secret

The other night the boys drew names to get each other Christmas presents.  At bedtime Mike was tucking in Levi and asked him if he had thought about what to get Caleb.  Levi pulled his thumb out of his mouth, and with a big smile whispered in Mike's ear, "I'm going to get him a tractor, and wagon, and combine."  Knowing those are all things he would want for himself, Mike said, "Really?  That's what you want to get Caleb?"  With a big grin Levi replied in a loud whisper, "Yeah, but you know he has to share!" and put his fingers up to his lips "shhhh.....!"  This kid!  He is something else!

almost christmas

Guess who hasn't had time to update the blog?!  The last 7 weeks have been a blur that mostly revolves around feeding Jackson.  And, when I'm not feeding him the other people in the family want to eat/have clothes to wear/etc!  :)  It's been rather challenging to balance it all - I am soooooooo very thankful that it is Mike's slow season, and that I am married to a man that loves being involved at home.  I'm already exhausted, I don't know how I would function if I had to do it all on my own!

Jackson finally had a decent night last night.  He ate at about 10pm and then 5:30am, and actually slept without fussing in between.  He's been fine going that stretch without eating for a while now, but I would be up several times settling him down.  Really hoping last night was the start of a new trend - a good night's sleep makes all the difference for me!  Jackson's been a little congested for a couple weeks (thank you, big brothers!), but thankfully nothing serious.  He's obviously growing - I can see it, and on our scale at home today he weighed in at a whopping 13.5 lbs!  He mostly eats well, minimal spitting up (it does happen, but seems like practically nothing after Levi), and he doesn't seem to have as much trouble with gas as he did early on (He's got plenty of it, but usually doesn't have trouble getting it out...).  He has times where he's quite alert (love the smiles we're getting), but he still has super sleepy times.  At the moment he's sleeping in his crib (and has been for over an hour), which it kinda huge because he's mostly only been happy in the bouncy seat.

In other news...  Caleb has a broken pinky.  :(  Two weeks ago Caleb and Logan were running down the hall, Caleb tripped, Logan stepped on his hand, and that's when the break must have happened, but we didn't discover it until a few days ago.  He complained some of it hurting the night it happened, but he wasn't in terrible pain, and we didn't hear much about it after that.  A few nights ago he mentioned it getting hurt while they were playing, and when we looked at it we noticed it was quite swollen and he couldn't bend it good.  X-rays at the dr yesterday showed a break.  The surgeon we met with today decided not to do surgery because after the healing that's already taken place, going in and re-breaking and setting it would do more harm than good.  The finger is a little crooked when he bends it, but not bad enough to cause any issues.  He'll be in a splint for awhile.

A few nights ago after family devotions Mike asked the boys if there was anything they wished they were good at.  Logan said something to describe figure skating - I wish I could remember what it was, it was cute...and then he also described it "like a wedding on ice".  :)  More and more Logan likes to spend time coloring and he really puts thought and effort into his drawings, it's fun to see.

Levi continues to crack us up with the things he says and does.  Wish I could record it all!  He still loves being a big helper and bringing diapers to the trash for us.  (This is something that still causes some fights between the boys.)  Levi loves wearing his Star Wars Stormtrooper costume around the house.  And, when Caleb and Logan are at school, he does a good job protecting me here at home.  :)

first week

We've been home from the hospital for just over a week now, and I'm still not sure if we're capable of handling four children.  :)  This next week will be the true test as I start driving again and have to get all four out the door to get Caleb and Logan to school on time, and then picked up on time at the end of the day, too!

The first few nights home with Jackson were pretty rough.  Almost no sleep between feedings.  He was dealing with spitting up (there was one projectile incident) and was gassy.  He wasn't very good at burping, but has since improved (we still have some trouble here and there).  A few nights ago I started giving him a bottle of formula for his nighttime feedings, and things are much improved!  The last couple nights he's only gotten up once to eat.  He seems to handle nursing fine during the day, so I hope that continues - I'm fine with doing some bottles and formula, but don't want to completely give up nursing!  He can be pretty inconsolable during the evening hours still, though, so I've got to decide whether to give him a bottle sooner...  Our first few nights home Mike and I were at a loss as to how to calm Jackson down and what to do - we found it humorous that we felt so clueless with our fourth child, isn't it supposed to get easier??  :)

It's definitely been an adjustment for Caleb, Logan, and Levi.  I think for the most part they are handling it fine, but there has been some acting out and behavior issues.  Caleb will randomly burst into tears over practically nothing (and many times it's clearly not real tears the way he can turn them on and off...), Logan is overboard with the backtalking (I almost need a whole separate post to get into that), and Levi can get pretty stubborn when he doesn't want to do something you're telling him to do!

On Monday, Jackson had his first doctor appointment.  We took all four boys since Caleb, Logan, and Levi were also due for their second flu shot.  Boy, was I sweating by the end of that appointment!!  Jackson weighed in at 7 lb 14 oz (47th percentile), which is a normal amount to be down from his birth weight.  He was not a happy camper when the doctor had to look him over - what a pleasant experience to be in a small room with four young children, one of which is a screaming newborn, and three adults...  It got even better when Levi had to get his shot.  Things did not go as well as the first time around, that's for sure!  He was a little worried about it this time since he knew what to expect, plus I think what set him off was he saw some blood when Logan got his shot (he had his arm tensed).  He started SCREAMING and was not going to sit still for the shot.  I'm so glad Mike was there to help hold him down.  The nurse ended up giving it to him in his leg, saying it wouldn't hurt quite as much as his arm.  He made sure to tell me later that it wasn't any better in his leg and it still did hurt.  :)

On Thursday, Caleb and Logan had a half day of school and they had a pajama party in their class!  They were so excited to go to school in their pj's.  They could also take a stuffed animal along.  Logan took Captain Mark the Shark (his giant shark that was a perfect pregnancy pillow for me), and Caleb took Batman Sam (because he wore his Batman pj's and Batman slippers).  This coming week they have their first field trip, I'm sure they will be excited about that.  I wish I could go along, but we cannot take other children along for this, and I'm not about to leave Jackson behind for a whole day just yet!

Thursday evening we went out to eat for the first time with all six of us.  Caleb and Logan each earned a free personal pan pizza for reading in October (so, really, Mike and I earned it...).  After supper we paid a visit to Grandma Krol at Sunset Manor.  Her mental health is failing, so it was an interesting visit, but the boys handled it well.  She asked probably ten times how old Jackson is, and was so surprised every time when we said he was one week.  And, she asked Levi about as many times if he liked his new brother.  He answered normal every time up until the last time we could tell he was a little exasperated, but thankfully I don't think Grandma picked up on that.  :)  After leaving Sunset, Mike and I were discussing when we could get over to visit my Grandma Tiemeyer at her new place, possibly even this weekend, then I got an email from my mom saying she was coming this way with a couple of my aunts yesterday!  So, it worked out for us to meet up with them for a bit at lunchtime and we had a very nice visit.  Somehow she ended up showing off for the boys how she can touch her tongue to her nose, and we all had a good laugh over watching them try to do it.  :)

jackson

Well, if there's one thing I've learned in life over the last 11 years of our marriage, it's that things do not go as planned!  Well, not as WE plan them anyways.  :)

Backing up to last weekend, we had a really nice time together as a family.  Friday was a beautiful day, and we took the boys trick-or-treating downtown Zeeland with Eric, Lea Anne, Boden, and Heidi.  Saturday was cold and rainy, and we took the boys trick-or-treating to Grandpa and Grandma VanBeek's, and to the Candy Land event at our church.  They were so excited about their Star Wars costumes, it was fun to watch them!  Caleb was Darth Vader, Logan was Luke Skywalker, and Levi was a Storm Trooper.  Logan and Levi especially have been dressing up in their costumes a lot at home, so I think they were a worthwhile investment!

