dennis & jen

Baby... It's COLD Outside!

2012-01-13T16:59:00.001-06:00

We haven't seen snow for over a month. And, even then it was only a couple inches that lasted for a few days tops.

I was beginning to think we were still in Oklahoma with the weather we had. I'm talking 50+ degree weather. In fact, we went to the park one day because it was so warm and Andrew got 6 stitches in his chin.

Well, winter seems to have finally found its way here. It has been snowing slowly but steadily for about 36 hours and our high today was 14 degrees. I have no idea how much snow we have, but it has drifted right outside our front door and is perfect for the kids to jump in and play. They are completely in love with the snow. (Aside from the fact that they need better gloves and their fingers are freezing off).

You almost couldn't get bigger smiles on these kids' faces!

Play Nice

2012-01-05T16:25:00.001-06:00

Emma and Andrew have a tendency to push each other's buttons frequently. They both like to push buttons, but they don't like their buttons pushed. Imagine that!

But, there are days (like today) when they play perfectly together.

Today it's because of the temple.

See that pink castle on the left of the picture?

That's their "temple."

Andrew keeps saying, "Hurry Emma! It's time for the Daddy to marry his HONEY in the temple!"

So, then all the puppies and Little People and Super Heroes rush to the castle and watch the Daddy marry his honey.

I have a smile (1) because they are having fun together, (2) because Andrew calls girls "honeys" sometimes, and (3) because he understands he should get married in the temple.

I just had to call Dennis and tell him about it while he was at work.

Mock New Year's Eve

2011-12-31T21:22:00.000-06:00

On New Year's Eve this year, we were all asleep (including Dennis and I) by 8:00 pm. Don't judge me... it was a long week of post-Christmas/Emma's birthday/hosting parties at our house.

So the night before New Year's, we had most of Dennis's family down to our house to watch the Iowa Bowl Game. It was a sad, pathetic showing by the Hawkeyes, so we won't go further into that.

But, the kids had a great time camping out together and watching Mulan.

Every time we get together with the Hunger family I think of what a huge blessing it is to live here so that our kids can grow up close to their cousins.

And then you blink...

2011-12-27T23:03:00.000-06:00

And she's FIVE!

Emma is five years old.

The birthday girl had fun watching her Littlest Pet Shop cake come to life.

She was the only one allowed in the kitchen during the construction.
She got to pass her time waiting for birthday presents by playing with all the new Christmas presents from two days ago.

Grandma & Grandpa Hunger came to her party and she was a happy girl.

Emma is still a sweet, sweet girl.
She loves giving people hugs. It doesn't matter who they are, she just knows everybody needs a hug once in a while.
When we meet someone new, she introduces herself and all the rest of the kids. She's very outgoing.
She thinks she is Jared's mother. She wants to hold his hand when he walks, dust him off when he falls...
She shares really well. While opening her birthday presents, she kept saying, "Sarah, you can play this with me!"
She likes to sing primary songs and her favorite ones are "I Love to See the Temple" and "Scripture Power."
She loves going to school and wished she got to go with Sarah.
She has a mischievous laugh that I know means trouble when I hear it. It means she is teasing someone. With all her sweetness, at least she's got spunk too!
Given a choice between meat and some other food item, she will choose meat... with a side of meat.
Our family could never be complete without Emma.

Merry Christmas to All

2011-12-26T16:41:00.000-06:00

We had quite the adventure for Christmas this year.
All the kids fell asleep on the way home from our family party, and I thought how perfect it was that we'd just be able to have a relaxing evening finishing up the final preparations for Christmas morning.
But, Sarah was just too excited.
She came downstairs a minimum of 10 times between 8:00 and 11:00.
Every time I turned around, she'd be there again!
Finally, I went upstairs and conked out while she read me books.
Evidently, Andrew woke up about that time and helped Dennis wrap his presents to me.
There was a lot of tape on those ones!
So, we decided to have everyone sleep in our room in fear that they would have all the presents unwrapped before we woke up in the morning.
We tucked everyone in on our bedroom floor and Dennis booby-trapped the door with our laundry basket and ironing board.
Luckily, it worked!
In the morning we all got dressed, took a peek at the Christmas magic, ate breakfast, and headed off to sacrament meeting.
I can't believe we pulled it off, but not one present was opened until most of us were back in our jammies after church.

It was a wonderful morning.
I love that we had the opportunity to focus and celebrate Christ's birth first thing, and then come back home for the gift exchanging.
Favorite presents of the day:

Jared - his Little People skateboard, skateboarder, and puppy

Andrew - his cork gun, or "gun shoot"
Emma - her doll house that didn't arrive until December 28th. Oops...

Sarah - her Lalaloopsy doll named "Ember Flicker Flame"

Jen - Chanel perfume and scarves from Dennis

Dennis - a remote control helicopter from me (Yay! It was a huge hit!)

We played and played all day - with toys, with new games, and with each other.
Christmas day was complete when Daddy carried the 3 older kids upstairs to bed in a way that only Daddy can do!

Luke 2

2011-12-24T22:39:00.000-06:00

For Christmas Eve, the Hunger clan got together to celebrate.
Turkey dinner complete with all the trimmings: scalloped corn, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, and rolls.
And, we can't forget the 10 foot long table full of homemade Christmas candy. I may go a little crazy on pies at Thanksgiving (we're talking 10 pies), but the Hunger women take the Christmas candy to a whole new level. Yum.

It was the perfect opportunity to read Luke 2 and have the younger kids act out the Christmas story. It was very sweet.

Andrew and his best buddy, Corey, were the shepherd boys.

Sarah & Emma and two of their cousins were angels. The light hit them perfectly at one point to make them really seem angelic.

The whole crew was complete with baby Jesus, Mary, Joseph, 3 wise men, 2 shepherd boys, and 4 angels. I wonder how long we can convince these guys to dress up like this?

Toddler TIME

2011-12-17T14:35:00.000-06:00

We've been begging,
prodding,
pleading,
and bargaining.
But, nothing could persuade Jared to walk.
If we set him on his feet to walk, he would put his head on the ground as well and pout.
It was frustrating, if not completely adorable too.
He had to make up his mind that it was time.
Now, he just walks around like he's been doing it forever.
Silly boy.
At 14 months and 8 days, Jared is the latest one of our kids to walk (by a full two months)!
He must want to excel at something before he demonstrates his ability.

But, he's off and there's no stopping him now!

Cool Moves

2011-12-16T19:02:00.000-06:00

Sarah loves to dance.

And these pictures prove it.

Whole Lot of Help

2011-12-15T14:19:00.000-06:00

It's no secret that I love to bake.

I like any excuse to bake some yummy, warm, fresh wheat bread.

Jared and Andrew like it almost as much as I do!

Jared prefers making a powdered mess anytime I take my eye off the flour bucket.

Andrew likes to pretend like I'm a slave driver having him supervise the wheat grinder.

But, don't let him fool you...

He can't keep the smiles from coming out when we're in the kitchen together.

Oh, the weather outside is frightful

2011-12-09T10:51:00.000-06:00

But the fire is so delightful!

...and the kids are delighted.

After five winters in Oklahoma, this snow-in-the-mountains girl is ready for a true winter.

This week, we've gotten our first taste of snow for the winter. I know that before long we will be wishing it would all just melt away, but the novelty is still here for us now.

The kids are required to bundle up in hats, coats, gloves, snow pants, and boots for school each day. They are more the pleased about it too.

Chase

2011-12-06T10:57:00.000-06:00

It should be a simple task.

Turn on the camera.

Ask the child to smile.

Snap the picture.

And there you go, you have a moment in time captured forever. (Emma can do it).

It should be simple.

But, it's not.

Not when you are a three-year-old boy.

When you are a three-year-old boy, you have to take off running and laughing the instant your mom gets out the camera.

And you run away until you fall off the slide sideways.

That is the moment in time that is captured forever.

Cookie Monster

2011-11-15T10:27:00.000-06:00

We have cookie monster in our house.

His name is Andrew.

Two or three times a week Andrew asks me, "Can we make cookies today?"

He likes to make cookie dough.

He likes to eat cookie dough.

He likes to bake the cookies.

He LOVES to eat the cookies.

The "c" and "k" sound still don't come out quite right, so they are called "Tooties" around here.

Any way you say it, they still taste great.

Galloping Rabbits, Hay Bales, and Rubber Cement

2011-11-02T11:37:00.001-05:00

On Wednesdays, Emma and Andrew don't have preschool. Last Wednesday we decided to meet two of my sisters-in-law at a mid-point between all our houses. We met at a mall where they have a Target (yay!), carousel, food court, ice rink, movie theatre, kids play area, and tons of other stores. The kids are always begging to ride the carousel, and I was feeling a bit generous on our big "play" day.

Emma and her cousin Nicole

All the other parents were riding the carousel and holding on to their children. My sister-in-law turned to me and said, "Are we bad parents that we didn't even consider that?"

Whoops. I don't think so! They had a great time.

The preschool had a field trip to a pumpkin patch/family farm last week. Jared and I got to tag along and ride the bus with everyone. It was about a 15 minute trip each way. Andrew fell asleep on the way there and on the way back! It must be something about that bumpy bus ride, because he falls asleep almost every day on the way home from school too.

Emma's class - Her teacher is on the bottom right, and the other adults are aides. Miss Johnson is the best preschool teacher I've encountered. She is so great with the kids, and absolutely a perfect fit for Emma's personality. We feel very blessed for Emma this year. When trying to get the kids' attention, Miss Johnson says, "Okay, friends... let's gather over here." She always calls them friends. I love it.

Andrew loves the hay bale maze, but decided to go ON it instead of THROUGH it.

In the corn bin. We love that Iowa corn.

Unfortunately the kids realized that the corn kernels love to hide in their shoes!

