Our Daily Post from the Emerald Coast

Melted Crayon Art

2012-02-01T15:26:00.004-06:00

I first saw one of these about a year ago. It was on Etsy and was for sale for way more than I wanted to pay, but I thought it was Awesome! Now they are sweeping Pinterest and maybe the world. Today I made it mine.

It's a really easy, super cheap piece of art!

Mine cost about $8.

All you need is a 16x20 canvas, a 64 count box of crayons, a glue gun and a hair dryer!

I took out the browns, greys and blacks and sorted the rest into shades...

All glued on

Then you lean it up against a wall (covered with newspaper so it doesn't get splattered). Turn your hair dryer on high and hold it close to the crayons (about half way down). Move back and forth across the colors until you get the look you want.

I realized later I could have used the hair dryer down lower on the melted wax to make it run farther down if I'd wanted to.

I love it!

Since all these bright colors make me happy, I decided to add this verse

Go do it!

The Deck

2012-02-01T15:06:00.004-06:00

In just one week Andrew built us an amazing deck!! We sure know a good builder when we meet one... =)

Philip has been working on the design for this for quite a while. The upper deck is all that we had before, except that it was a hideous green color, was starting to rot, and had no way to get down to the yard! Philip and his dad tore that down a few weeks ago, and Andrew replaced it and added this huge lower deck (and three sets of stairs) to it!

Philip helped him for several days when he was home, and our neighbor, Phil, also came over and put in quite a few hours - great job, guys! =)

Andrew and the finished deck!

Looking down from the upper deck

Out the patio door, where the BBQ will be

So much space!

I think it's absolutely gorgeous!!

Fun Times

2012-01-30T19:34:00.004-06:00

Lots has been going on here lately, but not much of it has made it onto the blog!

Here we are at Dairy Queen on "Customer Appreciation Day" when Everything on the menu was 1/2 price! Woohoo!

Us girls

Daddy sneaking some of Moriah's Dilly bar

The boy's side of the table

Enjoying good stuff

Sleeping cherub

Sweet boy - 12 weeks old today!

This is a first - Keenan addressing valentine's for his class!

Caleb loves his bunny! (These are a tradition with our kids)

Andrew and Philip have made Great progress with the deck(s) and I think they will be done tomorrow! I am sooo excited!!

Random fact: I found out today when I took Spunky to the vet that her birthday is the same as Keenan's, March 10, 2007! Keenan is pretty excited about this! I have a feeling we may have to include her in the festivities when it's party time.. =)

Going's on

2012-01-25T13:00:00.002-06:00

It's been a while, so here's a few random snipits of what's going on in our house...

Caleb is continuing to get Bigger!

He really isn't old enough to use this yet, but when I put him in it the other day, he sat up so straight I Had to get a picture before I took him out! =)

I love this subway art I just bought on Etsy!

Goofy kids with their little bro

Andrew is here for a few weeks and hard at work on our new deck!

This makes me chuckle =)

Traveling with Kids - by Philip and Joia =)

2012-01-22T17:04:00.001-06:00

We are home, safe and sound! On Caleb’s first road trip, we logged over 2,500 miles, spent over 40 hours in the van, and he collected a new country, one province, and five new states! Not bad for an 11 week old. =)

My friend, Becky, asked if I’d do a post on traveling with young kids. Here it is. It is certainly not a “one size fits all”, but hopefully you will find it helpful.

* DVD player, useful but not to be depended on (choose DVD’s that won’t drive you crazy listening to them (we have a no repeat rule)

* Bring lots of snacks, drinks, (mostly water, so they drink to quench their thirst, not just for fun like they would with juice or soda…), toys, books, coloring supplies. I bring plastic cups to fill with snacks (goldfish, pretzels, etc) that they can put in their cup holders to minimize spills and crushing.

* Nap/quiet time in afternoon as you drive. We play kids music cds quietly during this time.

* Try to plan to drive less each day, so your kids don’t get burned out. The amount that you can max out at will depend on your family. Your and the kid’s tolerance will only Lessen as the days go by. =) We can usually do about 600 miles the first day. If you’re able to get a super early start, you may be able to do more. We have tried leaving at 4 am and hoping the kids would go back to sleep, but that hasn’t worked well for us. 8 is a good departure time for us.

* If you stop at a play place, have the kids play while you eat, then let them eat in the van as you drive.

* When approaching a stop, have the kids put their shoes, jackets on, etc so you can get out as soon as you stop to minimize wasted time.

* When kids ask how much longer, put your answer it terms of time they can understand. For example, we say, “It’s about as long as your Cars movie two times over…”

* Play games - Alphabet game, I Spy…

* When choosing hotels, we try to find one with a pool (something for the kids to look forward to, and a good way to have them burn off some pent up energy before bed (and a contintental breakfast, so we don’t have to make an additional stop before hitting the road in the morning). We don’t usually have a stopping place chosen or a hotel booked at the beginning of the day. We decide this as the day is getting to an end, and book something online.

* At rest areas, let them run wild for a few minutes to burn off some energy.

* Don’t stop for just one reason – combine bathroom/gas/food stops whenever possible

* Philip uses gasbuddy.com to find the cheapest gas close to our route as we’re traveling.

snow, Snow, SNOW!!!

2012-01-19T12:49:00.006-06:00

When we arrived in Ontario, it was rainy, and mild, just a smattering of melting snow here and there... the kids were pretty disappointed. Tuesday night it got colder and some flakes started to fall, and Wednesday morning, the ground was pretty much covered!

Keenan making snowballs

I love this one

Moriah much happier in this snow picture =)

The four of us (I wasn't too interested in bringing Caleb out in this)

Swinging on the tire swing in the snow

It was sooo cold!

Big pushes from Daddy

We were here!

Our boot prints =)

Moriah ready to throw a snowball

Happy about the snow!

Keenan throwing a snowball at Philip

...and getting one back =)

I Love my mitts!

Philip's snowball hurtling at me

Last night, Mark and Rebekah joined us, along with Rob and Ada for dinner and a fun night of laughter and a few rounds of what I call "Telephone Pictionary" =)

Uncle Mark lovin' on Caleb

Mark and Rebekah with Caleb and Joshua

Soup night!

The four grandsons

Moriah got a sweet kiss from Brayden =)

Rebekah and I

This morning it wasn't snowing at all. Then a few lazy flakes started to fall, which turned into a lot more Big flakes falling much faster (or rather blowing across the yard horizontally), and now we have accumulated several inches (or a foot or more where it has drifted), with no sign of stopping!

Keenan loved the amount of snow coming down!

A picture out the window of the library where we're using the internet

Goodbye Michigan, Hello Canada!

2012-01-19T12:33:00.003-06:00

On Tuesday morning, before heading across the border to Ontario, we stopped and had a visit and brunch with our great friends, Anthony and Melissa, in their new house! All of the kids had changed soo much, but they had a great time playing together.

Anthony and Melissa with Caleb

(We have quite a few pictures of them like this with Keenan when he was tiny!)

