My Beautiful Day

Guess Who's Walking?!

2012-01-20T14:48:00.001-06:00

What We've Been Doing

2012-01-13T14:59:00.002-06:00

I won't lie, I really really REALLY wanted my first post of 2012 to be something amazing and significant and huge; but in trying to figure out specifically WHAT that amazingly significantly huge thing is going to be, I have let too many days pass. At this point, it's time just to get back on here and play the ever-so-common game of catch up! So, without further adieu, this is what we've been up to:

My boys held a fashion show with the most interesting fashions around ...

Ethan played peek-a-boo with me and gave me his most gorgeous smile!

We opened Christmas presents ...

... and modeled Christmas presents, too!

Monte and I got all dressed up and went to a Christmas party.

We celebrated Claire's birthday!

We celebrated Colin's birthday, too ...

... with a cake that had trick candles!

On top of all of that busyness, Ellis is currently in basketball and Claire is in speech, keeping us busy beyond the norm, but maybe I need to realize this is our new norm! :)

Coming back in full swing, soon! Until then, please let me know what you've been up to!

Through My Daughter's Eyes

2011-12-19T11:42:00.000-06:00

This past weekend we celebrated Christmas with my extended family. We had lots of food, lots of people and lots of noise radiating through our home! During our present exchange, I asked my amazing daughter, Claire, to capture some of the action on our camera. The pictures that she took weren't necessarily what I had intended, but they make me smile, nonetheless! I decided that I had to share our Christmas through my daughter's eyes:

Isn't it funny how the picture of her is the only one that's centered and the entire subject is captured? That's because my niece was operating the camera for that one!! :)

Not necessarily my best angle! :)

So, she certainly had her own unique way of photographing the event!! :) I just love that girl!

I couldn't resist sharing a couple of photos of Ethan enjoying his new Buzz Lightyear car! He just LOVES this gift - thanks Uncle Martin and Aunt Tanya!

Have you ever seen the movie "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation"? Well, I bet you didn't know that Uncle Eddie is a part of my family! We didn't know that, either, until he showed up:

Oh what a marvelous weekend it was! Lots of laughter and love and family ... and minimal fighting!! :) Hoping that your Christmas celebrations are amazing as well!

Weekend Recollection

2011-12-12T07:25:00.000-06:00

This past weekend was everything that I had dreamed it to be. All of my anticipations, excitement and thoughts about the weekend were met to the fullest. You see, this past Friday, my husband and I left our children in the incredibly capable hands of our favorite babysitter/nanny and we headed to the little town of Manhattan Beach, Minnesota.

Never heard of it? I hadn't either. However, this little town (and when I say little, I truly mean tiny) is the home of the Manhattan Beach Lodge, where my husband and I would spend the entire weekend celebrating our 3rd anniversary (which was this past Tuesday).

Image courtesy of mblodge.com

Our suite was amazing. The view over the lake was gorgeous. The food in their restaurant was divine (I had the prime rib ... twice!). The lodge, itself, was cute and quaint. Upon reading the history of the lodge, we came to learn that it has housed many varieties of people, from families on vacation to Hollywood's elite such as Bob Hope. The history of the lodge is really very awesome - you can read about it on their website.

Image courtesy of mblodge.com

The lodge is beautiful. Their restaurant is fabulous. The entire weekend away was completely wonderful! It is only about a half hour away from Brainerd, too, in case you want to get away and do a little shopping (which we did on Saturday - and boy oh boy was it crazy with all of the Christmas shoppers in the stores!).

We had a marvelous weekend away, but there still was nothing compared to the joy of coming home to all of our babies - their fighting and all! Getting away is great, but coming home is truly the best!

How We Roll

2011-12-09T13:08:00.003-06:00

We recently had our family pictures taken by the AMAZING Michelle Lund of Lund Studios. The picture taking itself went well, but we were beyond thrilled when we received the pictures! As we were looking through them, one picture in particular stood out to Monte and me:

This picture so perfectly captures every-day life in our family! While Monte and I may be focused on the task at hand, there's usually something going on among our children that keeps them distracted and preoccupied.

I love this photo. I mean I love, love, LOVE it. It so perfectly captures us just how we roll.

Giving With No Boundaries

2011-12-08T07:39:00.000-06:00

Each year for Christmas Monte and I buy the kids one big thing. We then give them the money to shop for everybody else in the family (with a price limit, of course!). This has been a wonderful way for us to teach them about giving and to turn the focus of Christmas from Santa (where it was a few years ago) to the miracle of Jesus' birth and to the greatness of giving instead of always wanting to get something.

This lesson has been nothing short of amazing.

So, last night, my three big boys (Iain, Ellis and Colin) and I headed out to do some Christmas shopping. We decided to settle on going to Dick's Sporting Goods, as that is a place that we all enjoy and can easily find things that we love. The boys knew who was on their list to shop for, and I was included on that list. They knew their price limit and I told them that I would do my best to not notice anything that they were buying for me (which didn't work out in the end, but that's okay!).

As we were walking through the store, Colin suddenly stops and says, "Kami, close your eyes, I want to show them something we should get for you." I immediately closed my eyes as he pointed out his treasured find to his older brothers. I could hear them stifling their giggles as they responded with, "uhhh ... Colin, um .. I think we don't have enough money for that!"

So Colin told me I could open my eyes and he insisted on showing me what he had chosen out for me:

Images courtesy of Dickssportinggoods.com

Yes, it's definitely true that my sweet, five-year-old Colin thought I would really enjoy a bright yellow sports bra and some tiny running shorts! What an amazing heart he has that he finds something he thinks is cool and has no qualms about wanting to buy it for me ... even when my baby pudge will stick out and look something awful while wearing it! :)

I, too, had to stifle my giggles when I replied by saying, "oh honey, it is really a nice gift, but I think the big boys are right ... you don't have enough money to buy it!"

Oh the things that boy says!

A Different Perspective

2011-12-07T10:13:00.000-06:00

I won't lie, normally the Christmas season has my head spinning. I almost always am feeling overwhelmed about everything: Did we get all the presents we needed to? When do we need to leave to make it on time to this celebration? Do all of our kids have dress clothes that fit them? Which Christmas Eve service are we going to at church? Do I have all of the food that I need? The list of things rolling through my head seems to go on and on and on (which, for the record, is VERY unusual for me, as I am one who's mind generally doesn't run on and on and on).

This year, though, something is different.

We don't have any less celebrations to attend (as we are hosting gatherings with my family, with a couple of Kelley's sisters and having our own celebration with our kids), we don't have any less presents to buy, we don't have any less children to properly clothe and we don't have any less food to prepare.

What's the deal?! Why am I not freaking out about this yet?!

This year I promised myself to start each day with some time talking to God. Granted, it's not been as successful as I had hoped, as my first thought when I wake up in the morning is not typically "Good Morning, Lord!" .... rather, it's more like "mmmmm hmmmph." However, I have taken the time to quiet my spirit and talk to God throughout the day. I am remembering to thank Him for the blessings we have and to focus my attention on the reason we celebrate Christmas.

Everything else seems to have just fallen into place, quite perfectly, I might add!

It's amazing how life works out when your priorities are where they should be. My prayer is that this doesn't just last through the Christmas season, but that Christ will remain my focus all year long.

There Once Was a Woman ...

2011-12-06T14:38:00.002-06:00

There once was a woman who fell in love with a man.

They spent time getting to know one another.

They spent hours on the phone, late into the night.

This man found himself also having fallen in love with that woman.

They spent time together, figuring out how to operate as a family with four kids in tow.

She loved him. He loved her. She loved his kids. They, too, loved her.

He proposed. She said yes.

They were married three years ago today.

And those three years have been the best three years of her life, and she's looking forward to many more to come!

Happy 3rd Anniversary, Monte! I love you more and more every single day.

Five Question Friday!

2011-12-02T08:39:00.001-06:00

I can't lie, it's been awhile since I've participated in this fun little blog party/blog hop (whatever you really want to call it!) on the correct day, but today is the day that I make up for that! YES! So, if you'd like to join in on the fun, visit Mama M's Blog and get your question party on! :)

1. What is your favorite Christmas decoration in your house?

I would have to say it's a tie. I love this crazy snowman that we always hang on the hook by our door. It's cute as pie (is pie even cute?!) and a little bit mismatched and odd, too! One of it's legs hangs longer than the other, and it rarely ever hangs exactly straight. I think that's what I like so much about it!

The other one that I really love is not really a decoration by us, but it is the assortment of Christmas cards that we hang on our kitchen cabinets (note that I didn't say "cupboards", honey?!). I love receiving Christmas cards from people and seeing how much their families have changed and grown through the year! My kitchen is rather jolly once we've got those cards hanging up (we only have three of them up right now, but it already feels pretty jolly!)!

2. Do you finish your Christmas shopping early or are you a last minute type?

I'm not as organized as I would like to be. Ideally, I would LOVE to start Christmas shopping in the summer or into early fall, but I truly usually leave it all for December. It's so hard when the things people like change so regularly!!

Maybe next year I'll be more organized. :) Probably not, though!

3. When do you turn on your heat?

I live in Minnesota where the weather is never predictable! Last week it was in the 50's! So, there is no set time. I think we turn it on once our house starts getting really cold! However, I am known as a "freeze baby" ... I'm always cold, so I'm highly encouraged to put on more layers and move around a bit more to keep warm!!! :)

4. Do you ever wish your blog was private?

I used to think that it would be nice to be able to vent things on my blog, but my perspective on that has changed. I would never want to have written record of an issue that I had with another person! I'm pretty quick to forgive (which is a total gift from God, by the way!) and don't like to rehash something that I've already gotten over, and I think that reading vent-ish posts on my own blog will cause rehashing.

So, all that to say: no, I don't wish my blog was private! :)

5. Do you put your deodorant on before of after you put on your shirt?

I used to think this was a total "duh" answer ... then I married Monte and I'm just mystified by the weird things he does! YES, I always always always put my deodorant on after I put my shirt on. In my mind it's just common sense - I don't have deodorant marks on my shirt and don't have to change my outfit (which, for the record, requires a LOT of time and thought!).

My dearest husband, however, he always puts his deodorant on BEFORE he puts his shirt on ... and he often has deodorant marks on his shirts!!! He doesn't care, though, because they're his "under shirts" and he's always got something on over them.

It still mystifies me! :)

Enjoying the Holidays Without Losing Your Mind

2011-12-01T18:56:00.002-06:00

Hospitality is totally my thing; I love having people in my home for big gatherings and huge meals. Naturally, when the Thanksgiving and Christmas season comes around, I am quick to jump at the opportunity of having many of these gatherings in my home or to help coordinate these gatherings in my extended family's homes. This is my absolute favorite time of year! It's a time for family to get together to enjoy meals, to play games, to have conversation, to relax, to be stressed out and to fight.

Wait ... what?! To be stressed out? To fight?

Unfortunately this has been known to be the case in the past. Having people I so dearly love under one roof for an extended period of time has been known to cause stress and fighting. Considering the fact that the holiday season is the very last place that I want to be fighting, my family came up with some ideas, and knowing how difficult it can be to make it through celebrating holidays with such a variety of personalities, I decided it is necessary for me to share two of them!

1. Know your limits and make them known.

This is something that my extended family started last year. While we love each other dearly, we are a group that tends to push each other's buttons a LOT (I'm talking heaping spoonfuls of A LOT here!). Can I let you in on a secret? I am one of those people who can only handle so much button pushing before I blow my top - and when it happens, it's extreme (I'm talking "Punch-my-older-brother-Tory-in-his-face" kind of extreme). Knowing this about myself, and knowing how easily my buttons are pushed by my siblings, we came up with a code word that everybody would shout out when things were getting too tense.

Initially, I thought this was a really weird idea, but it truly has made our gatherings and celebrations MUCH less stressful because using that code word is an easy way to say "You're pushing my limits, please stop now!" without making a tense or awkward situation.

Much better than, oh I don't know ... punching Tory in his face (don't worry, I apologized and we made amends and everything is better [considering this happened two years ago], but I still feel bad about it!)!

So .. knowing your limits, it's a really good idea!

2. Don't over-extend or over-commit yourself.

This is something that I'm known to be guilty of doing. I am often known as a "Yes-(wo)man", someone who wants to say "YES!" to everything anybody asks of me. This has always (not "sometimes" and not "often", but truly always) caused a lot of stress in my life. I love to attend gatherings and prepare desserts for dinners and host fancy parties - but I'm not able to do everything that I would like to do (especially during the holidays) and need to be able to know when to say 'No'!

With five kids in our home, it's not uncommon for me to have to schedule something a month or farther in advance - our schedule is already pretty crazy! Add on top of that all the different activities and parties going on during the holidays and you could lose your mind trying to get to everything. My rule of thumb for holiday gatherings and even things so simple as attending my MOPS meeting or going to a playdate, is to not book more than two events in one week. I know my limits and I know when the responsibility of managing a household and managing my social life need to be re-prioritized. Planning only two events during the week leaves me the flexibility to add things at my will. When I have more than two things on my schedule, I find that I wear myself thin and end up cancelling commitments because I am too worn out to attend.

I love flexibility in my schedule, but in order to maintain that flexibility I need to have some structure, and not over-extending or over-committing myself provides that!

Do you want some more suggestions and ideas to help you maintain that happy demeanor and joyful spirit during the holidays? Visit this post on BlogHer and get some of those awesome ideas rolling!

That's not all! BlogHer is hosting a $250 giveaway that you can enter here! I think we all could use some extra cash during the Christmas season, so hurry over and enter the sweepstakes!

Hopefully these tips will help you out as you are going through this season of celebration!

Thanksgiving Recap

2011-11-28T12:31:00.000-06:00

We had food ...

Lots of food ...

Couldn't capture all of the guests in one photo ...

But why not keep trying?! :)

My amazing husband and wonderful brother-in-law working on clean up!

Chris and Archit are "cleaning up" too! :)

My crazy beautiful niece!

My crazy beautiful baby!

My crazy beautiful daughter, niece and baby! :)

The day was wonderful, the food was amazing, my house was full ... as were our tummies! Since then, I have been enjoying leftovers - and all that remains of our 20lb turkey is just a couple of drumsticks! :)

How was your Thanksgiving?!

Five Question ... Wednesday?!

2011-11-23T08:50:00.002-06:00

For those of you who regularly participate in Mama M's blog hop, you might be wondering why I am choosing to do her Five Question Friday on a Wednesday?! Well, the reason is nothing other than I like the questions and I was too busy on Friday to do it! :) So, without further adieu, Five Question ~~Friday~~ Wednesday!

1. Do you have a go to song that always puts you in a good mood?

Not necessarily just one song, but rather a collection of artists that I used to listen to in High School ... Five Iron Frenzy, All Star United, Jars of Clay, D.C. Talk ... not that I don't like to listen to them now, but my music selection is usually chosen by what is playing on the Christian station on our satellite dish! :)

2. Are you a real Christmas tree kinda person or do you go with a real fake one?

I think if there were a tree farm around here where my family could go to together and choose out a tree and cut it down, I would be a real tree kind of girl. However, that just isn't an easy option where we are (and though it is an option, finding a decent tree is nearly impossible!). Given the fact that we are usually travelling at some point during the holidays, we are fully embracing our first year using an artificial tree that we were wonderfully blessed with from my sister's family (who has taken up the love of cutting their own tree!)! Plus, we won't have a million pine needles to clean out of our carpets this year!

3. What are you thankful for?

My loving Heavenly Father who sent his Son to save me. I couldn't imagine a bigger sacrifice or a bigger love. My amazing husband who has taught me so much about unconditional love. My five fabulous kids who continue to amaze and inspire me each and every day. My parents and siblings, whom I love more and more every single day. My friends who are teaching me about true friendships. My home: the roof over my head, the heat to keep me warm, the kitchen to cook in, the bed to sleep in. My LIFE! I am so incredibly blessed!

4. Which fashion fad from the past do you wish you could wear today?

Huge, beautiful dresses. How fun to be fancy all the time!

5. Do you wait until the "low fuel" light comes on before you fill up the gas tank?

Absolutely not! I can't stand it when I'm playing "gas tank roulette"! I usually fill up once I've gone below half a tank because you never know when you're going to need to jump in the truck and run an errand in a HURRY ... and having to stop and put gas in it just ruins that whole "hurrying" part of it! :)

My Cute Little Bumble Bee

2011-11-02T10:07:00.000-05:00

While I still feel very indifferent regarding celebrating Halloween (or maybe it's that I have yet to really establish what it is exactly that I feel), I couldn't resist putting Ethan in this cute little Bumble Bee costume that my big kids have formerly worn. Along with that, I shamelessly couldn't resist sharing these pictures with you:

While the costume didn't stay on him very long (due to his repeated attempts to eat it off of his face!), we thought he looked pretty adorable in it! We also caught a little video of him after the costume had come off and I thought you would enjoy seeing a little bit of this little love's personality ...

Untitled from Kami Rude on Vimeo.

Women of Faith

2011-10-24T13:28:00.000-05:00

This past weekend, I was blessed to have the opportunity to attend the Women of Faith Imagine Tour with friends and family, and it truly was a transforming weekend! We were awesomely blessed to have great seats on the floor, which was a surprise that came only a week before the conference when someone from WOF called to tell me that they had changed my seats from the second deck (can anybody say "nosebleeds"?!) to floor seating. Thank You God! :)

This is their jumbo-tron that hung directly above the stage.

The best thing about this Women of Faith conference is that I had the privilege of sharing it with people that I love! I was joined by my mom (Sharon), my step-sister (Angela), my sister (Tanya), my friend (Trish) and my sweet blogging friend (Kristin) and her mom (Kathy) who I was able to meet for the very first time in real life this weekend!

From left to right: Angela, mom (Sharon), Tanya, me, Trish, Kristin and Kathy.

The event started out with Sheila Walsh, who I have decided is absolutely my new best friend (though she isn't aware of this yet!)! She is so hilarious and she knows how to reach right to your heart with the message of God's amazing love. One of her first talks was about the importance of God's peace in our lives and my favorite quote from that talk was that "peace is not the absence of trouble, it is the presence of Christ." Talk about a powerful statement!

Sheila was followed by Dr. Henry Cloud who is easily my favorite Christian psychologist! He talked about the importance of happiness in our lives and how very intentional we have to be to choose happiness. He said that only 10% of our happiness comes from anything circumstantial. Holy cows! That means that 90% comes from within and from the choices I make. It really opened my eyes to the fact that I truly am responsible for the way I choose to feel and that it is my own decision whether or not to choose happiness. I chose to buy his book "The Law of Happiness" and I can't wait to dive in and read it!

We had several breaks where I actually remembered to stop and capture some pictures, too!

Me and my sweet friend, Trish.

This beautiful girl has been one of my blogging friends for a couple of years now and it is always an amazing blessing to see her! Jess, I can't wait until we can get together again! :)

Me and Jess during one of the breaks.

Kristin and me, happy to have finally met in person!

I really can't say enough about how much I love my step-sister, Angela. I feel so blessed every time that I get to hang out with her, and having her be part of this weekend was awesome! We enjoyed the conference and time at home, laughing all the way until pants were peed (not even kidding)!!!

My wonderful step-sister, Angela, and me.

One of my favorite parts of the entire weekend was when we heard from Nicole Johnson and Angie Smith. If you've never heard Angie's story before (and I hadn't), you need to find her blog because her story will blow you away. I'm almost certain that there was not one single dry eye at the XCel Energy Center as she shared the story that changed her entire life. She shared her beautiful heart and the way that life unfairly swept one of her greatest blessings from her. It was such a phenomenal story that impacted and changed my life forever.

We also had the privilege of hearing Natalie Grant perform during the conference. She is one of my favorite artists and her concert was nothing short of amazing!

Natalie Grant performing at Women of Faith.

