I'm so excited...we got to take Avery on her first road trip. She, well let's face it all of the kiddos, did excellent. I do think, unfortunately, the car seat rubbed on Avery's umbilical cord a bit as it had a bit of blood around the edges-but other than that everything went amazing!
We decided to go back home, for a friend of mine's wedding-something I wouldn't miss unless I absolutely had to. Soo back to Michigan we went-me 1 week post C-section, with our 1 week old baby, a 14 month old baby, and our 2 year old. Yes, some days I think maybe we must be crazy. But everything was amazing and so smooth! We had a total of 2, did you see that 2!! meltdowns, 1 from Athaiah due to being over tired and tired of being stuck in a car seat, and 1 from Avery during a stop when we were changing diapers-the car had been turned off and the poor girl was dripping in sweat, once she cooled off she was back to being our little angel. For a 16 hour car ride,split between 2 days I think that is extremely amazing.
We got to watch Cars, Cars 2, and a Veggie Tales movie. The kids and I had a blast. I even brought one of those splash water balls-and we played catch just the 3 of us in the backseat. I know it sounds a bit dangerous, but they were in the way back and I was in one of the back captain chairs. Also, please remember they are 1 and 2 so they do not throw very far-in fact most of the time it hit the floor by my feet. All that matters is they had fun and it kept them entertained for about 30min(great in my opinion for killing time). They also read books- to themselves and had so much fun looking over them and pointing at all the pictures.
Well, we are here now and are looking to such an amazing week relaxing and spending time with our families. It is always so good to get to see everyone since we don't get to see them that often. A blessing to have technology such as Skype so we can keep in touch with family and the kids can see their faces. Wonderful because then we come home and they know who is who and go right to them giving them hugs and kisses. Although, my children are pretty friendly and I'm sure even without it they would go right to them and give out lots of hugs and kisses.
I will post an update when we get back! Oh and I am posting this from my computer! Yeah-thank you so much Grandma and Grandpa! I am so thankful to have my computer back and in working order. That means I can start adding pictures again! The post when we get back should be full of pictures-may have to do several, so I don't overwhelm anyone with our amazing trip home. Well off I go to go play with the kiddos and spend time with the family. Just couldn't resist posting about what a special thing we are able to do!
Thank you God for watching over us on our trip home. Thank you for letting the kids behave and do so extremely well, especially for their ages! Thank you for allowing us this special time to be able to spend with family. Thank you for letting everything go well with the delivery of our new little one, so that we were able to go home for this wedding and to get to see all of our wonderful family members! Thank you for providing everything that we needed, and just when we needed it. What a wonderful, giving, and caring God we serve. One that has perfect timing in everything thing that He does!
Saturday, June 29, 2013
Saturday, June 22, 2013
It's A...Part 3
I promise this is the last post(at least I think it is), it is a long birth story, but it is something that I learned a lot from and I just feel so refreshed and I feel like a new person. Something I was not expecting to feel like after going through surgery and being on an emotional roller coaster!
It's time for surgery! Yeah. I'm getting prepped and everything is going into place. Epidurals they are a wonderful thing-but they hurt like crazy(in my opinion) going in when you are not currently in labor because you feel everything. If you are having contractions then guess what, you feel the contractions and not the extra pressure on your back, no contractions equals a lot of pressure and pain. I might also add here that I am a total wimp when it comes to pain. I absolutely hate pain in any way shape or form and can be a baby. Plus today I seem extra emotional since I am learning so much, and have been told we can't follow through with the plans we had made. I think that makes the pain a bit worse and something I didn't really want on top of everything else. But trust me, so worth it, because then you are awake for the birth of your little one, and when you are done they give you some morphine through it so you are nice and numb for a good while after surgery.
I'm laying on the table-relaxed as can be(honestly really relaxed, the medicine tends to put you in that state of mind). The anesthesiologist leans down and says "baby time, are you ready?" I told him yep! He keeps his eyes glued over the drape so he can let me know as soon as it arrives. I love that they give you a play by play if you want them to. I always like to know what is going on. I don't necessarily want to see it as it is happening, but knowing is kind of fun. Maybe it's the medical person in me. I then hear the Dr say "that's not a foot, that's a head" I look up to the anesthesiologist, and then I look over at Greg-just to make sure I am hearing things correctly..a HEAD, no that should be a butt or a foot, this baby is breech remember, you should not be pulling out a head first. Then I hear the other Dr say "ha, and it's face down" WHAT! My baby is head down and face down-exactly the position that we needed it to be in so we could induce that morning, but that morning this baby was breech. Again I am a bit taken a back but everything happens so fast, I mean this is surgery and they do hurry to get the baby out. Greg looks at me and says "what did they just say?" I look back, smile and shake my head "the baby is head down, face down, it is ready to be delivered naturally, it is how we needed/wanted it to be this morning-go figure huh?" God does have a sense of humor doesn't he. I am reminded of this quite often especially with little ones running around. I'm glad I had accepted the day the way that it was and was fine with the surgery, and over the disappointment-otherwise at this point in time I may have just broken down and cried.
