Road Trip

It was 5:30pm on Friday night. We were at the kids VBS celebration when Kevin brought up the idea that maybe we should drive to Arizona that very night! If you know me in the least, you know that isn't how I work. I take 2 weeks to book a flight, 4 days to pack, and a week just to clean the house out to leave. So, I was hesitant to say the least. 

I was 35 1/2 weeks pregnant and called the after hours line for my doctor. I had to talk with a different doctor who gave us permission to go, as long as we got out to stretch and move around every hour and that we were home by Thursday (my 36 week mark).

So, by 7 pm we were home from church, packing up the car, and drove away at 8pm: Destination Phoenix....

We stopped about 1am in Las Vegas, New Mexico (it's nothing like Vegas) and slept until 7am. On the road by 8am. We drove along I-40 avoiding the semi-trucks and were happy when we finally hit Flagstaff. We met up with my Mom, Grandma, and Aunt at McDonald's in Cordes Junction. Had a small break and drink and made it to Phoenix about 4pm.

It was a surprise 90th birthday party for Kevin's Grandpa and we made it shortly after it started. The kids jumped into the pool within minutes and we were so happy to be on our feet again!

We stayed only until Tuesday, but packed our time while we were there. We had breakfast with Grandma Sheryl, dinner with Granny, lots of pool time and an evening with Grandpa and Grandma Betts at Peter Piper Pizza. 

One of the highlights was when Uncle Bryan took us all to the fire department. The kids got to climb all over the trucks and even go for a ride around the neighborhood. Big Brother got to sit in the front and talk to the rest of the kids through his own headset! They came back and got to spray the fire hose. They sure think Uncle Bryan is pretty special!

So, after 2 1/2 days of fun and family, we packed up and headed home. We drove North through Arizona and stopped in Moab for the night. I felt a bit like Mary when there were no rooms available in the first few hotels we tried. We found a place and were grateful for some rest. We got home Wednesday, a day before my deadline. Surprisingly, there was a message waiting from my doctor making sure all was well. I guess she wasn't too happy with our last minute decision after all! 

Oh, well! No harm done. We're home and the boys loved our adventure and time away. I can't help but  think how God put Kevin and I together to help me grow. If it were left up to me alone, life would be structured, organized and probably boring. I'm grateful for the ways he brings adventure and excitement to our family. (I'm also grateful the baby wasn't born in a bathroom along the highway too!)

Oh, Hail NO!

We get some nasty storms here in the summers. A couple of weeks back we were hit hard by 3 hail storms in one night. We woke up all night long listening to the pounding hail. I was shocked we didn't have broken windows. The next morning, we woke up to this aftermath....

The kids had fun playing and digging in the hail piles and we had piles of leaves. The flowers and trees were looking so nice, but now are pretty pitiful.

For baby updates, my neighbors put together a little baby shower at a local breakfast place. We left the kiddos and enjoyed a couple hours of good food and good conversation. I feel honored to have such great friends and neighbors.

(One friend had to leave early. I am sad I missed her photo, but here we are after all the yummy pancakes and such!) I was 34 weeks along in this photo.

I am feeling great. I am 35 weeks now and though I get tired, not too much to complain of yet! We actually hiked 3 miles this weekend, including a good mile of climbing. Despite a few contractions, all went well! The biggest complaint I have is my swollen left ankle. It's at least double the size of the right and I swear I've gained 3 pounds from just the swelling in there!

We are still working on Baby's room, but getting closer. The big boys are settling into their new shared room (still need to get a photo on here). Every job has created more jobs, so we are busy organizing and cleaning and purging stuff! Kevin has been home a lot more with his job winding down and it's been nice to be all together hanging out and working hard this summer.

T-Ball

Little Brother has watched his Big Brother play baseball, football, and basketball for his whole life. He's watched him have fun and mostly win trophies. Finally, it is his turn to earn a trophy!