We spent the weekend with Grandma & Grandpa Hunger. One of the great things about Grandma Mary is that she has tons of kid things - and they are all organized in bins and boxes. She brought out her craft box Sunday afternoon for Sarah and Andrew. You wouldn't believe all the supplies!

Grandma is brave to let the kids use rubber cement. They made silly faces on plates, bookmarks, and water-colored. It kept Sarah busy and smiling for a few hours.

This is what Andrew looked like every time he got a hold of that rubber cement. It was a little scary!

Halloween 2011

2011-10-31T10:48:00.001-05:00

I had a hard time figuring out Halloween costumes this year. It seems like we end up spending money on something that turns out to be kind of wasteful - something that we just end up putting in storage after Halloween is over. I stalled until the last possible day, and then gathered everyone's costumes hours before our church Halloween party.

The girls only had one thing in mind: Princess Fairies

We found some cute wings and leg warmers to go with their dance clothes, and voila! We had a couple costumes.

We hit the jackpot with Andrew. There is a load of boy cousins on the Hunger side. Luckily, the family of 4 boys donated some clothes to Andrew a few weeks ago. They are football fanatics and had grown out of this cute get-up. (I don't think they ever used it as a costume. It was just standard play attire in their home). Love it.

Jared and I were visiting Dennis few lunch a few days ago. Dennis was carrying Jared around the hospital, and a woman exclaimed "It's Mini-Me!" Every time someone sees Jared for the first time, they say the same thing. Honestly, NO ONE doesn't say that Jared looks just like Dennis. So, it gave me an idea. Jared needed some new clothes for church, Dennis made him a name tag identical to his own (only with Jared's picture in it), and Jared's costume was complete. Meet Mr. Dennis Hunger and his side kick Miniature Dennis Hunger.

More Fall Fun

2011-10-30T20:55:00.002-05:00

Simply put: We have been enjoying fall this year...

Monkey

2011-10-19T11:06:00.000-05:00

When I get distracted with a task, Jared often comes up missing.

Every time that happens, he has been climbing.

Climbing the stairs and getting stuck at the top.

Climbing into the empty bath tub.

Climbing up the step stool in the downstairs bathroom.

This monkey likes to climb.

And he has no remorse.

Math

2011-10-17T11:12:00.000-05:00

Pajamas + Daddy + Tickling = Smiles

The Leaves are Falling Down

2011-10-12T11:29:00.007-05:00

And we are enjoying Fall...

Some days you just don't want a camera in your face. It was one of those days for Andrew.

Our yard has the best yard! We love playing outside when we have a warm Fall day.

Jared Lee is One Year Old!

2011-10-10T11:44:00.001-05:00

Our sweet baby Jared turned one on Saturday!

It's crazy how it seems like a year was so long ago, but at the same time it goes by so quickly.

We celebrated by inviting over all the Hunger's who live in Iowa.

We grilled hamburgers and hotdogs, ate cake, and watched the Hawkeye football game.

I made the cake the day before his birthday, and the kids were in awe of Jared's "Hawkeye cake." We were lucky there were only two places where fingers went into the frosting in those 24 hours, and even luckier those places were on the sides!

I wish I was a better photographer, but I'm not.

So, this is just a simple shot of Jared on his big day.

Jared's face was frozen like this while we all sang "Happy Birthday."
He looked very worried that we were off key.

But, he was pleased once he got a little taste of his own cake.

"I'm ONE!"

He kept his right hand clean for a really long time,
and just focused on the cake with that left hand.

This look makes me smile.

... Oh those baby blues!

"Stop with the paparazzi already!"

Licking the plate - a talent only true sugar lovers have.

When he opened the presents that were in bags, he ripped out the tissue paper, and then just peered inside the bag for the longest time. He wouldn't reach in and get the gift.

His Grandpa and Grandpa Hunger's card had a monkey on it, and he kept kissing the monkey over and over. He hardly even gives kisses to us, but he sure did love that monkey!

Happy boy with one of his toys.

All About Jared:

Sleeps 12 hours at night (7 pm to 7 am) and takes 2 naps during the day
Loves his bottle, bananas, peaches, applesauce, vanilla wafers, Cheetos, Honeycomb cereal, oatmeal, and anything off Mommy's plate
Plays really well on his own and even jabbers more when the older kids aren't around
Stands up on his own when he's in the mood
Will cruise around furniture and walk when holding hands
Very good-natured still, but really gets worked up when he thinks it's time to eat
Snorts when he's excited or happy. He kind of breathes in and out really heavy. Dennis and I think it is cute, nerdy, and really funny.

Happy Birthday Jared Lee! We love you, little guy.

Fall - Farm - Fun

2011-10-05T18:14:00.000-05:00

We spent Sunday afternoon with Dennis's Grandma and Auntie on their farmstead.

It was the perfect fall day for:

Jumping

Jabbering

Hiding in the ready-to-harvest corn field

Taking a stroll near the old barn

Walking under one of the bridges because the creek was dry

Riding in the red wagon

Catching a ball and a perfect picture in the dry creek bed

Running through the soy bean leaves in farm boots

Climbing trees together

Or alone

Hammering in nails in the old fence post

And having Sarah take a quick picture for proof these kids really do have a Mom & Dad!

Unbelievable

2011-09-29T08:11:00.001-05:00

As I was walking Emma and Andrew into school Tuesday, a little boy from Andrew's class said hello to him. He turned to see who it was, and tripped on a cement platform holding a metal sign. I was about 15 feet behind Andrew, and I had a feeling it could be bad. I came from behind him and put my hand over his forehead before I looked at it. Sure enough, the blood was there and lots of it. I knew without a doubt it was going to need stitches. Emma went into class while the boys and I headed to the hospital.
Luckily, Andrew had his jacket with him and I kept reminding him to hold it tight on his "owie" for the 2 mile drive. About halfway there he stopped responding to me, and I got nervous. He finally said, "I don't want to talk, Mommy." He just went into a little shell and put on a tough exterior. We don't really have a doctor here yet, so I ran to the back door of the hospital and shouted into Dennis's secretary that I had the boys and Andrew needed stitches (of course it was the one day I didn't take my phone with me)!
There are definite perks to Dennis working right there in the hospital and being the CEO. We went into the clinic hooked to the hospital, and within minutes they had us in a room and the doctor was there too. I'm pretty sure he was on his lunch hour, but he was nice enough to fix up Andrew's poor forehead.
It only took about 20 minutes, and 5 stitches. Andrew didn't talk to anyone the whole time, and didn't wrestle around or anything. He is a tough kid. Afterwards, Andrew begged me and begged me to take him to school, but I decided he needed the day off after such a big event!
This is our third kid to get stitches on their forehead at age 3. Well, they were able to glue Sarah's, but still. How weird is that? I just don't get it... he wasn't running or anything. It makes me a little nervous everytime one of the kids get hurt, I'm on edge about anything potentially dangerous for days!

Called To Serve

2011-09-28T19:25:00.001-05:00

My parents are finally there!
They are on their mission, and as far as I've heard everything is going well.
They were originally set to leave for the MTC on August 1st, and fly out to the Solomon Islands on August 8th.
Because of a delay getting their visas, they went into the MTC last week, and flew out to the Solomons Monday night.
While in the MTC, we got to talk to them or text them each night, then they were able to spend the weekend at home.
They had a big dinner with siblings and their kids (I'm so sad my little family missed out), said their final good-byes and boarded the first of 3 planes to get there.
They first went to Los Angeles, California; then to Brisbane, Australia; then to Honiara, Solomon.
It took about 26 hours in all to travel.
I heard late last night from my oldest brother that they had made it safely and were waiting on an internet connection so that we can talk to them more.
I can't wait until that happens!
I am so excited to hear about everything.
What an amazing two years it's going to be for them!

Thirteen Point One

2011-09-16T14:12:00.002-05:00

I started training in May. I went from running 2 miles 5 days a week to running 7 miles on my first day of training. At the beginning it was about 16-20 miles of running a week. Then, each Monday I would increase my longest run by a little more. For the past 2 months, I've been going on 10+ mile runs. It was scary to look at my schedule each day and think about what the morning would bring. Mondays and Fridays were my long run days. I would wake up before 5:00 am, and run anywhere from 10 to 12 miles before the kids were awake. I have been running up to 28 miles a week lately. It felt so good afterwards. I really felt like I accomplished something (even if my feet and legs were sore and my energy was a little low that day).

My first half-Marathon was September 10, 2011. It was absolutely amazing! My parents flew into Iowa the day before and met us in Waterloo (a city about 2 hours from our home). They wanted to support me and spend a couple days with us right before they leave on their mission. My sister-in-law, Melanie, has been training since June to run the half with me. It was so nice to know I had someone else to talk to about a common goal. Our race was called the Park-to-Park Half-Marathon because it started at a state park in Waterloo and followed trails along the 13.1 mile course to other parks throughout the city. It was so beautiful and simply perfect. The weather was great, the trail was beautiful, and I gave it my all.

Back in late July, Dennis asked me how fast I was running my miles. I told him it was right at 11 min/mile. I felt like that was great and it was actually a little faster than my original goal for my race time. He looked at me and said, "I bet you could do it faster. You could do it in 10 minutes, easy." I was furious. How dare he? I am out there early in the morning killing myself, spending 2 hours some days! But, then I got to thinking... MAYBE I COULD. I started changing the way I ran. Instead of running just to finish the miles, I was going to run for a time. I set 10 minutes as my target mile. I made it. Evidently Dennis was right and maybe I wasn't so furious after all. Maybe I'm actually kind of grateful he provoked me to try harder that day.

So on race day, my goal was to run the half-Marathon in 2 hours, 10 minutes. That would be just under 10 minute miles given the extra .1 miles over 13. All through the race I felt great. My hamstrings had been tight for a couple weeks, but I didn't feel them. My right hip had been giving me fits for a couple months, but it felt great. I felt like I had energy and that I could do anything (most of the time anyway). Dennis and my parents were along the trail at different points. It was so fun to see them and have them cheering me on.

