at 3:00 in the morning

This. This just happened at 3:04 a.m., and all I could do was laugh.

Not a normal response, mind you. However, approximately 30 minutes ago, this 32+ week pregnant mama was awoken by my oldest daughter saying that the youngest daughter was in complete hysterics. Said hysterical child would NOT state the problem nor be comforted by anyone other than said pregnant mama. Three annoyed and grumpy older sisters were all awake and had endured enough tears from the youngest sister.

This comes on the heels of a fun (yet exhausting) weekend away where no one (especially the pregnant mama) got enough sleep. Though completely justified, I thought it might be weird to cart in the five pillows that I sleep with nightly just to survive two nights in a hotel. I may reconsider in the future if necessary.

Anyway, so upon arrival in the girls' room, I know right away what has happened. Olivia has wet the bed, and she is as worked up as an old wet hen. She cannot stop crying to save her life, and despite the moaning and groaning from the two oldest sisters and multiple offers to "help" from child number three, I am doing my best to calm down Olivia.

Did I mention that Josh has the nerve to still be out of town for the next 17 hours? Back to the story.

Olivia starts spouting off demands between sobs of discomfort: I need new jammies...and I only want soft, fuzzy ones...and I need Vaseline for my bottom because it itches...and I'm cold and wet...and...and...and...

And since it's 2:45 a.m., it is absolutely reverse hostage negotiation time. I will do just about anything at this point to calm down this raging storm of a five year old. Because let's be honest... discipline at this late (or maybe early?) hour is not going to get us anywhere.  Put out that fire and get all of those kiddos back to sleep!

The initial round of pajama options that I presented were denied on account of not being comfy enough. The fuzzy blue penguin pajama pants were then demanded, but they were nowhere to be found. These negotiations were not going well.

So my pregnant body starts frantically digging through laundry hampers and finds the requested item after approximately two minutes and seven seconds. Not bad on the whole. The remaining negotiations went quickly enough to satisfy all involved.

I get Liv cleaned up and transferred to a different sleeping location, clean up her bedding and bed, and make it to my own bedroom of refuge.  And then the spider...thinking he was all up in my face and trying to get a reaction out of me while sitting so nicely on my comforter.

My message to the spider: Ha. Ha. Ha. You don't scare me. I just dealt with a crazed, dazed, and unreasonable five year old for the last 20 minutes.  I laugh in your general direction!!!

Okay...time to sleep.

How is it April already?!

April.  We've celebrated 3 kiddo birthdays already this year with Claire left in May.  And she's going to be 13.  How is that even possible?

The other thing that is crazy is my continual lack of blogging.  I really, really want to blog more, but that Instagram...it's just so easy.  But it's also kind of lacking wordiness.  And I can definitely be a wordy kind of a girl.

I was looking over my 2015 and 2016 (thus far) posts just thinking about how thin my blog book will be for those years.  I can probably just combine them with 2017-2020 and make it semi-worthwhile. :)

Okay, so we've had some major excitement around here since I last posted.  We have a new member of the family...gasp!!!  It's another girl...

Ahhhhh...isn't she precious?!  She certainly is when she's sleeping!  Welcome Ruby!!  Long story short...Josh's brother (who is a dog breeder...along with 46 other professions) was out of town for a couple of months on a special assignment, so we had his pregnant dog.  She had 6 adorable black lab puppies, and we kept one.  We absolutely love her, even though she's totally a puppy and wants to chew on all socks and shoes and slippers and legos and every other thing that isn't hers.

We've had her in the house with us for almost two months.  She's doing great overall, but I'm looking forward to getting past the puppy stage...in two or three years. :)

For anyone who isn't friends with me in real life, you will be shocked and surprised (and hopefully just as thrilled as we are) to find out that we're also having another baby!   

That photo was taken just prior to 20 weeks.  I'm over 26 weeks at this point and twice that big.  Maybe I'll talk Josh into taking a photo with my real camera sometime in the near future.  Okay, so the even more shocking news...

I know, right?!!  Shocking.  I still don't think I've wrapped my brain around it, nor do I think I will before he arrives in July.  And probably not even then, either.  It's going to take us a while to get used to snakes and snails and puppy dog tails (though, we're doing pretty well with the puppy dog tails right now).  

