Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas Everyone! Hope you all have a wonderful day with friends and family and fun!

(The kids woke us up at 6:30am!! I am ready for a nap already!!!)

Six Weeks Already!

I can't belive that Anna has been in our lives for six weeks already! She is a great blessing to all of us! She is a very easy-going baby and is a great sleeper! She has been sleeping through the night for the last week...Yay!!
Becky wanted me to post this picture also because she has the little bow in her hair! How cute! Anna is also giving us little smiles and making adorable cooing sounds! She is very strong, too - When we put her on her tummy, she can life her head to 90 degrees!! (Will she follow in big brother Matthew's footsteps & crawl at 5 months??)

You say...God Says...

YOU SAY - GOD SAYS - BIBLE VERSES

It’s impossible - All things are possible - Luke 18:27
I’m too tired - I will give you rest - Matthew 11:28-30
Nobody really loves me - I love you - John 3:16 & John 3:34
I can’t go on - My grace is sufficient - II Corinthians 12:9 & Psalm 91:15
I can’t figure things out - I will direct your steps - Proverbs 3:5-6
I can’t do it - I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me - Philippians 4:13
I’m not able - I am able - II Corinthians 9:8
It’s not worth it - It will be worth it - Romans 8:28
I can’t forgive myself - I forgive you - I John 1:9 & Romans 8:1
I can’t manage - I will supply all your needs - Philippians 4:19
I’m afraid - I have not given you a spirit of fear - II Timothy 1:7
I’m always worried and frustrated - Cast all your cares on Me - I Peter 5:7
I’m not smart enough - I give you wisdom - I Corinthians 1:30
I feel all alone - I will never leave you or forsake you - Hebrews 13:5

Kids in Costumes

Just wanted to post some pics of the kids from Halloween...

She's here!!

I am finally able to sit down and update my blog!

Our baby girl, Anna Elizabeth, was born on Wednesday, October 18th at 9:01am. She weighed 10 lbs 2 oz and was 20.5" long. She is doing wonderfully and is three weeks old today! We are all adjusting to having four kids in our family. Personally, I have been dealing with headaches and making trips to the ER to figure out what is going on...They finally determined that I have pregnancy related hypertension and have prescribed medication to regulate my blood pressure...The headaches seem to be gone and I am seeing my midwife this afternoon to check my blood pressure and see if the medication is working...We started back to school this past Monday and the kids are doing well. Jake was even joining in on some of Matthew's lessons...too cute!!

Apples, Apples Everywhere!

Last week we accomplished a lot in our homeschool. Becky has completed three science quizzes and had her first test! She got a B. She has been doing weekly art projects, daily arithmetic speed drills, she had her first arithmetic test and got an A. She has been doing well with her language, reading and spelling and also has been practicing and showing improvement in her cursive writing. Matthew has a lot of enthusiasm for his school. He told me he loves homeschooling! He learned all of his vowels and the short sounds that they make. He can recognize them and the difference between Capital and little characters of each. He also is doing very well with his number recognition, counting objects and circling the correct number to show the amount, patterns and colors.

Last week we had our first trip to a new bowling alley. I organized a monthly bowling session for our homeschool group. There were about 18 kids who showed up and everyone had a great time! On their last game Matthew bowled a 73 and Becky bowled a 79! Matthew was so excited because he got two spares! Last week we also went to a local farm with our MOPS group and did some apple and pumpkin picking...The kids had so much fun! We got a bunch of Golden Delicious and Empire apples...I made a very tasty apple crisp that night with the Empire apples ~ it was so good because they were a little tart and complemented the sugary-oatmeal topping very nicely! Here are some pics for you to see...

Dan and Becky returned home from their Father-Daughter campout weekend. They had so much fun together...The did archery, rode horses, shot .22 rifles, cooked together, played games, had times of devotions and fellowship around the campfire (not to mention the banana boats that Becky said were delicious!) I am so glad that they had a great weekend together and Dan also got to meet a lot of the men from our friend's church and had fun talking and hanging out with them. I'll post pics as soon as I have time to upload them.

I also have to post pics of Baby Girl's new room ~ My mom and aunt came over this weekend and helped me put it all together! My mom even made beautiful lavendar curtains to match the valances, which have pinks, yellows and lavendars with white eyelet! It is so pretty and it looks like a new room! I also have to post pics of the new "boys room". Dan put together the new crib for Jake last week and he has been sleeping in there for the past few nights! The room really looks great...I am so happy! :)

Our Ranger Kid

At our church, we have a boys program similar to Boy Scouts called Royal Rangers. For the boys ages 5-7 they are called Ranger kids and my husband Dan is the Commander for that age group. This past weekend they had the District Pow Wow at a boy scout camp a few hours north of here. Dan and Matthew had to meet everyone at the church at 5pm on Friday and they returned yesterday around 4pm...Matthew is the only boy in his program who attended the Pow Wow. His friend Kyle is a year younger but his dad is a commander so he got to go for part of the time...They all had a great time and Dan said that Matthew was very well behaved! Here are a few pics...

Cutie Pie...

I was just going through some picture files and I realized that I forgot to post this from our Labor Day Weekend at the church picnic... Isn't he a little cutie pie??

What's Been Going On...

