Fourth of July Bash

We decided that it would be fun to have a bunch of our new friends over on Saturday afternoon to celebrate the 4th. We had a blast with way too much food, lots of good company, and tons of sun. The adults were even good sports and participated in the pie-eating contest!


The kids got the brilliant idea to combine the kiddie-pool and sandbox to create a giant mudpit. Needless to say, we had to hose off every single kid by the end of the party. They had so much fun!

Scarfing down some really good pie!


Our friend Andrea won the adult heat. I would never have guessed it, as she was one of the tiniest people there!

The kids' turn.



Nathan B. won out of all the kids, which was fitting as it was his birthday!

Happy 4th!

Un-Morning Sickness

No one ever told me that your third pregnancy is actually HARDER that the others. I pictured sliding through it with ease since I'd been through it all twice before, but I guess I was quite naive. I'm not going to lie - it's been a struggle. My poor kids have been so good about entertaining themselves while Mom is throwing up in the bathroom or taking a nap or "resting". Its definitely not just in the morning, either, but rather throughout the day, usually getting worse into the evening. Tired of hearing a rant of whining yet? Anyway, a couple of weeks ago I was DONE. I was READY! If someone asked me how I was feeling, I invariably said, "I'm ready. Now." Today, I'm not so sure again. Yes, I'm tired of sleepless nights, puking, extremely sensitive skin, pain, and fatigue. But soon I'll have to take care of another sweet little child along with my other two (who are not always sweet). I will need more patience, more efficiency, more energy. Am I ready. Hmmmm. Maybe I need two more weeks to get there.

Joy School Graduation

Even though we didn't quite finish out the year of Joy School due to our move, Luke's class invited him back for the barbecue/graduation party. It was really fun for us to see everyone, and all the kids looked dang cute in their little hats. True to form, Luke wouldn't sing or even stand up to get his diploma in front of a crowd, but I think he was still pleased to be there. He did throw his hat at the end with the other kids. I included a video of Luke and Audrey singing "I've Got Joy" a few days later (mostly for myself), since Luke wasn't about to do it at the actual event. I hope to do Joy School again with one of my other kids down the road, as I thought it was such a fun program.

Some Fun Outings

We've done a few neat things with the kids lately, especially with our friends the Beutler's. It's so fun living closer to them! We are a little bit closer to the zoo now, and we've gone a a lot more than we did before. I think I'm trying to fit a few things in that I probably won't be up for once the baby comes.

The clothing in the first two pictures is very indicative of how our spring has been: randomly cold and hot. One week apart, we went from pants and coats to shorts, t-shirts, and lots of sunscreen. In fact, I froze on the first trip and thought I was going to get heat stroke on the second.

For some reason, the kids can't go to the zoo without posing in this spot.


In the polar bear viewing tunnel. Audrey is the one on the left, and little Tirzah Beutler is the look-alike on the right.


The Beutler's also invited us to take a tour of a fire station with them, which was so fun. I think I liked it even more than the kids, as I learned a ton. It was a very small group (3 moms and their kids), and the fireman doing the tour was really great. He answered about a million questions that we had, showed us lots of cool high-tech equipment, and even pulled the ladder truck out of the garage to raise up the big ladder as high as it would go for the kids.




One Saturday, Clay and I took the kids to one of the free Lowe's "Build and Grow" Workshops, and the kids loved it. I can't get over how goofy and cute Luke was with his safety goggles on! Audrey and Luke each built a race car, and I highly recommend this or the Home Depot workshops to anybody with kids.






This past Friday was free admission to the Troy Aquatic Center, which is about a block and a half from our house. It was a little bit crazy with so many people, but the kids had a blast swimming and going down the kiddie water slide they have. Yes, I was probably a little too brave and even went out in public in my maternity swimming suit. Yikes!



What better way to end a fun day at the pool than 4 cones for $2 at Cold Stone? The city was holding a special deal for Memorial Day weekend. The kids thought it was so neat that they could pick whatever add-in they wanted. Luke chose Reese's Pieces, and Audrey chose gummy bears. Summer has definitely arrived!

Settling In

Our "new" house definitely feels like home. In fact, it's hard to remember how we used to spend our time, since things feel so different now. One of my favorite quotes is from an obscure little book called Home to Harmony, and it says: "There's danger in thinking joy is a matter of location. If we can't find joy where we are, we probably won't find it anywhere." I think I did a pretty good job of finding joy in our last place, but, that being said, I am SO glad we moved! It is so nice to have the baby's room set up and ready, instead of a closet or a corner of already crammed living space. It's so nice to have counter space on which to prepare food and room for the kids to race, jump, and play indoor soccer on rainy days. We have barbecued at least 5 out of 7 nights a week since we moved in, and we're starting to make friends and discover parks and things nearby. We got a trampoline, which we all love, planted a little vegetable garden and some flowers, and love to run in the sprinkler. This whole backyard thing has brought on a whole new facet of life which is dirt and bugs, and it's so worth it. Luke says he doesn't want to move in a year. Hopefully we won't have to downsize!

P.S. I've had lots of questions about where the backyard actually ends. You may be able to make out the faint outlines of a chain-link fence a little ways past the fort. We are on just over an acre, so it's not too big, but definitely not too small. Bonus: the mowing of the grass is included in the rent.