With their kids, Nino and Maddy (and baby due in July!)

All the kids (Nino was Not impressed!)

Melissa cuddling Caleb while he slept

I sooo wish we lived closer!

We got to my parent's house in the afternoon. They were pretty excited to meet Caleb for the first time!

My dad introducing himself to Caleb =)

My parents with him

That evening, we had dinner at my brother Rob and his wife Ada's house, along with some extended family who came to see us while we were in town.

Aunt Nora and Caleb

The kid's table at dinner

The rest of us

(We ate in the basement, so we could have enough space!)

The two dogs, Niki and Marley, watching us through the window =)

The Detroit Zoo

2012-01-16T20:59:00.011-06:00

* This post was ready several days ago, but somehow I forgot to post it, and since then we haven't had internet access*

We decided sort of last minute Monday morning to pack up and head to the zoo! It was chilly, but fun, and totally worth it!

We got to the penguin exhibit at feeding time!

Staying warm in my sock monkey hat =)

Inside the aviary

Next, butterfly house... The kids loved that the butterflies were just flying around us, freely.

Some shaggy camels

Walking through the zoo

At the polar bear exhibit

... with Aunt Mary

Aunt Mary, Bridget and Keenan

Our only polar bear sighting of the day =0/

Love this one

In the underwater tunnel below the polar bear/seal exhibits

The kids trying make handprints on the frozen wall

I left my hand there for a pretty long time, and mine hardly showed up!

Keenan had a great time, making snowballs and throwing them at all of us =)

Haha. Caption pending on this one, suggestions welcome. =)

It's nice to have a buddy to scratch those spots you just can't reach =)

Giraffe in the snow just seemed weird

Moriah "helping" Daddy pull the wagon

The meerkats cracked me up, sitting like this!

And... my Favorite...

How gorgeous!

Favorite picture of the day

"Wait, what?? There's a What behind me???"

This evening, we met up with Grandma Dooley, Aunt Patti, Angela and Joe for dinner...

Grandma's first time meeting Caleb (her seventh Great Grandchild)

The whole gang

Our passports arrived in the mail today - Woohoo! We can go to Canada tomorrow! =)

Snow and More Family

2012-01-16T20:22:00.006-06:00

There wasn't a lot of snow, but enough for the kids to have fun with! =) They bundled up and played out there for quite a while yesterday morning...

Moriah doesn't look too happy here - she had decided to come in, until...

Keenan offered to pull her on a sled

... and even backwards!

Happy girl!

Collecting snow

They (and Philip) also amused themselves with a ton of Hot Wheels race track in the basement...

One section...

... around the corner and up another set of stairs!

Caleb's first introduction to Lego

Last night we went to visit with and have dinner with Uncle Dennis and Aunt Mary. We had a Delicious dinner and a great time!

Lifting weights!

Caleb giving Keenan some smiles

The five of us with Uncle Dennis and Aunt Mary

With just the kids

First Road Trip of 2012

2012-01-15T10:43:00.005-06:00

We are in Michigan! We left home at 8:00 on Friday morning. At a gas stop several hours later, our battery died, and we had to get a jump (from a sweet old lady with a HUGE German Shepherd in the back seat... she left the door unlatched) =) Anyway, we ended up buying a new battery at Walmart after that (figuring we didn't want to risk getting stranded somewhere... especially as we got into colder and colder states). Thank you Lord for the heads up! =)

The littlest traveller

Goofs in the back

I LOVE road trips!

Busy coloring in the back

We had a great day of travel on Friday and made it 620 miles to Louisville, KY! The kids (especially Caleb) did great!

In the hotel pool

On Saturday, several hours into our drive, Philip realized that we had forgotten to bring our passports!

NOT. COOL. There was no way we could turn around at this point, and I desperately wanted us to be able to go to Canada and see my family!

We scrambled. I called Devin, had him pick up our house key from our neighbor, Myrtle, and then gave him instructions on how to locate our passports in the house. We texted him Aunt Mary's address and he got to the Post Office and got them expedited to us for Monday! Whew! What a relief! Thanks, Devin and thank you Lord for helping Philip remember before it was too late!

We arrived at Uncle Ty and Aunt Mary's at about 4:00 yesterday afternoon. The kids were thrilled to have snow!!

Taylor and Moriah having some hot chocolate (with the snow in the background)

Aunt Mary has the Best toys!!

I love Caleb's expression here!

Davis taking a beating (which he deserved)

Davis bench pressing Keenan

Taylor and I

The girls

Last night we went out to Doc's Sports Retreat for a goodbye party for Philip's cousin, Angela and her new husband, Joe, before they move to Virginia.

Caleb got passed around a LOT. =)

Caleb with Uncle Ron and Aunt Patti

Moriah and her buddy, Aunt Mary

Angela and Aunt Patti

Megan, Emma and Aunt Toni having some baby time

The couple of the hour

Ange and Joe with the kids (and Davis photo bombing in the background)

Don't know what photo bombing is? "The fine art of ruining other people's photographs" =)

Hahahaha!

Life With Moriah

2012-01-15T07:40:00.004-06:00

I decided to post a little about Moriah. I get to spend more one on one time with her these days, now that Keenan is in school three days a week, and she is just (for the most part) a joy to be with! =)

* She LOVES clothes (and changes her outfit an average of three times a day) =)

* She loves going in the shower and would take multiple showers a day if I let her!

* Even though they fight sometimes, she pretty much worships Keenan and wants to do Everything he does.

* She is a good little Mommy to all her dolls, and to Caleb as well.

* Almost every night, she takes a looong time to settle, she comes out to tell us "secrets" (it's usually the same one every night), she sings to herself, she tells her dolls stories (they are actually quite funny to listen to). The other night when Philip and I went in to kiss her before we went to bed, we found her asleep, snuggled up to the air freshener from the bathroom! What a goof! She also says the sweetest bedtime prayers. =)

* She loves to help me in the kitchen, especially if she gets to wear an apron.

* She often talks about growing up so she can be a Mommy with her own babies. A girl after my own heart! =)

* She is very helpful when I'm cleaning the house. She's good at putting things away for me, or for getting things for me that I need.

* She's a good (if not a little slow) eater, and will try almost anything, much more adventurous with food than Keenan.

* She Loves Spunky and will let Spunky lick her face whenever she wants. She can often be found snuggled up with Spunky on the couch.

* She loves everything pink... clothes, food, jewellry, Pinkalicious, Strawberry Shortcake, dress up dresses, pink, pink, Pink!!!

* She's a good little snuggler, which Philip especially loves. =)

* She is getting to be quite the little artist (I think from having Keenan to watch), and can actually make people that look like people (even if they might have the belly button on their face). =)

* She's a good combination of girly girl and tom boy. She loves having her nails painted, her hair done, and wearing Mommy's jewellry, but she also loves playing with cars, getting dirty in the back yard with Keenan and climbing on and jumping off of everything in sight!