It's a girl!! What fun words to hear(honestly it would have been fun either way), I love that this baby was a surprise it made the suspense so much fun and all the waiting so very worth it(although, it is worth it even when you know what it is)! We are so blessed to welcome this wonderful baby girl into the family. Greg got to go over and take some pictures while they were weighing her, they even asked if he wanted to cut the cord. He quickly said no and came and sat back down behind the curtain with me(blood and him don't quite mix)! He said "Ashley she has a lot of hair and it's dark." I say "well all our kids had dark hair when they were born and they were born with hair they just lost it all" "No really," he says "it's really dark." Here she comes, my baby girl. I got to give her a small kiss and hold a little hand, the took off her hat and OH my goodness! She has a lot of DARK hair, I mean like black hair. I have no clue where that came from. What a sweet bundle of goodness she is! 8lbs 7ozs and absolutely perfect, chubby little arms, and jet black hair! There is no denying she is ours, she looks just like her older siblings...she has the same tiny little facial features like her big sister Athaiah, and she has chunky arms and thighs like her brother. A perfect little combo is what we got for baby #3.
Avery Grace you are a wonderful gift from God. We pray you will grow up to know the Lord and that you will be strong and courageous for him. We pray you get along well with your older siblings. Your brother has already taken on the role of the big protector. If you start to fuss or cry he demands we get you a binker. If you are squirmy, he says you need a blanket. If your big sister gets to close, he holds her off and says "careful with baby sister" Your big brother screams if we try and take our turn holding you, because you are HIS baby sister and he just wants to rock you and smooch on you all day long! You are blessed to have a good big brother who loves you. Your big sister, well she is still pretty little. She comes and gives you kisses, she looks at you, but mainly she is busy all the time and doesn't have the time to sit and hold you. She did just learn to walk, so give her a break-we know she loves you, she just wants to explore. She is interested in you, and not quite sure about you at the same time, after all, you do get a lot of mommy's attention, and she is a mommy's girl. You fit in so perfect and add so much to this family! We all love you and couldn't have asked for a better or sweeter baby!
It's time for surgery! Yeah. I'm getting prepped and everything is going into place. Epidurals they are a wonderful thing-but they hurt like crazy(in my opinion) going in when you are not currently in labor because you feel everything. If you are having contractions then guess what, you feel the contractions and not the extra pressure on your back, no contractions equals a lot of pressure and pain. I might also add here that I am a total wimp when it comes to pain. I absolutely hate pain in any way shape or form and can be a baby. Plus today I seem extra emotional since I am learning so much, and have been told we can't follow through with the plans we had made. I think that makes the pain a bit worse and something I didn't really want on top of everything else. But trust me, so worth it, because then you are awake for the birth of your little one, and when you are done they give you some morphine through it so you are nice and numb for a good while after surgery.
I'm laying on the table-relaxed as can be(honestly really relaxed, the medicine tends to put you in that state of mind). The anesthesiologist leans down and says "baby time, are you ready?" I told him yep! He keeps his eyes glued over the drape so he can let me know as soon as it arrives. I love that they give you a play by play if you want them to. I always like to know what is going on. I don't necessarily want to see it as it is happening, but knowing is kind of fun. Maybe it's the medical person in me. I then hear the Dr say "that's not a foot, that's a head" I look up to the anesthesiologist, and then I look over at Greg-just to make sure I am hearing things correctly..a HEAD, no that should be a butt or a foot, this baby is breech remember, you should not be pulling out a head first. Then I hear the other Dr say "ha, and it's face down" WHAT! My baby is head down and face down-exactly the position that we needed it to be in so we could induce that morning, but that morning this baby was breech. Again I am a bit taken a back but everything happens so fast, I mean this is surgery and they do hurry to get the baby out. Greg looks at me and says "what did they just say?" I look back, smile and shake my head "the baby is head down, face down, it is ready to be delivered naturally, it is how we needed/wanted it to be this morning-go figure huh?" God does have a sense of humor doesn't he. I am reminded of this quite often especially with little ones running around. I'm glad I had accepted the day the way that it was and was fine with the surgery, and over the disappointment-otherwise at this point in time I may have just broken down and cried.
It's a girl!! What fun words to hear(honestly it would have been fun either way), I love that this baby was a surprise it made the suspense so much fun and all the waiting so very worth it(although, it is worth it even when you know what it is)! We are so blessed to welcome this wonderful baby girl into the family. Greg got to go over and take some pictures while they were weighing her, they even asked if he wanted to cut the cord. He quickly said no and came and sat back down behind the curtain with me(blood and him don't quite mix)! He said "Ashley she has a lot of hair and it's dark." I say "well all our kids had dark hair when they were born and they were born with hair they just lost it all" "No really," he says "it's really dark." Here she comes, my baby girl. I got to give her a small kiss and hold a little hand, the took off her hat and OH my goodness! She has a lot of DARK hair, I mean like black hair. I have no clue where that came from. What a sweet bundle of goodness she is! 8lbs 7ozs and absolutely perfect, chubby little arms, and jet black hair! There is no denying she is ours, she looks just like her older siblings...she has the same tiny little facial features like her big sister Athaiah, and she has chunky arms and thighs like her brother. A perfect little combo is what we got for baby #3.
