haleyleann

Pettiskirt

2011-04-27T12:12:00.000-05:00

Oh my, it's been a long time since I've updated this thing!!! Sorry!

So this year for Easter I committed crazy. That's correct...C.R.A.Z.Y. I decided that I was going to make Hannah and Ava's(my niece) Easter dresses. But they weren't going to be just any dress. Oh no. That just wouldn't do. I decided to make pettiskirts. Who can resist those big balls of soft ruffles?! There were two blogs that got me through, Little bits of Bliss and Make It and Love It. Without these two blogs, I would have thrown my sewing machine and fabric out of the window. I used Little bits of Bliss to help me figure out how much fabric to use and I used Make It and Love It for practically everything else. The diagrams on Little bits of Bliss saved my life. I know that sounds extreme, but unless you have ever made one of these suckers, you can't understand. Also a huge help was borrowing my sis-in-law's ruffler foot. I'm pretty sure that little contraption is worth it's weight in gold. I worked on the skirts for about 2 full days and then pulled an all-nighter the Friday before Easter. I was exhausted! But every minute of lost sleep became worth it when I saw this...

And this....

And of course this...

It made it all worth it!!!

The True Meaning of Christmas

2010-12-07T10:50:00.001-06:00

Please excuse me while I climb up on my soapbox. I feel like I need to make a PSA. The Christmas season has just started and I'm already annoyed by "the true meaning of Christmas". It seems that everywhere I turn I am being bombarded by "the true meaning of Christmas". You know what I'm talking about, loving, giving, being nice, family togetherness, sunshine, and rainbows. *rolling eyes* That is NOT the true meaning of Christmas!!! The true meaning of Christmas is that God loved us so much, that He sent His only Son to Earth to be our Savior.(John 3:16) He was sent to be our pure and spotless lamb, to die for our sins, and three days later to rise again. Christmas is about celebrating our Father's love. Don't get me wrong, all of the other stuff is great. I love that at least a couple of months out of the year, we aren't as selfish as normal and help those who are in need, to take the time to love others, and to give gifts to those that we love. I wish that we did that more often. There's nothing wrong with all of that. It's good, and it's important for us as Christians to do those things. But please, don't call that other stuff "the true meaning of Christmas". *Quietly stepping down from my soapbox*

Sweater Dress for Hannah

2010-11-25T20:38:00.004-06:00

I have 2 boys. I LOVE them dearly!!! I would have been completely satisfied and fulfilled if the Lord would have chosen to give me 3 boys. But, He didn't. =) He decided to give me a little ~~baby doll~~ girl this time. I have had so much fun dressing her up since she was born. I have always wanted to make cutsie clothes for my kids, but the boys wouldn't appreciate that much. So when Hannah was born, I was determined to make some cutsie clothes for her. Well, I was online the other day and saw this tutorial at Naptime Crafters for upcycling an adult sweater and making a sweater dress for a baby. Genius! It says to use a cable-nit sweater, but i didn't have one. But, I did have a ribbed cotton turtle neck in my closet that was never going to be worn again. I'm not sure why I was holding on to it, but I'm glad I did!

My turtle neck before the project

Step 1.

Cut off the sleeves and the bottom half of the shirt

Step 2.

Cut off the middle section of the shirt. *Note* This is an important step. This will define where the waistline is on the dress for you baby. Be sure you are comparing with your child.

Step 3.

Trim down the sides of the top section to fit the width of your baby. Turn the top wrong side out and sew up the sides to the arm holes. *Note* The arm holes in this picture are too big. I had to cut them down some more.

Step 4.

Cut the top of the sleeves off to the correct length for your baby

Step 5.

Turn the bottom portion of the sleeves wrong side out and sew along the seam to make the sleeve skinnier, and trim off the excess.

Step 6.

Turn the sleeves right side out. Leave the top portion wrong side out. Slide the sleeves inside the top until it is even with the hole.

Step 7.

Pin the sleeves to the arm hole and sew together. Be careful not to sew the arm hole shut!

Step 8.

Take the bottom portion of the shirt and gather it to make pleats and baste.

Step 9.

Pin right sides of the bottom portion to the top portion and sew together. Trim excess.

Step 10.

Turn dress right side out and cut down the side of the neck along the seam. Re-enforce the seam with a horizontal stitch on the collar so that the slit on the neck does not go down further with continued use.