Again, during the breaks, I took time to snap a few pictures with my sweet friends. It was awesome to see how many women that I knew had attended and to touch base with them!

There are never enough opportunities to hug my sweet Jess!

Even with only 50 seconds before the next session, we were determined to make a picture happen! This one is me, Jess and Kristin on Saturday afternoon.

One of the people who we were able to see is my friend Melissa. I was so thrilled to see her! How we came to know each other is a bit interesting, but we have maintained a friendship since she photographed my wedding almost three years ago! She is an amazing woman with a very purely beautiful heart and I love her completely!

Melissa and me during another break!

Me, Kristin and Melissa catching up during break.

I came out of this weekend with the realization that I have a lot of areas of my heart where I have been holding hurts and God is asking me to allow Him to heal them. I learned the importance of being very intentional about my relationships (friendships) and the extreme importance of living every moment fully! It was a weekend of eye opening growth for me and is something that I absolutely plan on attending again next year!

Thank You, God, for this amazing opportunity of growth. May my eyes never leave Yours and may my heart always desire to seek more of You.

Not For the Weak Stomached

2011-09-15T20:38:00.000-05:00

Consider my title a forewarning - this post is filled with grossness! :)

For as long as I can remember I have had a problem with vomit. Problem is putting it lightly. If I hear it, smell it, see it .. well, that usually results in me producing it. I've dealt with it from my kids and gotten myself elbow deep to clean it up - not because I wanted to, but because I was the only adult available to clean it. Regardless, I don't like it!!!

So today, I was getting Ethan dressed and ready for the day. Immediately afterward, I picked him up and held him over my head and was giggling with him when it happened. As he was looking downward at me and I was looking upward at him he puked. Not only did he puke, but because I was talking to him, the puke landed in my mouth!!!

I promptly set him on the floor, grabbed a baby wipe (or ten!) and proceeded to try to clean my mouth. Thankfully, the mama in me kicked in and I took the time to wipe him up, as some of it landed on him, too. Once he was cleaned, I went to the bathroom in search of the mouth wash and rinsed my mouth many, many, MANY times!

Not the greatest way to start my day, but it was definitely a first in my mommy moments!!

A Peek Into My Home: Ethan's Room

2011-09-14T15:04:00.001-05:00

Imagine, if you will, a peaceful retreat. One place that you can go to get away from the insanity of life. One stop for silence. I have this peaceful retreat inside my home, only it's not somewhere you would normally think of to fulfill this description; you see, my peaceful hide-away is my baby's bedroom! I can't deny, though, that looking into the room from the doorway tempts me to sit and let the cares of this life fly away as I rock back and forth in this most comfortable chair:

As I sit in this chair, I smile as I think of all the times that I have played with Ethan in here! Looking to my left, I see his dresser and changing table and just have to giggle when I think of how frequently he tries to pull down the wall hanging every single time that I am changing his diaper!

As I look to my right, I see his beautiful crib - his place of rest. I love the blue and brown combination in this room, and his crib and wall hangings tie it together perfectly! My favorite, though, are the letters spelling out his name on the wall, entirely because my sister went through the process of painting those for Ethan, and I totally appreciate the heart that she put into this gift!

So, while it may not always be a haven for me, right now this is still one of my favorite rooms in our home - so I'm thrilled to have been able to share it with you! :)
P.S. I apologize for the lack of updating - we've been super busy around here and have lots to share ... but when time allows, which is NOT now! :)

What We've Been Doing

2011-08-11T11:49:00.000-05:00

This summer we've been ...

Drawing on the sidewalks ...

Chasing snapping turtles out of our garage ...

Giving Colin the freedom to dress himself ...

Giggling as we catch our babysitter (Claire) asleep with Ethan ...

Changed lots and lots of diapers ...

Gone shopping (yes, that sign behind me actually IS accurate!) ...

Played with Ethan in a box ...

Dressed up for church ...

Snuggled with our brothers ...

Hosted dinner parties galore ...

Participated in lots and lots of goofyness ...

And got caught loving on my honey!

It's certainly been a busy summer in our house! How is your summer going?

A Peek Into My Home: The Balcony

2011-08-05T08:45:00.000-05:00

I'm starting a new feature on my blog which I'm titling "A Peek Into My Home". You see, there are so many aspects about my home that I just love and I want to be able to share these places with you. So, grab a cup of coffee and enjoy some time with me as we begin a tour of my home, starting with our balcony.

Right off of our master bedroom are these beautiful french doors that lead out to a private retreat where Ethan is happily playing!

Ethan also enjoys seeing his reflection in the glass of the french doors! :)

There are two chairs and a table out there, as to sit and enjoy the view of the lake and the sounds of the woods while sipping on a beverage of choice.

One side of our balcony is empty, holding limitless possibilities as to what to put there (perhaps a comfortable chaise lounge?!).

The balcony is a haven, a place to relax with friends or family ... or (for our boys) to be shirtless, just like dad!

The reason that my first home feature is my balcony is due to the fact that it was recently cleaned. Before this cleaning (which took me two-and-a-half hours!) our balcony was covered with spider webs, fallen leaves and other debris from our recent storm (which also took out one of our apple trees) and was just generally dirty and somewhere that you didn't want to go. We are typically hesitant to spend much time cleaning or enjoying the balcony, due to the fact that it is so close to the woods, which in turn causes hords of mosquitoes to attack as promptly as they can and also causes all of the dirtyness to encompass our balcony in a hurry. However, our next project is to screen in the balcony so that this cleanliness can be enjoyed in a bug-free zone as often as we choose to go out there for a sweet escape!

I can hardly wait!

Pending the arrival of our screen (which we ordered online), we will be making this a no-bug retreat, taking this beautiful balcony and allowing it to continually be the haven of which it was intended to be!

Won't you come enjoy a cup of coffee with me on the balcony once it's complete?! :)

Shopping Carts

2011-08-01T09:54:00.000-05:00

I often wonder what goes through people's minds in relation to the shopping carts that they use. Yesterday was a prime example of why I am so curious. Claire, Ethan and I went to Costco to pick up some much needed groceries. Upon arriving, we parked at the end of the parking lot - entirely because someone had abandoned their cart there and I decided we were going to use it.

I got out of the truck and grabbed the cart, only to realize that whomever had previously used it decided that it was a good trash can and left behind muffin wrappers, a plastic spoon and a leaf of some sort (which I'm guessing is from some produce that was purchased). Ew. So, I picked it all up and handed it to Claire to hold for a minute while I loaded Ethan and all of his gear into the cart. I took the trash back from her and we proceeded into the store (where I stopped at the trash can right outside of the store and deposited said trash).

We did our shopping and all went well, with the exception of the fact that Ethan was a little bit crabby (ever since we went on vacation his sleep schedule seems to be a little bit off and he does not nap at the times that he used to, so he was very tired). We paid for our items, loaded them up and headed back out to our truck. Upon walking out there, I was amazed at the sheer lazyness of people! There were shopping carts abandoned two parking spaces away from the cart return. There were shopping carts left in the grass islands of the parking lot. There were some that were in the middle of the driving lanes (in the parking lot), some filled with trash (much like the one we originally took) and truly only about five that were actually in the cart return (and I had been watching, there was not someone who had recently cleaned out the return, as that was the same number and location of carts as what was in there when we went into the store).

Yes, I know I'm a little bit anal, a little too much of a Type A personality - but for real?! How difficult is it to walk the extra 10 feet to bring your cart to where it belongs? Or how difficult is it to throw your trash away in the trash cans provided right outside the door upon leaving the store?

I just don't get it! I've never been one to abandon a cart in the middle of the parking lot, or anywhere but the cart return for that matter! So, I look around and simply wonder, have we really become this lazy?

I sure hope that's not the reason.

From the Cabin to the Emergency Room and Everything In-Between

2011-07-18T21:05:00.000-05:00

To say that this has been an eventful beginning to our vacation is COMPLETELY an understatement. It has been crazy! This past Friday, we packed up our stuff in the Suburban, gave our garage door opener to our house-sitter and headed down the road toward our vacation destination: Dent, MN (in case you weren't aware, Dent is a truly podink little town not far from the podink little town where I grew up).

Actually, that isn't completely true. On Friday, we headed to my mom's house in Ottertail, then on Sunday we came to our vacation destination in Dent. I stand self-corrected.

Regardless, between Friday and now things have been crazy. We have gone to my grandma's 89th birthday party, done a lot of fishing and swimming in the lake, I went to Detroit Lakes and had my hair done by a long time friend (and I really love it!), we've prepared, eaten and cleaned up from meals, spent time talking and playing cards, and took one very scary trip to the Emergency Room.

Today (our second official day at the cabin we've rented near Dent), Monte was making dinner and I was feeding Ethan when we heard a very loud crash. Unsure of what it was, I went running toward the sound, only to find the bathroom door locked (the bathroom was the source of the crash). After some time of telling whomever was in the bathroom to open the door, Ellis finally came out. I asked him what the sound was, and he just wandered past me and went and laid down on his bed. Monte and I both followed him in there, trying to figure out what on earth had happened. It wasn't until Ellis turned around and faced us that we noticed the enormous goose egg that was rapidly growing on his head.

It took us awhile to get the story from him, but somehow he had slipped and hit his head on the bathroom floor. Considering the fact that the goose egg was continuing to grow, Monte and I decided that it was a good idea to take him in to get checked. Since I am more familiar with the area, we decided that I should take him in. The drive there was very tough on both of us, as I couldn't stand seeing him in so much pain (and slight confusion), and he was just truly so flustered and was not feeling well at all. I sped all the way there (going about 80mph in a 55mph zone) and prayed non-stop all the way there! When we arrived at the Emergency Room we waited TWENTY MINUTES for the lady at the desk to go through registration with us. I was beyond floored, but thankfully I remembered to keep my cool and we got through it without me making a scene!

We were brought back and the doctor immediately entered and began asking questions and examining Ellis. After about 10 minutes of questions and exam, the doctor concluded that Ellis likely has just suffered a concussion.

I've never in my life been so happy to hear that someone has a concussion as I was at that moment! It was such a relief to know that he is going to be fine and that he can continue to enjoy our vacation and he can still fish (which was his biggest concern). I'm sure he won't be thrilled with his dad and I waking him up every few hours tonight to make sure that he's okay (and neither will his brother, Iain, who is sharing a room with him!), but I guarantee you that he is beyond thrilled to know that he is going to be just fine!

The best part of the entire trip to the ER, however, is the fact that the nurse working there tonight is the mom of one of my friends and a woman whom I have known for a long time. It was such a blessing to my heart to have a familiar face there when I was feeling so completely nervous!

So now, I'm sitting here in the cabin as Ethan is sound asleep in our room, just waiting for Monte and the rest of the kids to come back from fishing, and I can't help but to thank God for His protection over my son today. This was my first ever trip to the Emergency Room with Ellis since I became his step-mom two-and-a-half years ago, and this trip solidified what I already knew in my heart: I love that boy as if he were my own son and I am eternally grateful to God for the blessing of him and his siblings!

God truly is good ALL the time!

Last Chance!!

2011-06-30T16:08:00.000-05:00

Hurry hurry hurry! Today is the last day to enter to win the $100 gift card to Dick's Sporting Goods (giveaway sponsored by BlogHer and Dick's Sporting Goods). Go to my review blog to enter before it's too late!!

A "Getting To Happy" Review

2011-06-27T10:16:00.000-05:00

I just finished my book review of Terry McMillian's "Getting to Happy". Make sure to visit my review here and tell me what you think!

Answers and Updates

2011-06-15T10:52:00.000-05:00

It feels like it has been a very long journey, but in reality it lasted only a mere month before we received our answer. My darling baby boy is now fever free, and I'm still having a hard time believing the cause. According to blood tests that were done, Ethan has a "very severe peanut allergy" (those words being a direct quote from his doctor). I couldn't fathom how a peanut allergy could be causing his fevers, especially considering the fact that he isn't old enough to eat anything but baby food!

Once we took extreme steps to contain the peanuts in our home (those steps being making sure that the counter is wiped down each and every time my kids make a peanut butter sandwich on them, making sure that the kids wash their hands and brush their teeth any time they eat peanut butter, making sure we only wipe Ethan with clean paper towels instead of a wash rag, etc), his fevers have gone away completely! I found it really hard to believe, and really hard to grasp. How on earth are we going to adjust to keeping a peanut-free bubble around our baby? Peanut Butter truly is a staple in our home, so this question is one that I don't yet know the answer to, but yet I do know that God is giving me peace that this isn't something that I need to be afraid of, but rather it is something that I need to again completely trust Him with and something that I need to leave at His feet.

So I am.

I know that this is in God's hands and that He is in control, and that's all that matters.

The great thing is, since we've been more careful about keeping the peanuts contained, we've seen a lot more of these beautiful smiles on my little guy's face!

There are very few things that make this mama as happy as seeing those smiles, so life is really really great!

Beyond these newfound allergies, life around our house has been busy and crazy and I'm loving every minute of it! Claire and I were able to sneak away to the Wisconsin Dells for a weekend with a bunch of her girlfriends and their moms. We had a blast at the water park and wore ourselves down to exhaustion, which in turn means that the weekend was phenomenal!

While we were gone, the boys got their summer haircuts. Monte captured it on camera and sent a couple of photos to me, one which I just can't stop laughing at:

Don't worry, Colin didn't really give them their haircuts (Monte did it), but he sure likes to pretend that he did! :)

In the midst of all of our busy, Monte and I have had a few opportunities to sneak away for date nights, and we fully take advantage of it when we can! I love our summer date nights because we almost always do the exact same thing: pick up sandwiches at Subway and take our boat out on the lake and fish. It's a fabulous time that we get to spend together and we love this newfound tradition! Here are a few pictures of our last date night on the lake. Monte caught the first fish ...

... but I caught the biggest fish!

Yes, that is Monte holding the fish that I caught. I don't hold or touch fish, partly because I'm allergic to them, but mostly because I think it's really gross! Thankfully my husband is amazing and doesn't mind taking care of those things for me!

So, things around here are busy, but that's nothing new and it's fully the way we like it!

$100 Could Be Yours ...

2011-06-09T19:14:00.000-05:00

Do you ever shop here?

(Image courtesy of Google Images)

We shop at Dick's Sporting Goods a lot ... I mean a LOT a lot. What could make your shopping experience even better? How about a $100 Visa Gift Card (good for anywhere that Visa is accepted, including Dick's Sporting Goods!). BlogHer and Dick's Sporting Goods have teamed up to give away this gift card. Visit my review blog to enter!

99 Bottles

2011-06-06T08:39:00.000-05:00

This past weekend was a really really LONG one. You see, my husband was out of town on a fishing trip with some of his guy friends. This left me home alone with five fabulous kids (which I truly am not complaining about - I gave Monte the go-ahead to schedule the trip!).

The catch? My baby is STILL sick. It all started almost three weeks ago. He was running a low-grade fever at his six-month appointment, so he never got his vaccinations. The problem is that the low-grade fevers have not stopped. I think, of the past three weeks, he has had a total of 36 hours of being fever-free. It has been a hard road for my little guy and for his mama! So, on Friday, I made an appointment to have him seen at his doctor's office yet again. Talk about hard appointments to get through, this one was the worst! They had to use a catheter on him to collect a urine sample (which he did NOT like one bit!). They also had to draw some blood from him to do testing. What I did not expect, however, is just how hard it would be for them to find a useable vein on such a little guy. After a poke in his right arm and a poke in his left arm, they finally got what they needed by a poke in his left hand. I kid you not, this was the most miserable thing I think I've been through in ages. I had to hold him down on the table as he screamed and kicked and cried and stared at me with those BIG sad eyes. I felt like a horrible mama! Thank God that babies don't remember those type of things!

After his appointment, I brought him home where he fell instantly asleep (and slept for a couple of hours, which is really unusual for my 45-minute napper!). I fell instantly into tears, as I had been holding back all of my emotions from the appointment.

That evening I had a girlfriend of mine and her daughter over for dinner. We visited, I comforted my sad baby boy, the kids played. It was a great night.

Saturday morning, however, I woke up to a different tune. Ethan woke up crabby (which is really unusual for him), my kids were fighting and I was beginning to feel stressed and felt a little like the walls were closing in on me. I made a last-minute decision (after talking to my mom) that we were packing up our things and going to stay at her house for the night!

We left our house at about 11:30am, making a couple of stops along the way, and arrived at my mom's house a little after 3:00pm. The kids and I unpacked, then the boys headed straight to the dock to do some fishing. Mom got home from work shortly thereafter and we visited for awhile. We headed to Zorbaz (a local pizza and mexican restaurant that we all love!) for dinner with some long-time family friends. We came back to my mom's house and the boys fished some more. Mom and Claire made cookies. We called everybody in and watched the movie "What About Bob?". It was hilarious (and has always been one of my mom's favorites)! After the movie, everybody tried to get some sleep (though I didn't sleep so very well that night).

Sunday morning I was up bright and early with Ethan (around 6:00am) and tried my best to keep him quiet until everybody else woke up around 7:30am! We ate breakfast, the boys fished, Colin played with Papa Bob (who had come home from his daughter's house late the night before). We visited and tried to keep Ethan happy, though he was pretty crabby with me, as I had denied him his morning nap in hopes that he would sleep on our journey home. We had lunch, then packed up our stuff and headed home to allow enough time for the boys to run around before their soccer game and to allow us to get home right around the same time Monte did.

The drive home was difficult! I made the little boys sleep on the first part of the ride, but when I looked in my rearview mirror, I realized that ALL of the boys had fallen asleep! We stopped half-way home to get some snacks. Ethan cried a little ways down the road after that, so I stopped again to make him a bottle, which Ellis fed to him. We kept getting closer and closer to home and the kids kept getting goofier and goofier. I'm certain that this was too much time in the car for them. They played silly car games. We sang "99 Bottles of Milk on the Wall". It took 22 minutes (17 miles following a slow car) to sing the entire song. They told weird jokes, started poking and hitting each other and I knew I was in for it if I didn't get them home soon! Thankfully, at this point, home was really close.

Upon arrival, we all piled out and the kids went running (literally)! They helped to unload and clean the truck and then scampered off to play. Monte was already home, so after greeting him with a much anticipated kiss, he took Ethan from me and went to change his diaper and feed him. Aaahhh yes, the amazingness that comes with being a parenting team! :)

The rest of the night was low-key, filled with yard work and car washing. We came inside, put the kids to bed and intended to fall asleep ourselves, but then we heard Ethan's cries. Monte went and got him from his crib. We checked his diaper (it was clean), we tried to give him a bottle (he didn't want it), we gave him medicine (which he fought, and he normally doesn't), I swaddled him and tried to sing to him, but his cries just wouldn't stop. So, I took him out to our rocking chair, swaddled and crying, and held him close and rocked him and sang praise songs. Eventually, he settled down and just stared at me and listened to me sing. His eyes began drooping, slowly he fell asleep again. I put him back into bed around 11:00pm. I was exhausted.

... and he woke me up bright and early at 6:45am today. He was crabby (which is unusual for him in the mornings!). He was clearly uncomfortable. And again, he was running a temperature. I'm so tired of this! So I gave him some medicine again this morning (which I'm also tired of, as I know it can't be good for him to be relying on Tylenol), and he's now peacefully resting in his swing as a "Baby Einstein" DVD plays next to him. Please pray for him. I should know the results of his blood tests today, and I'm just praying that we find some answers and he can be back on the road to being his happy, giggling, sweet baby self again.

Please, Lord. Please.

----
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Sporting Goods are VERY Good!

2011-06-01T11:20:00.000-05:00

We love sporting goods stores. I'm not kidding, we love them. Whether we're looking for equipment for softball, soccer or baseball, or just searching out some new fishing gear, we always have a great time in a sporting goods store!

