The Ugly: Part 1

It's Saturday, the day after my gall bladder removal, six days until Christmas. I am sore from the lacerations and the empty spot where my gall bladder used to be. But I feel like a normal, post-op patient. I'm faithfully taking my pain meds and rocking all of the air out. Fun fact: They pump you full of air during a laparoscopic procedure so they are able to see and move around better. Per Sister's advice, rocking in a rocking chair is the best way to keep moving that air out.

Hubs' family has two Christmas celebrations that weekend. While I would have loved to be

there instead of here, healing, I could not travel. Thankfully, my mama was able to come stay with me and Sophia, while hubs took the older three to his folks' for a night. Hubs says that should give me the 48 hours the surgeon suggested it would take for me to feel exponentially better. Mom and I watch movies, eat good food (except for the spoiled soup that I had in my pantry and tried to eat but decided the pain meds were throwing off my taste buds because it tasted horrible, only to realize several weeks later that it was indeed spoiled soup because it was supposed to be kept in the FRIDGE not the PANTRY!) and snuggle the baby. Nights are rough. I sleep sitting up so that the air doesn't move to my shoulders. Sister says that REALLY hurts. It's hard to lift my 11 pound baby, so I am thankful mom is able to stay and help with that. Ok, let's face it, the only things I do for myself all weekend are use the bathroom, eat the food set before me and feed the baby. So thankful for mom.

Monday comes. The kids and hubs are home. I am feeling awful. Not one bit better. I am in pain. My lacerations hurt and it feels like the air is still in there. I call my surgeon's office. The nurse tells me to keep taking my pain meds and give it another day or so. I agree that I will. I assume I will get better. Perhaps my body just isn't recovering as quickly as anticipated because it's still sort of recovering from childbirth as well. Or maybe laparoscopic procedures are not my thing. I think to myself that maybe what I'm feeling is actually normal for day three post-op. I even attempt to get out of the house with Hubs for awhile. The fact that I'm starting to hunch over when I stand should be a clue that things are not ok.

What day is it? Tuesday? Wednesday? Christmas is coming soon. Mom, Dad and Sarah are all coming for Christmas. Well, not mom, she hasn't left. Thank God for that. Pain is draining. It can suck the life out of you so quick. I am in a haze of pain, and feeling like I should be so much better by now. I'm walking hunched over, I can't lay down, my abdomen hurts all over and my shoulders...ow. How come the air still hurts? How is that possible?? By this point, I'm sleeping in the rocking chair downstairs. Sophia sleeps in her swing nearby so that I can still feed her at night. My appetite is gone, I'm actually nauseous most of the time, but thank you Jesus, I still have milk for my baby. I call the surgeon's office again. They offer more pain meds. Tomorrow will be better, right?

This whole week, I remember Hubs and everyone busting their behinds to finish the basement (enough) to move Cadee downstairs and move Lili across the hall. I am of no help and really don't even recall all of it getting done. Hubs put together the girls' furniture, finished the paint downstairs and even got Cadee's door on and I really don't recall any of it. I was so out of it.

On Wednesday, our pastor calls asking if we will be at Christmas Eve service. I remember answering, "I believe so!" or "That's the plan!" Or something like that. Maybe I was just hopeful that a miracle would happen. But, by Christmas Eve, I am in even more pain. My dad and my sister come. As soon as I see them, I see concern cloud their eyes. Do I look that rough? By 4 o'clock that day, I have decided that church is not going to happen tonight. But, I insist that we still host my brother, sister-in-law and my nieces and nephew that evening. I just don't have the strength or composure to make chili and cornbread. No problem. Mom and Sister can handle it. Sister comes to rub my shoulders. They hurt so bad. The heat pad isn't doing the trick anymore. I have an ice pack laying across my lacerations and a heat pad on my shoulder and nothing is making a difference. I can't leave this chair. It hurts too bad. I hear tension in the kitchen about how to prepare the chili but I can't even respond. I am in so much pain.

