waiting stinks.

I hate waiting. Which is sort of an oxymoron since people are always waiting on me. Yes I'm tardy a lot (sorry folks). Notice my countdown to baby shows 40 WEEKS!!! That means it's time!! BABY WHERE ARE YOU???? Must..... have...... patience........... I keep reminding myself that God has perfect timing. :0) But seriously though. Surely my next post will be photos of my beautiful gift from above. (and sooner rather than later)

First Day of School!!

I now have a kindergartner and a third grader. I could say that I am sad, but I'm not. If I truly thought about it, I might get a little teary-eyed and sentimental, but I feel like we are opening a new chapter this fall. I usually cry over summer ending, but for once, I feel like I have squeezed in every last pool date, park date, and ice cream stop possible. I have been praying for a smooth transition into school all summer long. God does answer prayers! Today could not have been a better day. Now. Let's get this baby out!

Celebrating Luke today!

So today we celebrate LUKE!!!!!

He is sweet, caring, kind, generous, tender-hearted, laid-back, happy-go-lucky, non-competitive, stubborn at times (got that from both sides), enjoys LEGOS (more appropriately said: can build a wicked Lego set in no time), is a skilled reader, excellent in math, loves history, class clown, loves babies, LOVES to eat, loves my cooking (most of the time), loves all my friends' cooking, is seemingly deaf sometimes (when his name is called), is really gifted at making new friends and being friendly, loves his "guy" friends, completely looks up to and mimics his daddy (which sometimes gets him in trouble), has eyes that sparkle when he smiles (that's not manly but it's true!!), and if you look carefully, you might see an invisible tail wagging when he greets you!

countdown!

10 Fun things about being 9 months pregnant:

1. I can pooch my belly out & not have to worry about "looking pregnant" because I DO!
2. Random strangers offer to carry stuff for me! (except for at Sam's club-shame on you people!)
3. My kids like to rub my tummy & make raspberries & noises for the baby.
4. I have lots of excuses to put my feet up.
5. Organizing baby stuff!
6. I have lots of energy (shocker)... it's that whole nesting thing.
7. I can eat lots of dessert. (which I do!!)
8. I get to tell bold children that "yes, I do have a baby in my tummy!"
9. I don't have to mow the lawn!!
10. We finally picked a NAME!

10 Not-So-fun Things about being 9 months pregnant:

1. Bumping my stomach on everything
2. Narrow bathroom stalls (see #1)
3. No wine :)
4. Varicose veins and compression hose
5. I can't paint my toes. (but I can get pediures!!)
6. I have to pee all the time.
7. Random contractions! (should I be timing??)
8. Physical activity? what's that??
9. It hurts to roll over, cough, sneeze, and sit up!!!
10. WAITING for the baby to come!!!

Phone pics.

WHAT DID THAT FISHERMAN ASK YOU BOYS IN MAZATLAN?
"HERE IS THE WINDOW IN MY MOUTH!!!" --VICTORIA
THE RIDE HOME FROM BRECK; LUKE & ELVIS PARTIED

SAMANTHA AND VICTORIA AT CIVIC.
NOT ABOUT TO LEAVE A SINGLE MORSEL OF COTTON CANDY BEHIND!!!


I titled this "Phone pics" because I have yet to pull out the camera and upload/edit all the photos from the last 2 weeks. I hope to get to this VERY soon (maybe tomorrow evening when I'm icing down my achy body and waiting for my husband to fly home & rub my back). ;) So while you all wait in anticipation (I mean the 2 people that actually read this blog), here are a couple of teaser pics. We've enjoyed the 4th of July, family, vacation, and are now upon the last day of VBS. Oh where does the time fly??? Only 6 weeks left til baby#3. I call him baby#3 because we have yet to pick out a name. Annoying if you ask me, but the perfect name is out there somewhere.

YEA FOR SUMMER!!!!

Tball game for Victoria tonight. I love my little Sporty Spice. Victoria is wearing #12... the number I wore when I played softball ohhhh so many years ago! We did some goofing off with the camera phone after the game. I'm so thankful for summer!!! The weather has been gorgeously hot, absolute PERFECT pool weather, then cool in the evenings. I think we've been to the pool already more times in the 2 weeks of June than we did all summer last year. We've made smoothies, banana splits, grilled peaches, TONS of ice cream, berries, berries & more berries, and today we stopped at the gas station for icees. There is nothing like summer desserts!!!!! I'm concerned this baby may come out addicted to sugar!

BELLY-- 7 mos. (or 31 wks)

Taking this picture was surprisingly difficult, especially because Luke was dancing around naked before his shower, trying desperately to get in the picture.

FINALLY!!!!!!! SUMMER IS HERE!!!!!!!!!

AHHHHHH!!!!!! Amazing!!!!! Spent the morning cleaning a bit (and sitting on my arse on the patio with my coffee and my husband). Then took the kids to the pool for 2 hours! It truly was such a great time, as if it had been years since we'd been to the pool. And of course did not even think about sunscreen and so we are all sporting the first sunburn of the season. Ouch. Not a drop of aloe vera in sight either. Then as I pondered dinner tonight (I had watermelon on the brain), my sweet man texted and said he was bringing home dinner.... filet mignons to grill, big fat beefsteak tomatoes, asparagus and corn on the cob. So I picked up a watermelon, a pie and some charcoal. TASTY. I even splurged and had a 1/2 glass of vino. Gasp!!!! The pregnant lady had wine!!! :0) Again, all I can say is ahhhhhhhhhh, summer!!!! Next time I will make Eric bring home more food so the neighbors can join us.... you know who you are.

Sunday morning...