Excuse the blurry picture...she was excited and couldn't be still. =)

Linked up at these fun parties:

Transformation Thursdays @ The Shabby Chic Cottage

Look What I Made! @ Creations by Kara

Making the World Cuter Monday @ Making the World Cuter

Market Yourself Monday @ Sumo's Sweet Stuff

30 years old!

2010-11-08T14:19:00.000-06:00

When you're a kid, you feel like 30 is a lifetime away! It sounded so old. These days, 30 is sounding REALLY young to me. ;-) Those of you that know me, know that I am, well...sneaky. Not a whole lot in my house gets by without me knowing it. Something pretty big got by without me ever even half way suspecting it. My husband and our church family planned a surprise birthday party for me and pulled it off! There was a church wide cookout scheduled for last night at our friend's house. It was in the bulletin. Our pastor sent out an email reminding everyone about it. We got to the house, parked, and walked into the house. I walked into the kitchen and noticed pink decorations all over and everyone started singing "Happy Birthday". I think even then it hadn't started to sink in that the whole "church wide cookout" was really my party. I was so surprised. I felt so loved! Then I turned around to go get something for Hannah out of the other room and my parents walked in! They drove 2 hours to come and celebrate with us. I am so blessed! I can't believe that James was able to keep it a secret! He did so good. He was so nonchalant about the "cookout". Then I had another surprise! Everyone pitched in and got me one of these bad boys:

Seriously?! I have wanted one of these sooooo bad, and now I have one! I'm still in so much shock, I don't even know what to make yet!

I am so blessed to have such an amazing husband, wonderful family, and awesome friends. I mean really, who could ask for more?

Hannah & Cereal

2010-11-06T21:26:00.000-05:00

You know, once you muscle your way past the gag reflex, all kinds of possibilities open up. (Emile - Ratatouille)

I'm back!!!

2010-11-03T11:26:00.001-05:00

Oh my! I knew that it had been a while since I updated this blog...but 2 months?! I had no idea it had been that long. There have been so many things that have happened since I posted last! My Nathan turned 4 in October. Wow!!! I can't believe he is already so old.

My birthday boy! =)

He is such a fun part of my life. I love how his whole body smiles when he is happy. For those of you that don't personally know him, when he smiles, his whole body wiggles. He can't even help it. He radiates joy.

Today Hannah is 6 months old! It has gone by so fast already! I can't believe that in just 6 short months that she will be 1!! If the next 6 months go by as quickly as the last, it will be too fast. She is so fun and has such a sweet personality. She is rolling all over the place. When you lay her down in one place, you never know where you are going to find her when you check on her next.

Hannah eating her first bite of cereal. Can't you see how much she loved it?

Joseph is still enjoying the 1st grade. He is so smart! A little too smart for his own good if you ask me. =) He loves being the biggest brother so much. He's getting so tall and is growing up before my very eyes. He is turning into such a sweet Godly young man and I can't wait to see what He has in store for Joseph's life.

Joseph holding Hannah

This photo captures my children PERFECTLY!!!

C.V. Pickett

5 days after Nathan's birthday, my grandfather went to be with the Lord. He was a wonderful man and will be missed greatly. For my prayer warrior friends, please pray for peace and comfort for my grandmother as she learns to live life without her husband.

James is doing great! He is working a lot, which is nothing new. I am so blessed to have such a wonderful husband that works so hard to take care of all of us. He is my knight in shining armor. xoxo

James and me at Nathan's party

Anyway, that's us lately. I'm gonna try a little harder to make sure I keep up with this thing in the future! Blessings!

Random thoughts by Nathan

2010-09-01T14:39:00.000-05:00

Nathan: When there is a fly in our house and it lands on our sandwich, it will poop on it. Then we will eat it's poop. Is that yucky?

Me: .......

What did you say?

2010-08-27T08:00:00.001-05:00

My boys say the funniest things. Here are a couple of recent comments to share:

Me: "Nathan, get your foot off the wall."
Nathan: "I like to."
Me: "Well I'm sorry you feel that way because you may not put your feet on the wall. You will make black spots on the wall."
Nathan: "Some people have black walls."
:-D

Dropping Joseph off at school:
Me: "I love you kiddo. Have a good day at school."
Joseph: "I love you. I'll miss you."
Me: "I'll miss you too sweetie."
Joseph: "I was talking to Hannah."
ROFLOL!

