Bathtime

It seems like just yesterday we were celebrating Colin being big enough to go in the big tub with big brother.

But time keeps moving at a ridiculously fast pace and guess who got to join his big bubbas in the
tub tonight...The result was a splashin' success! All three loved it and we had a soaking wet floor to prove it.

Its a hard life...

Its a hard life, but Evan leads it so well. You gotta grab a nap where you can get it somedays!

Redsfest and Downtown Festivities

What a fun evening! Exhausting as is any outing with our family right now, but fun nonetheless! We were given free tickets to Redsfest and decided to go late and enjoy Cincy's Christmas downtown celebrations too. We loved it although we agree Redsfest will be more fun for our crew once everyone is a little older. BTW, if you think you might have problems keeping track of your children, dressing them all in red and putting them in a packed area where EVERYTHING is red is not such a good idea...Probably our favorite part, driving the pedal cars.Is this kid a stud or what??EJ was such a trooper the whole night, so thankful he's an easygoing squirt;-)A little late night running in the snow.And after the snow strip down to get ready for bed!! Such a good evening and much needed quality family time event together. Thankful for my family - as crazy as we all might be:-)

Thanksgiving - check!

Wow, its been a crazy busy, but oh so good November! We started the month off seeing our favorite niece Caroline. She fits in perfectly with my boys (read: very active and has opinions on how the show should run:-) Already looking forward to our week together this summer.

And then we celebrated Thanksgiving with my extended relatives this past weekend. Oh. my. goodness. My aunts know how to cook!! Dumplings, deep fried turkey, cheese ball made especially for me!, too many casseroles to name, and of course we must start out the day with Krispy Kreme donuts. I am glad I live 5 hours away, or I would seriously need some bigger jeans. I already do after just one day with them, but it was worth it!

Its always a special time for me to visit because it brings back some of my favorite memories from my childhood of playing with cousins at my grandparents house. My grandparents have passed on but my uncle now has the home. Its so special to see my kids look forward to going and playing with my cousins children. They disappeared for hours playing tag, and hide and go seek. I'm usually a "hoverer" and checking to make sure they are playing appropriately, but I remember my parents being hands off while I was at grandma's and thought my boy's deserve that experience too.

It was an extra special trip this time because we got to visit Uncle Fred's farm. My boys begged the whole week beforehand if we could go. How could I deny them? It turned into a whole family affair with the wagon ride and feeding of the chickens and pigs. In a few years we'll have to make plans to come to the annual hog killing. But I'm not sure they are quite ready for that yet:-)Knee deep in leaves - does it get any better?

A little hard to see, but that's pure joy on Colin's face:-)
The wagon ride where Uncle Fred made sure to find all the ditches!
How do you make three boys smile for the camera? Make them say chicken. Yeah, I don't get it, but apparently anything chicken is the funniest thing ever right now for my boys... Yeah, hmm, not much to say about that. But isn't that the most perfect farm house in the background?Checking out the chickens in the coop. Already looking forward to my cage free/range free eggs I scored from the visit. Quiche anyone?

Happy Thanksgiving! Thankful to be done with our travelling for the holiday and looking forward to celebrating the big day with our KY friends (family). Love to all and safe travels!!

Under the Sea

We've had fun dressing up the kids for Halloween events. By the time the holiday actually rolls around, I'm always DONE with all the dressing up and definitely DONE with all the candy that I can't seem to keep my hands out of this year. But its fun, all the kids enjoy their outfits this year. I bought the older two on Nov. 1 last year, so I have been preparing them all year of what their costume will be. I figure its the last year where I get to choose, so I lived it up;-)Whoa, I'm scared of this shark. Aren't you?;-)I've already had conversations in my head with my future daughter in laws about these pictures. I'll pull out the pictures. They'll gush and say. "They are so cute" "Great costumes." Wait, you say that's odd that I'm having conversations with women who possibly aren't even born? Um yeah, I'll make sure to add that to the prayer list at small group tomorrow night;-) I'm sure there's no way that I'm having unrealistic expectations. Never. No way. Well, okay probably;-)

Life

I'm going to warn you from the beginning, its been an interesting week, I am on some serious muscle relaxers and I'm not sure how coherent my thoughts will be, so please forgive my rambling thoughts.
On Tuesday evening, I was rear ended and the collision sent me into the car in front of me. I basically took two substantial hits. Immediately, it was obvious there was a huge blessing. I did not have any of my kids with me. I can't tell you how rare it is to not have any of my kids in the van. Isn't God good? He protected my children from this wreck!! Another praise, the person who hit me has insurance and admitted fault. Basically, I will be reimbursed for my van and medical apptmts from the wreck. Wow again - huge blessings!