Brother and family come. As they round the corner to greet me, I see concern wash over their faces as well. We go about our evening, eating, talking, laughing, opening presents. Sophia gets loved on. Drake is so happy my nephew is here. And the girls are loving playing with cousins. Hubs brings me dinner. My sister-in-law made this really delicious soup and it is tasting good. I ask for seconds. Hey, if I'm feeling good, I should probably eat as much as my stomach will allow. We open presents. I am still finding things and assuming the kids got it for Christmas, because I'm not even sure I was fully present that evening. After presents, I start to feel miserable. Abdomen pain and sharp pains and nausea... I need to go upstairs. I don't want anyone to see this.

Brother and family leave. Hubs reads The Christmas Story to our kids every Christmas Eve

before bed. I don't want to miss it. I don't want to miss anything. I come back downstairs. I lower myself into the rocking chair. Someone puts Sophia on the floor by Daddy. She looks so cute in her Christmas jammies. Dad reads the story in front of the fireplace. It's a picture perfect moment. Minus the fact that I don't know how much more of this pain I can take. After the book, we all head to bed. I take a bucket, as I am feeling extremely nauseous. Everyone is anxious for Christmas morning! Hubs finishes wrapping presents upstairs. I nurse the baby and settle into my pillows to help me sleep upright. Tomorrow. Tomorrow I will be ok.

Verzani Playland

We have lived in our house for a year and a half, this summer. Last summer, we kept busy exploring the parks in our city and visiting friends. Our backyard is HUGE, but it was plain and boring. You can only kick a ball from fence to fence so many times before it loses it's appeal... So this year, we went all out. Thanks to some help, we were able to get an amazing, huge, sturdy, FUN playset for our backyard! 

When we first told Cadee about it, she was a little disappointed. Thinking it would be little and lame. Then, as we began to piece it together, she got more and more excited. She's at a tough age where she's getting too old and too big for alot of things. She was so happy that this playset could be something for her too! She really bursted with excitement when we set up the trampoline!

Our intent this year was to draw the girls' friends to our home. To facilitate and house the play dates and relationships. To help them build good friendships and to learn to be good friends. It's really difficult to do that if they aren't here with us. And in that hope, our Verzani Playland was born.

Drake does not go down the slide. In the picture below- he went down with Cadee and has gone down with me maybe once. But he much prefers to give his sisters a good shove and watch them fly off the end! (As pictured above) It is a FAST slide! I even tumbled off the end when I went down and laid there laughing for awhile. Drake was very concerned! The next time I tried to go down, he told me "no" and pulled me away from the slide. So cute. 

The girls LOVE having their friends knocking on the door all the time to come play. (And we love it too!) It is exactly what we hoped this playset would do: draw the friends over and get the girls outside and active! These girls have never slept so good in their lives!
Drakey loves to invite me to come play with him. He says "siiide" to go outside, then he asks me to "jumm??" on the trampoline, go "up" in the playset with him, to "knock" and come "in" to the fort part below, run and kick the "ball" with him. We are having a blast in our Verzani Playland- making memories!

Izzy Kitty

Around Valentine's Day, we adopted a sweet, 4 month old calico kitty. We always knew we wanted a family pet. We thought that pet would be a puppy, but quite honestly, our season of life doesn't allow for a puppy right now! We wanted something furry and cuddly that would curl up with the girls, and eventually the boy, at night. Preferably a pet that we could leave at home without worrying. A kitty was the perfect fit. We started looking online for the youngest kitty we could find. Not only because they are so adorable, but we also wanted to get a young one so that we could train it to fit our lifestyle. To become comfortable with our kids. We were afraid of getting an older cat that was set in its ways. We looked online, we went to the Animal Rescue League, we went to PetSmart...We searched. We held kitties. We thought LONG and HARD about this.

Epic Parent Fail: We tried to be a puppy family. We adopted an 8 week old beagle last August. She was sweet and adorable....and SO. MUCH. WORK. I grew up with dogs, and so did Hubs, but we never had to be the caretakers and trainers, and my dogs were ALWAYS outside dogs. We both had NO idea what we were doing. It was stressful. We would have totally made it work, because we all loved her. Until, one day, she jumped up at Drake's face, playfully. Then, I'd notice him on the floor and puppy would go up to lick and play with him and he would just roll onto his belly and cover his head. Scared. Anxious. Unsure. All things I did not want him to feel around animals. We prayed. We cried. We lost sleep over this pup. Finally, we decided that this puppy needed a new family. We drove puppy back to the breeders.

