Thankful

It's been a long time since I've updated. We had a nice & quiet Thanksgiving this year. My parents came over for lunch on Thanksgiving and we had a delicious Italian meal, followed by caramel apple cheesecake (one of my new favorites!) It was so great to have Joel home with us for 4 days!! We did a little Black Friday shopping, but we're not aggressive about it. We didn't even head out that morning until after 10 a.m.

 Last night, I made Pumpkin Crunch Cake for a treat to take to Bible Study. Yum! Unfortunately, only 1 1/2 pieces were eaten, so I'm left with a 9x13 pan of it. We're studying Romans and last night was Romans 8...as we learn more about the Holy Spirit. It's been a challenge and encouragement to me!

Tonight, we're hoping to decorate for Christmas! I'm excited for the kids to help decorate the tree. I bet Kenzie will be awed by it all...she probably doesn't remember last year's decor since she's only 2. :)

I'm 30 weeks now, and get to see my midwife again on Thursday. I just feel like my belly is HUGE compared to my other 2 babies. Last time I was measuring "right on" though, so we'll see how this time compares. Hope everyone had a blessed Thanksgiving!

Gender Reveal

We had a "gender reveal" party at my parent's house last night. Our ultrasound was yesterday morning. It was great to get a look at baby and see what's going on in there. :) Everything looked good and baby is in the 50-75th percentile for the most part, except the legs...which were in the 95th percentile. That's typical for our kids, but so cool to see the legs all stretched out, and ankles crossed. We got some neat pictures printed...a great one of the profile, and another of the feet. I loved how this ultrasound tech was so patient with us and explained everything, very informative! My good friend from Sweet Indulgence made the cupcakes...they tasted as good as they looked!

Here's a close-up of the frosting inside :

Yes...we're having a GIRL!! P discovered the "pink" inside and said, "It's a girl. Bummer." I'm thinking he'll get over it, haha! But he does randomly mutter, "Sisters!" Too funny.

Ponderings

Life has been busy, lately. Some of our busy-ness the past few weeks stems from : a family trip to Colorado, a garage sale, company coming to stay, a family wedding, home-schooling, trying to teach and train a 2-year-old, and just trying to keep up with household things. I feel worn out, but am sure my kids are tired too. Teaching and training a 6-year-old at home can be a challenge. I love having my son here, but at the same time...there are moments when I want to run away. ;-) Today he has been especially whiny. We were out doing errands earlier, and I had a coupon for an Arby's turkey sandwich (yum.) So, we went through the drive-thru. I decided I'd order both of the kids a kids' meal. And then P started whining about how he didn't want to eat "THAT". So, no kids' meals. And then we were doing math this afternoon, and I assigned him 1 more page to do. It's an easy concept for him...filling in missing numbers, counting to 20. He did a page but apparently one more was just TOO much. He whined and complained and sat there NOT doing his work. So, he got 5 more pages assigned. Yippee. This all lead me to think about things we may miss out on without even knowing it, because of our attitude. Maybe the Lord wished to bless me in some way today but because I was crabby or complaining, I didn't get my "kids' meal" that I didn't even know I had coming. Or maybe I had a bad attitude about the work load I had to do, so instead of just getting things done and enjoying time with my kids, my "punishment" is that the work isn't done and instead weighs heavy on me. Verse I need today : This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24

Jesus Loves Me!

Joel caught Kenzie on video several weeks ago, singing her heart out. I love it!! This girl adores music. Her favorites are Jesus Love Me and "Twinkle Twinkle" as she calls it.

Expecting

We're expecting a new addition to our family! I'm 14 weeks along, and things seem to be going well. I had an appointment today and got to hear the heartbeat. Last month, my midwife couldn't find the heartbeat, so she did another ultrasound. (I've had 3 ultrasounds so far.)

This pic is from last week. We're excited to meet this new blessing!

Pinteresting...

I've been on Pinterest for a while. I mostly use it to organize the recipes I find online and then I can pull them up on my Kindle when I'm in the kitchen. Technology can be such a wonderful thing. :) I started following my Sister-in-Law on Pinterest and found a yummy recipe for a chicken enchilada casserole with fresh pico de gallo that she'd pinned. So, I made it last night...Joel and I both really liked it!

Here's the recipe.
If you want to follow me on Pinterest, I'm talljen80.

Better Late Than Never

My "baby" is now TWO! Her Birthday was June 11th, so I'm a little late with this post. :) We had a family party and I think everyone had a good time. We were also celebrating Mr. P "graduating" Kindergarten, so we had a combined party for the kids.