We signed him up for t-ball this summer and this morning was his first game. He was nervous and not sure what to expect, but as you can see from the evidence below it turned out to be a great morning for 4 year old t-ball!

They play 3 innings and no outs. Every kid gets to bat and they switch positions in the field. Today he played short stop, pitcher and 1st base. He loved 1st base and actually stopped a few balls that came his way. I think he makes a pretty cute baseball player!

At one point he came over to his Big Brother and asked, "Are you jealous?" That made the crowd crack up. He also took the liberty of sliding into Home plate just for the fun of it. 

I think we're in for a fun season!

What Happened in May?

Well, hello June!

Since Easter, we had visitors. My dad and his wife Jackie visited for a long weekend. He did a lot of chores around here since Kevin was in Brazil for 2 full weeks!

Someone lost a tooth (pulled it out all by himself!)

Someone had a birthday (35- yikes!) and decided this shirt really isn't that flattering of that belly! (29 weeks)

I finished off May with a Girls' Weekend in Breckenridge with my sister. It was a birthday gift from my husband and a very fun and relaxing time away. We hadn't been away the two of us since we lived at home! We rented movies, shopped, and laughed a ton!

(This was at 31 weeks along.)

(Views from our room at Marriott Mountain Valley Lodge in Breckenridge)

On our last day, headed back into reality! It was just the break I needed before the last few weeks before baby are here! So grateful to my husband for the gift and for my sister for coming out with me!

Easter Recap

Easter was pretty low key around here this year. We dyed eggs- but this year I found the "boy-est" egg kit I could find. It was motorcycles and tattoos. Little Brother enjoyed putting on stickers while Big Brother was so intrigued by the shrink wrappers. They both enjoyed writing secret messages with white crayons before dying the eggs and having the message appear on the egg! We woke up to the traditional Easter Basket and egg hunt. There was more "boy" stuff going on there- water guns, tennis rackets and baseballs were the highlights. Not to mention the breakfast of chocolate bunnies and jelly beans.

Then, we headed to the Easter service for our church. It meets outdoors each Easter and this (which I am ashamed to admit) was the first time the boys have been to an Easter service with our church. In many of the past years we've had snow or rain, so we never braved the outdoor service. This year weather was amazing and the boys are older and easier. I was so glad we went. There's something amazing about being outside celebrating the resurrection of Christ on Easter Morning. 

Then, we headed to brunch and back home for some yard work! Around dinner time, our fire alarms started blaring. Kevin ran to the store to get batteries. We replaced them all only to have the alarms ring every 5 minutes. We're not just talking one at a time- all of them together- without being silenced for a few minutes. We'd get a little breather and wham they'd start again. We tried pulling some out and without fail they'd go off again. Finally, I called the fire department for advice. The lady said she would send the engine out. I told her we just wanted advice not the engine. However, about 10 minutes later the fire engine comes barreling through the neighborhood, lights flashing and parks out front. Neighbors were all coming out, concerned and wondering what was happening. While Kevin dealt with the firemen, I went out and took a photo of the neighborhood kids in front of the truck. They finally figured out which alarms were faulty and were on their way. Although a bit over the top, it sure added to the excitement on our street this Easter!

Baby Update, Vegas, and More

Being forever behind on the things I have to do and leaving no time for the things I want to do? I hope this isn't my new normal. Ever since I got pregnant I rarely pick up the camera. If I do, the pictures just sit there until I (rarely) get a second wind once the boys are in bed. Then, I download them. Every so often, I actually edit them and even fewer make it to the blog these days!

Today is just one of those days when I got the second wind and a few minutes of quiet to post a quick update.

On Leap Day (Feb 29) we found out we are going to be the proud parents of Baby BOY #3! We had a full room and a grouchy ultrasound tech, so there weren't any photos of the moment. However, I still want to remember the day. Kevin, my mom, and the boys were all there. We were so excited to find out whether this was Littlest Brother or Little Sister. The grouchy tech didn't even make it fun and just passed over it like it was a kidney! In fact, the boys didn't even hear her, so I had to repeat it. That's when Little Brother exclaimed, "It's like all my wishes have come true!" I didn't even know he was hoping so strongly for a Littler Brother!