Well, since my last post things have been extremely busy here in our household...We have had various doctor visits - well visits, specialist follow-ups, dental exams, etc...We attended one of our HS support groups' "Not-Back-To-School-Luncheon" which was so much fun - The weather was so awesome that all of the moms decided to let everyone have the goodies portion of our afternoon outside - At the church where we meet they have a really nice sized playground and all of the kids had fun enjoying the weather and running around with their friends! On our way home from that we dropped Jake off at Dan's mom's house for a sleep over because Becky & Matthew both had some serious dental procedures the next day...Matthew is very brave and only takes a little bit of laughing gas, but Becky is a whole different story...She had to have "conscious sedation". THAT was an experience...She was totally out of it...She was flopping all around asking me if this was real or a dream...but both of them survived their treatments -

Then, the next day was the first MOPS meeting of the year at our church - I used to run this ministry there when Matthew was little, but the group stopped meeting for a few years and this is our first year starting it up again. It went so well. I am not leading it, but am a member of the steering team in the capacity of Creative Activities Director...We have a great team of ladies running this ministry together...Then the next day Becky had her 8 yr old well visit...She's 49 lbs and 48"...All is well...

I had my 34 week OB visit and all is well...EXCEPT that the hospital where we planned to deliver (which by the way has all guaranteed single rooms!) decided to drop our insurance as of 9/16 so we have to deliver at a different hospital (which is a great hospital - I had all three other kids there - just was looking forward to trying the other facility). Now I am scheduled for my C-section on Wednesday 10/18 at 12 noon! I can't wait to meet this little girl!

Here's a sidebar question...I am taking a poll to see what everyone guesses her birth weight to be - I say 9 lbs 1 oz...Keep in mind - Becky was 7lbs 12oz four weeks early, Matthew was 9 lbs 3 oz & Jake was 10 lbs 3oz...

Friday we did school and then went to my friend Jackie's to meet up with two other friends to do some bulk cooking...We each ended up with 9 different meals/entrees to put in our freezers at the whopping cost of approx. $2.75 per meal...Then Friday night I got to have a night out at my friend's house for a Pampered Chef show...Lots of fun...Saturday we did work around the house and then went out to dinner with Dan's parents...Sunday the boys had sniffles so Becky & I went to church alone...Thankfully Jake's sniffles didn't manifest into anything more because this morning I had to leave the house at 5:30am to be at the Children's Hospital for 6:00am...He had a minor surgical procedure which went on as scheduled and he was so brave! He is doing well and taking it easy this evening - I even managed to get a brief nap this afternoon...

So that is a brief recap of our life over the past two weeks...

Our New Bedroom...

I guess I have been very bad with not posting much this summer...I just realized that I put the pics of the bathroom up but never put any pics of the bedroom with the new carpet...Take a look...

Our New Bathroom...

We finally have our bathroom back!! Well, 95% - We are just waiting on a call back to set up the installation of the shower doors, but everything else is done! As a pregnant woman who gets up to pee at least two times a night now - I have to say that I am extremely thrilled that we have a bathroom in our bedroom again! Now, I don't have to stumble out our bedroom door and down the hallway anymore! Yay!! Here are some pics of the finished product...

Becky's Birthday...

I can't believe my baby girl turned 8!! Becky's birthday was this past Monday and we celebrated with a very girly tea party with a bunch of her friends...Matthew and Jake spent the day at my friend's house so we could be "just the girls". They had tea, three kinds of little sandwiches in the shape of flowers (tuna, egg salad & PB&J), macaroni salad and chips - Then each girl got to make her own bracelet, everyone brought pictures and they made a scrapbook page for Becky and then they each decorated their own picture frames...(I took a pic of Becky with each girl to send in the thank you cards that they can put into the frame)...Then we opened presents, had cake and cookies and each girl went home with their own tea cup filled with rings, bracelets, hershey kisses, etc. as a party favor...It was a great day!

Viva!

The kids went to VBS at our church all last week...The theme was Fiesta!! They had soooo much fun!! The theme was great - The music was really fun and uplifting. Every morning when I dropped them off Jake and I would sit in the sanctuary until the children were dismissed to their respective classes. He really enjoyed listening to all of the songs and clapping and he especially loved to see the puppet skit every morning!

This week Becky & Matthew are both attending Basketball Camp at our township recreation center - They are really having a good time with this, too! They both want to sign up to be on a team in the fall...We'll see...Also, they will be giving out 25 trophies at the end of the week: Matthew definitely wants to get one! Becky is afraid to get one because she said if she gets one and Matthew doesn't, then he'll be asking her all the time to keep her trophy! They crack me up!

We are getting our bedroom carpet installed tomorrow so we should have our room back together for the weekend - Yay!! Then Dan just has to put in the bathroom floor, get the plumber back in to help install the toilet and sink and then we need to get someone in to do the shower door installation...I can't wait until this is all completed...

The kids had earned free tickets to Six Flags reat Adventure through the Read to Succeed program last school year and we finally got to bring them there this past Saturday - We were supposed to go with some friends from Dan's work and their children last Thursday, but I was soooo sick! I had a 24 hour stomach thing that really knocked me out! It was horrible, plus we had to cancel on the plans...but we went Saturday and the kids really had a great time!

Sunday night we went to Dan's brother's church because our SIL Mary was singing in a choir presentation ~ She even performed a solo and I must say ~ She did very well! We were glad to be able to go and support her efforts...