You can, too! BlogHer and Gatorade are sponsoring a giveaway on my review blog. The prize? A $100 Gift Card to Dick's Sporting Goods. I think we could all use a little more sports equipment in our lives!

Don't wait, visit my review blog to enter!!

Spontaneity at its Best

2011-05-16T07:53:00.000-05:00

We planned it on Monday. Or maybe it was Tuesday. Regardless, we planned this trip earlier in the week and somehow managed to keep it a secret from most of our family and friends. We lined up a babysitter. We lined up a flight. We finally found what we've been slowly searching for and made the decision to pursue.

Saturday morning my alarm went off at 3:30am. Considering the fact that the prior night was a night of interrupted sleep for me (due to my sweet baby deciding that the middle of the night was a good time to want to eat and play!), I was not too thrilled with the timing of my waking.

I dragged my tired butt out of bed and got ready for the day. At 4:30am, completely ready to go, I went and woke baby (since he had already been "complaining" a little bit for the past hour). Changed his diaper. Fed him a bottle. Cuddled him back to sleep. I was still holding him when Holly (our babysitter) arrived at our house at 4:50am (what a wonderfully sweet thing for her to agree to arrive at our home that early!). I put Ethan back in his crib and kissed him goodnight.

I gave Holly instructions for the day, made myself a cup of coffee and followed hubby out the door. We drove to the airport, making really great time (but I suppose I should have expected that at 5:00 on a Saturday morning!). We parked, checked in and made it through security in a relatively short amount of time. We decided earlier that week, when purchasing our tickets, that we were going to fly first-class, as I had never been a first-class passenger, and the up-charge was only $15 per ticket. Ironically enough, we discovered upon check-in that first-class passengers don't get charged for checking bags (though we had no bags to check, the screens on the check-in kiosk informed us that there is no charge for the first two bags); if this is the case for all flights then we may just be flying first-class more frequently!

Flying first-class also gave us the option to budge in the head of the line at the security check point. Who knew?! So, we got through the checkpoint and then headed to the first bakery that I sighted to get some breakfast. It was yummy!

After breakfast, we found our gate and eventually boarded our plane. The flight was bumpy, as predicted, but efficient. Upon arrival in Chicago, we called the gentleman who was picking us up, met up with him and began our half-hour drive to the dealership.

Dealership? What are they dealing that we would fly all the way to Chicago to purchase? Why, cars of course! You see, with the continual rise of gas prices, Monte and I have been discussing for awhile that it would be a good idea for us to purchase a commuter car. We both drive SUVs (as it is required in order to fit all five of our kiddos inside and still not be a mini-van driver). They both get really awful gas mileage (I'm talking 14-16 MPG on the highway). NOT conducive to saving money. Since both of our SUVs are paid off, we decided that it doesn't make sense to trade either of them (as we wouldn't get anything near what they are worth, and, if one of us happens to take an SUV and leave the other one at home with the five kids, then the other one doesn't get to leave the home EVER, as you can't legally travel with six people in a five passenger car). So, we set a price limit that we would spend with some of the money we had saved, and we set out to find a car.

We test drove some in our local area and we really weren't finding what we were looking for. So Monte expanded his search and sent me a link to this vehicle at the beginning of last week. It was a bit above our price range, but had a LOT less miles than anything that we had been looking at (as it had only 46,XXX miles!). Upon contacting the dealer and finding that the car really was the thing that Monte had been dreaming of, we made the decision to go ahead with purchasing.

Back to the long-winded story.

Upon arrival at the dealership Monte examined the car and I waited inside (it was COLD outside!). He came in, signed a bunch of paperwork and we were off!

Our road trip home was amazing. We left Chicago around 9:00 or 9:30 in the morning and didn't arrive back home in Minnesota until 7:30 in the evening. We made many stops for restroom breaks, snacks and lunch. We made a few stops just to stretch our legs and make me a little less stir-crazy (it was a long trip!). We hit an awful construction zone in Wisconsin that delayed us by almost two hours. However, among all of that, we thoroughly enjoyed our road trip ... and we averaged 29 MPG on the way home - which made both of us absolutely elated! We had to stop and fill with gas twice - once in Chicago and once in Wisconsin, so very close to the Minnesota border. It was so wonderfully amazing to drive a vehicle that didn't cost over $100 to fill the tank. Who would've thought, in this economy, that THAT was possible (I tease, I tease)?!?!

So, after a very long trip, we have our commuter car. I'm going to clean it out later today, scrub the carpeting and such. We're going to enjoy the car, just as we enjoy our SUVs.

For us, this trip was entirely spontaneity at its best!

Currently Unavailable

2011-05-13T13:55:00.000-05:00

I just tried to log into Blogger, as I haven’t posted an update to my blog in awhile. Upon clicking the link, I received a message stating “Blogger is currently unavailable. We apologize for this interruption in service.”

So, here I am, writing out this blog post in Word with the intent to post it when Blogger becomes available again. The irony of Blogger's unavailability is the fact that I feel like that could be MY status message lately.

“Kami is currently unavailable. She apologizes for the interruption in one-on-one time.”

Life has been BUSY. In a home with five children, this is never a new thing. In the spring, however, our normal busy takes on a whole new level. This spring Claire has been in softball, Iain has been in baseball and soccer, and Ellis has been in soccer. To say that keeping up with our sports schedule can be overwhelming is a huge UNDERstatement. Getting our kids to and from practices and games, arranging rides with other families when we have one too many things on the schedule, trying to feed them a nutritious meal before they leave the house (which almost never happens!), and trying to do that all while maintaining the eating and sleeping schedule of my five-year-old and my baby, well that’s just what life is about for us right now!

Coming from a woman who is used to having her kids home every night, having dinner at a specific time and enjoying family time together every day, this schedule is starting to wear on me!

The more I think about how I'm handling my schedule, the more I realize that I'm handling it all wrong. Yes, I get my kids to their sports on time and either Monte or I are almost always there to watch their games. The wrongdoing that I'm speaking of is my own doing: I have become so wrapped up in my own schedule and so wrapped up in getting everything "just right" that I have made myself Currently Unavailable to the One who brings peace into our hectic lives.

I have told God that I don't have time.

The irony in this is that I really DO have time. Between feeding Ethan and reading "Star Wars" books to Colin, there is down time every afternoon. Down time that used to be consumed with time in my Bible, time in prayer and communication to my Savior. Now I'm feeling so stretched that I have taken that time as down time for myself.

More irony. When you take God, the source of peace, out of your life, your down time is not so relaxing.

Lord, I'm sorry that once again I've tried to manage my family on my own. I know that I need Your strength and Your love to move through me in order to be the wife and mother that You intended for me to be. Please forgive me for leaving You behind and help me to take that step toward a right relationship with You again. I love You, Lord.

Pink Eye

2011-05-04T11:01:00.000-05:00

Pink eye has attacked my little guy ...

... and he's not happy about it one bit!

When It Rains

2011-05-02T09:25:00.000-05:00

... Monte and I are probably there!

It all started in December of 2008, on our honeymoon. We were on the island of Kaua'i, in Hawaii. We were to spend eight or nine (I honestly don't remember) glorious days in our oceanfront cottage, enjoying the sunshine, catching the tourist sites and enjoying the beginning of our married life. Day one was beautiful and we spent it on Poipu beach, catching those beautiful rays. Days two through the end of our trip we experienced torrential rainfall and the island of Kaua'i began flooding. We had to leave our beachside cottage and fly to the island of Oahu, Hawaii in hopes of leaving the rain and finding the sun (and in hopes of not being stranded on Kaua'i!). The flooding truly was that bad! However, upon arrival in Oahu, we realized that we had not yet escaped the rain. We spent many days of our honeymoon going out and visiting the tourist sites that Oahu has to offer, and we enjoyed them all in the continuous rain. Thankfully, God blessed us with one very sunny day the day before we had to fly home. So out of our eight or nine days in Hawaii, only two of them involved sunshine!

Fast forward to this past April. We decided to take a vacation, just the two of us, to San Diego, California. We were planning on enjoying five fabulous days in the sun, away from the snow that was continuing to plague Minnesota, and away from the chaos that our schedule currently holds. When we landed in San Diego, however, it was raining.

It continued to rain throughout the week.

Thankfully, God smiled on us and allowed half-days of sunshine to peek through here and there, and we did both come home sufficiently sunburned! I must admit, though, that the rain definitely put a damper on our plans to not do any touristy stuff and spend the entire time lounging at our poolside or on the beach, which was a mere block away from our hotel. Thankfully, we found some touristy stuff to do on the days that it was raining, including renting a car for the day to tour Coronado Island. We also got to enjoy some time with my cousin, Jill, who lives in San Diego (and who I haven't seen in about 10 years!), which was truly a blast!

All in all, I do believe that we really enjoyed our vacation ... but I really am starting to believe that maybe it's Monte and me that bring the rain! ;)

Me and Monte enjoying the sunshine on Coronado Island.

How Do You Stay Pure in a Sex Driven Society?

2011-04-13T11:40:00.002-05:00

First and foremost, let me warn you that this is going to be a brutally open and honest post, so if you can't handle some intimate details about my life, please leave now, as your negative comments are not wanted.

Can I be honest with you? Looking around our sex-driven society, I have a hard time knowing what direction to turn in raising my beautiful teenage daughter. I want to encourage her so much to dive deep into her relationship with God and to let Him be the one who fills her soul and fulfills her every desire. I want to teach her to truly guard her heart, her body and her purity. Yet I look back over my own life and wonder if the ways that I have screwed up will cause me to not be credible enough to her, or if they will really help her to see how much I desire for her to wait.

Let me explain.

There are days when I wish I could rewind time. If I could, I would go back and truly listen to the advice that my mom gave me, as it likely would have helped to steer me more clearly in the path I was intended to go.

I have previously mentioned that I have known that I wanted to be a wife and a mom since I was nine-years-old. As you can probably imagine, this meant my husband search began at the ripe age of 14. I was certain that I knew exactly what I was doing, as I had a list of criteria that my future mate had to meet. Number one on that list was that he had to be a Christian. I'm honestly not sure if that was on my list for me, or if it was on there for my family; after all, they would never approve of me dating someone who wasn't a Christian (not to mention the fact that they would never approve of me dating at all at age 14!). Beyond number one, I really don't know what else was on that list. It was probably something like he would have to be a good provider, love kids ... oh, and he would have to be good-looking. That one was essential. *wink, wink*

Yes, at 14-years-old, I had life figured out. So when I found my first boyfriend and was "dating" him at 15-years-old (and by this I mean we had the "title" of boyfriend and girlfriend, and saw each other at school and church, but that was it, as I was not allowed to date that young), I assumed that we were definitely on the right path. He was a Christian (a pastor's son, even!) and I just knew that we wanted all of the same things out of life. Yes indeed, this was the guy I was going to marry. We would write letters to each other talking about our future, when we were going to be married and how many kids we were going to have. We wanted to go into ministry together. It was beautiful.

We dated off-and-on for two-and-a-half years. The "beautiful" of that relationship truly was beautiful from the outside looking in. From the inside looking out, however, it was painful. We were in different places emotionally and hormonally, and while I was looking for that pure and perfect relationship, he was fighting teenage hormones that constantly drove him to pressure me. He wanted to be alone, to be kissing and cuddling and touching. The more that he pushed, the more I retreated. I wasn't ready and my heart was fighting a huge battle, knowing that this wasn't the path that God had for me.

It was for this very reason that we broke up. Thankfully, we never did go "all the way", but the scars left behind from that relationship are brutal. It's something that God and I discuss several times a week because I am still having such a hard time walking in forgiveness. It really does still hurt that deeply.

I was 17 when we broke up for good. He was away at college at that point, which made the breakup much easier.

I had a void in my heart that I desperately wanted to fill. A void and a major need to be loved. I couldn't figure out the reason for the void. I could blame it on several different things, such as my parents' divorce (which was happening during my teenage years), but I think I wasn't willing to admit the true source of the void: I had wiped God from my life.

Fast forward to later that year. I had met one of my brother's college friends (we'll call him George) and had been instant messaging with him off-and-on for awhile. I planned on visiting my brother at his college that weekend. When I arrived there on Friday, my brother was not there (due to extreme circumstances). He had not been able to get a hold of me before I left to visit him, so I got all the way there and ran into George while looking for my brother. He informed me that brother wasn't there. Ugh! So I called brother from a pay phone at the school and tried to figure out what to do. He told me that I should drive home. It was already late in the day and getting dark, so George offered to go with me and brother was going to meet him at our house and bring him back to college later that weekend.

Long story short, George ended up coming home with me for the weekend. My brother never did make it home as planned, so we arranged another ride for George back to school on Sunday (with one of my friends who also went to school there). I didn't think much of it at the time, but allowing him to come home with me was one of the stupidest decisions I would ever make. You see, I really liked George. He complimented me, he told me he thought I was hot - yes, he was just WONDERFUL (or so my 17-year-old self thought). Unfortunately, I thought that George was helping me to make that void in my heart go away, so when he wanted to have sex with me that night, I never told him no. For the record, just typing that sentence makes my skin crawl.

I gave up my virginity to someone I hardly knew, just because he temporarily made me feel good about myself.

The irony about that fact is that I felt terrible about myself once he had left. We really didn't contact each other anymore. I felt cheap and dirty and the void within me was growing larger every day.

I tried to fill that void with everything in me. I dated guys (again, I use the term "dated" rather loosely, as it just means I went out on dates with them). I drank (even though I promised myself I would NEVER touch alcohol). I partied. I tried to forget.

Then, when I was 18, I met someone who really did care about me and really did treat me well. Someone that I thought I truly loved. Because I was in love with him, it was only natural to say yes when the issue of sex came up. We eventually were engaged to be married. I moved into his house and planned our wedding.

Yes, all of my dreams were finally coming true. Until the day that I realized that I was entirely dependent on him for everything - for my happiness and security, for my well being and for filling that void that I had been convincing myself was gone. I was 100% dependent on my fiance' and I didn't know what to do.

So I ran.

I broke off our engagement and moved to the cities to live with my sister and her family. I started attending church and really getting my life back in line. I got a good job and was starting to hang out with the singles group at church. However, I never took the time to address that void within my heart. I sought out the really cute single guys, the really stable ones and made the decision that I needed to know them. Yes, I was still determined to control my own destiny.

Through a series of decisions and job changes, I moved several times after that. I also allowed myself to be in a relationship with someone who would never allow me to call him my boyfriend. By this time I had been so emotionally beaten up that I truly was a whiny, needy and clingy woman on the inside, but portraying myself as the tough and independent woman on the outside. I needed someone to love me. What I didn't realize was that it was God's love I needed to accept. While this guy told me that he loved me, his actions spoke volumes louder than his words. I can honestly say I wasted a year of my life in a "relationship" with this man. I didn't value myself or him enough to know that we weren't truly committed to each other. I so desperately wanted to be loved and so desperately wanted to have someone to call my boyfriend that I compromised myself. I once again allowed my happiness to be dependent on another person.

Though we never pushed the relationship physically, I emotionally gave so much of myself to him that there wasn't anything left of me.

I moved again, this time living with my brother and his wife. I found a new group of friends and began spending a lot of time with them. One of them happened to be a guy who seemed interested in me. We became close friends and then became sex-friends. Once again, I was emotionally (and this time physically) involved in a relationship with someone whom I truly was not in a relationship with, all because I needed to fill the void in my heart. I would have thought that my brain, my conscience, SOMETHING would have told me to walk away from that a lot sooner than I did, but unfortunately I spent months in that "relationship", only to walk away feeling broken and hurt.

That seemed to be the pattern. Only each time, I was a little more broken and a little more hurt. I no longer had respect for myself. I no longer had confidence in who God said I was. Sure, on the outside I portrayed a very confident, secure woman - but I was dying on the inside.

Remember the singles group I started going to when I was at my sister's church? I met a friend there, named Steve, who played a crucial role in the change in my life. See, Steve and I had maintained a limited amount of contact over the years, which really gave him credit in my eyes. Steve was a good friend who I could count on. I knew that (and still know it to this day!). So, when he invited me to a new church that he was attending along with some other friends, I took him up on the offer.

It wasn't instant, but it was dramatic. God got a hold on my life. God taught me how to rely on Him. God filled that ever-invasive void in my heart. Through going to this church and spending more time with a group of friends who constantly reminded me to rely on God, to turn to Him and were offering prayer and support when I needed it, I really learned what it was like to give my heart, my life and my ALL fully to God.

The thing is, God really wants to fill us up! However, He is also a complete gentleman. He doesn't force Himself on you. He asks you to first seek Him: "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you .." James 4:8a.

The one thing I learned is that God really had all the tools to fill that void that I was experiencing WAY back in my teen years, but I just didn't give Him the opportunity. He always saw me as beautiful - it was me who had the vision problem.

If I could take back all of the times that I gave myself physically or emotionally to a guy before I sought out God's love and His will for my life, I absolutely 100% without a doubt would do it. The Bible tells us to "seek the kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need." (Matthew 6:33). As an adult, one of the many things I've learned about God is that He tells us things like this because HE KNOWS what we will need in life and HE KNOWS how to fulfill those needs.

I just don't get why we continually think we know better than God.

This is why I wish I could rewind time and make a do-over of some of life's events. I would absolutely choose to rewind time. I would listen to what my mom told me. I would change my decisions.

It is because of the path I have walked that I have such a passion for today's teens. I want so badly for them to know that the pain you experience is not worth trying to fill those voids yourself. I want everybody to know my story, as personal and hard to tell as it may be, in hopes that they don't make those same decisions and they don't walk that same path.

I had to tell this story to Monte before we were married. It was not an easy thing. I know that I broke him deeply when he found out that I didn't care about myself enough to wait for him. It is something that had a big impact on the start of our marriage. Praise the Lord that with God all things are possible, because we have walked side-by-side in our marriage and have worked through these things and can walk in forgiveness, but if there's one thing I want people to hear, it's that it wasn't easy. It's not worth it to make those selfish, instantly-gratifying decisions. The ramification of those decisions lasts a LONG time.

Not one part of the path I chose was easy. It was damaging to me. It was damaging to those who were watching me, giving me advice from the outside as I let it run in my ear and right back out. For that, dear sister, I am sorry. Please know that your loving advice truly was appreciated, but I was so stubborn and so certain that I was finally filling that void that your advice fell on deaf ears.

I praise God for His forgiveness and His healing power. It is only by Him and through Him that I live, move, breathe and have my being. He truly is my Rock and my Salvation and it is my desire for today's teens to truly flee sexual immorality and cling to God.

So you see, this having been my story, I'm certain you can understand my concern for my own daughter, for my nieces, for the teens I have mentored and for all teens! I want so much for these girls (and guys) to know that they can find themselves wholly complete in God alone, and to show them the path to seeking and knowing Him more completely.

On Christ the solid rock I stand. All other ground is sinking sand.

Desperately, exhaustingly quickly sinking sand.

Lord, please keep these teens from that sinking sand.

Promises We Just Don't Keep

2011-04-07T10:29:00.001-05:00

There are many promises I make that I don't keep. Most of them are promises that I make to myself. Like my current promise I'm avoiding: get the laundry done today.

There are promises I make to my husband, too, that I shirk around doing, like putting away the pack-n-play that is still folded up on the floor in our bedroom (and has been there since Friday).

However, there is one kind of promise that I make that I always keep. It's the promise to pray for people. So often when I'm at the computer I read blogs or Facebook updates of people who need prayer. If I respond to them saying that I will pray for them I do it immediately. Right there in that very moment I take time out to pray. I think it's incredibly important to honor that promise.

I know when I ask people to pray it's because I truly have a need that I want lifted before God, and I love to know that I have friends and family who are lifting that need up with me. I can't imagine having someone promise me that they will pray and then not doing so, especially when the request is for my children!

