The Westlake World

Our New Adventure

2012-01-19T23:41:00.000-05:00

So...now that we have covered my reasons for NOT blogging...let's cover the reasons that I am jumping back into it now...

Simply put, we are moving to Japan!

Japan!

I don't know if you caught that...but we are moving to Japan! In less than three months! My little family is going to be living on the other side of the WORLD! Who does that? Who just up and leaves their lives and moves to Japan?

Apparently...we do!

So, let me elaborate. (Please remember that I write this more for my own record, not for anyone else, so if I am boring you...feel free to skeedaddle!)

A little over two years ago, we were driving across the country on our way home to South Carolina from spending Christmas in Colorado. David and I started talking about our options for our next tour. We had both been thinking about it and both had felt led to consider Japan as an option. I remember how excited we felt when we settled on the idea and decided that we would try to go. We didn't have to decide right then but we knew the time would quickly approach and we should at least start thinking about it!

Months went by and we didn't really have any need to talk about it. Nobody would talk to David about where he wanted to go that early and, to be honest, we didn't want to bring it up too early because we were enjoying shore duty! Another year passed by and we were finally able to start talking to the detailer last spring. Our request to go to Japan was immediately shot down. He told us there was no way we could go. It would cost them too much to get our family over there and they would rather take someone with fewer children. We were pretty bummed. So, we waited. We waited for something else of interest to open up. We soon found out that we would be going back to Virginia and would be stationed on the same ship my sister is currently stationed on. While it wasn't our first choice, we chose to believe that it was where God wanted us and took comfort in knowing that we were going to have friends when we moved there, my sister would be nearby, we were familiar with the area, etc. We had even started to look for houses to purchase in the area. We found a home near some of our dearest friends and fell in love with the idea of living across the street from them and our kids growing up together!

So, imagine my surprise when David called and asked me my thoughts on moving to Japan. All I could think was, "I don't know if you remember or not, but they told us NO! We are moving to Virginia!" He proceeded to explain to me that our orders had been "given away" and we were now going to Japan.

All I can tell you is that I literally felt the room spinning. I was so confused. Was he joking? Why would we be going to Japan? We just found a house in Virginia. We were going to live near my sister. We were going to have friends there! People speak English there!

I remember shaking. I hung up with David and started dialing my phone. I needed to talk to someone. I needed to share this with someone. I was scared. I was confused. I was lost. I finally reached one of my best girlfriends and shared the news with her. Coincidentally, she was the same friend that we were trying to live across the street from. Needless to say, neither of us were very happy at the moment. She promised me she would be praying and I promised her I would be keeping her posted on what I heard.

And then, because I didn't know what else to do, I laid down on the middle of my living room rug, face down and started kicking and screaming and yelling at God. I was throwing a tantrum better than any of my kids EVER had! (Thankfully Isaac was napping and the big kids were at school). I told Him how wrong this was and how He had messed up. I told him how I had plans and He wasn't listening to me. I told him that this wasn't fair.

And then I took a deep breath.

I then had one of those moments that I wish I could have every day. A moment in which I literally felt the peace of God rush over me and through me. And suddenly I was calm. Suddenly, as if HE was whispering in my ear, I started remembering that WE really wanted to go to Japan and we had been told "no" and now He had made a way. Scriptures started flooding my mind. For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future! (Jer 29:11) Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. (Philippians 4:6).

I must have laid there for an hour. I just had to take it all in. I needed to process. But when I stood up, I felt better. I knew that no matter what, we were going to make it! We were going to figure this crazy thing out. Now I could feel excitement, anticipation, thankfulness. God had heard our hearts. He saw fit to take us to Japan. And can I just tell you...I am ready for this adventure!

Shore Duty

2012-01-17T14:25:00.000-05:00

I am not going to lie. It is one of my excuses for not updating the blog...

We have been on shore duty for the last 3.5 years! If you aren't a Navy family...I know you don't really get it. It's okay.

When David and I got married we were in the "nuclear pipeline" being trained to operate the reactors on the ships. This meant long hours in school and, for me, even longer hours studying. It did NOT come naturally to me. We spent lots of late nights together and any time on the weekend that we could find.

When I got out of the Navy, David was working shift work. He worked a crazy rotating schedule and we had a new baby at home. We still made the most of it because it was really all we knew. When we could be together we just wanted to enjoy our time together.

By the time Isabelle was born a couple years later, we were on sea duty. I suddenly found myself to be a "single mom" of sorts as the ship was often gone or requiring long hours. When the ship was home, we spent every little bit of time together that we could! We were apart more than we were together so our time together was precious. Life revolved around the next time that we would get to spend time as a family.

Since moving to Charleston, we have lived a very different life. David is home almost every night for dinner. He has shared in the responsibilities around the house. We spend weekends as a family. I get to sit next to my husband at church. David has gotten to be a part of art fairs at school, Christmas programs and all sorts of activities. He has been home to experience Isaac's first steps, first words and fed him his first solids. He has taught the kids to ride bikes and scooters, gone camping, built catapults, read books, watched movies and just taken time to BE with us.

So, without realizing some of the things we weren't doing (like writing a blog) we were just taking time to Be. To Be a family. To Be together.

This is shore duty.

A Fresh Start

2012-01-16T14:25:00.000-05:00

Where do I even start?

I began writing this blog several years ago as a way for my family and friends to keep up with us as we live so far away from many of them. I used to be pretty consistent about updating. And then I stopped. It just happened.

So, almost two years later...here we are.

While I know that most people will just scan through and see the pictures and see what we are up to, I see myself using this as a format to document our adventures through life, through parenthood, through marriage, through the ups and the downs, the travels and the quiet times at home. This is our life...and I. Am. Blessed!

Welcome to our new adventure!

On the move!

2010-02-02T16:33:00.003-05:00

I have been trying for days to get this video up so that you all could see how great Isaac is doing crawling! What a big boy! I will post more this week...for now, enjoy!

A New Decade

2010-01-15T09:05:00.003-05:00

2010.

Really?

2010.

Wow!

So, be forewarned...this may get lengthy...and there are no pictures (today)...just my thoughts. So, come back another day if you were looking for pictures of the kids or our trip to CO. Today is simply a reflection. My reflection.

Yesterday I turned 30. (No, I am not upset about it and this is not going to be a depressing post!). Yes, 30! So as everyone is taking a look back at the decade that just seemed to flash before our eyes, I am seeing it with a whole other perspective. My twenties are gone and I have entered into a new time. A new decade.

I think it is funny to hear different people's reactions to getting older. Most seem to dread it. When I shared that I was turning 30, most people gasped or made some joke about being over the hill or looked like they were waiting for me to start crying. They weren't going to get that reaction from me though.

I can't help but look back at the decade that has just passed and feel amazingly blessed. A LOT has happened in the last ten years. Here is a quick recap of the last decade to give you a little insight:

2000- I joined the Navy, went to boot camp, moved away from home for the first time (to Charleston, SC), met and, most importantly, fell in love with my wonderful husband. By the end of the year we were engaged and planning our wedding!

2001- David and I got married, finished Nuclear Power School and found out we were expecting our first child! We made the decision for me to get out of the Navy in order to be an at-home mom, while David continued his Navy career.

2002- We welcomed Ian into the world and our lives would be forever changed! What an amazing joy parenthood is!

2003- We bought our first home, celebrated Ian's first birthday and got orders to move to Norfolk, VA.

2004- In January, as we settled into our home in Virginia, we found out that we were expecting our second baby! In September we welcomed Isabelle to the family!

2005- Being a military family, we knew it was inevitable that David would be deployed and 2005 was the year. We celebrated Isabelle's first birthday a week early so that David could be a part of it and then we said our tearful goodbyes. I learned that friends are truly the family that you choose for yourself as my fellow military friends became my family during David's absence.

2006- David got to come home early from deployment to attend a specialty school and we got to enjoy being a complete family unit again! While we were elated that David got to be home with us, I also experienced my first major loss as my grandfather passed away. David also reenlisted in the Navy, committing to serve until 2011.

2007- My grandmother passed away suddenly and I again faced loss. That summer I finally started the blog that I had been promising my family for so long. Ian started Kindergarten and Isabelle started preschool.

2008- We got orders to move back to Charleston, SC. We bought a home and enjoyed the perks of shore duty and having David home more often! In August we were SURPRISED to find out that we would be adding another family member to our crew!

2009- We welcomed Isaac to the family in April and our life has been a whirlwind (a delightful whirlwind, but a whirlwind nonetheless!) ever since. (Which is my excuse for not keeping up with the blog nearly as much as I previously had been!)

So, that brings us to today.

2010.

30 years old.

After looking back at the last decade, seeing how I have been blessed, how many things we have accomplished and how we have grown, I can only look forward to this next decade with anticipation for what God has in store for me and my family. With that, we are facing many big decisions in the next year. Decisions that will greatly impact our family.

Decisions to become DEBT FREE.. Choices about staying Navy or venturing into the civilian world... decisions about having more kids or not...the list goes on...

So we wait. With curiosity. With anticipation. With prayer and patience (I am working on the patience part). We wait to see what is in store for us.

I can't wait to look back on this next decade and see the adventures we have gone on, the ways that God has blessed us, the young people my children have grown into and how our family has grown as a unit.

But today?

Today I am happy.

I am blessed.