So, this is kind of how this baby thing went down:  I have kind of wanted baby #5 for a while.  I've been thinking about it for a couple of years, but I knew Josh probably wasn't going to be on board.  He was perfectly content with four kiddos.  I would hint around from time to time to get a feel for his interest level or lack thereof.  He was at like a 10% baby, 90% no baby level.  Not very promising.  I was really 50/50.  

So, then one evening last spring, we had a pretty major discussion about it.  It wasn't sounding promising (at all) for another baby.  So, I prayed for contentment.  And maybe I prayed for a surprise pregnancy as well...but definitely was praying more for contentment.  Then, in August, I had just decided that I was so okay with not having another baby.

Josh had been throwing out the thought of getting a dog in the house since Tucker was sick and didn't have much time remaining.  I wasn't sure I wanted another body in the house, but I warmed to the idea.  So, one night in September, Josh was sitting at the computer working, and I came up to him and said, "I think we should get a puppy."  His response: "I think we should have a baby."  

I.was.speechless.  Literally.speechless.  

I think my jaw dropped and my mouth was hanging open for who knows how long.  Then, I had to completely check my emotions to decide if I really wanted a baby #5.  Well, regardless, I decided that we just better hurry up and get pregnant before either of us changed our minds.  So, we did.  And here we are.  And the Lord is so kind.  We feel beyond blessed to be welcoming this precious baby into our lives, and our girls are beyond thrilled.  I fear that I'm going to have to fight for baby holding time. :) 

So, those are the two big adjustments in our world.  We have seven weeks of school remaining!!  Seven!!  So excited about that.  We've had a fun birthday stretch, and I make no promises, but I would love to post about birthdays and kiddos.  I actually do drag out my nice camera to take birthday pictures.  That will at least force me to upload photos, and I might even have one or two others that I could post.  That would be something, wouldn't it?

Thanksgiving, Christmas, House and More

We had an absolutely lovely Thanksgiving with our families despite me being sick with a horrid cold all week.  My mom had a great idea this year, and brought gingerbread houses for each of the girls to decorate as our post-Thanksgiving dinner activity.  The girls loved decorating while Dads and Grandpa slept and watched football.

We usually decorate gingerbread houses at some point during the Christmas season, but this worked out perfectly.  I have a feeling that this will become a new tradition!

Our Christmas season has been fairly low-key.  My mom took all of the grandgirls to see Mary Poppins on stage.  It was a fun day for sure!  Claire and Meredith have been running all of the Advent activities in our house this year.  It's been a nice break for me, and they have been enjoying being in charge.  They are getting so competent in so many ways.  I just love it!

This week has brought on a bought of sickness from a couple of kiddos in our house, but what's new?  This is the week each and every year that someone tosses their cookies in my house.  We always host a large Christmas party for our friends on the Friday before Christmas, and each year someone is puking.  I fear those germs every year, but our friends continue to come back!  They must not be getting too sick from being here. :)

In other exciting news, my new refrigerator arrived yesterday!  Our old one has not been able to hold an appropriate temperature in the freezer or refrigerator for months (consistently 5-10 degrees warmer than it should be).  It has an unacceptable amount of moisture in it always, and despite cleaning it over and over again, I can't get the mold to stay away.  It truly disgusts me beyond what you can imagine.  The old one is a side by side and barely has room to put anything like a cookie sheet or a casserole dish.  I have hated it for years and have often wished that I could have back my old refrigerator from our other house that we purchased at a garage sale for $35.  It was old and ugly, but it worked beautifully.

I wanted to hug the delivery guys yesterday morning when they arrived.  I loaded it with our food and am amazed at the additional amount of space that I have a available.  Our new fridge has the french style doors at the top with the freezer at the bottom.  I have an entire shelf in the middle that has nothing on it!!  The usable space is lovely.  Feeling so blessed today as I get ready to eat my cereal with COLD milk. :)

In house news, the drywallers are finishing up this week in our addition!  So excited about that.  Josh is taking the week off between Christmas and the New Year to work on getting some things completed.  Our new driveway is completely done, and things are definitely moving in the right direction.  We are getting so close to parking in the garage!!  I am giddy.