Six months later... We still dreamed of a family pet. We were {obviously} scared to go down that road again. And to disappoint the little people of the house. I had a cat growing up. I remember how laid back and awesome it was. I have tried to be a cat family since the day we became a family. Hubs needed more convincing. After searching and visiting and talking and reasoning... we found her. Her name was Roxie. She was 4 months old. The previous owners had to give her up, as their newborn was allergic. (How sad!) She was litterbox trained. {Ahhhh!!} We went to visit her and she immediately snuggled up to my chin to say hi. She was sweet, she was pretty, she needed to be ours. Even as Hubs filled out the paperwork to adopt her, I don't think he was as certain.

Izzy's "Gotcha" Day
We found her, we wanted her. The girls had a late start due to the roads, but that didn't stop us! We went to visit her. She was so sweet. They brought her into a room with us. We played with her. Drake squealed with delight! The girls were excited, but cautious. Unsure if we would go through with it. We talked about renaming her, and all easily agreed on "Izzy". I told Hubs yes. He filled out the papers, unsure as well. I was sure. Well, I was sure that we wanted her. I was definitely worried that she wouldn't adapt well, or wouldn't like Drake, or would have accidents. When Hubs was done, we had to get the girls back to school while Izzy had her final check up there. We dropped them off, ran to Target for kitty supplies and then went to pick up our kitty! We got her home, let her out to roam, filled her litterbox, food and water. She just walked around our main level, sniffing, wandering. She found her food, water and litterbox. She did so well. She slept with Lili and in the clean laundry in the hallway. It was surreal. I expected problems. I expected accidents. There were none.

Best Buds

From Day 1, Drake has been in LOVE with this kitty! He squeals at her and shrieks in excitement! He loves waking up and seeing her walk down the stairs with us. For awhile, I think he was just surprised that she was still here! It only took a couple weeks for him to catch onto her name, and now he says it all the time. "Hey Iz! Hi Iz-Iz!" {You can also find him telling her "Noooo" or meowing at her.} Those two are quite the pair! We really appreciate that when she is sick of him picking on her, she goes and hides and comes out when she's ready again. He loves to wrestle with her, and she doesn't fight back. He lays on her, and she just lays there and bats at his head. He is obsessed with putting his finger in my mouth, and he does it to her, and she lets him. We could not have imagined a more perfect pet. Just yesterday, Drake ran into the entryway to play with Izzy on the steps, and he tripped and fell. Izzy was in crazy, playful mode, but as soon as he fussed, she ran down the starts and patted him on the back while trying to look at his face, as if to make sure he was ok. It was incredibly sweet.

So, here we are! A happy CAT family! The girls leave their doors cracked at night and Izzy sleeps with one of them each night. She roams freely when we are here and gone. My sister sent her a toy and a scratch post, which she LOVES to use. It has gone flawlessly. We love having a kitty to cuddle and play with!

Family Time at the Grocery Store

**DISCLAIMER: I am not a fun hater. I usually welcome any chance to giggle or add some fun to a situation. However, on this particular day, I was not up for much fun. Thank goodness for my hubby!**

A friend of mine said it best when she posted a picture of her son with a little red shopping cart on Facebook and said they are "the best and the worst thing ever". I COMPLETELY agree. On Saturday, Hubby, myself and alllllll of our kids headed to Fareway to get our groceries for the upcoming week and supplies for Christmas candy making. As I cringed when I saw the little red grocery carts and quickly tried to hustle everyone past them, my amazing, fun, awesome-dad of a husband stopped and pointed them out. And offered one to each kid. It doesn't take ridiculous strength or a super power to be a hero to your kids, and I am pretty sure that morning, Dad was their hero. Rescuing them from a boring Saturday morning at the grocery store.
We started out, Hubs had a list, and I had a list. The first thing the girls asked for, I said yes. They were genuinely surprised, and I was too. I told them that they had a limit to things they could ask for, so choose wisely. I wouldn't always say yes, but they didn't need to ask for everything they saw, either. We continue on our way, getting everything on our list. And Drake throwing things in his cart too...I guess he had a list of his own! We are having fun. The kids only need a few reminders that this is not a go-cart track, but we are doing fairly well. There is one lady in particular who would disagree whole-heartedly. She was not very amused by our family outing. She would look at us and just shake her head. Then there were other people that would giggle and say "what good helpers you have!" There are two kinds of people.
We ended the trip, all pulling into the same check out line, coming in under budget for groceries, and loading into the van. All smiles--Thanks to my hubby and his nonchalant way of going about things, and not caring what other people in the store thought. I am grateful that he saw the potential for happiness that day. I was clearly not even looking for it. 