Throughout the weekend we did things around the house to get ready to head to the hospital on Tuesday.  Of course, I was planning to have Monday yet for some final cleaning and packing.  I felt good and wouldn't hardly know it was time to have a baby if it weren't for the calendar saying so!  Sunday night I got a decent night's sleep, I think had a few contractions in the evening, nothing major.

Monday morning when I got up I was having some contractions, but again, nothing major.  They were irregular and not terribly strong so I didn't really think much of it and went about my normal business of getting Caleb and Logan to school, and then cleaning the house and such to prepare for going to the hospital the next day.  After a couple hours of the contractions continuing I thought maybe I should start timing them, but I still didn't think anything was really happening.  They were in general 3-4 minutes apart, so I thought just in case I'd better keep plugging away at my to-do list in case we would be heading to the hospital sooner than expected!  Well, I still didn't have enough time.  :)  Things ended up happening kinda fast.  My friend Amy had stopped in just for a bit, and while she was there things intensified and she convinced me I should call my doctor.  Since I'd never gone into labor on my own before, I was just so shocked that this could actually be happening!  So, about 11:30am I called the doctor's office, they said to head to the hospital to get checked out, but that it might not change the plan for the next day.  It didn't take long for me to know this baby wasn't going to wait until the next day and that he was definitely on his way - contractions were getting stronger and stronger!  I called Mike at work and told him we were going to head to the hospital to get checked out.  I didn't do a very good job expressing my sense of urgency, though, because when he got home and asked if he had time to shower I just about flipped.  He did have time, though, because we had to wait for his mom and stepdad to come for Levi.  :)  Once they got there I gave quick instructions about where to find the boys' clothes (since getting their bags packed was one of the things I didn't get to!), but then we were on our way.  I'm so thankful the hospital is close - not that the baby was coming that quick, it just would have been miserable to be in the truck for longer.

When we got to the hospital Mike dropped me off at the doors, and his cousin's wife just happened to be right there.  Crazy because she just had a baby there the week before and knew I was scheduled for the next day.  I had to sit down for a contraction while waiting for Mike, and a hospital worker saw me and got a wheelchair.  We headed upstairs to the Family Birth Center and they were ready for us and got us right to a room.  I had to get changed, and of course, all of this was complicated by ever-strengthening contractions that were worse when I moved.  So, I was checked into the hospital about 12:30pm, the doctor was there almost right away, checked me, and decided we'd better go ahead right away with the c-section!  (I was 2cm/90% effaced)  I was really wanting some drugs to help with the pain, but an epidural wouldn't work any quicker than just waiting for the spinal in surgery, and they offered me Staydol to take the edge off, but that makes you loopy and I really wanted to be clear-headed for the delivery.  So, I gritted my teeth, squeezed Mike's hand, and made it.  It was especially hard once I was down in surgery - Mike wasn't allowed in while they were prepping me, and I kept having contractions while they were giving me the spinal.  What blessed relief when it took effect!  More power to the women who do drug-free deliveries, I don't feel the need to be one of them.  :)

Once everything was ready to go, Mike was brought into the room.  It didn't take long before we had a baby born!  (At 2:01pm.) Mike actually peeked over the curtain, which I was pretty surprised about.  And, this delivery was different from Levi's in that I hardly felt them take the baby out (perhaps because he was 3 lbs smaller???).  Somebody said, "It's a boy!" and thankfully, it didn't take very long before I got to hear that wonderful cry.  Mike was able to go over and cut the cord, and after a few minutes bring him over to see me while they were still getting me put back together.  We had several minutes together, and we did talk about names, but didn't make a decision at that point yet.  After they were done with me, Mike was brought out and went upstairs to wait for us.  The baby and I were brought to the recovery room, where I got to hold him for the first time and feed him.  So special!  It was very hard for me after Levi's delivery to be separated from him while I was in recovery.  Another difference in those two deliveries is that after Levi's I had the shakes something terrible, but this time I felt great.  I'm sure it helped to not be going into this delivery completely exhausted!

After about 45 minutes we were brought back upstairs to be with Mike and have the baby weighed, etc.  We were all dying to know his weight after having an 11-pounder last time.  :)  Mike and I also took another minute to discuss names, and decided on Jackson David.  Jackson weighed in at a peanuty 8 lbs 6 oz.  Seemed so small to me!  Pretty soon after that the grandparents were there to meet Jackson.  Mike's mom and stepdad had brought Caleb, Logan, and Levi, so Mike brought them in first to tell them they now have a little brother and to meet him.  Then it was the grandparent's turn to find out they had another grandSON.  We were busy letting other people know about Jackson's birth as well.  We had a few visitors that day and the next.  Mike and I enjoyed the peacefulness of being at the hospital before heading home to reality.  I really have been healing well and feeling great - I am so thankful that I felt good right up to the end of the pregnancy, and am now quickly recovering from the c-section.

We are thrilled to have added another boy to our bunch, and are so thankful to God for a safe delivery and healthy baby!

conference

Yesterday was our first Parent Teacher Conference!  Yet another thing to make me feel old (or at least like I'm supposed to act like a responsible adult...).  Caleb and Logan both got a good report, and there were no major shockers.  Thanks to the homework I do with them on the days they don't go to school, I had a pretty good idea of how they were doing in certain areas academically.  But, it was nice to hear their teacher's perspective especially on behavior/social areas.

She said Caleb is just a delight.  :)  Good attitude, friendly, respectful.  We've got just a couple "language" things to practice a little more - rhyming and blends especially, and his sight words need some work.  But, he's doing well with knowing his letters and sounds, and composition (which at this point is drawing a picture and being able to tell the story behind what it means).  He's doing very well with his math, which he certainly doesn't get from me.  :)

Her description of Logan is that he is kind.  :)  Always helping others.  No surprise that he is doing well in the language area, and his math skills are good, too.  At home recently I've especially noticed his "composition" - in the nicer weather the other day he drew a huge, complicated picture out on the driveway with sidewalk chalk, and had a whole plan/story to explain.

We are so proud of both Caleb and Logan and how they are doing in school.  And, maybe not even so much academically, but to hear that they are respectful and kind is what really warms my heart!

home stretch

One week to go!  Hard to believe we're this close to meeting our newest addition.  On the one hand I feel like this week is going to take forever, but on the other hand it feels as if it will be here before I know it.  This past week I've had a handful of times that I really don't feel well, but thankfully it's not constant, so I'm still able to function.  :)  Baby was cracking me up at last week's non-stress test - you're supposed to push a button every time you feel the baby move, and Baby was so active I could have practically just sat and held the button down the whole time.  The doctor doesn't think we'll get up to 11 lbs this time, we'll see!  I don't feel quite as large and uncomfortable as I did with Levi, and my weight gain is lower - maybe we'll have a petite, little 9 pounder.  :)

Last week Caleb, Logan, and I had dentist appointments.  Mike came along to help manage the chaos (since I had to be in one room at the same time as one of the boys getting checked in another.).  We all checked out great - phew!  Caleb has a couple loose teeth and the dentist is predicting he'll lose one around Christmas, and one around Valentine's.  Will be interesting to see if he's right or not.  The dentist did take a quick look at Levi's mouth when I mentioned his thumb sucking, and said he can see just a little bit of 'cupping', so of course it would be good if he stopped...  We talk about it with him, but haven't tried terribly hard.

Mike started last week already with Friday's off for the winter, and it was wonderful!  So nice to have him around.  In the morning he took the boys with him to get an oil change in his truck, which they think is great fun because they get donuts and get to play Wii and watch tv.  I went out to run a few errands - was hoping to enjoy the time out alone, but ended up not feeling well so I just did what I had to do and got back home.  In the evening we had a friend's birthday party to attend, and we dropped the boys off early at Harold and Kara's so that we could go out to dinner first.  I was able to enjoy most of that, but ended up not feeling so hot by the end of the night.

