Attention Trekkie Fans

There seems to be a new Spock in our midst. As Captain Spock has retired, meet the new Captain of the ship:














Saturday night both Zach and I had the same nightmare. How weird is that? Anyway, he has been wanting a dog for awhile but has held back because I really don't want one. Well, after both having the same dream he felt a dog was in our family's best interest so after church yesterday he went to PetSmart and adopted Spock. He is a Shepherd Mix. He's 3 months old. So far he is a very good dog, I must admit (although I still don't want a dog). Poor thing puked in our playroom twice from eating a mushroom outside. He cried a bit when we gated him in his area, but otherwise he did fine- no accidents all night! Then this morning he goes into the playroom and poops! Lovely! But, he has done real well and seems to be adjusting to us all well. He is not used to children, but he is doing well with them! He seems to be hesitant of the little people! And he loves to chew their toys, so we are constantly having to watch him. Anyway, we now have a dog in our midst. He is cute isn't he?
But I still don't want a dog;) 

Bad Hair Day

There has only been about two times in my life that I have gotten my hair cut and hated it. Yesterday was one of those times. It is layered and short so I don't think there is any hope of fixing it until it grows a bit. It doesn't even stay in a ponytail very well so I'm not sure what I will do. The good thing is that with being pregnant my hair grows faster! I'm SO disappointed though. I guess next time I will pay the $30 to have it cut rather than go to the salon at Wal-Mart. I thought I could save some money, but I am so frustrated with my hair! Just wanted to rant and rave again!

And the Winner is.....

my very own H!!!!! I guess nobody else even came close, like I had assumed! She is very excited. Not sure when we'll actually get it (when I picked her up they were still playing on it), but nonetheless she is thrilled! We all are! Way to go H!!! Like Zach said, now to explain the REAL reason we bring friends to Bible school!

Pets

They're furry, cuddly and like to eat. They can swim, sniff or bite. Some sleep with you, some sleep in a cage. I am not talking about these kind of pets, however. I am talking about pet peeves. We all have them. Don't deny it!

Lately I feel like I am being avoided by a few various people. This is one of my pet peeves. How hard is it to return a phone call or email? Sure, we all get busy with our families and life and the things we go through. But to constantly avoid a person is to make them feel like garbage. I sit and wonder what I did to tick them off, if I did anything? I think we as women often take things personally. I know I do. Especially being pregnant. I wonder if I am a pest. I wonder what on earth is wrong with me. It really just irritates me that my so called 'friends' don't act like the friends I thought they were.

This is just one of my pet peeves. And it is really irritating this pregnant lady lately. I know sometimes I blow things out of proportion, especially being pregnant, and I'm sure I'm doing it in these cases, but still. This is my blog and I will rant if I want to, rant if I want to, rant if I want to. You would rant too if this happened to you!!!

What are your pet peeves???

**Author's Note: It is especially difficult in this day and age to maintain friendships, but when it is across the miles and phone calls and email are the only way to go... Just an added thought I had!

On Your Marks, Get Set

GO!

H is attending Backyard Bible Club (VBS) this week and is in a competition to win this:













What does she have to do? Invite the most people. So far I think she is in the lead. Hopefully we'll have at least 2 more if not 5 more people show up tomorrow and she will win it! I know the kids would have a blast on it! I think I would too (if I'm not too big).

**Oh yeah, thank you to those of you that came and helped us out. Wish you all lived nearby so we coud invite you too!

Enuf With Da Pitures!

Are you tired of all of the pictures yet? I've been doing an awful lot of picture sharing and not enough typing. Life has been crazy here. I think I've been living in a whirlwind the past two weeks with running around! Finally I can sit back and relax...well, not really, but I can dream, right?

So, H had swimming lessons every day for the past two weeks. She did wonderful. Her teacher, a 15 year old, was so good with her! Turns out she has horses and she even invited us to her house so H can see and ride the horses! She bought H a gift too! It was so sweet. Today was her last day of lessons, but yesterday was the last day with that teacher. I could have cried! I was really holding back the tears for awhile there! Yesterday was the first day that H jumped into the water by herself too and I almost started to cry! I am an emotional wreck at times lately. I even cried watching the movie Annapolis!

I was assigned a doctor I did not want to see, but they were nice and changed it to the doctor I want. I have less than 2 weeks to go to see him. I seriously don't remember waiting so long to see the doctor. H and J keep telling me I'm having two babies. I think they just hope for a girl and a boy. I just want to know how far along I am! It is driving me crazy not knowing! I still haven't puked yet, but I sure get to feeling nauseous at times. The joys!

I drove up north an hour and a half to a curriculum fair for Bob Jones. I knew what I wanted, pretty much, but I always like to try to look at what I am buying before I buy it. I also had the opportunity to look at some Christian Liberty Press materials. I really like the fact that their stuff is so Christ based and nicely priced. If you want to homeschool but don't have a lot of money, you can totally afford CLP. Bob Jones is Christ based too, but it seems like CLP has Jesus interwoven into everything, which I really want! I think it is so neat that I can teach my children anything (reading, History, science, math) and Jesus can be taught in it all. I only wish I had an education like that! I am still undecided about what to do with science and history. I really like the looks of CLP's but I also like the Bob Jones. So, any advice from anybody that has used either one?

Can you believe that school down here starts in 2 weeks?!?! That is SO crazy! I am NOT starting THAT early! I like my summer vacation. I meant to do a bit of this and that with the kids this summer, but really haven't had a chance. I may as well enjoy my 'time off' while I have it! I am sure it will get much busier with another child on the way!