I am excited.

I am 30!

Seven Months!

2009-11-20T13:23:00.003-05:00

I know I still have a lot of catching up to do, but I wanted you all to see my little man since he is growing up so quickly!

Six Months
Seven Months

You may be able to see that he is sitting up more steadily this month! Last month he was really just propped up on the monkey and leaned forward. It made it look like he was sitting on his own, but he wasn't really. This month he has really done well with sitting. As far as his other accomplishments...

He started riding in the buggy at the store (after a thorough wiping down, of course!)
He is sleeping a solid 10-12 hours at night most nights!
He is making us all giggle with his infectious smiles and laughs
He is attempting to crawl...but hasn't quite figured out how to make the legs and the arms work at the same time.
He rolls across the room to get to whatever he wants to get!
He is working on the sippy cup...but still nursing all the time.
He is trying all sorts of new yummy foods...he LOVES to eat!
He squeals when Daddy walks in the door at night. If he doesn't get picked up immediately, he throws a fit! He loves his Daddy and enjoys getting the first bit of attention when he gets home!

Little Engineer

2009-11-15T10:41:00.000-05:00

(Another lost post...)

On one of the last days of school in June, Ian made a Kazoo out of wax paper and a toilet paper roll. He thought he would figure out how to play it without over exerting himself! He went to work with his Knex and made this:
My little Engineer:

7 Weeks

2009-11-14T22:37:00.000-05:00

Another lost post...

Lost in the shuffle

2009-11-14T02:02:00.000-05:00

Today, as I am trying to work on some of my catching up, I realized I have a few posts that got skipped over and never posted..

It is amazing to see how time is flying by...Here is Isaac at one month!

And later this week, you will see him at 7months!

An Exciting Visit!

2009-11-11T22:13:00.002-05:00

Way back in August (I told you I have a lot to catch up on!), I got a call from my cousin, Girard. He had just completed an Army National Guard school in GA and figured he would continue the drive to SC to pay us a visit! I was so excited! I hadn't seen him since 2004, when I was pregnant with Isabelle and he was still a goofy teenager...
So, it was wild when he showed up in my driveway wearing his Army uniform! Hello! Where did my little cousin go? He is now taller than I am, and so grown up! I have to say, I was darn proud to see him in that uniform! I think we all knew Girard would go into the military at some point! He is just meant to do it!

The kids didn't really know what to expect when I told them that he was going to come stay for a few days. As you can see below, however, Ian and Girard got along GREAT! (Here they are watching some "Nerd TV" show about Star Wars) Ian would have gladly shared his room for as long as Gerard would be willing to stay! We did a little bit of sight seeing (which I somehow didn't get any pictures of), took him to see the old air craft carrier here in town, took him on a submarine (we had to show him how the Navy lives!) and went bowling. Sometimes the food is just more exciting than the game, right? Girard even got his time in with Isaac. Isaac LOVED him! Girard looked a little stiff in the beginning: But, I assure you, it is all an act! He is great with the kids! And even though he may be taller than I am and be a little older than I remember him being, he was definitely still my little cousin that liked to goof around and have a great time! I am so glad that you came, Girard! We can't wait til we get to visit again! Thanks for making the drive out here!

The Great Attempt (to catch you up)

2009-11-04T21:54:00.002-05:00

Okay. Seriously.

I haven't forgotten about the blog. In fact, I have been reminded of it quite frequently (you know who you are).

However, life has taken me for a wild ride and while I wish I had all the time in the world to fill you all in on my many adventures...well, I don't. I am too busy trying to figure out how to be a house-cleaning, dinner-cooking, laundry-folding, homeschooling, breastfeeding, grocery shopping, taxi-driving, wife and supermom of three.

And while many of you out there that have been through this phase or are going through it now, might think I am just coming up with excuses...well, maybe you are right. But, I promise to try to do better about keeping you all filled in on our crazy lives! Thanks for hanging in there...

Stay tuned

(Now, if Blogger would just upload my pictures in a timely manner!)

A Day at the Beach!

2009-09-02T11:04:00.000-04:00

I am still catching up from August and didn't want to forget to share these pictures. My little sister, Haaley, came into town for a week and hitting the beach was a priority to her! The kids didn't mind one bit! We were also able to meet up with some old friends of ours...
Jeff and Ginny were are neighbors when David and I first got married. We had not seen them in six years! They were coming to spend a few days at the beach and we met up with them there! It is amazing how years can go by and we can still get together as if no time has past. In that six years, there have been 2 more Westlakes born and Olivia was added to their family. She and Isabelle are only a couple months apart in age so they had a fabulous time together!

Mini Beach Babes!
Isaac slept the day away (except for nursing once).
Aunt Haaley buried Ian

Isabelle enjoyed some girl time!

Mr Jeff and Ian dug a big hole

Isabelle thought they were digging it just for her to jump into!

Olivia had fun splashing too!

The girls finally took a break for lunch

After a great day at the beach, everyone came over for dinner and some more visiting.

The girls had such a great day together and can't wait to see each other again!

The many faces of Isaac

2009-08-27T07:49:00.000-04:00

(Please pardon my crazy picture arrangement...Blogger is up to no good!)

Isaac is generally very easy going, but sometimes, he seems to have the craziest mood swings! These pictures were all taken within about a 10second span. I think we might have a little actor on our hands!

Boy Time

2009-08-27T07:34:00.000-04:00

Ian loves to hold Isaac. He asks frequently! Isaac seems to enjoy his time with his big brother too! (You know you are jealous of those tummy rolls!)

Toe Touch!

2009-08-26T19:27:00.000-04:00

Isaac's new favorite toys are his toes!!! Whether he is on the floor, in his swing or sitting on our laps, he loves to find his toes! He even manages to get them in his mouth on occation!

A new do...

2009-08-08T11:58:00.000-04:00

David offered to cut Ian's hair. When I went out into the garage, this is what I saw... But when they were done, this is what I saw...

He loves it! (I think he mostly enjoys the attention he is getting from it!)

That's my wild man!

Tummy Time

2009-08-07T11:39:00.000-04:00

Last weekend we cleared our coffee table out of the living room in order to allow Isaac some space on the carpet for tummy time. He loves being down there...especially when he has company. Ian loves to entertain him, so it works out well for both of the boys!

Pedicure

2009-08-06T06:26:00.000-04:00

Isabelle decided that she would like her toes painted. She knows she is not allowed to use her nail polish without help, so she found another option...a purple marker...

Monkey

2009-08-05T06:22:00.000-04:00

I just love this picture because it reminds me of when Isabelle was a baby. She used to cuddle her "baby" while she slept and often covered her face with it. David layed Isaac down for a nap the other night and this is how I found him with his little monkey. Too sweet!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

2009-08-04T11:09:00.000-04:00

When we got home from Virginia, it was time to get ready for Daddy's birthday! The kids enjoyed making him a birthday cake.

When we were little, my grandma had a big jar full of little cake decorations. When she made a cake, she would let us decorate it however we liked.

This year I decided to let the kids do the decorating. They had a great time. They covered the white frosting with green sprinkles and put all the decorations and candles in themselves. Ian later noticed the misspelled word, but we told him not to worry about it! Daddy loved it just the way it was!
Happy Birthday Daddy!

VBS

2009-08-04T10:17:00.000-04:00

While we were in Virginia, our old church was hosting VBS, so the kids were thrilled to go be involved! The theme of the week was Creation and they got to do great crafts and enjoyed all of the lessons and fun songs! They also got to hang out with great friends!

Isabelle and Kylea:
Isabelle, Sydney, Ian and Aiden (It is amazing how these kids have grown up! They used to be our neighbors when Isabelle was a brand new baby...and now look at these big kids!)

It is hard to see, but here is Isabelle singing her VBS song for all of the parents:

Here is Ian (and Jayden):

A great time was had by all!

A quick visit

2009-08-04T09:09:00.000-04:00

While we were in VA, we got to meet Andrea for lunch at Red Robin. The kids love the restaurant and we don't have one here, so we try to get there when we go up to visit. It was a very quick visit, but we were all very glad to see Miss Andrea! After lunch we said our goodbyes and started to drive off when I got a text from Andrea telling me how bummed she was that we didn't take any pictures. We are so bad about chatting and forgetting about the pictures! So we met up at a local park and got to take a few pictures and see her for a few more minutes!

Thanks for the reminder Miss Andrea! And thanks for meeting us for lunch! We love you!

Surprise trip

2009-08-04T08:29:00.000-04:00

This summer the kids have been begging to get up to Virginia to visit all their friends! David couldn't get much time off this summer, so he suggested that the kids and I head up there for a week. We surprised the kids one Sunday morning. They thought we were heading to church, but the car was packed and we told them we were heading to VA! They were ecstatic!

We got to go stay the week with the Morelands. The kids enjoyed playing, swimming, vbs, and more playing! Isaac enjoyed being doted on by everyone!

Thanks for letting us stay guys! We had a blast!

Daddy Time

2009-07-31T06:11:00.000-04:00

Maybe we are a little slow on this one, but we have discovered that both Lowe's and Home Depot offer some great projects for kids on Saturday mornings! The kids went with David one morning to build a "putting green." We will definitely be signing up for these again...best of all they are free. That is, until the class is over and Daddy decides he needs to browse the store for anything he might "need!"