Avery Grace you are a wonderful gift from God. We pray you will grow up to know the Lord and that you will be strong and courageous for him. We pray you get along well with your older siblings. Your brother has already taken on the role of the big protector. If you start to fuss or cry he demands we get you a binker. If you are squirmy, he says you need a blanket. If your big sister gets to close, he holds her off and says "careful with baby sister" Your big brother screams if we try and take our turn holding you, because you are HIS baby sister and he just wants to rock you and smooch on you all day long! You are blessed to have a good big brother who loves you. Your big sister, well she is still pretty little. She comes and gives you kisses, she looks at you, but mainly she is busy all the time and doesn't have the time to sit and hold you. She did just learn to walk, so give her a break-we know she loves you, she just wants to explore. She is interested in you, and not quite sure about you at the same time, after all, you do get a lot of mommy's attention, and she is a mommy's girl. You fit in so perfect and add so much to this family! We all love you and couldn't have asked for a better or sweeter baby!
Friday, June 21, 2013
It's A...Part 2
The decision has been made-this new baby will come via C-section because God knows what is best and we are going to go ahead and do it today, rather than wait until tomorrow. We are all excited. I was hoping they would let me go home for a bit-no such luck. I get to hang out in the hospital all day. Good news-no one is scheduled for any surgeries so we can go in whenever everyone can get here. Bad news- I obeyed Dr's orders and ate a light breakfast, this means we have to wait 8-10 hrs from my last meal before we can go ahead with the surgery. This will put the surgery somewhere between 3 and 4 in the afternoon. Not too bad-but what on earth am I going to do in a hospital all day. Greg decided to go home and relieve our wonderful friend-who got up at the crack of dawn so we could go in for the x-ray.
Here I am stuck in a hospital all day by myself. I decided to look on the bright side. By this afternoon I would have 3 children 2 and under, so today would be my day of rest and relaxation before the chaos begins. God gave me a day of rest-what a wonderful thing and what wonderful timing. Working full time and having small children can really drain your energy some days. I dozed off and on all day and really enjoyed the time that I had to myself. I really didn't do anything all day-how often can I say that. I will tell you how often NEVER! There is always something to be done, but today my job was to eat nothing, rest, and then go in for surgery and have a baby. My anticipation grew all day...we waited to find out what this baby was going to be and it made the day seem long at some points as I would daydream about what it would be or who it would look like.
I was reminded all day long that God was in control and that He knew the plans for my life and for the life of this new little one. He knew why we needed the surgery. He knew I needed a day of rest. He knew I needed some naps uninterrupted by children or phone calls from work. He knew! That was all that mattered.
I talked on the phone with family, I got to know the nurses a bit better, and I got rest. Notice I am so excited about the rest. I thought I would be bored out of my mind and go stir crazy, especially since I am the type of person that likes to stay really busy all the time. But I didn't, it felt so good to just do nothing all day, and to know that I wasn't expected to do anything.
Thank you God for allowing me to rest. Thank you that in your perfect plan YOU alone knew a day of rest for me would be beyond needed. YOU knew it was what I needed. It was in your perfect plan that you allowed for me to have a day to spend just the two of us. Reflecting on life, on decisions, and on where we are going. You are so good to just reveal one step of the way at a time. You never give us more than we can handle and you give us enough information to get us to the next step and that is it. We don't need to see the big picture, and although I love to see the big picture, I know it is sometimes best to just trust in you and your wonderful promises. You grant us a peace like no other, a peace that can only be found in you, and I could not be more thankful to you for that wonderful gift of peace!
Here I am stuck in a hospital all day by myself. I decided to look on the bright side. By this afternoon I would have 3 children 2 and under, so today would be my day of rest and relaxation before the chaos begins. God gave me a day of rest-what a wonderful thing and what wonderful timing. Working full time and having small children can really drain your energy some days. I dozed off and on all day and really enjoyed the time that I had to myself. I really didn't do anything all day-how often can I say that. I will tell you how often NEVER! There is always something to be done, but today my job was to eat nothing, rest, and then go in for surgery and have a baby. My anticipation grew all day...we waited to find out what this baby was going to be and it made the day seem long at some points as I would daydream about what it would be or who it would look like.
I was reminded all day long that God was in control and that He knew the plans for my life and for the life of this new little one. He knew why we needed the surgery. He knew I needed a day of rest. He knew I needed some naps uninterrupted by children or phone calls from work. He knew! That was all that mattered.
I talked on the phone with family, I got to know the nurses a bit better, and I got rest. Notice I am so excited about the rest. I thought I would be bored out of my mind and go stir crazy, especially since I am the type of person that likes to stay really busy all the time. But I didn't, it felt so good to just do nothing all day, and to know that I wasn't expected to do anything.
Thank you God for allowing me to rest. Thank you that in your perfect plan YOU alone knew a day of rest for me would be beyond needed. YOU knew it was what I needed. It was in your perfect plan that you allowed for me to have a day to spend just the two of us. Reflecting on life, on decisions, and on where we are going. You are so good to just reveal one step of the way at a time. You never give us more than we can handle and you give us enough information to get us to the next step and that is it. We don't need to see the big picture, and although I love to see the big picture, I know it is sometimes best to just trust in you and your wonderful promises. You grant us a peace like no other, a peace that can only be found in you, and I could not be more thankful to you for that wonderful gift of peace!
