The joys of owning your own home

I LOVE having a house that is ours... we can make decisions like which tree to cut down... which room to repaint... and how loud to watch that movie... but with all that comes a draw back... money.  Last night, in that huge wind storm a back section of our fence blew down and with it snapped part of our new dog kennel.  So, even though we were planning on replacing the back part of the fence next year it's looking more like a this year project.  The last time we replaced part of our fence I could help... I wasn't 7 months pregnant.  This time we either have to wait for a few months or Jer and the neighbors are going to have to do it without me... I guess we'll see what happens after we talk to the neighbors.  (As it is we are taking out the tree in the front yard on Saturday already... luckily that's something that we can do that doesn't cost money... just time and effort.)

Another house project that we've had going on is that our basement is always cold... I mean super cold.  So I decided to get curtains for two of the three windows down there.  We went and bought them... put up the rods and figured out that one of the rods wasn't quite the right size... switched that one to the guest room/storage room... put up the curtains we'd bought... wasn't happy with the color in the main room... switched them with the ones in the guest room and that looked better... but now the guest room is all brown without any variance.  Oh well.  I think I'd rather have a nice looking main living area than guest area... we only use the extra bed about once or twice a year as it is.  Maybe I'll try returning the ones int he guest room, I still have the packaging, but I kind of hate going back and forth to the store just for the right color.

And in other random occurrences... Ada was tossing toys around in the kitchen like she always does... and like we always tell her not to... and she managed to land her stuffed frog in the one pan of oil that was cooling on the stove after dinner.  Everything else was cleaned up... just not that one pan... and where does it land?  Murphy's law is alive and well.... I tried washing it but it still smells like oil... I think I'll just chuck it... it's just too gross to think about.  Needless to say, the ribbiting sound that it used to make... it doesn't make it anymore.

Yee-haw

Yeah... Sammy's picked up that one... but instead of saying, "Yee-haw", he says... "Ooooh-haw!"  Always very enthusiastically...

And just by way of how my mornings with the kids have been going... I usually read books with them or try to go play outside for a few minutes or something... lately Sammy has been really bad for reading books with Ada... he wants to turn all the pages at light speed and Ada wants me to read every word and absorb every picture... Besides that, they usually both try to sit on my lap and that doesn't always work with my tummy getting bigger and more uncomfortable.... so we've been playing games instead.  Their favorite is Jenga... They actually played it right the first time, but ever since they saw the tower tumble the first time they just like to knock over the pieces as soon as we pull them out... so it's... build something and knock it over before the other person can.  The other two games they like to play are Uno and Candyland.  Ada likes to play Chutes and Ladders too, but I can't find our pieces... and they both have to have the right ones... no substitutes.  Today we went outside and they sidewalk chalked for a long time... but that meant that I had to lay on the grass.  I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to get up for a while there... but don't worry, I did.

Not the best day ever... but I'll get over it.

So... Sunday's are usually okay... a little hard with scheduling nap times and Jer gone for a couple hours for his calling... but today takes the cake.  I think I'll blame my hormonalness on being pregnant though... The kids... yeah the ones who've been sick for three weeks and finally got better... woke up and both have coughs and yucky noses... We were called into the Bishops office for a 12:30 appointment...we both thought that Jer was going to be given a new calling.  I mean, after all, I've only had mine for a couple of months and they know I'm having a new baby in a month and a half.  The kids miss their naps... but we made it to our appointment on time.  And I got released as the Young Women's Secretary and called as the Relief Society pianist.  I couldn't believe it!  All their piano players in RS are in the presidency, but I was just put into YW.  I love YW too.  We got out of the interview and I just started to cry.  They said that it's partly because they don't have a pianist for RS and partly because they knew that we had a baby coming soon... but it's ironic because I was pregnant when they called me into the YW in the first place... they had to know this was coming.  My guess is that the primary reason is that the Bishopric meets on Tuesday nights... and so does the youth group.  And Jer ends up staying home with the kids... and often gets calls from the Bishopric saying that he's needed and can't come until I get home.  After church started we had an Ada hitting whoever she could in the face and pretending to be innocent... yes, she got in trouble... Sammy trying to eat my "wedding" ring... the $10 thing that I try to wear because mine doesn't fit my swollen hands right now... Sammy screaming in the lobby for a good 20 minutes... Sammy not being able to handle nursery and being brought to me on my first day back into RS... Sammy screaming his head off when I wouldn't let him help me play the piano for the closing hymn.  Another sister trying to be nice and distract him ends up giving him jelly beans which he's allergic to... finding out that Sammy probably ate some of the popcorn they had in nursery today, which he's allergic to... Sammy crying for daddy until we actually see daddy... then he cries for mommy.  Trying to get Ada to and out of the bathroom in less than 10 minutes... didn't happen... so now I'm at home... kids are finally napping... Jer's doing the tithing count... and I'm eating the worst thing in the world for me... cookie dough... nothing to soothe the soul like sugar, butter, chocolate chips, and good old white flour.  (All four are bad things to eat for PCOS... especially without a protein.)  At least it looks like the day will end better than it started.  Seth, you up for a game?

Pictures

Sorry, I know... lots of posts for one day.  Mostly it's because I'm trying to catch up on baby books and photo albums... projects in general... before the baby is born.  Going through all the pictures... here are the newest gems of the hundreds of junk ones taken...