That's our Moriah Joy, the spunky, loveable, silly, funny, cute three year old that lives in our house. =)

Being crazy on the trampoline

Hiding in the suitcase when I was packing for our trip

Fun with Papa

2012-01-10T21:22:00.004-06:00

Philip's dad left this morning. We were all sad to see him go, we had such a great visit!

The kids sure do like having Papa around... =)

Building with Moriah's pink Lego

Swingin'

I love how the kids are just a blur here =)

The kids decided to entertain themselves the other night by playing dress up:

Dr. Moriah

I'm not sure

Papa with the kids

... and Philip

Look at Caleb's smile!

Keenan asked Papa to color with him =)

What a great team!

Three generations battling it out over a game of Yahtzee!

Thanks for coming, Dad! We miss you already!

Caleb is Two Months Old!

2012-01-07T16:58:00.002-06:00

Here it is, January 7th and our littlest is two months old! Crazy...

At his two month appointment this week, he tipped the scales at 13.5 lbs! =) This kid doesn't miss a meal...

I think he looks so grown up in these jeans!

Sweet smile for the camera

It's hard work being two months old =)

(Oddly, even though this picture was taken today, I think it makes him look really small!)

Shrimp Boil Pics and Recipe!

2012-01-06T19:29:00.003-06:00

After the Christmas dinner shrimp boil at Josh and Rebekah's, I realized how Easy it was, and decided to do one while Dan is here! I decided to share the recipe below, in case there are some of you out there, who, like me, love shrimp but had no idea how easy it is to do a shrimp boil! =)

Check out that steam!

Yum!

I think this is a new tradition in our house - come visit the Emerald Coast and we'll do a shrimp boil for you! =)

What I love about this meal (other than it being super easy to prepare):

1. It's sooo good!

2. You just dump it on the table - no plates necessary.

3. It's fun, a great "social meal".

4. The clean up is a snap! You just roll the whole mess up and throw it in the trash!

Having a fresh seafood place a block away makes this super convenient and fairly cheap!

Old Bay Shrimp Boil Recipe:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Old Bay Seasoning

2 Tablespoons of salt

4 quarts (16 cups) of water

1 (12 ounce) can of beer (I didn't use this and it was still great)

8 medium red potatoes, cut in quarters

2 vidalia onions, cut in wedges

2 lbs smoked sausage, cut in 2 inch lengths

8 ears frozen corn on the cob, thawed

4 lbs large shrimp, in shells

Directions:

1. In an 8 quart stock pot, bring Old Bay, salt, beer and water to a boil.

2. Add potatoes and onions; cook over high heat for 8 minutes.

3. Add sausage, continue to cook on high for 5 minutes.

4. Add corn to pot: continue to boil for 7 minutes.

5. Add shrimp in shells; cook for 4 minutes.

6. Drain cooking liquid; pour contents of pot onto paper in the middle of the table.

7. Sprinkle with additional Old Bay if desired.

ENJOY!

Papa's Here!

2012-01-05T20:19:00.002-06:00

Philip's dad, Dan, is here for the weekend! We are so excited!

Here he is bonding with Caleb, his fourth grandson and sixth grandchild...

Caleb even gave him some smiles

Snuggling =)

Some Things I'm Excited About This Year!

2012-01-03T16:35:00.004-06:00

This new year, 2012, holds a lot of exciting things.. (and these are only the ones I KNOW about!)

Philip's Dad is coming to visit in the next week or so.

We are taking a (road) trip up to Michigan and Ontario to see our families and introduce Caleb in a couple weeks!

When we get back, my brother, Andrew is coming to visit/help out with some projects for three weeks.

Our friend, Melissa, will return from her six month deployment to Kuwait by the end of the month!

My friend, Wendi, (of the wifia, and the wildly popular blog, "Life in The..") will be in South Florida in February and March, and I am determined to see her!

My new niece or nephew will be born in May.

My brother, Andrew, is getting married to his fiance, Bethany, in June!

I'm going to lose all my baby weight, start running, and get fit!

I get to plan THREE kid's birthday parties this year!

I think that's all I know so far, but man... it's going to be a Great year! =)

Turkey Creek on a Summery December Day

2012-01-02T08:00:00.000-06:00

This first thing doesn't have anything to do with Turkey Creek, just a craft the kids and I did to fend off boredom...

Friday was a gorgeous day to go for a walk, so the kids and I headed to the Turkey Creek boardwalk...

A cool bird (heron?) we saw

Fun angle looking up at this tree

Love this raindrop I found sparkling in the sun!

This didn't turn out well since it was shooting into the sun, but here's all of us

Both bigger kids decided they wanted to ride, so I ended up pushing all three of them for a while!

Sitting in the sunshine on the dock

This is how Moriah walked for a while.. so sweet =)

Fun kids

Same bird at the end of our walk

Caleb snoozing in the fresh air

I love this, they were having so much fun!

Mattress shopping the other night...

Philip and Keenan trying one out

I told Philip that taking me (mom of a newborn and two young kids, who is constantly sleep deprived) wasn't going to be very helpful in picking out the right mattress, since they ALL felt great to me and I could have fallen asleep in minutes on any one of them! =)

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T12:30:00.007-06:00

We went to a small party at Josh and Rebekah's with good desserts, fun games and great company last night...

I made these Nila Turtle Cookie balls

Caleb smiling at his Daddy =)

Yum - isn't the cake Rebekah made gorgeous??

Hungry Hungry Hippos (doesn't Keenan look thrilled to be in the picture?)

Rebekah and I with "flat Melissa"

... who sprouted guns (thanks, Josh)

The awesome honey badger t-shirt we bought for Josh =)

Me and the little man

Hanging out on the deck before some fun games

Josh said, "For the next one, let's all look like we would if a bomb was going off"

Cheers

Clinking with Moriah

Me and my man

Happy 2012!

Big News in 2011

2011-12-31T16:46:00.029-06:00

It's that time again. Time to look back on the year. It has been a great one!

In short (sort of)...

January

We got Spunky!

Moriah got her first stitches =0/

Mom, Jeff and Isaac came to visit

February

Celebrated Keenan's birthday early

Valentines - An epic photo with Josh and Rebekah =)

Philip left for Afghanistan =(

I cut my hair!

March

Found out I was pregnant!

April

Went Strawberry picking

Went up to Canada/MI for a couple weeks

I spent a weekend in Colorado with my Wifia girls!

Easter in Michigan

Walked my friend Laura's 5K in London, On

Celebrated my birthday early with my family at a surprise party!

May

Celebrated my actual birthday (with another surprise party!) with friends

Thank you Devin and Melissa!

Set up our pool! Thank you Devin, Kyle and Phil!

June

Took a trip to Mexico with the kids for two weeks

I had a brief period of crazy etch a sketch fever

Father's Day - Philips Three kids =)

July

Keenan did swim lessons

... and the kids got super comfortable underwater!