Don't get me wrong, I understand completely about forgetfulness. I am a mom, I also experience mommy brain. When this happens, or when someone gives me a request that I want to truly spend lots of time in prayer about, I take my sister's advice and write their request down on a sheet of paper (along with other prayer requests). That way, when it comes time to sit down in my quiet time with God, I have those prayer requests ready and will really spend time lifting them up.

If I have promised to pray for you, I guarantee you that prayer was lifted up. If you came to my mind again, that prayer was lifted up again. As often as I think about you, I pray for you. I really am a believer in the fact that God brings people to your mind because He wants you to pray for them.

Last Friday I called my mom because she had been on my heart and my mind all day. I had been praying for her and wanted to check in with her to see how everything was going. The ironic thing about that is that I had also been on her heart all day, and she had been praying for me, too! I was feeling stressed out about a big event we were hosting at our home that evening and I guarantee that her prayers helped to bring me down to earth again. She had had a rough day at work that morning, so I'm certain that my prayers helped to bring her peace.

Prayer is a very powerful thing. So powerful that it's something I don't ever want to forget to do.

So I'm wondering, if you are promising to pray for others, do you do it immediately? If not, how do you remember those prayer requests?

Dedicated to God

2011-04-05T11:26:00.001-05:00

This past Sunday, April 3rd, we formally dedicated our sweet Ethan to God in a service at our church. For those who are unaware, we believe (and our church believes) that baptism is a decision that you make when you're old enough to really comprehend it, as opposed to doing infant baptisms. Instead of a baptism, we do a dedication. This is where we, as his family, promise to raise him in a house that honors God and teaches of a true love relationship with our Creator. It was a beautiful dedication and it brings tears to this mama's eyes when I recall the promise we made for our sweet baby boy.

This is our family standing in front of the church as Pastor Dave was explaining the dedication to the congregation.

Passing my sweet little Ethan to Pastor Dave (who is looking at Ethan on the big screen above us)!

Praying over Ethan's life.

I really like this picture - I think it's cool how my sister captured us on stage and on the big screen.

After the dedication we chilled outside and enjoyed some of the great weather we had that day, as well as tried out Ethan's new sun hat (which is WAY too big for him, by the way)!

It was wonderful to be able to dedicate Ethan's life to God, to be able to share in the day with my family and my sister's family and to know that my sweet baby is abundantly loved by our Creator and by so many people in his life. God truly is good ALL the time!

Work Those Muscles

2011-03-31T15:23:00.000-05:00

Thanks to uncle Tory and aunt Lisa and their generous decision to let us borrow their walker, Ethan has been working his leg muscles a lot!

And while he's working those leg muscles, he's thoroughly distracted by Cookie Monster and Big Bird, too!

He is almost too distracted by the TV behind me to look at the camera, too!

Maybe he will notice me if I direct his attention to the side!

Rodney Dangerfield, anyone?! :)

My precious babe scratched his forehead all up! We promptly clipped his nails after this.

Okay mom, you're not interesting anymore ...

Thank you Tory and Lisa for our new and fun toy! I'm certain that we will get lots of use out of it while we have it!

P.S. For those of you who may have noticed - the baby in these pictures is NOT a sick baby because his RSV has finally broken free and left!! Praise the Lord!! :)

We're Not Gonna Take It

2011-03-29T13:31:00.000-05:00

It's no joke that I've been walking around my house singing the chorus to Twisted Sister's "We're Not Gonna Take It". That's how I feel. I'm done with this and I'm not taking it anymore. Yesterday morning I was feeling incredibly defeated. I was congested, I could feel the fluid in my lungs, my cough was awful and I hardly had a voice. I was certain that this was going to take over my life for the rest of the week. It already has consumed Ethan, Colin, Monte and myself, and I was allowing it to do so.

The more I thought about it, the more I realized that I didn't even like my attitude! I'm a fighter and I don't have to take this sickness trying to consume me. So, I have prayed about it and in faith am believing God is healing our family. You know what? I truly do feel MUCH better today and I believe that a lot of it is because of my choice to change my perspective. Yes, I'm still coughing and have the occasional sneezing fit, but I really am feeling a TON better.

I'm thanking God already for His healing in me, in Ethan, in Colin and in Monte. We don't have to take this anymore!!!

RSV Update

2011-03-25T09:52:00.002-05:00

After our third trip to the doctor this week, it seems that we have been given a good report! While Ethan still seems to be extremely congested and uncomfortable, the doctor told me that his lungs sound like they're clearing out. Praise the Lord! This mama's heart needed the relief of hearing those words, it truly was rest for my weary soul.

Our plan of attack is to continue with the Nebulizer every four hours and to continue praying for our sweet little blessing. One thing that blesses my heart is that, no matter how sick he feels, Ethan is still his smiley happy little self!

Please keep him in your prayers as we are on the uphill climb out of RSV. Please keep our family in your prayers as well, as I will be leaving Monte behind this Saturday as I go to my aunt's funeral and he will be staying home to take care of Ethan. Pray for strength for all of us on that most difficult day.

My sweet little baby sleeping through his late-night nebulizer treatment.

As If That Wasn't Enough

2011-03-22T13:53:00.000-05:00

I knew it on Friday. I heard the little coughs and the little sniffles and just knew it. I was gone all day long on Saturday (being with my uncle and helping to do planning for my aunt's funeral) so I wasn't around to hear it. Sunday definitely confirmed it: my darling baby boy had a cold.

The catch about it was that it seemed to keep getting worse. Yesterday his cough was more intense and you could hear the fluid he was trying to cough up. He was uncomfortable, yet happy; bothered, yet content.

This morning he was still smiling, which is why I hesitated to bring him to the doctor. I believe that God truly prompted me to take him in anyway, and I'm so thankful that I did because I learned what is really trying to attack my baby's tiny body: RSV.

Ethan's doctor explained to me that RSV causes his airways to swell (much like asthma), but that the cold in his lungs causes added mucus in those airways, making it difficult to breathe. Being he is only four months old, it's impossible for him to cough up that mucus and impossible for him to blow out the mucus that's clogging his nose.

Right now he is being treated with nebulizer treatments of albuterol, which truly is helping! While I am incredibly grateful to have this medicine for him, I do know The One who is his ultimate healer and I am crying out to Him now for His healing power to touch my baby's tiny little body. Will you pray with me, too? Please?! Matthew 18:20 says, "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." I truly believe that we can even gather over the internet to pray for my sweet baby.

This mother's heart is begging you for your prayers just as I am begging God for my sweet baby's health to be restored. It truly is in Him that we live, move and have our being (Acts 17:28)!

She's Finally Dancing

2011-03-21T14:02:00.001-05:00

Have I ever told you about my uncle and aunt, Sherwin and Laurie? They are the most amazing, phenomenal couple I have ever met in my life (yes, even compared to Monte and me!). Sherwin was born with Cerebral Palsy (CP) and has used crutches to get around since he has been able to walk. He has always held a very special place in my heart, as I grew up only 10 minutes away from him. I used to go with my dad to visit Sherwin and my grandma on Saturdays, and Sherwin and I would head out - sometimes on a walk to the local cafe to get pie, sometimes on a drive to McDonald's to enjoy some food. Sometimes we would just walk for the sake of walking together.

For as long as I have known him, Sherwin has been a perfect example of Christ's love in action. He loves God with all of his heart and never hesitates to sing praises to Him; whether he's walking down the road, at home, in his car or at the mall, Sherwin is almost always heard singing or whistling a praise song to God! It's one of the things that I love most about him.

On July 17, 1993 he married his beautiful bride, Laurie. I can't imagine a person better suited to be Sherwin's wife than Laurie! She is full of life, spunk, laughter and love for God, for her family and her life. Laurie had the right amount of sassiness to keep Sherwin on his toes (as it truly takes one with a good sense of humor and a lot of spunk and "fight" to keep up with my amazing uncle!). One of the most remarkable things about Laurie, though, is the fact that she had Muscular Dystrophy (MD), but she never let it slow her down. Due to her MD, Laurie was limited to being in a motorized scooter/lark, but she used that as a means to love on people, too! You see, due to the fact that Sherwin and Laurie couldn't have kids of their own, they poured all of their love on their nieces and nephews (and their great-nieces and great-nephews) as if they were their own children. So oftentimes one of the younger children would happily jump right on Laurie's scooter with her and go for a ride; the thing is, I think Laurie loved it just as much as the kids did!

Sherwin and Laurie have always been completely selfless, giving their all to be there for family. No matter the occasion, whether it be a sporting event, a birthday party or a wedding or bridal shower, they were the first people to make sure that they would be there! Truth be told, I had to tell Sherwin that he wasn't allowed to come to my baby shower, as he did come to my bridal shower (though he arrived toward the end) even though it was "girls only"! They have always made it a priority to let the people in their life know just how loved they are, which in turn makes us want to bend-over-backward to help them in any way possible.

Unfortunately, the worst imaginable reason for help came this past Saturday. Laurie had been in the hospital earlier in the week due to a bout with bronchitis. As a result of her MD, Laurie didn't have the strength to cough up the fluid that was building in her lungs. When she was in the hospital, they continually cleared her lungs for her. She was sent home later that week, where Sherwin said she was still miserable. She couldn't lie down to sleep, so she tried to sleep in her scooter or in a recliner, but Sherwin said she was getting only a couple of hours of sleep per night at best. On Friday night she took a sleeping pill that the doctors had prescribed for her and went to sleep around 12:30am. Sherwin awoke to check on her at 3:30am and instantly knew that she had gone to be with Jesus.

I received the phone call at 6:30 Saturday morning and was shocked beyond belief. This beautiful, selfless, loving woman is now free from the pain of her MD and is dancing on streets of pure gold. My sister, brother and I were among other family members who spent the day by Sherwin's side, walking with him through the meeting at the funeral home and the moments of grief that swept him. It was a very hard day, as it breaks my heart to see his grief, but I know that he is extremely steadfast in his faith still to this day, as he told me today (on the phone) that "God is still good ALL THE TIME and she's finally home."

He's right, she truly is home now. I imagine that she must be walking, running, dancing, cartwheeling and doing all those things that her physical handicap did not allow her to do on this side of heaven. She's in the arms of Jesus and I can guarantee that she most definitely did hear that "well done good and faithful servant" because she truly was always a servant of God. She and Sherwin had an unshakable unending love for each other and for our God, and it was and is one of my absolute favorite things about her.

Please keep my uncle in your prayers as he grieves for the loss of his beautiful wife. We know that our time on earth is short, but I also know that it feels overwhelmingly long to him now that his best friend is gone.

*Photo "stolen" from my sister's blog, as I don't currently have another picture of Laurie. This is Sherwin and Laurie with my nieces, Breanna and Khloe, and my nephew, Dawson.

We love you so much Laurie! Your life on this earth spoke volumes to those who knew you. To know you truly was to love you and I am forever grateful to have known you. I can't wait to see you again. Save a place for me. I love you!

The Elephant In The Room

2011-03-15T10:06:00.000-05:00

Last night there was an elephant in the room ... and it was perched right on top of my chest.

After already having an emotional day (because, let's face it, women have those now and then) I made the decision to go to my belly dancing class. I won't lie, I really didn't want to go, I didn't want to AT ALL. Maybe it was the thought of the shimmy circle and how completely exhausting it is. Maybe it was just the thought of working out. I really don't know, exactly, all I know is that I didn't want to go.

I went anyway.

The beginning of the class was truly enjoyable. I was having a great time. I was moving and shimmying and lifting my hips and trying so incredibly hard to get these moves down. Something wasn't right. I couldn't make myself move in the ways that I wanted to. It was too hard to move my feet and my hips at the same time. This was a very unusual feeling.

Then it happened. An asthma attack.

I was totally unprepared for this. My inhaler was still at home. I hadn't had an asthma attack in two-and-a-half years, so why now?

I slowed down. Maggie (the instructor) told me to pick it up. I believe her exact words were, "you have a LOT more than that, I've seen it - pick it up!" Then I explained to her that I was fighting an asthma attack and she apologized, asked if I needed anything and told me to "fight away"!

I stopped and got some water. I tried to focus and slow my breathing. My sweet friend, Trish, was quickly at my side to see if she could help.

I'm thanking God that it wasn't a major attack. I'm praising God that He helped me through it without the assistance of my inhaler, which is VERY expired, as I learned when I got home and used it (it expired in January of 2010!).

Lesson learned. When you have a medical condition and you're given an avenue to treat said condition, stay on top of your checkups and renewing your prescriptions!!!

What a night. Oh what a night.

Five Question Friday

2011-03-11T14:07:00.000-06:00

This is a blog hop that I haven't participated in for quite awhile, but decided that today was a good day to jump back in! To see who else participated, visit Mama M's blog here!

1. Do you know what your REAL hair color is?

Why yes I do - in fact, my real hair color is a grayish shade of blond, that I often refer to as "Mousy". This is why I continue to color my hair!

2. Do you plan ahead for summer, or fly by the seat of your pants?

We often plan a "vacation" at a cabin up north for a weekend mid-summer, but beyond that we really take it as it comes. I like to get the kids out and doing something a couple of days per week in order to keep the peace and sanity, though! We find lots of things to do whether it be going to the beach, a park, a museum or just having friends over for a baseball game in our front yard. Summers at our house are the best!

3. What is your favorite meal to cook?

Spaghetti with my homemade sauce, garlic bread and a salad. It's an easy meal, but it's one that I always get compliments on because the sauce is just phenomenal! It's one of my favorites to make when we have people over.

4. Do you get offended by not receiving thank yous?

You know, I know that I shouldn't, but I have to admit that I really do. I think it's extremely tacky to receive a gift at a wedding or shower or something along those lines and then not acknowledge it at all. I would truly just be fine with a "thank you for your gift" card with no further words. Maybe it's because I'm just an old soul (as many people have told me) but I really appreciate the old-fashioned necessity of a Thank-You card!

5. How did you meet your best friend?

I was managing a physical therapy clinic and he was a patient there. We later went on to date and eventually got married. It was amazing! To this day, my Monte continues to be my best friend - and I just LOVE that!

I met my other best friend on the day that I was born, but I'm fairly certain that I annoyed her for the first 20 years of my life! My sister and I are very close now, we talk almost every single day and I don't know where I would be or what I would do without her. She is simply wonderful!

The Things He Says

2011-03-10T15:37:00.003-06:00

Him: "Kami, are you going to have another baby?"
Me: "No, buddy, I'm not."
Him: "Then why is your tummy so big?"

Gee Colin. Thanks buddy. Thanks a LOT! :)

The Miracle Cream

2011-03-07T10:07:00.000-06:00

If there's one thing I've learned about my sweet little Ethan, it's the fact that he has inherited my sensitive skin. That's something that makes this mama kind of upset because I know just how difficult it is to live with sensitive skin. I tried for a long time to find something that could take away this insane rash that lived on my baby's face, and for a long time my search was to no avail. However, after spending some time with my sister and her seeing which lotion I was using on my sweet babe (which will remain nameless!), she told me that it was not a good lotion to use and to switch to "California Baby" products, because they are made from natural products.

I kid you not, when I bought the "Calendula Cream" by California Baby I almost messed myself at the price I was paying for the cream. All I kept thinking was, "this BETTER work!". Well - it did! My sweet Ethan's face went from looking like this:

to looking like this:

IN ONE NIGHT!

I'm not kidding you at all - I love this product and will continue to promote it to other moms out there because I know the frustration of not being able to fix your baby's skin problems! We put the Calendula Cream on Ethan's face before bed one night, put him in his crib to sleep (I must note that he also sleeps with a humidifier on in his nursery) and woke up to find his skin absolutely cleared up! It was amazing!! You would think that I Photoshopped these pictures, but I can promise you that I absolutely did not - both of them came straight from my cell phone (to my email and to my blog!). Plus, my Photoshop Elements hasn't been reloaded onto my computer since I had to completely wipe and do a system restore on my computer.

Regardless of all of that, I am promoting these products NOT because I'm getting paid to or being asked to (because I most definitely am not getting paid and I most definitely was not asked to write about them), but simply because it is a solution that worked on my angel's sensitive skin, and if there is even one of you who can benefit from that, then it's worth it!

We have tried some of their other products and LOVE them as well (especially the bubble bath - I had to figure out the correct amount after almost drowning myself in bubbles, but truly only about 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon of the bubble bath produces a LOT of great smelling bubbles!). I just ordered the diaper rash cream and am excited to use it!

If your baby (or you!) have sensitive skin, I would recommend these products in a heartbeat! I use them on myself, too, and I can't tell you enough how much I love love LOVE them!! Try them out - you won't regret it!

Getting Away

2011-03-05T20:03:00.000-06:00

Once upon a time, about one or two months ago, Monte's brother and sister-in-law came up with the idea that they would like to have all five of our kids at their house for a weekend, and with that weekend would come a weekend of "just us" time for me and Monte. Once upon a time we took them up on their offer and arranged to have all four of our boys go to their home for the weekend while Claire stayed at home with a friend, as she is involved in an extra-curricular activity that requires her to be home. Once upon a time is right now. Monte and I are enjoying our stay in a cabin near Brainerd, our children are having a fabulously wonderful time at their aunt and uncle's home and life really couldn't get much better.

I will admit, however, that as much as I crave these little get-aways, it only takes one night for me to miss my regular routine of being home with all of my family under one roof. This time away is wonderful and very much treasured and enjoyed, but the time of picking up our boys tomorrow and heading home to see Claire will be that much better because my heart is missing them all so much!

I have more details of our fabulous weekend to come once I'm home and can upload some pictures and the like, but for now I'm signing off letting you know that I'm happy, relaxed and wonderful, but missing my babes oh so terribly! I guess I really was made for the life God gave me after all, and I just LOVE that!! :)

No Longer Waiting

2011-02-17T13:36:00.000-06:00

Awhile back I shared with you a song by John Waller called "While I'm Waiting". This song is one that completely touched my heart, as it spoke clearly about the journey I was on. Before we were pregnant with Ethan, Monte and I had been trying to conceive for quite a long time. I had been doing some fertility testing with my doctor and was feeling extremely frustrated that this wasn't happening. When I heard the song "While I'm Waiting" it spoke straight to my heart about the fact that I truly needed to trust God and keep running the race while I wait for my blessing.

Fast forward to earlier today when I heard this song on the radio. I couldn't help but shed tears of joy and gratefulness to God for our sweet little Ethan. I really believe it was important for me to learn to put my faith and trust in God and know that He was (and is) in control. It took me a long time to really learn that lesson - and it's often one that I have to remind myself of. Maybe I haven't learned it as well as I would like, but I am still a work in progress!

Today, though, I can rejoice and be glad in the fact that God did reward our faithfulness and our trust in Him while we waited, and He gave us our darling baby boy.

Thank You God. I couldn't imagine a more perfect addition to our family. You are amazing and I love you SO much. I'm sorry that I don't always show it as I should. Please help me to never take one single moment for granted, because every day is a blessing and a gift from You.

The Seemingly Untitled Post

2011-02-15T12:53:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was amazing! As I'm sure you all know, yesterday was Valentine's Day. My husband went above and beyond to make the day wonderful for me - and it was as wonderful as it could be, given the circumstances. You see, I woke up yesterday morning with the flu and a bad cold. I had already felt the cold coming on and had taken some preventative measures, but it was bound and determined to hit me, no matter what. So, when Monte came to kiss me goodbye before he left for work, I mentioned to him that I really didn't feel well. He gave me some medicine and promised to check in with me later that morning. I fell back asleep and didn't get up until Ethan started to cry for his morning bottle. I got up, changed his diaper and fed him - still feeling exhausted and just plain icky. After Ethan finished feeding and burping, I put him in his swing and called Monte at work. I told him I really didn't feel well enough to take care of Colin and Ethan. He told me that he had one meeting he really had to get to that morning and then he was going to come home. I can tell you that there are no sweeter words that I heard yesterday than that!

