Lindsay's Simple Life

34 Years

2012-01-31T14:31:00.003-06:00

What not to do on your 34th birthday:
Do not drink a venti latte with an extra shot of espresso (thanks Starbucks for the free drink) and then work out for the first time in 6 months. 3 things will happen.
1. You will pee your pants (especially if you've birthed 4 children)
2. You will feel like throwing up and passing out at the same time.
3. You will feel very OLD.

I'm feeling very reflective today and hope to be back later with some much deeper thoughts.

Out of the Mouths of Babes

2011-10-19T10:25:00.002-05:00

The scene: Kids building Legos. Brennan working on an semi-truck and Charlotte asking him a million questions.

Brennan: "Mom, isn't that right? You don't have to hold the steering wheel when you're driving at night and you need a nap or something?"

Me: "No way, you always have to hold the steering wheel. You don't ever sleep while driving."

Brennan: "Well why do semi-trucks have beds in the cab?"

Glad we got that one straightened out!

Just Because

2011-10-16T16:58:00.004-05:00

What do you do when you've inadvertently taken a 6 week blogging break and you're not sure how to come back?

You post of a picture of your 19 (!) month old eating an apple. Margo's favorite food right now is an apple. She insists on eating it whole, skin and all. She takes it over to the fireplace hearth, climbs up, sits and proceeds to eat the entire thing. Literally. The other day I caught her too late and she had already consumed most of the seeds.

1st Day of School, Take 2

2011-09-02T09:59:00.004-05:00

I'm not done with the back to school posts yet! Not to be outdone by her big brothers, Charlotte had her 1st day of preschool yesterday. She's going to The Giving Tree 3 afternoons a week. It's the same preschool Calvin went to so she's very familiar. She always went with us to drop off and pick up Calvin so the teachers already know her. She was so excited about having Ms. Kathy and Ms. Donna.

In an exuberant act of 4 year old independence she did NOT want to have her picture taken. This sweet girl can sure stand her ground!

Margo didn't mind having her picture taken!

I stole a shot at a stoplight on the way to school.

I also stole one during "circle time". Despite the very serious look on her face she was very excited for school. This may be her reaction to Ms. Kathy's "singing" :)

Charlotte seems so much older than the boys did when they started preschool. The differences in boys and girls astound me. When the boys went to preschool my highest hopes were that they would learn to sit in a circle and listen. But with Charlotte I think she might even learn letters and numbers! She will love the learning, the creating and the time with friends. As a third child, I'm really excited for her to experience her "own" thing.

1st Day of School

2011-08-31T12:59:00.005-05:00

I know you'd think after a 2 month blog hiatus that I'd come back with some sort of wrap up of the summer. But nope, I'm jumping right to the first day of school. I'll do some summer catch up eventually, but today I'm feeling awfully proud of my boys on their first day of school.

Aren't they handsome?

We changed schools this year. It was a big decision. As in BIG decision. Maybe the hardest we've had to make so far in this parenting journey. I think it took us the better part of 6 months to come to this decision. But we're very happy, and the boys are too.

They did so great this morning! They were both a little nervous, but neither cried (I'll revisit this topic of crying in a moment). They were both just very quiet. Even though they are the "new kids" in school, they both know several kids in their class so that helps a ton. Oh and when there are only 8 or 11 other kids in your class it's definitely easier to get to know people! This won't be the first time you hear me singing the praises of small class sizes.

This is Calvin's first year of all day school (1st grade). Here he is getting fist bumps from daddy.

So yeah, the crying. I did a lot of it once I left the parking lot. Man I love those boys. I take on every feeling they could possibly be experiencing and probably a few they're not. It's so hard to put them into the hands of someone else for 7 hours a day. A great friend came over to stay with our sleeping girls so that Tyler and I could take the boys to school without looking like a circus. Afterwards we went to Munchers because, well, there's not much a chocolate croissant can't fix.

Do you see that group of people in the background of the picture above? There were about 15 of them and not one looked to be under 75 years old. I'm sure they were looking at us wondering what we were doing and why I was crying. But I looked at them and thought, in no time at all I'll be there. Sitting with my friends drinking coffee, children grown. Part of that seems like a myth, sometimes I don't believe my children will ever leave the house. I'm looking forward to those years but wanting to milk the years I'm in for all they're worth.

I'm incredibly grateful today. Grateful that God has paved a way for us to change schools and grateful that He, ultimately, holds my children in His hands. Grateful for healthy, growing kids who bring me to the cross daily. And grateful for a wonderful husband to walk this road with.

Happy Father's Day...

2011-06-19T14:31:00.004-05:00

...to my daddy. I have so much in my life to be thankful for. You're definitely at the top of that list. I'm beyond blessed to have you as my daddy.
Unfortunately it seems we don't have very many recent pictures together (we'll fix this next week). But I found several of you and your grandkids. Which is fitting because you're also an amazing PaPa.
Thanks, Daddy, for everything and once again I'm sorry for all the eye rolling.

(Papa Jim and Margo)

(Papa with grandkids)

(reading to Brennan)

(With me and a little Calvin)

(with Grandma and Margo)

I love you daddy!

An Ode to My Children's Daddy

2011-06-19T14:13:00.006-05:00

Tyler,

It stinks that you have to be gone on Father's Day! But we're celebrating you today and we'll celebrate more when you get home. Our kids have no idea how blessed they are to have you, but I do. You are an amazing father. I'd be completely sunk without you in this parenting gig.

You make "runny" eggs for breakfast, you mow the lawn with "helpers" even though it takes twice as long, you pick the boys up from school, you know their schedules (almost) as well as I do, you read books in funny voices but best of all you point them to Christ. Again and again and again. For that I am so very thankful.

I asked all the kiddos some questions about daddy today. Here are their answers, unedited.

What is your favorite thing about your dad?
Brennan: his hair
Calvin: he's funny
Charlotte: I like his shirt
margo: dadadada

What is your favorite thing to do with your dad?
Brennan: go to the driving range
Calvin: go to the driging range
Charlotte: play games
Margo: babababa

How old is your dad?
Brennan: 34
Calvin: 24
Charlotte: 8 25 30
Margo: mamamamama

What is your favorite thing that your dad does for you?
Brennan: takes us to the gas station for special drinks
Calvin: he says 'yes' when I want to play games
Charlotte: makes cookies and plays house
margo: dadadada

What is your dads favorite food?
Brennan: fish
Calvin: pasta
Charlotte: lasagna
Margo: babababa

What does your dad like to do when he's by himself?
Brennan: read a book
Calvin: work on the computer
Charlotte: play games by himself
Margo: mamamamama

If you could say anything to dad right now, what would you say?
Brennan: hi dad
Calvin: how was your trip?
Charlotte: hi
Margo: dadadadada

If daddy was here for Father's Day what would you do for him?
Brennan: make him a card, wish him happy father's day and make him lunch
Calvin: give him 1 coin, $2, 1 nickel, 5 cents
Charlotte: make him a craft
Margo: babababab

What does your dad do for you that is special to you?
Brennan: he takes me to the church with him
Calvin: reads the bible to me
Charlotte: he makes me breakfast
Margo: mamamamama

Below is a picture of you with each of our children. They may seem random, but they're not. They are all moments that tell what a great dad you are. You'll remember the settings, I'll stop shy of telling the world about the moments.

(Daddy and Brennan)

(daddy with Calvin)

(daddy with Charlotte)

(daddy with Margo, her expression here is by no means a reflection of you)

Happy Father's Day to the best of the best!

The Weekend

2011-05-23T14:00:00.008-05:00

I keep putting off writing about my weekend at the Pioneer Woman's Lodge because I'm having a hard time putting it into words (sign #1 that I'm not a very good blogger). Not because it was extravagant or mind blowing, but because it was so relaxing and homey.

The lodge is gorgeous. Ree's pictures on her blog are way better than mine! It's spacious, simple, rustic and very welcoming. The best part is the view. I know I'm a Kansas girl at heart when I see a view like this and find it more beautiful than mountains or oceans.

Ree made us dinner on Friday night. She and Marlboro Man (Ladd) and their kids brought the food up to the lodge and ate with us. We had beef tenderloin, garlic mashed potatoes, burgundy mushrooms (recipe in her cookbook), caesar salad, bread and for dessert Knock You Naked Brownies.

(Ree and her daughters in the kitchen)

(Ladd slicing the tenderloin)

(The cute couple)

(The mushrooms were AMAZING. But to show you how much butter is in them, here's what they looked like several hours later once they had come to room temperature!)

On Saturday we were spoiled rotten with massages, manicures and pedicures. We didn't even have to go anywhere, two women came out to the lodge and set up shop. We literally lounged around all day taking turns doing these things. Between treatments we would just sit and talk.

We were with such a fun group of people! I talked so much and laughed so hard my cheeks were aching on Sunday evening.

(Me and my sister Kellie)

(Clay and April - they took care of us all weekend)

(Ann and Heide)

(open your eyes, April!)

I've been asked many times this week "so what's she like?". Well, here's the deal. She's completely normal. No diva attitude, no scene stealing personality, and no third eye. She's just like she seems on her blog. She's kind and funny, very easy to talk to, laid back and incredibly generous. You get the feeling that she really is just a wife and a mom who does this whole blog/book thing on the side. Honestly it feels funny to write about her here, but I know you're going to ask {grin}.

Sneak Peak

2011-05-16T13:40:00.002-05:00

It was a wonderful weekend! But you're going to have to wait on stories and pictures until I have safely re-entered life around here. Check out Ree's blog today for pictures of the skeet shooting we did. Yup, I shot guns with Ree.

(Ellen, Lou, Heidi, Ree, April, Me, Kellie, Ann)

So here's the BIG news....

2011-05-09T15:45:00.006-05:00

So, you know the woman that wrote this cookbook (that I use over and over again)...

The one who makes amazing recipes like this one (and has taught me so much about cooking)...

The one who lives on a cattle ranch and takes amazing pictures like this one?

Well, I'm going to go hang out with her this weekend. That's right, 3 days at The Pioneer Woman's lodge. Can you believe it? I know, either can I. It feels a bit like a dream. I'm going with 7 other really neat people. Honestly as excited as I am about meeting her and seeing for my very own eyes all the things I've read about for years now, I'm also just as excited about a relaxing weekend in a beautiful place with fun people. Oh and really good food!

Yup, this is the kitchen I'll be hanging out in. I think I'll ask Ree if she wouldn't mind if I just took that sink home with me. She seems like such a nice person. I'm sure she'll say yes. And see that little bit of orange in the bottom corner there? I'm sure when she sees what a fun person I am she'll want to throw that little le creuset piece in with the sink.

I'll come back with lots of pictures and stories! Of course they'll be lame pictures compared to hers and boring stories compared to hers {grin}.

Easter

2011-05-06T14:51:00.004-05:00

We had a wonderful Easter celebration. A celebration of our resurrected Christ. He is risen. He is risen indeed!
After worship in our church we went out to Grandma Janet and Papa Skips house.

One of the most exciting things we got to do (besides celebrate a risen Savior, of course :)) was meet our newest niece/cousin Piper! Tyler's "little" sister Marie and her husband Brian had their first baby just 2 days before Christmas. Brian is in the Navy and they are stationed in Kingsville, Tx. Because it's so stinkin' far away we hadn't been able to meet Piper yet. But we loved on her plenty over Easter weekend.

Margo loves to hang out at the sliding glass doors and watch the big kids outside. It's cute and makes for funny pictures.

Hope you had a wonderful Easter!

May Birthdays

2011-05-06T14:21:00.005-05:00

Brennan and Charlotte were born exactly 4 years and 1 day apart. And that one extra day almost didn't happen. But thankfully my doctor agreed it was okay for me to be pregnant a few more hours. So the first weekend in May is always a crazy one around here. We make a big deal out of our kids on their birthdays but we don't make a big deal out of the parties. Does that make sense? It's just how we do things. I'm thankful that both Brennan and Charlotte are still okay doing a joint birthday party. We try to make their actual day special for each of them. But as long as I can get a way with a joint party, I will!

So we went to the park and invited our family and friends from our small group at church. These are the people we share life with, so whether of not they have kids the same ages as our kids, it just seems right to share our joys with them. These are the people who we want to be the most influential in our kids lives!

Enjoy the pictures:

(all the kids)

(Brennan 8 years old)

(Charlotte 4 years old)

(totally into the whole "make a funny face" picture thing)

(Aunt Lisa seems to be holding court here. I wonder what story she was telling?)

(Margo enjoying cake)

(Char on her actual day)

(The gift Brennan wanted the most? Shoes.)

(When you think food coloring is from the devil {grin} you have to get creative with cake decorating)

Wacky

2011-05-05T16:48:00.003-05:00

Things have been a little wacky around here lately. This picture pretty much sums it up.

Stay tuned for lots of updates. We had a wonderful Easter with family and celebrated 2 birthdays in a weeks time. Brennan turned 8 and Charlotte turned 4. I also have a really big announcement to make :)

What A Day

2011-04-21T13:39:00.003-05:00

I've often said that the devil prowls around my house on Sunday mornings.

Since my husband works in a church Sundays are a "work day". He leaves early in the morning usually before anyone else is awake. It's my job to get all the kids (and myself) fed and dressed and out the door by 9:10am. This isn't that big of deal. *Unless* the devil is prowling around your home.

If it's going to go wrong, it goes wrong on Sunday mornings.

