Memorial Day outing and Today's "mishap"

Yesterday, after getting a very rare treat (after the kids woke up and went downstairs -by themselves I might add) the hubby and I slept until 10am!!  Yikes!  That made our day start later than expected, which found us stuck in traffic on the way to the Williamsburg Outlets.  We spent a couple hours there (and a little bit of money) sweating like crazy people in the 90 some degree weather.  Parking was awful, but our "treat" was some carmel corn from a vendor there.  We decided to eat out as a late lunch/early dinner thing and had a great meal at TGI Friday's.   Afterwards we were able to come home and have a little bit of time to relax from the day before sending the children off to bed. 

Today's crazy fiasco (so far) was spending a little bit of time out back playing with bubbles and the sprinkler.  I cannot see the entire yard due to the shed being in the middle of our yard, so when Julia snuck off, I thought she was playing in the water again.  Until she rounded the corner (I was blowing bubbles with Hunter) with dirt coming out of her mouth - to which I asked if she ate some and she OPENED her mouth showing a tongue COVERED in mud!  She had it on her hands and her face and I lost it.  She went straight inside to wash - got a nice spank or two and was thoroughly lectured.  She got to spend more time thinking about it in her room too.  Almost 5 years old and STILL eating dirt.  The girl can't eat a decent lunch, but she can "lunch" on the dirt in the backyard.  Real nice.  I am so grateful my son hasn't done it....yet. =)

The Little things

Blogging has been extremely difficult for me lately.  This year has been filled with emotional roller-coasters.  Not to mention the "delicate emotional state" I am currently in (read: pregnancy).  There have been challenges, disappointments, and just down right awful days.  On the upside, we have had some really beautiful, wonderful days as well.  Since there have been quite a few challenges in my life lately... I have found it difficult to be "up" about life and the things I was going through.  I feel that because I am LDS and have the gospel, I really have no excuse for not being happy and inspiring to those around me - but.... I have come to find that I need to do some reflecting on myself and that sometimes we just have challenges we have to work through before we can experience the greatest happiness.

  I keep thinking about what I titled this blog "Our Everyday Adventures" and I remember why I started this blog.  Yes, I am being bold when I say this but: ANYONE who knows my children know that there are certain personalities in my family that cause each day to be an "adventure".   This evening, I was talking with my mom on the phone and she said that it is always interesting talking to me.  ok.... not the exact wording, but, mostly to the point.  Basically, what she was getting at is that there is always something going on over here.  Problem is.... most times it is drama related or stressful and honestly not "laundry" I really want to hang out here in the blogging world.  Generally, I am a pretty outgoing person and I really try to have a life with low drama levels.  However.... Heavenly Father felt it was wise/or funny..... not sure which one yet...... to stick my personality in YW!!!  Normally, I would say - awesome opportunity, wonderful chance to feel young again!  Woohoo!  In the years since I have matured since my time in YW, the level of respect and responsibility in our youth has diminished.  I am honestly BEYOND shocked!  Maybe it is just an east coast thing, but the ways in which our youth talk to us at times are just horrific.  Cell phone use is a constant, allowing for simple yet IMPORTANT communication and "etiquette" - for lack of a better word - has been lost.  I know that respect cannot be an entirely foreign thing in most of the houses in the LDS community.  Mostly because I grew up in that generation - ok.... so maybe just AFTER that generation.  =)   Afterall, my oldest child will only be 6 this summer.   My challenge is knowing where my boundaries are.  Do I correct a youth who is speaking disrespectfully or not conducting herself properly?  Or, do I pray like there is no tomorrow that their parents will do something about it?  If I deem it necessary to correct someone, how do I do it?  In the society in which we live, it is a constant struggle to know what would be deemed appropriate in a world where our youth do as they please.  These spirits have been sent now because they were MORE valiant than us!!  Why is it that they seem to be showing less and less respect?  Are they slipping off the straight and narrow?