I love those little cuties!

Joseph is a 1st Grader

2010-08-26T08:24:00.000-05:00

Before school

I can't even believe it. My "baby" is in the 1st grade!!! How did that happen?! It seems that just yesterday he was learning to crawl. *sigh* He has had 3 days at school and so far seems to really like his new teacher. She is a first year teacher. At first I was kind of iffy about that, but then a friend of mine reminded me that as a first year teacher, she still likes her job and isn't cranky yet. =) I also reminded myself that all of the great teachers were first year teachers once. I have noticed that he is growing up to by the "typical" man. I have to spoon feed him to get any information. Here's an example of how our conversations have been going after school:

Me: "How was your day?"
Joseph: "Good."
Me: "What did you do?"
Joseph: "Um. We played and ate lunch."
Me: "Did you learn anything?"
Joseph: "Learn?"
Me: "Yes. Did you learn anything when you weren't playing or eating?"
Joseph: "Oh. Um. We did some worksheets."
Me: "What kind of worksheets?"
Joseph: "The kind you work on."

I give up. I figure that if he has any news, he'll tell me. =)

Even though Nathan isn't in school yet, he still needed his picture taken =)

In his classroom. Such a big boy!

A time to celebrate

2010-08-25T14:58:00.000-05:00

A Time for Everything

¹ For everything there is a season,
      a time for every activity under heaven.
² A time to be born and a time to die.
      A time to plant and a time to harvest.
³ A time to kill and a time to heal.
      A time to tear down and a time to build up.
⁴ A time to cry and a time to laugh.
      A time to grieve and a time to dance.
⁵ A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.
      A time to embrace and a time to turn away.
⁶ A time to search and a time to quit searching.
      A time to keep and a time to throw away.
⁷ A time to tear and a time to mend.
      A time to be quiet and a time to speak.
⁸ A time to love and a time to hate.
      A time for war and a time for peace.

⁹ What do people really get for all their hard work? ¹⁰ I have seen the burden God has placed on us all. ¹¹ Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end. ¹² So I concluded there is nothing better than to be happy and enjoy ourselves as long as we can. ¹³ And people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor, for these are gifts from God.

Ecclesiastes 3: 1-13

What a great weekend of celebration! Saturday, August, 21 was Faith Lynn's 8th birthday in heaven! It's such a bittersweet day. It is a reminder of her life, her death, and her eternal life with our Father. The celebration started out on Friday when my grandparents came to town and stayed in a local hotel. We went to visit, had fried catfish, swam, and just had a whole lot of fun! The lighting was AWFUL at the pool, so I only have this one pitiful looking picture to share. =(

Of course I had to get one of Hannah enjoying the pool too...

Can't you see her excitement?

Saturday morning was a little difficult for me. I was sitting there with Hannah, looked at the clock, then realized at that exact same time 8 years prior I was holding Faith. Even though it was a tough moment, I'm so grateful for God's gift of memories. We went back to the hotel and had a yummy waffle breakfast with my grandparents. Hmmm...didn't think to take any pictures.

After breakfast, we caravaned to the cemetery where we met my brother and sister-in-law, their 2 girls, and my dad for Faith's birthday party. For some people that might be weird...but it's a wonderful celebration of Faith's brief life here on Earth.

After we had our cupcakes, we headed over to our traditional restaurant and met my mom, sister, and niece for lunch. Here's the whole crew:

Hannah

Ava, Joseph, Emma, Jill, Claire, & Brian

James & PaPa

Mom, Dad, & Nathan

Grandmaw & Lindy

Me, Grandmaw, Lindy, & Mom

All in all, it was a great day remembering our sweet Faith.

James & Faith

Faith,

We love and miss you so much!!! Eat some of heaven's special cake for us! We can't wait until we get to see and hug you again. Thank you for being our special baby girl.

XOXO,

Mommy, Daddy, Joseph, Nathan, & Hannah

Summer's Coming To An End

2010-08-19T09:38:00.000-05:00

This is the last week before Joseph goes to school and is an official 1st grader. *wiping a small tear* I can't believe how fast the summer has gone. I know several moms that are doing the countdown to when school starts back. They are ready for the kids to be back. Maybe I'm weird. I don't want him to go back. I enjoy him being at home. He and Nathan have had so much fun together. Don't get me wrong, they have had their fair share of arguments; and I have had my fair share of being totally frustrated with them. But in all, we've had a great time. Tonight we go to meet Joseph's teacher. I have been earnestly praying about who he will have for this school year. I pray that he will have someone that will love him almost as much as I do, that he/she will be able to teach him well, and that he/she is someone that he will have fun with. We'll see tonight!