Proof:

Last Sunday we were actually doing really well getting out the door. I had laid clothes out the day before (Saturday: the day of preparation). Everyone was happy with effortless cereal for breakfast. Nobody fought me on the clothes selection (albeit, my standards have fallen drastically). And I was having a pretty good hair day. We were heading out the door by 5 after 9. Woohoo! Did I mention I teach Sunday School? I can *not* be late. There's a rather large group of squirmy 2nd graders (and their parents) relying on me.

Out the door we go. I go to the side of the van where Margo sits, open the door, buckle her in, and put my purse on the floor of the van. *My purse contains my keys and my phone.* I shut the door and walk to the other side of the van.

Meanwhile, Brennan and Charlotte are playing on the driveway and Calvin is trying to open the sliding door on his side of the van. He's having trouble opening it and assuming it is locked he opens the drivers side door and hits the unlock button. But he actually hits the *lock* button. Before I can stop him he slams the door shut. I swear it happened in slow motion. Him slamming the door, me saying "Nooooooooo!!!".

So, if you're still reading, my keys, my phone and Margo are all locked in the car.

I should also mention that we have no home phone. Only cell phones. Only cell phones that are now locked in vans.

Tyler has the only other set of keys. Now would be a good time to tell you that Tyler leads the worship music on Sundays for our church. Because he doesn't want his phone to accidentally ring while leading music he leaves it in his office.

So I instruct the "free" children to sing songs to the "trapped" child while I go neighbor to neighbor looking for a phone to borrow. Apparently many of my neighbors go to church or sleep very soundly because I had to knock on quite a few doors to find someone home.

But I found a phone to borrow. Am I the only one who no longer has a single phone number memorized? Seriously. I can recite 4 of my best friends numbers from grade school, but that is it. Well, that's a bit of a lie. I have Tyler's number and my sister's memorized, but that's it! I left several panicked messages on Tyler's phone and then decided to call my sister. My bro-in-law deserves an award for the number of times he's saved the day for me (always on Sundays!!). He drove up to the church, got the keys and brought them to us.

Singing songs to Margo on the opposite side of the glass worked for awhile. But after about 30 minutes I'm pretty sure she thought we were crazy. And maybe a little mean for not unbuckling her and getting her out when she started crying. The whole thing lasted about 45 minutes. Poor thing. We really tested her laid back personality. Turns out she has about 30 minutes before she gets really mad.

One more thing. I see now I was thinking in panic-mode, but at one point I thought I would just try pulling REALLY hard on the door handle. I don't advise this. I pulled so hard that I pulled it off. Which sent me flying into the trash cans behind me. Remember that good hair day I was having? Not so much anymore. However, this move alone has made my kids look at me in a whole new light. Once at church they didn't tell anyone about Margo getting locked in the car. But they did tell everyone "My mom pulled so hard she broke the door handle!!!"

One Year Pictures

2011-04-13T18:34:00.005-05:00

Our friend and photographer Kiana did it again.

I'm in love with these pictures of our sweet baby girl.

(when I read that sentence above it sounded like Kiana was our friend and OUR photographer. But I do kind of feel like we have our own personal photographer and I love it!)

Dream Vacation

2011-04-11T16:03:00.005-05:00

Yes it's true. I got to go to Mexico. With this guy.

And these friends. The guys (Tyler, Rob and Chris) were all in a band together called The Pool Boys. The 6 of us lived in a bus together and ran a business for many years. We know each other VERY well. And we love them dearly.
We are now spread across 3 states (KS, TN, NE) and we don't see each other near enough.

The guys decided recently to sell some equipment that they'd been holding onto. And what do you do when you sell stuff that belonged to a band that is no longer together? You take the money and run...to Mexico!

It was everything we had hoped it would be. Relaxing, relaxing and more relaxing.

We tried very hard to not move for the majority of the day. We'd pick our place by the pool or on the beach and then stay put for hours. When you chase children all day long in real life, vacations should be about being STILL.

The time with friends was wonderful. We talked for hours and laughed HARD! It's easy to laugh hard when you're reminiscing about spending your newlywed years sleeping in a bus about 14 inches from each other ;)

I missed my kids terribly, but it was so great to have Tyler all to myself for a week. Of course I love this guy, but I also LIKE him a lot. We had so much fun together. We finished lots of sentences while looking at each others faces. Both are uncommon in our home these days.

The tan has pretty much faded, life has resumed its normal pace and no one is bringing me a margarita in the middle of the afternoon. Was it all a dream?

One Year Ago

2011-03-11T11:01:00.001-06:00

One year ago we watched the first half of the KU basketball team on the way to their 2000th win, then headed into the hospital at halftime. Seven hours later Margo Mae arrived. Our fourth baby, our second, sweet baby girl.

One year ago I was doing this...

And then we were doing this...

And then there was plenty of this...

And finally there was this...

I can't imagine our family without you Margo Mae. You're the cherry on top. Happy 1st birthday!

She's One!!

2011-03-11T07:00:00.001-06:00

She's one! I can hardly believe it. It seems like just yesterday I was smelling her fresh newborn skin. She still smells pretty sweet though. At one year she is crawling, laughing, eating great, grabbing at everything, and sleeping like there's not 3 other loud children in the house. We think she's pretty amazing.

Miss Margo is a pip squeak compared to our other children. She weighs only 19 pounds which is 7 pounds less than Calvin weighed at the same age! She is in the 50th percentile for her height and 20th percentile for her weight. I've never had a child go under 80% in height or weight. She's writing her own book folks!

Some fun facts about Margo:
* She loves to look under things. She'll crawl around the house and tip her head down so she can look at the bottom of the coffee table, under the kitchen cabinet ledges, under the beds.
* She loves to be outside! She has started crawling to the front door when the other kids go outside.
* She tries her hardest to crawl under my desk and turn off the blinking red light on my power strip.
* She loves her brothers and sister! The boys argue over who gets to get her out of her bed. They all know how to entertain her. Calvin is especially good at getting her to stop fussing.
* She is very social. Loves to be around people and doesn't mind lots going on around her. The more the merrier for Margo.
* Anytime she hears music she responds with dancing. Well, it's more of an abdominal pulsing move, but we call it dancing.

Happy birthday Margo Mae.
You are one loved little girl.

Exactly 1 year ago today....

2011-03-09T12:33:00.001-06:00

DIY Haircut

2011-02-28T20:52:00.004-06:00

The other day I was telling a friend that none of my children had ever tried to cut their own hair. You know, that quintessential childhood act. Well I'm eating my words now.

On Friday Charlotte came up from the basement with "bangs".

She did a relatively good job, it could have been much worse. But the bangs only went halfway across her forehead. So we fixed them up.

Now my 3 year old looks like a 12 year old. Sigh.

DOULA

2011-02-15T20:33:00.004-06:00

So this topic may be the reason I've been a terrible blogger lately :)

I've begun a new journey and I'm very excited about this! It's something I've wanted to do for about 4 years now but the timing was never right. But over the last 6 weeks the Lord has made it abundantly clear that now is the time. I won't go into details here, but it's been one of those decisions in life that God has made so plainly obvious it's comical.

I'm going to be a doula. Doula is a greek word that means female servant. Or more commonly, today, a doula is a trained labor support person. A doula provides constant support during labor and birth. The idea of a doula is nothing new. Women have been helping women give birth for centuries. It is something that has been lost in recent years which, I think, is very sad.

So why would someone want a doula? There has been lots of research done on doulas in the last 15 years and the results are pretty amazing. Here's an example:

The most comprehensive study was done in 1991. Researchers found that when a doula was present there was a:

50% reduction in cesarean rates
25% reduction in length of labor
40% reduction in the use of forceps
40% reduction in the use of pitocin
30% reduction in the need for pain medication
60% reduction in requests for epidural anesthesia
Kennel, et al, JAMA, May 1, 1991, Vol. 265, No. 17.
Additional studies have corroborated these findings.

There is another study that shows women are 35% less likely to rate their birth experience as negative with the use of a doula. That is the biggest reason I'm doing this. I think the birth of your children should be a profoundly joyful experience. It saddens me that for some women it is a negative experience. I want to change that!

I'm blessed to be partnering with a woman who has been a doula in town for more than 7 years. She has laid a great foundation for doulas in this town and has fostered wonderful relationships with hospitals and doctors. I'm so grateful for that! There is no way this momma of 4 could do this type of job on my own :)
You can go **HERE** to learn more about our business.

Cute Obstacles

2011-02-12T14:03:00.002-06:00

It's really amazing I haven't broken an ankle while fixing dinner. This is my typical obstacle course in the kitchen:

I really love my kitchen. Some might find it small, but I think it's perfect for cooking. You know how they talk about the kitchen "triangle" your fridge, stove and sink make? Well my "triangle" is nice and close and makes cooking a breeze. The only thing hindering my moving about in the kitchen are all the things happening at my feet!

Help?!?!

2011-02-07T15:57:00.004-06:00

I read that we're supposed to get more snow tomorrow. Ugggg. If there's another snow day for the schools I'll be using some well placed, choice words for my feelings on that.

Here's a picture of what happened with the latest 8 inches of snow we had.

(The boys and a couple neighborhood kids)

Isn't this cute? Some super fun friends gave us a snowman kit for Christmas. It included the top hat, scarf, carrot nose, corn cob pipe, and coal for eyes and buttons. It also had hot chocolate and marshmallows for post-building! Such a good idea for a gift.

I'm in a major blogging slump right now. I think it's because I have too much to write about! I have too many posts circling in my head and I can't seem to get them out.

Here are some posts I want to write:

* I had a great birthday and the kids got me some really funny gifts

* Do you know what a doula is? That is my new part time job! I'm now a trained Labor Support Professional.

* Margo is on the move and lots of other things that signify she's growing up :(

So what should I write about first? Is there something entirely different you'd like to read? (man, this sounds so narcissistic, but I think we've already figured that out about blogs.) Maybe what I need is a little push from you. So I give you permission, give me a nice big shove! Please.

Snow Days

2011-01-13T13:37:00.007-06:00

We FINALLY got some snow!

So much in fact that school was cancelled! Yeah for snow days! The boys were thrilled and I was happy to have them home. Until I had helped them into/out of their snow clothes no less than 25 times. Then I was happy to send them back to school.

We stayed in our jammies and ate breakfast while watching cartoons. We played in the snow, made snow ice cream (a big hit!), went sledding with cousins, and made snow tunnels.

Charlotte declared the snow "too cold!" and opted to stay inside and play peek-a-boo with Margo and a fleece blanket. Do you know what happens when you play peek-a-boo with a fleece blanket? STATIC!!!

Christmas 2010

2010-12-31T10:39:00.006-06:00

I'm still in the process of digging out of that post-Christmas slump. Today is our last, lazy day at home, the boys head back to school tomorrow (!). Looking back over the past 4 weeks makes me smile. It really was a wonderful Christmas. The kids are growing up, of course physically, but also spiritually. It's neat to see them beginning to grasp the true meaning of Christmas. Of course, at 32 years old I'm still trying to do the same thing.

Here are a handful of pictures from the past 3 weeks. I don't take nearly enough pictures!

Cute Christmas kids

Every year we host a Christmas party for Tyler's volunteer army. It's about 15-20 college and post college kids and it's always a fun night.

This was hands-down the best White Elephant gift I've ever seen. A genetically modified fish that glows under a black light!

This was Christmas round 1 at Aunt Lisa's house. We celebrated the weekend before Christmas with Grandma Janet and Papa Skip and the Clements/Hibbard side of the family.

A picture of the moms who are (almost) never in front of the camera.

Charlotte and Addison having so much fun playing with Aunt Lisa's jewelry!

Sadly this is the only picture I have of Christmas round 2 at Grandpa Walt and Grandma Deb's house. Unfortunelty this is when the stomach flu began to make its way around. Here is everyone decorating cookies.

Here's the traditional end of the hallway picture of the kids before racing down to the living room. Because both Tyler and I's parents are divorced and remarried we celebrate Christmas with lots of people. We love it and it's wonderful. But, beginning Christmas Eve through Christmas noon it's just the 6 of us and I love it.

Once again this is the only picture I have of Christmas day with my side of the family. Here is Gigi (my momma) with all 10 of her grandkids. 5 boys and 5 girls.

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. I'm closing the book on 2010 and ready for a new year. Next up...Happy New Year!

Still Here

2010-12-30T09:58:00.002-06:00

The post-Christmas slump. That's what I'm calling it. Do you know what I mean? The house looks extremely "lived in", there are piles of gifts and instruction manuals in every corner, the kids are under slept and over sugared, and motivation in somewhere just out of my reach.

I love having the boys home from school. I really do. I love the lazy days and no schedule and the ability to stay in jammies all day if we want. But, it makes it really hard to do anything productive!

I'll be back soon with some pictures of Christmas. And then on to the NEW YEAR!

Today

2010-12-16T14:22:00.004-06:00

Right now my kitchen counter is covered with dozens of sugar cookies. Half still awaiting a cover of icing. My coffee is hot, the babies are sleeping and I'm sitting down with tears in my eyes to write this. I am so moved in this moment by an amazing soundtrack to my afternoon. Actually, it's not the music it's the truth it contains, the true meaning of Christmas.

I'm thinking about Mary's labor of love in that stable.

What must it have been like on the cold ground of that stable?

What does it feel like when the baby in your womb is the maker of the moon?

I'm thinking about the redemptive plan for my life (and yours too).

I'm worshiping my deliverer who came to earth as a baby, yet he was God!

I'm listening to Andrew Peterson's album Behold The Lamb Of God.

