Snow Fun, The Babies, and Love Day

We got more snow around the first of February and the kids just couldn't stay out of it. I took them out to play for a while, but I got cold so they just played on the front porch until they were completely frozen. I was watching them from the front door and this is what I found when they thought I wasn't looking.

Just a little update on Kamrie and her "kids" as she calls them now... She has gone from carrying just two babies around to all kinds of "kids."

Here is a picture of what I loving refer to as "Kamrie's orphanage"

And finally "Love Day." We didn't do a romantic date this year due to crazy school schedules and the like, but we had a very exciting pink breakfast and an entertaining trip to the outlets. Thanks for the flowers Dad (mom), Brady, and Kids. I had plenty of beautiful aromatic reminders of how much I was loved this year.

We also made and decorated cupcakes just like always. The kids got messy and had a ball.

Big Belly Update

So things have been crazy lately and I haven't been updating again like I should. Bla, bla, bla! But I have had more than a few requests for some belly pictures so... We took the first picture sometime in December so that I could keep everyone updated on my growing belly but here we are in February and it is still just sitting on my computer so now you get to see the comparison....Crazy what a a couple months will do to a girl in my situation!!!

Still Growing!!!

Sweet Success

As many of you may remember, we started this little process called potty training about 3 months ago. We thought we had it about licked (she'd gone about 2 weeks without an accident, but with lots of persuasion) when our little sweetie decided that she didn't really want to use the potty anymore!!! I fought it for a few days because I thought we were so close, but gave up because I got tired of fighting it and cleaning up pee pee messes. Fast forward to sometime in January when the little princess herself woke up one morning and said she wanted to wear panties again. Of course I let her not knowing just how long it would be until she pulled the "just kidding" card once again. I wasn't a big fan of the joke the first time and probably wouldn't like just as much the second time around. However, this time seems to be the real thing. She goes everywhere in panties now and we really don't have to worry about accidents except the occasional tinkle as she's running to the potty or trying to pull her pants down. I couldn't be more excited. Right now I can say that it really wasn't that bad...although I think potty training is very similar to things like childbirth in that you forget all the pain when it's over and just think of the blessings.

Oh and did I mention, I love this little girl, attitude and all!!!

Snow Day

We had the most wonderful sNoW DaY last Wednesday!!! Tuesday morning we woke up to some snow and heard reports all day of more that was coming...I was a little skeptical since weather people are only right about half of the time. Well they can count this as one of the times they hit it right on. We got a 6:00am wake-up call telling us that even Brady's school was cancelled. By the time the snow was done falling we had almost 13 inches in only 24 hours or less. It was awesome! When the kids woke up I barely got everyone to eat breakfast before they were begging to go play in the snow. A good portion of the begging came from the oldest of the three (Brady). As soon as breakfast was done we bundled up and headed outside for some fun.

Caden got his first taste of snowboarding and he absolutely loved it.

Here he is just getting the feel for it on a little hill, but that didn't last long.

Attempting the bigger hill

I think he likes it...
Lets try that again!

Kamrie loved the tube, she wanted to go again and again. She even tried snowboarding with some help but I didn't get a picture. She had a blast just watching Caden come down the hill, she was quite the cheerleader.Kamrie was trying to warm up after our 2 hour adventure in the snow.

When Caden and Daddy finally came in, we had hot chocolate, marshmallows, and peppermint sticks. What a fantastic day...everyone deserves at least one snow day a year.

"Motherhood"

This is what we found one night last week when we went to check on the kids before going to bed ourselves. This picture captures how I usually feel at the end of the day...exhausted but content. I love that Kamrie loves her babies, she will make a terrific mom someday.

Christmas and Beyond

My, my it's been a while. It seems like I go in spurts with this blog thing. Sorry I'm so sporadic but here is a little of what has been going on in our lives. We had a wonderful Christmas. It was different being away from the extended family but our kids made it so much fun and we have lots of great friends here that made the sting of missing home a lot less painful. We had a fun little Christmas Eve party with all the traditional food from home and then watched the Nativity and a classic "Frosty the Snowman" before putting the kids to bed despite all the excitement for the next morning. We even read "The Night Before Christmas" and scattered some "reindeer food" on the back lawn so that they would have something to eat and keep them busy while Santa was working inside the house.

Christmas morning was truly exciting and we had a great breakfast, just like home, with some of our greatest friends.

This is one of those photos you keep in your stash to embarrass you kids later. In case you can't tell, Kamrie is curling Caden's hair and he is putting on lippy stuff.

Thanks for the rocking chair Grandma and Grandpa, we love it.

Breakfast

After Christmas we spent time just hanging out together and enjoyed a fantastic new year complete with sparkling cider, great food, and the best company.

The kids ringing in the new year (it was really only 9:00 but we did a fake countdown and everything just so they would feel like it was official.

Kamrie couldn't stay awake but she ended waking up later and celebrating.

Soon after the New Year began I had a short hospital stay which was no fun but proved to be no big deal really. I had a pain in my "baby belly", underneath my ribs, before going to bed one night. I hoped it would be better the next morning with some rest. I had the chills on and off all night so I assumed I had a fever, but I really just wanted to sleep. The next day things got worse...after talking to my Doctor and calling Brady home from school, I headed to the hospital. I was terrified that there was something wrong with the baby. After lots of tests, antibiotics, and a lot of support and prayers I came home 2 days later. The docs still aren't sure, but assume it was probably a gall bladder attack or some random infection somewhere else. They monitored the baby closely while I was there and she was doing just fine. I started having some contractions that were pretty consistent but they said that is normal when your body is fighting an infection. The contractions continued for a while after I came home but have since tapered off somewhat. We are so glad that our little one decided to stay put for a while longer and that she is healthy. Thanks to everyone for all the prayers, phone calls, magazines, visits, help with the kids, and everything else. We feel so blessed to be surrounded by such wonderful people.

Brady has been keeping busy taking little trips here and there to try and nail down some plans for what our future may hold. Graduation is creeping up faster and faster and we still have so much to do. Our lives will be pretty busy and exciting for the next few months. We are excited but a little nervous about all the changes. Caden has been praying for weeks now that we can drive safely on our trip to our new house. Each time he says it I laugh a little but I also feel like crying at the thought of leaving this place we have come to call home.

I will try to update a little more frequently but...well you know...no promises.

More Christmas Fun!!!

This should have been posted before Christmas but I started it but didn't get the pictures put with it until just now. Oops.

We have been enjoying having our Daddy home and watching as our kids, especially Caden (he is obviously more excited since he knows what is coming), get more and more excited for the big day to arrive. We carried on with a tradition we have done in my family since I was small, except we made a gingerbread train instead of a house and I didn't spend hours on end putting the little tiny houses together for each child like my Aunt Sue used to do for us, but the kids loved it and they couldn't wait to eat the finished product.

Getting Started

Kamrie took her job of handing Caden the pieces to be put on next very seriously.


After we got over our latest bout with the flu (our second in three weeks, good thing we got the flu shots), we made Christmas cookies. We had a ball and they really turned out great. Of course the kids loved the sprinkles most of all.

Also a new and fun pastime for the two of them is finding random stuff around the house and wrapping it up and then letting Brady and I open it. I think it is adorable but we sure are going through tons of tape.

I hope everyone has a spectacular Christmas.