Last night I was talking with Levi at bedtime about how he and I had stuff to do while Caleb and Logan were at school, and he said something like, "Yeah, while they're getting learned and teached."  :)  This morning was my weekly doctor appointment, and actually it worked out for him to tag along with Mike at work, so that was pretty special.  It worked out that I was done and ready to come back for him at coffee break time, so I brought donuts for everyone.  After that it was off to get groceries, a short stop at home to unload and eat lunch, then off to my hair appointment (very important to fit that in one last time before baby comes!).  Busy day!  And, we're paying for it now - we've got an overtired Levi on our hands.  :)  A little while ago some sort of disagreement arose between all three of the boys, and Levi threw a pretty good punch at Logan.  Watch out!

We have a conference with Caleb and Logan's teacher later this week, it will be interesting to hear how she says they are doing!  On our end they certainly seem to still be enjoying school, so I hope we'll get a good report.  I think Caleb is going to be "Star of the Week" next week, which he's pretty excited about.

harvest 2015

Good-bye celery harvest 2015!!!  (Almost.)  Harvest should finish up midday today.  Feels like the end of a marathon.  Well, I've never ran a marathon, but Mike said he feels like he did when he finished a 25k a few years back.  Close enough.  It has been a GREAT season for the farm, and it all went really well with the new packing shed, but it's just been so intense and Mike has put in so many hours for so many months now, we're ready to have him at home some!  :)

A couple Saturday's ago we were supposed to have our annual skeet shoot, but the weather ended up being really yucky.  Still had fun hanging out with Joe, Harold & Kara and kids, but it was a bummer to not be able to do their shooting.  There were able to get just a few minutes in before the rain got too bad - enough that the boys were out in the field collecting shot gun shells the other day and brought them in the house to play with.  Who needs toys??  That same day, before everyone came over, we quick ran over to school for a fall party they were having.  Would have been nice to have more time there (except for the crappy weather) - Mike and the boys spent some time in the "fun tunnel" (for a while I wondered if Mike was going to make it out), and they got to check out some little goats, and go for a ride in a really old car.  Then it was time for us to scoot out of there.

That same day Mike's co-worker and his wife gave birth to their twin boys.  She was actually due four weeks after me, and we'd been praying that those babies would stay in as long as possible and keep growing, but due to complications, the doctor's needed to deliver them.  They are teeny-tiny, but doing well!  They've got a long road ahead of them as they continue to grow while in NICU before they can come home.  We visited them a couple days after they were born - pretty incredible to see God's handiwork in micro-sized versions (one was about 1.5 lbs, the other about 3.5).

I spend a couple days last week finally buckling down and figuring out what we needed to get for Baby.  One of the days Caleb and Logan were at school and Levi got to have a special day with Grandma VanBeek, so I was able to go out and do a bunch of shopping.  The other day I did my shopping online (thank you, Amazon!).  So, I'm definitely feeling more prepared now.  :)

Last Saturday we went to a birthday party for the grandson of one of Mike's workers.  (So glad the weather was better!)  Sounds a little distant, I know, but it's part of the family that we have known and worked with for years - I've known them for 15 years, and Mike knew them for several years before that.  This was a much more enjoyable party than the one we went to last winter for one of his worker's sons...  People I know, mostly English spoken...that helps a lot!  The boys got oodles of candy, just what they need.  :)  Not only did they each get a good sized favor bucket full, the pinata was chock full of good candy and they got a pretty good haul.

Sunday was a pretty busy day with church, and I went to an extra meeting that was part of our missions conference.  My tail bone was complaining for sure from all the sitting - it's just been starting to bother me more, a sure sign I'm carrying a lot of extra weight around...  This week I've had a number of appointments to go to (doctor, vet, preadmission at the hospital, non stress test), and Levi has come along to every one handling it like a champ.  My little errand buddy!  Wednesday was the fullest - after getting Caleb and Logan to school we had to get Roxy to the vet for a check-up (with a stop at the farm to drop off Mike's uniforms because he forgot).  Then after her appt we headed over to the hospital for my preadmission appt, which is fairly lengthy.  We really needed some groceries, so we went out to do that after we were done at the hospital, and it ran into lunchtime so I figured we'd stop somewhere between our stops at Aldi and Meijer.  I explained that to Levi that I wanted to take him to a restaurant because he'd been doing so good, but he chose a Lunchable from the grocery store over eating out!  Oh well, I still ate out and just brought his Lunchable in.  Silly guy.  (I found out later after his day with Grandma that she offered to take him out for lunch and he said he'd rather have a peanut butter sandwich, so that's what they did!)

Yesterday was a non stress test for the baby, and he/she did great.  At the beginning of this week I went off of my daily blood thinner injections, so now we'll do weekly NST's just to make sure the baby's handling it okay.  Less than three weeks to go!  I can definitely feel that I'm big and heavy, but overall I really can't complain too much.  I'm not sleeping great, but it could be worse.  Heartburn is under control with meds, so that's really nice.  Baby moves a lot, and that's my absolute fav, wish I would never forget what that feels like!  Big brothers are super excited, that's so much fun to see.  Hope they're still excited when they see that baby is taking lots of Mom's attention for a while...  :)

no fear

I suppose I'm just a typical proud parent, but my boys totally rocked it this morning getting flu shots.  Since the only shots they've had before were routine vaccinations, I really wasn't sure how this was going to go.  We haven't done the flu shot for them previously since they weren't in school, but now with two Kindergartner's and new baby coming right as we head into flu season, we figured we'd better git 'er done.

So, this morning when they got up I told them what the plan was.  I explained that I really needed them to do this for the baby (that they'd be around more germs now that they're in school, and the baby won't be strong enough to get sick like that, etc.); and then, of course, promised donuts as a treat afterwards.  First phase, just telling them, went well.  Nobody lost it.  Caleb actually kept saying that he was excited (crazy kid).  When we got back to where they were going to do the shot and the nurses were getting it ready, then he said, "Maybe I'm not as excited..."  :)  I SO wish I had a recording of each of them getting their shot - the nurse would tell them to look at me (and, of course, the other two brothers were crowded around as well), and I could see that look on their face as soon as the shot started to hurt.  But, each of them was very brave and didn't cry - it was close, but they kept their cool.  Levi was the closest to crying, and needed a little hug after, but with three nurses and a mom cheering them on it all went well and they happily chose out stickers and suckers from the nurses, and then we were off for donuts.

almost there

September was a challenging month that I'm glad is almost over.  We had a lot going on with no break until this past weekend.  Between celery harvest going gangbusters and Mike's other commitments, I felt like a mostly single parent.  I really, truly don't know how single parents, military spouses, or those with spouses that travel a lot do it.  I am definitely not cut out to do this on my own.  Three out of the five Tuesdays Mike had meetings (and October will be just as bad, maybe worse).  That makes for a loooong day for both of us when he's off to work around 4am, goes straight to a meeting after work (maybe coming home for 15 minutes to shower), and doesn't get back until after the kids are in bed!  Also, one of the weekends Mike was out of town visiting his brother, which was a good trip for him, just not ideal timing; and, another Saturday was his annual day to a U of M football game with his brother/stepbrothers/stepdad.  Another good thing, but stinky timing with everything we've had going on.  :)

But, FINALLY this past Saturday we had nothing "major" going on - Mike didn't have to be anywhere, and he was able to just do clean-up type of stuff around the house outside, didn't need to spend the day hauling dirt, leveling dirt, or doing some other big project where he couldn't help with the kids.  It was such a breath of fresh air, and just what we needed to feel like we'll be able to survive until the end of harvest (there have been plenty of moments where we really didn't feel like we were going to make it).  And, it was so good for the boys to have a day to spend with Mike doing guy stuff outside!  I was able to meet up with a friend at a flea market for a bit (which was CRAZY - I think half of Michigan was there), and in the evening I had a photo session.  In general I am not doing photography work, but I will take on special projects - this was for a recent young widow at our church who wanted some photos of her kids around their apartment complex before they move to Poland in a few months (where she is from and her family still is).  It's heartbreaking.

