Dirndls and Leiderhosen

My mom brought these little gems back from Germany last time she went, and wanted a picture of the kids in them. Being the awesome daughter that I am, I dressed them up, loaded them in the car, and carted them down to the local JC Penneys for a "fun" photo shoot.

I just had to take one at home...just in case the ones at the studio failed...always a chance right?

I actually didn't pose them... they pulled this one off all on their own. Yeah....

If Mommy and Daddy Sleep In...

...Maeve will probably get herself out of bed, dressed in a princess skirt, pull out the markers and paper, and then color .......all over herself.


And it will probably be a Sunday morning, and we will probably be late to church due to an unexpected scrubbing session with baby wipes. And it will probably teach us that if its "that" quiet in the kitchen....its probably not a good sign.

Family Camp 2010

We had the amazing opportunity to go to family camp. We were invited by some friends at church over a year ago, and our trip finally happened mid-July.


I have been working on trying to make this the "vacation" of the year for the family, and started it out right with a bag filled with new (and old) goodies for the kids to help them deal with the long 3 hour ride. I also picked up a little something special for the hubs, since he is such a great guy....

It was a week spent in the redwoods of Santa Cruz county, and it was awesome! Everyday they had something different to do, and the time passed by too quickly. The camp theme was Route 66, which included a lot of 50's themed activities, including a sock hop and "drive-in movie" night. The camp was very accommodating to kids, with a giant slide carved out of the side of hill, and a sprinkler park for the kids who weren't fond of the pool and diving board.

(Yes, that is my daughter, and nephew, fully suited up in life jackets for the sprinklers....their choice, not ours.)

We stayed in a cabin (that had its own bathroom - thank goodness) and there was plenty of room for our family, and all our gear. The kids wanted to sleep on top bunks, but I am pretty glad that we put our foot down and said "no" to sleeping on the rail-less top bunk, after several incidents of falling out of bed...on the bottom bunks. My only problem was this insomnia that seems to follow me around. I couldn't sleep very well, so that part was a bit exhausting.

(yeah...our cabin name. Nice huh!)

Every day we had the opportunity to hear two different speakers, and both were very good. The kids went to the children's programs and enjoyed times of singing, crafts, games, snacks, and bible. Afternoons were spent at the pool, (or in the cabin for our nappers) and evenings were again a meeting time and a mellow time of fellowship and laughter.

One of the best parts of the trip for Rich and I was the fact that my brother-in-law and sister-in-law got to come as well. The kids were seldom separated from their cousins, and we shared most meals with the entire family crammed around a round table in the dining hall. Good times, good times!

(The girl cousins...mostly photogenic)

(The boy cousins)

(The whole group)

(I love this picture! Its Rich and his brother, just chatting and hanging out on the beach day at camp.)

(Proof that I was actually on this trip!)

(Cannon and Luke hanging out together during their class. Could they sit ANY closer on this bench? )

(Oh, funny story....Rich hurt himself - somehow - we are not sure, and limped around camp for the first couple of days. He was trying to stretch it out on this bench, and I had to snap a picture, cause it was so funny....and he was so miserable!)

An attempted family picture at end of a long, but wonderful vacation!

I left the camp with my "tank" full. I had tons of time with my family - no TV, no distractions of housework or cooking or cleaning. I had tons of time with my hubby - lots of walking, talking and conversing. I had tons of time with Billy and Elissa and their family - sharing meals, playing with kids, swapping stories. And I had tons of time to just soak in my bible - through the teachings, and sermons, and quiet time. I was refreshed (minus the lack of sleep for a week), and ready to come home - and that is how I KNOW it was a good vacation!

Little Love Notes

There are occasions that the hubs leaves the house before the rest of us are up, and when he does, he leaves little notes for me and the kids. Its a sweet thing to stumble out into the kitchen bleary-eyed, searching for warm coffee, and see a line of colored post-it notes for us to read and hold onto during the day while he is gone.