We grilled burgers & dogs and had lots of fun sides. I got the idea for the pinwheel cookies and the fruit kabobs from Pinterest. So fun!

We bought a cake for Mr. P that said Congratulations! I'm so proud of him for working hard this past school year. Even though there were challenges and some hard days in the mix, he learned a LOT and is ready to move on to 1st grade. :)

Kenzie usually isn't big into sweets, so we put a candle in a cookie and gave her one of those.

Of course, she barely touched her cookie and wanted cake instead, haha!

Some of Kenzie's gifts included pretty jewelry, a puppy that barks from my In-Laws, a water table, from my parents, and a beach towel. She is one blessed little girl to have so many that love her!

Mr. P also got some fun things, wow!! He was pretty excited to get GIFTS at his graduation party. Not expected!! He got an Angry Bird water bottle, activity books, a Burger King giftcard, and other fun things.

I displayed some of his school projects and the photo book from Shutterfly to show some of what he worked on in Kindergarten. :)

I can't believe I'm needing to order next year's school stuff this week. Summer has been going too fast. And it's been so HOT. Yesterday we were outside (watering the yard) and by 10:30 a.m. I was hot and ready to come in, ha! Our favorite places to be outside these days are in the water...kids playing in the sprinkler, in the inflatable pool, at the water park, or the splash pad. We've also frequented the zoo which is of course toasty until you enter an air-conditioned building-ahh...Guess we need to enjoy it now because soon enough, we'll be back to the grind.

Hand-Foot-and Mouth Disease (x2)

Well, the nasty virus turned out to be Hand-Foot-and Mouth disease. Awful stuff! The kids had sore throats, dizziness, nausea/vomitting, loss of appetite & lethargy and THEN after the crazy fevers broke, they started to break out in rashes & sores! P-man's throat looked awful with the horrible blisters and Kenzie got the worst of the sores all over her body. Her poor bottom was covered with blisters and the rash was all over her legs. Blisters are still looking pretty nasty on her feet. :( My only consolation is that after children get this, they can't get it again (at least the same strain of it.) It was horrible watching them go through this nasty disease!

P-man's hands with painful sores.
At one point, it was hard for him to even bend his fingers, with sores all up and down the sides of them. :(

Kenzie's rash on her leg

P-man with his genius invention : a Propeller Hat :)

Watching Shaun the Sheep with her baby dolls

Getting outside to soak up some Vitamin D=GOOD for healing!

Even though they felt pretty miserable few days, it amazes me because they were in good spirits, for the most part. Good thing kids are pretty resilient. And I'm SO glad that they're on the mend!

Nasty Virus

Well, my kids have contracted some type of nasty bug. It came on suddenly : fever yesterday afternoon, nausea, sore throat, CRANKINESS, and Mr. P kept telling me that he felt like he needed to puke. Thankfully, he didn't. We have big plans for this weekend, too. Tomorrow evening was supposed to be Mr. P's Kindergarten graduation party, combined with Kenzie's 2-YEAR Birthday party. But now, it's looking like we'll have to move it. Maybe if the littles are better by Sunday, we can have it Sunday evening after church. I took them in to the Dr. this morning to get a throat culture. Thankfully, it's not strep! Hopefully the fever leaves them. SOON. I hate seeing them sick and in pain.

Shortly after the mystery virus struck, yesterday afternoon.

Watching Timmy Time on Netflix today. :)

Neutrogena Bzz Agent Review

I'm a bit of a makeup junkie. I love to try new things, so when I was invited to a Neutrogena Bzz Agent campaign, I eagerly accepted! I didn't expect the amount of makeup that arrived. It felt a bit like having a Birthday, opening my Bzz Kit (which contained about $45 worth of FREE makeup!)

 Happy Day!!

The Revitalizing Lip Balm does just what it says. It makes my lips softer with each use and adds a bit of color. I love the light color and the non-lipstick feel to these lip balms. They're just right! The only thing I'd change would possibly be the shape of the container. I thought they were a bit tricky to apply at first (since I'm used to used to the average, rounded chapstick container). But these little gems are worth the effort and I used the coupons to buy another one to give as a gift. Good. Stuff.

