Highlights of Our Trip:)

EVen with a very preggo-Momma, we got to "sneak" away for a couple of days... our last BIG trip until Nate comes. So we headed south a couple of hours and really enjoyed our time at Grandma and Grandaddy's. Lots of yummy meals, fun conversations and playtimes:)

Bubbles!

And Time with Gran-Grandma and Grandma:)
A much anticipated trip to Rita's!! Yes, everytime we know of one we stop and enjoy:)
We also visitied a Fire Museum. The kids had a blast with all the kid-friendly activities and us adults learned plenty, too;)

Another highlight of being at Grandma and Grandaddy's .... BATH TIME!!!! The kids love the big bathtub and actually ASKED for baths:) Love those feet and toes;)


We had a great time at Grandma and Grandaddy's. Brian and I got some much needed extra minutes of rest each morning:) And we were all spoiled!!

Wordless Wednesday : Daddy Bathing the Kids

Maybe this should have been another Works for Me Wednesday (Daddy edition)!!! LOL!! I couldn't resist taking the pic:)

You can find some other picture posts at Wordless Wednesday, 5 Minutes for Mom and Go Graham Go!!!

WFMW: Starting our Garden Indoors

It's Wednesday... time to share another fun thing that has worked for us:)

We have had a tiny garden on the side of the house for years, but I have always "cheated" and spent the extra BUCKS purchasing the plants already grown and ready to be transplanted...

This year we started from SEEDS:)

I purchased a planter set and the kids helped me plant the seeds!

We made little plastic plant labels out of a used disposable plastic cup. And I had Anna write the labels:)



And there is our little Indoor Garden:)


And after 2 weeks, the plants are HUGE!!! I will try to add an updated pic... it's amazing how much they have grown:)

And most of the seeds came from packets that cost us 20 cents!! One packet was $1. And then the watermelon, pumpkin and green pepper seeds were ones we have saved from old veggies and fruits... LOL!!! So the seeds costs about $2! And the planter was like $6??? So that equals getting like 3-4 tomato plants versus 72.... LOL!!!

Now.... where to put all these veggies in the garden?? Hoping my hubby will build us some planters and we'll have veggies all over the yard... and maybe the kids will actually start eating squash... LOL!!

TinyTalk Tuesday

Yay!! It's Tuesday!! And here's what I've heard from my kids this week:)

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I was with the kids as they were watching some network cartoons Saturday AM which are sprinkled with infomericals. During our first set of commericals comes an infomerical about clogged drains and a Turbo Snake.

Of course, my son (the gadget-drawer/maker, tool-loving kid that he is) was intranced. When the commerical was explaining how to order Chris pipes up,"Hey Mom, do we have one of those hair grabbers for our sink. Then we can get the hair out, too!"

LOL!! Sounds like they convinced ONE little boy about it's value;)
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We've had a LOT of conversations about marriage lately, not sure why! But this is what we heard one morning this week:

Chris (4 yrs old): Well I want to marry Anna.
Anna (5 yrs old): Chris, I can't marry you. I'm going to marry Grandaddy.
Chris : But I want to marry you; who can I marry?
Anna: You can marry Lydia, she doesn't have anyone to marry.
Chris: Lydia, will you marry me?
Lydia (3 yrs old): hmmm, sure. I marry you.

And then at dinner:
Anna: When I get older, I'm going to marry Grandaddy.
Lydia: I gonna marry Pey.
Chris: I want to marry Mommy.
Me: Awe, Chris! But I"m married to Daddy.
Chris: That's ok, we can still be married.

Renovation Update #2

It's been awhile, here was our 1st update!! Well I've missed a LOT of steps!!! Like the insulation, moving the bathroom wall by 1 foot, drywall and then putty....

We are at the point of wiping down the walls, putting in molding and preparing to paint!!!