We received the first pack of DVD's for Becky's homeschool program this coming year...We were checking them out yesterday ~ I was showing her how you can watch a DVD right on the computer...She is very excited and anxious to start school again...I told her maybe either next week or right after her birthday...I just need to map out the first half of the year in my teacher planner before we can start...

And finally, I have my date for my c-section ~ The baby will be born on Wednesday, October 18th!! That's only 10 weeks away!! I can't wait to meet her!! :)

Me and My Sweet Tooth...

just wanted to give a quick update on our bedroom/house project...

We now have painted walls in my bedroom and bathroom! Danny has done a great job on this project so far and I can't wait to have it all done & be back in our own bedroom (we have been sleeping in our bed in the den since April!) Anyway, as for my sweet tooth...One of my friends pointed out to me how I must love sweets or something because of the paint colors I have chosen...Milk Chocolate for the bedroom and White Truffle for the bathroom! Oh well, does sound pretty yummy to me & I do have to say - Danny did an excellent job painting those two rooms...(especially for someone who says that they hate to paint!)

We had our bedroom measured last week for the carpet I ordered...Now I am just waiting for them to schedule an installation date. After that we can move back in!! Yay!!

That's the update on that for now. I'll keep you posted - Get it, this is a post on my blog - posted...Oh well...I try.

My Newest Nephew...

I got to meet my newest nephew, Christian Jack, for the first time last weekend...He is soo cute! He is Dan's sister's fourth child and a very welcome addition to the family! He was a very good baby...He basically ate and then slept most of the afternoon in his stroller! It was a beautiful day for a picnic and we were all together to celebrate my nephew Jared's birthday (Christian's big brother)...

Seeing him in person made it all seem so real to me that in a few short months, we'll have a new precious little baby of our own to enjoy!

God bless you baby Christian!

(This adorable picture is courtesy of Uncle Jack & Aunt Mary)

She Works Hard for the Money...

Well, she works hard for NO money is more like it! [But, I do it all for LOVE!]

Today we were driving to the library and had on the local Christian radio station...It was lunchtime and people were calling in their requests for their favorite songs. One woman called in and the DJ remarked about how she must be at work because she had to pick up from a speaker phone and the woman proceeded to say that she worked at some law firm. After the quick request was made, the DJ said that she'd play it for the woman & that the song was going out to her for being a "Hard working woman".

[FYI: I was already having a bad day because the dog peed on the carpet in Jake's bedroom and I noticed it just as I was on my way out the door to go to my friend's house. I was quickly getting Jake dressed and ready for our visit and then I was ready to run out the door. Well, that's right when I stepped in it ~ That just brought me to tears!]

Then Matthew piped up from the very back seat in our van, "Mommy, do you wish you were a hard working woman?" [I almost started to cry again...] Then Becky turned around to him and said, "Matthew, she IS a hard working woman!!" [Go Becky!!] Then I told them both that ALL mommies are hard working women! :)

Have to share a funny thing...

The kids were playing on the computer this evening and had a CD on...It is called "Country Gospel". Well, Matthew really liked one song called "Daddy Sang Bass"...He kept going over to the CD player and playing it over and over...For those of you who are not familiar with the song, a part of the lyrics goes like this..."Daddy sang bass, Mama sang tenor..."

When I came into the room Matthew was very excited and in all seriousness said to me, "Mommy, I really like that song. You know, the one that goes ~ Daddy sang bass, Mama made dinner!" I tried not to crack up right then and there and I also refrained from an impromptu music lesson on the different voice ranges (it is summer vacation, you know!). Plus, he was so darn cute about it and he gets very angry if he thinks you are making fun of him.

So, like a good Mommy I told him that I liked that song, too! Then, I went into the other room & told Dan the story & we cracked up together. Then I decided to make a long overdue blog entry about it! Oh well, good night! :)

My Little Ballerina...

Just wanted to post some pics from Becky's ballet performance...

She did such a great job!!

What a Difference a Year Makes...

I can't believe how much a baby can grow up in one short year...

Jake ~ June 2005

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Jake ~ June 2006

Kids Say the Funniest Things...

We went to a homeschool picnic at the park yesterday & had a great time! The kids played & ate & played & snacked...I got to meet a new friend who brought Starbucks iced coffee treats to share - A good day was had by all. There was even a teenaged homeschool boy who was making balloon animals for the younger kids...Well, Becky thought that was the coolest thing and now wants to go & buy a bunch of balloons, a hand pump & a how-to book so she can do it, too! I told her they probably sell it at the craft store and they have been asking me to go to the craft store all day!

Here's where the funniest thing comment comes in...Becky is asking me to go to A.C. Moore...Matthew is also asking to go to, but he's asking to go to A.C. Morgue...Hmmmm....

Finally...A post!

Everytime something funny (or not so funny) happens throughout the course of my day each day - I make a mental note, "I definitely have to blog about this!"

Well, as you can see from my infrequent posts lately, obviously the "mental note" thing isn't working for me! I think I will have to actually jot down some notes on actual paper so as to remember the things I want to post about!