Anyway..... those are just some of the puzzling questions I have been mulling around in my computer network (brain).  If anyone has suggestions, please leave a comment for me!  It is challenges like these that make serving the youth difficult.  It is teaching me very quickly that when my children don't listen to me now and it bothers me.... it isn't going to end!!!  There are girls 10 years older than them who still don't respect and listen to what is being taught/spoken!  Now, not all of the YW are a challenge.   Some are easier to serve and more easily understood.  Some are almost never a problem. It is the few that ruin it for the whole at times. Isn't that so true of life as well!?  It's amazing to see the parallels in life.

There is a lot of "military activity" going on in our ward - and will continue to over the next few months.  Many families both military and non-military will be relocating in different parts of the U.S/World.  Our family may become one of them.  We will relocate as far as commands are concerned, but how far of a distance has yet to be determined.  I know I have been saying this for YEARS, but, I really hope (and pray) that we are located somewhere NEW.  More importantly than that though, I want to go somewhere that will help my husband to continue to advance to make more money for our ever-growing family AND somewhere where my children will receive the best education that they can in the most positive atmosphere possible.  We are still waiting on hearing what our options are, if they are almost the same as what has been recently released, I am afraid that we don't have many options.  Moving would also mean leaving days/weeks after I deliver this little baby girl.  For those of you wondering what life as a military wife is like - especially during a deployment - there is a WONDERFULLY touching book out (from deseret book) called "Band of Sisters" by Annette Lyon.  It is beautifully written and definitely reflects/communicates the worries and coping strategies of many military wives.  Some of what is shared in the book are ways in which I cope at times.... others are ways I have observed other women cope during deployment.  I encourage you all to read it - with tissues nearby of course.  The life of a military family is no piece of cake.

Hunter has been doing a lot of growing up lately (or so it seems).  He is trying to say more words (although none of them are completely clear) and shows that his understanding of what we are trying to communicate is becoming greater.  He loves to try on shoes.  Any shoes sitting by the door downstairs (or anywhere he can get to) are put on his feet at least once during the day.  He will walk around in them (no matter if they are his sisters or his dad's size 13's!) and smile.  He really enjoys his sandals that I got for him while I was visiting my sister in Oregon.  Since the weather has been so warm here lately, he wears them the most.  Today during sacrament meeting, he took his sandals off and was wandering around in the pew (sp?) barefoot and loving it!  At one point during the meeting, he turned around and proceeded to play peek a boo with someone sitting in the overflow (we are the back row kind of family).  He was enjoying himself so much that he started to laugh when he saw the person looking at him as he peeked up from behind the back of the pew.  For those of you who haven't heard my son's laugh, it is one of pure joy.  His laugh carries and definitely commands the attention of anyone within earshot.  Being that he his almost 2, he gets fussy and this particular game had him quite amused.  So much so that he had stopped fussing, so.... I tried to shush him so he would be a little more quiet and allowed him to continue his "game" for as long as he was interested.  He got to the point where instead of poking his whole body from out behind the back of the pew, he would only lift his head enough for his eyes to see over the top and watch the man playing the game with him.  I could almost see a foreshadowing of a really amazing game of hide-and-seek or paintball in the years to come! One of the best things about my little man is that he still cuddles.  He doesn't ALWAYS do it like he did as a baby, but, he still enjoys laying his head down on your shoulder when he is tired and giving hugs and kisses.  Mostly, I guess, he likes me.  Knowing that tickles me pink.  Minus the drawbacks of ALMOST being terrible 2, I almost have the best of both worlds (a two year old who loves me and WANTS to be cuddled and a newborn who loves me and NEEDS to be cuddled)! 

My girls have been mostly wonderful lately as well.  I really can't stand the knock-down-drag-out fights they tend to have (not sure I phrased that saying right) but once I scream loud enough for them to knock it off =)  things seem to get a little better.  When they are in better moods, it is great to see them get a long and to watch them help their brother or play with him in the playroom.  Those "good" moments may be far and few between some days, but when they happen, I can't help but be proud and amazed by the children that I have been entrusted to raise.  Life doesn't get much more humbling than that: knowing that the Lord trusted YOU enough to raise the children He has given to you (especially since we are working on our 4th child!!).  That is a LOT of responsibility.  Yes, there are days I think of giving them back and saying - FORGET IT! THIS JOB IS TOO HARD!  or - I can barely take care of the ones I have and I am having ANOTHER ONE?!   Raising three daughters is going to be no easy feat.  I know what my parents had to go through to just get rid of me.... they had two more to get rid of AFTER me and I can only imagine the headaches they have gone through.  Here's to hoping I can make it through it - and that they live long enough to experience their own "headaches".  