Here is the staircase... all enclosed!! We debated about how to enclose the stairs - rails, wall,etc! But we decided with a half-wall to keep the living room open and to still have a wall behind the couch versus rails. I look forward to seeing the molding and it painted:)



Here is Brian at the top of the stairs in the attic. To the right is the bedroom.


And here is Brian in the bedroom looking at the window;) At the bottom right you can see where they will install cabinets that will be inside the wall.


I didn't do a good job with this room.... but when you walk up the stairs you'd enter this room, we're thinking it would be more like a den. And you can see in the back are the two longer closets and then the bathroom in the middle.


This is my downstairs hall almost looking into my bedroom;) You can see where the stairs are now coming into our hallway and the old doorway is now an under-the-stairs closet. It's a smaller closet - perfect for baby stuff (bouncey seats, car seat, diapers that we can stock up on when on sale!!! ), shoes, quick storage, etc!


Again, there has been a lot done that you can't see like the duct work, and there is now heating and an air conditioner upstairs.

And there's more to be done;) I think the molding and cabinets are next and then we paint;)

I heart Faces - Dramatic B&W

This week challenge at I heart Faces is Dramatic B&W! They have stressed that this is all about editting... something I am NOT good with:) But here is my favorite B&W editted photos:)

My little girls and a sweet kiss shared between them.... such a sweet time & ages:)

34 week Update

Whoo- hoo 34 weeks and counting;)

In soo many ways this pregnancy is flying by:) But then in other ways it's going soo slow... days that we see new pics of Owen and Andrea's family enjoying their little baby:) LOL... our little man is growing and we'll be meeting him in just a couple of weeks;)

Physically I continue to do well with no extra limitations.... Like taking the kids to my parents alone!

I've been amazed at how much less back pain I've had with this pregnancy! I've always been told to NOT carry the children while pregnant because it was causing the pain, but I'm still occasionally picking them up ,when I really need to, and they are MUCH bigger!! But this time the back pain is more at night when I'm trying to sleep or if I"ve been sitting wrong, rather than the constant ache that I had with the other three pregnancies.

I've noticed new pains though and I've figured out why... LOL!! For some reason our homeschool bench and my preggo-body aren't getting along too well:) I've carried an extra cushion in with me lately and tried to stand or walk around more often (drink and potty breaks)!

I mentioned my swelling during the last update. It's gotten a little worse but it's not even close to how big my feet, ankles and legs got when I was pregnant with Anna. And flip flop weather is coming, so I'm fortunate that I can wear flip flops and not be totally out-of-season... LOL!!

Isn't it gross... sorry for the pic! My toenails are newly painted today!

At my 34 week check-up, the doctor was a little concerned about the swelling. She told me the symptoms of pre-eclampsia to be watching for... not that she's worried I have it, but that swelling is an obvious sign and my swelling is soo obvious (just wait, it's going to get a LOT worse if it's anything like my 1st pregnancy).

I've noticed that my eating has changed a bit. I'm leaning more towards smaller meals with snacks in between. I"m still really craving cheese crackers and fruit. And I've started making smoothies with frozen fruit, honey and soymilk.... it's soo refreshing for me and helps me get the calcium and proteins I'm needing at this stage.

And now onto NATE:)

Believe it or not, he's been moving more often now. He's still very gentle and it's usually just a bump or an elbow that goes across my baby belly. It's nice to have him moving a little more though and the movements are more noticeable!

At my 34 week appt, the doctor checked his position. They THINK he is head down, but his head isn't in my pelvis yet. So he's still not in the "right" spot... but making his way there.

I measured 38!! That's like 4 weeks too big. There have been other visits that I've measured a week or two more, but never 4 more. And it was a little surprising because at my last appt 2 weeks ago, I measured right on??? So all those who have said I look "BIG" or "about to pop" have a really good eye:)

While I haven't made a big deal about weight gain... the bigger measurement isn't due to weight gain, since I've only gained about 24 pounds thus far.... and most days I feel like most of it is in my feet and legs:)

The doctor wasn't really concerned, but thinks it's either the way he is laying with his back arched out.... making my belly stretched out front more. Or that he's a BIG boy!!! Yikes!! Chris was 8lbs 9 ozs... not sure I can push out a babe bigger than that, although Chris' delivery was the easiest!!

