this

And a little bit of that

Here we go...

2011-06-05T16:46:00.000-07:00

We are entering into the busiest 8 days of our summer. So much is happening and much of it is exciting, but I find myself wondering if I can make it through. I have so much to do this week. I want to get everything done that I need to. Much of it is prep work for all the company we are having over the next week and for the Genius' birthday party. Some of it is just the day to day stuff....laundry, cleaning cloth diapers, making meals. And some of it is exciting and new,,,daily swim team practices, softball games and swim meets. I also want to enjoy the fun filled days and make the time to take the kids swimming, to eat ice cream with them and play games and have fun!
Anyone else have a crazy week coming up?

Long Day

2011-06-02T18:49:00.000-07:00

4 a.m. wake up call with two sick kids, 1 trip to the doctors office 4 prescriptions, 1 nebulizer, 4 loads of laundry, 3 meals, sweeping, mopping, 2 crying kiddos...I am exhausted!
The Genius had a fever of over 103. She was diagnosed with a severe ear infection. Maybe it where we live, but none of kids ever had ear infections til we moved here. The Genius is days away from turning 8 and this was her first ear infection. She was a pitiful mess. She kept moaning and crying. She took two naps. She did not even had enough energy to watch tv. She just laid. It was so sad.
The Professor has bronchitis. He is on round the clock breathing treatments.
All this leaves me wondering...when am I going to get sick? I have been puked on, been changing nasty diapers, been sneezed on, coughed on, snotted on, cleaned bathrooms and been snuggling two sick kids.
Off to get some sleep now and maybe take some vitamins =)