He ended up arriving at home in the late morning and immediately took over taking care of Colin and Ethan. He took them out for awhile so that I could have some quiet time to sleep peacefully. He came home and made sure I was still taking medicine like I should be (I wasn't .. I'm not good at taking care of myself when I'm sick!). He was home when all of our other kids got off the bus. He made dinner and took care of the kids and me. He gave me the best Valentine's Day gift I could have received because he showed me his unconditional love in action. My husband showed God's love to me through his selfless actions yesterday and I am so grateful to him for being so wonderful!

Later in the evening I captured this picture on my cell phone of him playing and talking with Ethan, and it just warms my heart completely!

My husband gave me the most stress-free and relaxing Valentine's Day I could have asked for! I love you Monte!! :)

A Day to be at Home

2011-02-11T09:05:00.000-06:00

There are some days when I feel like a headless chicken, running from here to there trying to get everything on my list accomplished. Today is not one of them. Today is a day that I am choosing to stay at home and do nothing but play games with Colin, love on Ethan and enjoy being a stay-at-home mom.

Lately I have found that my "To-Do List" is often overwhelming. Thankfully, my husband and my family don't see the list in the same light. You see, Monte often tells me that it's okay that the house doesn't get cleaned today, or if he sees that I'm bound and determined to get it done at all costs, he will take care of the kids while I clean or he will ask me how he can help me to get it done. We work wonderfully as a team, my husband and me! :) Truth be told, I don't mind it when my "To Do's" are filled with stuff to do around the house. I more mind it when they involve running from here to Timbuktu (figuratively speaking of course!) in one afternoon and making twelve different stops along the way. Running errands is definitely not my forte', which is likely why the movies I have to mail to my dad have been on the list since Christmas, the outfit I have to mail to my friend who just had a baby has been on the list since November when I first found it, and why making a second trip to Target to get the things I forgot when I went there last night is just NOT a priority.

Instead, I'm going to sit back and enjoy my latte (made on my own espresso machine, which means that I didn't have to leave the house!), play Memory, Candy Land and Chutes and Ladders with Colin, play the stinky toes game and peek-a-boo with Ethan and just enjoy being at home, because today just feels like one of those days ... a day to be at home!

Three Months

2011-02-07T14:05:00.000-06:00

Today my sweet little baby boy is three months old. As of right now these are the amazing things I note about him:

- He sleeps solidly through the night. We put him to bed around 9:30pm and he doesn't wake up until 6:30am. This is a huge blessing from God!!

- He sleeps almost all morning long (AFTER having slept all night long), waking up only every three hours or so for some food. This is the time that I try to get some cleaning done or play with Colin.

- Today was his first day in the childcare center at Lifetime Fitness. According to the worker, he is a dream baby (I think so too!).

- He loves to smile and "talk" to people and does it quite freqently.

- He sleeps better when he's in a room full of noise than a quiet room (I guess this is expected when you're the youngest of five kids)!

- Sometimes when he's fussy it's just because he wants you to uncover his legs and let him kick. Monte calls this his "bike rider" move.

- He loves the 'stinky toes' game.

He has captured the hearts of all of his siblings, his daddy and his mama and we are so very blessed to celebrate three months with him in our lives! Happy three month birthday sweet Ethan! We love you!

Dancing the Pounds Away

2011-01-26T10:18:00.003-06:00

"Come on, SHIMMY!"

"Keep those arms up - I don't want to see you put them down!"

"I want to see pretty hands."

"This part is called seduction, I want to see seduction on your face, not exhaustion ... but not too much seduction either!"

These are some of the many quotes I have heard over the past month on Monday evenings and Saturday afternoons. You see, this is the time that I turn our household over to Monte, load up my gym bag and hit the road to go to the gym and take in a belly dancing class.

Belly dancing? Are you serious?! Yes. Completely, totally serious. I was definitely skeptical of it initially, as my sweet friend, Trish, had invited me to join her in the classes. I had mentioned to her how I am starting to spend more time working out in effort to rid myself of some of this extra baby weight, and she told me that these classes were an excellent workout. So I decided to give it a try.

The first class was a little bit hard for me, as I will admit to feeling completely self-conscious. However, Maggie (the instructor) took no time at all to put my fears at ease and make class a fun time. It doesn't matter what level you're at, this class keeps you working, keeps your heart rate up, and keeps you having FUN! I think this is the only workout class I've ever taken where I'm not staring at the clock all hour, just begging for it to move faster.

There are some moves that I'm still not good at. I'm okay with that. I have a really hard time keeping my arms looking pretty when we're in the snake song (I really have no idea what the name of the song is, but I know it tells me to move like a snake!). I'm okay with that, too. I love the class because all of the women involved make you feel amazing about yourself. I love the class because of the modesty and character of the instructor. It doesn't matter your age, your size or your dancing ability (trust me, there are women in class who are young and old, skinny and round and everything in between!) .. all you feel is love and support from these women, who likely have experienced the self-consciousness of the class, too!

In fact, I'm enjoying the class so much that I finally decided it was time to purchase a skirt of my own. You see, I have been borrowing a skirt from Trish since my first class. While it is a lovely skirt, I still am feeling like I want to be able to return it to her and use a few of my own. So, after browsing Amazon.com for awhile, I found a few skirts that I think will be perfect. I'm excited to try this one out the most (though I will lay out the disclaimer that I definitely cover myself up more than the mannequin in this picture!):

I love the leopard print it has! So Trish, sometime soon you can count on getting your skirt back! :)

If you're free on Monday evenings or Saturday afternoons, come join us - you won't regret it at all (Shawn, you would love it)!

A Bulletin Board and a Beautiful Baby

2011-01-20T16:11:00.001-06:00

Pretty much forever ago (and by forever, I mean about two or three months ago) I was browsing the aisles at Costco (which is a very dangerous thing to do without a specific list!) when I came across the most perfect bulletin board. Why on earth would I get excited about a bulletin board? I'm glad you asked! You see, I have a rather narrow wall in my office that I've wanted to have a bulletin board on for awhile so I can use it to hang family pictures and different things of that nature. So, when I came across this bulletin board and saw that it was very reasonably priced, I became extremely excited! I bought said object and brought it home, showed it to my wonderful husband and asked for his help in hanging it. I put it away in the corner of the office to keep it out of our way. That was a very bad idea. A month or more passed before I realized it was still not on my wall, so I politely asked my husband to hang it. Unfortunately, he forgot again. So, this past week when I asked yet again, he asked me to write it on the dry erase board that hangs on our refrigerator, and he promised me that he would get it done.

That Saturday, I headed out to meet Trish for belly dancing class (more about that to come in another post, I promise!) and was gone for about an hour and a half. When I came home, this is what I found hanging on my wall:

Not only did Monte hang the bulletin board for me, but he arranged all of the thumbtacks that came with the board into the shape of a heart to let me know how much he loves me! How wonderful is my husband? I haven't hung anything except a calendar on this board because I enjoy seeing that heart so very much!! I'm sure there will come a time when I replace the heart with pictures, but that time just isn't here yet!

--

The other day, I was really wanting to find a Bumbo chair to buy for Ethan, as to give him the opportunity to sit up more regularly instead of always laying down on his back or in his swing. After many emails were exchanged, I was able to pick one up locally for only $25! Once I got it home, we immediately washed it off and put the baby in it. I think he likes it!

Man oh man is my baby boy a cutie! I may be a little biased, but I'm definitely smitten! :)

Screaming for an Apology

2011-01-19T22:46:00.000-06:00

As my husband and I sit here chatting, I'm realizing that it is now 10:05pm and this is truly the first time today that I have had down time to do as I please. I just finished ordering our groceries (yes, with a 10-week-old baby and a five-year-old son who must come with me, I choose to grocery shop online!) after figuring our our extensive meal plan for the week. I must admit that I wish I could contain all of my grocery shopping to online only, but alas with a family of seven people, we go through food much too quickly for me to make a once-a-week online order. It's not uncommon for me to also stop by the grocery store several times a week amidst picking up my daughter from her after-school activity.

Maybe I should rewind a little bit and let you know what a typical day in our house now looks like. I wake up anywhere between 4:00am and 4:30am when Ethan first wakes for his bottle. I feed him and do my best to stay awake myself during this time, as he usually doesn't appreciate it when my hand slips and the bottle falls on his face! :) After this early morning feeding, I am now trying to get in breakfast and a workout before he wakes up for his next bottle, which is usually about an hour to an hour and a half later. I feed him again and lay him in his swing as I head for the shower and spend some time getting ready. I see the two older kids (Claire and Iain) off to the bus shortly after 7:00am. Around 7:30am Colin is waking up and ready for his oatmeal! I remind him to go potty and make him his breakfast. While he is eating, I feed Ethan yet another bottle. After this feeding, I get both Ethan and Colin ready for the day, bath time included when necessary. At 8:20am I see Ellis off to the bus. If Ethan, Colin and I are lucky enough that we get to stay home for the day, we end up back in the living room where I can rock Ethan in our rocking chair while enjoying some morning cartoons with Colin (yes, I am a mother who allows my child to watch a little TV every day *insert big GASP here!* tehehe!). If we have somewhere to go, we're packing everything up and heading out the door to run errands, drop Colin off at preschool, go to MOPs or, on an especially wonderful day, go to visit a friend (usually my sister).

If we spend our day running errands, Ethan usually tends to sleep through most of it, as he does really well being in the car or in his stroller ... or riding in his car seat in the cart at Target! If we're home, however, he seems to be needing my attention at least every 20 minutes. Amidst his many bottles, I do try to sit him in his swing, his bouncer, his bumbo seat or his crib for awhile so I can try to do some laundry (of which right now I have three clean loads in baskets needing to be folded, a clean load in the dryer, a wet load in the washer and two more loads waiting to be washed on the floor ... and that's just Monte, Colin, Ethan and my laundry as my older kids wash and dry their own laundry!). It's not uncommon that I do let my sweet little baby cry for awhile (and by awhile I do only mean a handful of minutes) so that I can get little tasks done around the house, as I feel like if I don't allow him some crying time, everything else will fall apart.

I make sure that Colin gets lunch (almost everyday having a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, per his request) and try to make sure that I eat lunch as well. Now that I'm working to lose some of that baby weight, I'm far more conscious about what I'm eating, but I'm also more aware of when I'm eating, which is a good thing because I don't allow myself to get so busy that I miss eating lunch; though that doesn't mean that lunch isn't accompanied by a crying baby!

After lunch is usually Ethan's nap time; he might just lay down for more than an hour and truly sleep for that time. While he's sleeping, I really do make it my priority to devote 100% of that time to being with Colin, whether it be playing a game of Candy Land or Banana Express, or drawing in his drawing book, or reading stories to him, or playing with his Legos, or sometimes even playing army or hunting with him - that time is his time with me and I do make it a very important part of every day.

An hour later it's very likely that Ethan has already woken up, as somehow his nap doesn't last long if he's not being held or not in his car seat! So it's another bottle for him and some more snuggle time (which I definitely am not complaining about!), amidst Colin telling me stories and goofy jokes (which usually make no sense whatsoever!). Around 3:00pm, Claire and Iain come home from school bringing the mail in the house with them (though lately it has been only Iain, as Claire has been staying after school for the extra curricular activity that she's involved in). I spend some time chatting with them about their day and going through the mail, often with the baby attached to me in his sling. At times (like now), I don't get the chance to go through the mail and it piles up for a few days on our desk before I get to look at it.

Right around 4:00pm, Ellis comes home and often brings with him a lot of excitement, energy and chaos! I spend a few minutes chatting with him if it's possible, though he often jets right by me, grabs a snack and puts on his outside gear to go and play in the snow! Oh, also add another bottle feeding for Ethan right around this time!

At 4:30pm I'm usually packing up the baby and Colin to go with me to pick up Claire from school. If I have any groceries that I need for dinner that night, or that I need in general, I plan on making a stop by the local grocery store to pick them up on our way home. Once we arrive back home I usually am making another bottle for Ethan, oftentimes passing him off to Claire to let her feed him this bottle so that I can either start dinner or help Monte make the dinner that he has already started (and lately, it's been much more of Monte completely taking care of dinner while I take care of Ethan!).

We eat dinner around 6:30pm, clean up, feed Ethan another bottle and then have some kid down time. We chat with the kids, we take care of random tasks (like tonight, setting up Claire's cell phone, which the company screwed up several times), if I have the energy I might do some cleaning, or we might have the kids help out with some of the jobs around the house (above and beyond their regular chores).

8:00pm comes time to get Colin and Ethan ready for bed. Colin is changed into pajamas, gets his teeth brushed and a Bible story read to him before he gets tucked in and prayers said at 8:30pm. We end the night with hugs, kisses and "I love you's" before closing his door for the night. Then Ethan gets his diaper changed, gets his pajamas on and is getting ready to have his final bottle of the evening. At 8:30pm, Iain and Ellis are given hugs, kisses and "I love you's" and they retreat to their bedroom to read for awhile before bed. At 9:00pm, Ethan is wrapped up in his swaddling blanket, given a final bottle and tucked into bed around 9:30pm. At that time, Claire is told to turn off her lights, and we give hugs, kisses and "I love you's" and she heads off to sleep.

Find time in here to do a few more tasks (like make a grocery order online!) and I find that it's after 10:00pm and I'm finally receiving the first truly free moment of my day. So, while Monte may be completely right in the fact that my blog is "screaming for an apology" for me having been absent for so long, I am yet discovering my schedule and trying to figure out the best way to fit everything in and make everything work, and my blog has fallen by the wayside in the process. I have many topics to blog about (like the bulletin board in my office, the belly dancing classes I'm taking with Trish twice a week, my sweet Colin's fifth birthday, our holidays and much much more) and hope to find time to squeeze it all in, but I'm not promising anything.

For now, I will just let you know, from me and my blog we're both screaming: I'M SORRY I'VE BEEN GONE FOR SO LONG!!! :)

As Christmas Draws Near ...

2010-12-22T15:30:00.000-06:00

This morning I spent some time in reflection of the blessings that God has given to me. It is so hard for me to believe that only three years ago I was single and living in the basement of my brother's home. I was working full time and spending my free time with family and friends. Only a mere year after that my life took a huge turn when I married my sweet Monte, the most amazing man I have ever met and the love of my life. On that day, I also was married to the four most wonderful children I could have asked for. Oh how my life had changed! Now, fast forward two more years, and we are a family of seven. Our precious little Ethan has only been in our lives for six weeks, yet it seems completely as if he was in the plans from day one. God has directed the plans He had for my life, and though they didn't always go exactly as I had wanted them to go, in the end it turned out perfectly. I can't imagine a Christmas filled with more love, happiness and blessings than this one and I am eternally grateful to my Savior for the wonderful life He's given to me.

This Christmas, while we celebrate the birth of Jesus, take time to reflect over the blessings in your life. We truly are blessed above and beyond what I could have ever dreamed!!

Merry Christmas to all of you - I appreciate the relationships that I've come to have with you and truly do pray that God pours out His blessings and His Spirit over you and yours. You are amazing friends and I am forever thankful for the gift of YOU!

Grunts and Groans and Cries .. oh my!

2010-12-09T16:18:00.002-06:00

I know that many of you who read my blog are moms. You've been through the sleepless nights, the cries that won't stop, the endless dirty diapers and the fact that doing anything now takes you three times as long to get done as it would have before you had a baby (i.e. making dinner now has to allow time to pause and comfort my sweet crying baby!). You also know the endless hours of cuddling, the moments of studying your baby's every feature so intensely that it is forever burned in your mind. You know the kisses and sweet whispers of love to your baby, you know the lullaby's and the little things that calm your baby better than anybody else knows. You are the one whose voice your baby recognizes and is instantly calmed by your touch.

I never knew that motherhood was going to be this involved. I will admit to my sheer naivety about becoming a mother to an infant. My assumption was that there weren't many things in my life that were going to change, but that they were just going to take a little bit longer. While this may be true for some things, it is certainly not true for others! Somehow, while I absolutely knew that getting up multiple times per night was going to leave me longing for a full night of sleep, somehow I didn't really grasp the totality of the feeling until it actually came to me.

*Photo courtesy of my husband, Monte, who snapped this one evening after I had fallen asleep holding Ethan. I found out about the picture when I logged onto my Facebook account the next day and saw this picture on there! :)

I love this little boy so much, I just can't get enough of him! I can't seem to have enough hours in the day to do what I need to do because all I want to do is hold him, cuddle him, sing to him, change him and love on him. He is my amazing blessing from God, and I am forever grateful to Him for the gift of baby Ethan.

My life has been changed forever, and I love it. I wouldn't change it back for anything.

I'm quickly realizing something, though. I'm realizing that my baby requires a bit more attention than I anticipated. Granted, he has been dealing with what his pediatrician believes to be acid reflux (though I'm not sure that's all that it is), so it makes him uncomfortable. ALL.THE.TIME. My sweet little baby boy doesn't sit still for very long before he starts to grunt and groan. It seems like he's pushing with all of his might to get some of the gas in his tummy to move and it just doesn't work. I've become accustomed to these sounds, so they don't cause me to jump up instantly like they used to, but they're still just not right.

Today my sister and her daughter came for a visit, and it was a wonderful relaxing time to have them here! Her little girl played with Colin, and Tanya and I spent some time reading magazines on the couch ("This Old House" and "Better Homes and Gardens" are two subscriptions that arrive at our house and it's usually quite awhile before we get to read them!) while baby Ethan was sleeping in his bouncer. Then it started: grunts. Repeated grunts. Then he added the groans. After awhile, his grunting and groaning escalated into a full cry. I think this is the first time that someone who doesn't live with us (besides my mother-in-law who is staying with us for a few weeks) heard his grunting and saw just how much attention my little bundle of joy requires. She saw how much he spits up .. what seems to be everything that he had just eaten. She heard him cry and saw just how much he needs to be held and comforted.

After talking to her about it, I'm realizing that there are some things in my life that I enjoy that I may have to temporarily give up .. things like attending my MOPs group. While I have a wonderful time at MOPs, it's just too hard to have my little guy there with me when he requires so much attention. Maybe it's a good thing for me to devote more time to just being a good mom and taking care of my baby instead of trying to rush out the door to make it to MOPs. Maybe. I'm still thinking this one through.

While sometimes I will admit to feeling a little bit overwhelmed by this new lifestyle, I am mostly overwhelmed with my desire to care for my baby, overwhelmed by my love for him and my drive to help him work through these gassy issues (and yes, we've tried a LOT of things already, Gripe Water being the most recent thing - and it really didn't have any effect on him beyond making his spit-up really slimy!). I'm okay with the thought of just being at home with him and Colin, making them my priority and focusing my attention on them. That's what I've been called to do, and for right now it is what I will do.

I never knew motherhood was going to be this involved, but I also wouldn't want to be less involved to any degree, because motherhood is one of the biggest blessings I've ever received!

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Please don't forget to vote for my brother's beautiful baby girl in the Gerber baby contest. It's so easy to vote and takes only a few minutes and is something that is very important to me and my family. Will you please take just a moment to do so? To vote for Abby, click here.

My Brother's Baby

2010-12-03T09:03:00.001-06:00

While I know many of you are anxiously awaiting more updates on how life is going with our sweet little Ethan at home, I have decided to take the time to blog of an update to help out my brother, Tory. You see, his sweet little baby girl, Abigail, is entered in the Gerber Photo Contest with the possibility of winning a $25,000 scholarship, which would be an amazing award to win. Is there any way that you can help out and quickly visit the following link and cast a vote for Abby? The first time you vote, you will have to verify through an email you receive that you are indeed a person and not a computer, but it literally takes only a couple of minutes - and those couple of minutes are rewarded by seeing this adorable photo of my beautiful niece! Please visit the following link to vote for her .. and remember that you can go back and vote every day (and we would appreciate it if you did!)!!

Click here to vote for Abby!