So this morning, Victoria gets ready to walk out the door for church... and apparently she had decided, in addition to her blue gingham dress, that she needed: her Bible, stamps on her hands & arms, red plastic sunglasses, and the red faux-snakeskin purse and wallet (that she absconded with from the donate pile a couple months ago). She was a sight to be seen. I'm regretful now that I did not take pictures, but I was having "getting ready" issues of my own: (in addition to the too much time spent making blueberry pancakes that stuck to the pan) I spent more than 20 minutes tugging, moaning, cursing (silently), & crying over the stupid medical compression hose that cost $40. YES $40. For all that misery. I'm still wearing them and other wretched undergarments, and this varicose-veined, almost 26-week pregnant lady's emotions are directly tied to the severe lack of comfort that I am feeling right now.

Hindsight: I find it interesting and wonderful that part of the sermon this morning was on linking your emotions and thoughts to God.

Also newsworthy: I made yet another successful batch of cookies WITHOUT burning them. Luke was ecstatic.

Elephants are cool.

Just an update...

A couple of things we've done... soccer games, ballet recital... here is a pic of Luke congratulating a friend after he scored. Also a pic of Victoria at the recital. She was so excited, especially now that she's noticed that she's been given flowers after every recital!! Also, you'll notice... I've finally gotten around to looking at pics from V's birthday (from Feb!), so I had to post a pic of her fabulous Barbie cake (thanks to Cyndi!).

N is for NEST!

Victoria made a bird's nest in school today! It had a gummy worm coming out of its mouth--which she promptly ate. My FAVORITE thing about spring is seeing the robin's nests everywhere. Sadly I have chosen not to hang a wreath on my front door, for fear of a bird making its home there. It's happened 3 times already in the last few years... come to think of it... maybe I will...

HOW MANY MORE WEEKS TIL SCHOOL IS OUT? 6 WEEKS!! Maybe I should put one of those countdowns on the ol' blog too!!! :0)

Elvis

Enjoying a nice game of candy land.... until Elvis flopped down in the middle of the board.

Easter

Came and went uneventfully. We did a hunt with all the neighbor kids, we dyed Easter eggs Saturday night and the children LOVED finding their baskets filled on Sunday morning. I think the Resurrection will truly hit home as I continue to study it in these last few weeks of BSF. Regardless, it was a wonderful, relaxing day, spent at church and with friends we love and eating too much as usual... speaking of eating too much... 20 week dr's appt tomorrow and I'm feeling large and in charge.

Precious News

So we've told the kids about the baby-to-be. It is exciting to listen to them talk about it. So far, they've given me lots of advice: Victoria--"Remember MOM, lay on your back, NOT on your tummy, so you don't squish the baby!" and Luke--"You need to eat really healthy now!"

Also, the children have come up with lots of names...

Victoria likes my idea for "Rose" but added a middle name: "Rose Mother", also she said "Landon" if it's a girl (Eric corrected her quickly) and she likes Victoria. :0) She suggested "Ty" because she "knows 2 Ty's". She has given me lots of names, most of which have temporarily left my brain. thankfully...

Luke initially said: "Obi Wan" (Eric also corrected) because then he and the baby could have Star Wars names together... then he said he likes TJ. So Luke has suggested Thomas Jake, Thomas John, Thomas James, Tyson... anything that will end up with TJ as the initials. He is also assuming that "TJ" will play hockey. (and assuming that mommy even LIKES TJ) No names my kids give will beat the creativity of my nephew. He wanted to name his baby sibling to-be: Butt Toot if it was a girl and Scooby Doo if it were a boy. They are having a boy. I can't wait to hear their "real" name!!

So... all is well. That Dr's appt on Monday of next week cannot come FAST ENOUGH.

Sledding 2010.

There were too many pictures to post. Good times were had by all, even Ross got in on the action! I had to post the pic of Luke "getting air" though. SO MUCH FUN!!!!

Happy New Year! (about 15 days late)

Well. I received a fabulous new camera for my birthday. Dec 7... I told myself I would not update my blog until I downloaded some fabulous pictures from my fabulous gift. Here it is one month, one week, and one day later... I have yet to even find the cord from the new camera to hook it up to the computer. One day I'll have time to sit down and read the cliff notes for it. (thx mom) So about 300 pictures from the Young Family Holiday Season are... still on the camera. This picture comes from a phone cam (note the awesome sledding scar on my son's face-- he got air-- then concrete).

I am so sad Christmas break is over. We had an early family visit and a late family visit. Both were truly wonderful. I hated seeing the kids go back to school. sniff. sniff. Our Christmas season rocked though. It was so relaxing and I feel like we truly felt the magic of our Lord's birth on every day. (except the days where Luke didn't like the advent calendar activities... those days were spent learning to be grateful) Having just the four of us on Christmas morning was the most wonderful gift we could've received (sorry family!) My new year's resolution is to continue to say "no" when it's appropriate and cut back on our activities.

Luke had a hockey scrimmage tonight. He played the best I've ever seen. I'm so proud of him, but wonder why he tries so hard once in a blue moon, and the rest of the time I want to light a fire under his bum. Ahhh, the joys of a passive-aggressive-puppy-dog-type-personality. I'm grateful for so much though.... So many NEW things to look forward to in 2010. ;0) Especially getting my car back. ;0) Eric's car is too bumpy, but I'll miss his XM radio. The Elvis station was great for the few days I got to listen to it.

Oh. I have to mention this. The other night driving home, my children saw a "Doritos" 18-wheeler in the lane next to us. They rolled down their windows in the 30 degree weather and waved and yelled, "We looooooove you doritoooooos!!" over and over and over. Since that night, my daughter has now done this with almost every truck with a logo. It's slightly embarassing. :0)