Warning! Object may appear larger in real life! Me at 20 weeks!

Yeah, I'm half way done with this pregnancy and I've been busy getting things done so I can focus on canning this year! I just can't wait! I/we have been so busy for the past while, and my feet ache every day, but I'm happy that we are almost done with our huge list of things to do! Now it's mostly canning supplies!
(I've come to terms with my round "back side" but how funny that it is as round as my tummy! Oh joy! I'm so glad I pointed that out to everyone!)

THINGS COMPLETED:
We bought bunk beds 3 months ago
Bought our van a few weeks ago
Received an almost new car seat from Maren (THANK YOU!!)
Bought a baby seat/swing thing
Have my 3 month supply of diapers & wipes
Had Tristin's B-day party yesterday
Got most of my Christmas presents done/wrapped
Have been buying canning jars (103!)
Planted the garden
Cut down trees in the back yard
Planted raspberry plants
Worked on more food storage
Bought school clothes & back pack for Tristin for next year (2nd grade!)
Signed the kids up for swim lessons last month
Priced most of my stuff for the yard sale
Took care of shots and dentist appointments
Bought a deep freezer
Bought a food dehydrator

THINGS STILL TO DO/FIND...
Need clothes if it's a boy (will be different seasons, darn)
Need a 2 burner stove
Want to find 2 more canning pots
Want more jars
and a apple sauce making thingy

Tristin's 7th Birthday Party!

Yesterday Tristin turned 7 and he couldn't wait for his party to begin! It was really low key this year... we just had a BBQ, a few games, presents, cupcakes, and then the kids just played for 2 hours in the pool, on the trampoline, the swing set, hammock & with water balloons. Tristin had fun either way, he didn't know that I didn't "go all out" this year, it has been so busy and will get even busier right now with our Anniversary, school getting out, ballet, the fundraiser, the yard sale and then leaving for our trip- I've just been feeling overwhemled, so I thought, this is not the year to drive myself insain with a party! I still can't believe how fast he grew up... I love you Buddy.

(I had to laugh when I started adding up how much this party cost!
FREE hot dogs, FREE capri Suns, .25 cake mix & .17 frosting for the cupcakes, .39 hot dog buns, chips from Costco (not on sale), clearanced $ 1.00 party decorations & .25 candy with candy from Winco for the party favors, not too bad!)

Nail polish on the carpet & foam up the nose...

Oh, the blessed joys of Motherhood...

Yesterday was filled with pleasant surprises!

When I came home from work, I found Travis holding Daisy down on the couch with a mini flash light and a pair of tweezers up her nose! At some point she had stuck a piece of foam rubber up her nose and it was clear up in her right nostril. She was totally freaking out, and me standing there watching the craziness wasn't helping either. I took her in the bathroom and tried to get it out too, but it was so far up there you could barely see it. After a call to the doctor, a prayer to Heavenly Father and the most intense nose blowing from a 4 year old, the rubber piece shot out of her nose like a rocket! I was thankful we didn't have to take her in to Quick Care to have it extracted!

And at some point yesterday, Grace found a bottle of nail polish and decided it was a fabulous idea to paint her toe nails all by herself! Well, she missed her toes, but did manage to paint her entire ankle and get it on the carpet as well. I was able to get most of it out, and thank goodness it wasn't bright red! It was silver at least...

Crazy kids.

"Mom, PEACOCKS!"

Trav and I took the girls to the park today and had a picnic. Their favorite part was feeding the peacocks fruit snacks & peanut butter/jelly sandwiches! Grace was hilarious chasing them around, she almost got one too! The poor thing almost had it's feathers stomped on!

Mother's day...

All I can say is, I love my babies more then anything. I think I fall more in love with them everyday. They are all at great ages and so much fun to be with. Grace is talking like crazy and I laugh every few minutes at the hiliarious things she says! I just can't belive how many times a day I want to snatch her up and kiss her neck, could she get any cutier? And Miss Daisy, those eyes, her smile, her hugs and sweet little spirit, I just can't get enough of her. And then Tristin, my little man... how did that boy grow up? He turns 7 on the 23rd and will be done with 1st grade in a few weeks. Trav and I are amazed at how well he can read! Seriously? Reading? Losing teeth? Not wanting me to see his underware? Wow, it's going too fast. And then # 4 is wiggling inside me all the time making me smile and unable to wait for "it" to hurry up and get here! I love Motherhood.