Here's the downside: my van will never be worth what it was, it was a 2008 with only 35K miles and paid off. It probably sustained over 10K worth of damage. A vehicle with that much damage will never be worth as much. Bummer. At first, I thought I didn't really get hurt. But things are slowly beginning to show up. I have some substantial weakness in my right arm/hand and from my neck to my hips is a constant, dull ache. With all that said the Scripture that God has laid on my heart is Ecc 7:14, “In the day of prosperity be happy, but in the day of adversity consider: God has made the one as well as the other…” Regardless of what happens down the road, whether good or bad, it doesn't change God, he is always loving and always good. This is a concept I'm still trying to grasp, but find so much comfort in.

So here is some fun stuff. I was diagnosed with Graves Disease in 2004. I learned then that there are some serious limitations to Western medicine. Basically, the disease is when your body gets confused and attacks your thyroid like its a foreign invader. This causes the thyroid to overproduce hormone. The result was my heart rate that was normally in the 60 beats per minute raced into the 100 beats per minute, severe, severe anxiety, and constant shaking. 24/7 I felt like I had drank 20 Mountain Dews and the worst paranoia that something seriously wrong was going to happen. To slow down my heart and help with anxiety, they placed me on beta blockers. While the beta blockers did slow down my heart, they also made me feel seriously drugged and like a had the flu for 7 months straight. Basically, the Dr's didn't have much to offer me and the side effects of the medication were necessary.

After that, I have become much more interested in holistic medication and now with my physical complaints I am taking a much more holistic approach. I had my first acupuncture treatment today. They also did cupping. Check out this pict:
It doesn't hurt and they place fire in a glass cup (think Mason Jar) and quick flip onto my back creating a suction. The suction causes blood flow to increase to the damaged areas. The acupuncture was cool too. She placed one needle in my pinkie and I immediately felt it in my face. She explained how the meridian is all connected. Cool stuff. Although, this may not heal me 100%, I am so much more supportive of it than typical medicine. I went to my normal Dr. yesterday who informed me that I hadn't broken any bones. Gee, thanks, couldn't have told her that already;-) and prescribed some serious muscle relaxers with a list of side effects a mile long. So now because of the muscle relaxers I have some serious stomach issues and insomnia, which is why this blog is being updated at 4:30 am. The holistic stuff does not cause any negative side effects (except for the temporary discoloration of my skin as in the photo above). But yet, insurance won't accept it but is so willing to pay for medicine that can cause so much other injury. Craziness!!

In closing, many of you have prayed for me and offered to help me this week. I greatly appreciate all you have done for me and am so blessed to have loved ones so willing to serve me in a time of need. I can't tell you how much I appreciate that!

Proud Mommy Moment

Sometimes God just swoops in and blesses you when you are not looking for it and definitely when you don't expect it. My church called this afternoon and needed someone to help sell books at our counseling training. My table was for my FAVORITE author Elyse Fitzpatrick who was also speaking tonight. Kurt graciously agreed to watch the kids and off I went. Her daughter Jessica was there and I got to spend hours just hanging out and finding out about a new parenting book that she and her Mom have written coming out in May - can't wait!!

I took Evan for an hour so Kurt could get the yard mowed. After mowing the yard, Kurt comes in to pick up Evan and brings the older two. Kurt gets all 3 boys and heads out and stops to talk to a friend. I notice that Grant leaves his side and heads back to me. I get ready to correct him and tell him to go back to Kurt. He beats me to the punch, and picks up Elyse's book, Comforts from the Cross (awesome devotional!!!) and says, "Look Mommy, its your Bible!" Elyse was standing at the table and heard the whole thing. She beams at the compliment, and I beam that my baby inadvertently pleased Elyse by his compliment. God is so cool, isn't he?:-)

Enjoying Fall

Not much to say right now, things are going well and we are enjoying an Indian summer. Thought I would post some pics of my favorite guys:-)Grant's major accomplishment for the week and I'm so proud of him! Kurt and I had many "discussions" about whether we should encourage climbing in our trees. Kurt thinks its a right of passage for our boys and I think it looks like an ER trip waiting to happen. But Kurt was so right, and I have been amazed at how much Grant as loved learning to climb our trees. He will work on it for hours a day. I have to admit, when I realized how much time he spent doing this, I really warmed up to the idea;-)

Colin had the most hilarious conversation with Grammy the other day. He sat in the chair and chatted her up for like 10 minutes. He's not even 3 and sometimes he just seems like a little ol' man. But then other times, like when I don't put his cereal in the right colored bowl, he seems EXACTLY two. Oh well, you take the good with the bad, right:-)?Kurt and EJ are becoming quite the big buddies these days. Here's a funny story, okay probably only to Kurt and I... Notice the large knot above Kurt's eye? He was born with it. It is fluid filled and somedays is bigger and somedays is smaller. People that have known Kurt for years, will suddenly realize it one day and be like, "dude, what happened to your head?" Anyway, when we were dating Kurt was playing basketball and ran into a wall. The impact drained the fluid and the knot was gone for years!!! Its now back and in full force. Kurt and I joke that he's the only one that can run into a wall and LOSE a knot instead of gaining one. Isn't that funny? Okay, maybe not but we do have a good laugh about it now and then;-)