A Special Visit

2009-07-30T22:42:00.000-04:00

Over the 4Th of July holiday weekend, Justin and Andrea got to come down for a visit. Apparently we held to our usual habits of not taking any pictures until they were ready to leave. This ALWAYS happens! Then we rush around and take a few pictures before they load up and drive away.
Well, actually, we did take some pictures at the beach... but this was the best "blogable" picture of them with Isaac. Andrea refused to sign my waiver permitting me to put up pictures of her in her swimmin' suit! But I do need to put some pictures up of the kids at the beach! They had so much fun!

Anyway...back to their visit...
It was actually the first time that Justin got to come down here! It was great to have him here and the kids REALLY enjoyed hanging out with him (or hanging on him!) We hit the beach, went to Rita's, did fireworks and grilled out with some other friends and neighbors and just enjoyed hanging out!

Thanks so much for coming down guys! It was great to see you! Can't wait for your next visit!

Blog Police

2009-07-30T10:39:00.002-04:00

I have been turned in to the Blog Police.

Apparently, when I started this blog, people expected that I would blog regularly...and I don't think that taking a month off of blogging (without prior approval) was part of my contractual obligation. (Not that I believe I would have been granted approval or signed a contract. I'm.just.saying.)

So, in order to avoid any further fines, fees, or whining phone calls or emails (you know who you are!) I will be updating the blog more regularly. Starting now (or whenever the kids allow it!)

Battle of the Thumb

2009-06-30T11:00:00.002-04:00

Ian and Isabelle were both pacifier babies. Isaac, however, has decided to try a different path. He likes his thumb. After all, it is the most convenient and now that he has an easier time controlling his hands, he often pushes the pacifier out and finds his thumb. I am not giving up this battle because I would prefer he not be a thumb-sucker (I can take away a pacifier, but I can't take away his thumbs). So I spend much of my day replacing his thumb with a pacifier. It has become quite the arm wrestling match!
He finds it in the swing, in his bed and just about anytime now....so we will see.
I am so thankful for my Hotslings these days. Isaac is very nosy and prefers to be in a position in which he can see what is going on around him. He stays rather comfortable in the sling and often falls right to sleep. It makes my cleaning and grocery shopping much easier sometimes!

Too bad it is so cute when he sucks his thumb!

Father's Day Cake

2009-06-30T10:56:00.002-04:00

Isabelle felt like Father's day was a holiday deserving of a cake. In fact, she offered to make the cake for Daddy...actually, her idea was to bake a cake in her Easy Bake oven WITH Daddy. He was a great sport and enjoyed their baking time together!

Bowling

2009-06-30T10:25:00.004-04:00

This summer we signed up for the Kids Bowl Free program. We haven't used it as often as we thought we might, but it has made for a nice outing when we do get over there!

Isabelle modeling her orange ball:

She watches as her ball makes the slow journey to the pins:

Daddy helps her give a big push since the last ball just stopped rolling because it was going so slow (so funny!)
That's better! This one hit the pins!

I didn't get many pictures of Ian this time. He had a tendency to throw the ball instead of roll the ball. It was pretty funny!

He clearly felt like he deserved a better score!

Better luck next time, Ian!

Granny B will still be proud of you!

And here is how much Isaac enjoyed bowling!

2 Months!

2009-06-30T10:16:00.003-04:00

I am a little behind, but wanted to post Isaac's 2month stats!

He was 23.5inches and weighed in at 11 pounds 14 ounces!

That means he has gained 4lb 10oz since birth and grown 4 inches!

He is a healthy, happy little man!

Catching up!

2009-06-24T09:04:00.002-04:00

There are several posts today because I have a backlog of pictures to share...make sure you scroll down so you don't miss some of them!

Fruits of our labor

2009-06-24T08:32:00.000-04:00

This year we planted a few fruits and vegetables. We are enjoying the first few tomatoes and the vines are dripping with more to come! Isabelle has been quite the little helper with the gardening. She has kept an especially good eye on the strawberries as they are her favorite! Now that they aren't producing much anymore, she has enjoyed picking some blueberries. We are also watching our cucumber and cantaloupe plants blossom! I just wish we had more space to plant more things!

date night

2009-06-24T08:31:00.000-04:00

One of the last nights that Jilienne was in town, she was wonderful enough to watch ALL THREE kiddos so that David and I could go out for a date night! We enjoyed dinner and a movie while she performed the great juggling act at home! Of course, it turned out to be one of Isaac's fussiest evenings, but she handled it great! Thank you, Aunt Bean, for a night out and for taking such great care of the kids! We love you!

Isaac's bed

2009-06-24T08:30:00.001-04:00

While Jilienne was still in town, she helped us put together Isaac's bedroom. We assembled his bed and started our painting project. I still have a few final touches to make and then I will post pictures of that!

Here is a picture of Isaac snoozing in his bed. To be completely honest, he still has not slept in his bed for more than a quick nap. It has been too easy to keep him in our room. After I finish the painting this week and after our next round of company (Justin and Andrea are coming for the 4th of July!) heads back home, he will make the official move into his own room. Being that he has slept through the night since his 3rd night home, there is no good reason for him to still be in our room!

Good Save!

2009-06-24T08:00:00.000-04:00

I just had to post a quick picture to show my husband hard at work on his truck! I am sooooo thankful that he is so handy with...well, almost anything! What could have been a very expensive repair was a very affordable one being that he was able to do it himself! I find it a little scary to come out to the garage and see parts of a vehicle laying around...I much prefer to have them tucked safely under the hood of my vehicle. He, however, finds great joy in all these little parts and the satisfaction in the repair! His truck is running much better now! Good job Babe!

Home Again, Home Again

2009-06-19T15:00:00.000-04:00

After a very full weekend and a pretty long road trip, this is how the backseat looked! What good travelers!

Cousins

2009-06-19T07:00:00.000-04:00

Ian and Isabelle were very excited to spend some time with their cousins. They hadn't seen Hunter since Christmas of 2007 and they had never met Adison. They had a great time together, especially at the pool!
Hunter was pretty sure that he could do anything that Ian was doing. It was really cute to watch him follow Ian around!
We love you Hunter and Adison! Can't wait to see you again!

Pass Around Pack

2009-06-19T06:58:00.000-04:00

During the wedding weekend, Isaac was never lacking attention. He was happy to meet anyone that wanted to love on him. Here is how he spent his weekend! (I am pretty sure he came home a little spoiled!) My pictures are a little wonky on this one, but oh well...

Another One Bites the Dust

2009-06-18T09:46:00.001-04:00

Bloopers

2009-06-18T08:37:00.000-04:00

Upon going through all the pictures I had from the wedding, I had to post some of the funnier moments from the weekend!

Here is Isabelle...BEFORE the wedding. Her shoes were hurting her feet (so were mine...so we took a break together!)

Ian and Hunter being BOYS!
I can only imagine what was really being said in these pictures, but here is my take on it!

Ian: "Isabelle, not so many in one spot! You need to spread them out. And maybe we could walk a little faster and get this done, huh?"

Isabelle: "Why is everyone watching Aunt Jamie? Don't they see how beautiful I am today?" Ian: "Is really my job? To hold a pillow with FAKE rings on it?"

Isabelle: "Those poor people look so bored..."

"I had better blow them some kisses!"

Isabelle: "Hmmm...I wonder if these are real pearls?"

Isabelle: "Thanks for holding my hand Aunt Jamie! Now, let's go for a walk instead of just STANDING here!"

"Auuuuuuuuuuugh...is this almost over???"

Ian: "Why would anyone choose to wear such uncomfortable clothing?"

Ian: "Uugg! Why are we all standing here? What is this guy talking about?

Isabelle: "Everyone else is sitting down, why can't I?"

Isabelle: " They are good! It is official!"Isabelle: "Ian, you want to get some of that cake?"

Ian: "Did you see the chocolate fountain and strawberries? And there is sushi!"

Ian and Isabelle: "Get Miss Becca!" Isabelle was thrilled to join Becca on the dance floor. As soon as she heard the music she looked at me and shrieked, "Come on Mommy! Let's. Get. On. That. Floor!"

She would have danced all night!

Apparently Ian was still uncomfortable, because I turned around and saw David explaining to Ian why it was inappropriate to take his shirt off at the reception.

Ian: "But I am so HOT!" Here is our little Dancing Diva on the floor! Forget the shoes! Those things were history!

It is safe to say that they had a GREAT time! Ian loved the food and playing with his cousins and Isabelle will never again believe a party is complete without a dance floor!

Splash Party

2009-06-17T07:00:00.000-04:00

During the wedding weekend, we managed to squeeze in a little swim time at the hotel. Ian and Isabelle had a great time! They love being in the water!

While the kids swam, some of the extended family gathered to visit!

Uncle Glenn, Grandma B, Aunt Mable, and my Dad.

A good time was had by all!

The Sisters

2009-06-17T06:00:00.000-04:00

Ian took it upon himself to grab the camera during the rehearsal morning and he wanted to make sure he got a good picture of "The Sisters" Here are the results of his photo shoot.
Jilienne

Haaley

Tara

Nice job, little man!

wedding

2009-06-16T06:00:00.000-04:00

The whole reason for our road trip to Mississippi, was to be at my little brother, Benjamin's wedding. It still seems a little surreal to me that he is married! Even more impressive is that he found such a lovely woman to share his life with! Jamie and Benjamin are a wonderful couple. They seem to complement each other so well! Throughout the entire weekend, I don't think this giant smile ever left Benjamin's face. He was so excited to be taking this step in life. Benjamin (still grinning from ear to ear!)

