Disneyland Here We Come!!

Well, we're headed to California tomorrow. While we're there we'll hit the beach, Disneyland, California Adventure and so much more. It's going to be a great trip... 4 adults and 6 kids (ages 2-6). I'm sure we'll have lots of laughing, plenty of crying and little sleep. Pray that we'll have a safe and happy trip.

I can't wait to share pictures and tell you all about it. See you in a few days!!

Love letters

Remember a few weeks ago I posted about my husband who loves me very much. Well, he's done it again. Here's a letter he wrote me last week...

Stacey,
I know I don't have tell you, but I want to. I seldom write you notes anymore, so here goes. You are so incredible. I don't know how you do everything: raise our boys, keep the house up, do daycare, stay in touch with everyone, work at church. Holy Cow - no wonder you get tired sometimes. Plus, I am always amazed at how you bargain shop. I've bragged about that to more than one person. And I know if I have a problem, you always have a different perspective that opens my eyes and I say "Why couldn't I see that?" If it wasn't for you, my life would be dull and uneventful. You make me laugh, you make me smile, you brighten my day. I don't deserve you = and yet there you are waiting for me everyday when I come home from work. I love working with you. I love living with you. I love being with you. I just love you!
Jeff


Doesn't that just melt your heart? Isn't he so sweet??

My sweet little niece

Don't you just love a big wet kiss?

Can we say princess?

It's so fun to have a girl in the family!!

Hey, I'm the princess around my house, right??

I have to start by saying Happy 2nd Birthday Sarah!!
(I know it's a couple days early but I couldn't resist)

I'll start by saying that on my husband's side we thought we were destined to have all boys!!
For years we kept having boys.
In fact, Sarah is the youngest of six grandkids and the only little girl!!
It's all exciting and new as we watch her grow.
She is a one of a kind girl!
Very much into fashion, shoes, purses and hair!
She's a little girl who knows what she wants and usually gets it!
And with 3 big brothers and 2 older cousins, she's going to have lots of protection!!

Last night she did something that shocked us all...
Just hop over to my sister-n-law's blog to check it out!!

How big of a nerd are you??

Okay, so I'm not that big of a nerd.
I'm sure my husband and his brother will score way higher than me : )
Take the test and then leave your score in my comment section!!

Weighing in - Part 2

Okay so I posted 25 days ago about loosing weight and my goal being 10 pounds by the time we left for vacation. I'm here to update you and tell you how I've been doing. A good friend contacted me after that post and asked if we could be accountability partners. I thought it was a great idea and we started emailing each other every night with what we had eaten and what we had excercised. It worked out really well and kept both of us on track. Actually she did a little better than me but who's counting, right?

So with 14 days left until we leave for vacation... I have lost 5 pounds!! I'm very proud of myself at this point. I know I still need to loose 5 more to meet my short term goal and 15 more to meet my long term goal but I'm pretty excited that I've come this far!!

Keep praying for me that I will be able to stay motivated and keep working towards my goals!!

Tour of Homes

I was supposed to post about this on Friday and almost forgot...
Tour of blogs happening on July 28th.
For more info hop on over to Boomama's blog and read up on the details.
Sounds like it's going to be a fun time.

Can't wait to see all of your homes!!

Some Gave All

In memory of Marine Lance Cpl. Eric J. Orlowski.

26, of Buffalo, New York. Killed by an accidental discharge of a .50 cal machine gun in Iraq. He was assigned to the 2nd Tank Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, Camp Lejeune, NC. Died on March 22, 2003.

Lance Cpl. Eric Orlowski was a proud Marine, but above all he was a proud father of his 3 year old daughter, CamerynLee. "He was always there for his daughter, and he lover her more than anything," said Nicole Kross, the child's mother, herself and Air Force Reservist.

Orlowski was separated from his wife, but their daughter kept them close. He sent Kross letters from overseas, the last saying he was headed for Iraq. “I don’t think he was scared,” Kross said. “The thing he feared most was leaving his daughter.”

His daughter Cameryn, 3, last talked to her father just 18 hours before he was killed. During that last conversation, Orlowski told her that when he came home, he would take her to Disney World.

I want to take this time to say thank you to this fallen soldier and to his family. I also pray for this family as they remember their loved one. Your sacrifices will never be forgotten!!

What a great husband

I've got a great husband! On Tuesday night he watched the boys while I went to the hospital and visited my sister and mom. He never even made me feel guilty for leaving.

Then on Wednesday night he let me go hang out with a friend. We got pedicures, chinese take-out and went back to her place to watch a movie. What a relaxing night off.

He watches the kids for me whenever I ask and hardly ever asks for anything in return. What a great guy, huh?