Speaking of school, I am going to start doing little things with J this year. I am looking at either Little Hands to Heaven or Bright Beginnings. They are both very affordably priced books and have a wealth of things to do. It's not the sit down kind of work either, but fun things to do. I think even G will like some of the activities. These are also very Christ-centered. It's not like I want to sit down with him and bore him with school, but I do want him to learn various things, especially about God, manners, good character, things like that.

Tomorrow I am having a garage sale with my neighbor. I am pricing things very cheaply, but I hope to make some money so that I can use it toward books for the school year. I know when I go to garage sales I don't like to pay a lot for used things, so I try to mark it to what I would pay. Sometimes you hit a sale where they want an arm and leg for things. I went to one last weekend and they wanted $2 for a Nicholas Sparks book. Well, if it were about .50$ I would have bought it, read it and sent it to my mom to read, but I can get it for free from the library!

That's about all I can think of to write about for now. I've got some thoughts floating in my head but just not the time to form them into something coherent!

Goldilocks

Last week when G got his hair cut H wanted one too. So a few days later we went back. She had more than 10 inches cut off and donated it to the Locks Of Love.

G is learning how to drive! Watch out world!!!



 

Swimming Lessons

H began swimming lessons this past week. The first day she was terrified to even get in the water! Most of the other kids were in the water holding onto the wall, but she would only get in if one of the teachers were working with her. But at the end she came up with a big smile and said she had fun. The next day she stayed in the water holding onto the wall. She was nervous about doing some of the things, but by the end of the week she was much braver- even smiling and laughing and making friends. It is through our local community college and the teachers are just wonderful. She was so leary and they worked so well with her! She has lessons this week and then she is finished. There are swimmers of all different kinds- from ages three and up. Some know how to swim and some don't. I hope to get her in them again next year so she can continue to learn. I barely know how to swim and I hate going in water above my head. I would love for my children to know how to swim pretty well- unlike their mother. Here are some pictures. And H has a surprise for you all...stay tuned!

Are They All Yours?

Today I had my referral appointment on base. I had to take my 3 children with me. After waiting almost an hour to be seen for a 5 minute appointment to get my paper I finally get to walk to the referral management office. I already know the doctor I want and I politely tell the lady when I get there. She gets out her 'list' and looks, confirming that he is approved, but tells me they will assign me whoever and if it is not who I want to call them and they can change it. I ask a few more questions, politely, mind you, and meanwhile the kids are being pretty well behaved. G is in the stroller and H and J are behind me. As I'm finishing up she gives me this scrutinizing look and asks me, "Are they all yours?" She is probably thinking I've lost it- especially with another baby on the way! I tell her yes, thinking to myself "Duh! It's not like I drag the neighbor kids around with me!". I don't understand why people think 3 kids is a lot? I don't think it's even a dent in the 'too many' book! I was pretty frustrated with it all, just because society thinks that children are such a burden. Sure, sometimes I feel that way, but really I am SO blessed to have them in my life- to be given such a gift to be a mother. I strive to be a good mother and to show others that I am not struggling with 3 little ones under foot. I know everybody has different things they say in regards to the "Are they all yours question?". I want to be polite in a response and also let them know that I enjoy my children and I am blessed to have them! What would you say? I've heard a lot on this issue, but I'm curious what all my blog readers would say, so speak up!

More Pictures

Here's G making another funny face. Oh, he is such a cutie, isn't he????














This is J wearing a wig of daddy's and a play-doh mask that daddy made! They are SO goofy!














We went to Lynn Meadows Discovery Center last weekend and here is H dressed up. She reminds me of Laura Ingalls! Isn't she a beauty?














Here are H and I having a fiesta at Lynn Meadows!

4th of July Pictures

Here is H with her friend C. She had a blast playing over there and we all had a nice time visiting.











Lately when you tell G to smile this is the look you get. He's becoming like J!








And now J smiles so nicely!

Provision

God is SO good. This morning I decided to weed through some of the boys clothes (again). It is a constant thing. As I was going through all of their clothes I realized J has only 2 pairs of jeans! Now, we won't be needing jeans for months, but it is always nice to have them on hand when the weather eventually turns.

Tonight as I was returning home my neighbor pulled up and told me he has a bag of clothes for me that his son outgrew. I absolutely love hand-me-downs! I don't dress my children all fancy and frilly and spend tons of money, but I also don't dress them in rags. If I can find a good deal at a garage sale or thrift store, great! If it happens to be a brand name, cool!

It just amazes me how on the same day I thought I would have to buy J some jeans in the future that he receives 4 pairs!!! All in great shape! Plus a slew of other things: shorts, a ball cap, shirts and khakis. God is SO good!

People wonder how they can afford X amount of kids. People question us having 'so many'. How will we afford it? Let me tell you- God provides! I can't remember the last time I've spent money on clothes for my kids and paid full price. And they have some nice clothes! So- it can be done.

Matthew 6:25, 26 states "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

God is amazing!

Good News & Bad News

First the bad news...today while coming home from the library there were police cars in front of a brand new home that is for sale that's on our street. A man across the street told us that a body was found in a car in the garage. I am mortified, freaked and curious. Was it a murder? Suicide? Do I need to be concerned for my family? I haven't seen/heard anything more. I think we're all a bit shook up in the neighborhood right now.

The good news...Kirschman's (its a furniture store) is going out of business. Today we unexpectedly went into their store. We walked away buying a king size bed. Price? $700!!! Did you get that? A KING size bed (mattress + box spring). I didn't plan on co-sleeping with this next baby, but heck, with a king size bed, why not!?!? Plus G still ends up in our bed in the middle of the night! Even if I don't co-sleep, what a luxury of having so much room in bed! Ahhh, heaven for the pregnant lady!