August

My friend, Melissa, left for Kuwait =0/

Second trip to Merritt Island

Pregnant with my sister in law, Jessica =)

The kids got to see Papa!

On the way to Canada, we stopped in Ohio to see Grandma

With my whole family in Ontario

Keenan started school! (VPK)

September

My friend Laura came to visit (and fell in love with Spunky)

Philip sent me FIFTY roses for our anniversary

PHILIP CAME HOME (after seven and a half months)

October

My youngest brother Andrew, got engaged to Bethany!

Pumpkin Patch

Rebekah hosted a baby shower for me

Philip and I went away for a weekend

Halloween (ER doctor and Ladybug girl)

November

Farm Day (and me with a camel)

Caleb was born!!

Our new family of five!

My Grandpa Woodford went home to heaven

Thanksgiving/Christmas in Merritt Island

December

Moriah turned three

Christmas at home

New Year's Eve

Park and Cupcakes

2011-12-29T09:21:00.003-06:00

On Tuesday the kids and I got out of the house and headed to the Landing, one of our favorite parks that we hadn't been to in a while. It was chilly, but we dressed warmly and had a great time!

Keenan's mad climbing skills

The kids (and a new friend) with the Huge Christmas tree!

Down by the water

Cute kids

Me and my big kids

A friendly passerby offered to take this one for us

Checking out the water from a slightly safer position

This dude had a serious staring problem

Jus' me

Funny kids

Super goofy face

Cozy, sleeping monkey

I like how this looks like they're on the edge of the world =)

I love this one!

The kids were so well behaved the whole morning that I decided to take them to the little shop across the street, "Cupcakes by the Beach".

Decisions, decisions...

YUM!

(Salted Caramel, Milk and Cookies and Coconut)

This girl know hows to enjoy a cupcake!

I love this picture of fruit that Keenan made!

Grapes, Pineapple, Cherries and Blueberries =)

Trampoline hair!

Moriah's hair does pretty crazy things on the trampoline

Mine, not nearly so much

(I tried to learn how to do a flip on the trampoline this afternoon and just ended up feeling Very sick... hours later I still feel nauseous! I'm too old for this! =0/

It's a rough life being Spunky

Healthy video!

2011-12-28T22:05:00.001-06:00

This is a short, interesting video that's as fun to watch as it is beneficial...

Christmas Day

2011-12-26T18:01:00.007-06:00

We had a wonderful Christmas yesterday!

Family picture in Christmas pj's (Caleb is even smiling!)

Big siblings helping Caleb open the first gift

The cars Keenan got for Daddy

Caleb in his monkey hat from Moriah =)

Instead of putting a ton of gift pictures, I decided to just make collage pictures of each of us with a few of our gifts. (I don't really have pictures of Caleb with his stuff, so here's the other four of us:

Happy girl with lots of fun stuff, including her first (pink) lego

Keenan got some cool stuff too - we love the Lite Brite!

I LOVE the hat and mitts I got from Mark and Rebekah! (Blue tooth from Philip on the right)

If you know what Philip's shirt means without help, you're nerdier than I am!

(On the right is a rack for his military coins)

The video below is of one of Keenan's gifts - super cool, but you have to see it to get how it works:

The best part about this toy? I got it on clearance for $3.50!

Myrtle joined us for brunch after gifts. We love her so much!

Myrtle and "her grandkids" (she loved watching them play with their new toys)

Caleb in his fuzzy First Christmas outfit from Grandma Eberts

Sweet, silly, sleepy smile

We had Christmas dinner, "Florida style" (shrimp boil) with Josh and Rebekah and their kids last night.

Rebekah got a couple Bilibos for her boys for Christmas - they are such a universal toy! =)

... like super cool masks! =)

We are really just too awesome =)

YUM!!! (Our kids decided they like shrimp!)

...and more fun with the Bilibo... =)

Caleb liked it too!

We are very blessed in so many ways! Merry Christmas to all!

Merry Christmas 2011!

2011-12-25T05:00:00.000-06:00

From our goofy house to yours... May you have a Wonderful Christmas!

Christmas Eve

2011-12-24T22:06:00.010-06:00

It has been a very busy, but fun Christmas Eve in our house...

Caleb has gotten really smiley lately, which we've totally been enjoying!

The first one I caught on camera

With his big sister

Part of the kid's super long car train they made the other day =)

Caleb yawning with his new personalized lovey from Aunt Mary D.

Some of Keenan's Christmas artwork from school

(I admit the angel kind of freaks me out)

This morning, Philip made pigs in a blanket (and taught the kids how). They were soo yummy!

Mmmm...

We let them open their stockings this morning. They were sooo excited and appreciative of everything, even though some of the stuff was socks and underwear! So cute...

Excited to open them early!

Spunky got to open one of her gifts too =)

The kids and I decided to make and decorate sugar cookies for Myrtle and a couple new families on our street...

Putting the sugar on

Having so much fun!

My big helpers

So cute in their aprons

All ready to be packaged up

Caleb in his "elf accessories" from Aunt Mary P.

A highlight of the day was getting to do a Skype conference call with my family in Ontario and Mexico at the same time! The video didn't work out so well, but we did get to see most of them at least briefly! =)

This afternoon we went to church with Josh and Rebekah for the Christmas Eve candlelight service (my first ever!)

After church we headed (with Josh and Rebekah) to the house of some friends where a bunch of people (all also here for the holiday) from the residency were getting together for dinner. What a fun, delicious evening!

A Christmas kiss for Joel =)

Big smile

Joel, Moriah and Elise

Rebekah and I (love this girl!)

Caleb and Daddy

Haha, Moriah!

Bedtime story "God Gave us Christmas"

Well, I should get to bed... something tells me there will be some early "pitter patter of little feet" happening in the morning.. =)

Jeep Wrangler

2011-12-23T22:26:00.005-06:00

* We did figure out who the Jeep's "mystery giver" was, but due to their attempt at anonymity, I will not "out" them here*

(We LOVE it, and are so blessed to have such wonderful friends!)

After charging the battery for 18 hours, the Jeep was finally ready for it's "maiden voyage" with our kids this afternoon. =) They/we were soo excited!!

Fun angle

Moriah gets to drive!

So happy!

Top view

Once Philip made adjustments to switch the speed from "turtle" to "rabbit", this thing Really moves!!

Woohoo!

Very happy passenger

(or "customer" as Keenan calls the person in the non-driver seat)

Laughing all the way

In reverse

What is wrong with this picture??

Yes, the driver's hands are off the wheel, and his eyes are closed!!

Chasing Daddy =)

...then the tables turned...

...and He got caught! =)

Hands in the air!

Haha!

Sweet kiss

Recent December Happenings

2011-12-21T14:00:00.006-06:00

Here's my tardy blogging self...

We have been fairly busy, with all that December brings, but having a lot of fun!

A moose hat that was just too adorable not to get for Keenan =)

Caleb in a super cute camo outfit from my friend, Laura

He's "Major" Cutie

Moriah in a birthday outfit from my mom

(She made the skirt!)