These were on the counter the other morning:

Angie -
Thank you for your selfless love. You really give yourself to enable others to succeed. I love you...I can't wait to take you out on our date...I love you.
Love R

Brynn -
What makes you a princess is that you care for people. Your heart is tender and compassionate...Be like your mother.
Love Dad

Cannon -
Real army men protect mommy's and little children. You should be very kind to your sisters today.
Love Dad

Maeve -
Your cuddles, your laugh and your dance. These are what capture my heart.
Love Dad


Couldn't you just melt? He is the BEST!!!!


*Side note - These other love notes might have played a big part in the "current" pregnancy situation....

6 months down...

So I passed the 6 month mark. Its been fun. Real fun. Can you feel the sarcasm?

I have insomnia, the inability to ever stop peeing, and 4 more months to go. Really? Yeah, really.

Baby seems to be fine. Active, kicking, playing, having a grand ol' time. Sometimes I can see it moving from the outside, and when it feels like co-operating, it will give Rich a kick on the hand too.

Cannon still wants a boy. Brynn wants another girl. I just want to be done....and I have 4 more months to go...

On the bright side though - not sleeping at night is sure going to be a lot more fun when I have something precious to stare at during the long hours of night. I really am excited to hold this baby, this final one. I can't wait to see what he/she looks like (after the squishy-ness of delivery is gone). I can't wait to smell (yeah, its weird I know, but I have a sensitive sniffer) his/her hair, and can't wait to watch the little one slip into a milk coma with that one line of milky drool after a serious nursing session. I am excited to see this one join our family, see how its brother and sisters react. I am waiting for that feeling of "what was it like before this child?". It really is closer than I think...

In the meantime, Rich and I are really trying to find a name for this one. It's a hard task, and for some reason, it hasn't been easy this time like the others. We can't seem to find "the perfect name". And because of this (and only this).....I am happy to have 4 more months.

Waiting....

patiently for some friends to arrive....

Well Deserved

A sweet snuggle and nap with daddy.

Family Camp

I am BEYOND excited!

Today we leave for Family Camp!

1 week of a well deserved vacation spent with the family...including Brother in Law, Sister in Law, and Cousins!

I made a busy bag for the kids that they are sure to tear into on the 3 hour drive to our destination, and the car is LOADED with all the "necessary" things to survive a week at camp.

But, don't get me wrong. We are NOT camping. We are sleeping in a cabin....with real beds!

All our food is PREPARED for us! Which means, in case its not ABUNDANTLY clear....I DON'T HAVE TO COOK FOR ONE FULL WEEK!!!!

There are activities galore for the kids, and when mom and dad need some time to be just Rich and Angie, there are people who will entertain our children for us....for FREE!!!

So yes, I am excited beyond belief right now! A week of family time, a week of no cooking, a week of childcare when needed, a week to relax and love my family in a cozy cabin surrounded by the beautiful redwoods!

Hope your week is great too!

Running "A-muck"

My SIL and I have been meeting weekly to work on projects that we have yet to finish. We trade off houses, and let all the kids just run wild while we sew, blog, edit baby books, paste pictures, file stuff, etc. It has been wildly successful, for us and for the kids.
It's another play date in a summer full of fun for them, and its a time when our "mothering" attention not required as much so that we can get some work done.

I have a list of projects that I have slowly been finishing, and a list that I have yet to do.
I feel like I have done amazingly well (thank goodness for the pregnancy and the instinctual need to get things done while pregnant), but have a few things still that are nagging me to get done.

Because I like to focus on the positive, lets look at what I have finished:
Recipe Binder,
Brynn's Baby Book and Keepsake Box,
Maeve's Baby Book and Keepsake Box,
3 Busy Bags for our summer vacation,
A few birthday gifts,
Cannon's Keepsake Box,
Finally putting Maeve's name on the wall in the kids room....(its only been 2 months since she moved in).

Ok (deep breath) this is what still needs to be done:
Cannon's Baby Book,
Life Binder,
Blog Books,
My Keepsake Box,
Kids' ID's,
2 Birthday Books (not sure who's, but there are definitely 2 in the "to-do" pile),
A couple felt gifts, including my attempt at a Busy Book as a Christmas gift to my kids,
Copy all my home videos (yes, videos) to DVD,
Make Book Slings for each kids bed.