As I wrap up this "novel" of a post, I am going to try harder to share our "everyday adventures"  as often as possible on this blog and fulfill the reason I started this in the first place.  Stay tuned for some fun adventures!  My life is never boring!

Life

As I tried to figure out what in the world I would name this post, I decided the only thing I can name it is: life.  Why?   Pretty much because that is all me and my family have been caught up in lately.  This week was a week full of doctor appointments, (a check up for my little man, check up for me and baby, and school physical for destruco girl) shots, blood draws, and even a urine sample!  Doing all of that has helped us figure out a few things.... that little man's chin injury (he fell off the back of a children's rocking chair and busted his chin on the kitchen floor) is healing well - and may possible not make much of a scar, that the baby I am carrying is STILL a girl and doing well, and destructo girl is healthy, ready for school, and her ruptured ear drum from about a month ago is looking like it's healing.  She will still need a follow-up appointment with the doc, but I think she trusts him more now which will hopefully equal a nice pleasant appointment for next month.  Shots went as well as could be expected.  Little man was running a bit of a fever for the following couple of days, but has broken that since.  Destructo cried a bit, but I think we talked her into being a brave girl.  Not to mention that she doesn't need any more  S.H.O.T.S. until she's 10!!!  Yipee! 

Sometimes in life I get the feeling that I am going through a taffy pull.  I get stretched to the max with responsibilities and running around, then I get some breathing room.   I am hoping this week is that "breathing room".   I just tend to run faster than I am able - and that is a HUGE understatement.  I honestly find myself constantly trying to be SuperMom.   Yeah, I know.... she doesn't exist.  She truly is just a figment of EVERYONE'S imagination!!!  Yet, there is still part of me that says... but if I could just get everything organized the way that I want it, life would run smoothly.  This pregnancy has left with me with little to no energy or desire to "nest" as of yet.  I am really hoping it kicks in soon so I can get to work on a lot of my "to do's".    Some of the current health concerns with this pregnancy are best treated by "rest and lying down".  I have a yucky vericose vein in a really difficult spot to support, along with a fibroid inutero which both scream "don't be on your feet or participate in strenuous/high impact activites".  Hmmm.... last time I checked motherhood is full of just those kinds of activities!  Then other aspects (such as the keeping my weight gain low) screams exercise.  Thus, I am stuck in the middle being pulled in each direction until I pick something to do for the day.  

I recently purchased some discounted photo books for the kids (yes, I did need to put forth a little effort in order to put them together and have them ready to create) since I haven't been scrapbooking in ages.  That way there is some documentation of at least their first year of life!  Ok.... ok, it is to help make up for my laziness the past few YEARS.  The kids really like checking out pictures of themselves as they have grown up.  I am looking forward to seeing their reactions as they look through the pages of a book all about them.  It'll feel a little bit like Christmas day for me - I love watching their faces as they look at something that they really like.

Ultrasound Verdict

Our family woke super early in the morning to go to a super early ultrasound to hopefully find out the gender of our baby.  My first OB appointment (and thus my first ultrasound) was done at 15 weeks.  During that Ultrasound, we discovered that the baby's legs liked being shut tight.  Today... at my 20 week ultrasound, we found that that still is true of this baby.  After a trip to the bathroom and jumping up and down.... we finally got a LITTLE peek.  Our tech's best guess??  GIRL.  As if we didn't already have enough of those in our family!!  After horrific traffic on the way home to get #1 to school, I spent most of the rest of the day going through the girl and boy clothes that I have.  There are several other women in the ward having boys... so I figured I could loan some things out to them since I have TONS of super cute BOY clothes and slim pickins in the girl department due to loaning out most of them.  Now on to figure out if this addition will be our last until our children are grown and get married.  Not to mention... we are still searching for a girl name!!  

Strawberry Pickin!