Summer!

Things have been CRAZY CRAZY CRAZY busy around here! Yes, I had to type it 3 times. We have had so much fun this summer. Between the trips to see grandparents, to the splash park, to visit friends, sleepovers, play dates and SO much more, we have been filling our summer up with as much fun as possible. I am just a teeny tiny bit excited for school to start- just to have our routine back. But I will miss my girlies. They motivate me and keep me smiling. Drake is going to have a huge void to fill!

Top Ten Favorite Summer Memories:

~ Drake learned to walk this summer. We have all loved watching him toddle and master that skill!

~ I braved a day at a local beach with all three kids on my own! And it was probably one of the best days of our summer. We had such a great, relaxing (yes, relaxing! That can happen with 3 kids!), sunny day at the beach! Lots of giggles and thankful hearts that day.

~ All of my Thirty One parties have been so much fun! I have been able to catch up with friends, laugh, build confidence (and my inventory!), and just spend some good, quality girl time. 

~ Because of my sister's upcoming move to Arizona, we have been spending alot of time with her. And it has been nothing but sweet. We will miss her dearly, constantly, but I am beyond excited {and sometimes jealous} about her new adventure!

~ Des Moines Moms Blog has been thriving! And it has been sweet to meet some of the moms in our community! The contributor team is the most amazing group of women that God could have ever brought together, and I am flabbergasted that I was a part of that vision! I thank God for this group of encouraging, Christ loving, God fearing, beautiful, intelligent, trustworthy, prayerful, powerful, enlightening, amazing women each and every day.

~ We were a part of our friend's 30th birthday celebration! I love celebrating friends! And this particular friend has a lot to celebrate. 

~ My dad got us a small little pool early this summer. The girls used it everyday. Until it was too gross to use. Then it rained alot, so we dumped it out and [with all of the traveling my girls did this summer] we neglected to fill it up again. But it was definitely worth it and we hope to fill it up again!  

~ The girls had their very first "Homemade Lemonade" stand this summer! They LOVED it! It was fun to see their business and advertising skills developing. We will definitely do it again. It helps that we live across the street from some very sweet, elderly couples. They love our kids and go out of their way to visit with us and make us feel welcome. 

~ I *started* the summer reading the Bible (supposedly in a year, haven't been as faithful as I intended), and got my dad to read it with me. I love when he calls me and just starts telling me all about what he read and what he got out of it. God is good, all the time. There is truth in that great Book. Relevant truth.

~ The girls were excited when Lili lost her second tooth last week! Lili was excited because she's Lili and her genuine excitement when something new happens to her is contagious. Cadee was excited because Lili let her pull it out! In exchange for one item in her room. Haha love it!

There you have it. My top ten most memorable moments of the Summer of 2013. Or at least the ones I could remember. There were so many fun and memorable things that happened this summer! If something we did together didn't make the list, don't worry- you were number 11. 
Just a couple weeks of summer left before school starts back up! I hope to soak up all the fun and sun with my kiddos by my side in the next couple of weeks! 

Ode to My Children's Father

The diapers are not always his duty,
The fits are not his to calm,
Oh how sweetly their tiny hands
Find their way to his palm.

His words are not sugar coated,
He is full of one-liners, of wit,
But he speaks truth and wisdom
When we definitely need to hear it.

He works hard and long,
For most of the day, they are apart.
But he loves these babies fiercely,
With all of his heart.