Do yourself a favor and go HERE to buy this CD or download it. If you can't afford the whole thing or don't know that you'll like it, go to iTunes, search Andrew Peterson and download just one song, Labor Of Love. And then worship the One that came as a baby to be our deliverer.

(side note: do you do a Jesse Tree? In need of a lesson on the lineage of Christ? The song Matthew's Begats will help with both.)

Merry Christmas.

Facebook Fun

2010-12-08T21:23:00.004-06:00

I thought this was a fun application to use on Facebook. You can make a collage using many of your status updates from 2010. It was fun to look back at everything I'd written. Not to mention a funny and fairly accurate look at our year.

(note to self: in 2011 do a better job of editing your status updates)

(click to enlarge)

What Can You Do One Handed?

2010-12-02T14:27:00.004-06:00

I stumbled upon this picture in our photo library yesterday and it made me laugh out loud! You know how when you have a new baby in your house you learn how to do all sorts of things with just one hand? One arm cradling a baby and the other arm going about its normal life.

Well when we've had newborns in our house Tyler and I play a little game called "What Can You Do One Handed?" It's a friendly competition that may or may not have had us trying some really stupid things one handed.

So here's Tyler making coffee one evening with Margo. Note, he also had to grind to beans.

This was a particularly good one, although there are plenty that I don't have pictures of. Have you ever typed a research paper one handed? Opened a bottle of wine? Taken out the trash? Blow-dried your hair? Or how about gone to the bathroom one handed?

Rather Random Ramblings

2010-11-30T13:17:00.004-06:00

Here's a hodgepodge post if I've ever seen one.

* Upon leaving the house this morning for school Brennan turned around in the driveway and said "make sure and tell Margo I love her when she wakes up." I died. Right there. In the doorway. In my jammies.

* Recently I've had a horrible time waking up in the mornings. HORRIBLE TIME. Ideally, I like to get up 45 minutes before the kids start moving in the mornings. Let's just say my snooze button has been getting a lot of action lately. This morning my alarm was playing Tender Tennessee Christmas by Amy Grant (love this song). I turned the volume down so that Amy wasn't screaming at me and thought surely this will get me out of bed. And then promptly fell back asleep.

* We had a really wonderful Thanksgiving. How was yours? We had a full 4 days of celebrating and eating. We are beyond blessed and are so thankful for the many gifts in our lives.

* On Sunday we decorated our home for Christmas. When I was young decorating our house for Christmas was one of my very favorite days. Oh how I loved the transformation and the anticipation of Christmas. So it is such a joy to watch my kids love this day as well. They can barely contain their excitement. So I let them decorate the tree all by themselves and then once they're in bed, promptly go and rearrange all the ornaments {grin}.

*After we were done decorating Tyler set the timer on the camera and we took a family picture in front of the tree.

Are you kidding me? Every single eye is on the camera, everyone is smiling. It's a Christmas miracle! Too bad we're at the end of a long day, in mis-matched clothes, no makeup and dirty socks. Oh well, to be certain, this is life right now.

*So now it's your turn. Share a random thought from your day in the comment section!

Random Photos

2010-11-23T14:45:00.003-06:00

The other night, after dinner, we let the boys take a few pictures with our camera.

Actually, here's the truth...

We had finished eating dinner. Tyler and I were trying to have a conversation and the kids were being too rowdy. So instead of finding a suitable activity for them, ahem, we said "sure, play with the camera". Does this ever happen in your house?

Here's what came of it.

Nope, I'm not eating Margo, just yawning.

"Hey Dad, do something funny!"

I love this one that Brennan took because these are probably his 3 favorite things in the world; Lego's, Margo and Dad

Raisin Bran Muffins

2010-11-19T12:00:00.000-06:00

My Grannie Iyla passed away a few months ago. I wrote about visiting her before she died here. My Grannie was a great cook. Many of my memories with her revolve around food. As she got older she became more and more health conscious. She would take our favorite foods and add extra bran, wheat germ, flax seed, etc. We never could be sure what, exactly, was in our food. We teased her about this, but honestly, it was still good! She was a great cook.

When she died my mom selected a few of her things for all of us kids so that we could have some tangible memories of her. How grateful I was to receive her recipe box! An accordion file full of 3x5 cards in her distinguished script. Many of the recipes are ones I've been making for years, but I love having her originals.

I told you I was going to stop with the recipes, but I'm going to post one more {grin}. This is not a new recipe by any means. It's one that may be in every church recipe book ever printed. But it's a favorite of ours and it was one I got from Grannie Iyla. This is the original, but I'm pretty sure she added flax seed and wheat germ in her later years :)

Raisin Bran Muffins:

4 beaten eggs

1 cup melted butter

1 quart buttermilk

3 cups sugar

5 cups flour

8 cups raisin bran cereal

5 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

Mix all ingredients by hand. Refrigerate for a few hours before baking. Bake in greased muffin tins at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

(I think you can also bake them at 375 for less time)

Here's her original. You can see she put the "half-ed" amounts to the left. The whole recipe makes a ton (at least 4 dozen) but I always make the whole thing. It keeps in the refrigerator for weeks. I just put the batter in a sealed, plastic container and pull it out to make a batch at a time. It's a basic recipe. Feel free to substitute applesauce for some of the butter, use wheat flour, less sugar, I've tried it all and they always taste good. We eat these for breakfast and they also make great snacks.

Monkey See Monkey Do

2010-11-17T09:42:00.003-06:00

Wordless Wednesday

(If you can't see what she's doing click to enlarge.)

The Righteous, The Wicked, or the Princess

2010-11-16T13:45:00.006-06:00

Our family is working on scripture memory together. We are participating, with our church, in learning Fighter Verses. We believe it is important to arm our children (and ourselves!) with God's word.

First let me say my kids are WAY better at memorizing scripture than I am.

Here's one of our recent scriptures:

"The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away." Psalm 1:4

(We were actually memorizing all of Psalm 1, so this was within the context of many verses. Otherwise this would be a strange scripture to memorize by itself :))

So the other day we were driving south of town and I saw a combine in a field chopping down some crop. I know, my knowledge of farming is outstanding. What caught my eye was the debris blowing out of the back of the combine. That debris is also called chaff! My momma radar went wild as I realized I had a teachable moment on my hands.

Tyler was driving so I turned around, at the risk of getting car sick, and talked about it with the kids. We talked about the chaff coming out of the back of the combine, and how the chaff was being blown away by the wind. We talked about how the wicked (those who do not believe in God) are blown away and are not held closely by God. The very Word of God being illustrated out the car window. Brilliance!

Then, a bit tongue in cheek, I asked the kids "Do you want to be like the Righteous Man or the Wicked Man?"

And Charlotte loudly proclaims "I want to be the princess".

Well then, we'll have to keep working on that one.

Go Lindsay, Go Lindsay Go!

2010-11-15T12:00:00.001-06:00

I saw this video on the Girl Talk blog the other day. I found it to be hilarious in a "that is so true" kind of way. I love coffee! On my most productive days I drink it upon opening my eyes in the morning, again at 1pm and, on extra special days, again at 7pm. When that sweet nectar from heaven hits my veins I'm off and running!

I love the cheerleader in a cup analogy! Maybe I wouldn't need coffee if I could get my kids to cheer for me when I complete yet another load of laundry....hmmm, nah I'll stick with my coffee.

Life Right Now

2010-11-14T14:59:00.001-06:00

I was uploading pictures from our camera the other day. I have lots of pictures of "fall fun" right now. Will I ever blog about them? We'll see. I mean what's a mommy-blog without pictures of the pumpkin patch this time of year? As a side note, I used to totally be that mom that dressed my kids up for an outing to the pumpkin patch, armed with camera, hoping for the perfect picture of my sweet, well behaved, well dressed kids to be used for....{GASP} The Perfect Christmas Card Picture. Yeah, not so much anymore. TOO MUCH EFFORT. And I realized, for my boys, making them dress nicely totally ruined the fun for them.

Anyway, so at first I clicked right past this picture but something made me go back and take a second look. Yes, just Margo, Charlotte and I searching for a pumpkin. But this picture really says a lot about my life right now. Someday, years from now, I imagine that I will look back on this picture and it will bring tears to my eyes.

Here's what I see in this picture:

*To be honest the first thing I noticed was the size of my arm and waistline :) Larger than I would like. If there's one thing I've learned after nursing 4 babies it's that I don't lose my baby weight until I'm done nursing. That whole "breastfeeding makes you lose weight quickly" thing is NOT TRUE for me. Oh well, the sacrifices we make...

*Margo spends a lot of time in her sling. Snuggled in close and perfectly content. I use a sling a lot more than I did with my first child and the stroller a lot less.

*Charlotte holding my hand. These days she asserts her independence constantly at home, but when we're out and about she sticks close to me or Tyler. She was having trouble walking around all those vines and not tripping.

*Life is full right now. I almost always have a baby in my arms, one child at my hip and I'm keeping an eye on 2 others. I'm looking for a pumpkin, keeping Charlotte from tripping, making sure Margo is comfortable and out of the sun, probably wiping spit up, yelling for Brennan to not wander too far off, answering Calvin's many questions, smiling at my husband, thinking about the time and when I need to nurse again, trying to figure out what to fix for dinner and trying hard to stay in the moment. I'm told it will fly by.

* Charlotte is wearing cute pink cowboy boots and a skirt, this is proof that she'll still let me dress her. She's beginning to have opinions about this however, I think it's coming to an end soon.

* You can see part of Calvin at the edge of the picture and Brennan is too far off to be seen. This is so telling of my boys. Brennan is growing up so fast, off doing his own thing. And I can let him do this! Amazing considering for the longest time I couldn't let him out of my sight. Calvin is still within sight. Doing his own thing but still wanting to be fairly near mom. He's a momma's boy and I love it.

* I'm wearing a hat, which normally means I've not had a shower. Before I had children, I showered every. single. day. In fact I showered every day until I had 3 kids. But showering has moved from the "TO DO" list to the "HOPE TO DO" list.

* You can't tell by this picture, but I know it was a Friday. We picked the boys up from school and went to the pumpkin patch. I love Fridays. Because Tyler works in a church, and therefore on Sundays, he takes Friday off. I love having him around on a weekday. The boys love it when he's home after school.

* The other thing I see in this picture is lots of open space. It reminds me that I love where I live. Our town is not too big, not too little. You can be out in the country in just minutes. It's good for my soul to look around and see nothing. Having grown up in Kansas this is comforting to me.

It's hard to describe the feeling I get when I see this picture. Mostly, I feel grateful though. Grateful to a God that delights in giving good things to His children. Grateful for life right now. It's full, and often chaotic, and I'm trying my hardest to enjoy all these little parts.

Lasagna Soup

2010-11-08T18:56:00.003-06:00

Alright peeps, one more recipe and then I'll jump off the recipe train I've been riding. But you'll be glad I didn't jump off before this one, it's incredible!

I made this soup on Halloween and it fed 8 adults and 3 kids. My Otha' Motha' (mother-in-law) brought some fabulous cheese bread and it was a great pairing. Then we topped it off with candy because we're classy like that.

The original recipe is from Paula Deen, but I tweaked it just a bit.

You would want to cut the recipe in half for a more reasonable amount. Although, I'd suggest using the sausage and leaving out the beef if you do that. However, I'd probably make the whole thing for my family and eat leftovers for lunch the next day.

**********

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef

1 pound Italian sausage

1 large onion, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

5 cloves garlic, chopped

2 tsp thyme

2 Tablespoons packed brown sugar

2 boxes (32oz each) chicken broth

3 cans petite diced tomatoes (I pureed these quickly in my blender to hide them from my kids)

2 cans (15 oz each) tomato sauce

2 tsp italian seasoning

1 1/4 tsp salt

3 cups broken lasagna noodles

1 can (about 7 oz) shredded parmesan cheese

Mozzarella cheese for garnish

In large dutch oven brown beef, sausage, onion, green pepper and garlic about 8-10 min., until meat is browned through. Drain well.

Stir in thyme, brown sugar, broth, tomatoes, tomato sauce, italian seasoning, salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 min. Add noodles and simmer until tender, stir in parmesan cheese. Serve with Mozzarella cheese sprinkled on top.

**********

If you cut this in half, you can do so roughly. For instance instead of using 1 1/2 cans of tomatoes, use 2 cans. The measurements do not need to be precise on this one.

It's definitely a hearty soup. Is this something your family would like for dinner?

Punch Your Momma Pumpkin Bars

2010-11-05T12:00:00.000-05:00

These Pumpkin Bars are so good they'll make you want to punch your momma. Seriously, you must try them.

First I have to give credit where credit is due. This recipe comes from one of the spunkiest ladies I know. Kim is a great family friend and raised a daughter that is one of my dear friends. When we were on the road with the pool boys we loved stopping in Goodland, KS because Kim would always feed us. And man can this woman cook! Kim made these for us one time when we were there.

Pumpkin Bars

1 c oil
2 c sugar
2 c pumpkin
4 eggs
2 tsp cinnamon
2 c flour (I use 1/2 whole wheat and 1/2 white)
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Mix all, put in greased sheet cake pan (or jelly roll pan).
Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes

Frosting (this makes more than enough!)
8 oz cream cheese
1 c butter
2 tsp vanilla
3 3/4 c powdered sugar
milk if needed for consistency

Mix all and spread on COOLED bars.

The Salad!

2010-11-03T21:14:00.004-05:00

Ok, I mentioned weeks ago that one of my favorite summer meals was a big salad and breadsticks. Well, I posted the breadstick recipe, but not the salad. Summer is definitely over, but we still love this!