Here's a new swingin' sport the kids have invented in the backyard:


And finally, solids have been introduced to Evan. And the result? I'll let you be the judge...Success! He loves it!!:-)

Cindersniffers

We spent a great morning at one of the best kept secrets in the Tri-State area. Cindersniffers is located close to Perfect North Slopes and train enthusiasts open it up to the public once a month to come and enjoy what you can tell is their beloved hobby. And the best part - its free! The crowds are always surprisingly small, today there were maybe 15 other people besides us there. Its fun for everyone in our family, even Evan got to take a ride on the trains!Who wouldn't love a ride in a caboose?

We loved this train, real cinders actually blew back on you during the ride.

Here is the website for more picts, schedule and directions: http://www.cindersniffers.org/index.html

Is it just me?

Or does Colin seem to fit better in the Bumbo better now,
than he did then. Love that little chunker;-)

Ch Ch Changes...

I've been a little weepy this week. Does it seem like your kids ever make giant leaps of growing up? Things are pretty status quo and suddenly they just seem so much older? While I know its to be expected, sometimes it just happens too quickly for my taste.

Take Evan, it feels like just yesterday we were bringing him home from the hospital. And today? I had to get the exersaucer out. And he loved it. Squeals and hopping up and down in his seat. Like thanks Mom, it was pretty boring being laid down on my back when you couldn't hold me.
And then there's Grant. I honestly think Grant has made the most dramatic change in the past month. He just seems so much older. Yesterday, throughout the course of the day we worked our way through a 40 page Level 1 beginning reader book. Less than two weeks ago he would grow impatient figuring out a simple sentence. And may I add, English is a ridiculous language to learn. You don't realize how many simple words don't follow the rules until you are trying to teach a new reader. For instance, go, has a long o. But in the case of to, the o sounds more like oo. Right now, Tad from Leapfrog is my best friend. When I get tongue tied trying to explain the different cases, Grant will stop and go get his Leapfrog Tag books and say, I think this example of whatever sounds we are working on is in this book. Sure enough, he touches the tag pen to the right example and it teaches him in 2 seconds what I had been trying to explain for 5 minutes. Here he is showing off his latest symmetrical design. Two weeks ago his designs were more like 4 blocks stacked together to make a garage to park his Hotwheels in.

And Colin is quickly losing any semblance of being a toddler and is ready to rock the preschool world. Here he is singing his latest rendition of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. He always adds his own little touch to the lyrics;-)


And one last change, is the changing of seasons. Friends invited us over to enjoy their awesome community pool one last time before pools are closed until next year. I'll leave you with some pics of our enjoyable evening.

Hangin' with the Boys Summer '10

Wow, I'm a Mom of 3 boys. All those boys in the above photo are mine... Sometimes, I just have to stand back and take it all in. Don't get me wrong, the first two months were a HUGE challenge for me. I really felt like I was in over my head almost everyday. I spent everyday on my knees saying God, I know you'll get me through this, but honestly I don't know how. And you know what? Everyday He was so good to my whole family. Grandparents spent extra time with us this summer, the boys got used to staying home more than going out and now prefer spending quiet days at home, I learned how much I had been relying on my own strength, and Kurt and I grew closer together as we learned how to be better helpmates for one another. While challenging at times, it was also sooo good to be humbled and truly rely on Christ. Things have settled down into more of a rhythm and I am so thankful for my beautiful, crazy family. Calm we are not, but everyday has more than its share of love and joy in it.

Not that we didn't work in some fun around all the craziness a new babe brings.We decided to upgrade our swing set after two of my boys got on our old one and the thing was moving - big time! I knew as my boys grew, it would not support them all for long. My neighbor kids had just outgrown their playset so it was working out perfectly to update with the one above until.... This playset had set in their yard for over 7 years and literally the night before we were going to move it, a 16 foot branch fell on it and broke several key pieces of the set. We just had to stand back and laugh at the timing. We went ahead and moved it and ordered replacement pieces. Ordering replacement parts during peak season took quite awhile, but finally after a month we were ready to go. It was worth the wait - the boys LOVE it and all 3 will be able to play on it for years to come!It has room for friends too, if you are looking for a playdate give us a call, we would love to have you!!

