Just shy of the New Year

Good grief. I am a pathetic blogger. The month of December just passed with a blink of an eye. Busy! Busy! We had a great Christmas season and so much fun spending time with family. Friday night Greg and I had a little get-away for the whole night and into the morning, so relaxing. Then we started the festivties on Saturday night with the Juday family (picture to the left is the ladies, to the right is our men). On Sunday night we had a tiny Replogle Christmas so the kids could exchange gifts. On Monday morning my girlfriends and I had brunch and then we headed up to Michigan with the Replogle/Russell (greg's stepmoms gang) families for a week long bonding time at a cabin. The first full day there we just took it easy and then went tubing/sleding. The boys loved it. Then we left Tuesday night to come home for a bit to see my family. My nephew and niece dazzled us with their piano playing and singing (Greg even tickled with ivories for us) and of course it's never a get together without lots of laughs, good food and my kids crying. Here is a picture with all of my siblings...

Greg, Ron, Troy, Lee, Megan and Me

Wednesday morning we had a small "Snider" kids exchange and then spent the rest of the day with my parents and Aaron and Megan. Christmas Eve night Greg and I have this tradition of sitting in front of the Christmas tree with some sparkling grape juice, open each others gifts and then talk about the year we have been through (good and bad), what we want to change and improve on and talk all mooshy with each other. Christmas morning we got up and had the boys open gifts. We got them tracks and trains for their table. They were very, very excited! Then we headed back up to the cabin. After lunch we all went tubbing again. Much more fun this time because it had rained the day before and the hill was coated with ice. Awesome! It was so fast. I thought the boys would be afraid, but they loved it! That night after all the kids went to bed we had a gag gift exchange and then all played games for the rest of evening. Friday was mostly clean up and then we headed home. Totally exhausted and just today I finally cleaned my disaster of a house. And that, is why you haven't heard from me...

Model for a day

My friend, Brooke, and her brothers are in charge of the magazine, "Veils & Vows," and for their winter edition, that asked if I would like to be the model for the front cover. It was so much fun and nice to get all "fixed up." The dress was absolutely gorgeous and the setting was so beautiful. The first picture (which sorry, I don't have a scanner, so you get me taking a picture of the magazine)...is the cover and the second is one of the pages inside. I must say, it's a little weird seeing my face around town...and that I look tan...they must have worked hard on that:)

Lots to be thankful for!

We had quite the busy week of festivites for Thanksgiving. On Wednesday night we went to my parents for the whole shebang. Great food and hilarious company makes for a fun time - minus one very fussy blond little boy. The kids had a good time and during dinner the younger ones enjoyed being our waitress/waiters and getting us seconds and refills. Very cute! Here's a picture of Lee and I...I realized going through pictures that the last one of just him and me was probably in High School...well not that bad, but close:) Handsome, isn't he! Then on Thursday morning I needed to make some cookies for Greg's family cookie exchange (more details to come). Anyway, I stupidily trippled my batch thinking I needed that many, nope. I think I could have fed Africa with all the cookies I made. Nothing like having your oven on for six hours and your entire counter space in the kitchen filled with cookies! I didn't take a picture, no need to have to look at the memory - it is forever burned into my mind. After baking we went to Greg's parents for the evening. It was fun filled with yummy food, lots of playtime on the stairs for the kids, a card game (which of course, Darin, won), football and lots of laughter! We are so thankful to have two great families that we love and enjoy spending time with!

During the week we were so busy with putting up the Christmas tree and decorations and then cooking and cleaning to get ready to host the cookie exchange. Greg was such a great help and as I was sending him downstairs to get stuff, I noticed he was taking longer than necessary, and realized why when he came up wearing this...

That's right, ladies...he's all mine! Anyway, the cookie exchange went well and was so much fun. The kids were super excited and once people started to arrive, they took their posts to welcome the visitors! Darcy and I were in charge and we had some yummy food and a fun pictionary game. Then on Sunday, we crashed!