So here is our favorite salad. I don't really follow a recipe, but here is what it normally has in it.

1 head romaine lettuce

1 can sliced black olives

1 container (about 7 oz) crumbled feta cheese

1 red pepper, chopped

1 cucumber, chopped

1/2 pound ditalini pasta, (or any small pasta) cooked

1 packet Zesty Italian dressing, mixed (or your favorite italian dressing)

Shredded chicken, optional

This is a Chop Salad. So it's best when everything is chopped really small. That way you can get a bite with a little bit of everything. Yummy!

(You could add a lot to this salad, but these are the vegetables that my kids like. If I were making this for just me, I'd add a lot more veggies. However, I've got my kids eating salad so I'm not pressing my luck!)

To Do List

2010-11-01T22:27:00.003-05:00

Do you ever feel like life is about 2 steps ahead of you?
I've felt this way for the past few weeks.
I'm working on catching up, and it means setting priorities.
This neglected blog, unfortunately, is not at the top of the to-do list.

Here are some of the things topping that list today:
Bible Study catch up
Learning 10 new Jazzercise routines
Cutting 50 fingernails and 50 toenails (I don't do Tyler's)
Sorting through newborn clothes to pass on to my sister-in-law
Searching high and low for Charlotte's favorite hair bow
(thrilling isn't it?)

Later in the week I plan on posting 3 fabulous recipes!
First off the salad that I wrote about weeks ago (thanks to those of you who reminded me I STILL haven't posted the recipe :)
Pumpkin Bars
Lasagna Soup

I'll be back here soon. Now off to clip all those nails.....

Status Updates

2010-10-05T19:04:00.003-05:00

Are you on Facebook? Something tells me if you read blogs you're probably on Facebook. I bet there's a correlation.

Anyway, the past few days I've had several Status Updates come to my head but I haven't made it to the computer in time to release them. Does this ever happen to you? Do you ever find yourself thinking in "status update" mode?

Here's a few I can remember:

Lindsay... made dinner tonight and it was a HIT! All the kids ate 2 bowls of chili. However, I didn't like it. It was too bland. Figures.

Lindsay... has her kitchen light switch and garbage disposal switch located right next to each other. I've been living in this house for 3.5 years. I still turn the garbage disposal on every time I want to turn on the light.

Lindsay... has lost her voice. When one of your jobs requires you to stand on a stage and yell into a microphone, it makes it a little tricky. I'm thankful for my fellow Jazzercise instructors who are covering for me this week.

Lindsay...has lost her voice. But apparently Margo found it and swallowed it because she's squawking like crazy!

Lindsay...thinks King's Hawaiian Sweet Rolls are like mana from heaven. Yum!

6 months

2010-09-22T15:01:00.004-05:00

I normally embrace my children's milestones, but this one is hard to swallow. Miss Margo is 6 months old. Do you know what that means? I'm packing away the newborn things. Can you hear me swallowing the giant lump in my throat?

There is NOTHING I do not love about the 6 month stage. Just look at her.

Everything, from her soft brownish-redish hair, to her squishy cheeks, to her rolly polly thighs, is perfection. The handy-work of God is evident through and through in this sweet girl.

Talking Tom

2010-09-18T11:38:00.006-05:00

Have you guys seen the Talking Tom app for your phone/ipod?

Charlotte is obsessed! It's basically a cat that copies everything you say. It also responds when you pinch him, tickle him, etc. I've been listening to Charlotte play with this for the last 15 minutes. She's hysterical! It's clear she understands that the cat says exactly what she says, but I think there is part of her that doesn't understand the cat ONLY says what she says. There is a disconnect happening somewhere (or developmentally her brain can't comprehend this). So at times she thinks the cat is talking to her.
I don't know if I can convey the funniness in words, but I'll give it a try. Here is some of what she's saying.

I asked her to please stop screaming. She looked at me so seriously, pointed to the ipod, and said "but he's screaming too".

She keeps saying "I can't hear you, can you say that again?" (the cat repeats, she repeats, the cat repeats, she repeats, it's a vicious cycle!)

She says "what's your name?" the cat repeats her, she says "no I want to know YOUR name!"

She thought the cat was too loud (instead of turning the volume down) she asked the cat to be quiet, the cat told her to be quiet, she said "but I'm not being loud, you are!"

Really folks, this is hysterical. If you have a phone or ipod that does apps, go get this one! It is so worth the fun!

A Donut Conquest

2010-09-16T22:30:00.007-05:00

Last weekend I made donuts. That is a strange sentence for me to write. The summer between high school and college I worked in a bakery warehouse and got my far share of the sweet smell of fried, sugary dough. It was enough to keep me from eating donuts for several years. Well these little people I'm surrounded by feel a certain gravitational pull to anything that resembles a donut. So, occasionally, we find ourselves buying donuts on Saturday mornings.

I have to admit my motivation to make donuts was one that involved more conquest than a love for donuts. Could I do it? How hard could it be? As with many new cooking ventures I turned to the Pioneer Woman and followed her recipe. They really weren't that hard! The only problem was they took me way longer than I expected. We had donuts for lunch instead of breakfast. Everyone agreed they were worth the wait though.

Margo's Birth Story (finally!)

2010-09-12T21:05:00.004-05:00

For 6 months now I've been trying to write Margo's birth story. I sit down, stare at the computer screen, write a few sentences, get frustrated, and walk away. I think the problem is that I can't write words that do the experience justice. I'm not near a good enough writer. So, because she is now 6 months old, and if I wait any longer I'm afraid I'll forget, here it is in bullet point form.

~ Because of a problem with low blood platelets (me, not baby) I was scheduled for an induction. I was really hoping for a natural delivery, so I was nervous about being induced, but I also didn't want to take any chances. I was told to arrive at the hospital on Tuesday morning.

~ On Monday afternoon at 5pm I got a call from the hospital saying that they were FULL and needed to bump my induction to Thursday. I was so upset. Not only because I was so ready to meet my babe, but also because it is a serious production to line up care for 3 other children. Grandma was set to arrive in minutes, all help had been arranged, we had prepped the kiddos, we were ready! After some tears, some serious prayer and soothing words from Tyler, we waited another 2 days.

~So Thursday morning would be the day! I set my alarm for 6am, but it was beat by the ringing of the phone. My mother-in-law (she had come the night before to watch the kids) answered. It was the hospital. There were STILL FULL and needed to bump me back a few more hours. My sweet mother-in-law told them in no uncertain terms that they could not do this to me again. She made the nurse promise they would call me to come in that afternoon. Seriously?!?! Torture.

~ Needless to say it was a really long morning. Thank goodness the Jayhawks played (basketball, remember this was way back in March) that day at noon. We watched the first half at home, and the hospital called back and told me to come on it. THANK YOU JESUS!! The Jayhawks went on to win their 2,000th game that day.

~ We arrived at the hospital at 1:30pm. Because I wanted a natural birth I asked to not be put on Pitocin (the induction drug). Since I was 3cm's, my Dr. said she would break my water and we could see how things progressed on their own.

~ We had quite the crowd at the hospital (I'm not a very modest person :)). My mother, 2 sisters, sister-in-law, and a friend who's a nursing student. But, as with all my births, Tyler is the one who I look to for everything. He was just an arms length away at all times.

~ Once my water was broken (2:30pm) I submerged myself in the bathtub. As much as I didn't want to go on Pitocin, I was also feeling restless. I was so ready to meet this baby. The previous 3 days on the emotional roller coaster had taken its toll. We were praying that God would be gracious and move things along quickly.

~ When I got out of the tub I was hoping to be at least 5cm's. I thought, if I'm at 5 I can do this. If I'm less than 5 I'll go for the Pitocin. I asked my nurse to check me. She did, and I was "just shy of 5cm's". Hmmmm, I sat there weighing my options while searching Tyler's face for an answer. My sweet nurse spoke up quietly (thank you Jesus for that) and said "I think you can do this, your body is progressing." It was the affirmation I needed. So, no pitocin.

~ From about 4-5:00pm I hung out on the birthing ball. I was having contractions, but not too painful and very sporadic. They'd be 2 minutes apart and then 10 minutes apart. We talked and laughed and tried not to watch the clock.

~ At about 6pm all the sisters and my mom went to get dinner. Tyler and I walked the hallways for about 45 minutes. I was beginning to have stronger contractions but was still waiting for them to become more regular. A few times I had to stop and breathe through the contractions, leaning on Tyler for support. I still felt like we were a long way off. I remember seeing some friends in the hallway of the OB floor and standing to talk to them for a bit (we made small talk like, um yeah, I'm about to have a baby!!). Specifically, I remember thinking the contractions were getting harder. I was ready to lie down and focus.

~ I got back in the bed. With all my kids I've done my heavy laboring on my left side with my left arm stretched straight out, my eyes closed, and no talking. Seriously, with all my kids, I've done the exact same thing. Tyler is always right in front of my face. He says this is when I'm "in the zone".

To sum things up (for those who are still reading). From 1:30 to 7:30 things were going slow, minimal pain, lots of chatting and laughing.

(this is when things get a little hazy for me...FYI)

~ It was about 7:45 when I got back into the bed. Contractions were coming closer together and I was having to breathe though them. I asked to be checked. I was at 7cm's. In my head I was thinking I probably had at least 2-3 more hours. As my doctor was walking away I had a REALLY strong contraction. She later told me that she went out to the nurses station and told them that she thought I would go very quickly.

(around this point my mom and sisters were all back in the room)

~ Literally, 10 minutes after my doctor walked out it hit me hard. The contractions were so hard and the need to push was overwhelming. I said to Tyler "I either need to throw up or push!". Serious, strong, contractions...they came out of seemingly nowhere.

~ The room very quickly filled with people. They were all telling me not to push. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE NOT TO PUSH. If I talked while in labor, that is what I would have said. But remember, I was still laying on my left side, eyes closed, not talking. In. The. Zone.

~ When my doctor came running in the room (telling me not to push!) she asked me to roll over to my back so they could drop the end of the bed and prop my legs. There was no way that was going to happen. I asked (politely?) if I could deliver on my side. Thank you Lord Jesus for an understanding doctor. She asked someone to hold my top leg as she was still getting her gown on. I pushed, one time, and out flew Miss Margo. She literally did a flip in the doctor's arms she came out so quickly. They laid her on my chest and I heard someone say "It's a girl!".

I remember saying "thank you Jesus, thank you Jesus" over and over again. I couldn't believe how perfectly everything had gone. She was so tiny and so perfect. The next few hours were priceless. They weighed and measured and checked and we stared and cuddled and cried. Over time it seems I forget the details of the birth, but I never forget the first few hours after birth. That sweet time when I breathe in their newness and can't believe how incredibly blessed we've been.

Where Do You Blog? Party

2010-09-01T14:41:00.006-05:00

I saw this on my friend Ashley's blog and thought it was fun. It's a blog party that Centsational Girl is doing. The question is where do you blog?

Here's my little corner of the house.

This room is actually a dining room and we used it as that for about 2 years. But then I realize our home was too small to use a room for just 30 minutes a day (we would eat dinner there, but that's all). So when we re-did our front room, we put our dining room table in there. So the "dining room" is now the office/art room/lego room/wrestle on the floor room. It's right between our kitchen and our living room. So when I'm at my desk I'm not far from anything.

I normally do my blogging during nap time with a cup of coffee. Or when all my little people are in bed at night (like right now!).

What's For Dinner?

2010-08-31T17:51:00.006-05:00

These breadsticks are so good I've built a meal around them. You need to go make them now.

Seriously, I make these almost once a week. They are that good. Here's the best part....fresh baked bread for dinner and they take only 20 minutes. No kidding! Here's the recipe...

This recipe is adapted from one on Tasty Kitchen.

3-½ cups Flour , maybe a bit more if dough is too sticky ( I use 1 cup whole wheat flour, 1 1/2 Cups white flour)
½ teaspoons Salt
2 Tablespoons Sugar
1 envelope Quick-Rise Yeast
1-½ cup Warm Water
4 T butter
Garlic Salt, to taste
⅛ cups Parmesan Cheese (approximately)

Note: The dough is fairly light and sticky, so I prefer to use the dough hook on the KitchenAid mixer instead of kneading by hand.

Start by combining yeast and warm water. Let it sit for a couple minutes.

Add flour, salt and sugar. Knead thoroughly, for about 10 minutes, until the dough is satiny in texture. If the dough is still too sticky, add 1/4 – 1/2 cup more flour during the kneading process. Let the dough rest for a few minutes before rolling.

-Melt all the butter; use half of it to evenly cover the bottom of a jelly roll pan.

-On a floured surface, roll out the dough to the approximate size of the pan. Transfer the dough to the pan by draping/rolling it onto the pin. Roll the dough to the edges of the pan (this can be a bit tricky).

-Cut the dough to your preferred bread stick size using a pizza cutter.

-Use the rest of the melted butter to top the dough. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and garlic salt to taste.

(Now here is the amazing part. No waiting for it to rise! )

Place the pan in an unheated oven and bake at 375° for 15-20 minutes. While the oven preheats, the dough will rise. Or, alternately, let the dough rise to the top of the pan while preparing the rest of the meal and bake the bread sticks in a preheated oven for approximately 15 minutes.

Yield: approximately 18

Easy peasy, huh? So I told you I've built a dinner around these. Well almost every week this summer we've had a salad and breadsticks dinner night. Soon I'll post about our favorite salad.

If you make these let me know what you think!

Margo's Baptism

2010-08-22T22:06:00.005-05:00

What a wonderful day! We had Miss Margo Mae Baptized this morning.