Some days are harder than others,
The training does not end.
When our children cry out "Daddy!",
My spirit begins to mend.

This man was made to be their daddy,
Made to wipe away their tears.
To make them feel loved and wanted
For many, many years.

Picture taken by Katie Evans Photography

ONE

Our precious little prince took his very first breath one year ago today. He captured our hearts. He fascinated his sisters. He made our love grow. Just twelve months ago, we heard his first little cry, watched him open his eyes for the first time and held him in our arms for the first of many nights. We fell in love with our little man just one year ago today. (You can read all about it here.)

After each baby, I am amazed at the family transformation that occurs. How completely in love with one little person we all are. How every smile, every cry, every giggle, even every fart has our attention. We fell in love with our Drake one year ago today, and every day since then, the love has grown. 

Image by Katie Evans Photography

I love seeing a big ol' toothy grin in the morning! With arms stretched up to me, anxious for my warm embrace.
I love when he hugs someone. He tucks his little hands beneath his belly and wiggles his butt back and forth trying to get as close as possible to you.
I love how he points to get you to move while you are holding him. One sweet little finger, directing you. Compelling you to move.
I love his belly laughs! They fill the room whenever his sisters tickle and play with him.
I love how he grunts for things. He has done this his entire life and it is still adorable.
I love the complete trust that he has in people. Trust to catch him if he misses a step, trust to follow him up the stairs, trust to keep him from harm. And I love that we all do those things.
I love that he adores his daddy. The bond they have is priceless.
I love his curiosity about everything he isn't supposed to have. Watching him explore his world is a gift straight from God.
I love the noise he makes when I am getting ready to nurse him. Like he can't get it fast enough. Sounds like a little puppy whimpering.

I love watching him watch things, people, animals. The world through his eyes is such a bright and wonderful place. Full of adventure and things to put in his mouth.
I love how he crawls. Cautious. Yet quick. He has been crawling for a few months now, but it still looks new to him. 
I love feeling his body give in to sleep. That moment when he melts into your arms.
I love it when he signs "more". Even if there is a lot of food in his mouth, he instantly signs for "more". 
I love watching him walk around the furniture. And how he will push around anything that moves just so he can walk. And how he can always convince someone to take his hand and walk with him. 
I love how completely different he is from his sisters. Yes, he has some of the same looks and traits as his sisters, but as a whole, he is entirely

Drake. 
I love that he wants me when he is hurt, tired, hungry, scared. 
I love when he brings me a book to read, but really just wants to flip through the pages as fast as he is allowed. 
I love his obsession with Cheerios. He would eat the entire box if I left it within his reach.

I love how silly he gets when someone new talks to him. He snuggles in to me and gives a shy little grin.
I love his (what seem like) endless dimples!
I love my baby boy. But above all of that, I love that I get to be his mama. I love that I am a part of his memories. I love that I get to wake up each day and do things with and for him. Because that's what it's all about. Loving and being loved.

Happy birthday, Drakey. You are such a light in our lives. Constantly glowing and making us shine brighter. We are so blessed to be your parents and to be a part of your joy. 

Road Trip and Circus Fun!!

Napping Lili

A couple weekends ago, the kids and I took off for Nana and Bapa's! You may think I am absolutely crazy for road tripping by myself with 3 children, but actually, it isn't all that bad. Cadence is a huge help in the van. She likes playing "mama" since I am busy driving. She helps Lili reach things, she soothes and entertains Drake, or she sits up front with me and keeps me company. I am always so impressed by the way she acts on a long car ride. Love that girl! I was also impressed with her ability to tell time, subtract time and figure out exactly what time it would be when we would arrive. If I told her, yes, we will stop for a potty break in a few minutes. She took that literally and would say- "So at 2:33, since a few is 2 or 3 minutes, we will stop?"
I noticed a pattern as we drove. The girls and Drake did great. They hung out in the back. Didn't fuss for a snack or drink. Watched the DVD player (must have, in my opinion). Giggled. Lili even napped (see picture)! But, it felt like Speed. There was a magic speed minimum in their heads and if I ever dropped below that, it triggered their enthusiasm..... "Are we there???! Where's Nana's?" Needless to say, they were excited to finally GET THERE! And get out of the car to tackle them with lovies. 