I did want to post about how it has been really difficult for me to get sleep around here lately...we are currently working on a project which is making repairs to our master bedroom and redoing our master bathroom...therefore my bedroom has been temporarily (well, it has been a while already) moved into our den...The dogs wake me up a couple times a week either to go out in the middle of the night or just by licking the paws, etc...some other nights I wake up because I hear Dan snoring (he has obstructive sleep apnea and is unable to wear his CPAP mask)...other nights I wake up bc one of the children is either sick or has a nightmare, etc...Well...I decided the other night that I was going to sleep in the living room at the other end of our house so I could finally get a really good nights sleep- I said goodnight to Dan, put up a gate so the dogs wouldn't roam around the house in the middle of the night & wake me up...I was set! I got all cozy under the covers & got about 1.5 hours of uniterrupted sleep...Can you believe that we had a mouse in our kitchen behind the cabinets gnawing away at something & it kept me up half of the night!!!

Well, that was my sleep deprivation story...last night I actually got good sleep until Jake woke up for some reason at 5:30AM!!

On a positive note, Becky performed in a ballet dance monday night for the Homeschool Awards Ceremony...She did a wonderful job & looked so beautiful...I'll post a pic as soon as my mom gets the pics to me (I forgot to bring our camera - I really need to delegate!!)

It's a.....

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GIRL!!!

Memorial Day 2006

I wanted to put up a quick post regarding Memorial Day. I know most of us enjoyed this "unofficial start of summer" by either going to the shore, attending a family or church picnic (or both!), maybe even went to a parade...But how many of us stopped to think that if it weren't for the members of the armed forces who paid the ultimate price many years ago (and some more recently...)We wouldn't be able to enjoy these simple freedoms, simple pleasures that we take for granted. Many people go through this life living in our great country (some even criticizing it); however, how many would be willing to lay down their lives so that others may reap the benefits of their sacrifice. Many of these men never had the chance to get married, to bounce their own child (or grandchild) on their knee, never even made it home...

I think that it is important this Memorial Day that we take the time to remember and to thank a Vet, if we have the opportunity!

The Inside Update - Part 2

Just a quick update on Baby...I had my 16 week check up last week...Everything is going very well. I feel great, just a little tired (but what mother of three children isn't tired, right?) We heard the baby's heartbeat again...I have been feeling little flutters of movement from time to time...In just a few weeks we'll be halfway finished with the pregnancy and we'll hopefully get to find out our baby's gender...If you have any guesses, thoughts, feelings on whether its a boy or a girl & you want it to go on record (ha,ha)...Leave me a comment with what you think...

We have no preference either way...Just a healthy baby, of course...But I do have a theory that I will share...When I was pregnant with Becky, I had a really easy first trimester...no getting sick...just very tired...little bouts of nausea...With both Matthew and Jake I was more nauseous and actually got sick more during both of their pregnancies...This pregnancy is very similar to that of Becky's...Hmmmm...does this mean it's another girl - OR - just a coincidence...You'll have to tune in to the next Inside Update to find out...

V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N

Long Time...No Post...Well, we were away on vacation last week - We drove 10 hours down to TN to stay in a beautiful cabin for the week in the smoky mountains. We took Dan's mom with us on our vacation this year. We had a nice time. We went to Dollywood one day and had a great time. We went on a hike in the national park where we saw a waterfall & the kids turned over rocks to look for salamanders. We also enjoyed relaxing in the hot tub on the porch of our cabin. We had some meals in the cabin (Dan made some delicious steaks & ribs on the grill) and some out in town. We enjoyed lunch one day at Bennett's B-B-Q restaurant & an awesome dinner at Huck Finn's Catfish Restaurant where they served the unlimited "vittles" aka side dishes homestyle and they includes pickles & onions, hush puppies, coleslaw, and white beans...YUM!

We also went to the NASCAR Cafe, played mini-golf (yes, it's true, Becky beat me!), won some tickets in the arcade and the kids had a blast picking out their prizes - Matthew got a Scrat stuffed animal (the creature from Ice Age 2). Jake got new sneakers and loved his new found freedom of walking everywhere!

Jake Exploring Nature around the Cabin...

The kids at the NASCAR Cafe...

Us Outside of the Cabin...What a View!
Becky, Matthew & Sylvia...

Easter Weekend Recap...

What a wonderful weekend we had! It started on Good Friday ~ We got up really early (like, I was in the shower at 5:45am early!!) to drive Dan to work so we would only have one vehicle for our plans later that day (I'll get to that in a minute). So, we dropped him off bright & early at 7am & then headed over to my brother's house, which is only a few minutes away. We all had breakfast together and then Jim had to go to work. Suzanne & I had so much fun with the kids - They baked multi-colored sugar cookies, colored Easter eggs, played outside, had pizza for lunch & then we had to leave...Had to get home so Jake could get a nap & we could let the dogs out.

Then a few hours later the kids & I piled back into the van & drove to Dan's brother's house...We all had dinner together and then met up with Dan's parents at church to watch our sister-in-law Mary in the Easter Production - She did such an awesome job - She even had a solo! She's a great singer...The show was really great and we totally enjoyed it. At the end the Pastor made an altar call for anyone who wanted to ask Jesus into their hearts and find true peace and happiness. Well, Matthew was on my lap and he raised his hand...so I asked him later, "Matthew, did you raise your hand and ask Jesus to come into your heart?" He said, "No. I just wanted the happiness!" I thought that was so cute! :)

Saturday Dan had to work some OT and the kids & I decorated our Easter cookies and then Dan came home & took Becky fishing...They had a great time and she caught three fish!

