Wednesday, July 28, 2010

30 weeks and counting

If you can't believe that I am already 30 weeks pregnant, say "I!"

"I!!!!!!!!"

Wow! 30 weeks... that is like over a third of the way through pregnancy... that means there is about 10 weeks (or less) until the baby comes... that means that I am well into my third trimester...that means that I have TONS to do to get ready! YIKES!! Paint his room, get the bedding, get a new bed for Hannah (did that last night), wash all of the clothes (the TONS that I have got at yard sales), make sure we know how to get to the hospital, take a tour of the hospital, etc.

I have been feeling pretty good... and my doctors are pleased with where I am. It is rather annoying though that I have to go to the doctors every two weeks and I sit in the waiting room longer than I am actually with the doctor! That is a good sign, though. We are healthy and don't need all of their attention. Our son must have his foot or hand on my right side. Throughout the day I feel him moving that limb up and down -- it feels like a ball rolling against my tummy on the inside! SO COOL!


Keep praying for a healthy mommy and baby boy!

Monday, July 26, 2010

Auntie Amy

Grace always LOVES spending time with Auntie Amy -- she gives her lots of attention, reads her books, and scratches her arms with her fingernails. Grace loves the goose-bumps! Amy came to visit us for just over 24 hours this weekend because she was in a race in Iowa on Saturday. Danny's mom traveled with her. It was great to see them. Here are the pictures from our jammed-packed 24 hours with them!
Taking a bike ride to our park...

Eating ice cream at Dairy Queen...


Bed time stories...


Playing after church on Sunday...

The COUNTDOWN

The count down to our visit with KA KA has begun! Kelsey just bought her tickets and Grace is MORE THAN ready to have her precious KA KA with her again.

There are 12 days until that beautiful reunion, and we have it mapped out on the fridge. We will color in one of the boxes everyday at bed time. When we get to the happy face... KA KA will be here in Iowa! Can you hear the cheering?
Here are some of the great pictures of last time she was in IA:



Yes, Grace was attached to her the WHOLE time... and she will be again soon. Kelsey, just don't get any ideas about bringing her to Cedarville with you. The answer is NO! :)

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Astro-SNOTS

So.... this morning Grace and Hannah got into the tupperware cabinet. Hannah loves to play in there, bang on the containers, stack them and put them on her head -- the typical things that a 16-month old likes to do. BUT this morning was different because Grace decided to get in on the action. She grabbed two of the largest round containers, put them on her head and her sister's head, and announced, "Mommy, watch us! We are going to play astro-SNOTS!"


Well, I just had to laugh and laugh... then take pictures! They ran and ran around the house with their helmets on as they crashed into things, giggled, and made "rocket" noises!


What a hoot!




They are a great-looking pair of ASTRO-SNOTS!

Monday, July 19, 2010

Baseball Babe

We have quite a good baseball player on our hands! Grace has been asking and asking for a baseball bat, and I have been looking for one at yard sales -- along with soccer goals. I haven't found either so when MomMom was here she asked me what Grace would like at Wal Mart. "A baseball bat!" was my answer. I know it sounds odd for my little girl, but she LOVES it and is a great hitter. She loves it when we pitch it to her and she gets a big one! She is determined to hit that ball and hit it hard!

She is certainly keeping her eyes on the ball!
Look at this concentration!


Oh, ya, Hannah had fun with the bat, too! She thought it was nice to chew on! :)


Saturday, July 17, 2010

You either love it or hate it!

So which are you? Are you a lover of Facebook or a hater of Facebook? I think most people are in one of the two categories. Most of the time I like Facebook but tonight I love it!

"Why is that?" you ask. I have been "friends" on Facebook with Kyle one of the kids that I grew up with and we have talked a few times. But just this week, he wrote to me and asked if we were going to be around on Saturday because he and his family were going to be driving through Des Moines on their way home to Colorado!

