date night

Avery's much anticipated date with daddy was last night.

They went on a picnic at the park and then spent the evening at the pool!

Like every good suitor, he brought flowers.

And like every good date - she gushed over them.

(check out the make-up she put on for her date!!!)

This girl just adores her daddy.

I love watching them together.

invaded

the stomach flu has invaded our house.

so far sully is the only victim.

but he is down for the count. over 36 hours now.

this is NOT how I had expected to spend one of the last 2 weeks before school starts.

im torn between sanitizing everything...and just wanting to tell the other three to go lick sully's face so they get sick NOW not 3 days from now.

i know, disgusting...but that's where im at.

on a better note...you know what IS great? not having to worry about calling in sick to work because one of my kids is sick. that is never going to get old.

a letter

Dear Sullivan's future wife,

No doubt there will be times in your marriage when you question how Sullivan was mothered...you will likely claim that I must have babied him beyond belief and never expected him to lift a finger.

You will wonder why I didn't train him to put his clothes into the hamper, replace the toilet paper roll and put his shoes by the door. (Although, I must say, at age 4...he does all these things quite well.)

Now, on to the babying complaint. I will admit that when he is sick...something comes out in my that I cannot explain. I do coddle him more than his sisters when they are sick. You can blame me for that.

But its not all my fault.

You see here is an example...Sully hasn't been feeling well since last night. And he has had no shortage of nurses to care for him and wait on him hand and foot. And I am afraid...he loves every second of it.

I'm not the only one 'caring' for him. You see he is growing up in a house full of 'little mothers'.

And yes, this is not going to make your life easy.

But, hopefully you will be blessed with a son of your own and then you will understand.

Please forgive me/us

Love,

Your future mother-in-law

Toy Story 3 & Ages 2 and 4

We went to see this movie with the three older kids tonight.

It was so so so good.

Too good.

I cried.

Correction.

I sobbed uncontrollably.

Like snotting, hyperventilating, ugly crying.

And I don't think I'll even blame pregnancy on this one.

Cause Jordan may not have shed any tears...but as we walked out he said, "Our kids are growing up and I dont get to spend enough time with them."

Later I said, "The last time I looked Avery & Lauren were 2 and 4. Now they are 6 and 8.

Right now, Tess and Sully are 2 and 4 and we are going to blink and THEY will be 6 and 8. I don't want any of them to be 6 and 8.

I like 2 and 4!!!"

Yeah, them growing up stinks.

period. the end.

And seriously, I'm done watching movies until this pregnancy is OVER!

a movie under the stars

Saturday night we did one of the funnest things ever!

Probably 2 months ago Trina and Garrick mentioned having a camp out and movie night at their acreage. And this weekend was it.

We didn't end up camping, but we didn't leave for home until 11:15 pm so that was close enough.

The kids were a little crazy and the time was a little chaotic but between the 2 couples we have 7 kids with 2 more on the way...should we expect quiet, uneventful evenings?

Look at all the fun we had!

Garrick strung this huge tarp up on one of their buildings.

While we waited for darkness to come the kids and dads caught more ground squirrels.

Trina drove them a couple of miles away and released them.

We had supper and celebrated Garrick's Golden Birthday!

Played football in the sunset.

Danced, Danced, Danced.

Roasted marshmallows.

And finally settled down in comfy spots in the yard.

Harry and The Henderson's was the choice for the night.

This night was a total blast. I am sure that the kids will ask for a repeat before summer is over.

Garrick thank you so much for making it happen!

We couldn't have asked for a better night!

Pincess Rella and Smack Talk

Contessa is obsessed with princesses and dress up and dancing.

Her favorite princess is Cinderella.

She is always talking about 'Pincess Rella'

Its precious.

Sullivan is obsessed with Mario Kart on the Wii.

Its considerably less precious - but hilarious.

He has learned some smack talk from listening to his dad and I compete against each other.

We've had many talks about how it is not ok for him to talk smack to his sisters, cousins or friends.

We told him he could talk smack to US while playing the Wii.

He responded, "Well, what about Uncle Garrick? Can I with him?"

Garrick - beware, we told him that since you enjoy some good smack talk - it was ok for him to bring it out during a Wii game with you too!

Smack talk is sayings like: Bring it!, You're going down!

Oh look whose winning?! Oh look, I got first and you got ___ place. ect.

(yeah, we aren't winning parents of the year award for this one. There is a competitive side to both of us that just oozes out from time to time. We never said it was real pretty.)

CORN

Sunday Sunday

Another weekend is drawing to a close.

Today was crazy busy, filled with lots of fun and if you ask me, not enough rest! ;)

After church, sunday school and lunch we headed to Trina and Garrick's for a get together with Jordan's dad's side of the family and a picnic supper.