Here's what we believe about baptism:
*We believe that baptism points to the promise from God that just as water washes dirt from our bodies, the blood of Jesus will wash away our sins if we come to Him by faith.
*We believe that for our children, baptism gives them an identity with the people of God. It marks them out as special for they will have the advantage of having the word of God taught to them, of being prayed for, and having godly examples.
*The focus of a baptism should be on God, not the one being baptized.
*Baptism is a sign of the promise, it does not save.

We are so thankful for our related family and our church family. When we stood in front of them all this morning it brought tears to my eyes. What a blessing to look out and see these people that are promising, with us, to raise our kids to know and love Christ. The older my children get the more I see how important this is. We need all the help we can get in pointing our kids to Christ.

I was also reminded this morning of how much I love our church. LOVE. LOVE. LOVE. Love the way we do church, love the people in leadership and their humble ways. Love that the focus is on the worship of God, not anything else. Love the people, oh how I love the people.

A Mom Of Girls (too)

2010-08-19T19:27:00.004-05:00

I think because I gave birth to my boys first, I've always thought of myself as a mom of boys. For my first few years as a mom I knew balls, cars, trucks, dirt, bugs, dinosaurs, striped shirts and khaki shorts, short hair, blue, black, brown. I day dreamed about watching my boys play sports, date girls, I read Bringing Up Boys by Dobson and other boys-centered books. I was a mom of boys.
(Of course there is also a side that is sweet, thoughtful and gentle, but more often than not is ACTION, DIRT, NOISE!)

But now we have these girls. Margo is not yet there, but Charlotte likes things that are pink and sparkly and soft. She speaks of princesses and ballerinas and pretty dresses. When I watch her play with her dolls, I'm shocked at what looks like a natural mothering instinct. She wants me to paint her nails and she wears my jewelry.
(Of course there is also a side that is loud, dirty and loves Light Sabers, but more often than not she is nurturing, sparkly and pretty)

It has taken some time, but I'm slowly beginning to think of myself as a mom of girls. This may seem simple, but it's been a big shift in thinking for my brain. And, I'm liking it.

Tonight Tyler took the boys to a baseball game. It was just the girls at home. Margo did what she does best, sleep, but Charlotte and I had a "girls night!" (in her words). I loved spending time with just her! She sees things through the eyes of a girl and it's so different from my time alone with the boys.

What a sweet thing it is to be a mom to boys AND girls. Thank you, Lord, for the chance to do both.

A+

2010-08-14T21:45:00.004-05:00

Apparently someone thought Margo needed in on the school action too.

She definitely deserves the grade!

First Day(s) of School

2010-08-12T21:24:00.006-05:00

It's official, I have 2 kids in school now. Wow.
Brennan started 2nd grade yesterday and Calvin started Kindergarten today. Neither of them showed much emotion, excitement or nervousness, leading up to the 1st day, so I wasn't sure what to expect. But they both did great. Best of all, they're both excited to go back!

Here's Brennan on his first day of 2nd grade

Cal and Charlie wanted in on the pictures (still in their jammies)

Calvin on his 1st day of Kindergarten!

Calvin walked into his class like he'd been doing it for years. This was the child that we pulled out of pre-school his first year because he hated being away from mom! I was the only one with tears today. Not the "I don't want my kids to grow up" tears, just the "I can't believe it goes so fast" tears. I'm proud of my boys!

They've Not Been Hit By Lightening So Far

2010-08-11T21:44:00.003-05:00

I just finished watching several clips of Lenore Skenazy on youtube. I remember when she let her 9 year old ride the New York City subway by himself (a few years ago), but hadn't heard much else about her. I've only watch a few clips and I've not yet read her book "Free-Range Kids", but I do agree with much of what she says. It's a very interesting topic that I think is worthy of more discussion.

I read one time that a child is more likely to be struck by lightening in their front yard than kidnapped from their front yard. Reading that had a big impact on me (or "struck me", pun intended :)). I had this inner struggle over whether or not I could let my kids play outside, in the front yard, by themselves. I decided I had to let this go. I was basing my decision on whether or not a big white van, with no windows, was going to pull up to my house and whisk away my children. Really? Talk about letting fear do my parenting for me! My kids know their boundaries, they know how far down the street they can go, etc. They know to look both ways before going after the runaway ball in the street. I check on them often. I'm pretty sure that my neighbors think I'm a horrible mom for letting my kids do this.

I find this a fascinating subject. I really wish my kids had the same freedom I had as a child. Then I find myself thinking "do they?", is this fear all in our heads? What do you think? Have you given this much thought?

Re-Do

2010-08-10T14:46:00.003-05:00

I'm way behind on blogging! Summer has been great, but I've had 4 kiddos with me ALL THE TIME. Makes it tricky to get much done. That's alright though, it's been a great summer. Tomorrow is Brennan's first day of 2nd grade and the next day is Calvin's first day of kindergarten! Summer vacation is officially over. So, hopefully, I'll be able to do some blog catch up over the next couple weeks (days? should I be so optimistic?).

A quick story for you. A few mornings ago my normally sweet-spirited Calvin got off to an awful start. Within minutes of waking up he had argued with his brother, tripped over and fallin into a tub of legos, and spoken harshly to his sister which got him in trouble with Dad. He then walked to his bedroom and crawled back into bed. I know, so sad. Well, I heard him crying and instantly knew how to start things off better.

A cute baby sister on your pillow instantly makes everything better. A little bit of cuddle time with Margo and he was ready for a re-do (and breakfast!).

4 Months

2010-07-13T22:51:00.004-05:00

Margo Mae is 4 months old! And yes, I took her 4 months pictures in her jammies. Oh well, she looks cute in anything.
Are you supposed to have a well child check up at 4 months? This is probably something I should remember, but I don't. Are there 4 month shots? I think I'll be calling the doctor tomorrow to find out. Anyway, all that to say, I'm not sure how much she weighs right now. She has moved into her 3-6 month clothing. When my boys were 4 months old they were wearing 6-12 month clothing!

This smile is constant. If you make eye contact with her, this is what you get. Every. Time.

Signs that she's the youngest of four children:
* She gets a bath about once a week. Is this awful or what? I frequently wipe her down with washcloths, does that count?
* I'm constantly finding food/sticky stuff on her head from all the kisses she receives.
* She barely makes a peep before someone is at her side. The other kids have "Margo Radar" and can hear her anywhere in the house.
* She is NOT startled by loud noises. Loud noises are a common occurrence in our house.

For my memory:
*This sweet girl is so laid back and happy. She constantly has someone in her face, kissing her, talking to her, pulling her arms and legs and she puts up with it all. She rarely fusses when her siblings love on her.
* Our "normal" routine right now includes 3-4 naps a day, sleeping 11 hours at night and nursing 5 times a day. She is showing signs of dropping a feeding, but it just doesn't seem right for a 4 month old to only nurse 4 times a day! She's growing fine though.
* A fabulous tummy sleeper. She puts herself to sleep with the help of a pacifier. She's constantly sucking on her hands and I'm hopeful she'll soon find her thumb.
* She has rolled over (tummy to back) twice. She's working HARD to do it more often.
* She has beautiful blue eyes and a reddish tent to her hair! Her Papa Jim has slightly red hair, so it's in the genes!
* Her smile lights up the room. Her siblings love to try and make her smile. It's such a reward for them when they turn to me and say "I made Margo smile!".
* When she gets excited she does the full body smile where her little arms and legs flail about.
* This child is such a JOY. Thank you Jesus for the gift of Margo Mae. We are blessed indeed.

Look Alikes

2010-07-11T20:50:00.002-05:00

I took this picture on the way home from Kansas City a few weeks ago. I stumbled upon it in iphoto the other day and was struck by their resemblance. Wow. Of all our kiddos, these two look the most alike. I think Margo is going to look very similar as she grows up too. It's that upper lip, a marker of the Clements Kids.

Beach Babes

2010-07-07T21:46:00.001-05:00

No More Dora

2010-06-25T13:54:00.004-05:00

There will be no more Dora the Explorer in our house. And no it doesn't have anything to do with the fact that "Dora" and "Explorer" don't rhyme and the whole theme song is based on the fact that these 2 words should rhyme. That drives me crazy, but that's not why there will be no more Dora in our house.

Here's why...

First, the set up. I had just come home with the girls from working out. Tyler was gone with the boys. I put Margo down for a nap. I needed a shower. I sat Charlotte down in front of the TV and turned on Dora the Explorer. For those of you not familiar with Dora (dad), it's an interactive kids program. Dora actually talks to the kids/viewers and expects an answer. She's a demanding little thing.

So, I make sure the doors are locked, everyone is safe and I hop in the shower. When I turn off the water, I hear Charlotte screaming! "NOOOOOOO!!!" She's screaming it over and over at the top of her lungs. I grab my towel and practically fall out of the shower, run down the hallway, all the while picturing some stranger in my living room hurting my daughter. No kidding, I really thought someone had gotten in the house and was hurting her (post-partum hormones anyone?).

And there she was, sitting nicely on the couch just where I left her, screaming at Dora. Dora had asked her a question and she was making sure Dora heard her answer.

No. More. Dora.

Grandma Iyla

2010-06-25T13:38:00.003-05:00

The last few weeks have been so busy. Which means I haven't been blogging. Which means I'm way behind. Which means I don't know where to begin. Which makes me feel overwhelmed. Which means I don't blog. It's a vicious cycle!

Exactly 2 weeks ago my Grandma Iyla turned 95 years old! And then just 3 days later she died. She was an amazing woman. She had 3 daughters (one, my momma) and they were all standing around her when she died. It was very peaceful. She knew Jesus to be her Lord and Savior and loved him for many, many years. We know right where she is now.

She went into the hospital with pneumonia on Friday. When my sisters and I heard this we rushed down to Arkansas City on Saturday to see her. The prognosis wasn't good and we wanted a chance to say goodbye. Also, Miss Margo had not met her Great Grandma yet and I wanted to make sure that happened. It was a sweet time. I'm so thankful for that soft nudge from the Holy Spirit to go see her. She died the day after we left.

Margo will not remember meeting her great grandma, but I will never forget.

10 years

2010-06-09T17:18:00.007-05:00

Ten years ago I walked down the aisle to the man of my dreams. Really. I used to day dream about marrying him and having his babies.

It was a wonderful wedding day. Perfect in every way (except for a crazy DJ, although that's a story for another day). But really it was just the beginning of an amazing 10 years of marriage. Just day to day, real, hard, joyful, beautiful, marriage.

June 10, 2010

Summer?

2010-05-22T22:54:00.003-05:00

This momma of 4 says "bring it on".

This thing was a beast to put together. Thanks babe! When I saw that the hardware alone took up an entire 8ft table, I had my doubts. But he had no problems at all (besides finding the time to work on it). Let's just say there were a few late nights spent reading directions in the dark.

The large black area is now all filled in with mulch and it looks so nice! Now we need to get to work making the rest of the yard look nice. Or maybe not. Time is a hot commodity right now and the yard is not at the top of that list.

************************************************************************************

I've been thinking a lot about summer these days (Brennan's last day of school is Tuesday!). Last year I let summer run me over. This year I'd like to be in charge. I'm trying to get the toys organized inside, I've made chore charts, I'm working on a Job Jar and a Reward Jar. I've got big ideas, but we'll see what pans out {grin}.

What are you doing to prepare for summer? Do you feel the need to organize your house before it begins? Do your kids have organized activities or do you just chill at the pool all summer? Seriously, I'd love to hear how you all do things. I love hearing others' ideas, so leave a comment!

Mothers Day

2010-05-12T19:45:00.003-05:00

And what a wonderful day it was.

When your children are all under the age of 7 and daddy works in a church, there is not breakfast in bed (I don't like crumbs in my bed anyway!). But there was lunch in a restaurant, homemade cards, sweet kisses and hugs, a husband who didn't have to go back into work, a nap, a great dinner and lots of lounging around.

A sweet day indeed.

I love being a mom. It is the hardest thing I have EVER done, but I do love it. There is nothing else I'd want to do right now. I'm not "putting my dreams on hold" in order to raise my babies. These are my dreams. I feel like I'm doing exactly what God created me to do. Someday there will be time for other things, but I will always be a mom.

(And just to keep things real, I wrote this after putting 3 kids to bed, 1 crying for daddy, 1 crying because he couldn't stay up later and 1 asking a million question about tomorrow. There's a mountain of laundry to fold, dirty floors, a baby to nurse, bathe and put back to sleep. Whew. I am WAY underpaid, but I still wouldn't want to be doing anything else...except for maybe sit on the couch and eat ice cream {grin}.)

2 months

2010-05-12T16:16:00.004-05:00

Miss Margo Mae is two months old! In some ways it feels like she's been with us much longer. And then I think back on her birth (yes, eventualy I will post her birth story) and it seems like only a few days ago. Time is a funny thing.

She is pure JOY. A very happy baby indeed. People keep saying "of course she's easy, she's #4" and there is probably lots of truth to this. But I really think it's God's grace on our family. Life with 4 small children is CrAzY, Margo is a sweet cherry sitting happily on top.

A couple days ago she had her 2 month immunizations, and we found out that same day we have a lovely case of thrush. That night Tyler was out of town so it was just me and the kids. Well, Miss Margo's little legs must have been really hurting her (or maybe it was the thrush?) but she cried more that evening than in her whole 2 months of life. It was rough. You know how the continuous sound of crying can begin to frazzle your nerves? Well, I wasn't the only one frazzled, the other kids hated it!! Brennan kept asking "why did you give her shots today? Why did you have to do that to her?" Calvin and Charlotte kept walking in out of the room like they weren't sure what to do. We were all very ready for bed that night.