Here are some pictures from a couple of weeks ago. We had a whole Saturday at home to just be together as a family. It was so nice!

Joseph being pushed down the slip-n-slide

Nathan being pushed down the slip-n-slide

Do you get the feeling that Dad is having more fun?

Me going down the slip-n-slide

Me trying to remember why I thought that was a good idea

Nathan making me feel better

Joseph and James having fun

Nathan getting ready to take a ride

What can I say? They love their daddy.

God's artwork for us while we ate our dinner outside

And of course, Hannah after her nap

Kids Say The Darndest Things

2010-08-05T08:33:00.000-05:00

It happens to every parent at some point. It happens to some parents multiple times. You are out in public and your sweet little angel opens their mouth and says something inappropriate...very loud. My sweet little angel, Nathan, did that very thing Tuesday.

I had to go get James' car registration taken care of because I was too lazy to put it in the mail before it was due. :-/ So I loaded up my brood in the grand ole' suburban and we went to the tax office. We arrive and while we're still in the car I gave them my normal warning speech. You know the, "Stay with me. No screaming. No running. No climbing on things. And for the love of Pete, PLEASE don't do anything to embarrass me." speech. We made it in the building without any running, screaming, or climbing. VICTORY! We waited in the line with minimal discipline needed. VICTORY! I got James' new sticker without any problems. VICTORY! At this point I'm starting to feel just slightly cocky. We start our walk down the hall, to the door.....we're almost there! I can see the car through the glass. A successful mission! I'm good! Three young children in tow and no issues! Then it happened. This very kind, much older gentleman opened the door for us. My sweet little Nathan went through the door and started to laugh and said, "Look! It's an old man!" Ugh. But that's not all. No, if that was all it wouldn't be so bad. He had to finish it off with, "Is he going to die soon and go to heaven to be with Jesus?" *Shaking my head* I don't know if the man heard him or not because I was too busy rushing across the parking lot before he could ask any more fun questions.

When we got to the car, I tried to explain that those are things that you shouldn't say. But he's 3. He's not going to get that concept for a long time. I just better brace myself for more.

11 Years

2010-07-23T09:31:00.001-05:00

I am SO late on this entry. But better late than never! =) On July 17, James and I celebrated our 11'th wedding anniversary. That sounds like such a long time, but I can't decide on whether or not it feels like it. Sometimes it feels like 11 years if I start thinking about different things we've been through and all of the memories we've shared. Other times, it feels like we were just dating. I can remember our wedding day like it was yesterday. *Insert the memory chime here* I was 18 and he was just one month shy of being 21. At the time I felt like I was so grown up. Now I look back and think, "Oh my! I was such a kid!" Even though I was so young, I don't feel like I got married too soon. I knew that I was making a lifetime commitment and I knew that James was the man that the Lord had prepared for me. That doesn't mean that our marriage has been without struggles. Our 11 years together have been quite difficult at times. Our marriage has survived the death of our firstborn, a miscarriage, cancer, and just everyday life. But the Lord has been faithful to us. He has also provided many wonderful times. We now have 3 BEAUTIFUL children, loving families, and great friends.

I am so blessed that James was chosen for me. I know I'm a little biased, but I truly believe that he is the best husband, father, and friend on the planet. He is everything I could have ever wanted and more. If I could go back to our first date and relive every moment, I would and wouldn't change a thing. Even more, I can't wait to see what the Lord has planned for our family.

I love you James. Thank you for 11 wonderful years!

7-17-99

Will you please skate in the house?