Thursday, June 20, 2013
It's A.... Part 1
As many of you saw via facebook, we welcomed our latest new one into the family yesterday at 4:23, SHE came via C-section. Yep, that is right we were blessed with another little girl yesterday! Elijah and Daddy are going to have their hands full keeping the two of them in line and chasing all the boys away. Avery Grace is a wonderful "little" addition and so far has been pleasant and an absolute joy to us all. She came into the world making a lot of noise, weighing 8lbs 7oz and 20 inches long. She is a chunky, healthy baby. This makes her the biggest of our babies(by a whole 2 ozs), and she is right in the middle on her height! We could not be more thrilled. Now onto her birth story for those that care to know(this will be done in several parts as it would make 1 horribly long post if I put it all together), I'm hoping it is no inclination that she is going to be stubborn her whole life-but if she is may God grant us the patience!
We arrived at the hospital at 7am on Wednesday morning, we were supposed to get an x-ray to check fetal position and make sure she was face down. Avery had been head down for a good 2 months, so we were not worried about her being the correct way at all, just wanted to make sure her face was down so she could come out the birth canal. IF all went well and she was face down-we were going to go ahead and induce that am(my Dr is going out of town this weekend and wanted to be here for the birth because of my history). All checked in and x-rayed we head up stairs to the OB unit to wait for the Dr to come in and tell us what is going on and how things look. Instead of waiting for the Dr's report they decided to start me on an IV right away. A small grip from me-I told the nurse what arm to go in because the vein in my left arm rolls, but not in my right. Did she listen? NO! So now I'm in tears because she had to move that huge needle around in my arm. Finally she got it in the vein, so she gets a new needle to insert the IV, and uses the old needle to hold the vein in place while she gets everything set-SO NOT FUN! Any way there is my complaining for the day-sometimes the patient does know best!
OK back to the story...IV is now in and I'm hooked up to the baby monitors so they can see what the baby is doing and how my contractions are and if there is anything regular with them. In walks the Dr. laughing. Now I don't know about you but when the Dr walks in giggling you know something must be up, right? She says "well God is laughing at us and with us today! You want to know what happened, that baby is breech." Yep you read that right BREECH-it has been head down for 2 months, it wasn't supposed to just flip over night. I was just in the Dr's office and she was head down-how on earth is she breech. Now what are we going to do. I will tell you the truth at this point in time I just wanted to break down and cry-but I resisted the urge, put a smile on my face that I'm sure everyone could tell was fake, and said "so what are our options." She explained there were a couple of options 1. take the baby today via C-section, 2. take the baby tomorrow C-section, 3. go to a specialist in Wichita and see if they can turn the baby but not only was the baby breech it was also face up, so it needed to do a flip and turn 180 deg. NOT very likely that would be able to happen especially at almost 40 weeks pregnant. She also told us that on occasions they can turn on their own but if they are turned the wrong direction 2 days before the due date it is HIGHLY unlikely that it will turn itself back around. Now it is decision time, she tells us what she would do if it were her, and then the nurses and her leave.
Greg and I stare at each other-I don't think I quite knew what to say. He had a smug smile on his face and I honestly just felt defeated! You have plans and I wasn't set on having to have a natural birth but I had prayed all nine months to be able to have it naturally so Greg wouldn't have to take care of 4 people for a week or two until I can lift things. Besides we were planning a trip home and you can't very well drive 16 hrs after major surgery. So now what? My wonderful husband in all in patience says I think we just need to do the C-section today. We are already prepared and it doesn't sound like they will be able to get the baby in position any way. We are here and God knows what we are supposed to do and at this point it looks like a C-section is our plan...so we then have 2 options today or tomorrow. I say today, I was in agreeance since we were already at the hospital, and I already had that darn IV in my arm that hurt like crazy-no point in leaving now. I am finally excited...a bit disappointed that things didn't go as planned, but excited-we will have baby #3 by the end of the day and everything will be just fine!
I am reminded of the verse in Jeremiah "I know the plans I have for you..." for some reason just that phrase really stuck out to me today. God knows that plans and he knows what is best for us. Who am I to question him? Who am I to not trust in what his plans are, and to put my own wants above what he knows? I am no one-so I need to accept that He knows the plans and knows why it has to happen this way! I am finally at peace and excited! Thank you Lord for bringing me just the right scripture when I need it most. You truly do know the plans that you have for me, and I can trust that everything will be ok, if I just put my trust and faith in you and YOUR plans! Thank you for being such a kind and patient Father, for letting me throw a mini tantrum and then reminding me of your truths and promises! Thank you Lord for blessing us with Avery's presence-may we raise her up according to your word.
We arrived at the hospital at 7am on Wednesday morning, we were supposed to get an x-ray to check fetal position and make sure she was face down. Avery had been head down for a good 2 months, so we were not worried about her being the correct way at all, just wanted to make sure her face was down so she could come out the birth canal. IF all went well and she was face down-we were going to go ahead and induce that am(my Dr is going out of town this weekend and wanted to be here for the birth because of my history). All checked in and x-rayed we head up stairs to the OB unit to wait for the Dr to come in and tell us what is going on and how things look. Instead of waiting for the Dr's report they decided to start me on an IV right away. A small grip from me-I told the nurse what arm to go in because the vein in my left arm rolls, but not in my right. Did she listen? NO! So now I'm in tears because she had to move that huge needle around in my arm. Finally she got it in the vein, so she gets a new needle to insert the IV, and uses the old needle to hold the vein in place while she gets everything set-SO NOT FUN! Any way there is my complaining for the day-sometimes the patient does know best!