Ian and Isabelle make their entrance!

You can see that Ian is inspecting Isabelle's work.
I just love this picture because Ian looks like a little GQ model and Isabelle is showing her pure delight in decorating the walkway with flower petals!

Benjamin is still grinning...this was as Jamie was making her way down the aisle!

Jamie walking with her Dad!

The beautiful couple

It's official!

First Dance

Mom and Benjamin

Isabelle was so excited to get out on the dance floor!

Shout!

Can you see how red his face is after searching for the garter?

Jamie throws the bouquet

The couple makes their exit through the bubbles

David, Jilienne and Uncle Glenn made sure the car looked its best and was securely wrapped in plastic wrap!

Isabelle got one last hug from Aunt Jamie!

And off they went...Cancun or Bust!

It was a beautiful day!

Rehearsal Dinner

2009-06-15T05:57:00.000-04:00

Saturday night we joined Benjamin and Jamie at their rehearsal dinner. We had yummy food and enjoyed the time together! Ian was especially happy when Uncle Ben came to sit by him!
After dinner Uncle Ben and Aunt Jamie brought the kids some gifts for being a part of the wedding.
Isabelle received a beautiful pearl necklace that Uncle Ben made for her! She also got a special frame in which she can put a picture of herself with Uncle Ben and Aunt Jamie from the wedding.

Ian got a new book! He has become a big fan of Shel Silverstein and was thrilled to get another one of the books. He loves to memorize and recite the silly poems!

It was a fun night to see Ben and Jamie together, to see how in love they truely are and to share in their joy and excitement as they prepared for their big day!

Food, Family and Fun!

2009-06-14T09:57:00.001-04:00

So...here is the begining. For such a quick weekend, I sure have a lot of pictures to share!

On Thursday night, Jamie's parents hosted a barbeque at their home so that we could all meet each other. Even though we were technically in Mississippi, we were just outside of Memphis, so it was quite appropriate that we enjoy some barbeque. It was a beautiful evening, the food was good and the company was great! We pulled into town just in time to change clothes and head to dinner, so this was the first we had seen of most of the family!

Haaley took it upon herself to snap some pictures for me! Thanks HaaleyBob! Jilienne and Haaley

Jamie and Isaac (I think she likes him!)

Hunter was thrilled to see Aunt Bean

After dinner, Uncle Ben and Aunt Haaley joined the kiddos in the pool!

A fun time was had by all!

Isabelle and Aunt Tara

Thank you John and Beverly for a wonderful dinner and for hosting the evening at your beautiful home! It was wonderful meeting you all and spending that time together!

Field Day...the "green" way

2009-06-14T05:43:00.002-04:00

The day before we left on our road trip to Mississippi, Ian had Field Day at school. The kids and I went to spend the day with him and root him on. This is what we saw when we got there. Ian was running a race that required him to sort the recyclables into the appropriate bins before running back to tag his next teammate.

As we continued on through all the different stations, each had a name like this:

Or this:
The times have changed for sure! There wasn't a 50meter dash, or 200meter relay. Instead there were all sorts of little games that had to do with saving our planet, conserving energy and such. I never would have imagined such a thing, but the kids sure loved it and had a great time.

While Ian was busy playing "Environmentalist vs. Pollutants" (otherwise known as Tug-o-war) I sent Isabelle on her own 50meter dash. She thought it was great!

And when she wasn't running, she did a great job helping with Isaac!

Snaggletooth

2009-06-13T20:13:00.004-04:00

I have spent the day uploading pictures to Blogger so that I could get caught up from the last couple weeks. So, I am very close to having lots of pics to share. Brace yourselves for the next few days. For now though, you have to see what happened today.

Ian came into my room wiggling his tooth.He even managed to twist it nearly backwards! He wiggled and wiggled until...
It popped right out! He was so proud, can you tell?
I wonder what the Tooth Fairy's going rate for a front tooth...

It cracks me up every time he smiles. He even thought this was the perfect opening for a drinking straw at dinner tonight. That was right after he fed a piece of asparagus through the hole! oh dear...

Talent Show

2009-06-09T13:08:00.004-04:00

Last week (before our trip to Mississippi) Ian and his friend Ali, danced in the talent show. Ian is in the grey jacket and Ali is in the black. Ian's role was to do the robot through the whole performance. He was pretty proud of himself! We even convinced him to break out his skills on the dance floor at the wedding reception that weekend!

Good Job Ian and Ali! You were the best in the show!

More pics

2009-05-22T08:58:00.003-04:00

One Day Old

One Month Old
A Very Happy Boy!

One MONTH Old!!!

2009-05-19T20:48:00.003-04:00

It is hard to believe how time is flying! Today, Isaac is one month old. It seems like we just brought him home. I feel like we should still be counting his time in days, not months! As much as it seems that we have just welcomed this new little man into our family, we also feel very much like he has been a part of our family forever! He is a perfect fit!

In this short time, Isaac has begun developing the most precious personality. He is generally very mild natured and relaxed. The only time he fusses is when he is really hungry or tired. He is still a mighty good little eater and is sleeping very well at night! Here is the best shot that I have gotten of he sweet smile. I love that he uses his entire face to smile!!! What joy!

Tonight's big accomplishment was giving Isaac his first real bath. Up to this point he has only had sponge baths. His belly button has finally healed and it was quite the family affair in the bathroom tonight. Nobody wanted to miss it! Daddy got the honors of giving Isaac his bath. He seemed to love it! (They both did, actually!) Isaac relaxed as Daddy poured warm water over him and gently washed him!

You can see that Daddy was being closely supervised. What you can't see is that Ian was sitting at the other end of the counter watching also. I promise Isaac is clean. If he wasn't, we sure would have heard about it from the little supervisors! Here is our clean little man! (Isabelle was the photographer for this one!) Isn't he a cute little fella?

Boy time

2009-05-14T05:40:00.000-04:00

After our photo shoot the other day, Ian came into the room and he didn't really pay attention to me even being there. He had no idea that I had the camera, so I was able to capture these little moments between my boys.

He sat down and started talking to Isaac (completely oblivious to the fact that Isaac was sleeping.) He leaned in and talked to him in a sweet little voice. As I recall, it had something to do with Legos and Star Wars...

Then he snuck around the side of the chair to give his little brother a sweet little kiss.

Tuckered out

2009-05-13T06:00:00.000-04:00

Isaac never lacks for entertainment. He has Ian and Isabelle to make sure that he is always taken care of. They think that he always needs a toy nearby. The other day he got a little fussy in the crib and when I went to check on him, this is how I found him. He had soothed himself by pushing his binky back into his mouth with his puppy dog rattle. Thank heavens for all these toys!

3 Weeks Old

2009-05-12T13:33:00.003-04:00

On Sunday, Isaac was Three weeks old! It is hard to believe how quickly time is flying and how much he is changing! I wanted to get some pictures to share with you all, but he was pretty worn out so he slept through most his little photo shoot.

On Monday, I took him into the Dr. so that they could take a look at his belly button. It hasn't healed as well as they would like so they were cauterizing it. No big worries! He weighed in at 8pounds 14ounces!!! That is another 6 ounces in 5 days!!!

Without further ado...the pictures

Bottles Up!

2009-05-12T13:16:00.002-04:00

Both Ian and Isabelle were exclusively breastfed as infants. Ian refused to take a bottle and Isabelle had to take one for one week while I battled an infection when she was only a couple weeks old...but she didn't like it one bit. So, this time around, we decided that it was necessary to be a little more aggressive with trying the bottle out with Isaac. I wanted to be able to have a little more freedom and to be able to let David share in this part of Isaac's life.

I gave Isaac a few bottles and he did quite well with it, so David decided to give it a try. I wish I would have gotten a picture of Isaac's face when David first put the bottle to his mouth. There was such a look of confusion! Why was Daddy putting something in his mouth?!? Once he caught on, he took the bottle even better than he had taken it from me! Hooray!

My little piggy

2009-05-06T21:36:00.002-04:00

We went to the doctor today for Isaac's two week check up.

I knew he liked to eat...but even I was surprised today!

When he was born, he weighed 7lb 4oz. He only dropped 2 ounces after birth.

Today, after only two weeks, he weighs 8lbs 8oz and has grown a whole inch!!!

The doctor was quite impressed! He still is only in the 15-20th percentile for both weight and length, but both of the big kids were usually only around the 10th percentile.

I might just have my little football player after all!

Isaac at One Week

2009-05-04T16:39:00.000-04:00

Two weeks

2009-05-04T12:12:00.003-04:00

Isaac is two weeks old! He is an amazing baby! He is a very good eater, sleeper and can fill a diaper like nobody's business! On top of that he is a great cuddler, clearly loves his big brother and sister and is a perfect fit into our family! It is hard to believe that he has only been in our home for two weeks! It is such a great fit, it seems like he has always been around! We go back to the doctor on Wednesday and I will post stats on his growth after that!
Do you see the glimmer of a smile in this picture? I think he thought it was pretty funny that I was having to work so hard for his attention! He was much more amused by the light shining in from the window! Little stinker!