3 weeks

Three weeks of school done, and it's still going well!  A couple mornings have been a little iffy with my slowpoke (Logan), but not TOO bad.  We haven't been late yet.  :)  And, Caleb and Logan are still both very excited when I pick them up at the end of the day.  They couldn't contain themselves earlier this week when they both had gotten moved up to "outstanding" on the behavior chart.  Concerning behavior, yesterday Logan told me right away that he had been put in time-out during recess for sending rocks down the slide.  (Something we've told them not to do when we saw them doing it at the open house...ahem...)  He was fairly upset about it.  If only this would be the worst school behavior problem we'll have to deal with over the next several years!  Bahaha!  Anyways, the way Logan handled this makes me think this probably really was the first bad behavior of the year, and I'm guessing that even if Caleb wasn't going to be as forthright with info on any of his bad behavior, we would probably hear about it from Logan.  Benefit of twins!  :)

They are excited every day, but Wednesday's are especially fun.  That's when they have Music, Spanish, PE, etc.  I hear a lot about Music and the teacher, Mrs. Silverthorne.  They really want me to meet her.  :)  This week they got to play bells and they were telling me all about the proper way to ring them (like an ice cream scoop, you don't just shake them).

Certainly things aren't perfect, but I do think them spending time at school is improving their time at home.  Caleb, Logan, and Levi play together nicer for longer periods of time.  Levi doesn't seem to have any trouble transitioning between being home with just me to having them around.  Levi and I enjoy our days that the other boys are at school.  Sometimes we take it easy at home, snuggling on the couch and reading books; sometimes we have errands to run, which he does pretty well with (helps that for places I really need to focus it's easier for me to let him play with my phone - couldn't do that with all three as it would cause too many fights).  He also does a good job helping me with some jobs around the house.  We've also gotten to help Mike at work a couple times!  On two different occasions now I've done a little packing, and Levi gets to hang out with Mike and be his helper.  He does a really good job with that - actually sticking with a task and not being in the way or anything.  Couldn't even consider doing that with Caleb and Logan, and I suppose next year at this time when I have an almost one-year-old it won't be all that doable either.

Just over 5 weeks until baby time!  Slowly but surely getting ready here.  Last week I got the playroom/nursery repainted.  When we get closer we'll have to get the toys out of there and get it ready for the baby.  This past Monday Mike's employees threw us a baby shower!  It was so kind and generous of them.  I'm a little bummed that the baby will be coming right after harvest, so we won't be able to show him/her off to them right away.  :)

krol's invade kindergarten

Our babies started Kindergarten yesterday!  When did these babies turn into little boys??  Certainly I've been watching it happen, and in a lot of ways it's been a long, challenging 5 1/2 years (actually I would say 4 1/2, since the first year was not that bad).  That saying, "The days are long, but the years are short" is so cliche, but so unbelievably true.  We're embarking on a new phase in life, and it feels kinda strange.  I'm a school mom now, not just a mom of littles.  Despite the fact that there are people my age with high schoolers, I don't feel old enough to have kids in school.  Ha!

We were all very excited for Caleb and Logan to start yesterday.  We've been counting down the number of bedtimes until the first day, and we had no issues with them going in to their classroom yesterday (I didn't expect any).  In fact, it went so well that it wasn't until I was out in the parking lot that I realized I didn't do a last hug and "I love you"!  No tears on my part, but I actually did feel a little something at the back of my eyes.  :)

The morning routine went fine, we'll see how it goes once the excitement wears off.  Logan isn't exactly a morning person, so he's the one I'm a little worried about.  I thought they'd be tired after school yesterday, but they didn't seem fazed at all, and still stayed up talking in their bedroom for a while after we put them to bed.  Maybe it will catch up with them today!

We had time for "first day" pics - out on the porch since it was a rainy morning.  When we got to school I did walk them in, but plan to just drop-off now.  We went in, put their rain coats and back packs in their lockers, Nathan and Jason walked past and said "Good Morning" (for which my boys were happy about), then their teacher (Mrs. Knapp) was at their classroom door, they were excited to see her and give her a hug, and then they went into their room and that was it!  Just like that!  Levi and I went for donuts at Post Family Farm (Wonderful pumpkin donuts that they only sell in the fall - I decided this will be a great first day of school tradition even once all the kids are in school...), brought one to Mike, got groceries and then went home to enjoy the peace and quiet.  Levi did make a few comments throughout the day, like, "I hope Caleb and Logan are having fun at school", "It's quiet here", and "Don't forget not to tell them we got donuts".  Ha!  He says he doesn't miss them, and he does fine on his own, but as soon as the boys got home yesterday he and Caleb went off to play and stayed busy for quite a while.  We're not going anywhere today, so we'll see how a whole day at home on his own goes.  :)

Caleb and Logan were so excited when I picked them up yesterday afternoon!  (Which, it just worked out that pick-up was during a torrential downpour.  Lovely.  It had mostly died down by the time I got through the car line, but it just wasn't ideal weather for first day pick-up.)  First thing I heard was that Caleb's "clip moved up" - this is their behavior chart in their classroom, and moving up is a good thing.  :)  Once we got home, Caleb was busy playing and Logan told me all sorts of stuff about their day.  Sounds like things went really well and they enjoyed it - hope that keeps up!

Note: I started this post before they got up this morning, now they're dropped off and into their second day.  Both of them were definitely dragging more this morning, things almost went bad with Logan, but thankfully we got out the door without major issues.  :)  This time I just dropped them off rather than walk them in, and once they got in the building before they turned to go down the hallway I saw them holding hands.  Melt my heart!  Levi is doing pretty well playing Legos on his own right now, we'll see how that keeps up.  Yesterday at lunchtime felt especially odd - this summer when Caleb and Logan were at vbs Levi and I had a few mornings on our own, but I've never had a lunchtime with one child before, it was so strangely quiet and calm.

Oh yeah, just remembered something Levi said the other day.  At church we had a fellowship time with lots of goodies - we let the boys have probably 3-4 cookies/treats.  After going to Taco Bell for lunch we were headed to Meijer quick to get dog food (Mike doesn't want me handling the huge bag we get.), and of course check on the celery in the store.  :)  Anyways, when I take the boys there for groceries I usually get them a cookie (the bakery gives them free to kids), so Levi asked if he could get a cookie.  When we told him 'no' he said he was going to let his kids have as many cookies as they want!  Glad he's planning ahead on his parenting.  :)

ticking

9 weeks to baby!  And, our calendar is fairly full, so it's probably going to go fairly fast.  I do have more I need/want to do to prepare, might be hard to fit in!  I'm not totally freaking out yet (just a little bit).  Yesterday was my 30 week check-up.  I haven't gained any weight in the last two weeks (yay!), but I am measuring 32 weeks (hmmm....).  Please, please, please let this baby be in the single digits!  Looking back at my records, at 30 weeks with Caleb and Logan I was 10 pounds heavier than I am now, and 7 pounds heavier with Levi.  I've been feeling like I'm not as large and uncomfortable this time as I was with Levi, but I thought maybe I was only remembering the very end with him and that I'm just not to that point with this one yet.  But looking at the numbers, I must legitimately feel better with this one!  Over the last week or so it's been getting a little harder to get comfortable in bed at night, but not that bad, I really can't complain.  Here and there the heartburn is a problem, but nothing like I had with Caleb and Logan.  I had been suspicious that the baby was transverse (which doesn't really matter since I'm having a c-section, but it's still nice to know) based on what I was feeling, and the doctor confirmed that.  Junior's head is on my right side (I often feel something bigger pushing out over there), and on my left side I know it's something smaller pushing out (whether it's hands, knees, or feet I don't know).