All Jordan's aunts and uncles, the cousins and all their kids were there and of course grandma.

The funnest part was watching all the little boys have a blast together...it seems to be a rather female dominated family and when the boys get together they make the most of it.

This fun game involved a ground squirrel, a hole and a hose.

Yep, they chased him right outta there.

Then the 'adult' boys got involved and before you know it all three of the poor little critters holes were covered and he stood no chance.

Eventually he wised up and headed to the bean field to hide.

Soaking wet.

Here they are hunting bears.

So tough - I believe their weapons include a wii sword, binoculars, and a bow and arrows.

And I just had to take this picture of Jordan's uncle Darrel and Jordan (as well as Darrel's son George). Because really - is this not like looking at a picture of present day Jordan and Jordan twenty-five years in the future? They look so much a like to me and some of their mannerisms are the same too...

A better way to add it up for a Super Saturday night...

4 sets of clean little piggies

4 cute pairs of jammies

4 bowls of popcorn, m&m's and licorice

4 little ones ready for a movie and an early bed time

and 1 mom and 1 dad ready for their own movie after the above four are in bed!

Happy weekend!

It all adds up to a Fun Friday...

1 8 year old

1 6 year old

1 4 year old

1 2 year old

1 1/2 hours in the doctors office

2 well child exams

2 immunizations

2 blood draws

1 wimpering 6 year old who doesn't want a blood draw

1 screaming 2 year old who didn't appreciate her immunizations or blood draw

1 leaking diaper

1 empty tippie cup

1 empty snack bag

1 boy with no filter or inside voice

1 sweaty pregnant mom with a head ache

1 1/2 hours past lunch time

wow, glad we are home. :)

2010 County Fair Corn Feed

Cousin Joshua visits and the baby...

Joe was out of town this week so Amy and Joshua came to my mom's for a few days.

Joshua will be one next month and he is SO cute and fun.

I think being around him made the three older kids really excited for our baby to arrive!

I know he had that affect on me!

Tess on the other hand liked him...but did NOT like losing the 'baby' spot.

We are worried about how she is going to handle this for real with her new sibling.

She gets violent and angry.

After he left she sat on my lap for the longest time.

And held my hand.

I didn't mind...but I know she has worries in her little 2 year old head.

Dont worry little one...no one is taking your spot.

(and please dont look at me in this picture...I had no make up on and hadnt even looked in a mirror since getting out of bed!)

Lauren's 10 bucks and bad luck

Long story ahead:

So last year about this time Lauren had surgery on her left ear to patch the hole that did not

grow closed after the tube which was placed when she was 5.

About a month ago I took her to our local ENT office to get fitted for ear plugs for swimming.

At that time the audiologist who did the fitting said the ear looked 'funny'.

So last week we saw the dr. He said the hole was back. The patch did not work.

He then proceeded to dig around in Lauren's ear for what seemed like 15 minutes.

I stood by Lauren and told her to squeeze my hand as hard as she could and to hold still - she nearly broke my hand. Her forehead beaded up with sweat and her face was beat red.

She did not cry.

When he finished digging out the black gunk he patted her and said, I have a special treat for you - just tell the receptionist before you leave.

As we walked out he said to me - 'Most adults would not have tolerated that like she did...she's tough'

Here she is with her special treat - you dont often leave the dr.'s office with a $10 bill in your pocket! She was thrilled.

However then I told her that she and I needed to travel to the specialist in IC who originally did the patch surgery. She knew this wasn't good news.

We went today and got the bad news. After 3 different doctors examined her already sore ear they confirmed that the hole is back. And it has to be patched. If not the hole will just continue to grow and her hearing continue to diminish in that ear.

Lauren started crying.

I was about crying.

Then our dr. told us the even worse news. He cannot redo the same relatively simple surgery. Apparently Lauren's ear drum just will not hold that simple patch.

So we now move onto the more invasive/scary surgery.

I like to refer to it as the 'FaceOff' surgery.

Behind her ear will be cut and the ear LIFTED. Then a membrane will be taken from the upper portion and the EAR DRUM WILL BE LIFTED and the back of it will be grafted.

Then the front will be grafted again.

This greatly increases the strength of the drum and the success of the surgery.

When he was done talking to me about that I was about in tears and passing out.

He stayed with us for a long time explaining things and showing me pictures.

I think I listened. A lot of it, honestly, I do not want to know will happen to my baby.

There are just way too many important nerves in that area that make me sick to my stomach.

Lauren is old enough to know that surgery is not 'fun'.

She was pretty unhappy as we left the hospital.

I knew Panera would make her happy.

I was right.

Please be in prayer for this surgery and for Lauren's nerves as she waits for the surgery day to arrive...as well as ours. I wont lie...I'm freaked out and worked up about this. Although my emotions are not the most stable at this particular time anyway!