Fun in the Sun

2009-05-04T09:50:00.003-04:00

The weather has been pretty warm here lately. The kids have been excited about getting into the water. When we set up the sprinkler to water the yard, they immediately ran inside, put on their swimsuits and jumped right in! Isabelle was a little more timid initially, but ended up enjoying herself just as much as Ian did!

This next picture is a very accurate portrayal of what a goofy house we live in. David is always up to something and Ian is ever so eager to be just like his daddy. So, when David suggested that Ian should wear his helmet while running through the sprinkler, Ian didn't even hesitate. In fact, he thought that the light saber would only complement the overall look!

Oh...the goofy boys I live with!

I am sure this little man is dreaming of how he is going to entertain us in the future!

Who's Big Now???

2009-05-04T08:52:00.004-04:00

Yesterday morning, Isabelle woke up and informed her Daddy that she was ready to ride a bike without training wheels.

This may or may not have something to do with the fact that I ran over one of her training wheels as I was backing out of the garage the other day.

David offered to put some different training wheels on the bike, but Isabelle had other plans. She felt she was ready to ride a bike.

So, Daddy helped her get ready for some practice. She put on her pads...

and her helmet...

and Daddy got her started.

And that was the end of that. She took off, all by herself!

We had no idea she was so ready...but she sure knew!

Good job big girl! We are so proud of you!

The Waiting Game

2009-04-29T20:26:00.005-04:00

As most of you know, I was trying to wait until my mom got to town before giving birth. As if I really had that much control, right? So I patiently waited and watched my activity levels so that I wouldn't throw myself into labor before she got here.

Well, she arrived on the afternoon of Good Friday. That night I couldn't sleep. I tossed and turned. Somehow, I felt that since my mom was here, we should be having a baby. What were we waiting for? Apparently, Isaac didn't share the same sense of urgency that his mommy had! Each day I convinced myself that it was okay that I wasn't in labor yet. After all, I was still a week away from my official due date.

There may not have been any signs of labor at that point, but that wasn't for lack of effort. I walked, and walked and walked. I listened to advice from all sorts of people. Most people told me to take advantage of the trampoline in our back yard. I didn't go that far. After having to watch "the shaken baby video" before being discharged from the hospital after giving birth to both Ian and Isabelle, I just had a really hard time with the idea of the trampoline...

So we stayed very busy. David had duty on Easter Sunday, so we drove out to the beach and walked around for a while. It was a little chilly on the beach, but it looked beautiful. The kids seemed to be oblivious to the wind and the chill. They were also clueless that they were in full clothing when they started to bury themselves... and each other...

But at least they had a good time.

All through the week, we did what we could to stay busy. Mom helped me with some projects at the house we continued to prepare for this little baby to come into our house. We made his bed and washed more clothes. We set up diaper changing areas upstairs and down. And we walked.

At my DR appointment that week, he scheduled an induction for the following Tuesday. I really didn't want to be induced, but I was REALLY ready to have this baby!

On Saturday, we decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather and we went to a local park to let the kids play. They had so much fun on the playground and the swings.

Isabelle even showed Nana a few tricks about how she can swing so high.

I snapped a few pictures so that I would have some current ones to send to friends and family.

When David met us at the park, he took the kids on the paddle boats. Ian stretched as far as he could in order to help peddle.

Isabelle just enjoyed the ride.

After a stop for some Italian ice, we went home and prepared for the Saturday evening service at church. When we were leaving, some neighbors asked if we were headed to the hospital. I replied, "No, we are going to church to pray this child out!" By this time I was past my due date and fairly over being pregnant. Mom and I had made plans to go to a movie after church, so we drove two cars to church so that David could bring the kids home and get them to bed while we went to the movie. However, I felt my prayers were being answered as I started contracting during church! We were all so excited! They weren't strong or painful, but they were consistent! Mom and I decided that it was best that we forgo the movie and get home to make final preparations before (hopefully) heading to the hospital.

We called our neighbors on the way home to see if the kids could stay the night with them. They were so wonderful to welcome the kids into their home (which the kids thought was totally fun! Sleepover!!!) at the drop of a hat! I took one final picture with the kids before I went inside to figure out our next steps.

We decided to try to go to bed and get a little rest until the stronger labor set in. I woke every couple hours with a contraction, but otherwise they weren't strong enough to keep me awake. Imagine my disappointment when I woke at 7am and I was STILL at home! UGH!

I decided to take a quick shower and freshen up. Before I could even blow my hair dry I was in full blown labor!

We labored at home for a couple hours. Mom and David were so supportive and did whatever I needed them to do while I was in pain. At about 930am, my nurse, (otherwise known as my mom) checked me to see how things had progressed. She didn't even tell me how dilated I was before she hollered for David and told him she thought it was time to go. We all hopped in the car and drove to the hospital. In less than one hour, I progressed from 6cm to fully dilated and gave birth to our sweet little man, Isaac.

It was such an amazing birth experience. I couldn't help but think about how perfect God's timing was. I didn't have to be induced. My mom was able to be at the birth. And on top of that, my mom was able to focus on Ian and Isabelle for the first week of her visit and make sure that she got some great time with each of them. She also did a pretty good job of keeping me busy so that I didn't go crazy waiting for the baby to come. It was also amazing that there was no question about David being able to be here for it. We didn't have to worry about any ship schedule or crazy shift work. Being that I went into labor on the weekend and he didn't have duty, he was there from beginning to end.

I am so thankful to be home with my precious family and figuring out this new life! I am so thankful to my hubby who has been amazingly supportive and helpful in this transition. I am also so thankful to my mom for being here for the whole process! I am so glad you didn't miss this one! I am thankful for such an awesome hospital experience, delivery and most of all for this sweet little man that has changed our lives forever! I am so in love!

Welcome Home

2009-04-29T05:11:00.000-04:00

I was so excited that we only had to stay in the hospital for one night! We prepared to go home on Monday around lunch time! It was fun to get Isaac dressed in some little clothes that we had brought for him! His little shirt says, "Here I go!"

We buckled him into his cozy, new car seat...

And he was ready for his new adventure!
When we got home, Ian and Isabelle were waiting to welcome us with the banner that Nana helped them make! They were so proud!

They rushed downstairs to see their new baby brother again! They couldn't even wait for us to get him out of his car seat before they started loving on him and talking to him. They are both so eager to be involved and to teach him everything he needs to know!

It is amazing how bringing home a little guy like this makes the big kids look so much bigger!

A Special Visit

2009-04-28T05:03:00.000-04:00

Our dear friends, Mike and Debbie, just so happened to be driving through town the day that Isaac was born. I was so excited to have them stop by the hospital and meet Isaac!
Nana was so wonderful to keep all EIGHT of the our kiddos while Mike and Deb came to the hospital for a couple hours! I don't know if she had any idea what she had just volunteered for, but it sure sounds like the kids had a great time! I missed getting to see all of the Moreland kids, but I am so thankful for the special visit we had in the hospital! I can't wait to see you all again and to introduce Isaac to the rest of the family! Thanks so much for stopping in!

A precious boy!

2009-04-27T07:49:00.004-04:00

I just might be a little biased when it comes to this baby...but I think he is absolutely perfect and beautiful! When he first arrived, we saw glimpses of Isabelle, but I think overall he resembles Ian. This means we may have another "mini Dave" on our hands!

One of the first things we noticed about him was his super long nails! Some of them were twice as long as they should be and were bent backwards! We had to get them cut so that he didn't scratch himself! If you look closely in the picture (above) you can see his thumb nail before it was cut!

During one of our ultrasounds, we could see that he was sucking is thumb/hand. I thought it was really funny because we have never had a thumb-sucker. It was very clear from the start that this little man really loves his hands. In fact, he came out with one of his hands up by his head. He likes to suck on them any chance that he gets! We couldn't swaddle him with his hands inside or he would just cry. We have introduced the pacifier to him to help soothe him, but he still prefers to sleep with his hands near his face.

Missed pictures

2009-04-21T15:04:00.002-04:00

I found this blog of pics that never got posted, so I thought I would share them with you anyway...better late than never!

Isaac's first bath
All cleaned up!

Checking in on the new little man

Introducing...

2009-04-21T14:59:00.002-04:00

Isaac Henry

Born April 19, 2009

10:49am

7lb 4oz

19.5in

No news...

2009-04-13T19:25:00.002-04:00

We went to the doctor this morning with hopes of hearing that our new little man would be joining us soon. Unfortunately, however, he has decided that he is nice and cozy in there and isn't quite done cooking! So, we have an appointment for next Monday if nothing has happened before then. If necessary, they will induce me next Tuesday. I am hoping that he decides to make his appearance much sooner than that, but clearly, I am not controlling this little man!

Until then, I am trying to stay busy and positive!!!

We will keep you posted!

7 DAYS!

2009-04-09T23:12:00.002-04:00

It is hard to believe that we are nearing the end of this pregnancy so quickly! We expect the little man to make his grand entrance any day now! I am one week from my due date, but I am already 2-3cm dilated and I feel like my stomach has dropped! I have had subtle contractions throughout the last couple days, but nothing regular or painful.

My mom arrives tomorrow afternoon! That has been my goal~ to hold off til she could get here. We have nearly done that, but I am not sure I will go much longer! I have an appointment scheduled for Monday morning if I have not been admitted yet...