OK back to the story...IV is now in and I'm hooked up to the baby monitors so they can see what the baby is doing and how my contractions are and if there is anything regular with them. In walks the Dr. laughing. Now I don't know about you but when the Dr walks in giggling you know something must be up, right? She says "well God is laughing at us and with us today! You want to know what happened, that baby is breech." Yep you read that right BREECH-it has been head down for 2 months, it wasn't supposed to just flip over night. I was just in the Dr's office and she was head down-how on earth is she breech. Now what are we going to do. I will tell you the truth at this point in time I just wanted to break down and cry-but I resisted the urge, put a smile on my face that I'm sure everyone could tell was fake, and said "so what are our options." She explained there were a couple of options 1. take the baby today via C-section, 2. take the baby tomorrow C-section, 3. go to a specialist in Wichita and see if they can turn the baby but not only was the baby breech it was also face up, so it needed to do a flip and turn 180 deg. NOT very likely that would be able to happen especially at almost 40 weeks pregnant. She also told us that on occasions they can turn on their own but if they are turned the wrong direction 2 days before the due date it is HIGHLY unlikely that it will turn itself back around. Now it is decision time, she tells us what she would do if it were her, and then the nurses and her leave.
Greg and I stare at each other-I don't think I quite knew what to say. He had a smug smile on his face and I honestly just felt defeated! You have plans and I wasn't set on having to have a natural birth but I had prayed all nine months to be able to have it naturally so Greg wouldn't have to take care of 4 people for a week or two until I can lift things. Besides we were planning a trip home and you can't very well drive 16 hrs after major surgery. So now what? My wonderful husband in all in patience says I think we just need to do the C-section today. We are already prepared and it doesn't sound like they will be able to get the baby in position any way. We are here and God knows what we are supposed to do and at this point it looks like a C-section is our plan...so we then have 2 options today or tomorrow. I say today, I was in agreeance since we were already at the hospital, and I already had that darn IV in my arm that hurt like crazy-no point in leaving now. I am finally excited...a bit disappointed that things didn't go as planned, but excited-we will have baby #3 by the end of the day and everything will be just fine!
I am reminded of the verse in Jeremiah "I know the plans I have for you..." for some reason just that phrase really stuck out to me today. God knows that plans and he knows what is best for us. Who am I to question him? Who am I to not trust in what his plans are, and to put my own wants above what he knows? I am no one-so I need to accept that He knows the plans and knows why it has to happen this way! I am finally at peace and excited! Thank you Lord for bringing me just the right scripture when I need it most. You truly do know the plans that you have for me, and I can trust that everything will be ok, if I just put my trust and faith in you and YOUR plans! Thank you for being such a kind and patient Father, for letting me throw a mini tantrum and then reminding me of your truths and promises! Thank you Lord for blessing us with Avery's presence-may we raise her up according to your word.
Monday, June 17, 2013
Father's Day!
We had an amazing family day for Father's Day!
It all began by getting up super early(oh wait, that was only me because I can't sleep!). Well, since I was up early I made the family strawberry muffins(Greg's mom's recipe, which he loves). I also got the house picked up-but that is just a bonus from my end of things!
Then we all got ready to go to the zoo! There is a Father's Day car show every year at the Salina zoo. Greg had to help judge the car show-but it is a bonus because then we get to see a lot of fun old cars and animals. (A little boys dream!) It was so much fun to spend the day as a family-looking at cars with daddy and then looking at all the animals. Elijah thought it was so much fun to see all the animals-he especially loved the Rhinos!
Home we went, and it was family nap time since the sun had gotten to us. The kids got no sunburn! Yeah for remembering to put sunscreen on them. My back got burnt and Greg's thinning-bald spot is quite red(he forgot his hat).
Dinner was steak, crescent rolls, and watermelon! Just what Daddy said he wanted.
The only unfortunate thing-Daddy wanted his 3rd baby born on Father's day. No such luck, even with all the walking all day. All it did was make my hips even more sore than they already were!
We had an amazing day. I love when we can spend the day as a family and have fun together. It may even be our last weekend as a family of four-so it was absolutely perfect!
I hope everyone else had an amazing Father's day, celebrating all the fathers in your life. Especially our heavenly Father who gave everything just so we could be with him forever. What a wonderful love He has for us. There is truly nothing better!
It all began by getting up super early(oh wait, that was only me because I can't sleep!). Well, since I was up early I made the family strawberry muffins(Greg's mom's recipe, which he loves). I also got the house picked up-but that is just a bonus from my end of things!
Then we all got ready to go to the zoo! There is a Father's Day car show every year at the Salina zoo. Greg had to help judge the car show-but it is a bonus because then we get to see a lot of fun old cars and animals. (A little boys dream!) It was so much fun to spend the day as a family-looking at cars with daddy and then looking at all the animals. Elijah thought it was so much fun to see all the animals-he especially loved the Rhinos!
Home we went, and it was family nap time since the sun had gotten to us. The kids got no sunburn! Yeah for remembering to put sunscreen on them. My back got burnt and Greg's thinning-bald spot is quite red(he forgot his hat).
Dinner was steak, crescent rolls, and watermelon! Just what Daddy said he wanted.
The only unfortunate thing-Daddy wanted his 3rd baby born on Father's day. No such luck, even with all the walking all day. All it did was make my hips even more sore than they already were!
We had an amazing day. I love when we can spend the day as a family and have fun together. It may even be our last weekend as a family of four-so it was absolutely perfect!