Sunday we had a relaxing morning and a nice pancake breakfast (no Sunday School that day) and then went to church...After that we went to my parents' house for Easter dinner. The kids had an egg hunt outside - The weather was so beautiful! Then we left later in the evening and went back to our church for the evening service. Whew - What a weekend...I was very tired by the time I got to bed Sunday night, but it was all worth it!

The Inside Update - Part 1

Well, I had my 12 week prenatal visit yesterday...Everything went very well. I saw my midwife, Mary...She was very happy for us! I gained 1 pound so far...We heard the baby's heartbeat...I got to feel the baby kicking on the doppler machine...It was a good visit!

Mary & I were talking about if this baby was a girl, how Dan & I would have 2 boys & two girls as she was placing the doppler device on my belly - She got the heartbeat right away & then it seems that the baby moved away...Then we found it again & that's when I got to hear the heartbeat. Mary said that maybe it is a girl & she heard us talking & was like - "Look Mommy, it's me, I'm doing cartwheels in here!" :) Either way, we'll be very blessed with a new baby boy OR girl...

Two other good points that the midwife brought up about the baby was that considering the amount of movement that was going on & the kicking action, that there most likely is no problem with regard to the spine because a baby with a problem would not be able to move around...Also, the baby's hearing is just developing at 12 weeks and since he/she moved away from the doppler right away, that's a good sign that everything is developing properly in that department...So, I felt that overall, my visit was very reassuring.

My next visit is in four weeks on May 10th...so I'll post the next "Inside Update" at that time...

What Dogs Really Think...

We are having work done on our bedroom this weekend from the water damage (see my post a few months back) so here's Dan prepping the work area...We also moved all of our bedroom furniture out into the den & Matthew's room for a little while because we will be finishing putting in our new bathroom and also getting new carpeting in our bedroom while we are at it...

This brings me to the funny thought I had last night as I was falling asleep in my bed (in the den!). Our two dogs sleep in our room with us on an old comforter every night. Well, last night, as I was going around turning off all of the lights & making sure the door was locked, etc...I walked past our now empty bedroom and saw the funniest thing! The dogs were laying on the comforter in the middle of the empty room! As I was trying to fall asleep I was imagining what the dogs were thinking. They were probably laying there thinking, "Wow! This is the life! We finally got our own room!!" :) Well, it made me chuckle thinking about it even if it's not funny to anyone else!!

Now we just have to pray for sunny weather on Saturday so the contractor can complete the work outside on the roof that they need to do, as well as the interior work...I can't wait until this is all done! Then I can go back over my crappy paint job & fix the room up totally & finally have it done for real!!

Baby Spiderman??

Just for the record...Becky is hoping for a new baby sister & Matthew, of course, is hoping for a new baby brother...

Well, when I asked Matthew what he thought we should name the new baby if it was a boy, he replied, "Spiderman", as if I should've know that that was the perfect boy name for the new baby!

Hmmmm...not sure if we'd go with that one Matthew...but thanks for the input! :)

Big Boy Hair...

Over the weekend Jake got his first haircut! He looks like such a big boy now!

Check him out...

And here are some other looks we tried out just for fun...

Dr. Mom

Well...I finally have a few minutes to blog...I have basically been Doctor Mom since last week...Matthew had a cough/cold all of last week & then Jake started with a fever & a cough on Friday. As if that wasn't bad enough, Jake woke up Friday night at 11pm, so I handed him to Danny for a minute to go get a bottle & then it happened! Jake threw up all over the place (basically all over Danny). We cleaned him up & that started many days of sickness in our house.

Jake has just started feeling better today. His fever is now gone (finally!) and he actually ate some solid foods this morning. He has a slight appetite, but we're taking it very slowly. I am still trying to catch up with all of the laundry because I had to put the regular wash on hold...Every couple of hours for a few days I had a load of soiled wash to put in...sheets, towels, Jake's clothes, my clothes...It was a very messy couple of days to say the least, not to mention I have been exhausted! Yesterday Jake slept through the night, but then woke up for the day at 4:00am! Thanks goodness for Nick at Nite & TV Land - I got to watch Who's the Boss & Little House while he was sitting with me on the couch...Every time he'd fall asleep & I'd try to put him back in his bed, he'd wake up & cry. He basically just wanted me to hold him for the last few days. He was so sick it was so sad! I am so happy to see him kind of getting back to his usual self...

Well, that's about all that has been going on here...I promise I will try not to be lame with my blog & try to post at least something every other day...

Happy Birthday Matthew...

Better late than never...

I finally made time to post about Matthew turning five. Yes, FIVE YEARS OLD! I really can't believe that time is going by so quickly. It seems just like yesterday that he was my 9 pound baby boy that I was bringing home from the hospital. Becky was the proud, new big sister helping take care of her baby brother & looking out for him - That started even in the hospital! She didn't want the nurse to take "baby matthew" out of my room to the nursery AT ALL! She cried! :)

Well, the years are passing by & here it is - His five year old birthday party...We had so much fun - He really likes rockets and outer space so we had an "Out of this World" party...complete with alien masks and flying saucers...check out a few pics...

All of the kids in the aliens masks they made...
Danny & Jake... Matthew!!
Becky & the alien punch...Yummy...

Guess What...

As you may have noticed, I've added a little ticker counter to my blog...It's to count down to my due date!! We're having another baby in October!!