2010-07-16T01:14:00.000-05:00

It is no secret. I HATE to clean! Not only do I hate to clean, but I'm a pretty messy person. My husband on the other hand is a very organized and neat person. He would be a much better stay-at-home-mom than I am. But even though I don't enjoy cleaning, it's still something that has to be done. Earlier, my kitchen floor was so icky. I have been telling myself for a couple of weeks to get the mop out and just do it, but then other things happen. You know small things like, 3 kids; getting breakfast for 2 kids and myself; nursing 1 kid; getting lunch for 2 kids and myself; nursing 1 kid; getting a snack for 2 kids and myself; nursing 1 kid; getting dinner for 2 kids, a husband, and myself; nursing 1 kid. What? We like to eat. ;-) Anyway, all of this eating doesn't help my icky kitchen floor problem. So I moved my kitchen table and chairs into the living room. Put some warm water and dish washing detergent into some plastic food storage containers and put them on the ground.

Then my boys and I put on old socks, dipped our feet into the water, and started to 'skate' on the kitchen floor. =) This was not the first time that we have done this, but it was just as exciting for them this time as it was the last time.

After the floor is clean, we take old towels and 'skateboard' to dry off the floor. Now mopping the floor is their favorite chore to do. Truth be told, it has also become mine. I hope that these are memories that they will have for a lifetime!

Silly me!

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

I usually write about the things my kids do and say. Is it fair to point out their funny things and not blab to the world when I do something stupid? I guess not. So here it is...I'm going to tattle on myself.

One month ago I had the worst case of poison ivy EVER! I can honestly say that I looked like a burn victim and I have the scars to prove it. When you have poison ivy, everyone and their dog has the magic remedy that they want to tell you about. When you're that miserable you are willing to try anything. My friend, Andrea, told me that her husband uses a mouthwash called Dr. Tichenor's to dry up his poison ivy. Somehow, I forgot all about it. Yesterday, I was starting to think that I was having another reaction to the nasty little plant. Strange enough, Andrea & her husband drove by while we were outside and they reminded me about the mouthwash. Later we went to the store and I got some of the magic mouthwash to test their remedy. When we got home I went into the bathroom and poured some on a cotton ball and started dabbing at the suspected areas. After I was done, I thought that I would try to gargle some and see how it was as a mouthwash...not a poison ivy get rid'er thing. I poured some in the cup and proceeded to put it in my mouth. My first thought was, "Oh, it kind of burns like Listerine." My second thought was, "Push through the burn. You can do it!" My third thought was, "Oh my gosh!!! I've got to get this liquid fire out of my mouth! Spit!!!!!!" Something that I learned very quickly was that in order to spit you have to be able to take a breath. In order to take a breath you have to get Dr. Tichenor's out of your mouth! All I could do was open my mouth and let it drip out. Every time I would gasp for air it sent a burning peppermint sensation down into my lungs. I then made a bowl with my hands and started pouring water in my mouth to swish and spit with. My lips and tongue automatically began to temporarily swell and I thought my esophagus was closing in. I felt like a fire breathing dragon. James happened to walk in and in between tear filled laughter I tried to tell him what happened. My mouth felt like I had taken a drink of overwhelmingly hot coffee and burnt all of my skin and taste-buds off. I then grabbed the Dr. Tichenor's bottle and started looking at the directions. In capitalized red letters it says, "DO NOT USE FULL-STRENGTH AS MOUTHWASH" What?! "Dilute with 5 parts water..." Oh crap. I guess I should just be glad I still have teeth after that episode!

For those of you wondering, the suspected areas of poison ivy aren't doing any itching this morning. Maybe it works!

4th of July

2010-07-08T16:35:00.002-05:00

O! say can you see by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming,
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming.
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there;
O! say does that star-spangled banner yet wave,
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep,

Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,

What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,

As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?

Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,

In full glory reflected now shines in the stream:

'Tis the star-spangled banner, O! long may it wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore

That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion,

A home and a country should leave us no more!

Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps' pollution.

No refuge could save the hireling and slave

From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:

And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

O! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand

Between their loved home and the war's desolation!

Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land

Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.

Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,

And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."

And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!^[12]

This is our friend David with my dad-in-law just after David's first flight in a small airplane. =)

^{What a fun holiday! We went to James' parent's house (mom-in-law) for their annual party. Fun was had by all. Of course it wouldn't be a huge get together without it's difficulties (some more severe than others)...but all in all it was a good day. I mean really, what could be better than a party with a whole lot of food?! There were boat and plane rides, games, and fireworks. Yes you read that right, plane rides. For those of you that don't know us, my dad-in-law is a pilot. My in-laws live on a private airstrip and he gave people rides for about 3 hours.