Everything checked out well- he's growing well, got all the parts, and has a cute profile and feet!

The next day, Kevin and I headed to Las Vegas for a little getaway. My mom graciously stayed with the boys, spoiled them, tired them out and loved on them for 4 days, while we whooped it up in Vegas (as much as you can when you are 5 months pregnant!) And, just like I explained in the intro to this blog, I didn't take pictures of our trip. Kevin took one on his iPhone of me and an old teaching buddy I was able to reconnect with. So, here's my 5 month belly shot in front of Caesar's Palace!

Vegas was a fun time. We stayed at the Cosmopolitan. Ate at some great places: Hash House A Go Go (mmmm!), Cabo Wabo Cantina, Earl of Sandwich, Taqueira Canonita, and much more! Eating was somewhat of a hobby for us! We saw the Cirque du Soleil "O" show. It was absolutely amazing: every act got better and more amazing. Those people are seriously talented! We even sat just a few rows behind Owen Wilson and his date. My kids were rather impressed since they love the Cars Movies! Had some nice weather to lay out by the pool. I'm glad there were no cameras for that!!! I also gambled for the first time ever. We made $2 at the Roulette table after an hour. Then, Kevin talked me into trying BlackJack. I was terrified. I started with $60 and made $65 in less than 15 minutes. I had amazing luck, getting 20 and 21 on almost every hand. I figured my luck would run out soon and the rude drunk guys blowing smoke at me was enough- so I walked away with my winnings. Kevin says I didn't play BlackJack. He says they paid me to sit at the table. Nonetheless, it was fun!

And for the last update: I'm now a little over 24 weeks pregnant. Tonight the boys came down with pillows in their shirts pretending to have babies in there. It was a good reminder that I have very few belly photos so far, so we got out the camera to document the growth! The baby is kicking a lot. Most nights when I read to the boys he really gets crazy. The boys love to feel him kick and I think it makes it a little more real to them. They like to come up with names for him too. Let's just say I hope they let their future wives name their children some day!

As for me, I am feeling really good at this point. I am working hard to "recollect" all the baby gear I got rid of this summer. I have been hitting up Craigslist, Goodwill, and garage sales like crazy. It's fun to see what kind of bargains I can find. I have also finally succumbed to wearing maternity clothes. I had it in my crazy mind that I could just get away with my own stuff for the whole 9 months! I made it 6 months, but now I am opting for the comfy stuff! (Who was I kidding anyways?!)

Ben Franklin

Big Brother's class just finished a very long unit and project on Famous American's. He was assigned Benjamin Franklin. He had to fill out a research paper, make a poster, write a report, make a timeline in technology, and participate in a Museum Day at the school. Yesterday was the Museum Day. Parents and friends crowded the gym to be a part of their special day. The students had to stand in costume by their poster (like a wax statue) and when someone pushed a button they made, the students would "come to life" and present their report. It was a big project and big learning opportunity and a lot of fun for him.

At home before school. The suit and pants were from Goodwill. The "wig" was an idea from internet-land - we glued cotton balls to an old had. The glasses were borrowed from a neighbor friend.

Standing with his poster. He took the day very seriously and made us push his button to come to life for the photos!

Little Brother was off school and went with us. He always has to ham it up for the camera! Here's a shot of my belly- I'm 23 weeks as of yesterday....

Sunday Suit

Last Sunday was Daddy's birthday and we started our day at church. Big Brother has a project going on at school which includes dressing up like Benjamin Franklin. We've been slowly gathering items for this costume from Goodwill and friends. We were rather surprised when he came out of his room wearing his Sunday Suit, complete with a non-matching shirt and clip on tie. We tried not to chuckle, told him how nice he looked and headed out the door. However, that's when we all realized he has no shoes other than Sketchers and Crocs. So, Sketchers it was! He got so many compliments from his Sunday School teachers. I think he was feeling pretty proud of his outfit that day!