We announced the big news at Matthew's birthday party this weekend. We wanted to wait until Easter to tell everyone, but we decided to just share the good news now - It's a lot of fun! My very good friend is also pregnant and due in October so we will be going through our pregnancies together! Also, my sister in law Wendy is due in June, so the two new cousins will only be four months apart...

Well, this post is short and sweet...I am waiting for the pictures from our personal photographer to be finished so I can post some pics from Matthew's "Out of This World" 5th birthday party...Aliens & all...

Am I really this old??

Here's a picture of me from yesterday...My brother John took me out to lunch to celebrate my 35th birthday (which is actually today). Then last night Danny cooked a very delicious birthday celebration dinner for me! It was awesome - Steak fajitas with green peppers & onions - YUM!

I can't believe that I'm 35 years old...I used to think that this age was sooooo old when I was younger and now that it's me here in my mid-thirties, it doesn't seem that old. I still feel like a young version of myself...Oh well, I have to go get ready for Sunday School...& the kids are telling me that there are some things I need to go unwrap ...

Have a good day! I know I will!!

weekly update...

Hello there...I've kinda been in a blogging slump...not feeling like I have many interesting stories lately...

This week all of my free time has been consumed with completing the homeschool yearbook I am in charge of...It is going very well & should be totally ocmpleted this weekend & sent out to the publishers on Monday! Yay!! I am also trying to research different curriculum options for next year...my heart keeps coming back to some of the literature based options...I think I'll probably ending up mixing & matching some different things from different companies...

Jake is an explosion of speech lately...He basically tries to say everything we say to him. It's kind of funny & very cute...I've had to start telling him "No, no" if he does something bad...Like feed his foor to the dogs! Or I'll tell him to say "No, No" to the dogs & he imitates me...even the pointing of the finger for effect...Well, yesterday the kids were all outside because the weather was so beautiful & they were asking Jake, "Are you going to get Matthew a birthday present?" & Jake would look at them plainly in the face & say "No." Then they would crack up & ask him again. If I sing "Twinkle, twinkle" to him the first two verses, then he chimes in with "Up, up, up" for "Up above..."

Becky has been watching the Food Network a lot lately & is a mini-Rachel Ray...She wants to help me everytime I cook...She tells me how to add salt to make the water boil...How great everything smells because of all of the spices I've added...She has a book that she is writing her own recipes in & says she wants to grow up and have her own cooking show...She even wants to buy the $60 knife so she can smash the garlic cloves herself...I told her down girl with the huge sharp knife...Maybe she can use a small frying pan to smash it instead...

Matthew has been an extremely good helper around the house lately...He basically did his own wash yesterday...He put all of the dirty clothes into the washing machine...When it was done he climbed onto the step stool, took out all of the wet clothes & placed them into the dryer (complete with dryer sheet & all!) I was pretty impressed. when the dryer stopped, he opened the door & put all of the dry clothes into a laundry basket. Then he asked me like ten times, "Mom, can you please fold my clothes?" When I finally did, I realized that even though he wanted his clothes to be clean & folded...he had an underlying motive...he hid a bunch of stuffed animals in the basket with the clothes & wanted me to find them all!

Becky has ballet lessons today & then a play date at her friend's house & then we'll pick her up on our way to our friend's house for dinner tonight...should be fun...they have one little boy who is 6 mo. older than Jake & cracks up at everything Matthew does...last time we went there we played a game called Cranium & had a blast! Hoping to have a rematch tonight....

All About Me...

Sorry I haven't been posting lately...I am extremely busy with trying to meet a deadline for the homeschool yearbook that I am in charge of...but, here's an e-mail that my friend sent to me...I pasted it in & put my answers so you can all see...If you want, respond with your answers or copy it & paste it into an e-mail...have fun!!!

1. What time did you get up this morning? 4:30 am (thanks a LOT Jake!)
2. Diamonds or Pearls? Diamonds
3. What was the last movie you saw in the theater? The Family Stone
4. What is your favorite TV show? ER; Law & Order: SVU; American Chopper
5. What did you have for breakfast? scrambled eggs & a homemade biscuit
6. What is your middle name? Don't Have One :(
7. What is your favorite cuisine? German
8. What foods do you dislike? liver!
9. Your favorite Potato chip? Salt & Vinegar
10. What is your favorite CD at the moment? Worship Jams (Becky plays it all day long)
11. What kind of car do you drive? Ford Windstar
12. Favorite sandwich? Tastee Sub #7 with swiss & everything +hot peppers & mayo
13. What characteristics do you despise? plastic people!
14. What are your favorite clothes? jeans & a sweater
15. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go? Europe
16. What color is your bathroom? mauve
17. Favorite brand of clothing? No real favorite..whatever I like at the moment
18. Where would you want to retire? In a log cabin on 20+ acres somewhere...
19. Favorite time of day? early morning before everyone gets up!
20. Where were you born? Edison, NJ
21. Favorite sport to watch? None...ok, ice skating...
22. Coke or Pepsi? Diet Pepsi
23. Are you a morning person or night owl? Both, thanks to becoming a mom.
24. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share with everyone? NOPE
25. What did you want to be when you were little? A vet or a ballerina
26. What is your best childhood memory? spending time with family...esp. christmas at Aunt Joyce's, visiting grandmom's house, sleeping over Sammie's house, family vacations to Wildwood...
27. What are the different jobs you have had in your life? Drug store cashier, swim club ticket person, receptionist, administrative assistant, legal secretary, medical transcriptionist, mother
28. Nicknames: Sue, Suzie (from a few select family members)
29. Number and location of piercing? 2 in each ear
30. Eye Color? green
31. Ever been to Africa? No, but I would love to
32. Ever been toilet papering? Nope!
33. Been in a car accident? Yes.
34. Favorite day of the week? Friday
35. Favorite restaurant? Fritzy's
36. Favorite flower? daisies
37. Favorite ice cream? anything double chocolate chunk or mocha-coffee-ish
38. Favorite fast food restaurant? McDonald's
39. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card? Target
40. Bedtime: 11pm-ish
41. Who are you most curious about the responses to this questionnaire? Everyone
42. Last person you went to dinner with? Danny
43. What are you listening to right now? the cars drive past my house...& my dogs crunching their kibble...
44. What is your favorite color? pink & black
45. How many tattoos do you have? None - no way - don't like pain!