I ran my 13.1 miles in 2 hours, 8 minutes, and 38 seconds!
Now, I've got a new goal for my next half-Marathon. Maybe next year.

Spice It Up

2011-09-16T12:06:00.000-05:00

Jared is at THAT age. You know the one... the one where they are into everything? (I think that age lasts for about 10 years by the way). While I'm in the kitchen, he is there at my feet, pulling up by using my legs. When I'm doing dishes, he is there unloading faster than I can load. When I grab something out of the fridge, he is there squirming himself in before I can quickly shut the door. I swear he crawls at lightning speed!

I think I figured out why he loves that fridge so much, though. It's the sauces. Every shelf on our door is filled with different sauces, along with the entire top shelf in the body of the fridge. Jared must be his Daddy's boy - he loves the sauces, and spicy ones at that. He was sucking on THIS hot chili sauce we got at a Vietnamese noodle restaurant. Silly boy.

Preschool!!!

2011-09-07T11:38:00.000-05:00

Emma and Andrew both started preschool yesterday. They have been waiting a very, very long time. The start date was supposed to be last Thursday (which was already a full week after Sarah started school), but due to a heat wave the first two days were cancelled and then we had Labor Day...

In our school district, the state funds a preschool program for all 4-year-olds. They go 4 days a week for 2 1/2 hours each day. I opted to put her in afternoon preschool so that she could ride the bus home with Sarah (their schools are on the same campus). Emma has been ready for this for a long time. She just loves making new friends and meeting new situations head on. A couple weeks ago we were able to go to the school and meet her teacher. She ran right up to her and gave her a big hug. Luckily, her teacher smiled and gave her a hug back. I think they are going to be a good fit!

When we moved, I immediately started calling around, looking around, and asking around about a preschool for Andrew. I only found a couple places that I was interested in and one of them was at inconvenient times, and the other was WAY out of our price range. I was pretty discouraged, and then heard a little rumor that Emma's preschool would allow 3-year-olds to attend if there was room, and we just had to pay tuition for him. My original plan was to have Andrew only attend a couple days a week - just something for him to look forward to and a chance to get out of the house and learn to interact with others without me. But, four 1/2 days a week sounded like a lot for such a little boy. After weighing it out, Dennis and I thought this would still be the best option. So, I called the school and they said to wait and call back because they were completely full. A couple days later, I was at the school for something for Sarah. That day they told me there really wasn't much of a chance of Andrew getting in... then, the very next morning I got a call telling me that there was room for him! I could have him attend in the afternoon like Emma, and they could even have different teachers. What a blessing!

I dropped the kids off after lunch yesterday, and they ran right to their teachers. I love that they are both so bold and confident. I admit it makes me a little sad, but I am definitely grateful for it at the same time. Little Jared and I had a wonderful afternoon running errands together and then we came back home for his nap and a little silence for me. It was wonderful.

I was nervous about my three little people riding the bus home together. I probably bugged their teachers to death reminding them they all needed to get on together. Happily, they all arrived back safe and sound with huge smiles on their faces (except for Andrew who was asleep on the bus and I had to walk on and get him). He gave me the tightest squeeze he's given in a long time, which made my day.

After hearing the report for the day, it was all positive... except for one little tidbit. Andrew told me his teacher was naughty. I wondered what on earth she could have done to make him say that. He told me she put cream all over the tables! (They "painted" with shaving cream). Hahaha... I'm glad he knew that making messes is naughty.

Picture Day!

2011-08-28T21:03:00.000-05:00

On our 2nd to last night in Oklahoma, I asked my super talented friend Ashley to take some family pictures for us. I'd been wanting to do it for a long time, and why not put it off till the last minute when you have a ton of packing to do and nothing else better to do with your time than find coordinating clothes and make everyone look pretty?

Other than the pictures on my side bar that are my favorites, I have just a few more I had to share (okay, there are more than a few). I'll just mention my favorite part of each photo.

Just because it has all of us

Sarah's truly happy smile

Jared - left out and with a sour look about it

Trying to get a picture of Jared, and Andrew jumped in for a squeeze

Andrew's totally cheesy smile

Emma pulled them in for a hug

Looks like they are discussing serious stuff here...

Andrew's pure delight

Biggest blue eyes (not touched up, by the way)

A glimpse into the true nature of Emma and Jared's relationship... she can't get enough of him, and he deals with it.

Emma smiling with her teeth - very rare

Man... I love my little family.

First Grade - First Day

2011-08-25T12:08:00.002-05:00

Sarah started her first day of first grade today! It has seemed like a very, very long summer for us. From packing up our house in Oklahoma, to visiting family in Utah, to unpacking our house in Iowa, to a L-O-N-G last three weeks of summer. I think we were all more than ready for school to finally start.

I think I was just as nervous as Sarah was for the big day. She's been telling me for a couple weeks that she was sad because she didn't know anyone in her new school. Every time we'd meet someone new at the park or around town, they would have a kindergarten-age kid or a 2nd grader, but never anyone Sarah's age (or Emma's age for that matter). Sarah has always been a little like me when it comes to making friends. We feel more comfortable waiting for the other person to approach us than to risk walking up to someone we don't know and might not want to know us!

So, as our whole family went to the school for the send off, I gave Sarah a hug and started tearing up. I'm so worried for her. I hope she gets brave today and meets 20 new friends. When I realized Sarah was about to cry, thankfully, I was able to control my emotions and tell her what a great day she was going to have. We left her without any tears, only looking slightly nervous.

We can't wait to hear all about her big day!

Sweet Dreams

2011-08-01T09:13:00.002-05:00

In preparation for my parents "speaking assignment" at church and luncheon at their house the day before they were scheduled to leave for the MTC, Dennis and Andrew helped my dad clean up the yard and mow the lawn. Andrew had already had his bath and was headed to bed when Dennis asked if Andrew wanted to ride for a little while. That was an easy answer! Within a few minutes, Andrew was sound asleep.

He dreamt of John Deere all night long.

Brigham City

2011-07-28T10:59:00.000-05:00

During our little visit to Utah (while my sweet husband packed up the moving van and moved all of our stuff to Iowa), the kids and I took a day trip to Brigham City with my parents.

They are building a new LDS temple in Brigham City. It is gorgeous. I can't wait to see what it looks like finished, but I love the nostalgic feel to it. It reminds me so much of some of the first temples that were built more than 100 years ago.

We had such a fun day... walking around Brigham City a little, visiting a park, seeing the temple, and we capped it all off with a lunch at Maddox. Their rolls were, as usual, heaven-sent. I love the memories Maddox brings flooding to me. Special dinners as a family around Christmas-time, High School graduation lunches for myself and each of my siblings, dinner with Dennis and my family the first time he came to visit, our wedding breakfast... yummy food and great memories.

Pretty Princess Pedi Party

2011-07-18T13:35:00.013-05:00

For our very last day in Oklahoma, we had Sarah's two best friends over for a party. We picked them up and headed to McDonald's for lunch (6 kids at McDonald's + 1 Mom = some very interesting conversation, lots of messes, and some empathetic looks from other adults). After our lunchtime adventure, we went back to our house and had a pedicure party. While Jared napped and Andrew entertained himself with his new light saber from his Happy Meal, I gave the four girls a pedicure. They loved it!

Sarah really had some great friends in Lauren and Paige, and I hope she can find some more friends in Iowa quickly.

All Our Bags Are Packed...

2011-07-16T08:44:00.000-05:00

And we're ready to go...

The house is packed up in boxes, and the kids and I are headed to Utah today. Two and a half weeks of play, and then on to our Iowa adventure.

Anxious

2011-06-22T17:14:00.003-05:00

anx·ious

–adjective

1. full of mental distress or uneasiness because of fear of danger or misfortune; greatly worried; solicitous.

2. earnestly desirous; eager

3. attended with or showing solicitude or uneasiness

People lately have been asking me how I'm feel about moving. I think it can all be summed up in one word. It's the first thing that comes to my mind... I am ANXIOUS.

1. I am full of mental distress and uneasiness due to the fear of packing up my house, unpacking in a new place, having to leave my Okie friends, trying to make new friends, having the kids make new friends, settling into a new routine, and on and on and on. I like to hold on to old friends because I feel comfortable with them. I can be myself. I know what to expect. I am worried about having new people get to know me and my quirks and put up with the antics of my cute, but crazy kids.

2. I am earnestly desirous and eager about the new an unknown our Iowa home holds. I can't wait to see what kind of changes are coming our way. In a way, I love love love change. I like things new and fun and exciting. Will we love being in a branch vs. a ward? Will our children thrive and grow to love Iowa like Dennis and I do? Will they look back at this change as a great thing in their lives? Will Dennis love his new job as much as we think he will? Are the kids going to love that they get the opportunity to grow up close to family... grandparents less than an hour away, and tons of cousins as well?

3. I am uneasy about getting our lives in order - getting the girls in school, Andrew in preschool, and getting involved in the community. I am especially uneasy that my parents are leaving on a two-year mission to Papua New Guinea the day Dennis starts work at his new job. I won't get to call my mom any time I need to vent or ask for advice or ask about a recipe, or when I just want to tell her the cute things Sarah/Emma/Andrew/Jared just did.

My life is about to turn up-side down. I am eager, uneasy, and desirous. I am ANXIOUS.

Three-Year-Old Antics

2011-06-20T14:57:00.003-05:00

Andrew may be short, but he is not short on personality.

Stop looking at me

2011-06-07T10:13:00.000-05:00

Anytime Andrew has the sun in his eyes, he says the same thing.
It makes me laugh EVERY time.
"Mommy, the sun looking at me!"