It's in my blood

Volleyball season as started back up again and oh, this almost 30 year old body is not bouncing back as quickly as I had hoped. I have played for years and love the game and once you have a whiff of full-out play, you can't go back! So I of course sacrifice my body at all costs for points and a victory...and let me tell ya, it hurts. This last week as I dove for a ball I slammed my knee pretty hard on the ground and didn't realized how bad until a few days later. It hurt to walk the next day, but then the following day I went to change and looked down at my knee and literally said, "holy crap"! So I have invested in some knee pads, I'm gonna look like a dork, but walking normal for the rest of my life out weighs looking goofy.

Thinking about being a dork has made me start thinking about some other areas of my life where I am a bit quirky and makes me think, am I normal or does everyone just laugh at me.

Did you know...

*That not only do I wear my heart on my sleeve, but my emotions on my face. Have you ever watched a movie with me. All you would have to do is watch my face through the whole thing and you would know exactly what was happening. The worst is a romance movie, I am either giggling, crying or have the silliest smirk on my face through the whole thing. I don't even realize I am doing it half the time!

*I can't stand hearing someone rub or squeeze a balloon. The sound makes me want to puke or rip my skin off. Then, knowing this weakness, I go on a mission trip to China to pass out Bibles...and the missionary we worked with, his mission was to go around making balloon animals for kids. Yep, it was a long 3 weeks!

*I love to rearrange furniture. Love it. Love it. Love it. After about a month I go crazy and have to move something around. And everytime I move something, I always say "this arragement" is my favorite. I think that the obession is because in our old house, it was so small, furniture could only fit one way. So now in this house, we have bigger rooms, which gives us more possibilities, which gives me fuel for my madness.

*I love veggie trays. Like if I was stranded on a desert island and you could pick three things to take, one of the things I would ask for is a veggie tray. If you ever come to my house for a meal, chances are pretty good, you're gonna get a veggie tray. I love fresh vegetables...but not a big fan of cooked. I can do about any veggie fresh, but warm it up and my taste buds frown!

*Greg and I are addicited to coke (the drink, ooops, that sounded horrible). Anyway, whenever Greg takes a sip he always hiccups afterwards. I had never, ever done this in my entire life...until I married Greg. Now I do it almost everytime I take a sip. Weird!

*I can't watch scary movies. It's seriously like I'm 5. If I do, I have nightmares and can't sleep well for a couple of nights. Greg of course monitors all of my entertainment watching because he is punished as well because I always have to wake him up after one of my bad dreams to pray with me and hold me until I can relax to sleep again. Usually I make him tell me stories about airplanes...that puts me to sleep pretty fast:)

*I love having a clean and organized house. But note that there is a backfire here. To me a clean house means that everything has it's place and and if it is not in it's spot, it's not clean to me. So if for example there is a pair of shoes out in the living room or dishes in the sink, or toys laying around...my house is not clean. Stay with me here...so that means my house is a mess a lot and if I think it is not clean, I give up and just make it more a mess until I go crazy and have to put everything back in it's place. Viscous cycle I tell you - Viscous!

Well, enough crazy for now...

Tag - I'm it!

The tag is to blog about your 4th picture in your 4th file...here ya go.

This is a picture of Jett two summers ago at a family reunion. This is his first experience in sand and to top it all off, it started to rain. Did he care? NO! I had one very muddy boy afterwards, but so worth it to see him have so much fun!

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While I have your attention, I might as well update you on a few more pictures.

Here are the boys on Halloween. We dressed the boys up as pilots. We had Captain Replogle and First Officer Replogle. They were pretty stinkin cute. I wish I had more pictures, but they did not cooperate much that day and this is all I got. Then my parents came the next day to bring over their treats and surprised us with their own costumes. Greg's family did it too, but I wasn't around to take a picture. Pretty funny!