'God is in control, God is in control, God is in control.'

Her surgery is set for September 3rd.

lbs.

at my last appt. i noted that i had only gained 10 pounds in this pregnancy.

i was quite proud.

perhaps a bit too proud.

so today i had an appt.

i gained 6 lbs in a month.

uh.

not so proud.

time to reign myself back in.

the mockingbird

And now...in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the publishing of this...

I'm going to go watch the movie.

And hear some of my favorite lines from Scout and Atticus:

'Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love breathing.'

'You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view--until you climb inside his skin and walk around in it.'

good night.

Friday

Daddy brought home the best surprise last night!

A huge cardboard box!

He walked in the house with at midnight last night and I said, uh, how did you get that home, didn't you ride your bike to work?

Yep, he did. And the thing is huge. All the kids can fit in it at the same time.

He said the kids out at midnight last night got a good laugh about it!

We used it for our craft project after school today.

These four were thrilled!

I'll be the first to admit that my patience was low today and my fuse short.

Just one of those days.

But they bring me so low.

Make me feel so ungrateful and selfish.

Because look at how I spend my days and look at who I call mine.

Yep, blessed.

That's me.

And as I was standing in the locker room at the pool waiting for them to change before we headed home I was about in tears. They were all giggling and laughing as they changed in side by side stalls. Just being kids. And so darn cute.

But many times that's what causes me to get frustrated - that they act like kids!

And so I snapped this picture...to remember how cute they were in there. And how much at that moment I wanted them to stay 'kids' forever.

And then I look over and this one is sitting there looking at me like this.

She was giggling at them being funny in the stalls.

And so that's how we left the pool.

Them all laughing and happy...dragging weeping mommy behind them.

Well, that was new...

I get a lot of interesting/funny/rude comments when I am out in public with my kids and my rather pregnant belly.

I THINK some are meant to be compliments. Some I know are not. And some are just observations that probably were not meant to be spoken out loud.

Apparently 'larger' families are a kind of circus for other people to get entertainment out of.

I dont mind.

Really.

I find it all comical and somehow it makes me feel even more blessed.

But today, well today took the cake.

The kids and I were checking out at Wal-mart and the clerk was really studying the kids.

She then noticed my stomach and said, "So you are going to have 5 kids, huh?"

"Yep, this fall," I responded.

She took this information in like it was nothing.

A couple of minutes later she looks at me and says, "So they've all got the same daddy?"

I'm pretty sure my chin dropped completely to the floor. I'm pretty sure I heard it hit.

Until I started laughing.

(By the way, the guy in line behind me was laughing HYSTERICALLY!)

"Yes," I responded, "they all have 'the same daddy'."

And her response....

"Wow!"

wow.

wow.

Who knew we were so unique.

And there goes my heart...

just walking around outside my body again...

Our favorite zoo moment - EVER!

This was so incredibly awesome to watch.

The crowd was all cheering and clapping.

Mr. Black Bear climbed out of the water....

and jumped back into to attack Mr. Brown Bear yet again.

I'd love to watch that all over again.

Just amazing!

Our Highlight

Pam had been raving about the bear exhibit at the zoo and we were so excited for it.

The first time we went by the bears were all asleep.

The next time they were more than awake!

These two had a serious fight for close to an hour.

And we watched the whole thing.

The kids didn't ask to leave once, they had their noses to the glass.

So did the adults!

It was like watching National Geographic but in real life!

I guess they must have been playing because they could have just torn each other to shreds if they had wanted but there was no blood. But man, they were SO rough!

Like 1 foot away from us!

Cousins and Smiles!

Here is our gang, minus Micah - he's 17 and I guess going out on a lake with friends sounded like a better time than going to the zoo with kids - can you imagine?!

Starting with Sully and going clockwise - Sully, Lauren, Jeremiah (4.5), Bethany (14), Avery, Ellie (7), Anna (almost 2), Tess, Nathaniel (10) Its not a great picture but its the best group one we got!

Such a happy girl!

Approximately 75 seconds after we got out of the car Avery and Ellie disappeared up to the girls bedroom. I said I wasn't even really sure if Avery remembered Ellie's name. But it didn't seem to matter. They played like best friends all weekend.

Lauren had a lot of fun with Ellie too.

Again with the happy faces!

oh two year olds...its like they want to play together but just cant do it nicely.

And Anna was terrified of Tess for the most part. Annis like 10 pounds lighter than Tess and much more innocent and gentle! Poor Anna!

They did get in some good dancing and falling down time while dressed as princesses!

And I tried my hardest to sneak Bethany into my suitcase. She reminded me a lot of our babysitter Rosanna, mature beyond her years, sweet beyond words and always looking for a way to be helpful. All the kids loved her and wanted some of her attention!