Happy Trails

2011-05-29T20:56:00.000-05:00

It only took us 4 1/2 years, but we found the best, #1, numero uno, supreme, most wonderful trail to walk/bike/scooter/stroller along.

For the last two Sundays, we've decided to use up the kids extra Sunday energy by taking a stroll and a scoot along our new-found trail.

We've found caterpillars, sticks, rocks, ticks (on Sarah's back tonight), new bushes and trees, wild flowers, and smiles.

In true Emma fashion, she crashed and burned at one point.

Not only did she get a little road rash on both knees and an elbow, but she hit her neck on the handle bar of her scooter as she fell. It left a nasty little mark.

Emma rode the rest of the way with Jared in the stroller, while Sarah and Andrew posed for my camera any chance they got.

I need to get some family pictures taken while they are in the picture-taking mood!

Tie One On

2011-05-29T20:23:00.000-05:00

I started making ties for my boys lately.

It makes dressing them for church so much more fun!

My favorite are the bow ties...

Andrew called his, "My BOY tie"

This little feller got his very first tooth yesterday! At 7 3/4 months, that is super early in our family. The rest of the kids didn't have any teeth until at least 9 months. Love those baby blues... L-O-V-E 'em!

Let's Review

2011-05-26T16:48:00.002-05:00

In the past week, quite a bit has happened.

We have some friends that we used to double date with all the time. They abandoned us last year and moved to Wisconsin. They were in town for the birth of their first grandchild last week, so we went on a date with them on Friday night. It was fun to catch up!

Saturday, the kids and I went to a birthday party for a friend. On my way home, Dennis texted me and surprised me telling me he'd gotten a sitter and we were going out again for our anniversary that night! I thought since we'd had already gone out that weekend, that was it, but I was very excited to spend the evening with just Dennis. It was a great anniversary, and my favorite kind of date. We celebrated eight years together by going to Red Robin and shopping together. It's nice to go to a store without being distracted by little people!

Sunday was Sunday, so we went to church and had German pancakes for lunch. After naps, we found a new walking trail where the kids rode their scooters and burned off all their extra Sunday energy.

Monday was uneventful as far as I can remember.

Tuesday was a normal day until I picked up the girls from their schools. Severe weather was all across the state of Oklahoma, and headed quickly our way. After making a homemade pizza for dinner, Dennis scooped us up in the car and took us back to the hospital. The kids and I went down in to the basement while Dennis was upstairs helping the staff get patients to safe places. A tornado touched down just west of us, less than a mile away. It destroyed a few homes and businesses and damaged some of the schools in its path. It also left many trees looking like this:

And even more looking like this:

We lost power that night from about 5:00 pm until just after 11:00. We were told it could be days until the power was restored, and I was beginning to get worried because we have a water well that only works when we have electricity. I can go without power, but water is a whole other story! Luckily, about two minutes after Dennis and I turned off the last flashlight for the night the power came back on. We were laying there discussing how incredibly dark it was without the street light outside and how quiet everything was, and then it flipped on.
I am so grateful my family was kept safe and our home received no damage. There are many others who were not as fortunate, and it breaks my heart to hear story after story of children missing, injured, or dead. I hope those people have the comfort of our Father in Heaven to help them through.

Wednesday was quite the day. Dennis announced to the administration and staff of the hospital that he has accepted a different position. After more than 4 1/2 years, our little family will be saying good-bye to Oklahoma. We are moving to Iowa! Dennis will be a CEO at a hospital in a great place that I've fallen in love with. We will be living less than 30 minutes from some of his family, and no further than 2 hours from the rest. We are very excited, and I am anxious and a little stressed about packing up a house, finding a new home, and moving our family to a new place. The funny thing about our location is that Dennis and I attended church in this town for about seven months before we had kids. When we first got married, I was finishing my Bachelor's degree and Dennis was working while completing his dual Master's degree. We were in a student ward near our university. After a few months, the stake presidency asked us if we'd be willing to attend church in a branch south of there. Well... this place is the branch we attended! I'm sure there will be different people, but it makes me feel like this was in the plan for us from the beginning.

Today, Emma had her very last day at her Mother's Day Out/Preschool. She had a great time playing with friends and hugged her teachers good-bye multiple times.

The Graduate

2011-05-19T20:17:00.003-05:00

Emma has been going to pre-school twice a week.

Each morning as we get Sarah ready for school Emma asks,
"Do I have school today???!!!"

She loves being a big girl and independent.

She's never shed a tear, never been nervous about leaving me, she just wears her own backpack, holds her lunch box, and walks in like she's in high school.

Her favorite thing to do all year is to "sneak" in so her teachers don't see her. As we walk down the hall close to her room, she asks me to be quiet. We then tip toe into her class and surprise her teachers.

Miss Michelle and Miss Jessica play along every day until I announce, "Emma! You did it! They didn't even see you come in!" Then, they say hello and Emma beams from ear to ear. I love it.

To celebrate the end of the school year, they held a graduation for her class. Each child received two awards - one for schoolwork and one for their personality.

For schoolwork, Emma got the "Love of Reading" award because she is always choosing to read books during playtime.

And for her personality, Emma received the "Good Manners and Patience" award. Her teachers said she is always sweet and kind to others and she patient about waiting her turn. Dennis turned to me when they announced it and said, "That's a GOOD thing!"

Her teachers told me they also considered giving her the "Sneaky" award for the way she comes into class each day, but they thought the other parents wouldn't understand and would think they were just being mean calling her "Sneaky."

We're so happy that Emma has enjoyed school this year. I know that Andrew has thought it's pretty nice to have a little extra attention...

Great job, Em. We love you!

Goosey Goosey

2011-05-17T19:52:00.004-05:00

Our kids often ask us if we can go feed the geese on Sunday afternoons.
We have a park in town with a small river and geese are there almost year-round.
So, we take our leftover pancakes or a half-used loaf of bread and load up the car.

There is always at least one goose that tries to cause a little trouble.
He thinks he can pick on our kids and hiss at them.
That's when Daddy is called to the rescue.
He makes noises that scare away the geese and make us all laugh.

Emma and Andrew recently learned how to do it too.

After running out of bread and scaring away the mean geese, Jared felt safe and happy with his Daddy.

Caps & Gowns

2011-05-13T15:35:00.004-05:00

I never thought "Kindergarten Graduation" was a big deal. Not until today, that is. Not until my little girl was one of those Kindergarten graduates.

Sarah's elementary school owns caps and gowns sized for 5 and 6 year-olds. It was the cutest graduation I have ever seen. Ever. By far.

They recited a Kindergarten poem, sang the alphabet and signed it in sign language. Sarah was practicing all week, and quite disappointed that I couldn't help her with the letters she forgot the signs for.

Sarah's teacher, Mrs. Beeby, was an answer to our prayers! Her pre-K teacher was... less than stellar I'll say. This year was a completely different story. Sarah was thrilled to go to school and happy when she got home. I know a huge part of that had to do with Mrs. Beeby.

Left to Right: Sarah, Lauren, Hope, Paige

From the very first day of school, Sarah has talked about her friends. This little group of girls had been friends for a while, but were so sweet to take Sarah into their group and make her feel involved. She never once felt left out, and I know at that age that is a big deal. Love these little people!

K is for Kindergarten - hip, hip, hooray!
I is for imagination we use everyday.
N is for numbers - we know one, two three.
D is for drawing, the best you can see!
E is for exercise to keep our bodies strong.
R is for reading books all day long.
G is for good friends. We made more each day.
A is for the alphabet we know how to say.
R is for remembering everything we learned.
T is for treats every Friday we earned.
E is for excitement. This year we've had some.
N is for next year. First grade here we come!

Bliss

2011-05-11T22:42:00.000-05:00

One of my life's greatest pleasures is watching my baby softly swing from our tree. It makes me forget the world outside of my little family. There are no worries, fears, or dangers. Just a cool breeze blowing and a irresistible smile behind that pacifier.

I Wanna Be A Part Of It...

2011-05-04T08:53:00.001-05:00

New York, New York!

To celebrate my mom's 60th birthday (which is actually in June) my mom, my sister, her daughter, and I went to New York City. I have never been before, but I absolutely LOVE seeing new places and I've wanted to go to New York for a long time. It was amazing.

We took the red eye from Salt Lake City and arrived the next morning before 6:00 am.

Day 1:
We caught a cab from the airport to our hotel. It was neither a yellow cab, or an I.D.-ed driver. Scary! I immediately opened up my maps application on my phone and narrated to the others in the car about each road and turn. I wanted the driver to know I knew where we should be headed in case he decided to take us somewhere sketchy...
We dropped our bags off at our hotel and walked around Times Square near our hotel. Then, we took a bus tour of Manhattan. We stopped near Ground Zero, saw the Brooklyn Bridge, Chinatown, Little Italy, the United Nations, and a ton of other sights in lower and mid-town Manhattan. We ate lunch at Carnegie Deli, and I just have to say that deli means something entirely different than what I'm used to! It was scrumptious. We then took another bus tour of upper-Manhattan. I loved seeing the LDS temple there right in the hustle of New York City. It was gorgeous. We saw Lincoln Center, Juliard, Central Park, a ton of museums, plus countless shopping and apartment buildings, and ornate churches. That night, we took a night tour on the bus that took us into Brooklyn where we could look across the river and see all of Manhattan lit up.

Day 2: We started the day by taking the subway to Grand Central Station. This was probably one of my favorite places. I loved how old it is and all the detail that went in to the workmanship. It was absolutely breathtaking. We stopped at the Magnolia Bakery in the lower level of the Station. Yummy!! Then, we hit the American Girl Store (Gwen's request) and walked along Madison Avenue. We then went to get a closer look at the Manhattan temple and on to Central Park. We took a pedi-cab ride around the park which was great. We walked a little around the upper-East side at that point. It was fun seeing the high-end shopping and living areas. For dinner, we ate at the Marriott hotel that has a revolving restaurant on one of its upper levels. We tried to go to the Empire State Building, but the wait was too long that night. Instead, we went shopping at the Macy's store on 34th street. The wooden escalators were my favorite. I even splurged a little that night and bought myself some cute black and white shoes and a top.