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Greg was gone all last week and momma needed a break. So Grandpa and Grandma Replogle came over to play with the boys so I could get out. I made plans to go to my grandparents house for the evening and my mom came too. We had a nice dinner and then all watched a movie together. Very relaxing and fun! Usually I am only around them with the boys and my attention is all over the place, so it was so refreshing just to sit and talk and watch a movie without interruptions.

Cool...and yet a little weird!

So ever since Brayden was little, we have all noticed how much Brayden and my brother, Lee, look alike. I like to look back at Lee's baby pictures and see the similarities and of course, just seeing them next to each other is crazy, cool...and yet a little weird...mostly because he looks more like Lee, than either Greg or myself! Plus, I love this picture. I am just waiting for J-crew or Baby Gap to call me up wanting my gorgeous baby on their cover. Here is a picture of Jett the same age as Brayden is now (20 months)...you could get lost in those big blue eyes. I like to go back and see what Jett looked like at each step of Brayden's. See their sizes (bray's tummy grew out of this shirt at 12 months), looks, smiles, how they are familiar and different...sometimes they look just like each other and then the next month they looked totally different (minus the flashing red/orange hair and the out of control blond). Oh my sweet boys, how they capture my heart.

Weekend get-away

After weeks of waiting, it was finally here...our weekend get-away to see my sister, Megan, and her husband, Aaron! We left Thursday night and arrived around 1:00 a.m. - yes, you read it correctly. The boys were so excited when we got there and didn't understand why they had to go to bed and couldn't play with Uncle Aaron and Aunt Megan. We had a lazy day on Friday and so nice just to take it easy. The boys went to bed early and we got to hang out and talk all evening. Saturday we got up early and went to the playground, and I think I am just now beginning to feel my fingers again - the sacrifice we make for our kids...and nephews! Then after naps we went to a pumpkin patch farm and the boys had a blast. We went on a hayride, the boys rode behind a 4-wheeler in little wagons, they played in a huge box of corn, on a huge mound of dirt and then we did a sling-shot with gourds. That night the boys went to bed early again and we watched football and relaxed. On Sunday we went to their church and then after lunch the boys played in leaves and then we all went on a canoe ride. Then we packed up and headed home. The boys did great all weekend and slept all night. I know they will be talking about our full-filled trip for a long time to come! A few more pictures from the weekend...

Here is a little video of Jett that will make you giggle. Do you see monkey tucked into his coat. It is so funny and cute how much he loves his monkey. He carries him like this when we go outside so he doesn't lose him and that way he can keep him safe. What a cutie!

My welcome in Heaven has become that much sweeter

This year has been so difficult and emotional for us with Brayden's sleeping problems, health, stress and this fall has been the icing on the cake. In August we found out that we were pregnant with our third child, and although we were quite surprised, we were very excited. Then in the middle of September I started having some signs that things were not going well and on the 24th (being 9 weeks along), we found out through an ultrasound that the baby had not formed correctly and that I was starting to miscarry. So to make a very long story short...I tried to pass the baby naturally. We thought it was going well until I woke up last Wednesday with a lot of pelvic pain and found out through another ultrasound that I still had a "mass" that did not come out and a cyst on my right ovary. My doctor scheduled the DnC for that afternoon. The surgery went well, but recovery took awhile. I am feeling better and hopefully on the up and up and praying that the cyst goes down on it's own so I do not have to have another surgery. The pelvic pain is mostly gone, so I hope that is good news...I could use some:) Greg has been amazing, so helpful with the boys and so supportive for my physical and emotional needs - I am blessed! I know in my heart, that we will see the baby in Heaven, and so I know my welcome has become that much sweeter. My heart hurts, some days are better than others, but I know the baby is in the safest, most peaceful place and is being taken care of very well by the Lord and some very loving grandparents. Greg and I were talking about our rough year and how hard it's been and he said, "You know, I am not one for new year resolutions, but I am looking forward to 2009 and saying goodbye to 2008."

"And we know that in all things God works for the

good of those who love him, who have been called

according to his purpose."