I will do my best to keep you all updated over the days to come! Please pray for a safe delivery and a healthy baby!

A great visit

2009-04-09T22:55:00.002-04:00

Andrea got to spend part of the weekend with us last weekend and we had a lot of fun! It has been so much fun living in this area as we have had so many visitors!

Here we are with the token belly shot at 38 weeks!!! And a sweet picture with the kiddos. They sure to love Miss Andrea!

Last time Miss Andrea visited Ian got upset because he didn't get to do everything that he wanted to do with her before she had to leave. So, this time they sat down the very first day and made a list of the things that were important to do. Andrea was such a good sport. She played with K'nex guns and any other toy that the kids felt she needed to experience. One of the other important things was spending time on the trampoline together. I didn't get any pictures of them all together on the trampoline, but they had a great time!!!

As you can see, there was so much to accomplish that they didn't even have time to get dressed before they got to work. Isabelle was still in pj's!

Ian had plenty of tricks to show.

and Isabelle did her best to not be outdone!

Thank you for coming for a visit Miss Andrea! We look forward to seeing you in a couple months!

Playtime with Mr Dennis

2009-04-09T22:49:00.002-04:00

We were happy to get to see Andrea's parents last weekend also. I am pretty sure that Mr Dennis probably slept pretty hard after playing so hard with the kids. They love their time with Mr Dennis (and the candy that comes along with him!) Thanks for spending the evening with us!

One of the Big Girls

2009-04-09T22:38:00.003-04:00

My wonderful friend, Andrea, got to come visit last weekend. We got to spend a girls day together last Friday and she treated us to a pedicure. Isabelle also got her fingernails painted. She definitely felt like one of the big girls! She proudly picked out her own color and held very still while she watched her nails be painted! I am sure she will be asking to go again!

Another Dress

2009-04-09T22:34:00.001-04:00

Here is a picture of another dress that I managed to complete for Isabelle. She loves it because it is very twirly when she spins!

Flower Girl Dress

2009-04-01T06:00:00.000-04:00

Last week I completed Isabelle's flower girl dress. She is thrilled to be in Uncle Ben and Jamie's wedding in May!

I know the dress looks a little big on the top, but it wasn't zipped all the way in the back because I have to make a few minor adjustments to the zipper (I HATE ZIPPERS!!!) but

otherwise it is great on her! She loves it and is even more excited about the wedding now that she knows what she is going to be wearing!

Happy Anniversary!

2009-03-31T08:26:00.003-04:00

Eight years ago today, I walked down the aisle toward my amazing husband and began a journey that I couldn't have even imagined.

We were both young and had big dreams for our lives. To say that God has blessed us beyond our dreams seems too simple a statement to describe the last eight years! Each year has gotten better and better!

I am so blessed to have such an amazing husband who loves me more each day and takes care of me in such amazing ways! Thank you, David, for being the love of my life, for joining me on this amazing journey, for making me laugh, holding me when I cry and being my very best friend! I love you!

Update

2009-03-31T08:13:00.002-04:00

Life has been a little crazy around here these days! Realistically, I don't know that we would know it any other way though...

Last week I finished a couple sewing projects (pictures to come).

Thursday night I was up the ENTIRE night with contractions. We started to think that this little guys was going to make his appearance much earlier than we had planned. Luckily, the contractions stopped and I took it easy all weekend. Yesterday, I went to the doctor and there hasn't been any progress in dilation...which I am very happy with! I am feeling much better the last couple days! Hopefully we can hold out just a little while longer!

Sunday night David noticed some water damage on our wood flooring in our kitchen. It was even worse when we woke up the next morning. Last night we were finally able to trace the leak to our air conditioning drain. Fortunately, we are still under our one year warranty and we have an amazing builder that should have it all fixed up in the next couple weeks!

So, we continue to plug along...one day at a time! We continue to try to accomplish what we can each day as we prepare for the little man to make his appearance. We now have bags packed and are ready to go when we need to! We promise to keep you posted!

Cub Scouts at the Fire Station

2009-03-22T09:50:00.003-04:00

Last week David arranged for his den to take a trip to the fire station for a tour. Isabelle was invited to come along and she didn't miss out on the event! The firemen showed the kids a video about fire safety and showed them around the station. David was kind enough to take a camera along and snap a couple pictures for me.

Trip to the Park

2009-03-22T09:18:00.002-04:00

Life has changed since we have moved here. We used to live on a busy street where the kids couldn't play in the front yard. No riding bikes or running around with the neighbor kids. Now, we live in a quiet area (quiet as far as traffic is concerned) FULL of kids. Rarely is there a time that the kids don't have someone to play with. When they get bored riding bikes, finding rocks, having light saber duels, playing Legos or K'nex in the front, our backyard is the next choice of places to play due to the trampoline and swing set.

So, it never really occurred to me that since we have moved here, we have not gone to a playground or park to play. That used to be a very common thing for us to do in Virginia. Isabelle was the first to remind me of this recently.

So, a few days ago, Isabelle and I were out and about and just happened to be near a really great park. I decided to take her there for a couple hours. She was ecstatic! She immediately ran to this giant slide built on the hill! She ran up those stairs several times and this smile never left her face!
She enjoyed some time on the swings,

scaled some rocks,

climbed some ladders,

and just had a great time in general!

Can you tell by this smile that she was having a good time?

I had to giggle every time she came down the slide and her hair was standing up like this!

It was a great time at the park! We will be going back very soon!

As we were walking back to the van, she looked up at me and said, "Thank you for bringing me to the park, Mommy! Next time we should bring Ian!"

I love that as much fun as she was having on her own, she would rather share it with her brother! So, next time we will bring Ian!

30 Day Notice!

2009-03-18T09:26:00.003-04:00

Did you see the countdown on the side of the page? We are down to 30 days! It is really unbelievable! 30 days until my due date!

Back in August, when we found out we were pregnant, it seemed as though April was SO FAR AWAY! But we also knew it would go quickly...it always does. It seems as though it is all a blur. We made it through David's induction period, the Ian started school, the holidays came and went and now, here we are!

I am down to doing weekly appointments at this point. When I went in earlier this week, I found out that I am dilated to nearly 1cm. That is to be expected with the 3rd baby. It shouldn't be any indication of him making his appearance early.

As a matter of fact, I have been having some very serious talks with the little man about when he is allowed to make his appearance. As anxious as I am about seeing him, holding him and introducing him to his big brother and sister, I also have a plan! My mom (a.k.a. My Personal Labor and Delivery nurse!) will be flying into town on April 10th! He must wait until she can get here or else he is going to have some serious explaining to do! My other motivation for getting that far is that Ian's Spring Break is the week before my due date and I would really like to have that time with the kids to do a few fun things and just enjoy each other without the whole week being consumed by the activities of having a new baby. Don't get me wrong, the kids are both VERY excited about this new little guy, but they have also gotten a little clingy and needy lately. I am sure it has every bit to do with the baby situation, whether they know it or not.

So, if you think of it, please say a quick prayer for us. We are all facing a LOT of transition! We are doing our best to make it enjoyable for everyone involved! All in all, we know that this new little man is going to add a ton of joy to our lives and we can hardly wait!

Stocked up!

2009-03-13T10:02:00.002-04:00

So, I know I haven't been on here much. I guess I have been a little too busy with organizing and taking care of things before this baby makes his grand appearance! I have several dresses in the works for Isabelle and I promise to post pictures when I have a couple more done!

Last week I spent a bit of time stocking up on diapers! I meant to post this last week so that you could go out and take advantage of the deal if it was a good one for you, but I just didn't get to it in time. So, now I post this as a lesson...to NEVER, EVER, EVER pay full price for diapers!

Guess how much I paid for all of these diapers: Did you guess?

Well, first you should know that there are 12 Jumbo packs of diapers in the picture. In total, there are nearly 600 diapers!

Huggies Jumbo Packs were on sale at Walgreens for $10. (Normal retail ranges from $12-$16)
Get 3 Jumbo Packs of Huggies
Use 3 $5 Huggies coupons (you can print 2 per computer)
Pay $15 and get $10 back in Register Rewards
Final Cost: $15 for 3 Jumbo Packs of Huggies!!!

What I did was use my Register Reward coupon on the next batch of 3 packages and only ended up paying $5 for the second batch.

I repeated this process at another store (because the first one was completely sold out)! I was frustrated because the coupons were for the Gentle Care diapers, but the sweet lady at Walgreens told me that the coupons should still work on ANY Huggies! So, I bought up as many as I could with my coupons!

When all was said and done, I spent $40(before tax) on all of these diapers!

When I came home, I found a place online called Caregivers Marketplace. They give rebates for all sorts of items that many caregivers may use. The Huggies Snug and Dry and Gentle Care diapers (except for the Newborn size) qualified for a $.75 rebate per package. So, I will be receiving a check back for $6.75!

Now, that is a deal! Granted, I don't know how often there will be deals like this out there, but it just goes to show that you have to keep your eyes open for them! I don't really like doing a lot of the deals that include rebates and such, but when something like this presents itself, you've gotta jump on it. And regardless of the sales going on, don't miss out on your $5 off coupons!!! I even got a few neighbors to print some out for me so that I could maximize this deal!