Last week was the Hudsonville Community Fair, something the boys look forward to all year long.  I managed to take them by myself Tuesday afternoon to do some of the smaller rides (so thankful it was cooler weather!), and then we went back in the evening so Mike could ride the ferris wheel with them.  They did really well and had fun choosing rides!  There were a couple that they all three did together, a couple Caleb and Logan did together, and then a couple that Levi did on his own (what a big boy!).  We shared elephant ears, got balloons, did face painting (Levi still refuses), and saw some of the animals.  When we went back in the evening with Mike, after they rode the ferris wheel we walked through more of the animal barns (I totally got spray peed on by a rabbit...really gross...).

Last Wednesday our sidewalks were poured!!!  So wonderful!  It's great having sidewalks again, and so far I'm happy with the new design (I'd better be).  Then the next day our driveway was resurfaced.  SO. MUCH. BETTER.  Things are on track to feeling normal again, having grass (hopefully this fall) will go a long ways towards that.

This past weekend was our annual canoe trip.  The morning of it was rainy and yucky, but the weather was great while we were on the river!  The boys had a great weekend at Uncle Eric and Aunt Lea Anne's playing with Boden and Heidi.

I spent time today going through Caleb and Logan's school supplies making sure they have everything and putting their names on their stuff.  One more week!!  We have summer weather again this week, so I took them to the splash pad this morning for a bit - gotta do that stuff while we can!

august

Oops.  It appears that August is almost complete and I haven't written a post since the end of July.  We've been busy!  For the past few weeks my project focus has been on the living room.  It's pretty much done and I couldn't be happier!  (Both with how it turned out, and just the fact that it's "done".)  Spent A LOT of time painting the trim.  While my sister was in town she helped with some of it, which was awesome, but it's still such a huge job and I am sooooo sick of it.  Thankfully, once I finish the trim in the playroom/to be nursery, I'll be done with it for now and I already have two coats of primer on in there, so there's only a small amount of torture yet to endure.  Anyways, I went for a complete color change in the living room (from red walls to blue) and it's great.  I've gotten alot of stuff hung back up on the walls (waiting for some updated family pictures after baby comes!), and Mike and I hung some shelves that really add to the room.  I'd still like to find a "new" recliner and eventually an area rug.  Next up is the playroom and once that is done, NO MORE PAINTING for me for a while!

We've had lots of activities to keep us going the last few weeks.  On the one hand it's good - helps me pass the time with the boys with all the hours Mike has been working; but on the other hand it's hard - managing the three boys most of the time by myself is certainly a challenge, and, of course, it's good to have some down time at home.  But, in some ways that creates more stress because right now, still not having a yard, playing outside means getting dirty, and not just a little dirty, so that means dealing with clean up.  And, like any normal family (I hope), we go through stretches where the boys play so nicely together, then there are PLENTY of times where it's just constant bickering, pestering, whining, etc.  All. The. Time.

Anyways, at the end of July I took the boys to a picnic at the park put on my Mike's dentist.  They had fun playing a few games, getting face paint (not Levi, he never wants it for some reason), eating hot dogs and ice cream, having pop, playing at the park, and dressing up for the photo booth.  The next day was a big birthday party for my Grandma Tiemeyer's 90th, and the start of a week of family activities as my sister was in town with her family.  (Always fun, but always exhausting!)  The birthday party was great - held at my parent's, and we got to see aunts, uncles, and cousins of mine that we don't see very often.  My parent's had a bounce house there for the weekend, so the kids got plenty of jumping in.

On Monday of the next week I brought Caleb and Logan to the vacation Bible school at Jamestown Baptist.  They were able to go to four of the days and they loved it!  My best friend was the Kindergarten teacher, and the boys knew a few of the other kids, plus they don't have any trouble making new friends.  :)  They did awesome crafts at that vbs, and it was fun each day to hear the boys' report.  That first morning, and I think Wednesday Michelle and I worked on painting, and Levi played nicely on his own.  :)  Tuesday some of us went to a customer appreciation thing at the Farmer's Co-op.   Bounce house, corn shelling, food, ice cream, and door prizes.  Wednesday evening we had a Ladies Night.  My mom, Emily, Michelle, Lea Anne, and I first headed out to the Downtown Market in GR.  Walked around there for a bit, then decided to head Zeeland way for dinner.  Ate at Elbo Room and it was fabulous.  Thursday evening the fam met up at Fuzzy Peach for Katie's birthday.  I think on Friday I pretty much crashed from exhaustion.  This old pregnant lady can only take so much!

Saturday it was time to switch gears and spend some time with Mike's family.  We had a big 60th birthday party for Mike's mom up at Harold and Kara's cottage.  The weather wasn't the greatest, but it certainly could have been worse, and we still had a great time spending time with family that we don't get to see enough.  So thankful that Mike has a great stepfamily and that we enjoy being together.  It was a treat to meet the newest nephew, Henry, born to Steve and Erin in early June - it felt pretty good to hold a baby again, I'm looking forward to doing that more often.  :)

The next week was another fun one with not quite as much craziness, but still busy.  On Monday I had a friend over for coffee who's expecting twin boys around the same time I am due.  There are some complications, so we're just hoping those boys stay in there cooking for awhile!!  Tuesday was finally my first trip to IKEA!  Harold graciously took the boys for the day, and Amy and I headed out to Detroit.  It was a lot of fun, and exciting to finally go to the store I've heard so much about.  I started painting the walls of the living room later in the week, and maybe overdid it just a little, but it was so nice to get it done!  Friday evening the boys and I brought a meal to a family that recently had a baby girl, and after seeing her they decided again that they'd be okay with a little sister.  :)  Saturday Mike spent the day hauling topsoil, I worked on the second coat of paint in the living room, and later we paid the price for neglecting our children...

Last week was a dr appt for baby where thankfully everything checked out good - had my glucose screening (no gestational diabetes), and got a tetanus shot (ouch).  Tuesday afternoon my friend Jen from college came over for a couple hours to visit.  Wednesday morning Marsha came over for coffee and to check out the living room.  The boys asked a couple times why I had so many ladies coming over - ha ha!  They asked when they'd be able to have friends over, and I assured them as soon as we have a yard we can start having their friends here again!  By Friday I had about had it.  But, the Lord gave me strength, and we're making it.  :)  Saturday Mike spent the day leveling the topsoil he had hauled in the week before.

And there you have it.  Most of August.  Only two weeks left until Caleb and Logan start school for the very first time!!  I really, really hope I can enjoy these last two weeks - I've been too stressed about all my projects (time to take a chill pill), and let's face it, being a mom is just no fun when your kids don't listen or are fighting or whatever.  But, we're on the brink of a new era and I don't want to just wish these last two weeks away, I want to soak up my little boys before they're all grown up.

july...

...is almost over!  Unbelievable!  I've been busy trying to work on a bunch of projects in the house - painting type stuff and little decorating things.  In addition to all the normal stuff...  I'm almost 26 weeks preggo now, and mostly have been feeling great but I'm starting to notice that my energy is petering out a little sooner and I pay for it when I try to do too much.  Still hoping to get lots done before I'm completely huge and practically immobile!  Paint the living room, move playroom to basement, paint nursery, and just get some other things in order that were upended with the house project.  And, oh yeah, I suppose I should make sure Caleb and Logan have what they need for school, and get a few things for baby before he/she comes.  :)  Mostly it's good that I've been busy, helps pass the time while Mike is working so much!  There are just some things that I need is help for, though, and there's the rub.