Short & Sweet...

All I can say is...The garbage men hauled away 6 huge black garbage bags full of JUNK today!!!! I am so psyched!! I decided to start spring cleaning early this year...I started on Saturday~Since Danny had to go into work for some OT, I decided I'd get to work on some long overdue house projects...Becky & Matthew had slept over Jim & Suzanne's house & Jake was very cooperative (plus John came over to play with him, that helped!) so I was able to tackle some huge closet cleaning projects!

I think my motivation has been realizing that in our cable package we DO get HGTV and TLC!! All this time I thought we didn't, but WE DO!! So I've been watching many episodes of Flip This House, Clean House, Design on a Dime, This Old House, etc...

Well, this is a very quick post bc the kids are asleep & I have to get back to my projects...I can get SO much more done in a shorter period of time when they are all ASLEEP! :) I just wanted to give a quick post so you all didn't think I fell off the face of the earth or something...

Good Little Book...

We just finished up reading a good little book called The Courage of Sarah Noble written by Alice Dalgliesh. It is a true story about an eight year old girl who had a great adventure accompanying her father into the the wilds of Connecticut to cook for her father while he built a house for the family. There they slept outside and even met Indians! Sarah had to remind herself many times of the words her mother said to her when she left home..."Keep up your courage, Sarah Noble. Keep up you courage." The kids loved hearing the story (I read it to them), Becky especially...Now I have to go pick up my two other books on reserve at the library...The Matchlock Gun & Abraham Lincoln...This is part of our History using Beautiful Feet Books Primary lessons...

Valentine's Day Fun...

Yesterday I organized a Homeschool Valentine Party & we had it at my church. It was opened up to both of the groups that i belong to & we had a really nice turn out and a very fun time of fellowship! All of the children brought 30 valentines to exchange...when they got there the each started to decorate a white lunch bag which was to be their "Valentine Mailbox"...Then we had some snacks...Then they each made a Valentine Heart Wreath and we talked a little about God's love for us as evidenced in John 3:16 - "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." Then they all lined up their bags & proceeded to drop one valentine in each bag as they went down the line...It was so cute to see how excited all of the chldren were! They had a really great time...Here's a group shot of the kids & their wreaths...

A Mother's Prayer...

I am a member of the MOPS to MOM Connection and they send out e-mails to every member with articles of encouragement, as well as Prayers from a Mother's Heart...

This was in my inbox today so I thought I'd share...

Dear God,

Help my child remember Your faithfulness when the disappointments of life come his way.

Amen.

Walking In A Winter Wonderland...

We got slammed with about two feet of snow over the past day! The kids had a blast playing out there twice...Danny, well he didn't have as much fun - He spent the afternoon with a snow shovel! But, I made two different kinds of soups today for them all when they came in from the cold! I made Celebration Soup & Bacon Cheddar Corn Chowder...I have to say, they were both very tasty!

Also, a little side note...A BIG thanks to Danny for installing all of the cabinet locks today, too! Now Jake can't get into the cabinets!! Yay!!

PS: Yesterday was Danny's 36th Birthday...Can't believe we have known each other for over 20 years!!!

I Can't Believe It's Only 9:00am!

wow...I just looked at my clock and I can't believe that it's only 9:00am...I feel like it is 4:00pm!! Jake woke up early at 6am today and didn't want to hear anything about going back to sleep (that means I didn't get to have my early morning date with Billy Blanks!-aka-doing my Tae-Bo workout!) not to mention that I didn't even get the option of turning off my alarm & falling back to sleep instead of doing my workout! ok. That said...He's been wreaking havoc on my house ever since - I have cleaned up the contents of our "snack cabinet" three times already - Did I forget to mention that we really need to go buy some more cabinet locks!! (half of them are broken from when Matthew was younger!) I was trying to get some work done on the computer while Becky is doing her school work & I walk into the kitchen to see Jake sliding on two packets of instant oatneal - one under each hand, kind of skating/pushing it...If he wasn't so cute - I would be soooo mad!!! So I cleaned it up again & propped a chair in front of the cabinet...

I am also cooking a savory beef brisket with onions and sun-dried tomatoes as we speak for dinner tomorrow night - It's a recipe that tastes even better the next day & since we have the most crazy-busy schedule this week...I am trying to stay one step ahead...[I guess the smells of the brisket slow-cooking in the oven is contributing factor to me feeling like it's 4pm rather than 9am!]