In the meantime, things on the home front are going as well as can be expected with our sweet little baby. He is quite the fuss-pot, mostly due to the fact that he is an incredibly gassy baby - but even in the midst of all of the fussing, I'm just loving having him home and in my arms! Please pray that his tummy issues will settle down, as we would love to not have to bring him in to more specialists to make his digestion a non-issue!

Have a wonderful weekend - hopefully I will be online to give you an update when I have the opportunity. In the meantime, if you click here you can see the online photo album I've created of our beautiful little baby.

They Said I Would Know ...

2010-11-17T16:02:00.002-06:00

... but I didn't. I didn't know at all. Maybe I was in denial, maybe I was even a little bit scared, but I truly did not know it was contractions that I was experiencing that Saturday afternoon (November 6th). In fact, I was so confident in the fact that our baby was going to arrive closer to his due date and that nothing had changed within my body that I told my husband he most definitely should go deer hunting with his brother, cousin and uncles for the weekend. After he confirmed the fact that my mom and step-dad would be coming down to stay with me, he agreed that it would be okay for him to head out. On Saturday afternoon, when I began to experience a pain I can only compare to menstrual cramps, my mom told me that I needed to call Monte and make him aware of the situation. I called his cell phone and it rang through to his voicemail, though I didn't leave a message because I knew that he would call back when he saw that I called. An hour and a half later, he called back! Evidently he had been out in the deer stand, and while he gets reception on his cell phone at their hunting shack, out in the woods he definitely does not. I informed him that my mom said I had to let him know that I was having cramps, but told him that I didn't think it was anything important or major and that he was just fine to stay and hunt the rest of the weekend and I would let him know if it amounted to anything more (which I was completely certain it would not). Little did I know that shortly after our phone conversation Monte packed up his stuff and headed home, telling his relatives that he was on his way home because we were going to have a baby.

Meanwhile, back home, my mom, step-dad, kids and I loaded into the Suburban and headed to Applebee's for dinner (as I had made the decision that I just was not going to cook anything for the night). The closest Applebee's to us is about a half hour away, so we were gone for almost three hours. By the time we got home, it was time to get the kids tucked into bed and try to relax enough to get some sleep myself. I was having a really difficult time relaxing, as the "cramps" were getting a little more intense at that point. I was still certain that they were not contractions, though, because of the way contractions had been described to me (as something I would feel through my whole stomach, as a pulling sensation, and the fact that people have always said that I will absolutely know that they were contractions!), and this just didn't feel like those descriptions! So, I turned on the TV and laid down, hoping to catch just enough comfort to drift off to sleep. About 12:30am I heard my bedroom door open, which startled me completely! I asked, "who's in here?" to which I received no response. I repeated the question and again received no response, so I got out of bed only to find my husband in our walk-in closet getting ready for bed. I was so surprised to see him! I wrapped my arms around him, kissed him and asked him why he came home. His response: "because we're going to have a baby this weekend and I need to be here for that." My husband is amazing! :)

We laid back down and he fell instantly asleep. I tossed and turned for awhile before I was able to drift off, only to be waken up three or four different times due to the cramping (which is unusual for me, as even through my pregnancy it was not uncommon for me to sleep through the night). Every time I would wake, Monte would ask me how far apart the contractions were. Still not believing they were contractions, my response was "I don't know! Far enough that we don't have to worry."

The next morning we got up and began making breakfast. The pain was coming a little more frequently and Monte asked me to inform him every time I felt it. It wasn't long before we realized that the "cramps" were coming every 10 minutes and that they were getting a lot more intense. When it got to the point that they stopped me in my tracks and I couldn't talk through them, I decided to call the hospital to see if I should get checked. The nurse on the phone informed me that it would be a good idea to do so. At this point my cramps were coming a bit closer together and Monte wrapped his arms around me and said, "baby, you need to pack your bag because we're going to have a baby soon." I finally took his advice and packed my overnight bag for the hospital (I already had everything set out to bring, I just had yet to put it together). Since my mom and step-dad were planning on leaving soon, Monte talked to his sister-in-law, Debbie, and asked if she and Dan (her husband) could come be with the kids for the day, to which they instantly agreed and were on their way. I called the hospital again to inform them that we were on our way in and Monte and I headed out to his truck and loaded up. Right before we left, I started to cry and admitted to Monte that I was feeling really scared. He hugged and kissed me and reassured me that everything was going to be great. Then we started down the road.

It took a mere 20 minutes to get to the hospital. We parked the truck and headed up to the third floor where we were taken into a triage room. They checked my blood pressure and then hooked me up to two separate monitors, one which monitored the baby's heartbeat and the other which monitored my contractions. After being hooked up only a few minutes and realizing that the contractions were now only three to four minutes apart, it began to really sink in and I began to accept the fact that I was indeed in labor! The nurse checked me after being there just under an hour and it was confirmed that I was dilated to four centimeters.

At that point, I was transferred to a birthing suite where I was again hooked up to the two monitors and introduced to my new nurse. Monte and I got comfortable and turned on the Vikings game, assuming that we still had quite awhile before anything was really going to happen. My doctor came in and greeted us around 1:30pm, checked my dilation (I was at seven centimeters by then) and broke my water and left us in the very capable hands of the nurse, saying he would check on us again around 3:00pm. The nurse asked me if I was ready for my epidural, as this was the pain management plan that I had previously discussed with the doctor. Considering the fact that I was still managing my contractions pretty well, I told her that I would like to wait and see if I can handle them longer without it. My nurse headed out the door to check on something, assuring me that she would be back soon. Monte had yet to eat anything, so he headed down to the cafeteria to grab some food for himself, promising me that he would bring it back to the room to eat, since I really didn't want to be without him. It was at that point, when I was sitting alone in the room, that I began to pray and ask God to show me when a good time for the epidural will be. I asked Him to guide me and keep me and my baby safe and to take away the anxiety I was feeling about the delivery. No more than 30 seconds after I finished that prayer, the most intense contraction I had yet to experience hit me. I tried to breathe through it, I tried to reposition myself, I tried anything I could to make the pain stop but I couldn't help but scream out in pain as the tears rolled down my cheeks. When Monte walked back in the room a minute or two later and saw me leaning forward with tears rolling down my cheeks he rushed to me to see how he could help. My only request: "I want the epidural NOW!" So he set out to inform the nurse that we were ready, and she said she would let the anesthesiologist know and he would be up shortly.

The contractions that came between my request for the epidural and when it actually began to take effect were almost unbearable. My husband was amazing and held my hand and helped me to breathe through them, encouraging me the whole way. I will admit that actually getting the epidural was a painful procedure, but having that needle stuck in my back was nothing in comparison to those intense contractions. It took awhile, but once the epidural began to really take effect and my body started to relax, things seemed a lot easier. I remember that I couldn't feel my legs and I was shivering because I felt so cold, yet my skin was still incredibly warm to the touch. The nurse had to turn me to lay on my side and then on my other side for short periods of time, and that time of laying on my side hurt a lot, as I was beginning to really feel the contractions again. I requested if I could lay down on my back again and the nurse granted that request. After repositioning me, she checked me again and informed me that I was fully dilated and ready to start pushing. According to Monte, this happened around 2:45pm. We decided it was a good idea to shut the Vikings game off so that I could concentrate on pushing ... and considering the fact that they were badly losing and it seemed like they wouldn't be able to come back, I was okay with it being shut off.

The nurse asked another nurse to phone my doctor and let him know that we were beginning to push. I don't remember much of the pushing itself, beyond the fact that I feel like it was over pretty quickly, though Monte told me I pushed for roughly 45 minutes before the little guy was born. The one thing I distinctly remember, though, is that Monte and I were bantering back and forth throughout the whole thing, which kept the nurses giggling! He kept saying something along the lines of "just a little more, I see him he's almost here!" after every series of pushes and I finally snapped at him and told him that, unless the baby's head was sticking out he was NOT almost here and that Monte should just stop telling me that! Thank God I have a patient husband who just smiled and kissed me, telling me he's just trying to be encouraging.

I remember at one point the nurse put an oxygen mask on me while I was pushing. I don't remember feeling any sort of change from it, but evidently it was needed! My doctor arrived and the pushing continued. I remember them telling me to push harder than I had ever pushed before, and I remember feeling like I was pooping (though they kept promising me that I was not!). My doctor kept telling me to push, but I think it was when he informed me that my baby had a full head of hair that the real inspiration to get him out came. I pushed the rest of the way and the doctor confirmed that indeed my little baby was a boy. I was flooded with relief after the delivery and began to cry when they laid this beautiful baby boy on my stomach.

Monte cut his umbilical cord and the nurses continued to clean him up. I focused my attention on him as the doctor informed me it was time for a half push to deliver the placenta. After having just delivered the baby, the placenta was no big deal! The doctor cleaned up, the nurses continued to clean the baby and clean me, and I gave my husband the biggest kiss of our married life! Finally, our precious Ethan Bennett had arrived! There is no feeling comparable to the first time I held him in my arms. God has truly blessed our family with this beautiful bundle of joy!

Though we have had a hard start to his first week at home, due to his jaundice being so high, we are finally back to being healthy and finding a routine that works for us. I will post more on our first week with Ethan when I can, but for now I need to go feed my precious crying baby!! :)

* Welcoming Baby Ethan Bennett !! *

2010-11-07T16:51:00.007-06:00

Proud Auntie Tanya here again, with an update...

Announcing the arrival of Baby Ethan Bennett!

Born November 7th, 2010 at 3:32pm

6lbs, 12.7oz. * 19.5" long!! :)

Kami and baby are both doing great! Thank you all for your prayers. Her labor and delivery were both quite fast... especially for her first time, and despite the epidural (which she was VERY thankful for!)

Be sure to send them your love and good wishes ...I know Kami, Monte and the Kids will all enjoy hearing from each of you!

Oh HAPPY DAY!!! :)

Welcome to the World, Baby Ethan!!

God is GOOD! <><

Tanya

It's TIME!!!

2010-11-07T13:18:00.003-06:00

Hello faithful friends and followers of "My Beautiful Day" ...this is Kami's older (& wiser!) sister, Tanya reporting. Just thought you might like to know that Kami is officially in labor, and is at the hospital getting ready to deliver her first born. We are hoping to welcome sweet Baby Ethan Bennett into the world very soon!! I will keep you posted as I know more.

In the meantime, here are a couple of photos that her great hubby Monte sent me a couple of hours back. We'll see how long that smile stays on her face during labor!! ;)

Please do keep Kami in your prayers. Pray for a smooth labor and delivery, and that God will give her the strength and stamina to get through this, as she was up most of the night with very little sleep! When I spoke with her on the phone around noon, she was waiting for her epidural. I tried to talk her out of it... but she said she wasn't having that conversation with me. Say WHAT!? Go figure!!?!! ;) LOL! I'm just an anxious auntie who wants to see her new nephew ASAP and I want nothing to slow it down. Hmmph... here I thought I had more say in this; but guess NOT! ;)

Anyway, enjoy the pics and hopefully the next time I post, there will be BABY photos to share!! :)

God bless! <><

Tanya

Could It Be?

2010-11-01T08:12:00.000-05:00

I have a slight bit of a predicament. You see, I was going along just fine in this pregnancy (except for the fact that I'm a little bit "owley" according to my loving husband!), not expecting to meet this little guy until my due date, which is November 24. Then I went to my most recent checkup this past Friday and now I just don't know what to expect! You see, at this checkup, I found out that our little guy is in fact head-down and ready to go, and evidently I, too, am ready to go as I am dilated to just over 3 cm already! This is news I absolutely was NOT expecting to receive. I don't really know why, but I was anticipating hearing that everything is fine and moving along as expected and that I would be having a baby on or near my due date. To have my doctor tell me that many women are already receiving their epidural when they're at 3 cm shocked me! He told me that it would be a good idea to get my bag packed and be ready to head out to the hospital at any time, as he doesn't think I will be waiting until my due date to have this baby.

That's great news!! Right? Well, yes of course it is ... but it also bugs me. See, what happens if I don't have the baby until my due date? Then I'm spending the next three weeks hoping that he'll be coming soon, and then realizing that's just not the case! I admit that I am spending lots of time praying that God will bless me with this little one as soon as possible. I figure since he's already in position and my body seems to be more than ready, then it's just a good thing to move it forward because the ninth month of pregnancy has NOT been a comfortable one for me (maybe that explains my "owley" attitude!).

Please pray for me, too, as I don't want to go crazy waiting for our little guy to arrive!!

Oh - and you will be updated when labor does arrive, as my wonderful sister has agreed to do my blogging for me when I head to the hospital, cause I am just not one of those mamas who intends on bringing her computer with her when she goes to have her baby!! :)

A Weekend Full of Wonderful

2010-10-26T11:10:00.000-05:00

I believe there are times in our lives when God smiles on us and gives us blessing after simple blessing. For me, this past weekend was exactly that. We had an extended weekend at our house, as our kids had no school from Wednesday through Friday. Having them home was definitely a treat! My brother, Tory, and his family arrived to spend the weekend at our house on Thursday evening. It was wonderful to have them over, as I truly just LOVE hosting people at our home! Thursday was spent catching up and playing with the kids late into the night, and by the time my head hit the pillow I was more than ready for a good nights sleep!

Friday was a fairly busy morning, followed by one of the best blessings of the weekend! You see, our very favorite babysitter, Krista, had sent me a message a few weeks back asking if she could take the kids at some point during this break from school. Krista is a senior this year and her schedule and ours don't always match up, and with Claire rising up as a babysitter, we've found that we're seeing less and less of Krista - so I was more than happy to tell her yes! Unfortunately, I had completely forgotten to get back in touch with her to set something up specifically, so when I received her text message on Friday morning and found that she was free that afternoon, I jumped at the opportunity! She came and got the kids and headed out with them for an afternoon of bowling, playing at the park and enjoying a snack at Panera. Boy oh boy did the kids have a wonderful time!

While they were gone, Tory and his family headed out to visit a friend, so I had the house to myself. I was so excited to get a lot of stuff done and be super productive, but instead I got a big case of the tireds, and I laid down and took a three-hour nap! It was glorious! I woke up shortly before everybody arrived back at our house and was soon greeted by smiling faces and slightly tired kids. Krista, if you are reading this, please know that you are so very appreciated and that Colin has not stopped talking about bowling with you!! We sure do love you!

Saturday we woke up bright and early (I'm talking 5:30am here!) and got ready to head out the door to my sister's house where she was hosting my baby shower. We spent the morning setting up and preparing food (of which my sister informed me I should not be helping, but I'm such a control freak that I had to get my hands in there a little!), and I spent a little extra time playing with my nieces and a couple of nephews (who were the only kids at the shower, as most of them travelled quite a ways to get there!) before the chaos of the shower began.

The shower was awesome! I was blessed to see so many friends and family members show up. We enjoyed some delicious food, played a couple of wild and crazy games and then spent time opening presents. It was an absolutely perfect day and I couldn't have asked for anything better. Tanya, mom, Missy and Lisa: thank you all so very much for all that you did to make this day so special for our family ... you are appreciated and loved to the extreme!

Once the shower had wound down, the men started arriving back at the house, as we were planning on having a family dinner together that night since it's such a rare occasion that we're all together. We played and laughed, I fought with my brother (sorry Tory) and cried a bunch (silly pregnancy hormones!), we ate and the kids played some video games, then we packed up and headed home. What a completely wonderful day it had been!

Sunday we enjoyed sleeping in, as Claire was feeling sick (she had started feeling sick at the shower the day before), so we wanted her to get some rest. Sunday afternoon Iain, Ellis and I headed to Babies R Us and Target to get the last of the baby supplies that I know we will absolutely need (carseat and stroller, bouncer, pacifiers, etc) and I spent a majority of Sunday afternoon and yesterday setting it all up.

So ... what has been a weekend full of crazy has also been my weekend full of wonderful, and I am so blessed to have been able to celebrate with the people I love the most!

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This is your last week to enter the drawing (sponsored by BlogHer and Kellogg's) for a chance to win a $100 Visa Gift Card! Head over to my review blog to enter!

Time Is Running Out!

2010-10-21T16:48:00.000-05:00

There are only TWO more opportunities to win a $100 Visa Gift card through this review program, sponsored by Kellogg's and BlogHer. I highly suggest visiting my review blog to enter for your chance to win!!

Maybe Tory Was Right

2010-10-15T07:52:00.000-05:00

I know for a fact that's what he wants to hear - that he was right; but maybe, just maybe he really was! It may be true that what Tory (my older brother) said was right - my legs hurt entirely because I'm getting pretty fat! :)

At 34 weeks pregnant, I would say that yes, I certainly am (please excuse the hair and pudgy face ... it was the end of a very long day!):

Yep, much much fatter indeed .. but a good kind of fatter! :)

No News is Good News

2010-10-14T15:02:00.001-05:00

I went to my doctors appointment on Tuesday. I saw a doctor that I don't normally see, but she is the one who I could get in to see right away. She concluded that she didn't know what was going on, and scheduled me to have some outpatient tests performed at the hospital. Due to the fact that my appointment was already late in the afternoon, I wouldn't have been able to get in to start my appointments at the hospital until late that evening, so I opted to schedule them for the following afternoon instead.

So, after dropping Colin off at preschool, I went in for said tests. They took awhile, but were fairly easy, so I guess I can't complain. They concluded that I definitely do not have any blood clots in my legs, but that was the only real conclusion that was made. The reason for the pain in my legs is still a mystery. Of course, if you listen to my brother, Tory, I guess the reason that my legs hurt so intensely is just because I'm getting fat! :) Ohhh the sweet and loving words of an older brother (and just in case you don't already know, he was just teasing me, as we often have a lot of friendly banter in our conversations)!

I can say that my spirits are up and I'm looking forward to watching my older boys compete in the soccer tournament this coming weekend! Life is busy as always, but as always, that's the way I like it!

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Don't forget to visit my review blog to enter for a chance to win a $100 Visa Gift Card! Contest ends on Monday!!

Honesty

2010-10-12T10:46:00.000-05:00

I know it's been awhile since I've blogged about anything beyond my $100 Visa Gift Card Giveaways (which, by the way, if you would like to enter in this week's contest [sponsored by Kellogg's and BlogHer] you can visit my review blog by clicking here). I know this because my brother Jeremy recently told me that he's grown bored with my blog. Sorry Jerm, I'll try to do better! The catch of why I haven't blogged is truly the fact that I want my blog to be uplifting and encouraging, and lately I really haven't felt that way. Tomorrow I will officially be 34 weeks pregnant (I do promise pictures soon!) and lately I haven't been happily pregnant, I've been uncomfortably pregnant! Due to this fact, I have avoided writing on my blog about it.

However, after thinking about it for awhile, the one thing I really come back to is the fact that I want to be honest on my blog as well, and not to avoid blogging just because the time of life I'm in happens to be hard. So, my fabulous blog readers, here's the truth: I'm uncomfortable. This baby boy has found his way to my ribcage and has clung to it for dear life, causing me to be short of breath and in pain! I spent almost four days with him positioned there before a bit of relief came yesterday, thank You God! He's turned a bit, which feels odd as he's never been sideways in my stomach before (and it looks goofy to see him sticking out by my side!), but it is extreme relief from the tightness of having him hug my ribs!