I'm sure there is more, but that's all I've got for now.  I hope all of you are having a nice Christmas season! Hugs to everyone!

bedtime prayer

Josh's dad had back surgery this past spring, and Olivia has diligently prayed for him over the past several months.  Even though we've corrected her several times and told her just to pray for his back to feel better, she continues to pray for the surgery.  She added a little extra to the end tonight...

Dear God,

I pray for Grandpa and his back surgery and...(several second pause)...and that he doesn't get old.  Amen.

I hope it's okay to laugh during prayer time.  I couldn't help myself.

menu plan: september 2015

Ahhhh...a menu plan.  It's been a while.  I've actually planned our meals diligently...I've just not posted them.  September gets salads at the beginning and a soup thrown in at the end.  You know how much I love soup.  It is truly one of winter's redeeming qualities.  But, I don't want to think about winter at the beginning of September.  So,let's move on to the meal plan...

September 1-5
1: chicken patties
2: BELTs (BLTs with an egg)
3: chicken tacos
4: amy's sensational summer salad
5: peach cobbler (does that sound like a fabulous dinner or what...double the peaches)

September 6-12
6: no cooking
7: TBD
8: eggs, muffins, smoothies
9: goulash
10: leftovers
11: asian sesame salad
12: pizza

September 13-19
13: ham steaks
14: slow cooker thai peanut pork (new)
15: pancakes
16: deer steaks
17: leftovers
18: no cooking
19: tacos

September 20-26
20: brunch
21: no cooking
22: breakfast burritos (with with this omelet chopped for the eggs)
23: bubble up pizza
24: grilled chicken with broccoli/pasta alfredo (new)
25: cheesy ham chowder
26: sweet and sour chicken

September 27-30
27: bandito chili dogs
28: no cooking
29: fiesta chicken burritos
30: calzones

the summer of 2015

I wish I could just skip this post altogether, but I can't.  I'll apologize in advance for the lengthiness.  But it needs to be recorded, and I'll start with the heavy.

April/May/June

The story of this summer has been a sad one.

Most of you know that we buried one of our best friends.  He was a childhood friend of Josh's.  He and Josh were hunting buddies.  He and Josh have hunting stories galore.  He married my cousin.  He was in our wedding.  We went to church together for the last 15 years.  Our kids have grown up together.  

He went into the hospital in early April and was diagnosed with cancer shortly thereafter.  He came home in hospice care in June and died a few weeks later.  

Throughout the ordeal, Josh and I looked at each other time and time again and said, "Is this really happening?  Is Rob really dying?"  It was surreal to write his obituary and to attend his viewing and funeral.  

What was beautiful to see through the depths of great sorrow was the way our church family stood with Rob and Jen throughout Rob's battle.  And not only them, they stood with us as well.  Josh and I spent countless hours with Rob and Jen during those months.  Friends and family were watching our kids and cooking meals for us so that we could spend as much time with Rob and Jen as possible.  It is something that would have never crossed my mind in the past.  It will be at the top of my list in the future to love and bless those in supporting roles.  It was humbling and a blessing to say the least.  

What a joy it was to know Rob and call him our friend.  He will be forever missed.

July

July brought some nicer weather and some much appreciated rest at the lake.  It also gave Josh some time to work on our house.  He has worked steadily since July and has accomplished much.

He passed a couple of necessary inspections and has a date in October marked on the calendar where things need to be "livable" per our government.  He doesn't want to pay to renew our permits, so he's working as hard as he can to get things to the "livable" point.  I, for one, am thankful for the deadline.  He works well with a goal in mind. :)

July also brought some sad news.  Our dog, Tucker (he'll be 12 in November), has a tumor in his mouth.  While we know that he won't live much longer, it doesn't seem to be bothering him.  He drools much more than before, and Josh has to doctor his food so that it is softer.  He continues to be playful and has been enjoying all of the extra, extra walks with the girls.  We even had a photo shoot with him yesterday which consisted of him lying on his back time and time again as I tried to take pictures of him with the girls.  He just wanted to play, and the girls were getting a big kick out of it. 

On a positive note, volleyball started in July!  This has been the highlight of the summer for the girls.  Claire tried out for the volleyball team in May, and she found out on her birthday that she made it.  Poor Meredith really wanted to try out, but she'll need to wait until next year. :)  She is on the 4-6 grade training team, and that is whetting her appetite for now.  