I was so thrilled that Kyle and Leah and their family asked to get together with us. We invited them to dinner at our home and they accepted. We just spent a great evening getting to know their whole family over homemade pizza and chocolate trifle.... Yummy (I had been waiting for an excuse to make that dessert)! I had never met his wife or his children, and we figured out that we actually haven't seen each other in 15 years or so! UNBELIEVABLE!

We had been so close before he and his family moved to Australia as missionaries and we have seen his parents a few times (they even stayed with my parents for a few days last year). It was great to reconnect. It was great to talk about old times and about where our families are these days. It is great to talk about what the Lord is doing and how He has guided us and been our constant!

So... Thank you, Facebook, for reuniting friends!

Friday, July 16, 2010

Little Ladies

So.. some people have asked me what we girls do all day. Do we play tea party, dress up, and feed our baby dolls? Do we make crafts and practice our manners?

NO... not in this house! We don't have little ladies.... even though they CAN BE at times.

We love playing baseball, soccer, basketball. We love throwing balls, doing puzzles, building with blocks, jumping on beds, and racing cars. BUT my girls also love to wrestle and tackle. As you will see, this simple song of "Ring around the Rosie" turns into nothing lady-like... and that is fine with us!

Sorry that this is so long.... I didn't know how to cut it down! I need Danny's help!

Thursday, July 15, 2010

10 years of learning

10 years of marriage has taught me a few things... what to do and what NOT to do! Overall, it has been a learning experience not only about my Danny, but really about myself! I have learned what a selfish person I can be, how I like things my way, how I resolve conflict -- or avoid it, and how to manage a household. I have also learned the way Danny likes things -- from the way toilet paper comes off of the holder to the amount of crunchiness in his broccoli.

When we took our vows 10 years ago, we could have never dreamed of the things that we would have experienced...or where the Lord would have taken us! We definitely would NOT have thought we would be in Iowa... Jamaica? possibly...but not Iowa! :) We are truly thankful for the blessings and the trials that we have gone through for in those times we have grown to love our God more and each other more. I praise the Lord for a godly husband who leads our family and seeks to honor the Lord with his life. I love that he gets up early to study the Word. And I think it is cool how he LOVES the times that he gets to study ALL day for a sermon or sermon series! On those days he comes home and literally preaches the whole message to me including all of the details that he would NEVER have time to include in the message! I knew that he had potential when I married him.. we were both rough around the edges... but I am thrilled by the man that the Lord has been shaping for me (spiritually and physically -- he works out, you know!!). Many things have changed in the 10 years of marriage -- 3 kids, a house in Iowa, new ministry positions, financial positions, friends, etc -- but I will cling to him for another 10, 20, 30, or 40+ -- and follow him wherever the Lord takes us!



I LOVE YOU, DANNY LEE!

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

What could be cuter?


This was a picture of Grace, Vickey and Hannah, but other two didn't have a great expression like this! PRICELESS!!! She looks so old...not my baby anymore!

Family pictures

We tried to get a few family pictures while we had a photographer in the house this weekend...


These were the best two!

Weekend with Mom-Mom

Danny's mom (Mom-Mom) came for a visit -- from Thursday to Monday. We tried to cram as much into the weekend as possible. You will definitely see from these pictures that we were busy -- to the park, to the zoo, to the Splash Pad, to the Lake, etc! We had a great time and the girls were especially glad to have a special time with her which they don't get often!

At the Park outside of the Zoo -- waiting for Hannah to wake up

Hannah LOVES feeding the animals... she SQUEALS with delight!

Mom-Mom and Grace rode a camel... Grace had a blast, but Mom-Mom pretended she did!


Mom-Mom brought a few new Bear Books for the girls... Grace made her read them OVER AND OVER AGAIN!



At our park (Watercrest park)




On Saturday we went to Big Creek... gorgeous day!




Danny had to take his mom to an typical Iowa restaurant complete with a ceramic pig and tractor rides...The Machine Shed

Back at home playing with NEW toys
Hungry, hungry Hippos!


Splash Park in Ankeny
We had a great time with Mom-Mom. She loved being here and the weather was perfect for all of the activities we had planned!