Last Wednesday the boys and I had a play date with our friends who have been in Italy for the last two years and are now back in MI.  It was great to have time together!  They have a boy 1 year older than Caleb and Logan, and they all hit it off like no time has passed.  They also have a sweet newborn boy whom the boys enjoyed checking out.  :)

Friday night we were able to go as a family to a balloon festival at the local fairgrounds.  It was a beautiful night for it, and it was so neat to see all the hot air balloons!  It was pretty busy and crowded, and the boys REALLY wanted to go on the inflatables they had there for kids, so we let them choose just one (since the lines were so long) and then we got out of there for ice cream.  Perfect night for a trip to the ice cream shop.

Saturday I was able to catch up with some college friends at a splash pad with the kids.  Worked out well since Mike wanted to get a lot of work done leveling dirt around the house, and that would have been hard to do with us at home.  I had such a great time catching up with friends, love it that it felt like no time has passed.  And, the kids (there were a lot of them between all of us!) all played great together!

Yesterday Logan had the special treat of going for his Kindergarten shopping day with Grandma VB (she does that for each grandchild entering Kindergarten).  She picked him up mid-morning (he was so excited to ride in her car), and I believe they went to the mall (got some new clothes, walked around, rode the carousel), had lunch (at DJ's), went to Meijer for school supplies, got donuts, and then went to the park.  The boys rarely get to do anything on their own like that, so that was pretty neat.  I was a little nervous about what backpack he would choose, and a couple days before we were in Meijer and happened to walk past the backpacks, so I pointed out what I thought looked nice/was appropriate/etc.  So, when shopping with Grandma yesterday he chose the John Deere backpack and I was a little surprised that he would choose that one - I guess he said something about how he knew I would like that one.  I tried to talk about it with him later to make sure he really likes the backpack himself and that he didn't get it just because he knew I liked it...I can't get a good read on where he's at on that one.  I'm not sure whether to feel special that he chose something he knows I like, or worried that he's trying too hard to please his mother...

Caleb just returned a little while ago from his shopping day.  He was so excited!  He had things pretty well planned out after hearing about Logan's day.  :)  (And, of course, little brother Levi has his plans, too.)  They followed mostly the same route: to the mall for some shopping and the carousel, lunch and playtime at McDonald's, Meijer for school supplies, and out for ice cream.  Caleb chose a Darth Vader backpack, which he is very happy about.  (The boys are very exited about Star Wars, even though they haven't even seen the movies yet...)  Now that they got a bunch of what they need with Grandma, I suppose I should figure out what else we need to get!  Feeling a little out of my element here with two kids starting school for the very first time - I'm clueless!

food

Building off of my last post, we are actually making some baby steps in the food department.  Huh?  I can hardly believe I can actually say that!!  All of the boys are trying some things (we're talking basics here) that previously they refused, AND LIKING THEM.  Nothing exotic, but it is very encouraging!  No headway in the vegetable department, but I'm not going to push it, I have hope for the future.  :)  This comes at a nice time since all our meals during the week are just me and the boys, and it's very tiring to constantly be dealing with the complaining, etc. on my own without a break.  Examples of our successes lately: Bacon (I know.  Seriously, right?); sandwiches made with leftover roast; a quiche with bacon, burger and cheese; ravioli; and eggs.

It's been a challenging...well...few months, but now specifically the last couple weeks.  Celery harvest is in full swing and it's just been crazy for Mike.  We knew it would be (more than normal), but that doesn't really help...  So, yeah, harvest is always a very busy time, but this year it's more intense for Mike because of the new packing shed and the fact that he is managing two packing lines and not "just" one.  That means a lot more moving parts (there's always a belt slipping, drain getting clogged, gutter jamming up, motor burning out, etc.), and about 50 employees to keep track of (there's always people needing to leave early for appointments, people that don't show up, people driving the dump truck into the barn, leaving lights on on a tractor so there's a dead battery, etc., etc., etc.,).  Mike's current schedule is about 5am-7pm, but that's likely to change a bit (to more like 4am) when they start shipping to V8.  And, evening's are spent either going to a meeting (had a couple church things this week) or working on the house.  That's a long day!  Especially when it's every day (M-F) for a few months straight.  We're both trying not to get discouraged that this is only the beginning of the season and we have to survive this until mid-October.  Of course, a huge factor in this is the fact that harvest is coming right on the heels of the major part of our house project.  Again, something we knew would be an issue, but there was nothing we could do about it.  We're both feeling worn out more like we normally would be in September, a couple months into harvest.  All that said, we are certainly thankful that we were able to do the house project and that it went as smoothly as it did, and we are thankful that Mike has a good job and he certainly has job security (there is lot of celery out in the field, and there's no one else that wants his job!).  Trusting the Lord to get us through the next few months, and then this winter I think we're going to just hibernate in the house and snuggle our new baby.  :)

Update on the house: porches are currently being worked on.  As with any project on an old house and all the things you run into, seems like it's a lot of monkey business.  I need to make up my mind on sidewalks and get that squared away.  We're getting quotes on new asphalt for the driveway.  Those are the main things right now.

Been able to do a few fun things with the boys lately that are helping to pass our long days.  :)  On Monday I took them back to the campground to visit friends and go swimming.  Tuesday we went on an adventure to the viewing park at the airport in GR, Wednesday was not such a good day (Logan puked all over the back of the van because he was hyper, tried to take a drink of water at the wrong moment, got into a coughing fit, and then vomited repeatedly), yesterday we went to a splash pad with friends.

I feel like I had things to write individually about the boys, but hunger is overtaking me and I'm drawing a blank.  :)

wha??

Not sure what alternate universe I entered, but just now after supper I got a completely unprompted, "That was a very good supper, Mom!" from Logan, and for a few minutes now they've been doing a decent job sitting and reading books (not unprompted, but I didn't get the usual amount of complaining when I told them to do it).  Caleb finished his books, so it's started to unravel a bit, but those few minutes were glorious.  :)

home

We're HOME, and boy does it feel good.  We moved home on Saturday, and now, finally, yesterday (Wednesday), I could say that the main floor is clean.  Phew!  Of course, there are plenty of things in the house to deal with as a result of this project: a couple leaky pipes, doors stuck shut, doors that won't shut, lots of cracks in the walls; not to mention the bigger things that still need to be completed!  The basement itself is almost a usable space (for storage or for the kids to play), but the outside still needs A LOT of work.  Need to get dirt piles leveled and everything brought to grade, porches built, sidewalk installed, driveway re-done, etc., etc.  Celery harvest is going now, so you know Mike has plenty of time to work on this stuff.  ;)

Yesterday was our 11th anniversary.  With all that's going on we neglected to get a babysitter and do anything real special - so, dinner at home with the fam and then out for ice cream and a drive it was!  A pleasant evening, but Mike and I should still go out on a date sometime.  :)

The boys all seem to enjoy being home.  All the dirt outside has been a little bit of a problem (when it rained the other day), but on dry days it's not too bad.  For some reason I have a high tolerance for dirt, but not for mud.  They seem to still have fun riding their bikes in the driveway (which I thought they might get bored with after being able to ride around the whole campground), and haven't mentioned missing the pool.  The day we moved home we set up Levi's new big boy bed and he's been doing great!  I really think sleeping in the motor home on vacation for so long, then being at my parent's/the campground for a couple months made this transition easy.  So far no issues with him getting out of bed.  We've gone back to afternoon naps for him, and he goes right down for nap and at bedtime no problem.  Now to work on the thumb sucking!

life...

...is crazy!  We've been out of our house for EIGHT whole weeks now!  Four with my parents, and four at an area campground.  I have no complaints, both of our living situations have gone very well, but I am starting to feel ready to be home.  Probably the biggest things for me are cooking and doing laundry - will be nice to have a better space to do those things in.  :)  Maybe in 1-2 weeks we'll be back in our house!!