I hope everyone else had an amazing Father's day, celebrating all the fathers in your life. Especially our heavenly Father who gave everything just so we could be with him forever. What a wonderful love He has for us. There is truly nothing better!
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Peach and Steak Kabobs
This was not a totally original idea that just came to me. I came across a recipe in a taste of homes magazine that I just got. I love those magazines...problem is when the time comes to make the actual recipe I have a hard time pulling out the book and going by what it says. All I noticed in the magazine was the picture and that it looked delicious. I decided to get to work and make some for the family sometime soon. Well that sometime soon came on Sunday June 2nd! Sorry no picture :( I wish I had one as they look just as good as they taste. I told my husband this is my new favorite summer time meal, as it tasted so fresh and was beyond yummy! He agreed(I love when he agrees-which is pretty much always does, but it's just nice to hear) Any way enough of me going on and I will get you the most amazing recipe EVER, ok maybe not ever but close enough!
Ingredients:
Sirloin Steak(cubed)
Peaches(canned in light syrup)-fresh would work better but I wanted the juice!
1/2 tsp ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp garlic powder
2 TBSP peach jelly
Cube up your Sirloin(I had 1 lb) and place in a bowl. Open your can of peaches and pour a very small amount of the peach juice on your sirloin(see why I used canned instead of fresh, of course olive oil would work, but I wanted to be different), for this I used maybe 1-2 TBSP it wasn't much just something so the seasoning would stick a better. Add your ginger, cinn, and garlic powder to the steak and juice, mix it up well(I just used my hands, raw meat doesn't scare me). Now for the fun part...Since I used canned peaches they are juicy because of this I cut them in half because a whole peach slice kept falling off due to the weight and moisture. IF you use fresh peaches one slice should work just fine since they are more firm. On your kabob stick layer peach, steak, peach, steak...until you have what will fit on the kabob or how full you want it to be, ours had 3-4 of each per stick! Place them on the grill! They cook about 5 min per side, so nothing too long! You don't want to burn the steak or the peaches, just cook them! When they come off the grill spread peach jelly on top! Oh my goodness, heavenly, sweet, just amazing!
The kids really enjoyed this recipe and ate all the steak and peaches. The steak is sweet, but not too sweet, a very different flavor for me, but it was so very good. I'm sure we will be making these a lot this summer since they are so amazing. Maybe next time I can get a picture up on here so you can see them in all their awesomeness! I am going to go back to the original recipe sometime here soon and see how close they are to each other. I'm pretty sure the recipe didn't have cinnamon in it and it said to use some type of peach salsa as well-but again not positive as I briefly glanced it over, thought it looked good, and made my own!
Ingredients:
Sirloin Steak(cubed)
Peaches(canned in light syrup)-fresh would work better but I wanted the juice!
1/2 tsp ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp garlic powder
2 TBSP peach jelly
Cube up your Sirloin(I had 1 lb) and place in a bowl. Open your can of peaches and pour a very small amount of the peach juice on your sirloin(see why I used canned instead of fresh, of course olive oil would work, but I wanted to be different), for this I used maybe 1-2 TBSP it wasn't much just something so the seasoning would stick a better. Add your ginger, cinn, and garlic powder to the steak and juice, mix it up well(I just used my hands, raw meat doesn't scare me). Now for the fun part...Since I used canned peaches they are juicy because of this I cut them in half because a whole peach slice kept falling off due to the weight and moisture. IF you use fresh peaches one slice should work just fine since they are more firm. On your kabob stick layer peach, steak, peach, steak...until you have what will fit on the kabob or how full you want it to be, ours had 3-4 of each per stick! Place them on the grill! They cook about 5 min per side, so nothing too long! You don't want to burn the steak or the peaches, just cook them! When they come off the grill spread peach jelly on top! Oh my goodness, heavenly, sweet, just amazing!
The kids really enjoyed this recipe and ate all the steak and peaches. The steak is sweet, but not too sweet, a very different flavor for me, but it was so very good. I'm sure we will be making these a lot this summer since they are so amazing. Maybe next time I can get a picture up on here so you can see them in all their awesomeness! I am going to go back to the original recipe sometime here soon and see how close they are to each other. I'm pretty sure the recipe didn't have cinnamon in it and it said to use some type of peach salsa as well-but again not positive as I briefly glanced it over, thought it looked good, and made my own!
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
Preparing for baby-38 weeks!
It seems there is always stuff to do when there is baby on the way. Am I the only one that feels this way? I think God must have known, because nesting is kicking in around here big time. Why else would we feel the need to get everything just right-because God knows there won't be much time or energy right after you have the baby to get the extra little things done!
I am almost 38weeks(2 weeks to go!). I can't believe how fast time has gone. I have a wonderful doctor who isn't going to let me go past 41 weeks, so tops I have 3 weeks left...3 short weeks until we get to meet our wonderful new addition. We get to find out if we are blessed with a little boy or a little girl and then we get to find out all about them(of course not all at once, as it is a continual process since they are ever changing)!
As far as everything pregnancy related goes, it is all going smooth and looking well. I have gained more weight with this pregnancy then in my previous two, but the Dr says everything looks good! I also have had some swelling around this time-so I'm going to blame the few extra lbs on water, sounds like a plan right?? Nothing major but with my first 2 I had pretty much zero swelling, so some swelling feels like a lot to me! Actually on a fun note-this past week I actually LOST 3 lbs! Makes me happy, as I have been busy beyond belief this past week so it does make sense!