Our kids really enjoyed the fireworks! We all loaded up on the back of trailers with blankets and chairs and went to the end of the runway to watch the show that shoots off over a local lake.}

Joseph and his best bud Samuel

Hannah's first 4th of July =)

James, Joseph, & Hannah behind her mosquito net

James & me being goofy

David, Amanda, Grace, & the silly one in the back is Molly

David & Amanda's youngest, Joshua

Our family and James' brother's family stayed the night with the in-laws and the following day ate some cinnamon rolls and overnight danish twists for breakfast and then everyone except Hannah and I went out on the lake for a fun day of boating. The kids were exhausted! We are so grateful to have such a fun family and friends to hang out with!

Happy Independence Day!!!

Big boy

2010-07-02T15:52:00.002-05:00

When did my little boy become so big? This year he has grown so much. He is such a big helper around the house. When Hannah starts to cry he comes running either with her pacifier or just to talk to her to try and calm her down. He helps Nathan get in and out of the car, builds him Lego things, and pretty much anything else we ask him to do. Last night James took him for a ride on the 4-wheeler. After a while, James came in and offered to let me ride. I was unsure about where to go because I haven't been on the trails at our house. James said, "Don't worry. Joseph will ride with you and show you where to go." I later found out that James and Joseph had already discussed him helping me before James even came in the house. I pulled on my boots and walked outside seeing Joseph already sitting on the 4-wheeler ready to go. Then it struck me that I was about to depend on my "baby" to show me where to go. The same child that used to depend on me for everything was about to help me! I climbed on and sure enough he told me exactly when to turn and kept me on the right trail. We had so much fun. I love how the Lord prepares us for each stage in our lives. I used to dread the day that my kids started to depend on themselves and start to grow up. I'm learning every day that this stage in their lives and mine can be such a joy. That doesn't mean that it doesn't come with it's own share of headaches, but it's fun to see what a special young man the Lord has entrusted me with. I am so blessed!

Amy Butler Bags

2010-06-28T23:11:00.001-05:00

Aren't these the cutest things EVER?!

My mom-in-law is now offering these Amy Butler bags on her website at Home A La Mode! I am the proud new owner of this one. (Insert one really big grin here!) They are so well made, have such beautiful fabrics, and are uber cute. The best part of all about these bags is that they are for a limited time, 50% off at Home A La Mode. Some of the styles and colors are flying off their shelves so hurry up and get yours before they are gone!

{All the pictures and designs shown on this post are copyrighted and property of Amy Butler Designs.}

Mary had a little bicycle?

2010-06-25T16:27:00.000-05:00

Nathan is so funny sometimes. The other day he was playing with legos and singing. I could tell that what he was singing was to the tune tune of "Mary Had A Little Lamb". I thought to myself, "Awe! My child is so cute!" Then I started listening to what he was saying. Go ahead...sing along. You'll have fun. =)

Mary had a little bicycle, little bicycle, little bicycle.
Mary had a little bicycle, little bicycle, little bicycle.
A little bicy-cllllllllle

Mary likes to ride it fast, ride it fast, ride it fast.
Mary likes to ride it fast, ride it fast, ride it fast.
Likes to ride it faaaaaaast.

Then the bicycle fell on her, fell on her, fell on her.
Then the bicycle fell on her, fell on her, fell on her.
Then it fell on heeeeeer.

Isn't he sweet?

Big Brothers Rock

2010-05-27T17:25:00.001-05:00

My sis-in-law, Angela...the Moda Home Mom, made the cutest shirts for Joseph and Nathan to wear at the hospital when Hannah was born. Check out her blog, she has an easy to follow tutorial on how to make these cutsie shirts as well as many other tutorials on how to make various fabric crafts!

Hannah Leann!!!

2010-05-26T12:48:00.003-05:00

My life has been a little crazy over the last few weeks. As I'm sure you have guessed...I'm no longer pregnant. =) At 40 weeks and 5 days Hannah decided to make her grand entrance into the world!!

Early on Sunday, May 2, I thought I was having some back labor and decided to stay home from church again. The thought of going into labor at church was not appealing. ;-) By early afternoon everything had stopped. Big fat bummer. So that afternoon we decided to take the kids to a local park so that they could ride their bikes around the lake there and we could walk with them. It was really a nice time. We tried to throw bread to the ducks in the lake, but apparently previous visitors had stuffed them full. They totally rejected our bread offerings. The more I think about it...the more funny it becomes. I was completely exhausted when we were done. By the time we left, I couldn't remember why I wanted to go in the first place. :-/ We went home and James' mom agreed to take Nathan home with her because I had three different appointments with my midwife's office the following day. We went to bed that night...still no labor.