Yard Sale happiness... 101 canning jars so far!

When ever I see canning jars at a yard sale, my heart fills with joy and I instantly invision yummy goodness! So far, I've found 101 jars and I can't wait for canning to begin!! Although I'll be huge and super pregnant, I can't wait to drive out to the orchard 500 times, get up on ladders and pray my weight doesn't knock me over, carry those awkward buckets around my ginormous belly, try to keep track of the kids in all the rows and then spend weeks on my feet for 8 hours a day canning delicious fruit/veggies! I can't wait!I hope our garden does well so I can make salsa this year too! Oh, thank you yard sales for my blessed canning jars!

I am SO angry at Volkswagon!!

I think we all have a list of things we swore we would NEVER do in a trillion 1/2 years- well, the only one on my list was: buy a mini van.

I couldn't imagine a more more painful experience...

...until now.

Yup, we bought a mini van Tuesday night and the shock still hasn't worn off yet. No offense to all the mini van lovers out there, go ahead and party it up in yours, but I need a little more time to adjust to even the thought of me stepping foot in it. Why, oh, why, God, hasn't Volkswagon made a new modern, safe, reliable van yet???
(heavy sigh...)

For what it is, I'm actually, completely happy with it: the color is fine, the price was affordable, we traded in our beloved Jeep, it's SUPER CLEAN, it has air conditioning, a CD player, a tape player so I can rock out to my favorite old school music, it's a 2005, has good miles, more storage than thought possible, it will fit my growing family, it's great for yard sales, it's good on gas milage, and honestly, it is super sexy! So with all those things going for it- who could resist, right?
(an even heavier sigh...)

So, here I go, getting ready to leave for yard sales with the kids in our super hot mini van. At least it has a peace sign on the back, i guess...

It might be a... BOY!

I had my Dr. appt. this morning and my Dr is guessing it's a boy! (due to the much lower heart rate, so we'll see! We looked over Grace's heart beat info and hers was so much higher. Who knows though...) We'll find out for sure on the 1st and we're excited to finally know! It's hard to pass up baby stuff at yard sales when you're not sure!

I'm teaching another coupon class!

My friends and I started a blog a few months ago called Discount queens (sorry our button is being silly right now! You can get there by going to: www.discountqueens.blogspot.com) and we will be holding our first coupon class on May 12th @ 8:00 PM @ the Boise YMCA. (It is located off of Cloverdale/Chinden) The address is: 5959 N Discovery Way Boise, Id 83713.

The class is FREE to attend and we are accepting any food/basic need donation at the door. (we will donate all items to a local shelter in need) Plus there will be prizes to win!

This will be a great class for all couponer's at any level. Come be apart of Discount Queen's 1st coupon class!

I'm back!!!!!

All I can say is, it is great to be back in the land of the living!!! I've never been more excited to work on laundry, clean the house, run errands, make dinner, take care of the kids, do yard work, go to the park, help with homework, go to church, shower,go to work,do my visiting teaching,take the kids over for play dates, sign them up for Summer activities, go out with girlfriends, get caught up on my coupons, have story time & get the kids ready for bed, in all my life! It feels great to be up and contributing to my life again! Those first 14 weeks I just wanted to die, and then magically, it (almost)all faded, the cloud lifted and I actually cared about changing the clothes I had been wearing for the past 5 days straight!

I'm 16 1/2 weeks now and it is amazing to feel the baby moving and watch my body change/grow. Although expanding thighs, an aching chest and clothes that no longer fit do not thrill me, I'm so thankful that I can/and have been able to experience this. I would happily give a billion dollars NOT to have to go through pregnancy, but God has refused to consider my "grow a baby capsule idea" & my "zipper pouch theory" (no vaginal deliveries ladies, just, unzip, pull the baby out, and go!) so here I am trying to love this part of motherhood, while struggling with the concept of why it takes 40 weeks to get them here. (Probably because I haven't got that "patience & long suffering" thing down yet!) ....no, I am kidding. I am thankful beyond words at the oppertunity to bring children into the world. I am incredibly blessed and cannot wait for this little one to arrive.