(The first photo includes glasses for his costume. Those were not worn to church. Don't you love how Little Brother has to be a part of everything around here? I love how Big Brother is trying to keep him out of the photo, but still smile for me!)

After church, we got a quick lunch and ate a picnic outside and did a little shopping at the outlet stores. Despite it being Daddy's birthday, only the boys' scored some new pants on that trip. Isn't that the way it is once you become a parent? We headed home and the boys were excited to finally decorate the cake they'd been planning for quite some time ---  a Lego Ninja Birthday cake- just what every 38 year old wants!

Introducing Baby #3

The real reason my blog has been neglected since November is due to this little surprise.....

This was an ultrasound 10 weeks ago. I am now 18 weeks and counting. So, this little one has grown. Let's' be honest, I've grown too. I haven't been courageous enough to get any tummy pics. But, I don't think this belly will be getting much smaller any time soon! As you can see on the picture, my due date is July 19, but who's counting?

Funny story, I was at the gym working out last week (I try to go a few times a week just because I can this time. My pregnancies with the boys were much more complicated.) I was laying flat on one of those skinny little benches, when I realized I wouldn't be able to get up very graciously. So, I dropped my weights, and grunted my way up, while telling my friend, "I had better move to the inclined bench from now on." Some random guy next to me blurts out, "It's called working on your core. It would help you get up easier." To which I replied, "It's called being 5 months pregnant. I have no core left...." He stammered his way through a very lame apology and shut up. It was quite amazing that he would have the gall to say something like that to someone. My friend and I got a good laugh out of that!

We find out the sex in less than 2 weeks. Can't wait. I'm kind of a planner. If you know me at all, you probably knew that. So, considering this was a surprise addition to our family, I can't wait to find out boy or girl. At least it will help me to have some sort of picture of what our newly extended family will look like! 

It's not just my blog that's neglected. It's my house, my friends, my laundry, my everything else! I have just enough energy to buy some groceries, sometimes make meals, and take care of my boys. Outside of that, not much else is happening! First trimester, I was crazy nauseous most of the time and super tired. Luckily, the nausea is intermittent now, but the exhaustion is still there. I've just had to let go of my normal expectations of what I can do and accept what I do get done. 

So, now you know why it's past Valentine's Day and I still haven't uploaded my Christmas photos. 

A "Cousins" Christmas: Part 2

After we spent a few days in our home, we headed up to the mountains for some skiing, snow, and sledding! We stayed at the Snow Mountain Ranch, YMCA camp near Granby, CO. We had a cabin with 4 rooms and got cozy all together! Staying at a YMCA camp was awesome with kids. They had a gym where you could rent roller skates, tricycles, and balls to play basketball, pool, foos ball and ping pong. There was an indoor heated pool (though we only got to use it for 20 minutes because of bad timing). And, there was sledding galore!

This was our cabin. Notice Little Brother's facial expression. This is what happens when he doesn't get enough sleep. Precious, isn't it?

The first full day up there, the adults went skiing with the three of the kids. I stayed back with Little Brother and his sweet little cousin. Big Brother has skied a few times and was so excited to have his cousins learn for the first time. I wasn't there, but I heard that there were some good times and some not so good times throughout the day of learning!

Before and during skiing!

On our last day, we did a couple of hours of sledding. The snow was not that great at this point in the season, but it was good enough to send us all flying down the hill! It was a long trek back up each and every time. The littlest ones usually got pulled up, but the oldest 3 were on their own!

The last run of the day, the kids wanted to be tethered together down the hill. They had a blast!

It was a great time, and as you can see from the photo above, we had a lot of fun and a lot of noise and energy leading up to Christmas. The cousins went home the day before Christmas Eve, but we were able to do a small Christmas celebration together. We felt blessed to have their family visit with us for the holidays this year.