So at my next appt an ultrasound is planned. They will check to be sure his is head down AND his weight.... maybe even checking to see if I can physically birth him... oh, I hope so, after having three vaginally with no epidurals, it would be a BIG change to have a C-section! And more recovery and soo on.

So that is what is going on with Nate and I!

You Capture - A Moment

This week at You Capture is A Moment.


There are sooo many moments of my day!! I am trying soo hard to enjoy each sweet moments knowing that they are quickly passing because my kids are getting soooo grown up!



Yesterday in the car with my parents we were talking about stopping at my favorite homeschool supply store (totally didn't go b/c we had too many great moments at the zoo!!) But in the conversation I realized that I will have a 2nd grader next year..... WHEN did that happen?? And why is she soo excited about it... LOL!!!



We had a fun gospel group at our church a few weeks ago and there were some great "moments" ... just wanted to share two that I "captured" :)

I thought Lydia's attention to the group was soo sweet. Pretty good for a group to have the attention of the young and "not-so young" ... LOL!! But for me it as a moment of watching my little "baby" transforming into a young girl. And to enjoy her "wonder".



And to be "silly" the group asked the pastor (AKA... my always serious husband) to come to sing a chorus with them. No one was expecting the HAM on the stage... he's a hoot!! And I was glad for this "moment" that my husband's not-so-serious personality as able to come out!!

Enjoying each "moment"!!

Last Trip of FOUR

Since Saturday we have been "housebound" with Christopher possibly dealing with a stomach virus. As we hope that he recovers and prayed that the rest of us didn't come down with it too....

I've watched some of our final days of traveling from the house disappear.... it's just amazing that in just 2 weeks, in order to follow the midwives suggestion, I will have to stick closer to home.

So when we started to feel better and his symptons had been gone for over 24 hours, the kids and I packed our bags!

My parents live close enough that we can make visiting them a day trip or overnight trip. So on Tuesday we finished our basic schoolwork, packed, make lunch and headed out!!

On the way we realized that it ould be our last trip to see Grammie and Pey as FOUR.... next time (after I've recovered and we've adjusted to our "new" family) we'll have Brian and Nate !!

By request our first stop (after picking up Grammie) was Rita's!! My kids LOVE Ritas and its one of the only food-allergy friendly treat places we know!! Sooo glad it's the spring and they are now open near Grammie!

We let the kids pick out their own flavors and we all enjoyed our treat... hmm, sounds good right now actually...LOL!!


Then we spent time together outside at Grammies, helping with some dandelion collecting (LOL!!) and then the neighborhood park. Grammie actually took the kids and I was able to start working on a ministry opportunity for our church (can't wait to share)!! And I also got to visit my sister at work and she shared her talent with me, once again.... so awesome!

Wednesday we headed to the zoo!!! I"m not sure my kids will ever get tired of the zoo and learning new things about animals. I was just soo glad to get some walking and visiting in.

After lunch we headed home..... wish the trip ended uneventful.... but it didn't....

This "thing" that is plaguing Chris returned on the way home. He got sick after drinking apple juice???? I mean he had eaten 4-5 normal meals and then he throws up juice.... just glad I had a bucket ready (just in case) and that he made a great patient as I drove!!

So glad we got to go... because we'll stick around the house and keep to ourselves until he completely recovers, which looks promising as we put to bed a hyper little boy. And we hoping to sneak in another quick trip with Brian before this Momma is "1 hour radius"-bound :)

Wordless Wednesday - Sweet Co-Sleep

My snuggly little girl with the "super-big" baby doll!! I thought they were too cute snuggled together:)

Oh, soo miss those sweet co-sleeping moments with Bug and look forward to some snuggle time with Nate soon:)

You can find some other picture posts at Wordless Wednesday, 5 Minutes for Mom and Go Graham Go!!!