Nesting is beyond belief! I can't move as fast as I would like and I honestly find that the most frustrating thing about the whole process...I have so much I feel needs to get done-but I just can't move fast enough to get it all done in a day...well that and I do have 2 small children that need pretty much constant attention while awake because they are in to everything and exploring everything! I wouldn't trade those 2 for the world though, they make my days so much better, they are a constant source of joy and a reminder to stop and smell the flowers!
My nesting has included all kinds of things-organizing the storage room, cleaning up the yard and everything else outside, making a few meals to store in the freezer for later, and cleaning daily. I even deep cleaned the other day and every wall and baseboard in the house got scrubbed-just because! I washed all the windows inside and out, and even cleaned the washing machine! I still have a lot I would like to get done before the baby gets here and I'm so thankful that I have had the energy to get a lot of stuff done-and so grateful for the days when I can just relax and take a nap. After all, I have a feeling with 3 children 2 and under, naps for me will be few and far between so I try to sneak in as many as possible while I can now!
I am almost 38weeks(2 weeks to go!). I can't believe how fast time has gone. I have a wonderful doctor who isn't going to let me go past 41 weeks, so tops I have 3 weeks left...3 short weeks until we get to meet our wonderful new addition. We get to find out if we are blessed with a little boy or a little girl and then we get to find out all about them(of course not all at once, as it is a continual process since they are ever changing)!
As far as everything pregnancy related goes, it is all going smooth and looking well. I have gained more weight with this pregnancy then in my previous two, but the Dr says everything looks good! I also have had some swelling around this time-so I'm going to blame the few extra lbs on water, sounds like a plan right?? Nothing major but with my first 2 I had pretty much zero swelling, so some swelling feels like a lot to me! Actually on a fun note-this past week I actually LOST 3 lbs! Makes me happy, as I have been busy beyond belief this past week so it does make sense!
Nesting is beyond belief! I can't move as fast as I would like and I honestly find that the most frustrating thing about the whole process...I have so much I feel needs to get done-but I just can't move fast enough to get it all done in a day...well that and I do have 2 small children that need pretty much constant attention while awake because they are in to everything and exploring everything! I wouldn't trade those 2 for the world though, they make my days so much better, they are a constant source of joy and a reminder to stop and smell the flowers!
My nesting has included all kinds of things-organizing the storage room, cleaning up the yard and everything else outside, making a few meals to store in the freezer for later, and cleaning daily. I even deep cleaned the other day and every wall and baseboard in the house got scrubbed-just because! I washed all the windows inside and out, and even cleaned the washing machine! I still have a lot I would like to get done before the baby gets here and I'm so thankful that I have had the energy to get a lot of stuff done-and so grateful for the days when I can just relax and take a nap. After all, I have a feeling with 3 children 2 and under, naps for me will be few and far between so I try to sneak in as many as possible while I can now!
Monday, June 3, 2013
Weekend fun!
The past two weekends have been absolutely amazing! I just wanted to share that, they have been a slice of heaven on earth! I am so blessed to have such a wonderful and patient husband who loves to go with the flow. I wish I could get pictures up on here-then you could see the excitement in every one's faces, but alas words will have to do for now!
Memorial Weekend:
Saturday-family time galore! We had so much fun just hanging out as a family. We went on a family bike ride. We had just gotten the kids a "new" bike trailer, so we can all finally ride together. Greg and I both love to ride bikes, and we have been looking forward to being able to take them out for so long! The kids LOVED it. In fact, Elijah has been asking for a bike trailer ride since. We spend the whole day not really worrying about getting anything done around the house-but spent the whole day just playing outside! We washed daddy's car, and we put up the kiddie pool and the sand box and the kids had a blast playing in both! Elijah also loved washing the car because he got to play with soap and water-two of his favorite things these days!
Sunday-We relaxed and hung out all day. Decided instead of waiting until Monday for our burgers we would enjoy them today instead(mainly because mommy was craving them NOW and didn't want to wait). There was cheeseburgers, orange fluff, chips, and corn on the cob and we all had a ton of fun devouring everything! Nothing like a burger night-I love that they are simple, yet good!
Monday-We went to a friend's house, had an absolutely AMAZING lunch, and enjoyed playing outside in the sunshine and eating our food on blankets outside. What a wonderful day. By the time we got home we all were exhausted from our time spent outside. You know what that calls for..Family Nap Time!!!
First Weekend in June:
Saturday-Greg mowed and weed whacked. Elijah asked for me to snuggle him and read and we ended up taking a 2 hr nap together. I haven't gotten such good snuggles from my big boy in so long. He is growing up way to fast and there was nothing as sweet as him curling up with me telling me he wanted to take a nap with mommy. He played with my hair and put himself to sleep...a moment I will forever cherish as these days seem to just fly by! I mean now that it is June-we have a baby due this month! Where has time gone? An amazing end to our amazing day-me and the hubby spent 2 hours just talking, talking about life, about good memories, about making new memories. Just truly enjoying each others company and having fun without kids running around(they were in bed for the night), something we have not done for quite some time since we work opposite shifts and then our weekends are normally packed tight with the never ending to do lists! Nothing could have been better! I'm now ready for this baby to come(as in I feel relaxed and able to take on the next challenge), but we will let it bake a bit longer I guess!