Now the baby's closet is stocked with diapers from Newborn to size 3. I imagine these will last us for quite a while since we are going to also venture into the world of cloth diapers! So these diapers will only be used as backups or for when Daddy is in charge. (He isn't too keen on the cloth diapering idea, but I am working on him! I think he is going to be surprised at how easy it really is) But that is a whole other post for another day!

Well, that is enough from me! Back to sewing world I go so that I can post some more pictures soon!

Crazy Quotes from Isabelle

2009-03-11T08:57:00.002-04:00

"Mommy! Did you know that your tongue is COVERED in taste bugs?"

I see the light!

2009-03-09T11:00:00.002-04:00

Just a quick update to say that Ian is back to school today! Hooray!

After a long weekend with David sick, he is back to work also! He isn't 100%, but good enough to tough it out! He slept about 85% of the weekend away...but it just might have worked!

So, now it is back to normal! I cleared out Isabelle's closet yesterday to prepare for spring. (It is supposed to be 82 degrees today!) She has requested some new dresses, so I am going to go take a look at all of my fabric and see what I can come up with!

Hopefully we will have some pictures to share very soon!
Have a great Monday!

So over it!

2009-03-06T15:50:00.003-05:00

No, I am not talking about pregnancy. I am one of those weirdos that actually enjoys pregnancy. Even though I am more aware each day of my due date approaching quicker than seems possible, I am also okay enjoying these last weeks. Even though I believe I have a foot stuck in the right side of my rib cage, I still love the feeling of the little man doing what feels like acrobatics within my belly and I still laugh when he gets the hiccups!

So, that brings me to the whole purpose of this post...I have been sequestered in my own home since Sunday night due to the flu!!! Ian started with a headache on Sunday afternoon and ended up with a fever through the night. He stayed home Monday with no real symptoms. That is, until the evening. Then his throat swelled and his fever SPIKED! He was miserable. I thought for sure he had strep, but we were informed on Tuesday that he had the FLU! Ugh... Luckily, the Dr. gave us all flu medication to take to help prevent any of the rest of us from getting it. She also wrote a note to Ian's school to excuse him for the rest of the week. I laughed at that. The whole week??? But here we are on Friday and we just can't seem to shake this stuff! His throat isn't as bad and his fever isn't as high, but I am still uncomfortable taking him around other people. I would hate to infect anyone else with this stuff!

So, the weather is beautiful today and I have allowed him to play in the backyard with Isabelle, but he can see and hear his friends playing just over the fence. He is desperate to be out there with them. He literally broke down in tears when I told him he couldn't go out front to play. He hasn't seen any of them in nearly a week. He has to be getting bored! I know I am!

On the bright side of things, my house is very clean. It has been disinfected to no end. The baby's closet has been organized and reorganized. I am working on getting some meals prepped for the freezer to have on hand for when the baby arrives. I have a few craft projects I am ready to start and laundry is all caught up! That never happens!

As nice as it has been to have some extra down time with my kiddos this week, I am also really ready to get back to normal...

Hold on...David is calling...

to inform me that he feels terrible and he is coming home to go to bed. He hasn't been able to eat anything all day and his body is aching...so much for that medicine!

Here is hoping for a better week next week!

Change is in the air

2009-02-25T20:12:00.002-05:00

Today, I took this little girl

to see Mr. Tom

because she wanted to have this done!
It is a little shorter than I had anticipated, but she LOVES it. I guess that is what really matters! She thought she was a pretty big girl telling Mr. Tom what she wanted done to her hair!

(You might be able to see that the handsome boy behind her got his hairs cut too!)

Breakfast at Mimi's

2009-02-22T20:25:00.002-05:00

On Sunday morning we met at Mimi's Cafe for breakfast with my Uncle B, his wife, Bianca, and Granny B. It was a super-yummy breakfast with great company! (you can see that Hunter was NOT excited about this picture!) Thanks for breakfast Uncle B! Hope to see you again in May!

The Gang is all here!

2009-02-22T20:13:00.003-05:00

While all five of us kids were gathered together, we took the opportunity to have an impromptu photo session.

Trying to keep us in order and get us to all look in the same place is about like dealing with a bunch of two year olds!
And here we are with the Circus Master...A.K.A. Mom.

A Valentine's Day Shower

2009-02-18T13:13:00.004-05:00

On Valentine's Day, my mom hosted a baby shower at her house for me. It was a great way to catch up with a lot of people at once and get a chance to visit!

At my last shower I was so terrible about getting pictures with people, so I tried to make a point to get several this time around!

Here I am with an old friend, Jen. Her husband was stationed with David a few years ago during deployment. Now she is preggers with her second baby and due in just a few weeks! And here are some of my favorite people in the universe! I have adopted them as my "in laws" even though I truly have no relation to them. Mrs C has always treated me like a daughter and I just love their whole family. That would make Val my sister I guess, and I wouldn't mind that at all! Mrs. C made the softest, sweetest blue blanket for the baby! I will treasure it!

My super fun friend, Kelliann, was my Maid of Honor in my wedding. I wish we would have gotten to spend some more time together before I left town! She always keeps me laughing!

Adison made herself comfy amongst the presents! Don't you just love those blue eyes?

My brother, Benjamin, and his fiance, Jamie, drove down to spend the day with us. It was so much fun to see them both! Thank you guys for coming! It is hard to believe that the next time I see them, it will be their big day!!! Hooray!

And here is my favorite teacher of all time, Mrs Hilger. She was my high school English teacher. She has managed to teach four out of the five of us kids. She now has Haaley in her class which is hard to believe since Haaley was about 4 years old when I was in her class...
Thank you to everyone else that made it to the shower! It was so wonderful to see you all and to have you share in this special time!

And thank you Mom for making it such a special day for me! I had a great time! I love you!

Babies

2009-02-18T07:00:00.004-05:00

One of the unfortunate parts about living so far from family is not getting to see my niece and nephew as often as I would like. In fact, this was the very first time that I had even met my niece, Adison. Isn't she cute?
We all met up together at Mom's hospital where my nephew, Hunter, was happy to act as our photographer. Here is Haaley, Adison, Jilienne, Tara and me.

While we were busy with our photo session, Mom was out in the hallway, tracking down a doctor that was willing to do a quick ultrasound for us. She found a fabulous doctor on the floor that was more than willing to oblige! Unfortunately, the machine that we were using didn't print pictures, but here is one that Jilienne was able to take of the screen:

For those of you that weren't there, let me explain the picture to you. It is a view of the top of his head. He is looking to the left. The white mass next to his head is his little fist and he was actually sucking his thumb. When the doctor told us that was what he was doing, I doubted him, because I have never had a thumb-sucker. But right when I said something, the baby took his hand out of his mouth and practically waved and then, very clearly, put his thumb back into his mouth. It was quite comical. It was a quick ultrasound, but it was fun for my mom and sisters to be able to be there and be a part of it! The next pictures we have of him should be much cuter and in color!

A Weekend Away

2009-02-17T18:31:00.002-05:00

It is amazing how times change. When I first moved away from home, I usually made it home three or four times a year. It still wasn't bad even when Ian was born. I was still able to go home a few times a year...but as time has gone on and our family has grown, it has gotten more difficult to get home. When we do get to go to Colorado, it is usually a HUGE production due to travelling to a completely different climate with two kiddos in tow and a full day of traveling.

So, just imagine my excitement when I got to take a trip home last weekend. I hadn't been home in over a year...AND...I was traveling all by myself! David was so wonderful to offer to keep the kids for the whole weekend so that I could have a little "mommy getaway" before this new little guy joins the crew! With the help of some wonderful neighbors who helped while David was at work, the plans were set and I was off!!!

I was packed and ready! I made it through security without incident and let out a sigh of relief. It was immediately apparent how different this trip was to any others in my recent past. I had packed in a single suitcase, I had only one carry on to handle and it did not contain a ton of snacks or play dough or video games. This was a weekend that I had been looking forward to for so long...and here it was. I immediately delved into one of the books that I had brought to read. Reading is something that I long to do...but rarely find the time in my daily life! So this was a treat. My flights were fairly uneventful and I arrived in Denver late that night.

Our drive home from the airport was challenging due to a snow storm that was moving through, but the following morning was absolutely beautiful...I LOVE COLORADO!!!
My sister, Jilienne, drove into town that day and we were able to help Haaley and some of her friends get ready for their Valentine's dance that evening. Haaley is the one in the front center. It was so much fun to get to be a part of this since I live so far away. All of the girls looked so beautiful and they had a really great time!

Here is Haaley with her adorable date, Stephen. I still have a hard time believing that she is old enough to be going to a dance...let alone having a date!!!
Haaley, thank you for letting me be a part of your day! I am glad I was there!

Better late than never...

2009-02-17T18:15:00.003-05:00

So, once again I am behind on the blog front...so here is to catching up!!!

We try not to do a big huge party every year for the kids' birthday. They typically get a big party every other year. This year was Ian's off year...but it turned out to be a pretty great day even still!

He opened up presents from Grandpa, Bean,

and Nana,
before friends and neighbors came by to share cake and ice cream with him!
He had requested a Lego cake this year.

This is how my goofy little man reacted when everyone sang Happy Birthday to him!

The evening was topped of with more gifts and lots of playing with all the new toys!

Thanks to all who joined us in celebrating Ian's birthday! He had a GREAT time!