Some stats:

12lbs 13oz (up over 4 lbs from birth!)

23.5 inches

Focuses on faces

Smiles!

Sleeps 9 hours at night (thank you Jesus)

Moving into her 3-6 month clothing

Sweet Cheeks

2010-05-02T23:08:00.002-05:00

What's that? You want to see more of those cheeks? Alrighty then....

She's Smiling!

2010-04-30T12:05:00.002-05:00

But it's very hard to catch on camera....

(and check out those cheeks!)

Driving

2010-04-19T17:16:00.006-05:00

This is Papa's "tractor". Brennan has been obsessed with this thing since birth. More than once we've found him out in the garage at Papa's house just sitting on the tractor quietly. When we stay at their house there's at least 1 tractor ride an hour requested. Papa is wonderful to oblige and he's taken the boys on countless tractor rides. And Brennan has been content with that.

But I think that's going to change now.....

He's actually a really good driver!

Still Alive

2010-04-17T10:52:00.003-05:00

Yes, I'm still alive. It's been one month since my last post! Wow. Life is FULL. Full of children and housekeeping, school, preschool, VBS planning, wonderful friends, work, potty training, laundry, playing, changing diapers, discipline, cooking, and nursing, nursing and more nursing. It's been hard to squeeze blogging in there. But I'm going to try and do better as I really want a record of these days. At the end of the day I'm amazed at the number of things I've gotten done, yet at the same time, the number of things left undone. Whew, more on that later.

Here's a picture recap of the last few weeks. I'll do more of these this week.

In the couple weeks before Margo was born, getting Charlotte into bed used to take either A. a temper tantrum or B. lots of coaxing. Now it's quite easy. We just put Margo in her bed and she climbs in gladly!

A shout out to my good friend Katie (Happy Birthday TODAY!!). She drove all the way from South Dakota on the day Margo was born. She helped with our kids, cooked and was a peaceful presence. And she may or may not have seen me completely naked in the tub while in labor :).

Margo gets an audience for just about everything she does. This was one of her first sink baths.

Here is Margo cashed out. I had just changed her diaper and she went right back to sleep. She's a pretty relaxed baby!
Easter Sunday. After spending the morning worshiping at our own church, we drove out to Grandma and Papa's house. I made the boys keep their church clothes on until we got out there (oh the horror!). Two seconds after this picture was taken they had changed into shorts and t-shirts.

More to come.....

2010-03-16T20:02:00.003-05:00

Our friend, the talented Kiana, has done it again. Margo had the first of what I'm sure will be MANY more photo shoots today. My kids will all know Kiana very well as they will all be spending lots of quality photo time with her in the years to come.

Would you believe this was Kiana's first newborn photo shoot? I know! Like I said, she's extremely talented. Margo did very well too. She slept like a champ almost the whole time!

Margo Mae

2010-03-14T11:15:00.005-05:00

Momma and Margo

Daddy and Margo

Margo Mae

The Girls

The Boys with Margo

Margo

"Peace"

The kids meeting her for the 1st time

How many people can fit on a hospital bed?

Heading Home

Charlotte and Margo

Family of 6!

I am beyond blessed. Thank you Jesus!

It's A GIRL

2010-03-14T11:11:00.003-05:00

Margo Mae

Thursday, March 11, 8:35pm

8 pounds 4 ounces

20 inches

Every bit of her is just perfect.

We could not be happier.

What a Different Day

2010-03-09T17:05:00.003-06:00

Today has been a very different day from what I thought it would be.

I thought that today I would be induced into labor.

I thought I would be working through some of the worst pain physically possible.

I thought I'd meet this baby inside of me.

I thought I'd know if I had a boy or a girl.

I thought I'd be cuddling my 4th child, memorizing facial features, counting fingers and toes.

I thought my children would be given the gift of a new sibling.

I thought I'd be nursing a baby.

Instead,

I slept in.

I had a nice, long shower.

I had a lunch date with my husband (and no kids!)

I took a nap.

I made lots of phone calls and answered lots of emails, explaining why there was no baby yet.

I rearranged lots of schedules for the next few days.

Very different indeed.

The hospital called yesterday at 5:00 and bumped my induction back until Thursday. I'll admit, there were some tears. Expectations are a dangerous thing. Then I found some perspective. And to think that all weekend I thought the Lord was teaching me about patience. Looks like there was more to learn {grin}.

So my body has been given a few more hours (about 36 left) to do this on its own. I think I've said it here before, but I'd really love to go into labor naturally instead of being induced. Remember this post? We've tried EVERYTHING you guys suggested :) So far, although there's been lots of contractions, no labor. The good news is the contractions are DOING something. My body is primed and ready to go. So if induction is the end result, it should go quickly.

Here is what I know. God is the author and protector of life. He already knows the story of this child. His plans have not changed. He is sovereign over all things, big and small. Without this, I would be distraught, frustrated, upset at hospitals and Dr's and feeling cheated. But I'm not. My hope lies in Jesus Christ alone and what can go wrong when your hope lies there?

Instead, I will smile at the day(s) ahead and enjoy long showers and bo*obs that are not hard as rocks :)

Things I Won't Be Buying

2010-03-06T19:23:00.003-06:00

The amount of baby gear on the market these days is unbelievable! Even in the 7 years since my first pregnancy, there is noticeably more "stuff" you can buy for your babies. So much of it is comical to me. Here are some things I WON'T be buying for this baby.

This is a diaper wipes warmer, with an adaptor, for your car. Really? I don't even do a wipes warmer in my house, let alone the car.

These are wipes to clean your babies teeth. Ever heard of a washcloth? Or maybe the better questions is, do their teeth really need to be wiped off?

This one really makes me laugh. Or maybe it's the mental picture I get when I picture my husband wearing this. Can you say "overkill"?
This is an electronic timer to keep track of feedings, sleep cycles, diaper changes and more. I do see the merit in this, sometimes these things are hard to remember. But keeping track of this thing and remembering to push the buttons seems MUCH harder to remember to me.
I am a minimalist when it comes to baby gear. I think there is very little that babies actually need. Someday I'll do a post on how we have babies without spending a fortune on them. I refuse to give into the marketing that says I'm a better mother if I spend a lot of money on products. I feel very strongly about this! I do not buy expensive car seats, I don't buy breathable bumper pads, or sanitizers for pacifiers. If you want to buy these things because of the way they look or because you think they will simplify your life, that's fine. But don't buy them because you think they will make your baby "safer" and thus you a better parent. It's a lie! As my momma always says "fear is big business, don't buy into it".

Ready

2010-03-03T15:45:00.003-06:00

I woke up today and said to myself "self, today would be a good day to have a baby". I've had a lot of contractions, but nothing consistent. I'm also having a lot of pressure in my pelvis, but I won't say any more about that. So my hopes are high, but one can only wait and see.

So, here's my question for you. What have you tried (or heard of) to get your babies to make their way out? Yes, I know spicy food and castor oil, but what else? I can't say I'm open to ANYTHING, but I'm not afraid to try something new.

So, bring on the suggestions......

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On a completely different note, the weather is beautiful here today. But I forgot that the first few nice days of "spring" usually involve lots of MUD. Ugggg. Seriously, my poor floors. The boys played outside this afternoon. I made them strip in the garage before coming inside. They are suffering the wrath of their nesting mother. I want clean floors and empty hampers when I leave for the hospital. Is this too much to ask?

36+ weeks

2010-02-27T21:49:00.004-06:00

If I don't take these pictures (or post them) I know I'll kick myself years from now. But, truly, this is not easy. I'm way past the cute tummy stage and into the "wow, are you kidding me?" stage.

I'd also like to point out that this is the LAST room in the house left to paint. I've GOT to get rid of the awful wallpaper. And the shower doors are so tacky. But I have to say they do a much better job at keeping water in the tub than a curtain does. My boys test this often.

Stream of Consciousness

2010-02-24T16:48:00.005-06:00

I have so much floating through my brain right now I'm having trouble organizing it. But I want to get it "out on paper". If I were to actually write it on paper I'm sure I would lose it, or it would turn into a paper airplane, or be used for practice writing the word "poop". So this is for safe keeping. My stream of consciousness on the World Wide Web.

I went to the doctor today. I had a bio-physical ultrasound (my 3rd in as many weeks) to make sure the baby is thriving despite my low blood platelets. It is. In fact, thriving very well. This baby is big. Why am I surprised? I always get to this point and I'm surprised when they say "your baby is in the 86% for growth". The estimate is 7 1/2 pounds. No, that doesn't sound that big, but it's 1.5 pounds bigger than last week. That means in 2 weeks it'll be around 9 1/2 pounds. That's big. But these are all estimates, there's so much they can't see on ultrasound. I have pushed out a 10 pound baby. I can do this. Interesting note, this baby's legs are measuring 2 weeks further along than it's body. Ha!

But my blood platelets are now below 100,000 (normal is 200,000-500,000). They seem to be dropping by 10,000 a week. In 2 more weeks, that's only 80,000. This means no epidural for me. Blood platelets cause your blood to clot. So they won't stick a needle in your back for pain relief if there's a chance for bleeding in your spine. This is fine by me. Spinal bleeding sounds awful. I've done natural childbirth before, I actually prefer it. But not having a back up plan is scary. Calvin was 10 pounds and posterior, I NEEDED that epidural and was SOOO thankful for it! But, not this time.

So given those 2 factors my Dr has set an induction date of March 9. That is 2 weeks from yesterday. I am praying (would you pray with me?) that I'll go into labor on my own before that day. If I have to do this drug-free, I'd rather not be induced and have that lovely pitocin coursing through my veins. I am 1 cm dilated, and "soft". Keep in mind I'm 35+ weeks, still 4 weeks away from my original due date.

So we shall see. They are watching my blood platelets closely. I have another blood draw in a few days. There are many factors that could change all these plans.

All of this and then today I was reminded that tomorrow does not even exist. What a thought! I am not promised tomorrow, it literally does not exist yet. Yet, so much of my mind is consumed by tomorrow. But the Lord knows. He knows exactly what tomorrow brings, and how many days are after that, if any. There is so much comfort for me in this. Thank you Jesus.

Calvin Turns 5

2010-02-24T16:35:00.002-06:00

Calvin is 5! Of course this seems unbelievable to me. But in some ways Calvin has always seemed older than he is. He's now the age that, since he was 3, everyone assumed he was. Of course, now that he's 5 people assume that he's 7.

He had a great birthday. He chose to eat lunch at McDonald's (why, oh why), we took treats to pre-school. We also took treats to our small group that night. This was the first year we had a "friend" party. In previous years cousins and siblings were enough. But we took a couple sweet boys to the indoor swimming pool, did cupcakes, etc. He is so easy to please. If you can't tell by the pictures the theme was "Jayhawks'!

Calvin Sameul, you are a delight! I enjoy everything about being your mom. I'm so thankful that the Lord chose us to be your parents, what a blessing.

An Array of Letters

2010-02-18T16:52:00.002-06:00

Dear Calvin,

Happy Birthday. You are my favorite 5 year old in all the world.

Dear baby inside of me,

Please step off my sciatic nerve. Step off.

Dear Chiropractor,

Thank you for whatever you did to me this morning. When I came in I couldn't walk, when I left I could walk. But seriously I have no idea what you did. It took 5 minutes. Could you teach my husband to do whatever it is you did?

Dear blood platelets,

Please increase in my body. I'd like to at least have the option of pain relief during labor.

Dear Eileen's Cookies,

Thank you for making ridiculously good cookies. I think almond extract is akin to crack.

Dear Charlotte,

I'm sorry it took me so long to get you to the doctor. I might be a little too laid back when it comes to ear infections. You can blame your brothers for this.

Dear Laundry,

Please fold yourself.

Dear Jesus,

Thank you for the weather today. Fifty degrees in February feels like 75 degrees in July.

Out of the Mouths of Babes

2010-02-10T22:28:00.005-06:00

We're potty training this week! Woo hoo! This is much harder than it was with the boys. First, we're not home near as much as when I was potty training the boys. It's important to be HOME when potty training. Second, girls sit. The boys were tall enough to stand in front of the potty and for whatever reason that seems to be much easier.

I have decided potty training when you are 34 weeks pregnant is a good plan. Since I have to go to the bathroom every 15 minutes, I just take her with me!

Quote of the week (maybe even year!). Tyler took her to the potty and she sat there quite a while just talking to him. Pretty soon she looked down between her legs and said "I think it's out of batteries."

She is the best!

Today

2010-02-09T21:40:00.002-06:00

The kids were busy making valentines this evening. Some think this is best done without pants.

I love this man. LOOOOOOVVVVEEEEEE him. He's working hard on seminary classes (along with his regular job and being super husband and daddy). He's trying to finish one before the baby arrives. It will be a very tight squeeze. He would appreciate me being pregnant the full 40 weeks. I don't think (or hope) he'll get his wish.

This is my view, looking down, right now. Can you see your lap? Can you hold your legs together? I'm jealous.

A Wish List

2010-01-30T22:01:00.007-06:00

On the eve of my birthday I thought I'd post a list of things I would love to receive, but won't be asking for! This is the fun kind of wish list. The "who cares how much it costs I can still dream" kind of list.

It's always fun to dream.

This is a painting I saw at Zgallerie the other day. It would be perfect over my mantel. It's HUGE.