Three goofy kids in pj's

School Christmas Program

Keenan's school had their Christmas program last Thursday. He was a shepherd (and a mighty cute one, if you ask me!)

He was on the opposite side of the stage from where we were, so it was hard to get good pictures

One of the many smiles and waves he shot our way during the program =)

Live Nativity

We took our kids to their first live nativity scene on Sunday. A church just a few minutes from our house had one, and it was really cute!

Eden: "Can I pet the donkey?"

Keenan: "It's not a Donkey, it's a Dog!"

It was a goat. =)

On the "hayride to Bethlehem" with a narrator telling the story as we went. Joseph and Mary are passing by in the background

The Shepherds

Mary and Joseph in the stable (with some cows)

The beautiful cross and luminaries at the end, telling of Christ's sacrifice for us all

Getting some fresh air while the rest of us jumped on the trampoline

My jolly little elf

A Surprise!

We woke up this morning to Keenan saying, "There's a car outside... with presents in it!" When we looked out our bedroom window... this brand new Barbie Jeep Wrangler was sitting there... with a Pinkalicious doll in it! There was no card and no note to let us know who it was from!

What an awesome gift from an unknown giver!!

(Still trying to solve the mystery, and find out where the missing battery is)

Our boys - I love how Keenan is holding Caleb's hand =)

The sleeper (from Philip's mom) says, "Grandma loves my chubby cheeks"

(How appropriate!)

Today is my friend, Rebekah's, birthday, so Philip (who is home today - woohoo!) babysat our two oldest and her two oldest, so she and I (and the babies) could go out for lunch with our friend, Nathalie. How awesome is he? =)

Major

Speaking of awesome, he got notice yesterday that he's been selected for Major, pretty exciting step in his military career!

Sparkling Dishes

A couple weeks ago, our (old and not that efficient) dishwasher bit the dust. Our new one was delivered on Monday and installed yesterday. We put the first load in it last night and were sooo excited this morning to open it up and find Sparkling, clean dishes inside! I had even given it some "tough" items (peanut butter covered stuff, and a sticky rice pot)... it passed with flying colors! Merry Christmas to my hands! =)

The weather is strangely warm here - about 75 and muggy today! Not very Christmassy!

THE doll stroller picture

2011-12-19T13:53:00.005-06:00

This doll stroller has been around for a while. By that, I mean... I got it for Christmas from my parents when I was 6! I look back on it (still) as my favorite Christmas present Ever as a child. =)

It has been fun for me to still have it around for my own kids to play with. With Keenan started a tradition of taking pictures of my own babies In it. (I Never would have imaged all those years ago that I would be doing this with this same stroller!)

Today was Caleb's turn:

He pretty much fills it up!

... and of course, all three of them:

Notice the babies keep getting older in the pictures... looks like with each kid, I forget until two weeks later than the previous one! =)

Moriah is THREE!

2011-12-17T22:36:00.009-06:00

How can our teeny tiny, baby girl be Three years old already??

With her new Strawberry Shortcake doll

(Wearing her Strawberry Shortcake dress from Grandma)

Striking a pose

Our sweet little girly girl

With her cute umbrella from Aunt Jessica

Peekaboo!

Being goofy

My favorite

One of Moriah's birthday requests was a trip to the park:

Climbing all by herself

Love this one!

Philip tickling Keenan on the slide

Does this seem like a bad idea to anyone else?

Underdoggie!

Throwing pinecones in the water

This shot totally seems like a celebrity at the beach one to me =)

For dinner, Moriah requested mac'n'cheese. =) Easy enough for me! I also made a cake..

It's so fun making girly things! =)

Singing time!

Blow!

The kids and I love doing ginger bread houses. We managed to snag the LAST one at Walmart yesterday morning (phew!)

Decorating their own sides

All sides

Finished product with the artists

Comparison pictures of Moriah on her three birthdays:

We love you so much, Moriah Joy! What a joy and a blessing you are to our family. =)

TOOO funny not to watch!

2011-12-16T20:27:00.002-06:00

My dad shared this video with me and I found it waaay too awesome not to share (on Facebook and here!) If you love the Halleluiah chorus - you've got to watch this, it's like you've never seen/heard it before! =)

The Post Pregnancy Jeans Shopping Trip

2011-12-14T15:05:00.004-06:00

This experience was so painful and draining that the only way to make something good out of it was to write it out and see if maybe it wasn’t that bad in hindsight…

It was time. Time to walk into a store and attempt to find some jeans that look somewhat normal, and that fit me somewhat normally, even though my body is far from normal...

Immediately after entering the store (Ross, for anyone who cares), I made myself hurry past the pretty “party” type dresses (that are gorgeous, but no one wants to see me in right now), and scan the store for the pants section. I see skirts, tops, jeans,… and “active bottoms”. Okay, if I HAD an “active bottom”, I wouldn’t be in the position I am right now (which is owning only two pairs of pants that even remotely fit, one is maternity). Sigh… I must press on.

I located the right section and quickly picked out four pairs of jeans, in a couple different sizes and headed for the change rooms. I was feeling fairly optimistic at this point, despite the fact that I had two kids and a double stroller to maneuver into the change rooms. Yay for handicapped changing stalls!

I (foolishly, but again, optimistically) decided to try on the smallest size first, thinking, “Hey, if this one fits, I don’t need to try the others and I’ll feel great about myself!” S-T-U-P-I-D. “Great” was not what I felt when None of the four pairs fit. Back into my pants, maneuvered the stroller out, handed the four pairs to the lady at the counter, who cheerfully said,”Goodbye!” Oh, if only I was done.

Amazingly Moriah was behaving really well and Caleb slept through the entire thing.

This time I resigned myself to moving up a few sizes in my search. While doing this, a perky skinnier than Barbie girl further up the aisle said, “Tada!” as she grabbed a pair of skinny jeans triumphantly off the rack. By “skinny”, I mean, may Arms wouldn’t fit in the pant legs (which may have more to do with my huge muscles. But, I digress), Seriously!?! Why do they let people like that shop with the general public?? I selected four more pairs and headed back in. Again, failure on all counts. Moriah, at this point has decided that she will be my “helpful” little cheering squad (maybe all the groans and sighs of exasperation clued her in to my unhappiness?) She said things like, “Oh, those ones are sooo cute!”, (as the waist is hugging my lower thighs and refusing to move any further North), or, “Yay! Those ones fit!” (ya, these are the ones I walked in wearing, thanks a lot).

Back out, handed the pants back, and hurried away to save the woman at the counter from scrambling for something encouraging to say.

Strike three and I’m outta here, I fumed.

Wanting desperately just to get one whole leg into a pair, I chose four more pairs in two even larger sizes and headed back for the final round.