Sunday-Athaiah fell asleep right as we were ready to leave for church, we decided it best to stay home since she melts very quickly if she doesn't get her nap. We were sad to miss church, but sometimes the kids rule in this house! We decided to be productive instead since we didn't get too much done on Saturday. Sunday was an outside workday-very much needed around here. We planted a couple of new flowers, spread mulch, fed all the plants, put weed and feed on the lawn, pulled up TONS and I mean TONS of weeds(I just weeded not sure how it got so bad so fast!), watered everything in, cleaned up the back patio a bit(and I mean a bit, still needs quite a lot of work), and put a small fence up in the backyard for Decafe, so his excrement is contained in one area instead of all over the place! A very productive day. We also enjoyed a marvelous new lunch...Peach and Steak kabobs! They were so yummy, I will have to post the recipe soon! Absolutely wonderful for a day spent outside-it was refreshing and sweet and I have had nothing like it before! I will post the recipe soon I promise!
Well, that was our past few weekends, sorry it is so long and lacking pictures. I really hope we can get our computer problem solved quickly, especially since we have a baby due in less than 3 weeks and I'm going to want to post lots of pictures of the new little one! Hope you all enjoyed some family time as well the past couple weekends as there is nothing like it! God is so good to us and we need to take the time to cherish the little things and not get so worked up about life! These past few weekends have been amazing as far as cherishing the little things. A much needed calm for me in the busyness of everything. I know it sounds like we were busy but really it was time spent with each other, enjoying the kids and being outdoors. I'm really looking forward to a summer filled with moments like these!
Memorial Weekend:
Saturday-family time galore! We had so much fun just hanging out as a family. We went on a family bike ride. We had just gotten the kids a "new" bike trailer, so we can all finally ride together. Greg and I both love to ride bikes, and we have been looking forward to being able to take them out for so long! The kids LOVED it. In fact, Elijah has been asking for a bike trailer ride since. We spend the whole day not really worrying about getting anything done around the house-but spent the whole day just playing outside! We washed daddy's car, and we put up the kiddie pool and the sand box and the kids had a blast playing in both! Elijah also loved washing the car because he got to play with soap and water-two of his favorite things these days!
Sunday-We relaxed and hung out all day. Decided instead of waiting until Monday for our burgers we would enjoy them today instead(mainly because mommy was craving them NOW and didn't want to wait). There was cheeseburgers, orange fluff, chips, and corn on the cob and we all had a ton of fun devouring everything! Nothing like a burger night-I love that they are simple, yet good!
Monday-We went to a friend's house, had an absolutely AMAZING lunch, and enjoyed playing outside in the sunshine and eating our food on blankets outside. What a wonderful day. By the time we got home we all were exhausted from our time spent outside. You know what that calls for..Family Nap Time!!!
First Weekend in June:
Saturday-Greg mowed and weed whacked. Elijah asked for me to snuggle him and read and we ended up taking a 2 hr nap together. I haven't gotten such good snuggles from my big boy in so long. He is growing up way to fast and there was nothing as sweet as him curling up with me telling me he wanted to take a nap with mommy. He played with my hair and put himself to sleep...a moment I will forever cherish as these days seem to just fly by! I mean now that it is June-we have a baby due this month! Where has time gone? An amazing end to our amazing day-me and the hubby spent 2 hours just talking, talking about life, about good memories, about making new memories. Just truly enjoying each others company and having fun without kids running around(they were in bed for the night), something we have not done for quite some time since we work opposite shifts and then our weekends are normally packed tight with the never ending to do lists! Nothing could have been better! I'm now ready for this baby to come(as in I feel relaxed and able to take on the next challenge), but we will let it bake a bit longer I guess!
Sunday-Athaiah fell asleep right as we were ready to leave for church, we decided it best to stay home since she melts very quickly if she doesn't get her nap. We were sad to miss church, but sometimes the kids rule in this house! We decided to be productive instead since we didn't get too much done on Saturday. Sunday was an outside workday-very much needed around here. We planted a couple of new flowers, spread mulch, fed all the plants, put weed and feed on the lawn, pulled up TONS and I mean TONS of weeds(I just weeded not sure how it got so bad so fast!), watered everything in, cleaned up the back patio a bit(and I mean a bit, still needs quite a lot of work), and put a small fence up in the backyard for Decafe, so his excrement is contained in one area instead of all over the place! A very productive day. We also enjoyed a marvelous new lunch...Peach and Steak kabobs! They were so yummy, I will have to post the recipe soon! Absolutely wonderful for a day spent outside-it was refreshing and sweet and I have had nothing like it before! I will post the recipe soon I promise!
Well, that was our past few weekends, sorry it is so long and lacking pictures. I really hope we can get our computer problem solved quickly, especially since we have a baby due in less than 3 weeks and I'm going to want to post lots of pictures of the new little one! Hope you all enjoyed some family time as well the past couple weekends as there is nothing like it! God is so good to us and we need to take the time to cherish the little things and not get so worked up about life! These past few weekends have been amazing as far as cherishing the little things. A much needed calm for me in the busyness of everything. I know it sounds like we were busy but really it was time spent with each other, enjoying the kids and being outdoors. I'm really looking forward to a summer filled with moments like these!
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