The Brightening Skin Perfector will be a new staple in my makeup bag. It retails for about $12 (excellent) and really packs a punch at any under eye circles or signs of sleep deprivation. The "paintbrush" applicator makes it easy to apply. I realize I should have taken a BEFORE picture, but then it wouldn't be good to scare away people that check my blog, eh? Here's me after a night of going to bed late and getting up early...I think the Brightening Skin Perfector makes me look more rested. ;)

I'm also wearing the nourishing eyeliner in this photo. My Bzz Kit had the black in it. It's perfect for me and doesn't pull or tug at the sensitive eye area when applied. I already owned another color so was excited that I now have 2 in my collection!

So, in summary...I'm definitely a fan of Neutrogena. If you'd like to try any of the above Neutrogena products, click HERE for a digital coupon.

Warning

We were sitting in the van on Saturday and Joel was putting gas in it. While we were waiting, Mr. P observed this "important warning" and took note. He said, "Do not lean back...and squish your little one." I laughed, looking at the graphic because I could kind of understand where he got his interpretation. Life is so much more interesting when viewed through the lenses of a 6 year old.

Kindergarten

This school year is winding down and I'm super excited that we'll have more time in our days to play and get things done. It has been a good year. Challenging and fruitful. P-man learned a lot and is very much looking forward to this Summer and "100 days off!"

Here's a glimpse at our year via the book I created on Shutterfly :

Click here to view this photo book larger

Shutterfly photo books offer a wide range of artful designs and embellishments to choose from.

Goosebumps

It's that time again...FrIdAy!! Friday's make this Mama very happy. Even though the weekends go by in a blur, weekends are a reprieve from our normal routine. Weekends usually mean : a little extra time with Daddy. And a chance to get things done around the house & yard. AND weekends usually mean that Joel and I will get a bit of rest & relaxation together. Yay!!

One morning this week, I commented to Mr. P that he must be cold because he had goosebumps! He didn't say much about it, and then later mentioned to me that he DID get bit by a duck, so maybe that is where the goosebumps came from? It took me a minute, and then I started laughing (which he didn't find amusing.) It cracks me up that his 6 year old rationale told him that his goosebumps must be from the time he got bit by his finger by a duck (LAST SUMMER). I love that boy!!

We went to the Children's museum this week to pick up Birthday presents for my nephews at the gift shop they have there. Of course, we needed to play while we were there. I was glad my Mom was able to come with us. It's always fun for me to have another adult with us, when we go! :)

 The kids enjoyed playing on this giant piano! 

It was from a projector, and when you touch the keys, it makes music. So fun!

 Preston enjoyed his first ride on the carousel that they have upstairs. Giddyup!

And since my Mom arrived in time for lunch, I made us some fruit-n-yogurt parfaits. They're strawberries, layered with vanilla greek yogurt and gluten-free cranberry granola. Yum!!

Gearing Up for the Weekend!

We're having my In-Law's over tonight to celebrate my Mother-in-Law's Birthday, yay! I've been working on food prep and the house but I thought I'd take a break and do some blogging.

I love this pic of the kids from this past Wednesday. Gotta love it when grocery stores have shopping carts with steering wheels. I've found that is a huge help at entertaining kids while shopping. I also used the free cookies at the bakery for the first time ever. I was only about half-way through my list and the troops were getting restless! Cookies=Help. ;-)

Rad Racers

Kenzie is sugar & spice!! She'll wack Mr. P in the head, and then give him a kiss the next time. He usually laughs at her, but sometimes she actually hurts him...You just never know what you're going to get!! She has also given me a kiss before and then slapped me in the face. Yikes!! She looks so sweet though! I guess looks can be deceiving. ;-)

This is the Life

Today we're getting our carpets cleaned!! It's been a year since we've had it done and I'm so excited to have them cleaned again. It's amazing how much they need it, with kids & life in general getting them dirty. :)

This weekend Joel and I are going on a little getaway. Friday night, we get to hear the Christian comedian Tim Hawkins perform in Lincoln. We need some "funny" in our lives. I think it will be great! Then, we're staying the night at our favorite B&B, the Atwood House. Saturday, we get to see friends and then have dinner Saturday evening at a wonderful Thai food restaurant that we enjoy. The restaurant is giving away an iPad for a customer appreciation event. I'm sure we won't win, but at least we can try!

Kids/life/homeschooling have been good. Fulfilling and challenging and a complete blessing! However, we're very excited to have some one on one time to reconnect. Sometimes it's easy to lose track of who this person is that you married! At least that's been my experience. It will be great to have a weekend date with my best friend.