Tiny Talk Tuesday

Yay!! It's Tuesday!! And here's what I've heard from my kids this week:)

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Chris (4 yrs old): "Mommy, you gotta big 'ole tummy.... I like your big tummy, Mommy."

Me: "why?"

Chris: "Because it's got my baby brother in it."

As a preggo-momma whose been asked almost a dozen times now if I'm carrying twins... it's very comforting for those who love me most and have to see me everyday to "like my belly" and for such a great reason!!
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After giving Lydia a bath, I followed her into the room to help her get dressed more quickly. She takes off her towel and stands in the middle of the room. She says,"I,I,I,I..... I is cold!"

And of course she had the cutest little expression:) She hammed it up even more when I got the camera.

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Lydia asks to takes a picture and points the camera at my belly and says,"Say 'Cheese', whittle brother."



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Since Andrea delivered Owen, the kids have heard a few conversations about laboring and babies being born...

So Monday night as Brian was helping with baths I heard Anna ask him, "Daddy, does it hurt to push out a baby?"

Ha hahaaa, LOL!!!

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More Tiny Talk Tuesday HERE:)

Not Me! Monday.... Skating

Sometime during the Olympics, I received an email from our homeschooling group about skating!! I pondered if it was possible for us to go... late at night, me being 33 weeks preggo... so I asked Brian about going.

He hadn't been ice skating in years! But since we had been watching ice skating from the Olympics we were all soo excited!! The kids were actually EXCITED about trying this "new" thing... which I was totally excited about:)

Fast forward 3-4 weeks of talking it up and making our night skating event seem really cool so the kids would really want to try it... oh, not me!!

It's the night of skating....

I had the kids collect all their "warm" weather gear so they wouldn't get cold at the rink- hats, gloves, coats, etc! Since it would take us 45 minutes just to get to the rink, we packed the kids dinner on trays to eat in the car... yes, that was totally US (and it worked well)!

What I don't want to claim is that when we pulled into the parking lot we were all a little lot disappointed!!! It wasn't quite "ice" skating like the Olympics!!! It was a family-owned, very ancient ROLLER skating rink! How did I make such a big mistake???

But as we looked around at the other families emerging from their cars, we saw many of our homeschooling friends! So we decided to stay and try it out.... the kids have never been ROLLER skating either!!!


The task of getting skates on 3 kids and one adult.... LOL!!

Yes, we totally put our kiddies in the classic kiddie skates... they LOVED them!! They felt very confident in them and gladly "skated" MANY times around the rink:) And adorable on the kids... oh, not me!!


One of the blessings of being at a ROLLER, and not ice, skating rink was that I could walk on the rink and help the kids!! I would have never tried to walk the kids around on ICE... but it was good on the rink and everyone kept their distance from me:)
Had to remember the falls... there were plenty... but NO tears. They just got up and went again:)
Brian helping Anna once she was wearing the "real" skates!

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Lydia liked the snacks everyone brought! I showed her where the "safe" eats were and she gladly helped herself:)
In the snack bar with all three lined up on a bench having a snack, one of the homeschool moms from the Monday night Bible study approached me about how I always "have it all together" when she has seen me.....




LOL!!!! I about fell over laughing! I quickly told her that I didn't usually even look like I have "part of it together"!!! And I confessed that our van had a bag FULL of winter gear thinking we were attending an ice skating event:)

Anna really liked skating!! She did a great job for her first time and told us she wanted to come back for her birthday.... where does this kid come up with stuff like that???

Just realized how bad the ceiling looks even in the pictures! I told you THIS place was ancient.... but it was filled with other homeschooling families and they played only Christian music... so it was a great environment. The few times the kids were bumped over, there was a quick and honest apology!!

We had a GREAT time... yes, even though it wasn't quite Olympic-style:)