Romans 8:28

You might go to the doctor too often if...

We had a good laugh tonight as we were talking about the last year and how often we have gone to the doctor. In the last three weeks we've been there at least six times and two separate times we went twice in one day. And I don't even want to start telling you about how many phone calls were made. So at the dinner table we came up with a list.

You might go to the doctor too often if...

*When you tell Jett that we are going to Goshen and he says, "To go see Dr. Haimes."

*You see your doctor more than your brother or sister.

*You inquire about getting a personal parking spot.

*When you call in all you have to say is, "Hi! This is Natalie!"

*You feel the need financially to ask for a hole-punch card, so the 10th visit is free.

*When sitting in the waiting area, the season dvd that they are showing of, Little House on the Prairie, you've seen the same episode twice in the last month.

*When all the fish in the tank are named and Jett knows immediately when there is a new fish.

*When your children know all the staff and which one holds all the candy.

*When the doctor and all the staff notice right away when I get a new haircut.

Hands Down...

I might have the cutest kids ever! A little biased, but I am pretty sure I'm right:)

"Mums" the word

Ah, tis the season for hot apple cider, hayrides, fall decorations, combines and tractors in the fields to keep my kids interested for hours, jeans and a nice warm sweater...and for me...the blooming of my beautiful mums. Two years ago I ordered a bunch of flowers from Spring Hill Nursery (find out about them to the right) and I have been so pleased. My favorite has been my enourmous and beautiful mums (I should have waited until they were all in full bloom and color to take the picture, there are absoluetly gorgeous). I have all of my flowers beds outlined with them and I get all excited when they start blooming.

It also helps that I have one great little boy whom loves to water the flowers. I still remember this day and how cute Jett was (picture to the top left). He was watering a little to much, I think I heard the flowers gurgling, so I told Jett, "Good job buddy, I think you're done, the flowers are getting full". Then he stops, leans over, and says, "I'm sorry flowers, did I make your tummy hurt".

Don't hate me because I'm lazy

Hey just shy of a month for blogging. It's been crazy with a capital "AAHHH" around here lately. I don't know if I am coming or going anymore:) I have had the best of intentions of sitting down for weeks to write, but my desire of sleep won out every time. Brayden has been a little stinker with sleeping again lately, so I roll out of bed in the morning begging God for strength and every chance I get, I sleep. One thing I have been meaning to blog about forever is the awesome goal the boys accomplished this summer with swimming. Neither of them are huge water fans, so we wanted them to not only get in the water without screaming, but actually enjoy it. So our goal was that by the end of the summer, they would be jumping off the pier into the water. So the weekend we closed up the cottage, they did it...we were so excited and so proud! We only had the chance to get Jett on video, but Brayden did a great job too. He loved it. Thought he was big stuff! Enjoy our yahoo moment.

Chi-Town escape

Over the weekend, Greg and I, went to Chicago for a little getaway. We took the train in on Friday morning and walked around the city, ate some yummy lunch, and then took a fat nap in our hotel room. Then we took the bus to the train station and took a train into Tinley Park for a concert. My cousin, Alyssa, and her friend, Meagan, came and picked us up and we went to see Counting Crows, Maroon 5 and Sara Bareilles. It was so much fun, it was outdoors at this awesome venue. It had been awhile since I had been to a non-christian concert, so my eyes were reopened to worldly living...and how pointless that lifestyle is...quite sad actually. I really liked Sara Bareilles and Maroon 5, very good and their bands were tight. BUT I could have gone without seeing Counting Crows. I didn't know any of their new songs and I am pretty sure the lead singer lit up before and was in happyland during the concert. At one point I looked over at Greg and said, "is this a concert or a drama", the dude was one sandwich short of a picnic. The next day we had a sweet and quite filling breakfast and then headed home on the train. It was so nice to do something - anything - without every few seconds says, "No," "Don't touch that," "Leave your brother alone," or "Do you need to go potty." It was very nice and couldn't have happened without Darcy, my mom and Lee and Becca. A big thanks goes out to Uncle Lee for enduring most of the time by himself and surviving the night with two very wide-eyed little boys. We owe you:)

Words from a toddler...

that make you giggle and capture your heart.