Now, this is just my list of "small" projects to do. I have a list of "big-I-can't-do-by-myself" projects as well:
Redo Living room (slipcovers, hang something, anything, on the walls)
Finish Garage Project (don't even get me started on that one)
Re-bark the backyard (the good news is that its 1/2 way done.....*sarcasm inserted here*)
Clean the carpets
Generally prepare for baby....this is a huge list in itself, but I will spare you all the crazy details...

So....I am doing well, and have completed lots of things, but when I look at the "to-do" list, it just overwhelms me a bit. Thank goodness for sisterly support though, and our weekly sessions!

Here is a picture of one of the "kids a-muck" days at my place.

These kids are great!
*I am actually not sure where the other two were at this point...but since they were most likely together, I wasn't particularly worried....

Sweet Summer Fun

My sweet summer babies,

I hope you remember this summer as one packed full of fun things, and not Mommy forgetting the camera, and being a grumpy and tired pregnant mommy. I am really working on the whole "forgetting the camera" thing, but no guarantees on the "tired and grumpy pregnant mommy" part.

Some of my favorite times spent with you all are during the summer! You all are sticky and sweaty and smell like sunblock. You are getting tan, your hair seems to get lighter and lighter each day, and freckles are multiplying all over your faces! I love to watch you guys giggle in the evenings after a day spent outside. I love watching you splash each other in the pool, and I even love watching you enjoy an ice cream on the steps of the patio as it drips all over the place. Baths are few and far between, and some evenings you just rinse off in the sprinklers or the hose with some soap. Your nails are dirty, your hair is greasy, but your smiles and laughter are plenty! I especially love that after a long summer day, you all crash out and sleep like rocks. Your room is usually filled with silence, soft snoring (except for Maeve - but Daddy and I are trying to figure out why you keep waking up 3-4 times a night crying) and deep breaths until the morning.

We had a really busy few days. This year we spent the 3rd at Analy for the fireworks show. Cannon, you survived the show, which I wasn't sure that you would. Last time we really saw fireworks, you hid under a blanket, crying for the entire thing, and I didn't know how you would react this year. Although you did really, really well, you had to take a few "breaks" from the loud popping noise every once in awhile. Maeve, you loved every second, which I wasn't surprised about, and Brynn, you shouted "That is my favorite one!" to almost every single display.


On the 4th of July, we went swimming at some friends house. It turned out a lot cooler than expected, and most everyone ended up inside as the evening went on, but you guys were troopers and had a great time no matter where you were!

The following morning, we woke up and headed up to Clearlake for a day of boating, tubing, wake boarding and spending the day with family. It was really fun, and you guys all seem to really love the boat! I am glad that people in our family have a boat, cause its definitely something that we will never have......

Cannon - you rocked the tube this year! You wanted to go faster and faster, and actually had a really fun ride! Daddy says that at some points he was worried you guys were going to tip, but you just kept yelling out....faster, faster! Brynn- you went on, but lets just say that the speed was pretty "conservative". As in 2. 2mph. But honey, I am proud of you for going! I know that you didn't even want to get in the lake because of the fish that swim in there, but you did! Maeve, you just watched, which is fine with me, cause I got to snuggle with you, and we cheered on everyone as they had fun being towed behind the boat.

Kids- I also want you to remember that Daddy is AWESOME on the wake board! He only gets to go once or twice a year, and each time it looks so easy for him! He is graceful on the waves (most likely due to his surfing sessions) and he totally enjoys it every time. Mommy is always so proud of him for being able to do it, and it makes her feel like a lovesick teenager when she watches him doing that kind of stuff! My heart flutters, and although it sounds silly, I still have a majorly huge crush on daddy...
My memories of summer are sweet, and I hope yours are too!
Love you to the moon and back!
Mommy

Sometimes.....