Frustrated, but no longer stupid, I just tore the largest size (6 sizes bigger than what I normally wear) off the hanger and jam my leg in. My foot actually made contact with the floor through the pant leg – with room left! Woohoo! Success at last (if not more than a little tainted). I pulled them completely on and decided with satisfaction that they were in fact, too Big! Wow, I was wondering if I’d Ever think that again. I tried on the next pair (now only four sizes too big for my normal body), and they were well, as close to perfect as it’s gonna get this side of 2012. I was elated. That was a purchase I hope to say goodbye to very soon!

*This story is only slightly less depressing in hindsight =)

Christmas and Kids

2011-12-12T12:07:00.003-06:00

It sounds cliche to even ask, and yet part of me feels like I should already have it figured out, since this will be the fifth "kid Christmas" in our family.
How do you make Christmas meaningful for young children?
How do you teach them that it's about:

(Original artwork by Keenan)

I know my kids are young, but I'm also pretty sure that Keenan especially is old Enough to grasp this. He knows the Christmas story and we talk about it and they have covered it over and over at school and Sunday school with him. But yet, just now when I asked him, "What is Christmas about?", he said, "It's about getting presents". My heart sank. When I prodded him further, he said, "It's about celebrating God's birthday", but how can I cultivate a heart in him that thinks of this First, not second??

How do I bring up kids that think of others first at this time of year (and always)? Where does a "giving is better than receiving" attitude start?

We have involved the kids with picking out things for Operation Christmas Child, and they are well aware that these are for "children on the other side of the world who don't have anything". They've picked out little gifts at the store for each other, and Philip (and Spunky), so they know that giving to others is part of it too, but I still feel that I've failed them in some way.

My question is: How do You (or did you) make Christmas real to your kids? I'm not opposed to Santa and trees and presents and all of that, but how do you make the Gospel story that IS Christmas real and alive in your child's hearts? Comment away!

Family Trip to the Park

2011-12-11T21:31:00.007-06:00

Yesterday we took a chilly, but fun trip to the park on base. It was our first outdoor activity in a while, and the kids were sooo ready! I dressed Caleb up warm, and had him out of his seat at the park, but he never woke up! =)

I love this bunny suit!

I love this picture of Keenan

Yes, this good looking man is My husband =)

Our sweet girl

Oddly enough, he didn't sit up very well in this

Me and the little one

Caleb's first time on the swing!

Daddy and Riah climbing together

Keenan's got some rock climbing skills!

So does Moriah... with some help =)

Big smile!

Caleb is a Month Old!

2011-12-07T13:11:00.003-06:00

Time does fly! While I can't believe that Caleb has been in our home for a month, it definitely seems like (more than) a month since I was in labor with him!

At birth he weighed: 8 pounds, 11 ounces

At two weeks: 9 pounds, 8 ounces

At one month: 10 pounds, 15 ounces!

Rockin' his one adorable one month onesie from MOPS!

Another comparison picture - all our kids at one month

Biggest accomplishment: Rolling from his tummy to his back! (His sneaky way of getting out of tummy time).

Parade and Passport

2011-12-06T21:23:00.005-06:00

Yesterday, at the ripe old age of 28 days, Caleb had passport pictures done! This totally cracks me up, because this picture will be the one in his passport for the next Five years! =)

Here's me and my sleeping cherub. =) Is there anything sweeter than a baby on your chest?? I think not.

And yes, I know, I have the "I've been sleep deprived for a month" look in my eyes...

Last night we went to the FWB Santa Claus Parade. It was our fifth year going and was so much fun! The weather was perfect this year, not freezing like other years, and the kids were at perfect ages to really take it all in!

Apparently Moriah thought this was supposed to be a goofy picture =)

With their buds, Jade and Eden, waiting for the parade to start

Philip and Devin

Me 'n' my man (Yup, there's that sleepy look again..)

Waiting for the next candy throwing float to come by

Caleb (amazingly) slept most of the time, even with all the noise, but woke up for the last little bit

Me and 2/3 of my kids cuddling on the couch this evening

Caleb with a Beautiful baby blanket made for him by our neighbor, Phil's, friend (who I have not met!)

New Caleb Pics

2011-12-05T15:55:00.003-06:00

I figured the Grandmas might be itching for new pictures of Caleb, so here's some from today =)

He's getting to be quite the chunker!

...and more awake and alert all the time!

I LOVE this hat I borrowed from my friend, Rebekah! =)

Sweet little toes

Somebody snuck into the photo shoot...

... and that was just fine =)

I can't get enough of him!

Me and my baby boy

We're off to Caleb's first Christmas parade!

Moriah's Strawberry Shortcake Third Birthday Party

2011-12-03T20:01:00.007-06:00

Like we do every year, we had Moriah's birthday party a little early. Since her actual birthday is so close to Christmas, it just gets too busy for another party, so we have it at the beginning of the month.

She/I wanted a Strawberry Shortcake party this year, and it was sooo much fun to put together!

The Table of Strawberry Goodness

French Vanilla cupcakes (with cute, Free printable cupcake toppers)

My first attempt at cake pops

Wow, so cake pops take a lot more skill than I had anticipated! I have a lot of respect for people who do them well! Mine turned out looking a lot more like tomatoes to me than strawberries, and not nearly as smoothly covered as I had envisioned. =)

I got this for (early) Christmas from my sister in law, Jessica...

...so I'll just have to keep practicing!

Homemade play dough favors

(Packaged in Gerber baby food containers and topped with free printable tags!)

Super easy recipe at the end of this post

These were coloring pages I printed out, colored and mounted on scrapbook paper

The kid's table

(I had fun making the balloon balls!)

How Caleb spent most of the party

The gang

The birthday girl chowing down some pizza

I love this picture of her and Eden!

Philip and I with our sweet girl

Blowing out the candle

Keenan and Jade getting into the cake pops

Trying one of the cupcakes

Present time =)

Lots of help and onlookers

A fun book from the Storeys

Strawberry Shortcake car

An adorable apron she got from Whitney

Pinata time!

Philip and Caleb looking handsome in blue

Some adult muscle was finally needed to bust open the pinata =)

(Rebekah was happy to oblige)

Picking up the loot

Thank you to all our friends who joined us to celebrate, and for the sweet gifts as well!

* Playdough recipe:

1 cup of flour

1 cup of water

1/4 cup of salt

2 tsp. cream of tartar

1 tbsp vegetable oil

4 drops of food coloring

Mix all ingredients together in a pot. Stir (constantly) over medium heat until it forms into a ball. Dump out on wax paper. When cool, knead with your hands for a few minutes. Play with it!

... it's almost Party Time!

2011-12-02T15:21:00.007-06:00

Tomorrow is Moriah's 3rd birthday party (a couple weeks early), which will need a big post of it's own, so I figured I'd better catch up on the last week now!

Philip with the littlest Michigan fan during the game last Saturday

My sweet niece, Adilyn

Jeff and Erik with the HUGE Ohio State mascot during the game

(but it was not enough for Ohio to pull out a win)

Moriah with her doll and Strawberry Shortcake dress up dress from Grandma =)

Jess and I in our matching pj's with our babies =)

We also celebrated all the kids birthdays since they're all in the next couple of months:

Excited about the cake!