Hope everyone has a lovely weekend!

Tough Stuff

Last Friday, after a week that included feeling yucky and severe abdominal pain that came in waves and took my breath away, I finally went to the Dr. I don't really have a "primary care" physician, so I saw an internal medicine doctor that my midwife had referred me to. She was super nice. She drew blood & did an exam...but I really didn't get any answers as to what it was. She did however, rule some things out for me. We found out it wasn't kidney stones!

P-man and I had fun with my computer's Photo Booth today. :)

We then bought a used vehicle on Craigslist Friday afternoon. It only has 72,000 miles!! This is huge for us. :-)

Then, Saturday struck. We arrived home MUCH later than expected from our errands because our new (to us) vehicle broke down and we were stranded at a gas station. For about 3 hours. I have to say, I never liked this particular gas station before and now I certainly am not fond of it. Finally the tow truck came, and the kids and I took a $32 cab ride home because the littles were not allowed to ride in the cab of the tow truck. But, we made it...praise God! And supper was in the crockpot, welcoming us back home.

After we ate, my abdomen just seemed so...swollen! (And no, it's not because I ate too much salad earlier in the day, like P-man suggested.) I finally called the on-call nurse line to inquire about what I should do. After the crazy week I'd had with nausea, abdominal pains, etc...I was getting worried! The Dr. that I saw the previous day was actually on call Saturday night, so she called me right back. After checking my labs, she told me that everything was normal with my blood-draw, except my pancreas was a bit elevated. AND...I was pregnant!! I was shocked. We had tried to get pregnant the previous month...but this month, it would just be too soon to know.

She told me to get to the E.R. So...we did. The ultrasound showed 2 cysts. One was a hemorragic ovarian cyst and the other they weren't sure about. The hemorragic cyst is where the severe pain had come from!! And the "fullness" in my abdomen could also be attributed to the cyst, according to the E.R. Dr. I was relieved to hear that they didn't see a problem with the pregnancy. Everything appeared normal. It was a wonderfully surprising ending to a very long day.

Monday the 27th, I went back to the Dr. to get my HCG (pregnancy hormone) level checked. The midwife mentioned that it might be twins...so maybe that's why we were seeing something this early on. At about 5 pm, Monday night...my midwife called. She said my level was 415. Since it had been 761 in the E.R. on Saturday, she told me it was a miscarriage. I was sad to realize we were losing this baby.

There were SO many emotions over this past feel week. I still feel drained. Saturday night, when we thought things were "fine" with this pregnancy, I told Joel that I already loved this baby! I thought for sure that when we were on our way to the E.R. that we had already lost it, either because of a tubal, or SOME thing being horribly wrong (because of how awful I had felt.)

My midwife agreed that it made sense that this baby would have been from the previous month (although I took two pregnancy tests...and they were both negative.) She said that when I got what seemed to be my normal period...it could have actually been the start of a miscarriage. Even though this baby did not get to live long inside my womb, I miss it. And it is loved.

I return to my midwife's office on Thursday to make sure my HCG has returned to normal. Through the midst of all of this...the Lord has reminded me that : Even when I feel like my life hates me...HE loves me. I'm so thankful. Even though my attitude has stunk royally at times this past week...I'm greatful for my Father's faithfulness. Through His grace, we made it. And here's to a NEW weekend. So far it's off to a good start. My Sister and her family came over for supper tonight. AND Joel's got his vehicle running now...hooray!

And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 2 Corinthians 12:9

Comforts Baby Products Bzzagent Review

I recently received another fun package in the mail. I love getting products to review for Bzzagent.com. This package was exceptionally exciting for me...FREE full-sized baby products to try!

{Special thanks to Mr. P for helping me with this little photo shoot!}

Comforts brand products are available at Kroger stores. My favorite product that we received is the 2-pack sippy cups. Kenzie loves these cups. They're just right for her little hands to hold and she easily figured out the flip-top spout. They are also NO leak cups!! Many cups say they won't leak on the package, but these actually work! I love them.

We also received a pack of wipes that were alcohol free; safe for sensitive skin. I thought they seemed a bit thin and probably wouldn't buy them again.

I was wowed by the diaper coupon that allowed me to get a big box of diapers for FREE. They seem like quality diapers too, with stretchy elastic tabs on the sides that really hold well and the diapers are super absorbent. I'm impressed!

If you get a chance to try the Comforts baby line...I highly recommend it. The products are very well made at a price that won't break the bank. And when I was at Baker's, they had many of the Comforts products 50% off. I love a good deal!!