...Maeve gets away with murder cause she is the littlest.....

Literally.


R.I.P- Polly Pocket. We will miss you!

Brynn's 6th Birthday

Whew! Birthday season is over for us in this household for awhile. Thank goodness! 3 parties in 3 months is a lot of work....

We had a "Parade" birthday party for Brynn this year. It was surprisingly easy to plan, and very cheap to do! (Always a plus for these parties!!!)

I decided to do all the "activities" out on the front lawn and it worked out perfectly. A few shade tents, some water activities in case the kids were melting in the sun, and 'poof' perfect outdoor summer party!

Brynn's friends arrived, and then started to decorate their scooters and bikes. They had full use of balloon, streamers, ribbons, and their imaginations! There were some pretty creative "floats" in this little parade.

Rich led the parade down the street, carrying a small cd player that was blasting out some good ol' New Orleans Parade-type music, and we even coaxed a few neighbors to come out and cheer the kids on as they rode/drove down the middle of street! Parents hollered and whistled, clapped and waved, and it was really fun to watch!

After the main event of the parade, we let the kids play in the water, enjoy some popcorn and snow cones, and get their faces painted. Parents were able to sit in the shade and mostly relax as the kids splashed around and ran wild. (Perfect party atmosphere...right?)

The gourmet lunch included BBQ'd corn dogs, sliced watermelon, carrots, and potato salad, all requested by the birthday girl herself. We sang "Happy Birthday", Brynn blew out her birthday cupcake candle, and dove headfirst into the pile of presents.

Because it was a loud party, I sent each of the kids home with a loud goody box. Horns, hand clappers, maracas, etc. I know that parents are hating me right now, but it was so much fun to fill it with all that stuff that made noise!

I would call today a total success, and although I tried to pry Brynn away from her stack of new toys to confirm this, I couldn't. I definitely think that she would agree though.....


Happy 6th Birthday baby! You are a joy in my life. You have a sweet spirit, and a love of life that I am envious of. I love watching you grow up, and am thankful everyday for the time that we have together! I love it that God gave me you, even when I didn't know that I needed you. Daddy and I pray that you continue to grow in Christ. We love you!

Cute Little Lobes....

Brynn woke up the other morning and declared that she was ready to pierce her ears! I was a little shocked since last time we talked about how they ACTUALLY did the piercing, she got a bit faint, and looked like she was ready to pass out...

I called around and tried to find a place that could offer both ears done at the same time. I had great fears that she would be that kid who got one done, and then panicked, and wouldn't do the second one.

Then, my motherly instinct told me to do a little research on the web about ear piercing. (Don't ask me why...I am no stranger to the piercing gun.) I started to read the horror stories of mall piercings, and began to panic a little bit. As safe as it is for me to punch another hole in my body, I couldn't just let her go and do her ears at any old place. I even debated taking her to a tattoo and piercing parlor to get it done by a "professional" but then decided not to introduce her (or terrify her) with that scene.

Tension was high when we finally got to the local mall, and filled out the paperwork. Tension for me, that is! She walked in, picked out the July birthstone, and her mind was made up. I love this about my girl. When she decides to do something, there is no convincing her otherwise.

We all watched (or should I say, Brynn watched, as I pulled my other two children off of the the jewelry display, and out from behind the register counter) as another little girl got her ears pierced and then it was Brynn's turn. She climbed up into the chair, smiled, and went for it!



No tears, no flinching, no fear,no nothing....from her. My eyes welled up, but it was mostly from the realization that my baby girl had taken yet another big girl step. Sometimes I rejoice in these steps, and sometimes they just remind me that she is only growing older, and will need me less and less. *sniff, sniff*


Cannon watched closely, and then pouted because I wouldn't let him get his done. (He will have to reckon with his dad on that one...)
Maeve just ate her lollipop, took off her shoes, danced barefoot in the store for a while, and pulled about 47 necklaces off the rack behind her.

Afterwards, Brynn and I picked out several pairs of earrings together, and I think she was a happy girl the rest of the day.