The other thing that has been difficult is the way my body reacted to the flu shot. You see, I am one of those people who is not in favor of vaccines. I have not had a flu shot in years, and haven't had the flu in years, so I see no point in being vaccinated. That being said, when I was at my OB appointment this past Thursday, my doctor stressed the "extreme importance" of me having the flu shot to ensure that my little guy also gets this vaccine. I debated the necessity of it with the doctor for about five minutes before I finally caved and decided just to get the shot, figuring my husband would be proud of me for it (as he is NOT opposed to vaccines!). I got the shot, all was well ... until the next morning. Friday morning I woke up uncomfortable, completely swollen through my arms and hands and my legs and feet, dealing with hot flashes and chills, just feeling awful. I was nauseous and had no appetite, though because I knew the baby needed food and calories, I did my best to attempt to eat and drink as much as possible. Add to all of that the fact that my hormones were making me extremely emotional, and it was one very hard weekend! You see, my Monte had left Friday morning to go hunting with his brother, cousin and nephews. When he left, I was feeling alright and was certain that I could get through it on my own, which means that I insisted he still go. About four hours after he left, I was really sad I had made that decision! I was feeling completely miserable, I was in a lot of pain, and I was emotional. It was a very hard day.

Thankfully, my brother and sister-in-law, Jeremy and Missy, came and picked Colin up that evening to spend the weekend with them so that I could rest. I can't tell you how much of a relief and how much of a huge help this was - thank you so much guys! I arranged rides for my boys to their soccer games and spent the rest of the weekend in bed, sleeping the pain away. Sunday morning I did get up and took the older kids to church, but even that was something that required a lot of energy and took a lot out of me.

The really odd thing in all of this is the fact that my legs are very painful, and I don't know why. If I'm standing still, my calves and ankles start to hurt after about 10 minutes (which makes getting ready quite difficult!). It almost feels as if I have just done an excruciating workout and my muscles are reacting to that. I called my doctor and have an appointment to get that checked out today, which is a good thing. Please keep this situation in your prayers, as there are very few things I can truly do without feeling this pain in my legs - and that makes being a stay-at-home mom a very difficult thing!

So, these are the reasons why I haven't blogged, because right now my pregnancy seems to be hard, and I don't want to complain about it. Hopefully there will be some light to shine on this blog soon! Jeremy - the offer still stands ... you write something up and I will happily feature you as my guest blogger! :)

Praying that you all are filled with blessings this week ....

Win a $100 Visa Gift Card

2010-09-28T13:41:00.000-05:00

It's Tuesday again, and if you've been following my blog for awhile you know that I am participating in a review program sponsored by BlogHer and Kellogg's. They are giving me the chance to give away a $100 Visa Gift Card to one of YOU - all you have to do is visit my review blog and follow the instructions at the bottom of the post. Happy day!! :)

The Things He Says

2010-09-27T17:03:00.004-05:00

Today I told Colin that my back is sore, so he told me to lay down on my side and he would rub it for me (a.k.a. run his hands up and down my back). The conversation that followed cracked me up:

Colin: Does that feel good?
Me: Yes, thanks buddy
Colin: Is it super soft?
Me: Is what super soft?
Colin: My hands!
Me: Yes they are!
Colin: That's because you make me put Dove on them all the time!

Oh the things he says never cease to amaze me!! :)

I Don't Give a Tweet!

2010-09-22T10:31:00.000-05:00

I used to be in love with Twitter. No joke. I loved that I could instantly pick up my phone and use the browser to see what everybody I love was doing. I loved that I could put my computer next to me on my dresser while I was folding clothes on my bed and have long conversations with friends via tweets, only feeling frustrated that I had a character limit that I could use per tweet! I used to love to update my Twitter status and let the entire world know what I was doing.

Used to. I definitely used to.

Now, however, I have deleted my Twitter account and am likely to never sign up again. You see, I never went so far as to have everybody's Twitter updates sent to my phone via SMS text messages, as the texting plan I have for my phone is very minimal and I would have exceeded my allowed number of monthly messages in just one day had I linked my Twitter account to my phone! Due to that, I was resorting to continually checking the computer to see what my friends were up to, and continually going online on my Blackberry to make sure that the entire world knew what I was up to.

More often than not, my status message should have been, "I'm wasting time and ignoring my son and my house to be on here and leave this message so you all know exactly what is going on with me RIGHT NOW."

I have found that, if I devote even an hour to having a phone conversation with my sister or my mom or a friend, I'm still spending less time occupying myself with finding out what's going on in the world around me than what I used to when I was constantly jumping on the computer to check my Twitter account "just for a second".

I have found out that I am a lot happier and a lot better mom to Colin when my attention is focused on him and on having fun with him. If I am so desperate to find out what's going on with the people in my Twitter world, maybe I should just make a play date with one of them so that Colin has fun too?! :)

I have found out that I am much happier being in a place where having the world available at my fingertips is not completely necessary. This is part of the reason why I haven't been blogging as frequently. I'm taking a break from my computer, and spending time blogging when I feel like God truly has given me something to write about, or when something fun has happened in our family, or when I have a certain topic (like today's Twitter topic) burning in my brain and I can't seem to let it go ... and occasionally when it's just been too long since my last post.

I have found that, not being attached to my computer, I have much more time to do the things that I'm responsible for during the day. Things like cleaning the house, doing laundry, getting groceries, playing with Colin. Oh, and eating ... I definitely do a lot of eating, too! :)

So, ladies and gentlemen, while I have had some people request that I come back to Tweeting, my answer right now is "no"! I'm happy and content with the balance my life has found and wouldn't want to go back to being a computer addict for anything!

When It Rains ...

2010-09-21T11:40:00.000-05:00

I know you're all familiar with the phrase, "When it rains, it pours". I've been thinking of this phrase recently, as someone very dear to my heart has had one heck of a storm pouring in her life as of late. The irony of this is the fact that she was the one who most often comforted me during the seemingly-never-ending journey of trying to have a baby. She was the one who told me not to accept what the doctors told me, to truly rely on my faith and trust in God that He will provide that blessing in His perfect timing. Now, as I sit here at 31 weeks pregnant (okay, well 30 weeks and 6 days pregnant), I can't help but think back to how right she was. How important it was for me to truly stop looking at the natural, stop focusing on the storm that was raging around me, but instead to turn my face toward Heaven and focus on my Creator who does have my life in His hands.

The hard thing about that was the fact that it seemed like too much. "You don't know what it's like" ... "This is just too hard" ... "Maybe God has a different plan for me and I'm not supposed to be begging Him for a baby" ... "I just want to be able to cry and sit in self-pity for awhile; can't I be allowed to do that?!" These were some of the many negative thoughts that crossed through my mind during this time. If there is anything I have realized, it's the fact that the devil was trying to use those very thoughts to stir up doubt inside of me. How much of a party would the devil had been throwing if I had accepted defeat and decided that God really didn't have a baby in the picture for me? Every single day I'm praising God that He called out to me through this wonderful woman and He reminded me that my life is in His hands, that my blessings come in His timing and my trust needed to remain in Him alone.

I'm reminded of this battle I struggled through every time this beautiful baby boy kicks me from inside my stomach, and I can't help but rejoice at how great our God truly is!

Going back to this wonderful woman in my life ... it seems like she is in a place where the storms are completely raging around her, threatening to overtake her and her family, and maybe .. just maybe .. she's in that place where I was, feeling like it's almost too hard to place all of her trust in God. Maybe you're going through a storm that is similar, maybe you're feeling like God has potentially forgotten about you. I watched a sermon by Pastor Joel Osteen this past Sunday that I really feel was a fabulous message. He was speaking about how, when things in our life seem to be so bad and the struggles are so intense that we think we're going to be taken over by the storm, that's when we need to remember that God uses these situations to bring us to new levels with Him, and by fighting through the storm, we're headed to victory. He spoke of how the devil will easily leave us alone if we are making the decision to accept defeat and go with the flow of wherever this storm takes us. I think my favorite thing that he said was that the devil especially tries to interfere with your life when you become a threat to him. When God is lifting you up to new levels, the devil is going to try to plant that doubt in your mind that says you can't do it. My prayer is that you will have someone in your life to encourage you the way my friend encouraged me, and that in the end, you will come out victorious because you truly did put your trust in God and you laid your burdens at the foot of the cross.

It was because of my decision to do that very thing that I can look down today and no longer see my feet, because this baby is growing steadily inside of me - and that is one of the biggest blessings that God has ever given me!

If you have time, please take a moment and say a prayer for my friend and her family, that they will see God's direction through this journey and they will come out victorious in the end. I know that is my prayer for them, and I know they would appreciate those prayers from you as well!

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Don't forget that you have a new chance to win a $100 Visa Gift Card, sponsored by BlogHer and Kellogg's. Just visit my review blog to enter!

It's Impossible ...

2010-09-20T16:07:00.000-05:00

Just a quick update on life, pregnancy, kids and all fun things related.

- I am almost 31 weeks pregnant and am growing quite a bit. My brother, Tory, confirmed this by telling me I'm starting to look huge (thanks Tor .. you're the best!). I didn't mind, I know he meant it lovingly! :)

- All of the kids are finally getting into their back-to-school routine and seem to be enjoying it. Claire is in 7th grade, Iain is in 5th grade, Ellis is in 4th grade and Colin is in his second year of preschool (we enrolled him when he was three). I am absolutely LOVING the structure that our new schedule holds!

- Iain and Ellis are both in fall soccer and are enjoying it! This hot-flashing pregnant woman is enjoying it as well, as it hasn't been too cold to enjoy their games!

- I have successfully reached a point where it's impossible for me to go through the day without getting something or another on my shirt. Either I'm a lot more clumsy in my eating, or my belly is just hitting everything that is in front of me (which is oftentimes in the kitchen) and getting stained. I've given up on trying to change my shirt ... who needs to dirty more than one shirt in a day?! :)

- Our family is going to the Twins game tomorrow night at Target Field. This will be the first time any of us (except for Monte) has been to a game in the new stadium. We're quite excited .. though Iain did mention something about not enjoying the Twins or the Indians (who they're playing), and that he just may wear his Phillies jersey in protest. We agreed that would be fine. :)

- I'm loving everything about this fall weather and can't seem to get enough of it! I've got the itch to get out my fall decorations and "fall it up" around here! I'm about half-way there ... the decorations have made their way from my basement up into my living room .. now just to set them out!

- I'm out of updatey things to write about!!

Or So I Thought

2010-09-16T11:08:00.001-05:00

"I am by no means a morning person."

This is a quote that I have been known to say quite frequently. I don't enjoy waking up early. I'm typically still rather tired and don't want to chat with people or have to do anything but crawl back into bed. I've always assumed that I was not, in any way, a morning person ... until recently. You see, on Tuesday of this past week I got up around 6:30am, got ready and started my day by 7:30. We were having someone stop by the house early in the morning, thus the reasoning for me getting up early. The catch is that Tuesday was quite a productive day for me, which is surprising!

Fast forward to this morning. My eyes opened at 5:20am. Once again, I decided it made more sense to get up and get ready for the day since I was already awake then to try and make myself fall back asleep and risk having a groggy day. So, after allowing myself some time to truly wake up, I got out of bed and was ready for the day by about 6:45am! It is now 11:07am and I have done three loads of laundry, vacuumed the floors, given Colin breakfast and helped him get ready and am now about to enjoy a mid-morning snack. I think getting up early helps me to be extremely productive, and allows me to veg out in the afternoon when the tiredness hits.

Maybe I was wrong ... maybe I really AM a morning person; but shhhhhhh ... don't tell anyone! ;)

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Don't forget to visit my review blog to enter the contest (sponsored by BlogHer and Kellogg's) and have a chance to win a $100 Visa Gift Card!

Win a $100 Visa Gift Card

2010-09-14T13:49:00.002-05:00

Want a chance to win a $100 Visa Gift Card? Visit my review blog for a chance to win, sponsored by Kellogg's and BlogHer!!

I know I've been absent from blogging, but I do promise to return to the bloggy world again soon!

What Defines You?

2010-09-07T09:25:00.002-05:00

By definition, I am:

- A child of God, saved by grace and growing in faith each and every day.
- A wife to the most amazing man I have ever known.
- A step-mother to four absolutely fantastic kids.
- A mother-to-be to one little boy who loves to kick!
- A daughter.
- A sister.
- A step-sister.
- A friend (thanks for the reminder Shawn!) :)
- A homemaker.

These are things that I know are facts about myself - these are the things that help to define my identity. While there are many other things that I know about myself, they are not necessarily as defining of who I am as they are potential character traits. Those things include:

- Quick to love unconditionally.
- Quick to forgive.
- Overly anal about (oftentimes very stupid) things.
- A perfectionist, though nowhere near perfect.
- Occasionally too hard on my kids, forgetting that they, too, are not perfect and sometimes forgetting to allow them to just enjoy being kids.
- A lover of laughter.

It is these traits that cause me to continually be growing and learning more about my role in this life. I want to be remembered for being a woman who is strong in her faith and cherishes her relationship with God. I want to be remembered as a woman who loved her family unconditionally and lavished that love upon them. A woman who had patience to give out abundantly and grace to forgive unendingly. There are things about my character that I do not like (i.e. being too hard on my children) and those things are areas of my life that I continue to strive to grow in. I pray about them and ask for God to direct me and to show me the additional areas where I need to grow. The funny thing about asking this question is the fact that, no matter how many times I seem to ask it, there is ALWAYS an answer and always an area of my life that I need to grow.

I won't settle for complacency in my life. I am striving to make more defining facts about myself that are in line with the Word of God and with His will for my life. I am not perfect and am striving to not expect perfection from myself. I am growing and I am learning, and for now, I'm okay with that!

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Don't forget to visit my review blog for another chance to win a $100 Visa Gift Card, sponsored by Kellogg's and BlogHer!

Parenting With Compassion

2010-09-03T15:03:00.001-05:00

There are times in my short-lived parenting life that I realize I am learning the importance of parenting with compassion, especially when it comes to disciplining. Last night was a prime example of the need for more compassion and understanding. You see, Monte and I were out on a date night (can you say "Costco here we come!"?) and Claire was watching her younger brothers. All was going well until my cell phone rang. Due to the fact that we were in an extremely loud restaurant at the time, I had to step outside to take the call. It was Claire calling me because she had a situation on her hands that she didn't know how to deal with. See, Iain and Ellis had some friends over (strike number one: no friends are allowed at our house if there isn't an adult at home), and she said that they were all downstairs in the boys' room (strike number two: definitely no friends allowed in the house when there are no adults at home) making prank phone calls. So, I asked her if I could talk to Iain, and the conversation with him wasn't extremely pleasant. He admitted that he and a couple of friends were in his room, but that they were making prank phone calls and he was just laughing about it. I explained to him that they are not to use the phone for anything but calling their parents (if necessary) and that he was to put the phone back and to tell his friends it was time to go. Then I asked to talk to Claire. It was in the passing of the phone that I heard Iain loudly say, "guys you have to go home because Claire is being her usual self again."

So, I asked to talk to Iain again and made him correct what he said and tell his friends that they had to go home because what they were doing was not okay by any standards and that it had nothing to do with Claire (that she was doing exactly what she should in informing dad and I of what was going on). I then returned to the restaurant, Monte and I paid our bill and we proceeded on our way home.

It was during the ride home that I really believe we were the most productive in our parenting than we have ever been. You see, both Monte and I have a tendency to yell at the kids when they've done something wrong, or when we're feeling frustrated with them. I know for myself, this is a trait inherited from my father, as he was one who yelled at us quite frequently, and it's not one that I am proud of nor is it one that I want to pass down to my children. So, Monte and I discussed how we were going to handle the situation and what the boys' punishment would be. Upon arriving at home, we called the boys upstairs and made them wait at the table for us as we unloaded the car from our Costco trip. We then sat down with them and asked them to explain what had happened and how things transpired. During this discussion, we let them know the areas that they should have made a different decision, and let them know how, while they were not the ones making the calls, the calls were being made from their house and by their friends - both of which would NEVER be allowed if Monte or I were home. The boys both said they knew they wouldn't be able to do something like that if we were home, and we expressed the need for them to know that they need to make decisions as if we were at home all the time.

The talk continued for about 10 minutes, after which we issued their punishment (no screen time [i.e. TV, computer or video games] for one week) and sent them to bed. Monte went downstairs to tuck them in and I proceeded to Colin's room to get him some medicine and tuck him into bed, and then to see Claire off to bed as well.

This morning when the boys woke up they were still a little bit emotional from everything that had transpired the night before. I spent some time hugging and loving on both of them, expressing how much dad and I love them and that it is because we love them that we punish them when they do something they aren't supposed to. I also let them know that they owed an apology to their sister for disrespecting her while she was in charge (which they agreed and gave truly heartfelt apologies to her!). I then told them that we don't need to dwell on what happened, we need to just abide by our punishment and make sure that we go forward with our best intent on making better decisions.

Since then, there has been such an amazing peace inside of me over the fact that we didn't yell at them or freak out at them, we rationally talked to them and I really think the message was more effective. From now on, when things happen and kids have to be disciplined, if I'm feeling frustrated/mad/overwhelmed/stressed by the situation, I'm giving myself a time-out first to sort through my emotions until I'm level-headed enough to calmly talk to my kids, because the end result is so much more positive!

Happy (Late) Birthday Iain!

2010-08-31T11:07:00.001-05:00

This past Sunday, our Iain boy turned 11. He started off the day waking up in a tent at Lake Carlos State Park (our family was camping this past weekend). He ate some breakfast, he fished, he played with his cousin and he got to ride home in the truck. He then invited the neighbor boys over for a baseball game, pizza and cake. He also got this awesome jersey for his birthday present from dad and me:

Iain is a big Phillies fan ... not so much a Twins fan!

Then on Monday we went to his aunt Connie's house where we enjoyed delicious burgers, potato salad and corn on the cob .. followed by some more fabulous birthday cake. I think we have a happy 11-year-old on our hands, and a very successful birthday indeed!

Iain, my prayer is that you will always walk in God's love and keep the beautifully sensitive and loving heart that you have. I'm so proud of the boy that you are and love you very much!

-- * Don't forget to visit my review blog for your chance to win a $100 Visa Gift Card, sponsored by BlogHer and Kellogg's. * --

Phew!

2010-08-26T09:08:00.001-05:00

Good news came my way yesterday! The news: I absolutely do NOT have gestational diabetes and can continue to enjoy my Special K bars as frequently as I would like to have them! :) Now that I'm back on a more regular eating schedule (considering that fasting before my appointment completely threw my system off), I'm really enjoying the thought of preparing meals for the weekend and baking goodies for Iain's birthday (which comes up on Sunday). Yesssssss .... 'tis a good day!

So, today consists of the kids and I heading out to do some school shopping, along with preparing some goodies for the weekend. I may be out of touch for awhile again, but I promise that I am going to be back more consistently very soon!

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Don't forget to visit my review blog for a chance to win a $100 Visa Gift Card (sponsored by BlogHer and Kellogg's).

27 Weeks

2010-08-25T06:00:00.012-05:00

Sometimes I feel as if I am on a whirlwind ride that is going so fast that I will miss everything if I blink; other times I wonder if I will ever move forward in this pregnancy! It seems like so long since I wrote this post when I was only 21-weeks along, yet here I am at 27 weeks and I'm feeling completely amazed at how much has changed!

The biggest change, aside from the size of my belly, is the fact that I have switched OB's. I know it's not common to change doctors in the middle of your pregnancy, but Dr. T. (the OB I was previously seeing) only delivers at a hospital that is roughly an hour drive from my home in good traffic. Imagine a traffic jam or a snowy November day and I all-of-a-sudden wasn't so comfortable going so far away from home to have this little guy. So, regretfully, I talked to Dr. T. about how I was feeling and informed him that I would like to transfer to an OB who is closer to my home. I say "regretfully" because I truly loved Dr. T. and feel like he has made this pregnancy experience a very enjoyable one. However, he was completely understanding and made a recommendation for me to see an OB who is much closer to my home. I saw this new OB (Dr. M.) for the first time on Monday and I feel total peace about the switch I made. Dr. M. took a lot of time to answer questions, to make sure I was comfortable with the switch and to be of any help I needed. He also had obviously spent time reading through my medical records that had been sent over from Dr. T., which I greatly appreciated, as it made me feel as if he truly cares and I'm not just another random patient who's having a baby.