Monday, May 3 I woke up at 4am with a contraction. About 15 mins later I had another one. I continued to have contractions and when James' alarm went off at 4:40 I very flippantly said, "I've been having contractions." He said, "Are they good ones?" To which I replied, "Eh. They're ok." By 5am I decided that I was definitely in labor and decided to call my midwife. James asked me if it was ok for him to take a shower. I told him that if he was gonna do it, he better get moving. =) My midwife called me back about 5:15 and I told her that my contractions were 6 to 8 minutes apart and about 60 seconds long. She said, "Go to the hospital." I was a little surprised that she wanted me to go already. She knew that our plans were to labor at home as long as we could and my contractions weren't even that painful. I told James what she said and he was as surprised as I was. Anyway, so he got in the shower and I started calling our parents and our photographer. By the time James got out of the shower I could no longer speak. My contractions were so intense that I was afraid we were going to have an unplanned home delivery. Talk about taking me for a surprise! We grabbed Joseph and went to the car as soon as we could. We were trying to explain to him that I was in pain, but it was going to be good because his baby sister was going to come out as a result.

When we were about 5 minutes from the hospital, I told James I needed to push. He requested that I didn't push and began to push the accelerator a little closer to the floor. ;-) At 6:30, we finally made it to the hospital, waited for my current contraction to stop and literally ran to the hospital door. We raced to L&D where they grabbed me a wheel chair and rushed me into a room. My midwife was already there and ready to go. They checked me and found that I was complete and ready to push, although I could have told them that! Thankfully, my midwife told the nursing staff to not bother me with paper work and said I didn't need an IV. I was thrilled! I HATE IVs. I started to push...and push...and push. Nothing was happening. This was my 4th delivery, it should have been a breeze. My midwife told me that Hannah was posterior and that I needed to try some different positions to get her to turn. So I tried some new positions and sure enough, she started to descend. At 7:29am, my midwife told me to reach down and grab my baby. I reached down and with her and James' help, Hannah made her grand entrance! She was 7lbs 1oz and 20" long. She was absolutely perfect. After she was born we found out that she had 2 true knots in her umbilical cord! The realization set in that we could have lost her a long time ago. She is a miracle! We are so grateful that the Lord took care of her during the time that I was pregnant. While they were bathing her, they brought me the paperwork to sign. It was quite comical to sign the waiver that I did not want an epidural for my delivery after the baby was born. You do what you've got to do. =)

Since we have been home, we have had such a good time with the newest member of our family. The boys simply adore her and are such big helpers. We are such a blessed family!

We were so fortunate to have Amy with Aim Photography at Hannah's delivery. Check out her website and you can see a slide show of the delivery. =)

40 weeks!

2010-04-28T09:26:00.000-05:00

Ok baby girl....come out and play!!! I'm 40 weeks today and ready to have a baby! I've been having false labor off and on for about 3 weeks. She has been a bit of a tease. I'm hoping that the full moon will help trigger something. I've tried all sorts of natural ways to start labor. I've been doing lots of walking. On Saturday I walked so much that I didn't even get up for church the next morning. Those that know me know that missing church is pretty rare. I've been taking Evening Primrose Oil. TMI...I know...and I'm sorry but, we've tried intimacy. I'm about ready to break out the raspberry tea. A friend recommended Indian food. Please leave me a comment if you know of anything else!!!

Not my timing, but His!

2010-04-22T11:52:00.001-05:00

I feel like I have to control every aspect of my life all the time. Being a housewife, I control how my home is run, what we eat, who my kids hang out with, our calendar, etc. I think you get the picture. At this point I am 39 weeks and 1 day pregnant with my daughter. I am tired and moody. I am over being pregnant and want her to be out here where we can all enjoy her. I have been having all sorts of signs that labor is coming soon. But in my opinion...not soon enough! It seems that everyone I know is due to have babies about the same time as me...and they are having them! My sis-in-law is in L&D right now awaiting the arrival of her precious daughter. Don't get me wrong. I'm totally excited for all of these women, but I'm jealous. I'm ready to meet my little one! I have to keep reminding myself that she will come in the Lord's timing and not mine. I need to sit back and enjoy these last few days when I can feel her move inside of me. I need to enjoy my last few nights of silence! I need to enjoy my time with my boys and my wonderful husband. I am such a blessed woman and just need to slow down a little bit.