That's one full cake!

All the birthday kids

Jessica and Adilyn

Moriah opening one of her birthday presents

All six grandkids

Me with Adilyn

We had a WONDERFUL visit, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and birthday celebration with family!! We got back home on Monday and have been enjoying having Philip home (he has ten days of paternity leave right now). =)

Yesterday we went to Destin to do some running around and took pictures with the huge tree at Destin Commons:

A funny picture of our reflection in one of the Christmas balls

Philip and his big boy

... and his sweet girl

Moriah and I

All of my kids =)

Catch up to Thanksgiving

2011-11-26T09:27:00.004-06:00

Before I post pictures from here in Merritt Island, I'll do a quick catch up on the last few days at home:

This giraffe onesie is one of our favorites and one that we've taken pictures of all three of our newborns in!

Cuteness

On Tuesday, Moriah and I joined Keenan's class at school for a Thanksgiving picnic.

Indian Keenan with Moriah

His whole class (the women dressed up as the indian and the pilgrim are his teachers)

On Wednesday we had 101 one things to do before our trip. One of them was getting the oil in the van changed. We dropped the van off and walked over to DQ!

Happy kids with butterscotch Dilly Bars

After they finished, they colored for a while until it was time to go pick up the van - pretty fun and relaxing, actually!

Goings On

2011-11-22T08:05:00.003-06:00

I've been bad about blogging lately, I guess I've just been having too much fun learning how to parent three kids at the same time.. =)

Look at this awesome car seat blanket that Whitney made for Caleb!

My two oldest cuties being sweet

Moriah looking super cute on her way to MOPS

Caleb's first trip to Chick-fil-A!

My big helper

My handsome two week old!

A rare picture of he and I

Just chillin'

I successfully got his prints for his frame! =)

This is a pretty busy week for us, with Keenan's school Thanksgiving picnic, Caleb's two week check up, having a geo thermal heating system installed, and packing for our trip to Merritt Island this weekend. We are soo excited to be spending it with family and meeting baby Adilyn!

Caleb is gradually starting to sleep better at night. Philip and Keenan have currently switched beds - Keenan sleeps with me and Philip sleeps in Keenan's bed. Why? Because Keenan can sleep right on through Caleb crying when he waked up and Philip can't, so it works best for everyone. =) Philip Is looking forward to Caleb moving out of our room though, since he says our bed is Much more comfortable than Keenan's...

I asked Keenan this morning what he was thankful for and made a list (in his exact words):

God

My beautiful name =)

Our house

Spunky

Moses leading God's people out of Egypt (I love this one!)

Baby Caleb

My friends

Our fireplace

Mommy

Daddy

Moriah

Uncle Isaac - he's my best friend

Grandpa's Funeral

2011-11-19T08:36:00.002-06:00

Through the wonder of technology, I was able to "be at" my Grandpa's funeral yesterday via Skype! The video below is of my Dad and four brothers singing, "I Shall Know Him". Grandpa, when asked what he was looking forward to the most about heaven said, "I want to see Him First!"

Please Join Me in Prayer

2011-11-15T13:29:00.003-06:00

I just found out some prayer requests this morning through my MOPS group. Even though I don't know these people I feel very compelled to share their stories so that we as a body can lift them up.

The first is for the Haverard family. The mom delivered twins 2 weeks ago and just died of a heart attack. (I felt nauseous when I read this - I Cannot imagine!) They also have 3 older children, one of which is an 8 year old boy who is not showing any emotion yet about his mom's death. Our MOPS group is going to help out with their needs for the newborns, but please, please pray for this dear family!

The other is for a friend of my friend, Kelly. She was just diagnosed with luekemia, only weeks after finding out that her 4 year old has a brain tumor. They are both now being cared for in the same hospital. Please lift up this family also (I don't know any names here).

One Week Old!

2011-11-14T16:10:00.005-06:00

How is it that time creeps by so slowly while the baby is Inside, and then once they come out, it FLIES???

We have had our precious Caleb in our arms for a week already! Philip and I aren't getting much sleep yet, but Caleb is so sweet during the day that he knows we'll forgive him... =)

He and I yesterday on his due date!

We needed Out of the house today so we ran some errands and then went to the library with the Pennys...

Riding a killer whale!

This was followed by Wendy's on the trampoline! It was 75 and gorgeous out - perfect opportunity for us all to get some fresh air!

No bouncing while we eat!

Love this girl

Happy smile!

Keenan got one of Caleb and I

Big yawn!

... and back to sleep

Big sister on duty

Checking out his tiny toes

Love those eyes!

Tiny toes

There's a new doctor in the house =)

Sitting in the Boppy

... where he also sleeps since he's incredibly stuffed up =0/

Welcome Home, Wilf

2011-11-13T21:28:00.005-06:00

My Grandpa Wilf, (my dad's dad and my last living grandparent), went home to be with his Savior this afternoon. His health had fairly rapidly decreased over the past few months and weeks and he just wanted to go "home". That wish was granted today.

He was, number one, looking forward to seeing Jesus, and then I'm sure to be reunited with my Grandma, who went on ahead of him last year, as well as his daughter, Elizabeth, who died over 30 years ago.

What a legacy he has left behind. He was such a man of God, with a tender spirit, a great sense of humor and a kind heart. He is greatly missed, but we would never wish him back from where he is now.

The kids and I visiting him in April

Letting them play with his automatic chair

My last picture of him, August 2011

I love you Grandpa and look forward to seeing you again one day!

I am very sad to not be able to go up for the funeral. Philip doesn't think it's wise for Caleb and I to be flying only ten days after his birth.

Lovin' on Caleb

2011-11-12T22:01:00.004-06:00

We sure are loving the little guy that joined our family this week! Lots of snuggling pictures to come:

Cuddling their baby on our bed

I love how he's snuggled up to Keenan here

Moriah's turn

He looks so HUGE on her!

Funny face

Giving him his very first bottle! (He did great!)

Am I doing this right?

So happy to be helping!

Keenan drew this picture of Caleb - I love it!!

A bit of a smile in his sleep

Daddy giving him a bottle today

I realized I am in none of these pictures, but I sure have been spending a lot of time snuggling him myself... =) Will try get a family picture in the morning before church.

Home Life

2011-11-10T07:26:00.004-06:00

Things are going swimmingly here in our home. =) Caleb has found his own little niche in our family and we are loving it!

Here are a couple pictures from our time home:

The welcome home sign that Rebekah and Judah made us =)

Proud big siblings =)

Myrtle meeting Caleb

Moriah taking a turn

Spunky meeting Caleb (she is Very curious about him and is puzzled by all his strange little sounds) =)

Moriah and I took Caleb shopping at the mall yesterday, which we quite enjoyed but he slept right through. =)

I took him in to be weighed this morning. He had dropped to 8 lbs and is now back up to 8.6, no worries that this boy isn't eating enough! =)

Hospital Catch Up

2011-11-08T20:58:00.006-06:00

Here are a few more pictures from the hospital and a catch up how things have gone since Sunday night.