I was out late Monday night at a homeschool parents meeting...Tuesday morning I had to get the kids up & leave by 8am to pick up my friend and her son to go to a MOPS meeting that is 45 min. away...We had a great time..I got home and had to prepare for the yearbook committee meeting being held at my house at 7pm...I have to say that I was so pleased with Wal*Mart's 1 hr. photo service...I had all of the pics we needed uploaded by 4:30pm yesterday & they were all ready when I picked them up at 6pm...then I sped home to make sure the house was still clean before the people got there...it was (for the most part). We had a great meeting - set up some page layouts - set the dates for the rest of our production meetings - Then everyone left, I cleaned up, made Dan's lunch, checked my e-mail & finally got to bed just before midnight...(so I was very not happy at hearing Jake awake for the day at 6am!)

Today we have HS bowling and church tonight - BEcky informed me that she is "Snack Queen" for her group and wants to bring Rice Krispie Treats - The homemade kind! (mental note - add that to the to do list!)...Tomorrow we have another yearbook meeting at 3:30pm & then our Pastor is coming over to hang out with Danny...Friday we have Becky's ballet class & possibly stopping at a friend's house to check out some of her curriculum...She is using Tapestry of Grace and loves it- I may want to look into that for next year...or maybe Sonlight...or maybe my mix of Abeka, Saxon, and Beautiful Feet that seems to be working well for us - I might want to try History for the Classical Child also...Wow - Am I glad that CHAP and ENOCH are only a few months away...I definitely need to check some stuff out at those conventions!!!

Well, as if I wasn't tired enough by living this life...I have now exhausted myself even further by re-telling the accounts of our busy schedule this week to you all! But, I had to get on here & blog a bit so you don't think I disappeared or something! Dan's birthday is this weekend so we will be doing a lot of celebrating with him - The kids are so excited - they want to make him breakfast in bed! (They are big into cooking surprises for us!!) So Danny - Act surprised when they bring it to you, okay??

Two Versions of Going to Bed

She watches over the ways of her household,

And does not eat the bread of idleness.

Her children rise up

and call her blessed;

Her husband also, and he

praises her.

(Proverbs 31:27-28)

Here's a little thing I just read called Two Versions of Going to Bed from a book called Moments for Marvelous Mothers by Robert J. Strand. I thought it was funny, but true...We can all relate to this in some way!

Mom and Dad were watching TV when Mom said, "I'm tired and it's getting late. I think I'll go to bed."

SHE went to the kitchen to make sandwiches for the next day's lunches, rinsed out the popcorn bowls, took meat out of the freezer for dinner the following evening, checked the cereal box levels, filled the sugar container, put spoons and bowls on the table and set the timer on the coffee pot for brewing the next morning.

SHE then put some wet clothes in the dryer, put a load of clothes into the washer, ironed a shirt and sewed on a losse button. She picked up the newspapers strewn on the floor, picked up the game pieces left on the table and put the telephone book back into the drawer. She watered the plants, emptied a wastebasket and hung up a towel to dry. She yawned and stretched and headed for the bedroom.

SHE stopped by the desk and wrote a note to the teacher, counted out some cash for the field trip and pulled a textbook out from hiding under the chair. She signed a birthday card for a friend, addressed and stamped the envelope and wrote a quick list for the grocery store. She put both near her purse. Mom then washed her face, put on moisturizer, brushed and flossed her teeth and trimmed her nails.

Hubby called out, "I thought you were going to bed."

"I'm on my way," she said.

SHE put some water into the dog's dish and put the cat outside, then made sure the doors were locked. She looked in on each of the kids and turned out a bedside lamp, hung up a shirt, threw some dirty socks into the hamper and had a brief conversation with the one up still doing homework. In her own room, she set the alarm, laid out clothing for the next day, straightened up the shoe rack. She added three things to her list of thiungs to do for tomorrow.

HUBBY, about that time, turned off the TV and announced to no one in particular, "I'm going to bed," and he did!

(Karen Mallory)

Jake's First Birthday Party

Here are some quick pics from Jake's Candyland First Birthday Party...I still can't believe that he's a year old already!! He got a lot of nice presents from everyone & has been enjoying playing with all of them everyday! Becky & Matthew are so good & they love to play along with him...
I made a cake to look like the Candyland game board using Starburst candies for the squares...YUM!
Here is a picture of my baby niece sitting on my couch under the giant candycanes I constructed to help decorate my living room and turn it into Peppermint Forest...

When It Rains, It Pours...

and evidently...it also LEAKS!!!
Wahhhhhhh...my poor milk chocolate walls!!!

Okay. Enough of my pity party. It's not all about me. Well, actually, I guess it IS about me, seeing that this IS MY Blog & all...

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I have a contractor who will be out here next week to assess the damage to the structural aspect behind the walls & possibly the roof...Although this is an unfortunate event, I am trying to look at the positive...Like how last night Danny said that since we'll have to be working on our bedroom because of this wall issue anyway, and since we are in desparate need of new flooring, we'll probably just redo the whole room at one time - Finish the new master bathroom project, fix the damaged wall & install a new laminate floor...Go Danny! See, there is a silver lining to every cloud!