Randoms

• You know how sometimes, you read a blog post and it just smacks you in the face with WOW! I needed that?!? Well...that happened for me again today. If you want to read what I wholeheartedly needed, check it out here. It's the truth and the way I feel right now about my life. :)

• In other news...We finally got a "real" snow this weekend. It was beautiful and a snow day was much appreciated by all. P-man was excited to play in the fluffy snow and help scoop!! Yes, Joel got him his very own shovel. I'm thinking this will be the gift that keeps on giving. Yesterday P wanted to go scoop the snow off the deck out back. That was fine by me!!


• I loved the snowman that Joel and P built. It's a pretty big one! Yesterday I got a photo of P-man and H (who I babysit occasionally) next to the giant snowman. All was good and fine with our frosty friend until this morning when I woke up and *gasp* our snowman had been decapitated!!! I think it looked like it was too clean of a break to be a natural occurring head loss...but I guess I can't be certain that someone came by and whacked his head clean off. Maybe it was the wind?? Hmm...Anyhow, my Mom came over today and she attached the head again so we'll see how long it lasts, ha!!

• P-man has a crazy look in his eyes, ha!! I like this one of the kids together, actually sitting still for long enough to snap a pic. Kenz had a nasty cold again this weekend. I'm glad she's on the mend. She had a croupy sounding cough/fever/green snot, you name it! Glad she's feeling better. I missed my sweet girl. :)

• Also...coconut M&M's are fabulous. I love them way too much, especially when mixed with sea-salted almonds and dried cherries.

Book List

I want to be more strategic about finishing books. Reading is fun...but I many times fizzle out on a book when I'm about 3/4 the way through it. Here are some books I actually completed in 2011:1. So Long, Insecurity Oh my. It was like Beth Moore was writing directly to me at times. I think as women, (or humans?) it is in our nature to struggle with security. This weakness is identified and some reasons for insecurity are explored and explained. I love the encouragement she uses from the Word to show that insecurity can be overcome!! It doesn't have to be a way of life. Praise God!

2. Choosing to See Wow, this was such an incredible story. I bawled through most of it. Mary Beth Chapman is an amazing story teller. Her heartbreaking story of loss is an incredible testimony to God's healing love. This book also explores the adoption process and spotlights some of the many kids that NEED a family. I simply cannot say enough good things about this book. Mary Beth's faith is real. Her journey has been hard and her testimony is amazing.3. Crazy Love I thought this was a gripping book that was much needed for me in my Christian walk. The things I do (or choose not to do) need to stem from my love for the Creator and NOT a fear of what others will think of me. A heart that is totally sold out for Christ will be a heart on fire! I want to show others Christ's love through my actions in everyday life. What a challenge!4. She's Gonna Blow You never think when you are holding your newborn, sleeping baby that one day you might be angry with your child. Your innocent baby will turn into a 4 year old that knows exactly which buttons to push to get you hopping mad! I so appreciate Julie Ann Barnhill's willingness to be REAL and tell her story. Not every Mom is the June Cleaver type. Some Mom's (including me!) struggle with anger towards their children. The way Julie wrote made this a very enjoyable book. I love how she used tons of Scripture to encourage and show that real change can happen. Her life story is evidence of that fact. This book is life-changing and one that I hope to re-read every year!5. A Perfect Day Joel told me about writer Richard Paul Evans, and this was the first book I read of his. I thought this novel read like a modern day, "It's a Wonderful Life!" I loved it. I also liked the fact that I got to learn more about what a writer goes through when they are able to get a book published and go on book tour. Very fun story!

There are more books I read...but didn't actually finish. Maybe in 2012!! :) What are you reading?

Images from Amazon.com

2012

I have goals/visions for this year. I will not call them resolutions, because I fail at resolutions. Usually a couple months after the new year begins.

I want to read more. Last year I did accomplish more reading than the previous year. I still have a blog post in my brain about the books I read in 2011 and reviews.

I also want to read the Bible through this year. I definitely don't want to forget the most important Book, in my quest to be a better wife/mother/human. So, I started using YouVersion.com. I downloaded the mobile app on my phone and think this will be a great way to keep me focused and on track. They have different Bible reading plans on YouVersion and I chose the "Eat this Book: One Year Bible with Daily Psalm".

I'll end with a photo of Kenzie from Christmas Eve. Hope everyone has a blessed 2012!!