Happy Birthday Ian

2009-02-07T11:23:00.002-05:00

Would you believe that this little boy Is now SEVEN YEARS OLD???

Happy birthday my little man! We love you more than you will ever know and are so proud of the person you are becoming!

Showered with LOVE!

2009-01-29T08:34:00.005-05:00

Last week, while we were in Virginia, Debbie and Parys threw me an amazing baby shower. It was such a fun time and I drove away feeling overwhelmingly blessed to have such amazing friends!
Debbie and Parys did all of the planning and preparing, but so many other people pitched in by bringing food and prizes!
The theme was polka dots and there was lots of blue and green!

I let Isabelle come along and she had a blast opening all of the gifts! She even participated in a few games!

She especially loved the stuffed monkey that is almost as tall as she is!

I wish I had gotten more pictures with people while I was there! Somehow we got caught up in all the fun and I only got a couple. Here is my girlfriend, Amy, who was 37 weeks pregnant in this picture. (And I am 28weeks.) She gave birth to a beautiful baby girl yesterday!!! Congrats Amy and Bryan!

And here is another one of my girlfriends, Brittany! I am excited that she and her husband just recently got orders and will be heading down here to SC in a few months! It will be great to have her down here!

To all of you that were involved with the shower, I want to extend a HUGE "Thank You!" I never imagined such a wonderful day with so many special people involved! You all are the best! Hopefully you all will get to meet our new little man when we venture up there this summer...unless you plan to stop through Charleston before then! Thank you for the amazing gifts, the special day and the awesome memories! I love you all!

Girlfriends

2009-01-29T08:09:00.002-05:00

One of our outings while we were in VA was to the mall play area to see Kylea! Isabelle was so excited to see her! They ran all over the play area and enjoyed themselves. They even enjoyed the shelves...or are they bunk beds?

Thanks for taking some time to spend with us! It was so great to see you all and we hope we get to see you again soon!

Snow Day

2009-01-29T07:39:00.003-05:00

While we were in VA, the weather men were calling for 3-5 inches of snow!!! We were all so excited. Because Virginians don't know how to drive in snow, school was even called off for the day. We woke up excited to see how much had fallen over night...but nothing was there! I ran out to the store for some milk and some hot chocolate mix for the kids so that they could warm up after playing in the snow. The man at the grocery store told me that the storm had stalled out and was not going to hit until lunch time.

So we waited.

And waited.

And even prayed for snow (at least Isabelle did...)

Until the blue skies appeared and we decided we may as well forget about it. Turns out the whole storm when south and we never saw so much as a flurry.

But the kids decided to make the most of all the winter gear that Debbie had pulled out for them and they bundled up to jump on the trampoline!

Here is Ian...with an extra hat covering his face because he thought his face was going to freeze!

Isabelle loved the pink ear muffs that we found for her.
The whole crew had a great time.

They came inside periodically to warm up, but they always ended up back outside!

That night, when I was tucking the kids in, I had a really funny conversation with Isabelle. It went a little something like this:

Isabelle: I think those weather men lied to us.

Kimberlee: I don't think they lied to us, but maybe they were playing a trick.

Isabelle: That was a mean trick. Those guys are Dum-dums!

So much for a snow day! But at least we got an extra day with our friends!

Road Trip

2009-01-27T18:10:00.002-05:00

So, it is no secret that I am behind on my blog...but we have been on adventures lately. You see, the kids and I drove up to spend a week in Virginia last week. Ian had a couple days off from school and I decided it wouldn't hurt him too badly to miss a couple more. So we got to spend an entire week up there!
I was a little nervous about my energy level for the drive, but I can tell you that this was one of the easiest road trips we have ever been on! Ian did a little sleeping, played his DS, watched a couple movies and was an awesome help to Isabelle when she needed things.
Isabelle spent most of her time coloring and watching movies. And, yes, that is chocolate on the side of her mouth! Hey, we all need treats on a road trip, right?

After 6 hours and one quick gas stop, we got to VA! It was so nice to be back there! We were so excited to catch up with some friends and just hang out a bit! We got to have dinner with Miss Andrea at RED ROBIN. Unfortunately, I was so excited to just visit, that I completely spaced taking pictures most of the trip...so you will get to see what I have...

After dinner it was off to the Morelands! The kids were so excited to see their BFFs!!! As we pulled into their neighborhood that night, Ian asked if we could just move back to VA. He was nearly in tears, he was so excited to see his friends! I had to explain to him ( for the 1,213,532,738th time) that we live in SC because that is where Daddy works. It is a conversation that I know he understands to the best of his ability, but he still longs to be with his buddies!

As soon as we walked in their house, it was as if we had never left. The kids were playing together instantly and got along great, as always! Here is a quick pic of the boys attempting rock band. It was quite entertaining!

Show Week

2009-01-27T15:51:00.007-05:00

Isabelle also had her show week this month.

Here she is showing her motion drill:

And here is her shoulder stand (her favorite stunt):

This is her cute little routine:

And here is one of her cheers:

Gymnastics Pro

2009-01-27T15:07:00.005-05:00

This month Ian had his final gymnastics class at the Little Gym. The final class is what they call "Show Week" so that they kids can show us all of the skills that they have learned.

Here is Ian's floor routine:

And here he is just being silly on the beam:

And finally, one of his favorite skills on the parallel bars:

Thank you Mr Chris and Mrs Kathy for so much fun!

Coffee with Kate

2009-01-14T07:05:00.002-05:00

Last night I got the opportunity to go hear Kate Gosselin (from Jon & Kate plus 8) speak at our church. Her story was both fun and inspiring. She followed the timeline of her family and how each step of their lives has brought them closer to God. I stayed afterwards to have my book signed and to take a picture of her because Isabelle was quite upset with me for not taking her with me. I promised her a picture.

The picture that was taken when I was getting my book signed didn't turn out, so this one will have to do...

A girl day!

2009-01-06T07:49:00.003-05:00

The day after Christmas, all of us girls, including Isabelle, went out to do a little shopping. She was happy to be treated like one of the big girls. You can hardly tell in this picture, but she was modeling some of Aunt Bean's lip gloss! Aunt Haaley was excited to do some shopping with the gift cards that she had gotten for Christmas!
It was off to the mall for us!

Bean and Isabelle had a great time together...

Isabelle even convinced Bean to let her try on some shoes because, "they are just so cute!"

What a girl!

Christmas Dinner

2009-01-06T07:42:00.003-05:00

After all of the excitement of the morning, we got to sit down together for a really yummy meal! Jilienne and Haaley had flown in on Christmas Eve to share the holiday with us! It was so much fun having them here for Christmas! Right after dinner, Isabelle was happy to prepare us dessert! (After Daddy's quick trip to Walgreens for a 100watt lightbulb!) She used her new oven to make s'mores!
Then both of the kids went out to use their new toys!

It was a very fun day!

Christmas 2008

2009-01-05T19:50:00.008-05:00

Please excuse the lengthy post, but I spent so much time going through pictures and couldn't leave much out! The kids had a wonderful time this year and they were truly spoiled rotten! Ian and Isabelle were very patient about coming downstairs...

One of Ian's favorite gifts from Santa was his Darth Vader light saber!Isabelle loved her Pretty, Pretty Princess game!

David was thrilled with his pajama pants (that I have conveniently adopted to fit around my belly!) and the complete Star Wars collection.

After a quick breakfast break, we started on the gifts under the tree. Isabelle was happy to get a new cheerleading outfit from Aunt Tara and Uncle Josh.

Ian got a Transformer that he didn't already have! Good job Aunt Tara! He was excited!

Ian was thrilled to get the Speed Racer game from Miss Andrea!

And Isabelle was in heaven with her Easy Bake oven from Miss Andrea. She was ready to stop opening and start baking!

Then Ian discovered that Grandpa had gotten him the NERF machine gun that he has been asking for for months!

And Isabelle is prepared to become a superstar with her new keyboard and microphone that Grandpa got her!

Ian was ecstatic to find a watch and an alarm clock from Aunt Bean! He has been determined to set his alarm everyday since...

Isabelle got princess roller skates!

Miss Kim made Ian's day with the Nerf gun that goes with his new WII game!

Isabelle (our little artist) was so excited to find a new selection of coloring books!

Granny B new just what Ian wanted...a new two wheeled scooter!

But, when he opened his new Lego set from Mommy and Daddy, he informed us all that he would be upstairs working on his new ship!

Isabelle has always told us that she will one day drive a pink car. She was stoked to find out that she could have one now!

There are more pics somewhere, but I can't seem to find them. You see in the midst of the morning, I dropped my good camera and it stopped functioning properly...oh, dear. So, there will be more pictures when I get the rest from my sisters!

Wacky Weather

2008-12-16T19:27:00.002-05:00

You know, it is hard to prepare for Christmas when our temps have been in the upper 70s and the ice cream man is still in business!!! The kids were thrilled to see that Daddy made it home just in time to buy ice cream!
The kids keep asking if it is going to snow for Christmas and something is telling me there isn't much of a possibility!

In other news, we experienced a minor earthquake today. It registered as a 3.6 which isn't huge, but was definitely noticeable. We don't have any damage, just a crazy story to tell.

Let me just go on record saying that I could use a day (or even a week) of good old fashioned snow for the winter time!