The project really has gone very well and kept moving along at a good clip.  And, of course, once we move back in there will still be a lot of work that needs to be done.  Obviously, before things started we knew this was going to be a big deal, but until you're really in it it's hard to prepare for how stressful it really is going to be.  We're ready for it to be "done" and have said we don't need to do another big project for a LONG time.  (I'm not even sure what project we could come up with that would be bigger than this anyhow!)

Both Caleb and Logan have turned into fish in the swimming pool here at the campground!  This has been such a good thing for them.  Caleb will now swim across the deep end, jump into the deep end (he's tried a dive a couple times, but ends up doing a belly flop...), and dive for things in the shallow area.  Logan loves swimming under water, doing cannon balls, diving for things in the shallow, and doing dives into the deep end (he has pretty good form!).  Levi will stand on the bottom step, "jump" in from the edge as long as I'm holding his hands and don't let him go under water, and let me pull him around the pool - he's not quite as comfortable in the water as his brothers yet.

Last week Caleb and Logan were able to go to our church's Vacation Bible School.  Overall they really enjoyed it, it was just hard for them to get up on time for five days in a row (well, six, if you count Sunday before it started!).  Levi and I sure enjoyed our time together.  :)

Levi has been wearing underwear for over a week now!  Only a couple accidents at the beginning, he did good for several days, and then had one accident this weekend.  Yay!!

We FINALLY sold our rental house last week.  It's been a long process and for awhile we wondered if it would ever really happen, but it's really done and what a relief.

conversations

We have quite a number of interesting conversations around here.  If only I had a recording of all of them!  Last Sunday at Taco Bell (of course!) we were discussing our various Sunday School classes and I was telling the boys that Mike and I had been studying Paul.  I made a comment something about the really cool thing of his story was that he was such a bad guy but turned into a really good guy.  Either Caleb or Logan asked how, and I said that God can change anyone's heart.  Wouldn't you know it, the next question one of them asked was, "Why didn't He do that for Satan??"

A few days ago Logan said something about not wanting kids when he grows up.  Levi's response (said in his funny voice), "But you could have one like me!"

peanuts

Levi had his well-child visit with the doctor today.  He checks out good!  (Not that I'm surprised.)  He is 3' 3.25" tall (87th percentile), and 37 lbs (91st percentile).  Those stats seem pretty normal after the way he was off the charts when he was born!  I have to laugh at the paper they send home with us - right where his height and weight is listed it also says, "Smoking Status: Never Smoker".  I sure hope not!

I planned to do a little peanut butter test while in the office today.  Almost two years ago when I gave him peanut butter for the first time he got hives about 10 minutes later, so we've been avoiding it ever since.  Last year at his check-up the doctor said we were just best avoiding it for the time being, he might grow out of it, and allergy testing is really expensive.  Wanting to know this year whether he was grown out of it, I figured the doctor's office was the best place to test it out, so I just packed a cracker with peanut butter on it for him to eat in the office.  No reaction!  Woo-hoo!

I always enjoy visits with this doctor.  He's very down to earth, laid back, not uppity at all, and good with the kids.  I don't remember how it came up, but today he made a comment about how his oldest is 18 and he thinks God makes teenagers a little difficult on purpose so that as parent's we're ready to let our kids go - I heartily agreed that God must do that with kids when it's time to send them to kindergarten, too.  :)

my baby is three!

Levi turned THREE a few days ago, and I can hardly believe it!  What a joy to have this guy as part of our family.  He's trying to grow up too fast, which I suppose is what happens when you have two older brothers.  He certainly doesn't just sit back and let his brothers walk all over him, which is what they try to do, of course.  Levi has a pretty extensive vocabulary, but needs a little work on learning his colors.  :)  He LOVES heavy equipment, and that was the theme of this years birthday presents.  Weeks ago he said he wanted a tractor and baler, so that's what he got from Grandpa and Grandma.  Grammy and Papa got him an off-road articulating dump truck.  We got him a Lego set of construction stuff.  Levi still sucks his thumb - I've told him he could earn a new tractor if he stops, and he'll try for a little while and then forget.  :)  And, even though months ago he was wearing underwear successfully, we still haven't got back on track after the holidays messed things up.  Oh well!

We love you Levi and love the special dynamic you add to our family!

How can you possibly resist this face when he asks for a second cupcake?!

moving

What a whirlwind April has been - I can't believe it's almost May!  There have been many, many hours spent working on the house to get it ready for the house movers.  We moved out one week ago, and I was more than ready when the time came.  The last several days of living there were getting pretty challenging due to all the digging that was done around the house.  The day I packed the camper was cold and rainy, and I had the privilege of making several trips through the dirt as my only way in and out of the house was through the garage, and that concrete had been torn out a few days before.  :)  We've been in my parent's house for this past week, and will be moving to a campground probably this coming weekend - Friday is the soonest we can get in there, and we'll just see what the weather forecast is before we make the transition.  :)  It's been a little rough with the kids as Mike has been spending any extra time he has over at the house, but hopefully that will lighten up soon.  There will still be some things for him to do, but it's been such a big push the last few weeks to get things ready for the house movers (who came today).

In between all that we did manage to celebrate my birthday.  My boys gave me a beautiful new watch, and a cool plaque with a verse on it.  We celebrated that weekend before thinking we were going to be moving the day of my birthday, but then that got pushed back.  So, instead of having to get moved that day, the boys and I just had FUN.  Went out to donuts with a friend in the morning, and then of course brought some to Mike at work, lunch with my parents at Pizza Ranch, and it was a gorgeous day so I just sat out and enjoyed the sun for the afternoon.  The next couple days after that I helped out at a garage sale that some girls at church were doing, that was interesting and a lot of fun.  The boys had fun playing with friends, and really did pretty well.  Between what I sold and what I bought (found some great clothes for the boys!), I broke even.  :)  Oh yeah, earlier in the week Caleb and Logan went to Kindergarten Round-up at their school and had a lot of fun.  They were able to meet some of the other kids that will be in their class and spend some time with their teacher.  I enjoyed meeting some of the other parents, and we had a little time with the teacher as well to ask questions and such.  Cannot believe I will have two Kindergartner's in the fall!!

It's been nice and peaceful in the house here as the boys have been playing outside since lunchtime...Ahhhhhh......  :)

gone!

The tooth is finally gone!  We were on our way home from the gym/groceries (in the driveway, in fact) when Logan said something about chipping his tooth or something.  I looked back and there was a hole in his mouth!  We were very excited, so I quickly parked the van, and then we had to search a minute for the tooth.  Thankfully we found it.  :)

K

Last week Caleb and Logan had Kindergarten screening with their teacher (now that we've decided where they'll go to school).  Caleb got himself in a funk right beforehand, and I pretty much had to shove him in the door, but apparently they've decided they'll still take him! :) Talked to the teacher yesterday, and a couple interesting things she said was that they both counted the highest of any of the kids - they both made it to 43 (she met with them separately, by the way).  Also, between the two of them they know when their birthday is - one knew November, and the other knew 29.  :)  Not a big surprise, we should work a little on lower-case letters.  I've noticed for a while that they don't know those like they should.

Logan STILL hasn't lost that tooth yet.  It's getting all pushed to the side and skeehawed from the tooth coming in, but it's not coming out.

Levi has not yet gotten back to where he was in the underwear wearing area.  Can't believe he was doing good for like a month, and now he's been back in pull-ups for a while!  And lately he's been crying wolf alot lately about having to pee.  Sometimes he insists he has to go, gets all set at the toilet, and then says, "Actually, I don't."  And most of the other time he just doesn't care and goes in his pull-up.  Doesn't make sense!  (What DOES make sense with an almost three-year-old??)  Thankfully, he's still good with #2.

cultured

The boys are watching The Sound of Music for the first time, and for the most part are enjoying it.  :)  They get a little antsy during some of the slower parts, but otherwise they are halfway through the movie and are still into it!