Day 3: We woke up at 5 am to stand outside the Today show. We only had to walk 4 blocks from our hotel to Rockefeller Plaza. There was also another Magnolia Bakery that was calling our names that morning! Afterwards, we went on a ferry to see the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. The history in New York was so fun to see. I love a good back-story. We got to see SoHo, Chinatown, and Little Italy up close that afternoon. One of the big events of the trip was that night. We went to see Mama Mia on Broadway. It is in the Winter Garden Theater, which is the same theater that Cats was in for nearly 20 years. It was hands-down the best live performance I've seen. I loved that I could sing along with the songs too.

Day 4: Last Day... This was the first time it was rainy the whole time we were there. It was also our last chance to use the Empire State Building tickets we had pre-purchased. As were were waiting in line, the employees warned us that there was zero visibility up there. They were right. So, we took the map we were given and pretended that we could see everything. All we really saw was fog, literally. We then went to Washinton Square Park in Greenwich Village. It is right there in the heart of NYU also. The arch at the park was built in honor of the 100th anniversary of George Washington's inauguration. I fell in love with Greenwich Village. It is where I decided I would live if I lived in NYC. It was then time for me to pack up. I left a couple hours before everyone else, so I rode the subway all by myself out to Queens and took an Airtram to the airport. I was so proud of myself!

I want to go back to New York with Dennis someday. I thought it was amazing and I loved seeing so many places I've heard about or seen on TV and movies. There is so much more to see that I just have to go again. It's as simple as that.

Six - Sweet & Sassy

2011-05-03T17:26:00.003-05:00

Sarah turned six years old while we were in Utah this year. She was so excited to have her cousins come for her butterfly party to eat cake and ice cream with her. It was such a fun day!

For Sarah's gift, Dennis and I took her on a "date" to Build-A-Bear Workshop. None of our kids have an animal from there, and we thought it would be something special that she'd enjoy. If fact, as we were walking through the mall on the way there Sarah said, "Don't you think it would be fun if you took me to Build-A-Bear?"

It's so fun to think that Sarah is six now. I remember my own sixth birthday really well - I got a banana chair as my gift and I guess I was being a little too sassy because I remember getting in trouble too!

I hope she remembers hers as a very fun day, not the fact that she did actually get a timeout that day. There must be something about sixth birthdays, huh?

Utah trip

2011-05-01T17:32:00.000-05:00

Our family had a trip planned to Utah for the last two weeks of April.
We loaded up the car, bought a new DVD, and rolled the dice.
We left at midnight on the 15th.
Everything was going wonderfully for about 5 hours.
The kids were happy, the car was rolling along, and Dennis was awake in the driver's seat.
At 5:00 am, we were in central Kansas. I-70 was shut down due to a snow storm. We decided to wait it out in a truck stop parking lot. At 7:00 am, we picked up breakfast at McDonald's and learned from some fellow travelers that the road most likely wouldn't open until later on in the evening. At that point (8:00 am) we opted to head a little further south to a road that would eventually link us back up with the interstate in Colorado where the weather was better. Just before 9:00 in the morning, our car sputtered a few times. Dennis stopped in the next town to pick up some fuel tank cleaner (I'm sure there's a better term for what he bought, but I don't have a clue) because he thought we got some bad fuel at the last stop. While he was pouring the stuff in, the car stopped. We were able, after far too many attempts, to get across the street to the conveniently located mechanics shop in town. It was windy - I've never seen it this windy before. And, it was very very cold. The day we left Oklahoma it had been over 90 degrees. I think it was about 26 degrees where we broke down. The mechanic told Dennis he wouldn't have time to work on our car that day. Dennis's response, "I have four kids in my car. The oldest isn't yet six years old. They are sitting inside your garage..." He found time to work on our car that day! It took six hours to replace our fuel pump. We passed the entire six hours by sitting in the convenience store accross the street. It was too cold and windy to venture out anywhere else, plus we aren't sure there was anything else! We ate pizza, bought ice cream sandwiches, watched movies on our DVD player, and played lots of pretend. We finally got back on the road after 3:00 that afternoon. We should have gotten to my parents house at 5:00 or 6:00 for dinner. Instead, we rolled in at 4:00 am the next day. Not our favorite trip, but we did it and we survived.
I really felt like turning around, calling it quits, and heading back to Oklahoma. The reason we didn't?

This guy:

My dad. The main reason for our trip was to be in Utah for my dad when he was released as stake president. For the last 9 years, my dad has served as the stake president in his stake. I remember the day he was called... I was in my freshmen year of college at Utah State, and I had come down for the weekend to work at Dad's model home. I can't believe all that has happened in those 9 years. I met Dennis a few months later, got married, lived in 3 different states, and had 4 kids! My parents went from having 5 grandchildren to now having 18!
My dad is a great man. I love him, and I am so grateful we were able to be there to support him. It was amazing to sit in church with my 4 siblings, their spouses, and all our families there together. It's another day I won't forget.

Following church where my dad was made a "free man," we had an Easter egg hunt in my parent's back yard. Everyone was there, and our kids ate it up. They love being with their cousins, especially because they don't have the opportunity very often.

Sarah is at such a great age right now. She loves to help everyone. She is constantly asking me what she can do to help me. This actually resulted in her learning to change Jared's diaper recently! During the egg hunt, she pointed out eggs to the younger kids to help them fill up their baskets faster.

Every time Andrew picked up an egg, he shook it to make sure there was something inside. If he didn't hear anything, he dropped it!

The last night of our visit, Dennis captured a very rare moment. All three big kids smiled for the camera... at. the. same. time! Wow.

Easy Going

2011-04-15T10:31:00.000-05:00

Instructions for being the 4th child:

Don't cry very much. Mom & Dad have already been there and done that. Smile instead. This is how you'll really get what you want.

Let your older sister dress you up. It will bring her pleasure, and it really doesn't hurt anything. Don't worry because you'll get to tease and pester her soon enough.

Be grateful for all the extra "help". Like when your older brother decides to give you a party in your crib when you're trying to take a nap. It will be extra cozy with 15 extra stuffed animals, blankets, and pillows.

Let your sisters prop you up on the couch so that you dive off the front and bonk your head. It will scare your mom to death, but then she'll really know how tough you are when you don't cry about it.

Charm everyone you see with your cuteness and you'll have it made.

Chugga-Chugga

2011-04-13T08:15:00.000-05:00

Choo-Choo!

It only took a little over 15 months, but Andrew has finally has his entire Christmas present from 2009.

Andrew got a train table complete with a great track set-up for Christmas before he turned two. We just weren't quite ready to let him have the track until now. I didn't want to clean up assorted pieces day after day, and Daddy didn't really want everything broken immediately.

The table has been put to good use though. It has been: a stage, a dining table, a monster truck rally surface, a bed, a Pony-ville Palace, and many, many other things.

It was about time the table fulfill it's true purpose in life.

Andrew couldn't be more pleased.

Quads

2011-04-12T16:05:00.005-05:00

I like to pull out old photos of my older kids and compare them to the youngest baby.

So I did.

You know those comments that drive you crazy as a mother? The ones from people who think that your daughters look exactly the same (when in reality each one takes after a different side of the family completely).

Well, it turns out that those crazy comments may in fact be true about Jared.

If someone said he looks like Sarah, I'd have to agree. I think their eyes are similar.

If they said he looks like Emma... I can't argue with that. There is something in those cheeks.

And even Andrew! I think their foreheads and lips are pretty close.

It's official. Jared fits in just right.

Six Months... already?

2011-04-08T11:26:00.003-05:00

Our Baby Jared is six months old today! It is just so exciting to think how much he's grown and changed in the last six months. And, it's really hard to believe the huge changes that will happen in the next six months too.

Jared is such a fun little guy to have around.
He is happy most of the time... when he gets what he wants.
Aren't we all that way?

He eats every 3 hours during the day and sleeps an average of 10 hours at night.

He loves his bottles and oatmeal, and just started exploring new food options like bananas.

After having 3 finger/thumb suckers, Jared is our first "binkie baby".
I may have forced that one a bit... just a bit.

He prefers to sleep in his own bed.
When we're out of town or on the road, Jared no longer naps and sleeps as well.

He has some killer blue eyes.
Those eyes just captivate me, and I'm hooked every time.

Jared still spits up all the time.
All our other kids grew out of this at about a month old, but Jared spits at least a little after every feeding.

He started truly sitting up on his own this week.

His new favorite toy is our "johnny jump up". You know those things that hook on a door casing and hang down for the baby?
Jared not only bounces in that thing, but he really jumps - like feet off the ground.
Maybe he's got a sports career ahead of him with that vertical!

He is loved, loved, loved all day by his sisters and brother.

Princess Forest

2011-04-07T20:43:00.000-05:00

You know one of the things that makes me the most happy?

When Dennis comes home after work and says, "Let's go to the park!"

Spring is in full force here, which has given us a few chances to do just that.

We have the traditional playground parks spotting our town, and also a fun little place we've dubbed, "Princess Forest."

Princess Forest has a Swan Lake (a holding pond for storm water) and Dragon Rock. There are trees all around, and it is simply a beautiful place to run around and burn off some energy.

I love that some simple little things like some woods, a pond, and a big jagged rock can spark our kids' imagination and bring smiles to their faces.

Reunion Time

2011-03-25T18:46:00.000-05:00

Over spring break, we were lucky enough to spend our time in Iowa with a bunch of family.

Emma shared a little love with Grandma Hunger (she's turns 95 in a couple months)!