We enjoyed the "veggies" of our labor from our garden. It was our first year and we were thrilled with all the produce. Anybody need grape or Big Boy tomatoes? We have more than enough to share.I got to spend the day with my beautiful IL cousins in Louisville as my wonderful husband volunteered to take care of all 3 boys by himself so I could go. We range in age from 34 to 17, but when we are all together the talking and laughing are nonstop!My oldest turned 5!! And Transformers are now his World. I never dreamed I would know so much about Autobots and Decepticons. He also quizzes me on the Transformer cartoons I watched when I was little (I had an older brother). He's turned into such a great big brother and we are proud of who he is becoming and look forward to seeing him continue to mature.And the boys had their first campout on Friday night - and it was a complete success. We thought for sure they would end up inside by morning time. But both boys loved it and are looking forward to the church Father/Son campout in a few weeks. Grant even slept in until almost 9 am!And how is the newest babe? So sweet and easygoing - thank goodness! Everyday he is becoming more aware and loves to smile and coo - especially at his brothers. He is a good sleeper and seems to always have been part of our family. We are blessed to be the crazy party of five!

Due Date

It seems a little surreal that Evan wasn't scheduled to make his appearance until Monday, May 24. It seems like he has been part of our family forever and we are so thankful for the extra 10 days we have had with him!

He has been a pretty laid back baby so far. He is my first to not have to go for extra checks for jaundice. He is still sleeping a lot and is great at night, just waking up to feed and then going right back to sleep. I am praying this continues as he starts to wake up more. When he is awake he does preferred to be held vs sitting in a swing or bouncy seat. I think he still likes the warmth from a human touch.

His brothers are in love with him completely. Grant has turned into a great helper and has rescued us from many diaperless moments. Colin loves to kiss on the baby and try to make him laugh. My prayer for them is to become great friends with one another. We are still dealing with some typical acting out from them both as we transition to a house of 5 but we are already seeing some great adjustments being made by them.The boys in their customized big brother shirts. Evan had one too but by the time I got to take pictures he had already made a mess of it with a diaper change. Ahh, the joys and realities of life with a newborn:-)

And onto the fun stuff - the birth story!! I am usually the type of Mom who is ready to get the show on the road and have the baby but this time was different. I was scheduled for induction on May 17 and was content to wait it out and have everything in its place. On Thurs, May 13 it was a humid night and we got the baby pool out for the kiddos along with a neighbor. Our cul de sac was filled with preschoolers hopping in out of baby pools and running back and forth between houses. It was a great night just to hang out and chat and started feeling my first contractions around 5:30ish. They weren't painful and didn't mention anything until we got the kids down for bed. Thankfully between the heat, water, and running around both kids were down and out by 7 pm.The boys that evening, having no idea they would meet their baby brother the next day!

After putting the kids down, Kurt came downstairs and said he wanted to mow since they were asleep so early. Still not sure this was it, I asked him to wait so we could time the contractions. Sure enough they were 12 minutes apart but not painful at all. We decide we needed to get people in place in case this was the real deal. I called my dear friend Sarah and let her know she may need to spend the night. She agrees and is so good to also bring her 5 year old with her and they have a slumber party at my house.

Its 9ish, Sarah is here and we pack the car to head to the hospital. The contractions are not at all painful and suddenly I realized I haven't had one for about 30 minutes. Yikes. What to do now??? After much prayer and finally having another contraction we decide to go ahead and head in.One last pregnancy shot at 38 weeks and 3 days before we leave for the hospital.

When I arrive, I am already at 4-5 cm and 80% effaced, progress from my earlier check on Tues that week. So although the contractions aren't painful they must be working. The hospital agrees to keep me - what a relief. Its 10 pm and I give my Mom a call saying this is the real deal but that it is most likely going to go slowly and to plan to drive over in the morning (she lives 200 miles away) but not to expect to hear from me for awhile.

We walk the halls for an hour. Felt good to get some exercise in and work off some adrenaline. Still NOT painful at midnight. So, here is where the fun begins, I get into the birthing tub. Oh my, if you can you MUST labor in the birthing tub. It is wonderful (as wonderful as anything in labor can be anyway)!!!! I get in at midnight and start the first painful contractions close to 1 am. I feel them for about 15 minutes and decide maybe I should get an epidural (I have gone natural for my first two but wasn't against trying the epidural this time). The nurse wants to check me before the epidural and I agree. In less than 30 minutes I was at 7-8cm and 100% effaced - transition baby!!!! So instead of doing the epidural we opt to break my water and 19 (PAINFUL) minutes later my beautiful son Evan arrives at 2:19 -sunny side up. It was a beautiful labor - each one seems to get better than the last and since it happened so quickly it was hard to believe that I was DONE with labor. I call my Mom who is shocked to hear I already had the baby:-) I had a great experience with my midwives (Seven Hills) and Mercy Anderson. In case anyone is looking for a good midwife practice, I can't say enough how much I like/love this practice.Proud Daddy and Mommy taking our new son home!!