Or how about this super cute and quirky cookie jar from Anthropology. It would look great with my "vintage" yellow formica counter tops.

I'm thinking this would allow me to drink Diet Dr. Pepper on the deck and watch the kids play all summer long. Or a least until the first fight breaks out over who's turn it is to go down the slide.

I couldn't find a better picture of this one. See the green leather chair in the back? I want it. Badly. (World Market)

We have several weddings to attend this spring/summer. This little dress from Anthropologie would be perfect.

Here's another from Anthropologie. When I'm postpartum/nursing I love jackets. They hide a multitude of sins (or bulges)!

OK, just one more. With baby #4 on the way cleaning has really taken a back seat in this house. I realized a LONG time ago that I can't do it all, but this gift card would help bring me just a bit closer.

So what's on your dreamy wish list? Maybe it's something I need to add to mine!

Help And Delurk

2010-01-29T08:33:00.004-06:00

Alright, I'm reaching out to all of you, my closest internet friends.

HELP!!!!

It turns out Tyler and I have a limit on good baby names. The limit is 3. Too bad we're expecting #4 in a few short weeks.
We have a list of several names for boys and girls but nothing we're completely sold on yet. Actually, I'm sold on a girls name, but Tyler's not quite there yet.

So, would you help us out? We tend to like names that are a bit "older" (dare I say vintage?). I'm not into trendy or made up names.

The second half of the title of this post is "delurk". So that means if you're reading this, let me know! I'm so curious about who it is that reads this blog. Click on "comment" and leave some of your favorite names. Or if you don't have any name suggestions, just say "Hi!".

LOVE

2010-01-27T08:26:00.004-06:00

Let me introduce you to one of the great joys in my life right now.

Seriously. I can't get enough. I'm trying to limit myself to one a day, but it's taking more will power than I seem to possess. A plastic cup, lots of crushed ice and an ice cold Diet Caffeine Free Dr. Pepper. All are imperative to this experience.

The only thing that can make this better is if it comes from Sonic. Their ice makes me even happier. The few logistics involved in this, however, make it more difficult to come by....

Children begging for a drink of their own
Money
Have I had my limit of caffeine? Because theirs isn't caffeine free.

It's the simple things in life isn't it?

30+ weeks

2010-01-17T09:35:00.008-06:00

Well here I am at 30+ weeks. Honestly, I feel A LOT bigger than I look in this picture! True to form (haha, no pun intended) I'm measuring about 2 weeks ahead. I've done this with all my babies. Have I mentioned that I have BIG babies?

I've always been active during my pregnancies, mainly in the form of long walks, but being a Jazzercise Instructor this time around has definitely put new meaning to the word active. As a result I've gained significantly less weight. I gained 35-45 lbs with each of the other kids. This time, so far, I've only gained 20lbs. I've always assumed that the reason I have big babies is because they are genetically predisposed to large birth weights. Tyler was 10lbs 1oz, I was 9lbs. We have lots of big babies on both sides of the family.

But, I've always wondered, how much influence does my weight gain have on my babies birth weight? So far the answer seems to be none. But I've still got several weeks left, so we'll see.
(I should mention that this train of thought does not come from my Dr. She tells me repeatedly that my weight gain is perfectly normal and the result of a heathy diet. She also frequently mentions that women who gain 50+ lbs still have normal, 7lb babies.)

Things of interest (to me):

*My blood platelets are low again. They did the same thing during my pregnancy with Charlotte. If they follow the same pattern, they'll drop too low and my Dr will want to induce at 37 weeks. Although I'd rather not be induced (it makes a natural childbirth harder), it does help me have a smaller baby. Charlotte was only 8lbs 12 oz (tiny for me!) and she was 3 weeks early. Blood platelets cause your blood to clot, very important during childbirth!

* I'd really like a natural (drug free) childbirth again. I did it with Brennan, but had epidurals with both Calvin and Charlotte (I was induced with both of them).

* I still think I'm having a girl.

* I have not purchased one thing for this baby yet! Wow. I need to at least go get a baby girl and baby boy outfit for the hospital.

* The kids have said some very cute things lately about this baby/pregnancy, but I'll have to same them for their own post! Ahhh, the suspense.

Christmas Catch Up

2010-01-09T21:01:00.008-06:00

We had a wonderful Christmas. It was full of family! I'm not going to try and write about it all, but here's a picture summary with some commentary.

First off, Calvin's preschool Christmas program. He was a wise man. And yes, that's our tall guy on the back row!

Brennan lost his 2nd front tooth just before Christmas...priceless!

First celebration was Christmas Eve morning with Grandpa Walt and Grandma Deb. We always open gifts in new jammies with them.

The kiddos waiting patiently to open gifts!

He was so excited about a wii!

We went back home that evening so that we could be at our own church for Christmas Eve service. We also like to have Christmas morning with just our little family. It's become our favorite part of all the Christmas celebrations. Just the 5 (almost 6!) of us, reading the Christmas story, opening gifts, eating a yummy breakfast. I don't have very many pictures, but here's a couple cute ones.
Does everyone do this picture? I know we did growing up! Here's the kids waiting at the end of the hallway before getting to go and look under the tree. Such suspense!

Tyler and Char taking a little break.

Here are the kids with some of their favorite gifts.

(yes, my sons got hunting games and light sabers and my daughter got a vacuum, we're nothing if not stereotypical.)

On Christmas afternoon we drove out to Grandma Janet and Papa's Skips house. There was about 8 inches of beautiful snow on the ground. But that didn't stop us! Again, I don't have many pics, but here's a few.

Here's an ariel view of everyone hanging out in the living room.

Brennan got a set of real (junior) golf clubs!

Me, trying on one of the kid's hats.

All the grandkids (we'll add 2 more in the next 8 weeks!).

We did a lot of this while being snowed in at Grandma and Papa's. Brennan got UNO and we seriously must have played at least 100 hands. It was so strange to have him sitting with all the adults playing cards. I vividly remember chasing him around that house trying to keep him from destroying things! We have entered a new phase.

It really was a wonderful Christmas. The kids (at least the boys) seemed to really understand the true meaning of Christmas this year. Of course they were excited about gifts, but their comprehension of the birth of Christ seemed evident this year. I always worry about Christmas getting buried in gifts and family (don't we all), but they seem to have a simple understanding of why we do all those things. They understand we are celebrating the birth of our Savior.

I'm leaving a lot out. The blizzard of 2009, dead car battery, a very meaningful Christmas Eve service, kids with colds, great sledding, family tension, great food, short nights in uncomfortable beds, greedy children, greedy parents, an addiction to frosted sugar cookies, the list goes on and on. But this blog is only a snapshot of life. You know that don't you? I hope when I look back on this in 20 years I remember all the things I didn't take the time to write about or didn't want to post for others to read.
Hope you had a very Merry Christmas! And now on to 2010. I'll start blogging about that soon, I promise.

Home

2009-12-21T21:01:00.005-06:00

I got to come home this afternoon. Yeah!

The quiet hospital was nice for a few hours and then it got old.
Before I left I got one more shot of steroids for the babe. This specific shot is HUGE and goes in the booty and hurts like nobody's business.
After that I really wanted to go home.
I'm glad we don't have cable TV at home. I would watch way to much TV.
I'm still having contractions, but I'm not dialating.
I see my doctor again tomorrow.
No more teaching Jazzercise (for at least 2 weeks).
I will go through workout withdrawl.
I'm more worried about my mental state than my body.
Working out is really good for my mind.
I'm supposed to be on moderate bed rest.
Meaning more rest than activity.
My husband is so incredibly great.
He already shares so much of the kids/home responsibilities and has no problem picking up the slack.
As I listened to him refereeing the boys fighting in the tub tonight while Charlotte fussed and fussed, I did think though, am I really supposed to just sit here?
Then the guilt really sets in.
He is really wonderful, I am beyond blessed by him.
This is really an OK week for all this to happen.
Tyler's work schedule is minimal and flexible.
We'll be with lots of Grandmas and Grandpas and Aunts who are all very helpful.
I'm not hosting anyone at our house and don't have to cook (although I was planning on helping out).
I had lots of cooking and baking on my list for the week.
I decided to choose one thing to bake and say no to everything else.
I choose PW's cinnamon rolls.
Have you tried them?
You would have chosen them too.
I'm off to find a comfy place on the floor to wrap some presents.
Thanks for all your kind notes and offers of help.

Pre-Term Labor?

2009-12-20T21:13:00.003-06:00

Well, I'm hanging out in the hospital tonight. Blah.

I am 26 weeks and 1 day pregnant.
I've had lots of Braxton Hicks contractions during the last few weeks.
Yesterday they were plentiful, but not painful.
I noticed many contractions during a dinner party at my mom's last night.
Once I got into bed last night they began to be very consistent.
From 12:30 am until about 4:00 am they were every 2-4 minutes.
No pain, no cramping, no bloody show, nothing. Just consistent contractions. Finally I fell asleep.
They began again around 9:30 this morning.
I came into the hospital at 11:30 this morning.
My sister brought me as Tyler was in the middle of leading worship for 2nd service :)
I AM NOT DILATED! Praise the Lord.
My Fetal Fibronectin Test did come back positive.
I am on medication to stop the contractions.
I am on steroids to boost the babies lungs, just in case.
I am on IV antibiotics in case I have an infection that might be causing the contractions.
The meds to stop the contraction work for about 3 hours, then I start up again.
This is strange.
I have so many fluids in me I feel like I could pop.
I love the hospital ice.
I love the hospital bathtub. I didn't have to clean it before getting in.
The only thing missing was a glass of wine.
If I progress at all they will whisk me away to Kansas City.
Apparently they don't like 26 week old babies at this hospital.
I have great peace.
God is on the throne ruling and reigning.
Christ is at His right hand interceding for me.
The Holy Spirit is at work in me.

**If you read this, please leave a comment. I'm very bored and would like something to read.**

Look Alikes

2009-12-08T10:40:00.003-06:00

You might have seen this post on Calvin's look-alike. Well, this household doesn't stop there. Brennan lost his top front tooth last week (the other front one is about to go too) and we think he looks like Cole Aldrich!!

If you don't know Cole, you must not follow KU Basketball. He got his front tooth knocked out playing basketball. He was on the front page of our paper this week and the resemblance is quite remarkable!

We're Gonna Be Late

2009-12-01T13:07:00.003-06:00

For years now I've been using some rendition of the words "Hurry up kids, we're gonna be late". I really enjoy being on time, or even a couple minutes early, so having kids has really cramped my style.

"Hustle up, we're gonna be late."
"Go, Go, Go, we're gonna be late."
"Let's move kids, we're gonna be late."
"Get your booty in the car, we're gonna be late."
"Honey could you please move a little faster, we're gonna be late."

They all mean the same thing. Mom doesn't want to be late!

Calvin is my quintessential pokey little puppy. His head is usually somewhere in the clouds, making him move especially slow. He is often the receiver of my encouraging "hurry up" words. Today, headed to preschool, I said to Calvin "hurry and buckle Cal, we're going to be late".

He looked at me and kindly asked "mom, what does late mean?"
*
*
*
*
*

Talk about wasted words all these years!
So, the question is, now that he knows the meaning of the word "late" do you think he'll move any faster?
Hmmmm, I think not.

Uncanny Resemblance

2009-11-21T20:51:00.002-06:00

****Did you read the hair mishap story? If not, scroll down one post and read first.****

Have you watched the show Glee? The first episode I saw my first thought was "this is all that is good and true in American TV". It was so great! All that singing and dancing was right up my alley. Well, now, several more episodes into the season they've gone a little to melodramatic for me. Now it's more about racy story lines that display teenagers in SUCH a bad light....uggg.

Can I stop for a moment and say how much I love Hulu? I haven't watched a TV show during it's actual showing time in years! Since we don't have cable (or satelite or dish or whatever else) we don't really have the need for Tivo. At least one night a week you can find Tyler and I on the couch with Hulu on the laptop, playing catchup. Love it.

Ok back to my story. So after the Mohawk Incident I brought Calvin home and the first thing out of Tyler's mouth was "he looks just like the kid on Glee!"

And so it seems he does.

Award Winning Momma

2009-11-20T11:23:00.006-06:00

Yup, I'm going for the Mother Of The Year award here.

I've been buzzing my boy's heads for years now. Usually in the driveway or in the bathtub if it's cold outside. So this morning, just like I have many times before, I stripped Calvin down and stood him in the tub. Plugged the trimmers in, cleaned them off, and vroom, made a strip just right of center, down his head. OH MY WORD!!!!! I forgot to put a guard on!!!

I just stood there. I couldn't figure out whether to laugh or cry. After a few moments I chose laugh, it is after all just hair (and a 4 year old who doesn't know the difference between good hair and bad hair).

So here were the results.

My 2 choices were...
1. Go ahead and shave him bald
2. Offer a mohawk

As a sidenote let me say this. I'm not a fan of mohawks on children. It's one thing if the child really wants one and it's the kids idea. But when parents give their small child a mohawk it makes me think the child is just a pawn in the "I'm a Cool Parent" game. *stepping off soapbox now*

So Calvin chose a mohawk. Feeling I'd done enough harm at this point I loaded the kids in the car and went to someone slightly more professional than I. Thank you Super Cuts.

Here's the after.

It's a good thing this child of mine is so cute. Maybe that will make up for the fact that his mother is losing it.

Family Pictures

2009-11-17T09:19:00.006-06:00

We had family pictures taken over the weekend by our friend and amazing photographer, Mrs Mama. She put a sneak peak on her blog All Astonishment.