August

With the unexpected schedule through April, May, and June, I wasn't quite as ready for school in August as I would have liked to have been.  The last couple of years, I have ordered all of our curriculum right after the end of school.  I would put away the old, organize the new, and be ready to plan in August.  Not this year.  We started a week ago today, and I still didn't feel as prepared as I would have liked.

Claire and Meredith actually both started some of their subjects without me during the two weeks before I was ready to begin.  You know it's bad when the students are more ready to start than the teacher.  They kind of kicked my rear end into gear. :)  I feel like I keep them accountable most of the time, but maybe the tables are beginning to turn.  

Volleyball games started this month which have forced me to be o.r.g.a.n.i.z.e.d. and prepped for meals.  I saw a fabulous idea on facebook to help with lunch prep, and we've been using that for the days when we have volleyball games.  It has worked nicely, and I've decided to serve our big meal for lunch on early volleyball game days instead of dinner.  So far, so good.  We'll see what September brings.  

August has also brought an unexpected desire for me to eat healthier, exercise regularly, go to bed earlier, and get up earlier.  I'm not sure I'm succeeding on all accounts, but I've definitely made some positive changes.  Unfortunately, I love cookies a little too much.  I know we've discussed this before.  Thankfully, my good friend, Deanna, makes these awesome healthy cookies.  She assures me that I can eat a lot of them, and I take comfort in that.  I don't argue.  I just eat the cookies and trust her words.  Pass me another healthy cookie, friend...  

We also FINALLY got internet back in our house.  Our phone and internet have been out all summer.  I kid you not...all.summer.long...since like May.  It's been a little weird and kind of nice, and I've become an expert at doing everything (but blogging) on my phone.  Blessing and a curse, I tell you.  We still don't have our phone in working order.  Maybe someday.  

September

September is going to be a busy volleyball month.  (Can you tell I'm totally turning into a volleyball mom?  Sorry that you're going to have to hear about it for the next 15 years if all of my girls decide to play.)  

Our co-op also starts in September, and I agreed to be in charge this year.  Sometimes I question my sanity, but I just had to take the reins.  My friend, Cari, was formerly in charge, and her husband had cancer a few years ago.  And she was donating a kidney this summer.  And she has six kids.  I told myself, "Your husband does not have cancer, you're not donating a kidney, you don't have a baby, you're not pregnant, and your youngest child is four.  What is your excuse?!!"  I had none.  I knew I could handle it.  And Deanna promised to help.  Thankfully, she's been a super-awesome assistant, and she's done almost all of the grunt work.  She makes me look good!

I hope September is treating all of you well.  I'm sorry if I don't tell you enough that I'm thankful to have you as my friends.  And if you were all here, I'd give you a hug...so instead, a virtual hug, right here.  Maybe I'll get caught up on reading blogs, but let's be honest and realistic...I probably won't.  I'll just pick up bits and pieces where I can.  If anything major has happened, just tell me.  Happy September to you, my friends!

on mothers day without photos

As I scrolled through my facebook feed, I saw photo after photo of my friends with their kiddos celebrating Mothers Day.  They were truly beautiful.  I, on the other hand, posted no photos of my children today.  I didn't have any.

I'll admit that I had good intentions to take my camera along with me today to snap a shot or two of my girls with their grandmas and maybe even one with me.  I mean, I had to speak in front of church this morning for a few minutes.  This means that I definitely wore make up, had my hair just right, and even wore a nice spring-y shirt.  In theory, it would have made for a nice photo.

But I dropped the ball.  My good intentions were put on the back burner as I remembered my print-out for church, the strawberry shortcake for dessert at my in-laws, and my church bag.  We were on time to church, and I didn't forget any of the essentials.  Phew!  That's really a major accomplishment in and of itself.

So, to all of you moms out there that didn't post photos of your kiddos today...consider this your pass.  You're a mom.  I know you had a million other things that consumed your mind today.  Whatever the case may be, it's okay.  You're good.  I didn't do it either.

And tomorrow, let's all band together and buy t-shirts that read: World's Okayest Mom

Who's with me?

Happy Mother's Day to the most okayest moms I know.  I love you all to pieces.