Jared was very content with Grandma White (she will be 93 in May).

Jared with Dennis's aunt... he loves to be loved

The token redheads on the Hunger side and Sarah

More than half of the 19 grandchildren at a museum

Jared and his buddy Evan who is just a month or so older

It would be wonderful if we were able to see our family more often, but for now we'll keep taking vacations to Iowa and Utah!

Icky Sicky

2011-03-24T16:28:00.006-05:00

Early Sunday morning, Sarah started yelling out "Emma's burning up! Her head is hot and she won't move!" My week changed right then and there. After she slept at least half of that day, I took Emma to the doctor on Monday.

Influenza B...

She got prescribed tamiflu, with a warning to watch for fevers in anyone else in our home.

By Tuesday night, Sarah had started in with it.

Our week has consisted of drinking lots of water, milkshakes, juice, and eating pretty much nothing. The girls take turns taking naps all day long, and then still sleep 12 hours each night. They've been hit hard!

I am just praying that the rest of us somehow avoid it all.

It hasn't been much fun, but there have been some funny little highlights along the way:

Yesterday, Emma threw up. It was THE WORST I have ever smelled. I tried so hard not to, but I started gagging while I was cleaning it up. I couldn't stop gagging, and Andrew started impersonating me. He'd make the noise and say, "I trow up. I trow up."

Getting in the car to head to the doctor's office Monday, Emma declared,
"Everything hurts except my toes!"

Emma was being a little quiet one afternoon, so I asked her how she felt. Her response?
"I feel like Emma."

A few hours before Sarah's fever showed up, she was coughing into her elbow like she's been taught. Emma was with her and said,
"Cough on me Sarah. I'm already sick!"

Sarah came up with a special soup recipe to help her feel better.
"Sarah's Special Soup"
"2 onions, 6 pineapples, 8 tomatoes. Cook it for 15 minutes... no, I mean 15 seconds. And that's all! Make it when you're sick. It's very yummy!"

The Big 3...

2011-03-12T18:49:00.006-06:00

Our big boy is three years old! I've always felt like the third birthday is a big milestone. The kids really change from being a little toddler to a pre-schooler. We were lucky enough to be in Iowa with family for Andrew's birthday. It was a big party and lots of fun. Aunt Megan made the horse cake, and Andrew loved it! He kept galloping around the house yelling, "Yah horsey, yah!"

Andrew got a HUGE breath in preparation of blowing out the candles

And, he used a bit of spit to aid that breath.
It made some of his uncles a little wary of eating the cake afterwards!

We got Andrew a cowboy hat and vest for his gifts this year.
I made the vest, and we even found a little sheriff's badge with his name on it.
(He's covering it with his hand in the picture).

Lucky boy had a second party with Dennis's grandma and aunt later on.
Andrew called it his "little birthday."

Here's a little info about our boy:

He is an early riser. Rain or shine, Andrew is awake by 6:30 am.

Like most little boys, he loves anything with wheels. Although if its a toy, he likes to remove the tires. We have a jar full of various sized tires in our kitchen now.

He is fascinated with hitches. When he sees a car, truck, tractor, etc... he has to see if it has a hitch. If it does, he asks where the trailer is.

He is in constant motion. Whether it is chasing his sisters, dumping out a box of toys, running around the house in his underwear, or teaching Jared to play with him - Andrew is going, going going!

He has a love affair with the color green. Given a choice between any two objects, the green one will always win... hands down, no questions asked.

He is very polite. Of all our kids, we can always count on Andrew to say "thank you" and "you're welcome" when he should. The "you're welcome" really cracks me up.

He is a handful. I have a hard time keeping up with his antics a lot of the time, and I have called Dennis more than once telling him Andrew may not survive till the end of the day.

He has won our hearts over the last three years, and we are happy we get to have him for eternity.

Sharp Dressed Man

2011-03-09T15:25:00.003-06:00

Clean shirt, new shoes
and I don't know what I am gonna do.
Silk suit, black tie,
I don't need a reason why.
They come runnin' just as fast as they can
cause every girl is crazy 'bout a sharp dressed man.

Gold watch, diamond ring,
I ain't missin' not a single thing.
cuff-links, stick pin
when I step out I'm gonna do you in.
They come a runnin' just as fast as they can
cause every girl is crazy 'bout a sharp dressed man.

Top coat, Top hat,
And I don't worry cause my wallets fat.
Black shades, white gloves,
lookin' sharp, lookin' for love.
They come runnin' just as fast as they can
cause every girl is crazy 'bout a sharp dressed man.

He may not have a top hat, cuff links, a silk suit, or even shoes.... but this girl is CRAZY about this sharp dressed little man. I made Jared a few onesies with ties sewn on to them, and I am loving his new style for church!

Gettting Away With It

2011-03-07T15:22:00.000-06:00

Yes, that is my son.

Wearing shorts with a jacket.

In the kitchen.

On his bike.

With his chin in his hands.

Giving me a puppy dog look.

I just couldn't say "no" to that face!

Just Zoo It!

2011-03-03T12:38:00.004-06:00

Our local zoo had free admission every Monday in February. I didn't know this until halfway through the month, but luckily we were able to take advantage of the deal once or twice.

On Valentine's day, our friend called and asked if we could join her at the zoo. I told her no because Jared had a check-up (and an ear infection, we later found out). She called back a few minutes later and asked if Andrew could come along anyway. What an angel! She was willing to take my crazy little man along with her and her two boys. Andrew was thrilled to go to the zoo with his best buddy, Brody. They had a fun day just being boys. And, my sweet Emma was the happiest little girl. At one point in the day, she turned to me and said, "MOMMY! It's just me, and baby Jared, and you today!"

These two guys have been friends from the start. We go to church together, and they are only 2 months apart in age. Andrew is always so excited to see Brody at church and I can usually even get him to wear his tie when I remind him that Brody wears his tie too.

Andrew really loved the goats. I don't get it, but I love it anyway.

So, this week I decided we needed to use up that last Monday of the month. We went with: Andrew's best buddy, his mom, and their little baby, and another friend, and her cute crazy boy. Poor Emma was the only little girl, but she enjoyed herself anyway. I think we only saw 2 or 3 different kinds of animals because the kids had so much fun playing in the playground areas! It gave them so much joy to just be free in the outdoors.

These three boys all have very strong personalities, so there were a lot of disagreements! When it's all said and done, they still love each other... and they wouldn't be boys without a little competition, right?

Brayden, Brody, Andrew, and Emma. We packed our lunch in Emma's lunch bag she uses for pre-school, so she wanted to carry it around ALL DAY long.

Our two little baby boys bundled up together - Brody's little brother is just a few weeks older than Jared, so these guys can be friends too.

The kids got to ride a baby elephant. They didn't seem to notice that it was bronze. They really weren't that picky.

Happy kiddos! We didn't have any quarters with us (Hello! Free zoo day, remember?) But, a nice family nearby used their money and gave the kids a ride.

Picture of the Week

2011-02-26T11:31:00.002-06:00

Andrew playing in the dirt with his McDonald's monster truck

Magical Number

2011-02-17T19:06:00.004-06:00

80 rays of sunshine

80 fingers and toes wiggling

80 bouts of laughter

80 shades of green grass

80 soft breezes blowing

80 smiles shared

80 spots of dirt on our clothes

80 degrees in February!

Heart Breakers

2011-02-14T20:03:00.002-06:00

A friend of mine did a post on her blog about these adorable homemade Valentine's.

I love homemade Valentines, but I don't like that most of them require more work for the mom and not the child. These were different. They were simple, cute, and great for the kids to help with.

If you like them, save the idea for next year... it's originally from here.

This year I really wanted the kids to have a fun and memorable Valentine's Day.

It was a:

Heart shapes in the girls' hair...

Eating heart-shaped donuts for breakfast...

School Valentine parties...

Playing outside in the afternoon sun...

Watching movies together...

Kind of Day.

Sick, sick, sick...

2011-02-11T11:19:00.001-06:00

The sick bug hit our house.

Jared got pinkeye, then a stuffy/runny nose, then a nasty cough.

Emma got a cough that kept her up at night.

Andrew got the same cough that kept him up, which kept me up at night.

This is how we've all felt.

Jared's face says it all.

Child Labor

2011-02-11T11:05:00.003-06:00

I found a new way to occupy the kids when I'm busy myself doing laundry, making dinner, or any other number of daily tasks.

I just put them to work!

And... they loved it.

I didn't get around to dusting the day I wanted to do it, and you could tell it had been a while.

So, I sprayed some rags with oil and let Sarah, Emma, and Andrew go hog wild.

It was a win-win-win situation.

I got to make dinner in peace. (win #1)

The dusting got done. (win #2)

The kids were all smiles. (win #3)

Then, they went to work on our dining room chairs.

Sarah even asked for more jobs to do afterwards.

That resulted in the Windex bottle ending up about an inch lower, and half the roll of paper towels sopping wet.

On the bright side, the TV is completely CLEAR of fingerprints.

Happy Birthday???

2011-02-02T11:09:00.000-06:00

We had a snow day yesterday... it was declared a state of emergency in something like 77 counties in Oklahoma.
The airport was closed.
School was closed.
The mail didn't even get delivered.
I think Dennis was the only person in the neighborhood who went to work this morning!

All of this for 7 inches of snow... but that's a whole other subject all together.
I have to keep reminding myself this is Oklahoma - they don't have the means to clear the snow and ice.
So, things stop...

Well, things stop outside the house. Everything just keeps on trucking inside! Kids need to be bathed, and fed, and played with.

During dinnertime, Dennis ventured out again to help someone nearby. I fed the kids their own dinner and started cleaning the kitchen. I was in my own little world, blocking out the noise, when I heard what I thought was the "Happy Birthday" song coming from all the kids.