Honey, if you're reading this... I love you!!

Nosey Neighbors

Were you wondering where I've been? It's been very busy around here!!

Anyway, onto a story about people who put their noses where they don't belong. Last week I got a note on my door from a city codes officer. The note said someone complained about my day care operation. I talk with someone the next day to find out if I was in violation of codes and they said as far as they knew, I was in complete compliance with all the codes. I was so relieved!!

The next day I went next door to apologize to the neighbors and let them know I was sorry for anything I had done that offended them. I just really felt God was saying I should take that step to clear the air. I spoke with the neighbor who I assumed wouldn't call the city and she confirmed. She said she would take one guess as to who it was, confirming my suspicions.

I stopped by the other neighbor's home and they didn't answer the door. Later that night I tried again but they must not have been home. The next day I stopped by and was talking with the wife and daughter. The wife said she had no idea why someone would do that and she couldn't believe someone would have a problem with us because we were such good neighbors. As I'm talking the little girl interrupts and says "I think Daddy called. I'm pretty sure Daddy knows about this." The Mom looked absolutely shocked at what the daughter was saying.

At this point I can hear the Dad upstairs yelling and asking who's at the door with some not so great language. Now I'm a member of the family-friendly blogroll so I won't tell you word for word what he said because it wasn't appropriate for children. He came down and said "Why the heck are you asking us about it? Did they tell you it was me? Why are you singling us out like this? This is crazy. I've had enough, I'm going back upstairs!"

I'm not sure about you but the daughter saying what she did and the Dad acting like a jerk pretty much confirms it for me!! I just hope it didn't cause too much of an issue between the Mom and Dad. Plus, I hope the little girl doesn't get in trouble for speaking up.

Anyway, I feel good now at least knowing that I made my peace with all of them. Hopefully nothing else will come of it.

Happy Birthday Sweet Boy

I remember I was about 37 weeks along when I woke Daddy up at 3:00 in the morning because I couldn't breathe with the contractions any longer. We went down to the hospital and they almost sent me home. They gave me one hour to walk around. I made great progress and they admitted me. You were born later that afternoon at 6 lbs 11 oz.

We took guesses with the family on when you would be born, your weight and height. I guessed exactly right on the day. Grandma was closest on your height and weight. You were born exactly 2 years and 11 months after your brother!!

When we first brought Josh in to meet you, he wasn't sure what was happening. He had picked out a special bear for you several weeks before you were born. He brought it in dropped it down into the warming bed and you grabbed it. He was so excited that you liked his gift. It was so sweet!!

Well Seth, you have come into our home and started a whirlwind. You are very curious, silly and funny. I never knew one child could get into so much stuff! I have found you in the dishwasher, bathroom cabinets, the refrigerator, toilet, closets and under beds. You have taken your diaper off and pooped on the kitchen floor. You've dumped the whole shredder basket on the office floor. I think it's like Daddy always says "you don't go looking for messes, the messes find you!" I love that you're curious and love to explore!!

It's been fun to see you do all of the firsts. I thought you were never going to start talking and now you don't stop. Your newest phrase cracks me up "No Pal!" I also love to hear you call your brother "Joshua" or "Joshie."

I can't believe you're already 2! It's going to be quite the adventure with you but we're all excited to take the ride and see what God has in store!! We love you Seth!!About 24 hours old

A couple months old

Taking a bath in the sink

About 5 months old

You love to be naked

Sitting up like a big boy

First trip to the Phoenix Zoo

Dumping out the shredder basket

Playing in the rain

This picture is totally you...
You could roll around in the dirt and be completely happy!!

Our house is a very, very, very fine house

No, we don't have two cats in the yard : )

I did share with all of you some pictures of my kitchen. So I thought "what the heck, I might as well show them pics of the rest of it." So here are some pictures of my house...

This is in the family room.

I'm not sure why I didn't take a shot of the whole room??

This is the breakfast nook in the ktichen/family room area.

This is our dining room. Excuse the mess!!

This is in the boy's bathroom.
Julie and I did this together, it was a fun project!!

This is looking into the toilet & bathtub area of the front bathroom.

This is the boy's room.
We had to take the bunk beds apart for now so it's a little crowded!!

This is the playroom... I think someone needs to reorganize it!!

This is my office/scrapbooking room.
The wall you're looking at is actually a giant scrapbook page!!
When I complete it I'll post another picture.

This is another wall in the scrapbook room.
Lime green... very fun and creative!!
These cool picture frames my Mom found at Ikea.