No... this one was not just taken... it's about two years old.  I just thought it was cute.

This is James and Sammy... they're only 6 weeks apart.  James is now... well... see the little boy dressed in orange in the organ photos?

Ada and Sam love to play games... they usually rope me into playing with them but this time I was making dinner or something... and they got daddy!  I love how cute they are!

Notice... the ponies on the side?  Yeah... she's addicted. (by the way... those two were both mine growing up...)

James, Lizzie, and Ada

Feeding the ducks or feeding Ada?

Way cute boy... but walking through the rocks he managed to get duck poop all over his shoe and up his pant legs... I just stripped him and he ran around in a diaper for a while.  Whatever works right?

Grandma never too busy for her grandkids... even when there's a project to finish.

Giving loves and being loved during Conference

Ada, Grace, Anya and Rachel were all running around together in dress ups and playing... but notice... they have the two baby kittens in their carts dressed up like babies.

For Rachel's bday party they had a tea party... I just thought this was so cute how they were all watching each other pour the chocolate milk.

Sammy wanted to be part of the tea party but sat himself at the wrong end of the table... I finally sat him in a high chair and gave him some Sammy kosher food... he couldn't have the chocolate milk or the angel food cake but he could have the rest of the stuff they had set out.

Since Spring started, Ada's been asking me if she could pick our flowers... yesterday I let her and Sammy pick the ones that had grown up in our front lawn.  I was especially excited for her to pick the dandelions.  We have a gift for growing those.  But doesn't she have such a sweet smile?!  And yes... my 3 year old is tall... see those 4T pants she's wearing?  They're a little short on her now... but all the 5T pants are too big in the waist.  (She's taller than both of her 4 year old cousins and her best friend who is also 4. I think she got some Wilcox/Camenish/Hardings thing going on.)

Thankful for family

Do you know how much I'm thankful to be part of many different families?  Every single one of them support me in someway or another... and I hope I do the same for them.  Here is my family:

My brothers and sisters

Jer's brothers and sisters

My mother-in-laws applesauce=heaven in a jar

So my mother in law cans... alot... And everything that I've tried is really good... Jer loves their homemade grape juice... (it gives me heartburn when I'm pregnant though... go figure).  And I love her homemade applesauce... the only thing like canning that I do is drying fruit.  Judy... next time you're making applesauce I need to learn.

messes

During lunch I was trying to sweep up the baby powder that had gotten spread all over the kitchen floor... Ada started getting after me for making a mess... I had to explain to her that if mom makes a mess then mom cleans it up and that she only needed to worry about eating her lunch.  She started to tell me to clean up the mess and how to clean it up.  I got tired of this after several minutes and finally told her to let me be the mommy and let me clean it up.  She looked at me and said, "Can I be the Daddy?"

Another addition to Funny Kids

So Sammy has randomly been laying on the floor and talking to himself... if you listen you hear him say, "Weeee, home home way!"  I figured it out!  It's the Little Piggies... ," Wee wee wee, all the way home."

While I was at Young Women's yesterday Jer and the kids were watching Castle in the Sky (Ada's request).  Jer was sitting on the little kids foam couch and taking turns holding the kids... at one point Ada said, "Daddy scoot over, I've got a big butt."  I didn't think I said anything like that but maybe I have?  Where else would she pick that up?

Binkie-go-round

My sister in law had a baby about 3 months ago... when the baby was born, both of the youngest kids decided that they needed a binkie again even though they had gotten rid of them almost a year ago now... Yesterday was fun to watch how they "rotate".  Baby will have a blue binkie... almost 2 year old will walk up with a green one and switch it with the blue one... 3 year old will see 2 year old walk by with the blue one and grab it before giving over the yellow one... then the next time you see them all... baby will have the yellow, 2 year old will have the blue and 3 year old will have the green... etc...  It was really funny to watch. 

Little Helpers

Well, all little kids are... as my mom puts it... "Little Helpers".  "Helping" fold laundry... "Helping" sweep the floor... "Helping" do the dishes... (Sammy "helped" my mom by putting all of her clean dishes from the dishwasher into the garbage can... what a helper...) Lately I've been showering after I take Ada to school or after I've gotten them both ready for the day.  Sammy watches a movie in my bedroom (he still doesn't like not knowing where I am... and knowing I'm in the other room instead of the other side of the house makes it so he doesn't freak out.) and I shower... getting out of the shower I always hear him say, "Hello?"  Then he promptly runs into the bathroom to start handing me random clothes out of the dirty clothes bin saying things like, "Pants!" or "On!"  Then I have to explain to him that those are dirty and ask him to put them back and go get clean clothes to wear... after I'm dressed I pick him up and ask him what he wants to do... more often than not he asks for me to go play on the computer... either Plants vs. Zombies or Peggle or Fate or... anything really... as long as it's a game and not work.  Man after many hearts... I'm sure glad I have my "Little Helpers", even when I'm having a hard time being patient with their "Helping".

One of Sammy's

One of our kids, but especially Sammy's, favorite games is to play "bad guy".  You stomp around after them as they run away in "fright" and hide in corners or behind furniture... Yesterday, while Ada was at school I went to wash my hands and heard Sammy giggling in the room that we're setting up for Evelyn when she's born.  I look in... and no Sammy... but there's still that giggle... from behind the rocking chair.  I looked behind it and said, "RAWR!" And that just sent him running all over laughing his head off!  It was so funny!