Around these here parts, May is the month for Strawberries.  Since we have an awesome person currently helping us out with playgroup ideas, we took advantage of the day set aside to do some strawberry pickin of our own.  We showed up a little early so we could finish before little man needed his nap.  We came away with 5 or 6 lbs of strawberries!  Destructo girl mostly walked the rows and looked for friends - although to give her credit.... she was a really great bucket holder for me, little man stuck close by our side and didn't start picking berries on his own until the very end.  As you might assume from those sentences, yes..... I did most of the picking.  Unfortunately I didn't pick up enough sure-gel at the store and needed to make another trip so I could finish making jam.  By the time all was in order in the kitchen, little man had fallen and busted his chin open and needed my attention - so the last of the canning was left for the next day.  Argh... because I had to wait an extra day.....a good portion of what was left of the berries was too overripe to use.  Ugh!  I am not sure how often I will find myself canning much of anything until my little munchkins are in school.  This is about the best pictures you are going to get with this bunch.  LOL.

Easter Sunday

We had a really wonderful Easter Sunday.  Both the hubby and I spoke in church that day - I am proud to say that I learned a lot from the talk that I prepared.  I think I probably took up a little too much time and J had to cut his talk a little short.  I covered the Last Supper up until Christ's crucifixion and J took over from there.  The children did really well while we gave our talks and I am so proud of them for being good examples that day.  I hope that through what we taught them about Easter and what they heard that day (both from us and their teachers) helps them understand what happened during that historical week.  I have a testimony of our Savior.  He lives and He knows us.  He is always there to lift us up when life throws us curveballs and He LOVES us - so much so that He gave His life for us.  I am blessed to be a member of Christ's church today and to have the opportunity (sometimes it is a challenge) to be an example of Him each day. 

Easter Egg Hunt

So.... yes our church put on an Easter Egg Hunt, but we chose to try one out in town this year.  We took the kids to a field at a nearby high school and waiting around for about an hour to "start the hunt".  We got some treats from the vendors there and even got a picture with the Easter Bunny!!  The girls got quite a few eggs and little man even got a few too (Thanks Dad!)

And the Hunt is on!  These kids did a literal clean sweep right down the field!

Little man and Daddy trying to get some of the passed over eggs

Look at the LOOT!

Spring Break

After my trip to Oregon, #1 had her spring break from school.  We had some really beautiful days that week so we went to the beach with some friends one day.  It's so nice living pretty close to the beach, I think we will have to take many more visits there this Spring/Summer!! 

Where these two ended up by the time we needed to head home. 

Little Leah sporting her Swim-apparel

Ready for the waves!

As soon as we got there.... this is where she was - without a life vest, oh yes.... she marched right back and put on the vest after I called her.

My silly little girl

He finally figured it out - dig dig!!

A Vacation and a Visit

Please ignore the fact that it has been several months since I have last posted and drool over the sweet little girls I got to visit (and the pretty grown up girl too of course)! 

Last picture as a family of 4 - Baby Kaitlyn was born later that day.

My husband was the best and let me take a trip to see my dear little sister and her family in Oregon the end of March thru the very beginning of April.  I had such a great time seeing that side of the country and dipping my feet into the Pacific Ocean (both a first for me)!   I had never been further west than Utah/Idaho until this trip.  Besides the flights to Oregon being pretty bumpy and in trying not to toss my cookies during the flight (I was still experiencing morning sickness) I arrived in one piece and was VERY grateful to be on the ground again.   I saw my sweet sister who would be induced the day I flew back home if she didn't have the baby before then, and she was SUPER tiny (cutest pregnant girl EVER).  I really enjoyed my time with my nieces - they wore me out by taking me to see some of the sights and by asking me to read them books.  Whew! 

Multnomah Falls - standing in the rain!

Trip to the Coast - it was overcast that day

Proof that I have been in the Pacific Ocean

At Tillamook - the Cheese Factory!!!  We ate lunch there and Cambri was loving the place up! especially that "squeaky cheese"

Tulip Festival, only part of the field had bloomed - it was rainy that day 

Portland Temple - I got to do a session while I was there - and it's within walking distance from my sister's place (JEALOUS)

The sisters - both pregnant, only one having a baby that day

The group that came to meet me at the airport when I got home.  I missed them so much!