We had a regular Sunday, ending with small group and dinner at Josh and Rebekah's house. When we got home from their house and had the kids in bed (around 8), I started having contractions, which by 9, I was needing to breath through. I got in the shower, we called Devin and had dropped the kids off and headed to the hospital by 10:30. By this point, the contractions were a few minutes apart and Very painful. We checked in right before 11, I got my epidural around midnight (and felt Amazing!) My water broke (on it's own for the first time), and suddenly I was ready to go! After only five and a half hours from start to finish, we had our son in our arms after three pushes!

What a dream that labor and delivery were! =)

Chubby cheeked cherub

We have a baby with hair!

The kids opening their gifts "from Caleb" =)

Me with the world's sweetest big brother and sister

Cuddling my little man

Even though he weighs a full two pounds more than Moriah did, he still seems to tiny!

Heading home

All buckled in

Moriah was very curious about diaper changes, nursing etc. =)

I had really been looking forward to doing these before and after pictures and I'm really happy with how they turned out!

What a great little package to trade in the belly for!

We are home and have had the most amazing first evening together. Devin got us some amazing pizza from Papa Murphy's for dinner... the kids were stoked to have Caleb home (who slept most of the evening away so we were able to give special attention to Keenan and Moriah). The kids are in bed now, we are enjoying blizzards, and will probably hit the hay soon and see how our first night home with this little guy goes.

I am soo thankful to be feeling so great. I have virtually no pain to speak of and feel like my normal self! Blessed beyond belief...

Big Brother and Big Sister Visit

2011-11-07T21:04:00.003-06:00

Caleb Michael

2011-11-07T03:12:00.002-06:00

Here is the newest addition to our family! Caleb Michael was born at 0145 this morning.

Eyes wide open for a few minutes.

Proud Daddy! This time went much more quickly than the others.

Very happy Mommy!

8 lbs and 11 ounces! That's two more than Keenan, although Keenan decided to have his first BM prior to birth so in the future they may debaet who was really bigger at birth. Caleb is 20 inches long.

Time to try and get some sleep before the sun rises. I'm sure their will be more pictures later today after the big brother and sister come to visit! Thank you so much to Devin for taking them in the middle of the night.

Farm Day '11

2011-11-05T21:42:00.008-05:00

Today was a Gorgeous fall day - perfect weather for our FIFTH annual Farm Day!!

We started off the day with horseback riding...

Love the look on Keenan's face

What a pretty horse!

Happy and ready to go!

Moriah had to spread her legs pretty far to fit on this horse! =)

A wave for me before dismounting

Lookin' like a pro

Still all smiles at the end of her ride

One of the kid's favorite things was playing in the corn troughs

Wow! That's a big belly!

Sweet kiss for a girl with a dirty face =)

On the hay ride

I look Huge here! =)

Riah having fun

Don't try this at home

Delilah, the camel

The fuzziest cow I'd ever seen! (I think it was a miniature)

I always thought camels were kind of cranky, but this one didn't mind being pet at all!

Keenan trying to feed a tortoise

Close up

Here's the baby camel, Naomi

This picture makes me laugh =)

Check out the eyelashes on this thing!

Moriah petting it as it swung over her head

Keenan comes to say hi

Asleep before we'd been on the road for five minutes =)

Very pretty drive - doesn't look much like Florida, does it??

I thought all the walking around might make this little one want to come... not yet. Tomorrow starts week 39. =)

Powerful Song to Share

2011-11-04T07:40:00.002-05:00

I found this video by the same guy that sings "While I'm Waiting". This song is AWESOME!!

While I'm Waiting

2011-11-03T15:23:00.002-05:00

So, I'm sure many of you are wondering just Why I am so impatient about this baby making his/her arrival when I'm not even due yet, right?

I don't really know the answer to that myself. I think part of it was getting a "taste of having a baby come early" with Moriah, but the end of this pregnancy has also been Very different than with my other two. With them I felt great right up until I went into labor. With This one - I have had multiple "starts" that I was sure were IT! I have had (inconsistent but) painful contractions for several hours multiple times now, and I am just baffled... which time is going to be "the one"?

I was so sure I was going to have the baby on Tuesday (after contracting all night) that I took Spunky to the kennel... and just went back and picked her up this morning since nothing ended up happening. =)

I have a pretty thick head (I'm glad I can't hear you all shouting "Amen!"), and it has taken me quite a while to think this whole thing through and come around to the thought that, hmm... maybe the Lord is trying to tell me/teach me something through this period of "waiting".

Philip has encouraged me to just enjoy the "now" and these last days with Keenan and Moriah, and not rush into this new phase of life. I know he's right, but I've really struggled with my mind and body being Convinced of one thing, but letting my heart just rest in the Lord's will.

The song "While I'm Waiting" by John Waller (that I first heard on "Fireproof") has really been on my heart recently as time goes by without this baby. Am I going to waste this time, or am I going to use it to glorify Him?

Here's a video of the song:

Please just pray with me that I will thrive in this waiting time, not just survive.

Catchin' up to How'o'ween

2011-11-01T05:00:00.004-05:00

Here's a random collection of pictures from the past few days and from Halloween.

This is a painting Keenan did of me, with my big belly and the baby inside =)

Bedtime stories with Daddy (a favorite since his return)

Moriah hurt herself the other day and the only person she would let snuggle her was Keenan - it was beyond precious!!

We got to hang out with the Storey boys the other evening while Josh and Rebekah went out for dinner...

Moriah Loves holding baby Joel!

Judah and Moriah are good buddies =)

Okay, so she may be enjoying this hug a little more than he is =)

Joel slept quite comfortably on top of our baby (despite getting kicked a lot!)

The kids dressed up and we did a little trick or treating on base tonight. First we went to the hospital to pick up Philip, which was a perfect place to get some pictures of Dr. Keenan!

Watch out, I have an otoscope and I know how to use it!

Checking out his (grumpy) patient's ears

Happier with Daddy

(She's Ladybug girl)

Snacking on the way across base

Moriah's ride between houses

Trick or treat!

Maternity Shoot

2011-10-29T14:17:00.007-05:00

My friend, Rebekah, took some maternity pictures for me this morning (so now you can come, Baby!) * Thank you Rebekah W. for the boots! =)

Here are my favorites:

Melting Pot, etc.

2011-10-26T14:59:00.003-05:00

Last night some friends and I went to Ladies Night at Melting Pot again. As usual, a good time was had by all!

At Sandy's suggestion, I printed out a "Flat Melissa" (she's in Kuwait), so she could join in on the fun, too! =)

Johanna, Rebekah, Sandy, (Melissa), Nathalie, Me, Jennifer

Mel enjoying some fondue

Couple cute pics:

Moriah and Spunky napping on the couch

Keenan painted this picture of me - with my big belly and the baby inside =)