Well, that's a look into our house.
Maybe someday I'll get it all picked up and post better pictures.
For now, you get the idea : )

My Mug Shot

Okay people, not that mug shot. Hopefully I will never get one of those!!

I think I may have mentioned before that I love coffee and in fact my kitchen and family room are filled with coffee decor. So anyway, Shalee over at Shalee's Diner has tagged me for this meme. Here are a few pictures of my favorites mugs and my coffee decor...

Somehow this is posting funny but the one above is my favorite mug.
It doesn't match anything else I own but it's big and holds lots of coffee and creamer!!
I've had it for about 6 & 1/2 years now and don't think I'll ever get rid of it!!

This mug has been in my family since I was a little girl.
The funny thing is, I can actually do that!!
Maybe someday I'll post a pic of that : )

I keep my coffee filters in this little box

Hubby got me this picture for Christmas.
The candles were from Mom.

Above my kitchen cabinets.
If you zoom in you can see I'm using a soda bottle behind that one tray to prop it up.
I'm trying to figure out what else would work but so far I haven't. Ooops : )

These mugs were given to me by my good friend Julie

She brought them back all the way from England!!

These are the pictures that started the whole thing.
I got them on clearance at Mervyn's for about $5 each.

These are some little mugs I got on clearance at Ikea for .25 each.
They match my curtains and I couldn't resist!!
Also, that's my coffee maker, I love it!!

This is the centerpiece on my kitchen table.
Three candles surrounded by coffee beans.

My coffee plates on a cute little plate rack from Mom

This is above my sliding glass door.
Is There Life Before Coffee??

Yep, even a coffee rug!
My Grandma gave me coffee rugs as a house warming gift.


I'm now tagging Julie, Theresa, Tina and Sherry...
Get out there and show us your mug shots!!

Weighing in...

Okay, so I've never really mentioned my problems with weight on here because frankly, I didn't want to bore anyone with it. I do think I'm going to mention it now because I'm tired of it and want to do something about it. I'm 20 pounds heavier now then I was when I married my husband over 6 years ago and about 15 pound heavier then I was when I got pregnant with my first son.

We are going to California with family at the beginning of August and I want to feel good about myself. I'm tired of only having pictures of myself from the waist up. My goal is to loose 10 pounds by the time we leave. I think it's a goal that can be reached. So, I need to know if there is anyone out there who has done this before and has some good tips? I'm cutting back on portion sizes, trying to eat more sensibly and not eating sugar. I've heard these all will help for sure. Plus, I'm riding my stationary bike, my real bike and walking on a regular basis. Please leave any other tips in the comment section and pray that I will meet my goal!!

Fireworks in my heart

I love the way my son, Josh explains things. The other night we happened to be at my in-laws house when some fireworks started about a mile away. We went outside and watched. As we sat there and enjoyed the wonder of it all my son says "Mom, it's like a picture in the sky!"

It melted my heart!!

Thank you Dad

It's father's day and I wanted to talk about my Dad. Most girls think about there Dad and say "I think my Dad should be the president." I always thought "Man, my Dad sure could fix up that old white house!" I don't think there's a project I've ever heard my Dad say he couldn't do without first giving it his best try. I've seen him do room additions, patio additions, painting, plumbing, electrical, landscaping, back yards, front yards, upstairs and downstairs... you name it, he's done it!!

I also remember thinking my Dad could do no wrong. I know now that that's not true. I do know he's quick to listen and slow to speak. He doesn't get angry very often and it takes a lot to get him that way.

He's a man of God. He reads his Bible and prays daily. He is currently the Pastor of Development and Construction at our church. It's a great way to combine his love for the Lord and his community with his love for construction.

My Dad also has a very funny side. Sometimes he almost seems serious and then you realize he's just pulling your leg. Once in a while that get's him in trouble with Mom : )

My Dad is a wonderful Grandpa. He gives ponny rides through the house, with sound effects and all! He reads to my boys. He plays ball and takes them for walks around the neighborhood. He has even brought them back toys when he goes on a business trip.

My Dad has always seemed like the biggest guy in the world to me. Oh yeah, that might be because he's 6' 6". He's very tall and I used to love riding on his shoulders... it was like being in the clouds : )

I know some of this might seem silly to you but it's what was on my heart. Thank you Dad for everything you've done!! You mean the world to me and you'll always be my Daddy!!

Tubes went great

Okay, so things didn't go exactly as we planned this morning. Jeff set the alarm last night before we headed off to bed. Well, he woke up yelling at me this morning to get up because it was already almost 6:00. We were supposed to be there at 5:30. Jeff called the hospital and told them what happened. They told us we would be fine and to go ahead and still come down. We got dressed, I pulled my hair up (luckily I had showered the night before) and jumped in the car.