I turned around and saw this:

Andrew put candles (a.k.a. pretzels) in his cake (a.k.a. grilled cheese sandwich) and declared it to be his birthday.

The girls were happy to pretend with him.

It is so great my little people have some very active imaginations.

Read to Me

2011-01-31T21:53:00.001-06:00

I captured a cute moment tonight at bedtime.

We have a little routine here, just like most families.

After dinner, it's straight to bath time.
If it's early enough, we'll squeeze in a short movie or read stories,
and then scriptures,
prayers,
and bed.
After all of that, we still had time to spare so the oldest three all gathered around Daddy for one last story...

It truly was a GOODnight.

Swimmie, swimmie

2011-01-23T15:45:00.000-06:00

Andrew's best buddy had a birthday pool party this weekend, and it was a family affair.

Everyone has their own feelings and methods about the water.

Andrew would swim all day long if we let him. He has no fear and forgets sometimes that he has absolutely no idea how to swim! Thank goodness for life jackets and water noodles.

Sarah is timid at first, but now that she's tall enough to touch the bottom of the pool, she likes to venture out and practice swimming just a little.

And Emma is perfectly content to put on a life jacket, grab a noodle, and sit on the steps of the pool. Why swim when you can just get your feet a little wet?

Three different kids, and three very different personalities...

Poor Baby!

2011-01-12T15:48:00.004-06:00

Jared puts up with a lot around here.
When you consider the fact that on a daily basis he is:
poked,
jumped over,
cuddled,
pulled on,
not so tenderly woken up,
carried around like a doll,
and squeezed a little too tight.
Considering it all, he is an angel baby!

Each Thursday, Sarah comes home from school with a reminder sticker about Friday's activities, but 9 times out of 10, this is where I find the sticker when we unload the car.

Jared even smiles when I dress him up as a dragon for the day.
I don't know why, but I think this is completely adorable.
What's the name for animals that eat their young?
I could be one of those...
I just want to gobble up my little dragon.

Can you play?

2011-01-08T16:16:00.001-06:00

Sarah got to have a friend come over for a play-date today.

Her name is Paige.

They met in preschool 2 years ago, were separated during Pre-K, and have been reunited again in Kindergarten.

She is such a sweet girl, and I'm happy for Sarah to have Paige as a friend.

These cute girls got to make pizzas for everyone for lunch,

and play lots of girlie games.

After all the fun was over, Sarah was completely tuckered out and took a nap in her laundry basket. Who knows? It must be comfortable because Emma does the same thing sometimes!

Three cheers for successful play-dates and quiet afternoons.

Andrew's New Pillow

2011-01-06T16:12:00.000-06:00

Andrew has 2 regular pillows, 2 throw pillows, and a pillow pet in his bed.

So, how does he choose which one to sleep on?
A, B, C, D, or E?
Nope... none of the above.

As long as he sleeps well, it's all the same to me!

Winter Wonderland

2010-12-30T20:36:00.000-06:00

There wasn't a huge amount of snow while we were in Utah.

But we took advantage of the snow we could find,

and sledded to our hearts' content!

This was our kid's first time.

That is so sad to me... but what can you do when you live in Oklahoma???

We capped off the old day outside with warm hot chocolate inside.

Emma... the 4-year-old!

2010-12-27T21:52:00.004-06:00

Our kids don't usually get to celebrate their birthdays with lots of family around.
In fact, it is just mom and dad and the siblings most years.
This year, Emma was one lucky girl...

1 grandma and grandpa,
4 uncles,
4 aunts,
15 cousins,
1 mom and dad,
2 brothers,
1 sister,
and a Dora cake!

Happy Birthday, Miss Em.
You are a ray of sunshine in our lives.
You love to love people,
and we hope that you always have so much affection and such a caring nature.
Our home would be empty without you in it.
Now, if we could just get you to quit sucking your thumb...

Cabin Christmas

2010-12-26T16:12:00.003-06:00

On Christmas Eve, we took a little drive to Idaho.

Destination: Grandpa Ken's cabin.

Luckily, the snow was too high to get into the cabin in our trucks.

We just HAD to use the "snow cat."

It is safe to say we all loved the adventure.

Cookies in the old wood-burner for Santa,

Hot chocolate on the stove,

Reading from Luke 2,

And 4 very happy children.

On Christmas day, we opened presents.

Grandpa and Grandma made waffles and eggs for breakfast.

And then, our poor snow deprived children played and played until their cheeks were pink and their toes were purple!

It was a, warm and toasty, lovin' our family, fun in the snow, magical little Christmas.

Temple Square

2010-12-24T11:36:00.000-06:00

Dennis surprised me a few days before Christmas with an early present.

We were scheduled to go to Iowa around Christmas-time this year.

He said he thought we should go to Utah instead!

So, instead of his family we would be visiting mine.

What's more is that we usually don't go away from our home until after Christmas, but that this year we would go up a few days ahead of time and spend the entire holiday.

We drove for 18 1/2 hours to get there, but we made it!

On our first night, we rode the Trax Train down to Salt Lake City to see the lights at temple square.

One of my brother's families and my sister's families, plus my mom and dad, and our little six went together.

The girls for the night - minus my sister and I

Andrew just playin' it cool

Jared stayed nice and warm dressed up as a dragon and bundled in his car seat

My girls and me

It was a good night!

U-G-L-Y

2010-12-23T15:54:00.000-06:00

Our fun friends hosted an "Ugly Sweater" party for Christmas this year.

Dennis and I thought it was fun figuring out who we knew that might have an ugly sweater lurking in their closet... a sweater just begging to be worn to a party like this.

And to answer the burning question... yes, those are three-dimensional embellishments on my sweater!

Family - December 2010

2010-12-22T11:40:00.002-06:00

Marvin

2010-12-21T11:32:00.005-06:00

He watches us during the day to see if we are naughty or nice.

He flies to Santa at night, reports on the day's behaviors, and flies back home.

He comes home a little later if we've been naughty...

But if we've been nice he is in a new place bright and early each morning.

So far, it seems to be helping us all be a little nicer.

Except Andrew doesn't want Marvin to tell Santa anything.

I guess he knows Marvin mostly has naughty things to report about him.

We better watch out... Christmas is coming!

Recipe for Success

2010-12-15T18:19:00.002-06:00

4 freshly bathed children
+
3 blankies
+
2 fuzzy footsie pajamas
+
1 Christmas special on TV

=

COZY

Double OUCH!

2010-12-14T16:47:00.002-06:00

Right after church is complete chaos. We have to go around the entire building rounding up all the kids, and then Dennis is off to a meeting, and I usually head home with the crew.

Dennis had just say his good-bye and I was about to set Jared in his car seat, when I saw Emma trip a little and crash into the leg of the table in the foyer. The legs have sharp edges, so I knew instantly it would be bad. I didn't even pause to be gentle for Jared... I kind of dropped him, and I heard someone yell, "I've got the baby." Then, a friend of mine and I rolled Emma (who was face down) over... yep, it was bad. I started yelling for help and for someone to get Dennis. Immediately, I had people helping in every way. My friend reminded me to apply pressure to the wound, people were finding spare burp cloths and bibs to absorb the blood, some young men retrieved paper towels, and then Dennis found us and scooped up Emma. Another friend told me she would take my kids, and we were off. I didn't even stop to think if Jared needed to be fed or anything. We literally had dozens of angels around us doing everything for us.

We tried to go to a clinic, but they said we needed the ER, so on we went. Emma had already stopped crying before we got to the clinic and didn't cry a tear after that. The lady admitting us to the ER thought Emma had been attacked by a dog! Emma had a two-hour ER visit... watching TV, singing songs, laughing at her own little jokes, and eating chocolate and tic-tacs that Dennis was able to scrounge up with his special knowledge of the hospital.

The end result? Eight stitches and a brand new girl!

That is an ouch, but what about the double ouch? The very next day, Emma climbed up on a chair to get some crayons out of the cabinet. She had been begging me to color, but we were headed out to a friend's house. On her way down, she fell and hit her chin. Once again, I took a look at it and knew she needed more help.

On to the hospital again! Luckily, we didn't need the ER this time. One of the doctors was able to glue the wound shut with some Dermabond, or else she would have had an additional 2-3 stitches in her cute little chin.

Let's hope all of Emma's bad luck has run out and we'll be good from here on out!

Blessing our Baby

2010-12-09T16:13:00.001-06:00

Our baby, Jared Lee Hunger, was given a name and a blessing by Dennis on December 5th.

Each of Dennis and my parents came, 2 of Dennis's brothers and 1 sister, and 1 of my brothers and my sister came.

We had 9 extra people staying at our house.

That's a total of 7 kids ages 5 and under in our home.

We also had 11 more people staying in a hotel nearby.

That brought 5 more kids into the mix.

Jared relished the attention, and took advantage of anyone willing to cuddle. Here he is with Dennis's mom.

Andrew was in heaven with so many playmates and both his grandma's!

My sister came to visit us for the first time in Oklahoma, and even got to stay for an extra day after everyone else went home. So fun!

I really, really wanted a sweet little family picture on the blessing day. Is that too much to ask? Emma got upset about something right before we took the shot. She was trying SO HARD not to cry. It makes me laugh.

Giving Thanks

2010-11-30T16:02:00.004-06:00

Thanksgiving this year...

involved a night time drive up to Iowa

was filled with lots of family

was Jared's debut to the big Hunger clan

consisted of about 8 pies

tasted scrumptious (even though I was going dairy-free for Jared's benefit)

was simply beautiful

Give Me S'more

2010-11-18T16:44:00.002-06:00

S'more fires in our fireplace this fall

S'more melted chocolate and roasted marshmallows sandwiched between two grahams

S'more smiles on my children's faces

S'more love in our home

S'more memories to hold on to...

Asleep on the job

2010-11-15T11:07:00.000-06:00

This is what happens when Andrew wakes up at 6:00 am all week due to the time change!

