Sorry it took so long

Well here are a few belly shots! I have been playing with my new software, and just requested the Photoshop Elements for Dummies book from the library!!! I will get some with Kelli and some with the whole family sometime hopefully. Kelli had a major breakdown so I sent her to bed and Brian was at work...but I wanted to get a few on for ya!

I've Been Tagged

Well I was tagged by my roommate my freshman year of college at the back door blog. this means i need to share 8 things about me and/or my family you don't know. so here goes nothing....
1. My parents met in jail
2. I am the oldest of 5 girls and we all have the same profession
3. I know how to keep the score book at a baseball/softball game (watch for a great softball post coming soon!
4. My hubby and I are "acting our wage" and working diligently towards becoming debt free!!
5. We own and manage a 17 unit apartment building. It is a huge thorn in the flesh, but we have several international students living there now and it is fun to get a little taste of several different cultures
6. I have an irrational fear of insects with stingers...bee's, wasps, hornets, even bumble bees (I have heard that they don't sting, but I am not taking my chances!!)
7. I used to have no fear (with the exception of insects with stingers)~I would downhill ski with reckless abandon, I would climb to the highest heights (my sister Nikki and I were two of the youngest people to reach the peak of Horn Peak in Colorado. I would try anything! Now that I am a mother, (I think that is the explanation for it) I am a big fat chicken! As evidenced by... #1. When Brian took me skiing when Andrew was about a year and a half old, I cried like a baby, and wouldn't stop "snowplowing" the entire day! That was a low point in our marriage! =) #2. Now I won't climb a ladder, not because heights scares me, but having to come back down the ladder terrifies me! #3. Okay, I can't think of another example, but I am sure Brian could! I don't know why but my computer is not letting me put #8 on a new line so I am just going to keep typing until it is on a new line____ 8. My best friend in the whole world lives in Lusaka, Zambia and is pregnant with her 4th baby! I met her when I was her nurse with her 2nd baby, Emma Jean, who was born on my birthday. I knew her mother in law from church, but didn't know Elise until that day...shortly thereafter she started coming to our church and from there we were connected at the hip until she and her hubby, and 3 kids moved to Africa to be missionaries. They will not return home until February of 2009!! It has been quite an adjustment! Okay, same scenario here, wont let me move to a new line so now I have to choose someone to tag....So Wendy, Tag your it!! Check out Wendy's Blog Sweet Sorem Six (you can find her link and the link for the back door) in my favorites!

"I'm Assuming..."

I had a routine OB appointment yesterday. Took the kids with me cause I wasn't expecting it to take more than 5 minutes...pee in a cup, weight, blood pressure, heartbeat, measure the every growing belly and we will see you in two weeks. I mentioned to the doctor that I had been having some Braxton Hicks Contractions this past week, but otherwise everything was status quo. With my history of preterm labor with the other pregnancies the doc decided that since I am 34 1/2 weeks, he could do a routine test and at the same time check the cervix to make sure there wasn't anything going on. He asked if I wanted the kids to go out to the nurses station or if they were okay to stay in the room for the exam. Knowing the kids, I knew going out to the nurses station would be much more tramatic than just coming up to the head of the exam table and a little explanation of what was going to happen. So the doctor left and as I undressed we had the following conversation...

Me: Okay guys, remember that book we read about the mommy who had a house in her tummy and a baby lived in it? (Keep in mind that I was an OB nurse for 10 years, so as we read this silly book, I of course told them all about uterus and they after watching many episodes of The Baby Story on TLC know very well how the baby comes out)

Kids: Yeah mom, we remember

Me: Okay well that house has a door and that is how the baby will get out. The doctor is going to check that door to see if it is opening. When he comes back in, you both will come stand up here by my head and then we will be done and go home.

Andrew (and this is a direct quote): "uh, I am assuming the door is in your bottom..."

Me: Yes Andrew, that is where the door is.

Kelli: There is a door in your bottom?

Me: Yep, there is something at the bottom of that "house" that is like a door that has to open before the baby can come out. The doctor is also going to do a test with a big q-tip to make sure there is no germs that could make the baby sick.

Doctor enters....Kids rush to the head of the exam table and anxiously await to see if the door is opening...

baby is low, cervix is thin and dilated to 1...not to extreme, but because I am only 34 weeks he wants me to lie low for a week and a half to get to 36 weeks.

Doc leaves...I get up to get dressed...

Andrew: Is the door opening?