When we got in the car Jeff announced that the tank was on empty. We stopped and he put enough gas in to get to the hospital while I put my make-up on in the passenger seat.

We get to the hospital and I sign in. Just after I write our names down a nurse comes walking out and has a chart with Seth's name on it and is checking to see if we're there yet. I spoke up and apologized for being so late. She assured me that everything was fine and we just needed to get registered.

As we're sitting in the lobby, my parents show up with my sister and our other son, Josh. Josh then announces "I'm so tired because it's like 1 o'clock in the morning." He's not used to getting up before 8 on regular days.

We get registered and then taken back to the room to wait and see the surgeon and anesthesiologist. While sitting there, two men in construction hats walk back through the surgical doors and disappeared. My husband says "Wow, that must be one tough procedure!" Cracked me up!! That was a good thing since I was so nervous about the surgery.

Next thing we know a Dr. walked out and said "Okay, who's next?" My husband says "Um yeah, we'll take a kidney transplant, go ahead and put a stint in my heart and why don't you shave a little off the cranium while you're in there." Then adds "Imagine if surgery was like fast food restaurants." I'm sure glad I had some comic relief while we waited.

The nurse came and took Seth away through the double doors and he never cried but I had tears in my eyes!! We went to the waiting room and the Dr. came within about 15 minutes. He said that everything had gone smoothly and Seth was in the recovery area.

About 3 minutes after that someone came and asked me to come back and see Seth. When I got back there he was in a nurses arms. She said "You must have the best little guy ever!" He never even woke up crying or groggy, most kids wake up really irritated and mad." I was so proud!!

Anyway, we're back home now and he's fine. Grandma Susie got him a new "Elmo visits the Doctor" toy and he's happy as can be!! Thank you for all your prayers, I think it really made a difference for all of us!!

Down the tubes

Well, not really. My son Seth will be going in for tubes tomorrow morning. We have to be at the hospital at 5:30 AM. Some of you didn't even know there was another 5:30 in the day, huh? Anyway, he's been having lots of ear infections and some hearing problems so we think it's best. Please pray that everything will be fine. I know kids go through this every single day but it's hard when it's your little one!! I know God will take care of him and protect him!!

I'll update after we get home... thanks for your prayers!!

Breaking my heart

On Saturday night we took the boys to see the movie Cars. It was very cute and we all enjoyed it. They did a great job of holding my kid's attention but also making Jeff and I laugh. Take your kids and go see it!

Okay, here's what broke my heart. We ran out of diet coke and Seth was getting a little fussy. I decided to take him for a quick break and refill the diet coke. When we were heading back into the theater, I saw a little boy laying on the floor crying. The next thing I know his Dad kicks him three times and I'm not talking about a little nudge. He kicked him hard. Then grabbed him up by one arm and dragged him the rest of the way out. His wife and other son walked out behind with their heads hanging. I was so sad to see this act and wanted to do something about it but what? There's no way I could have called the police because by the time they got there, he would have been gone. All I could do was pray for that family. I hope someone else will be able to help that little boy. I feel very guilty for not doing more but I'm not sure what else I could have done.

Maybe if you think about it, you could just say a little prayer for that little boy, his family and all the other children who are suffering from child abuse!! My heart just breaks!!

Our Camping Trip

Our trip into town to have lunch at the park... Grandma and Josh swinging

Papa, Josh and Aunt Sherry Fishin'

Peek-a-boo Seth

Aunt Sherry and Seth hanging out by the lake

One thing Josh was great at catching... caterpillars

Grandma and Seth snuggling at the lake

Josh imitating Big Papa after a hard day of fishing

A very dirty little Seth after two days of camping

Okay, so camping for us is near Flagstaff, AZ. We go to a place that has the camp-site cleared for you. They have nice bathrooms and showers if you really want to live it up. Some people would say that it's hardly considered camping but with little ones and three women... it's camping for us!!

We had warmer than usual weather, in the 90's. We were hoping for a few afternoon showers but that never happened. The bugs were terrible this year, we all left with bites. Overall, it was just nice to get away and enjoy some family time!! We played board games, fished, hiked, biking and so much more. Can't wait to do it all again!!

Hey Everyone...

I'm back from camping. Thanks Lauren for checking up on me : ) We had a great time exept for the wicked kidney infection that landed me in the ER the night we got back. I'm trying to figure out my camera and computer as far as downloading pictures to post about our trip. Something went horribly wrong... oooops!!

Anyway, I've had meetings and baby showers and lots of other things going on. Hopefully I'll have a new post up soon. Sorry it's taken so long!!