This smile brought to you by...

2010-11-13T11:01:00.002-06:00

my cute baby boy

The dangers of Halloween candy

2010-11-03T15:03:00.004-05:00

As I was preparing dinner Monday night, Jared started crying. I went to go check on him quickly, when I noticed Andrew went into our pantry and locked himself in. (Yes, we have a lock on our pantry door - if you have met Andrew you would know why. I've had boxes of cereal, packets of hot chocolate, and many other things distributed all over my house when the pantry ISN'T secure against that little guy.

Okay, back to the story: While checking on Jared, Andrew started crying... and wonderful mother that I am, I got mad and started thinking, "Why the heck did you lock yourself in the pantry little boy? Of course you're going to get hurt!" Then I unlocked the door and saw the blood. I felt sorry then! Andrew kept saying, "I climb - get treat mommy!" His lip was bleeding pretty bad, and Dennis was on his way home from work luckily. We sent the girl's to the neighbors' house and headed off to the after-hours clinic.

I'm so glad it was dinner time, so that Dennis could help out! He and Andrew loved on "Green" while waiting for the doctor.

Andrew was a champ through it all, a little sweetie. Two stitches on the inside, and one on the outside. I was thinking at the time that I thought it would have taken more stitches, though. We had to pick up an antibiotic prescription on the way home, and while we were waiting for it to be filled Andrew managed to get one of the stitches out! When we took him back, the doctor took out the other outside stitch and replaced them with derma-bond (the glue stitches).

Things

2010-10-28T12:43:00.003-05:00

...that make me smile today?

the scents and sights of fall

when this

turns into this

my "Big Boy" helping me bake

and this squishy face

Cuddles

2010-10-26T17:11:00.001-05:00

My mom took this picture the morning she left... early morning cuddling truly is the best!

Fall Break

2010-10-25T18:31:00.004-05:00

Last week was Fall Break for Sarah & Emma, so all the kids were home Wednesday through Friday. It was so great my mom was able to stay through the week!

We did a lot of fun stuff like:

making Halloween sugar cookies,
having a photo shoot for Jared's birth announcement,

going shopping,

having two mommy/daughter nights
(thanks to Dennis watching the 3 older kids),

and having a picnic at the park.
It was such a treat to have my mom here for 2 weeks, and we all miss her like crazy! Not only was she a huge help, but we think she's fun to be around too. It was nice to have another adult around all day... now it's just me and 4 little ones. Thanks Mom!

Really much

2010-10-19T14:47:00.003-05:00

There is only one way to describe what Emma feels for her baby brother...
complete
unconditional
boundless
LOVE

She asks to hold him 10 to 15 times every day. Whether he is eating, sleeping, screaming, or getting a diaper changed - it doesn't matter.

She wants to squeeze him, be next to him, hold his hand, stroke his hair, and pat his belly.

She tells me at least daily, "Mommy, I love our born baby really much."

I hope he loves her too!

vroom vroom

2010-10-18T08:35:00.003-05:00

We have been so spoiled here lately.

My parents came to visit us and welcome baby Jared to the family.

My dad spent his week here by fixing up bikes... buying Sarah a new-used bike, putting on training wheels on Emma's, painting Andrew's bike, fixing tires, and all sorts of other bike stuff.

Andrew decided to chip in and help out.

We've taken the kids on bike rides every night since. Andrew pedals as fast as the Road Runner on Loony Tunes... all the while making motorcycle sound effects!

My dad had to go back home, but my mom gets to stay an extra week.

We have all sorts of fun stuff planned (yay!) - more on that later.

Announcing...

2010-10-09T19:30:00.005-05:00

I guess I was a little off on my countdown a few days ago. Our little guy decided to come on his own, and I didn't have to wait for an induction this time around. Hooray! It was a first for us, so Dennis and I were newbies on this one.

All afternoon on Thursday I had contractions about 15 or 20 minutes apart, and Dennis thought I was fooling myself into thinking I was going into labor. My doctor had just told me that day there was a possibility the hospital would cancel my induction because they were getting really busy lately, and they needed to leave room for women who were actually in labor. So... after the contractions lasted through the night, I decided to get Sarah off to school and run some errands. Dennis had a meeting that he told me I could interrupt, but I didn't want to. The meeting ended at 10:00, and by the time we found a friend to watch the kiddos at home it was getting later and later. We got to the hospital around 11:30, not sure if they would keep me or not. My contractions were averaging about 5 minutes by then. I was admitted at 8 cm dilated! The nurses told me I had to make a split second decision on whether I wanted an epidural or not... I opted for none this time since I figured I made it this far, and maybe just maybe I could make it through the rest.

The baby was born at 12:49 pm, so it's a good thing we got to the hospital when we did!

So, without further ado...

Here he is...

The one and only...

Jared Lee HungerOctober 8, 2010
8 lbs. 13 oz.
21.5 inches

Jared was born on what would have been my Grandpa Lee's 90th birthday - thus the middle name.

We all love our new "born baby" as the kids like to call him.

T-minus 6 days and counting

2010-10-06T11:10:00.003-05:00

It's still hard to believe sometimes, but we are only 6 days or less from welcoming our baby boy!

I feel huge, awkward, and completely ready to be done being pregnant.

I feel excited, anxious, and it doesn't seem real at all that we're going to have a baby in our home again.

And, to those of you wondering:
No, we don't have a name yet. Not even close...
hopefully we decide on one before his first birthday!

Small Town

2010-10-04T15:13:00.003-05:00

We live in a small town...

With that comes all the stereotypes we've heard and loved for ages.

It also comes with some fun family activities.

We took advantage of that fun a few weeks ago on a Saturday morning.

Taking in the county fair

and making a visit to the local soda fountain shop.

Goats, pigs, cows, ice cream, and Italian sodas... ahhh!

Kids + Dirt

2010-09-29T13:51:00.001-05:00

Adventures in our family are always a little better when mixed with some good ol' dirt!

We interrupt this heat to bring you...

2010-09-27T15:47:00.003-05:00

a beautiful fall day!

It was about time.

Time for some nice fall weather.

Weather that makes you want to be outside.

Outside and enjoying life.

Fashionista

2010-09-20T11:12:00.006-05:00

I have no control over what this little miss wears each day.

She loves to pick out her own clothes,
doesn't follow any fashion rules,
and delights in her own creations...

Today's outfit of choice?

A Barbie dance leotard, cowgirl boots, and a HUGE smile!

The simple things

2010-09-01T10:00:00.002-05:00

There are such simple pleasures in life - if we just take the time to appreciate them.

Today I have three simple things that made me smile:

1. The girls made my bed for me! I'll have to straighten it out, but they are seriously impressive in their skills.

2. During breakfast, Emma demanded something of me. We're trying to learn manners here, so I asked her what the magic word is? She responded enthusiastically, "Please and Abra-ca-dabra!"

3. Andrew has to be prompted to remember to focus on his food during mealtime. Every time he has a bite in his mouth that he's not chewing, I say, "Chew it up, buddy." Without fail, his response is to say, "AH.... CHEW!" and act like he's sneezing.

Now I need to go attend to the rest of life that doesn't always make me smile...

ABC's and 123's

2010-08-30T17:20:00.002-05:00

Emma started pre-school last week. It is the same school we sent Sarah when she was the same age. It was such a great experience for her, and she's been telling us that Emma would get to go there when she was 3 1/2 too. Emma couldn't wait. She loved every bit of it... from picking out her school clothes, to packing her lunch, to playing with friends and meeting new people.

Emma is by far our most friendly and affectionate child. She loves to be close to people, to talk, and to make new friends (whether they are infants or 90 years old - it doesn't matter)! There really haven't been a lot of opportunities for Emma to have friends her own age, so we were excited for her to have the opportunity.

Until the baby comes, that leaves just Andrew and I home together for a few hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays. He's not used to being without his playmate! I can't count the number of times he asked me, "Where Emma?" Every time I told him she was at preschool, he said, "I go pre-cool too!" Not yet, buddy, not yet.

Sometimes

2010-08-26T20:40:00.000-05:00

you just need to curl up in a nice laundry basket and take a break

The handyman can...

2010-08-24T20:23:00.003-05:00

Well, not exactly the "handyman," but maybe the handywoman?

I came across a wonderful blog a couple months ago, and it really gave me an itch to find a project.

After about 20 seconds of searching on craigslist, I found the most perfect project - a dining room table and chairs. Our current table was on the smaller side, and we only had 4 chairs. The craigslist table had 5 chairs (one short once the baby comes, but we'll deal with that later) and huge potential.

I started out with this:And ended up with..... THIS:

To find the blog that inspired it all, go here.

she's a big kid now...

2010-08-23T20:10:00.004-05:00

Sarah started kindergarten this past week.

How did 5 years go by so fast?

Dennis and I used to talk about all the things we wanted to accomplish before we had "kids in school". It's hard to believe that time has come, and we've got 18+ years ahead of us of having kids in school! Sarah got a great teacher this year and was very excited to start her first day.
She had her backpack, brand new clothes, fast new shoes, and a giant lunch bag she picked out herself.

Happy day for our big girl!

Just us girls

2010-08-11T10:10:00.004-05:00

Last weekend, my little ladies and I had a chance to have some serious girl time while Daddy and Andrew went on a quick road trip. Activities included (but were not limited to):
mani/pedi night, a doughnut run to the local bakery,
the girls' first ever experience at the movie theater, shopping,
a couple trips to get ice cream cones,
and a pizza and movie night at home.

When the boys are away, the girls really will play!

Little Piggies

2010-07-26T12:35:00.002-05:00

faces only a mother could love...

Lazy Summer

2010-07-24T08:37:00.004-05:00

Oh, what do you do in the summertime?

Do you play puppy dog... and build a "dog house"

or take a short nap like a cute little mouse?