Me: A little bit, but not enough for the baby to come out yet. Mom just needs to take it easy for a week so it doesn't open any more and then after that the baby will be big enough that it is okay if the door opens so the baby can come out!

Kelli: Do you still have a q-tip in your bottom?

Me: No baby, it is just like when I clean your ears, you throw it away when your done with it

Kelli: Oh, good!

And off we go

I learned from a seasoned mom that I lived with for a short time, that when kids ask questions give them a direct, breif answer and that most times they will be satisfied. I love how little minds work!

One Of My Favorite Things

I have had this collage in my mind for our dining room wall for years! About 6 months ago, when strolling through Target I found these frames on clearance (6 frames in a set, each set marked down to $7.99!!! Can you believe it!!) We got the frames arranged and hung right away, buy choosing the right pictures took me forever! We had all of Brian's cousins over for a cookout the last weekend of June and you know how it goes when company is coming....there is this urgency to get projects done that have been on the back burner. Brian calls this getting our "fake house" ready. I think there is an Everybody Loves Raymond episode about it too! So I got it done, and I am in love! My seat at our dining room table faces this wall, and I sit and eat my meals drooling over my precious children! It is exactly what I envisioned, and I love it when that happens, which isn't very often!!! And to think that it cost less than $50 makes it even more enjoyable!!

New Link Added

Just added another link to favorites/photography inspration... www.nmbphotography.com is the site for a lady who has been photographing my sisters and their families. If you follow the link to her website and go to galleries then babies, scroll to the second page the last picture is Eden, Chris and Heidi's sweetheart. Then go to the relationships gallery and The 2 pictures before the last one are Chris and Eden and then the three of them!

Family

I needed to get an updated family picture for a project my sister is working on so after church today I set up the tripod in the back yard and despite the 93 degree temps and crazy humidity managed to get this great shot!! I was so pleased! I know some of you are noticing I strategically placed my enormous belly behind everyone! What can I say...I promise I will have a belly shot up by the end of the week!

a MUST try recipe

Okay, You have to try this recipe...I made this for dinner last night...got it off of the pioneer woman blog...you can find it in my favorite links...but follow the link below to go to her other blog "the pioneer woman cooks"....Do it, I promise you will not be dissapointed! I only made 4 sandwhiches thinking Brian would eat 2, I would eat one, and the kids would split one. Brian gobbled up 2 and could have eaten another, andrew inhaled his half and said it was the best sandwich he has had in his life and I certainly could have eaten another one! Here is a picture of it below, this is not one of the one's I made, it is from the PW blog....you have to check out her cooking site to see how she does each recipe, it is SO great! I won't put pictures from her site on here again, cuz I don't want to use pictures without permission, but I wanted to whet your appetite to lure you to check out her site....DO IT!! The page this link takes you to will have other recipes as well....this one is the second one down. I have the brisket, the chicken spaghetti, the lasagna and the olive bread on my menu for the next 2 weeks so I will tell you how they are!
http://www.thepioneerwomancooks.com/the_pioneer_woman_cooks/dinner/index.html

When my kids drive me crazy!!

You know you have said it..."My kids are driving me crazy!!" Well I said it several times today! I have found that when I get that way, the best thing for me to do is take them outside and take some pictures of them...So that is what I did today! When I come in and review the pictures, it always makes me so thankful for my precious kids and even thankful for the craziness that comes with being a mom! Here are a few of the shots from today!

Andrew and Kelli discovered an ant hill right in front of where I had them sit...the pictures of them looking at the ants turned out much better than the posed ones!

This next one is my favorite!! Makes me smile!!

Happy Fathers Day!!

More stains removed!

I tried the first formula (with the regular clorox) on the 4 outfits that had stains remaining after using the second formula with clorox 2...The outfits were 2 yellow sleepers. a white shirt with tan trim and a cute baby blue, white and dark chocolate brown stripped outfit. All four are now stain free....there were a few side effects however...I now have 2 yellow sleepers, a white shirt with yellow trim and a cute baby blue, white and very light milk chocolate stripped outfit! But all would have gone in the garabage because of the stains and are now perfectly wearable!! =) So make a note of these magic solutions!! In the first batch of clothes there was a white tshirt of Andrews that straight out of the washer looked like it was dirty (it was his favorite grubby shirt). Now it looks almost brand new!! I wish I would have thought to take before and after pictures to show you the results! Also...the cascade I used was powder not liquid. Don't know if that would make a difference! Happy Stain Removing!