I can't believe how big Jett is getting. The picture to the left is him around 10 months and the one to the right is this summer. Time flys! Just the other day it really hit me about how quickly he is growing up and how we are starting to have real converstations together...and with those conversations come some really funny stuff out of his mouth. I am really working on writing these things down so that I don't forget, so here are a few that I will share.

Mommy: "Jarrett, what time did you wake up this morning?"

Jarrett: "Um, about 14 cents."

Mommy: "Jarrett, lets try wearing underwear today. Here put on these blue ones."

Jarrett: "Mommy, I need to wear the red underwear because they match my hair."

Jarrett: "Two mommies. I see two mommies!"

Mommy: Looking over at Jarrett to see his arms pointing at me and his eyes crossed looking ridiculously funny.

Mommy: Picking up Jett to give him a hug

Jarrett: "Mommy, I love you. Your the best"...and then gives me a kiss. Can you hear the string wrapping around my finger?

Mommy: "Jarrett, what are you thankful for?"

Jarrett: "I am thankful for my potty." WHAT! The potty that you kick and scream at when I try and get you to go to the bathroom. Crazy kid!

He definitly keeps life interesting!

Replogle Waterworld

Greg had quite the helper in washing the vehicles. Jett did so well. He just jumped right in with a sponge, scrubing the car and working hard until his fingers were prunes.

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Last weekend we took the boys up to the cottage to spend the day with family. Jarrett and his cousin, Bryce, are best buds and had a blast together. The weather was pretty yucky all day until about 8p.m, so we let the boys take a chilly swim before we left. Their teeth were chattering, their lips were blue and their arms were shaking, but when we asked if they wanted out...the answer was of course, "NO, I'm fine!" Here are a few pictures from our fun day...

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So today, Jett, asked after lunch if he could go wash his hands, so I told him to go to the bathroom. A little bit later I'm thinking, "this is not good, I haven't seen or heard him in about a minute." (yes, that is about the extent that I can let him out of my line of sight). As I am heading back to the bathroom I hear trickles of water, so I begin to run, already yelling, "Ah, Jett what are you doing," because I already know what I am about to see. Yep, a huge mound of bubbles with water running over the side of the sink all over the floor. He looks up with big eyes and says, "Mommy, I was making a mountain"...as if that made everything all better. What a stinker!

Fun filled Replogle day...plus one

Last friday we were so happy to have Adelyn with us all day. We were just planning on chilling at the house, but Greg had the whole day off, and we hadn't taken the boys anywhere all summer. So around lunch we decided that after naps we would go to the zoo and then to Chuck E Cheeses for dinner. We had such a great day and the kids couldn't have been better. The kids really liked the zoo and of course Brayden and Adie called every animal, "puppy". We got quite a few looks with the babies in the double stroller. Everyone thought that they were twins and came up to look at them and tell us that we had our hands full. My favorite was when someone mentioned how cute our twins were and Greg tells them that the boys are ours, but the girl is our niece...and then, like on cue, Adie turns around, puts her arms up to me and says, "Mommeeee". Hilarious! We took a nice 30 second train ride, Jarrett loved it, we were like, "Really. We just paid six bucks for that"! Afterwards we headed for dinner, we had our hands full, but it was fun. Jett loved all the games, Adie sat at a car wheel for about half an hour and Brayden loved the little slide. The only problem, which was really funny, was when we ran out of hands. We were helping Jett with skiball, and Adie would get up on the game, so we would get her down and then Bray would get up...little stinkers. Then as we are walking out I had Adie in the hand with my coke and the bag in the other one and I look down and she is sucking the pop out of my straw. It was a great day and it was so fun to have Adelyn spend it with us.