Easter Prep

Easter is coming soon!!! We started the Resurrection Eggs in preparation for teaching the kids more and more about the meaning of Easter. I love these things! The kids love opening them up checking out the surprises inside each egg. Each egg has a symbol of a part of the Easter story and it gives us a chance to talk about it in a kid-friendly, interactive way.

In pregnancy news....
Baby is doing its best to let me know it's alive and thriving. I am nauseous all day long, but do manage to have a few good hours between 11 and 3. I do best when out and about, so my goal is to get out each day and be distracted even if I am not feeling great.
It's still no fun to cook dinner, and besides meat, nothing really sounds that great to eat. (I did make some A-M-A-Z-I-N-G grilled artichokes the other night on the BBQ that hit the spot!) Baby #4 is about the size of a kidney bean, and my first appointment is coming up soon.

Don't Judge Me...

It's pure survival mode at our house right now. Morning sickness has hit, and although I have yet to toss my cookies, I feel the nauseousness all day long, and it only goes away when I lay down. It's not so bad that I can't cope with life, but meal preparation and anything food related is sort of a low priority right now for me.
So, needless to say, this was the best that I could do for lunch the other day.

Yes, those are meatballs, BBQ potato chips, and a stick of string cheese. I am pretty sure that I missed some food groups, but it was the best that I could do with the food in my fridge...

Also, paper products have once again become my friends. Why do dishes when I can just throw it all away at the end of a meal....

St Patty's Day

Brynn's teacher assigned her first project, and Rich and Brynn went to town on it! They had a fun time creating their "Leprechaun Trap".

The gist of the trap is to lure the leprechaun up the ladder, and down the path to the gold coin sitting on the table, under the rainbow. Right as he tries to grab the coin, he will fall through the hole in the floor and be trapped. Good job guys!

*Side note: When I saw this assignment, I quickly handed it to Rich and let him know that he could head this one up! All I can say is ...thank goodness that I didn't have to do it!

In Case I Don't Say It Enough...

Sweet Babies,
Tonight I got sidetracked on the computer and read a story about a little girl who had just recently died. I didn't want to read it, because it made my heart and soul ache so much. I didn't know her, and had never met her, but I read her story anyways, and it made me cry.
I don't ever, ever, ever want to take it for granted that you are healthy! Sometimes I forget, and get caught up in the everyday routine of things, and I forget to thank Jesus that you can run and play, and even make all those messes! I need to be reminded every once in awhile of how much I love you, and how much it would hurt if you were taken from me.

So, in case I forgot to tell you today, just remember that I love you!
In case I forgot to grab you when you weren't looking and snuggle my head in your neck and make exaggerated kissy noises, just remember that I am grateful for you, and I can't get enough of you!
In case you caught me rolling my eyes and making faces at you behind your back, remember that Mommy is human too, and makes just as many mistakes as you do!
In case I don't have time today to read you that book, or play tractors with you, remember that there is nothing more that I would love to do than spend time with you!
In case I spend most of my day correcting, teaching, and nagging, remember that under it all, my love for you takes over my heart and
~ makes it race when I think you are in danger
~ and makes it sink when I hear you cry
~ and makes it leap when I see you after a long day of being apart
~ and makes it soar when I know you are happy
~ and makes it break when I think that you might not know how much you are loved!

Please forgive the sappy letter little ones! Pregnancy hormones, and an emotional reminder that life is not permanent make me want to get all this out for you to read!

I love you to the moon and back, and then back again a million times more!
Mommy

Funny Sleeper

Baby Maeve,
This is how you sleep most of the time....



Little one, can you get any more relaxed in your bed???
Love you to the moon and back!

Mommy

A little too close to the Truth

Our conversation at breakfast this morning:

Cannon: When does the baby get to come home mommy?
Mommy: Not for a long time. In November honey.
Cannon: Oh. (Pauses for a minute) Mommy?
Mommy: Yeah babe?
Cannon: When Brynn and Maeve and I spent the night at Gigi and Poppas house, is that when you went and got the baby?
Mommy: Wha--- huh?
Cannon: Remember? On Valuntimes Day? You and Daddy went on a date and we spent the night at their house? Did you go and pick out the baby then?
Mommy: (Looking at Daddy and trying not to laugh....) Uhm, yeah honey. Kind of.


Is it scary to anyone else that besides the term "picking out a baby" Cannon actually nailed it?
Wow...

Sharing the Love

I have a feeling these two are getting to be better friends.....

and randomly....
This is what Brynn and I gave to her Kindergarten teacher for Valentines Day!

Craving Crafts

Ok, whenever I need a reality check, I start looking at other crafty blogs. Some people out there are AMAZING!!!!!
I end up spending hours drooling over the talents of others, bookmarking pages, printing out ideas and then getting so overwhelmed that I end up leaving the computer in a huff!

I don't know how people can do these incredibly cute things, and still have their sanity! I think that one of my problems (aka excuse) is that I have little patience to perfect anything! I like to dabble in all sorts of things, but rarely take the time to really do well at any of them. Another one of my problems (aka - another excuse) is that I am always in WAY too much of a hurry to give things the time that they need. Hence why I have yet to learn how to read a pattern, or figure out how to make my sewing machine do all the neat tricks that it is supposed to be able to do! Another reason (aka - last and final excuse, I promise) is that I have no where to do all this stuff! Our kitchen table is not the most ideal place for a sewing machine to sit, unless I want to clean up it every time that I have to put a meal on the table. The garage works during months when it isn't cold and rainy, or hot and sunny which basically leaves late March, April, and October to craft to my hearts content in a sheltered, reasonable tempered area.

Oh well. Maybe it was never meant to be....
Maybe I should be one of those people who collects cute ideas for others to make...hmmm. This might be my calling!

*Sigh*

Some Changes

Dear Kids,
I made this shirt for you Maeve....


.....because of this.


Daddy and I are excited! Are you guys?
You will have to forgive Mommy for the next few months as her ability to clean, cook and generally take care of everything will slowly decline. BUT, this won't last too long, and I know that you all will be big helpers and do your best!
Brynn, you asked for another sister. Cannon you asked for a sister too. I hope that you both wont be disappointed if its a boy.

And, by the way, when daddy says that you can help pick out a name, he is joking....

We love you to the moon and back!

Mommy

Creative Freedom

Dear Brynn,

I am doing my best to let you express yourself creatively as you grow. Someday you might get mad at me for this, and you will roll your eyes and say, "Mom, you let me wear this to school?!?! How could you???!" but just know that some battles are not worth fighting. Some battles I will fight with every ounce of my being, and the others, I will just sigh, and let go.

Love,
Mommy