Mike and I are going to see The Phantom of the Opera on Saturday, and I cannot wait!  I just told the boys about it the other day and they're a little bummed that they aren't going, as they're huge Phantom fans, but I promised when they're older we'll take them.  :)

wrap up

Now that I've procrastinated a couple weeks, let's see if I can summarize the last several days of our trip!

On the 15th we drove from Albuquerque, NM to Amarillo, TX.  We had just a little time to spend driving through Palo Duro Canyon.  We had hoped to spend the night there and have a little more time to explore, but it was full.  :(  The boys had been looking forward to sleeping where Indians used to sleep, and they don't handle a change in plans real well!

On the 16th we drove from Amarillo, TX, to Wichita, KS.  I can't remember if it was this day or the day before that we got pulled over for speeding.  Oops!  Surprisingly, the officer let us go with just a warning.  The boys were watching a movie the whole time and didn't even realize what was going on.  Levi came up and asked why we were stopped, we told him to look out the back window, and then he tried to tell Caleb and Logan there was a police car back there, but they were too focused on the tv.  Oh brother.  When we got to Wichita it was windy and hot!  That evening we went out for burgers and ice cream to celebrate my dad's birthday.

The 17th we spent the whole day at the Sedgwick County Zoo in Wichita.  Not the greatest weather (it cooled down SIGNIFICANTLY from the day before and was still windy), but we had fun seeing all the animals.

The 18th we drove ALL DAY from just outside Wichita and arrived home at 9:30pm.  We had thought about breaking it down into two shorter days, but once we got going we were really anxious to get home!  Props to my hubby for the stamina to keep going.  :)  We had a GREAT vacation, but it was so nice to get home and sleep in our own beds, cook in my own kitchen, do laundry in my own laundry room....

Saturday, March 14, 2015

Thursday morning we all loaded up in my parent's Yukon and headed out to Zion National Park.  I had considered nixing that part of the trip, but I'm so glad we didn't!  The scenery was breathtaking, the boys loved the long tunnel with a few cut-out windows, we enjoyed a nice lunch at the restaurant in the lodge there, and then Mike, my dad, Caleb, Logan, Levi, and I went on a nice long hike.  The hike was pretty cool - started out easy then got more challenging.  The boys did great!  And, it was really neat at the end to see the waterfall and pool.

Friday morning we hit the road for Albuquerque.  It was a bit of a drive, but as usual, the changing scenery makes it enjoyable.  For the most part the boys are still doing well in the motor home.  Certainly, there are "moments, but a lot of the time they play pretty nice, and of course it's helpful to be able to put a movie on for a while (we usually do that in the afternoon after lunch).  In Albuquerque we're at a nice campground, and our site is right near the playground - the boys are LOVING it.  There are lots of other kids around, and they've spent a lot of time playing there. 

This morning, after breakfast (a continental breakfast in the campground office!), and some playtime at the playground, we loaded into the Yukon and drove to Madrid.  It's an old ghost town that now has a bunch of fun little shops and restaurants.  Maybe not the most fun for the male contingent (especially since the minding museum was closed), but my mom and I enjoyed browsing through the shops.  We had a delicious lunch at an outdoor restaurant, and after the men and women split up, my mom and I ended up buying my first pair of cowboy boots!!  Talk about an impulse purchase...  She mentioned wanting to shop for my birthday present, I saw these boots and couldn't resist trying them on, and she convinced me to get them.  :)  This afternoon we actually sat and enjoyed the sunshine for awhile, while the boys played on the playground.  After supper and some pie (to celebrate "Pi Day), we're going to start winding down soon.

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Yesterday morning we took off from Sedona for the Grand Canyon.  What a beautiful drive!  We stopped in Flagstaff for gas, groceries, and coffee (just the important things! :) ) We arrived at the Grand Canyon right after lunch, got a campsite, and then headed out to do some sightseeing.  We were able to catch the shuttle bus right from our campground and take it to different points around the canyon.  The boys weren't as impressed as I'd hoped, but it was still neat to see.  :)  I think they enjoyed riding the bus more!

This morning we did some more sightseeing at different points around the canyon.  The anxiety level was a little high as some areas don't have good fencing...three little boys, plus the Grand Canyon...yikes!  After lunch in the motorhome in the parking lot, we hit the road and made it to Page, AZ, early this evening.  Supper at a local burger joint, Slackers, and now we're winding down for the evening.

Monday, March 9, 2015

Saturday morning we got up early (most of us, Logan didn't wake up until we were down the road a ways!), and headed for Hoover Dam. We enjoyed walking across the Memorial Bridge, and then the dam itself.  It was a beautiful morning!  We didn't do a tour of the dam, we'll have to save that for someday when the kids are older.  :)

After finishing at the dam we headed for Sedona, AZ.  Another beautiful drive and we got to a high enough elevation to see snow again.  :(  Not to worry, though, no snow here in Sedona, and it's been nice and warm.  We arrived at our friends', the Carthcart's, and have had a nice time visiting and seeing the beautiful mountains around.  Sunday we attended their church, and then had a nice lunch at Oak Creek Brewery.  Later in the afternoon, Mike and the boys played at a park while I did some "shopping".  Then we were able to head up towards the airport for a great view of the sunset.

Today we went on a hike nearby in the morning, took a drive around the area in the afternoon, and this evening Mike and I were able to go on a Pink Jeep Tour.  It was so neat!  Some serious off-roading with the reward of incredible vistas of the area.

The boys, especially Levi, are showing signs of being busy for a few days and not getting enough down time.  Generally, our schedule so far has been a day of activity, then a day of driving, which gives them a chance to have a bit of a break from all the stimulation.  Levi was being especially challenging today, and I know a big part of it is just that he must be so tired.  Hope he gets a nap tomorrow while we're on the road!

Friday, March 6, 2015

Wednesday morning we headed out from Carlsbad, NM, and made the drive to Tucson, AZ.  What a beautiful drive!  We thoroughly enjoyed the drive.  The boys did quite well - they seem to be adjusting just fine to life on the road.  We arrived in Tucson and stayed in an RV park that didn't technically have age restrictions, but it was packed and mostly with 55+.  :)  They had a heated pool, which we took advantage of that evening, despite it being fairly chilly out after dark!

Thursday morning after breakfast I went out to stock up on some groceries.  After returning from that we all headed out to the Pima Air & Space Museum.  Pretty neat.  The boys got a kick out of all the different airplanes.  They all start to look the same to me after awhile...  We got back to the campground with plenty of time to go swimming before supper, and soak up some sun.  All three of the boys loved the pool!  Caleb and Logan are both doing very well - swimming a little on their own without a lifejacket, jumping in, going under water, etc.  Levi still wants to hang on pretty tight, but is getting more comfortable.

This morning we left Tucson and by mid-afternoon arrived in Oatman, AZ.  The last 8 miles were rather nerve-wracking!  Two lane road, no shoulder, very curvy, on the side of a mountain, and of course I was on the outside edge practically hanging off the edge in our big, lumbering motor home...  Had we been heading the other direction and I could have been on the inside against the mountain I would have enjoyed it a little more.  :)  Anyways, Oatman was quite something.  It's an old mining town that has donkeys just roaming around down the street.  They've got lots of little shops and it was a nice place to just walk around a bit.  After finishing there, we headed to Needles, CA, to find our campground for the night.  So, we made it to California on this trip!  Barely.  The boys had fun playing in the dirt before supper, and now are all showered up and ready for bed.

Part of the road to Oatman, AZ.

Some of the donkeys in Oatman, AZ.