Isaiah 40:31 - But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.
Lord, please help me hide that scripture in my heart.

The covers wars!

2010-03-30T10:20:00.002-05:00

The temperatures are so difficult these days. We wake up with the temps in the 30's and the high's are in the mid 70's. So it's basically impossible to regulate the temperature in the house...so we don't even try. We still have the heat set to come on if it hits 70 degrees in the house. Last night when we got home the thermostat said that it was 77 in the house! So we turned on the fan in the living room to help cool things down. A little later we were getting in the bed and I asked James if he would mind if I turned on the fan in our room. This is how the conversation went from this point:

James: "Please don't. I'm a little bit chilly."
Me: (looking at him like he has three heads) "Chilly?! It is 77 degrees in here! Can't you put on some more clothes?"
James: "No....can't you take some off?" (snicker)
Me: (looking down at what I'm currently wearing) "No! Then can we at least take the comforter off the bed?"
James: "No. Then I'll be cold."
Me: "So I'm expected to sweat?!"
James: "Stick your legs out of the covers."
Me: "I already do that! It's hot and this is crazy!"
James: "......put your half of the covers on me."
Me: "Fine!" (insert lots of grumbling here) "But don't get hot in the middle of the night and push them off on me!"
James: "OK. I love you. Good night." (insert snoring here)
Me: (thinking in my head) "I don't care how cold I get tonight...I will NOT take those covers back."

Well, it did get a little chilly...but I still didn't take the covers back...until he left for work. =)

Joseph is 6!

2010-03-09T09:23:00.001-06:00

Wow! What a weekend! Friday, my oldest "baby" turned 6! I can't believe it! On Thursday night as Joseph was getting ready for bed he looked up at me with those precious little eyes and said, "Am I going to take goodie bags for all of my friends at school tomorrow?" I gave him my best "deer in the headlights look" and said, "Of course you are! You're taking them cookies....M&M ones. Yeah. That's what you're taking them." Thankfully, he was satisfied with what I had to offer and happily went to bed completely excited about his birthday-to-be. So I stayed up pretty late and made him the M&M cookies and put a couple of them inside a little bag for each of his classmates. He was overjoyed to take them to school the next morning. I almost forgot how fun that is for a child.

On Friday we had an appointment with my perinatologist to take another look at the baby. She is doing GREAT! She's perfect in every way. She was moving the entire scan and kept sticking her hand in her mouth. Her estimated weight at this time is 4lbs 3oz. =) After the doctor was done with her measurements, she surprised us and turned on the 3D scan. It was amazing. I have never wanted one before, and if the Lord has more children in store for us in the future I still won't choose to have one, but it was so cool!

After our appointment, we went home and put a new enclosure net on the trampoline for Joseph's birthday gift and were trying to get it done in time for him to be home from school. No such luck there, but he was very excited that he could jump on his trampoline again after we were done.

That night we went to Chuck E. Cheese's. I must have a deep hatred for myself to go to that place on a Friday night. It was the special request from the birthday boy and how do you refuse that? All in all we had a great time, spent way too much money, and were completely exhausted when we left.

Saturday morning we started to clean and get our house ready for Joseph's birthday party. Including us, we had a total of 28 people at our house. That sounds huge to some people, but tuck this under your cap, 21 of them were family. The kids had a great time! We let them decorate their own cupcakes. It was possibly the most genius idea I've ever had. I only had to bake the cupcakes...nothing else. I through icing and sprinkles at them and let them do it how they wanted. Plus it was fun to see their creativity at work. By the end of the party I was EXHAUSTED. This pregnancy seems to be taking it's toll on me lately. My husband being the wonderful man he is, took me to dinner that night so that I didn't have to cook. I'm so blessed!

Sunday was fast and furious until after church. Then we came home, at lunch watched a couple of movies and chilled out all day! It was wonderful. Joseph had a little bit of the "it's no longer my birthday" blues, but is doing better now. Anyway, that was our weekend in a nutshell.