I am in LOVE with the pictures! She did such a great job. My kids don't sit still for much, especially pictures, and somehow she was able to capture them. I was kind-of in "the zone" during the photoshoot. You know that "zone" where your slightly frustrated with your kids but trying to be happy so that they don't get grumpy? You're stuck in your head wondering if they're looking at the camera, while keeping a smile on your face. Or trying to smile and look at the photographer while saying things like, "look at the camera, don't touch yourself there, take your finger out of your nose," to your kids. That zone.

But now that I know how good she is, next time I'll be able to relax and know that she's getting great shots!

So go check out our pictures and leave a comment for Mrs Mama, she's great!

Pregnancy Update

2009-11-11T16:11:00.005-06:00

I've reached the half-way point, 20 weeks. Here's what that looks like for me.

Yes, I know, I carry unusually high. I've carried all my babies exactly like this. I think it's because I'm very short waisted, but who knows. That whole "bellybutton pops out when it's cooked thing" is not true on baby #4. As you can see mine is popped and the baby is not done cooking! My bellybutton is permanently popped, thank you 10lb babies.

* I'm still teaching Jazzercise classes. This picture was taken last night before I went to teach. I feel really great and don't plan on switching to low intensity until things begin to hurt. The only thing that's getting a little tricky are abdominal routines on the floor. My classes will be seeing more and more standing Abs!

* We had a sonogram a couple weeks ago and everything looks great. We DID NOT find out the gender. There is absolutely nothing in the world like that surprise! I really feel like it's a girl though. I'm very close to settled on a girl name (Tyler's still pondering) but boys names have been elusive this time around!

*The boys throw out baby names all day long. Brennan saw something about the Mos Eisley Cantina (Star Wars) the other day and said "hey mom let's name the baby 'Can' like cantina". I appreciate the suggestions, so far they are nothing but suggestions though :)

* I really like being pregnant :)

* I've always been slightly worried that I wouldn't ever be ready to stop having babies. I love being pregnant, I love giving birth, I love newborns. Seriously! HOWEVER, I'm beginning to see the end in sight :) This pregnancy thing is hard on your body! That first pregnancy is just not the same as the forth. Taking care of the needs (mainly physical) of three others makes being pregnant that much harder.

* When I think of Mrs. Duggar (mother of 18, going on 19), my jaw drops. My belly button (and other unmentionables!) would give out LONG before 18 babies. How I would love to ask her pregnancy questions!

Scented Markers

2009-11-04T16:33:00.002-06:00

So this is what happens when you let your kids use scented markers.
He said it was cherry.

A funny conversation with Cal today....

He was invited to go to a birthday party this weekend. I told him that he wouldn't be able to go because we would be in Kansas City. He thought about it and asked if he could have a treat in Kansas City because all his friends would be having treats at the birthday party. I told him it sounded like the only reason he wanted to go to the party is so that he could have a treat. And he said "well of course that's the only reason I want to go to the party, she's a GIRL".

The Star Wars Gang and a Pizza Hut Delivery Guy

2009-11-02T09:27:00.003-06:00

Memories from Halloween 2009:

* Yes, if you're very observant, you noticed the boys are wearing the same costumes as last year. This was their choice, not mine. I tried to get them to at least trade. Nope.
* Since this was probably the last year Charlie would not have an opinion on her costume, we made her be Yoda.
* The boys didn't think for a moment that since she was a girl she couldn't be Yoda. I love this. In their thinking, short person=Yoda.
* Our boys still don't like anything on their faces. They wore their masks for the pictures only.
* They still don't get the "quantity" part of Halloween. After about one block they were ready to come home and eat candy. Fine by me!
* This year we were at Aunt Lisa's in Kansas City for Halloween. She has a GREAT neighborhood for trick-or-treating. Lots of older couples who gushed over our kids and gave GREAT treats!
* Tyler dressed up as a Pizza Hut delivery guy. Funny because he used to be one! When we lived in TN and Tyler played music full time, delivering pizza's paid a lot of bills. Towards the end of the night I asked him to go change clothes, it was bringing back a mixed bag of feelings {grin}.

Now that we're done with Halloween, bring on the good Holidays!!

My Pumpkins

2009-10-29T07:15:00.004-05:00

A couple of nights ago we had a family pumpkin carving night. Beef stew for dinner, pumpkin carving and pumpkin cookies. The kids were so excited (me too)!

Five years ago, when B was just one year old, I wanted to carve pumpkins. I made a big deal of it. A fun afternoon of fall foods and pumpkin carving. Then we spent the entire time trying to get B to stop eating the pumpkin guts! He could have cared less about the carving and certainly wasn't able to help at all. Well, we've come a long way. This year he was very specific about the pumpkin he wanted (green), once I cut the lid off he cleaned out the inside all by himself (no easy task!). He drew on paper what he wanted the face to look like and I drew it on the pumpkin. Then, with only a little help from dad, he cut the face out! He loved every minute of it.

We've never talked about the scarier sides of Halloween. My kids have only really known about pumpkins, costumes and candy so far. As a side note, we've never shopped for costumes either, they've always chosen something out of their dress up clothes they already own...SCORE!! They have no idea people go to great lengths for costumes. Anyway, their exposure to the scarier side of Halloween is expanding ever so slightly. Brennan wanted a "scary" face on his pumpkin. It's interesting to watch him process this information. It's causing good conversation about the things in life we should really be afraid of, what is Truth and what is pretend and what we do and don't believe in.

2009-10-19T17:04:00.004-05:00

I'm going to join in on this little blog party today.

20 Weird Questions That Will Give a Little Insight Into Who You Are
(Pick whichever ones you want to use , use all of them - or make up your own)

1. What is your favorite thing to snack on while you're blogging?
Haha, I don't blog enough to know.

2. What is one thing you wouldn't want to live without?
My husband. And my hand-held Dyson vacuum.

3. Beach, Mountains or Farm? Where would you live if you had a choice?
I think I'd choose farm. Not barn and animal "farm", but out in the country, lots of land, type "farm". My kids would be in heaven. And I could send them outside to play without worrying they'd get swept away in the tide or fall from a cliff. These things are more worrisome to me than snakes and grass stains. Plus you can travel to beaches and mountains but who goes on vacation to a farm?

4. What's your least favorite chore/household duty?
Cleaning toilets, cleaning showers.

5. Who do people say you remind them of?
This doesn't happen to me very often. People say I look like my sister (not true though). The only famous person I can think of that people have said I look like is Sharon Stone.

6. Prefer parties and socializing or staying at home with the fam?
Both. But more social than not.

7. Do you sleep in your make up or remove it like a good girl every night?
I take it off every single night. I can count the times I've slept in makeup on one hand and one was my wedding night.
I grew up in a home with a Mary Kay Sr Director, sleeping in makeup was akin to slapping my mother.

8. What's one strange thing you're really good at?
Using the booger sucker-outer thing on babies.

9. What first attracted you to your spouse?
He was playing guitar and talking about God. This is still one of the most attractive things about him. In fact it's taken me a number of years to be able to truly worship when he's the one leading music.

10. What is something you love to smell?
The backs of my babies necks, my husband after a shower, campfire.

11. Tell something about you that you know irritates people.
I get frustrated with small talk (I'm not good at it). I'd rather have deep, meaningful conversation. People that know me well can always tell when I'm ready to move to the next level of conversation, I withdraw in a moody kind of way.
ALSO, when I'm pregnant we don't find out the sex of the baby until it's BORN.
ALSO, I'm bad about interrupting people.
ALSO, I'm bad about writing on this blog. It drives Tamara and Whitney crazy.

12. When you have extra money (HA!) what's the first thing you think to do with it?
Assuming it's "my" money, not "family" money, I'd usually spend it on clothes or shoes. I'd save a little cash for random coffee/Sonic runs during the day.

13. Are you a silent laugher or a loud laugher? What makes you laugh the hardest?
Out LOUD. I laugh the hardest at my husband and America's funniest Home Videos.

14. Where is your favorite place to shop?
Anthropology

15. What's one thing you'd do more often if you had more time?
Spend time with friends. Travel to see friends that live far away.

16. Are you a big spender or frugal?
Pretty frugal. Except on things in which quality makes a big difference (this is very few things in my book).

Pregnancy Thoughts

2009-10-07T09:45:00.003-05:00

I recently ran across a blog called Design Mom. She is a mom of 5 with a 6th baby on the way. She ran a series on her blog asking others for their thoughts on pregnancy. It was beautiful and funny and made me cry a lot. Here are some especially great excerpts.

********************

Most books have it all wrong.
Enduring pregnancy isn’t a matter of getting enough sleep, sucking on ginger candies, or kegel marathons.
Really, it all comes down to storing up a repetoire of snappy comebacks to stupid questions.
Mostly the ones I received were about my size — I was too small, too big, way too big, and should I really be eating so many chocolate chip pancakes?

In Gabby’s case, no doubt it will be about the size of her beautiful family. And while she’s far too gracious to use any of these, I would have some stock answers ready to go. Just in case.

-Yes we planned it. It seemed a shame for that last seat in the minivan to go to waste.

-Yes we planned it. I hear we get a free toaster with every sixth baby.

-Yes we planned it. Now only 12 more to go!
(Liz Gumbinner)

********************

Wear a bathing suit whenever possible. Seriously. Wear it around the house. Wear it to church. Whatever. I mean, you're probably hot (temperature wise) anyway, especially as you get further along, so it helps with that. And, also, you're totally looking hot (smokin' hot wise) because a.) you're glowing, everyone is telling you this and b.) your giant stomach makes your backside look smaller. Think about it. You've really never looked better, so wear that tankini to Target. Trust me on this one.

Enter as many strength competitions as possible. Now's your time. Because you're not just a giant person, you're two giant people. And two giant people can kick one giant person's arse (is it okay to say arse on here?) every time. You will win every wrestling match you enter. I guarantee it. Because besides your gargantuan-ness, no one wants to say they beat the pregnant chick. Bad form. They'll totally make you feel like you won. And really, you have.
(Laura Mayes)

********************

I'll soon be 77 and I find myself wondering how I could ever have complained about the joy and thrill of having a new baby. Of course I remember the queasiness, the awkwardness, the ordered bed-rest, etc. But mostly I am consumed with wonder and gratitude and nostalgia for the soft, helpless, beautiful babies that came through me.

I marvel how I treasure the memory and the joy of holding and nursing a new-born babe. Thinking now as a great-grandma, about the responsibility and trust placed on us naive, new and young parents, I stand all amazed! The miracle through it all is love, love, love along with faith and trust and knowing that we follow long lines of mothers, mothers, mothers! Families! Families! Families!
(Julia Blair)

Who's Coming With Me?

2009-10-07T08:55:00.004-05:00

I am such a dork! I can not wait to get my hands on this cookbook! And I can't wait to see Ree, THE Pioneer Woman, in person. I just know we're going to be best friends. So, who wants to come with me ?!?!

“The Pioneer Woman Cooks” Book Trip
(click here for her other book signings around the country)

Kansas City (two events)
Monday, November 16, 1009
Rainy Day Books event at Will Wyatt’s Cowboy Couture
DAYTIME (11:00 AM-1:00 PM booksigning and meet and greet)
15245 Metcalf Ave
Overland Park, KS
Order Event Admission packages at www.RainyDayBooks.com or call (913) 384-3126.

Rainy Day Books event at Unity Temple On The Plaza
EVENING (event begins at 7:00 PM, doors open at 6:00)
707 W 47th Street
Kansas City, MO 64112

“Ticketholders will hear Ree discuss her life and work with Vivien Jennings of Rainy Day Books and will be eligible for prizes donated by Will Wyatt’s Cowboy Couture, Pryde’s Old Westport, Andre’s Chocolates, Traditions Furniture, Upper Crust Pies, and a KitchenAid mixer provided by The Pioneer Woman herself! A booksigning for ticketholders will immediately follow the presentation. Order Event Admission packages at www.RainyDayBooks.com or call (913) 384-3126. (Booksigning will open to the general public will follow the Event booksigning and will begin at approximately 8:30 PM.)”
St. Louis

Stealth Videographer

2009-09-29T09:03:00.003-05:00

I've been sneaking around my house with the video camera lately. Here's what I've found....

This first one is aptly named Jazzer-Charlie. I'm a Jazzercise Instructor and work on a lot of routines at home. I walked out of the room one day and left a DVD running. That's when I found Charlotte try her hand at the routine. This girl LOVES to dance!

This second one is of Charlie reading. She does this all day long. Picks up a book and reads to herself. My boys NEVER did this. Every time I see her do this I'm amazed (and reminded, of course, that she must be a genius).

Enjoy!

Hard To Put Into Words

2009-09-28T08:05:00.002-05:00

This is a neglected corner of my world these days. There are so many other corners to tend to, and honestly, they are vastly more important. But know this, everyday I write posts in my head for this blog. Does that make it better? Trust me, if we sat for coffee I'd have plenty to tell you.

I read THIS POST this morning and it struck a nerve. It's brilliant and says so much about the way I feel at this moment. I so admire this woman's writing. There are some largely different (theological) beliefs in our lives, but man do I love the way she writes. Go and read, you won't be disappointed.

Surprise!

2009-09-03T19:17:00.004-05:00

There's news in the Clements household! I'm not very good at keeping secrets, so I've had to be silent on this little 'ol blog for awhile. Oh, and we've had a bazillion things happening. I'll play catch up slowly.

I realize this may be one of those videos that is really only funny to the parents. But the part where Calvin doesn't know who is having the baby kills me!