The only downer about my appointment on Monday was that I failed my initial glucose test (testing for gestational diabetes) and had to go back there on Tuesday morning for the three-hour-long follow-up test. I really can't complain, because the test wasn't awful and I got to spend three hours watching HGTV in the waiting room; the only downer was that I wasn't supposed to eat or drink anything after midnight the night before - so I went a full 12 hours without any food in me. To say I was ready to pass out by noon is no exaggeration! Thankfully I had brought a few granola bars along to my appointment and scarfed them down in a hurry on my way home. Once I got home, I followed up my granola bars with a huge plate of spaghetti and a three-hour nap. It's amazing the toll that fasting took on my body, and I'm thanking God that He was holding me throughout it all, because I fear I would have thrown up or passed out without His hand holding me (there was a LOT of praying going out from me during my appointment, as I wasn't feeling all that well). So, my results of this test will come back today and I will be able to go forward from there - I'm just praying that they come back negative (meaning that I don't have gestational diabetes) and I can continue to enjoy this pregnancy without limitations.

Beyond that, all I can really say is that I'm still growing! See?!

This is my attempt at a self-portrait!

Getting bigger every day ...

Holy moly check out that chubby wubby pregnant belly!

Win a $100 Visa Gift Card

2010-08-24T16:56:00.000-05:00

Hello hello! I know that I have been terrible at keeping up with blogging lately - and you really do have my apologies for that! Life has been just completely crazy with keeping up with pregnancy, my kids, preparing for school and hosting guests in our home. Regardless, I do promise to post an update tomorrow, complete with pictures!

I just wanted to give a quick shout out to my review blog and let you know that this is the third week that I am giving away a $100 Visa Gift Card, sponsored by Kellogg's and BlogHer. All you have to do to enter to win is go to my blog post and leave a comment!

More to come tomorrow ... I promise!! :)

The Challenge of Blogging

2010-08-18T11:23:00.000-05:00

Life is busy. This is no secret to any of you, I'm sure. The thing about life being so busy is that it makes it extremely difficult to find time to get online and update my blog as frequently as I would like to. There are often many blogging topics running through my head that I want to write about, but finding the time to do it seems to be almost impossible! The irony of not updating my blog is that it's almost like cutting off communication with some of my dearest friends - the result of which is people oftentimes growing concerned or wondering if they can help you out in any way.

Yes, keeping up with a blog is a very difficult thing, especially during summer vacation. I feel like I'm taking time away from my kids when I spend time online trying to get a blog post up. Like right now, my oldest three are outside playing baseball together and Colin is standing in front of me doing a dance to the song that his lullaby lamb is playing. Is that a cry for my attention? Potentially! So, for now I leave you with this simple post letting you know that life is crazy right now and I am hoping to be able to find time to blog again soon.

Praying that you are all enjoying your final weeks of summer!

--
On a side note, I am again doing a review sponsored by Kellogg's and BlogHer, and once again you have a chance to win a $100 Visa Gift Card. All you have to do is visit my review blog here and leave a comment on THAT blog. Any comments left on this blog (My Beautiful Day) do not qualify for the giveaway.

Win a $100 Visa Gift Card

2010-08-11T11:00:00.000-05:00

I have been selected to participate in a review program sponsored by BlogHer and Kellogg's. The exciting part of this review is that I get to give away a $100 Visa Gift Card to one of my readers! To enter, visit my reviews blog here.

The Things He Says

2010-08-05T19:38:00.000-05:00

Tonight, after eating more than my (and the baby's) fair share of dinner, I sat back in my chair and said, "oooohhhhhh .... my belly feels big and fat" to which Colin looked at me with a very serious expression and replied:

"Because it is."

Oh the things that come out of that boy's mouth!!

Road Tripping With Slug Bugs, PT Cruisers and Cows

2010-08-04T14:54:00.000-05:00

It's no secret that a road trip, while often quite enjoyable, can also get to be quite long. Especially on the drive back home, when all of the anticipation of where you're going has diminished and you're just longing to be in your home again. A few years before I married Monte, my brother Tory introduced me to a road trip game that sounded completely bizarre, but I have to admit it: I'm hooked! The game is "I Spy a Cow". The basic concept is that you want to spy cows along the drive before any other passengers in the car see them. The catch is that, while you may spy an entire herd of cows, it only counts as one cow - in other words, you may not count more than one cow in the same pasture. On top of that, if anybody happens to spy something that is NOT a cow (i.e. a horse) and mistakingly calls it a cow, they go back in points by one cow. The big catch, however, is that you can clear all other players of any cows they had earned by simply spying a graveyard and calling it out before the other passengers. When you spy these things, you MUST use the entire phrase of "I spy a cow!" or "I spy a graveyard" in order to earn these cow points. The cow also must be able to be seen by other passengers to be verified that you're not making up cows in the midst of your road trip delusion! Sound confusing, or just plain dumb?! Don't think that about it - while I know it sounds strange and truly a waste of time, it makes road trips go by SO MUCH FASTER! Monte and I play this every single time we take a road trip. Granted, it's usually more fun to play with someone who doesn't share a checkbook with you (as our penalty for the loser is that they have to buy lunch), but even if you don't have a reward set in place, it's an amazing game and a great passer of time!

Our kids have come to expect this game from us, and Colin even tries to play along too, though with his own version where he spies "cow yokes". After hearing him play this for awhile the other night, we asked him what he meant by cow yoke, and he explained that he was talking about the thing that goes around the cows to keep them in the field (he was spying fences!). It is all too funny!

Another very common road trip game that my family plays is slug bug. This is one that I choose not to participate in, as my ever-so-sweet-and-innocent daughter, Claire, punches far harder than she realizes and I have had the bruises to prove it! While walking down to the park together one day, one of the kids spotted a VW Bug and called out the slug bug and tapped (our new rule - no hitting, just tapping!) their sibling. Monte made a sly comment about the fact that there should be other things you can do too, like pull someone's ear each time you see a PT Cruiser, or kick them in the shins each time that you see an ATV. Well, unfortunately, my children thought this would be a GREAT idea - and the ear-pulling began!

I'm just thanking God that we haven't seen any ATVs along our path! :)

A Letter to MWOP Readers

2010-08-03T14:53:00.000-05:00

For those who are unaware, MWOP (MckMama Without Pity) is a blog that was created to "expose the lies" that blog readers feel MckMama is telling. While I have never been a follower of this blog, I have been directed to it a couple of times, as a few of my friends had mentioned via email that I was being discussed in the comments by readers of MWOP. Today, after the birth of MckMama's fifth child, I was horrified at some of the things that were being said, and thus, this letter was formed.

Dear MWOP Readers,

I don't know you, and it's very likely that you don't know me, but considering the fact that the topics of your discussion have involved me and have involved things that are dear to my heart, I'm feeling that it's time to speak up and set some things straight. In the few times that I have visited your blog I have witnessed countless attacks against MckMama for things she has said or done that don't line up in your mind. While I would prefer to remain a background image and not stick my neck out there, some things have been said that absolutely need to be corrected, and thus I am raising my voice and saying them.

First, yes, I am MckMama's former neighbor. I still live up the street from their lake home that was foreclosed on. It has been mentioned that people assume that Jennifer and I are no longer friends because they foreclosed on their home at the same time that my husband and I were trying to sell our home, and because of their actions I must be "pissed" at them. While I will admit that my husband and I were disappointed to see them allow their home to be foreclosed on, it wasn't anything that generated those assumed feelings of hatred. Yes, our home was up for sale at that time and, while some interest was shown by potential buyers, we decided in the end that the heart of our family is still right here where we live, and it made more sense for us to invest the money that we'd saved into putting an addition on our current home and make it more functional than to uproot our family into a new home. Our decision had nothing to do with the market effect that naturally happened because of their foreclosure, but had everything to do with the best interest of our family.

I have also seen mention of the fact that I have removed Jennifer's blog from my blogroll and the assumption was made that we just must not be friends anymore. I can't really tell you why I removed her from my blogroll, because I don't specifically have a reason for that - I guess I just felt that it was the right thing to do, as I wasn't an avid reader of her blog anymore. However, I don't blame our friendship dissolving on anything but the natural parting of ways when they moved. Yes, they moved to a home that is only about one mile from my sister's home (whom I visit rather frequently), and we have gotten together a couple of times since they moved, but taking into account the fact that she has five young children and I have four children (with number five on the way), our schedules are seemingly too busy to make it work out for us to get together. Guess what? That's okay! It was easier for us to maintain a friendship when we were neighbors because of our close proximity, but I'm not crushed over the fact that, as mothers, we are both too busy to maintain that friendship. I don't dislike her, I don't disrespect her ... it's just a friendship that fizzled and faded away.

More than anything I want to clear up the assumptions that are continually made that "Stellan wasn't as sick as MckMama made it appear". It bothers me that people have the gumption to make a statement like that. I saw the pain that Jennifer went through as her precious babe was hospitalized time after time and I saw how it tore her up to have to be dealing with that. I visited Stellan in the PICU at Children's once while driving Israel's mom up there (though I left within 10 minutes of arrival, since immediate family members are the only ones who are supposed to be there) and I guarantee you that the severity of his illness was not something that she dramatized. I hate that people have it in them to throw out assumptions like that, stating that she only wants money and gifts and she feeds off the praises of her "sheeple". It takes me to a place of frustration with all bloggers and makes me wonder if anybody is as genuine as they present themselves to be. If we are so much better than she, why is it that we have all the time in the world to spend on this blog and bash her?

Today of all days can you just back off for awhile? Allow her to enjoy the feeling of being a new mom again, allow her to revel in the beauty of her newest son, allow her to post whichever pictures of him she feels like and don't criticize her for the ones that she chooses!! I encourage you to take a hard look at what you're doing and find a better outlet for yourself; go spend more time with your own children, take up a new hobby or just walk away from the computer and find something better to do. When we sit on this side of the computer screen and jump to conclusions about someone, it makes us no better or worse than that person ... it just makes us snarky women, and no matter what you can say, that doesn't look good on anyone.

" ... he who is without sin among you, let them throw a stone at her first." - John 8:7b

Noises ...

2010-07-29T14:38:00.000-05:00

I have learned that noises truly annoy me. Not the little noises that go bump in the night ... not even the noises of my kids fighting with each other, or one of them crying. The noises that annoy me are the white noises - the ones that are a constant background. Even music, after awhile, becomes white noise that annoys me. I've learned this more and more about myself recently and I have discovered just how much I love the quiet. The problem? My husband is just the opposite. When he gets home from work the first thing he does (after he kisses me hello!) is to go and turn the radio on. He LOVES music .. and noise doesn't really bother him all that much. I'm one of those people who want the radio off in the car if we've been on the road for a long time and it's been going the entire time. Thankfully, though, I am not the control freak who turns it off and tells my husband to deal with it! He is respectful of me as well, so often when I'm feeling like the white noise is too much, we will just turn the volume down a bit and we both win.

So I'm wondering - am I truly a rarity in this situation or are there more people out there like me who don't appreciate white noise?

A First-Time Family Experience

2010-07-28T11:50:00.000-05:00

While it can be said that both Monte and I have gone camping in the past, and the boys (Iain and Ellis) have technically been camping (meaning they spent the night in a tent), our family as a whole had never been camping together - so that is what we did this past weekend! We packed our Suburban to the brim and woke up early enough to have our family out on the road by 7:00am. Destination: Itasca State Park. We made a few stops on the way, including one at my sister's house to pick up the things her family was loaning us for our camping trip (as they tend to camp quite frequently). When we got there, I knocked on their back door and let myself in. I was greeted by my brother-in-law, Martin, and my niece, Khloe, who ran up and gave me a huge hug the moment she saw me! It was all too sweet! :) So, Khloe in my arms, we headed outside to get the screen tent, grill basket, air pump and air mattress that we were borrowing from them (let's face it - while the thought of camping was great, the thought of sleeping on the ground when I am almost six months pregnant was NOT great!). We packed the stuff, said our goodbyes and were off yet again. We arrived at Itasca a little after 11:00am, stood in line at camping registration for about 15 minutes and were put on a waiting list and told to come back in an hour to see if they had a spot for us. So we drove to the picnic site, took out our cooler and made sandwiches for the crew to pass the time. Thankfully, when we drove back to check, they had a spot available for us. Thus began our weekend camping adventure!

We set up the tent .. and the boys played in the boxes that the tent came in!

The boys played catch with the baseball .. and water bottles .. to keep themselves busy.

We then hiked down to the fishing dock where the boys enjoyed some time together.

We then set up the screen tent (the one we borrowed from Tanya and Martin), which we later found we were SO grateful for, as it rained quite a bit that afternoon into the next day, so it was a good place to hang out and play cards while we waited for the weather to pass!

We took a hike in the pouring rain to the headwaters of the Mississippi River. Iain and Ellis enjoyed playing in the water while the rest of us huddled under a nearby tree!

Though it must be said that Iain and Ellis were quick to join us when we pulled out the snacks!

The next day we did a lot more hiking around the park, including this stop at Peace Pipe Vista.

We stopped and saw the largest White Pine Tree .. though I don't know if it was world's largest or America's largest or ... ?!

We also went to the fire tower, though once we got there I was the only one brave enough to climb to the top ... everybody else waited for me on the ground!

See the little red dot in the middle of the picture? That's Claire waiting for me at ground level. The white dot to her left is Ellis sitting on the bench!

Ellis enjoyed the breeze of having the windows open while touring through the park (as there were some sites that were more than 10 miles from our campsite, so we decided it would be best to truck to those ones!).

The rest of the time was spent cooking food over the fire, playing catch with the neighboring campers, playing cards, eating, and just hanging out by the fire ...

... and with Colin telling us it was time to stop taking his picture!

Happy Birthday Monte!

2010-07-24T06:20:00.000-05:00

Today is a very special day, because today we celebrate this man:

This very handsome man who has stolen my heart and will forever keep it as his treasure. The father of our children, the lover of my heart, my very best friend. Today we celebrate you, my husband, and the fact that it is indeed your birthday. I love you baby! I hope you're enjoying our camping trip and are in complete bliss as today is all about YOU!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-07-21T06:20:00.002-05:00

He gives one-and-a-half thumbs up for pancakes at Grandma's house!

Taking Time Away

2010-07-20T16:31:00.000-05:00

Have you ever felt like your blog or even just your computer sometimes takes time away from your regular life? Or to put it even more bluntly, have you felt like it takes time away from your family? I'm starting to feel that way as of late, and when my husband expressed that he felt that his own time on the computer was taking away from time with our kids, we decided that we were going to do something about it! I have already began my first step of spending drastically less time on the computer (which, unfortunately, also means that I'm frequenting your blogs a little less often) and the next step comes tonight. You see, tonight starts our (Monte's and my) one-week computer fast. For a solid week, we are not going to use the computer for anything (with the exception of accessing some recipes that we will be making for dinner that are saved online). There will be no playing around on facebook, no writing blogs, no checking emails or anything of the like. Instead, my time will be spent playing more with the kids, spending more time in the Word and in quiet time with God, staying on top of cleaning the house and spending less time with my phone attached to my hip!

So, blogging buddies, if you don't hear much in response from me in the next week, you now know why. However, let it be known that I do have a couple of blog posts that I have scheduled to post later on this week, so you will still hear from me, but in a pre-planned manner! My prayer is that this week will be productive and will lead to a more pro-active way of running our household with far less reliance on our computer!

Cribs, Bibs and So Much More!

2010-07-16T14:15:00.000-05:00

I will admit that, while we don't necessarily need one yet, I have been perusing through Craigslist searching the ads for cribs for sale (preferring those that also include a matching dresser!). While I have thoroughly enjoyed going through these different ads, I find myself frustrated by the time I walk away from the computer. Why? Well, the ones that I want to check out are usually $600+ ... and there is no way on God's green earth that I will be spending that kind of money on furniture for the baby's room! The other thing that annoys me is when someone has their crib listed, and they show a picture of it completely taken apart and stacked against a wall, or they show a picture of just one side of it leaning against a wall. C'mon people! My thought is that, as a consumer, I would like to be able to see a full picture of what I may potentially be purchasing. It's those ads that make me click the back button in a hurry, because I'm very unlikely to inquire about something that clearly shows that very little effort was put into placing the ad. Is that mean of me? I don't know! I just feel like I've reached a point of frustration with the different Craigslist ads, and while I am certain I will continue to peruse through them, I do know that I will do so with a much different mindset. You see, we have yet to even paint Claire's new bedroom. We aren't planning on moving her into her bedroom until right before school starts. That being said, her current bedroom is the one that will end up being our baby's nursery, so I can't begin to think about purchasing right now anyway (unless I happen to come across a REALLY good deal!), because it would just have to be stored until the move happens.

Agh. The crazy that comes with planning for a baby!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-07-14T17:03:00.000-05:00

No matter how much my kids are fascinated by this, I still think it's gross!! :)

Baby Bump

2010-07-13T11:43:00.000-05:00

We are officially 21 weeks pregnant, and my bump is officially growing! Here are a couple of pictures taken this morning of our little guy growing inside of me.

I do have to say that I think it's funny that my belly looks bigger in the second photo. The only change is that I adjusted my shirt so it wasn't pulling down on me. Silly silly.

Lately I have been feeling more and more of the 'case of the tireds'. Afternoon naps are welcomed and being out-and-about exhausts me. I also am realizing that I am no longer comfortable just sitting on the floor or laying on the beach (*sniff, sniff*) .. I have to be supported by a chair or my back is extremely uncomfortable. However, on the upside, I still am feeling really great! I'm getting more housework done than usual (maybe because I've made the kids play outside so I can get it done?!) and am enjoying whatever form of chocolate comes my way! :)

Thus far, 21 weeks is proving to be great!

My Beautiful Day

Guess Who's Walking?!

What We've Been Doing

Through My Daughter's Eyes

Weekend Recollection

How We Roll

Giving With No Boundaries

A Different Perspective

There Once Was a Woman ...

Five Question Friday!

Enjoying the Holidays Without Losing Your Mind

Thanksgiving Recap

Five Question ... Wednesday?!

My Cute Little Bumble Bee

Women of Faith

Not For the Weak Stomached

A Peek Into My Home: Ethan's Room

What We've Been Doing

A Peek Into My Home: The Balcony

Shopping Carts

From the Cabin to the Emergency Room and Everything In-Between

Last Chance!!

A "Getting To Happy" Review

Answers and Updates

$100 Could Be Yours ...

99 Bottles

Sporting Goods are VERY Good!

Spontaneity at its Best

Currently Unavailable

Pink Eye

When It Rains

How Do You Stay Pure in a Sex Driven Society?

Promises We Just Don't Keep

Dedicated to God

Work Those Muscles

We're Not Gonna Take It

RSV Update

As If That Wasn't Enough

She's Finally Dancing

The Elephant In The Room

Five Question Friday

The Things He Says

The Miracle Cream

Getting Away

No Longer Waiting

The Seemingly Untitled Post

A Day to be at Home

Three Months

Dancing the Pounds Away

A Bulletin Board and a Beautiful Baby

Screaming for an Apology

As Christmas Draws Near ...

Grunts and Groans and Cries .. oh my!

My Brother's Baby

They Said I Would Know ...

*** Welcoming Baby Ethan Bennett !! ***

It's TIME!!!

Could It Be?

A Weekend Full of Wonderful

Time Is Running Out!

Maybe Tory Was Right

No News is Good News

Honesty

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The Things He Says

I Don't Give a Tweet!

When It Rains ...

It's Impossible ...

Or So I Thought

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What Defines You?

Parenting With Compassion

Happy (Late) Birthday Iain!

Phew!

27 Weeks

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The Challenge of Blogging

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The Things He Says

Road Tripping With Slug Bugs, PT Cruisers and Cows

* Welcoming Baby Ethan Bennett !! *