Cadee reading about salamanders

Every year, my sister gets us circus tickets through her work. It's a special thing for her to take the girls and I (and maybe Drakey next year) to the circus each spring. The girls look forward to it almost as much as Sares and I. Aunt Sares really spoils us at the circus. Treats, soda, a toy or two, and the girls each get to pick one thing to do at intermission (ride an elephant, a horse or a camel, jump in a bouncy house, hold a snake or have your face painted). This year, Cadee had her heart set on cotton candy annnnd.... Riding an elephant! We tried to get her to last year, but it was still scary then. She was brave and marched right up there and got on. Nevermind the fact that she held on for dear life the first couple laps! :) After that, she started to loosen up and actually lift her hand to wave at me. She thought it was pretty neat riding such a huge animal!

Liliana thought the clowns were fantastic. Of course she would, they have every color of the rainbow- and that's just on their head! As we walked around getting our treats, she wanted to stop and take a picture with each one. She chose to have her face painted. It was the least scary thing available. 

We had a great night with Aunt Sares! Some of our favorites were: Bo, the elephant. Always amazed at that. The girls that twirl on the ropes and scarf things, and later they twirl by their hair! We love the skit that the clown does where he winds up what appears to be a little stuffed elephant. It walks along and follows him and then falls over. In the end, the clown pulls a little dog out of the elephant costume. We laugh every time! And Lili was uber excited to see the man shoot out of the cannon! Thank you, Sares, for another memorable night. Looking forward to next year and seeing Drake's reaction to the sights, smells and sounds of the circus! 

Dear February

You have brought some heartache, death and sickness to my life. But I choose not to dwell on the bad. I am forcing myself choosing to be joyful and reflect on all of the good that our family got out of this month. 
You have brought us abundant family time. With both of my families. I was able to endure and enjoy a car ride with my kids to Nana and Bapa's- 3 hours away. We spent time with friends, family and the great outdoors. Hubby and I were able to make the trek to visit his family for his brother's birthday as well. 
You developed my son in leaps and bounds! I was almost kinda concerned that he wasn't crawling much, waving or pulling himself up yet. Now he does all that and more! Including sitting up in the tub, transitioning from standing to sitting, crawling to sitting, entertaining himself in his room, and so much more. What a blessing to be here and see all of these changes.
You have given me a million reminders as to why being a stay at home mom is exactly where I'm needed right now. With all of the sickness, I have been here. Snuggling my kids, wiping their noses and fetching them water. 
You have dropped alot of snow on us! It has been so fun watching the girls play outside together. Giggling and wrestling in the snow. In fact, the most recent snow storm brought the perfect snowman snow! Plus, a half a day off from school! 
You have prompted a most perfect date day with my oldest daughter. That day will be forever in my memory. And hopefully in hers as well.
You held a meeting with some very special women in my life. I was honored to sit in a circle with all of them brainstorming about the future of Des Moines Moms Blog. And sip a latte. 
You were the first date night Hubby and I have had without a baby present since before Drakey was born. I spent the entire day prepping for it- doing my hair, nails, make up and picking out my clothes. I love getting a little fancy for my hubby. 
You hosted my dad's and nephew's birthday celebration! While we did miss my sister for this, we enjoyed pizza and yellow cake with peanut butter frosting (Dad's fave!). Lots of kids in our home, and we didn't see them very much! It's awesome to have several levels for entertaining. 
Ok, February, you weren't so bad. But, I will gladly welcome March tomorrow with the hope of spring and sunshine. Thank you for the sweetness that you filled my life with. You can keep your hardships. Please don't infect March with them...give Her a chance to be beautiful and blessed. 

Our House

For the past few months, Hubby has been running himself ragged trying to secure a house that we fell in love with back in September. On December 15th, we were over the moon when they handed us the keys!!! It was such a surreal moment and we are so proud to announce that we are now HOMEOWNERS!

We are loving the extra room to run and space to make more noise! Our neighbors have brought us treats and welcomed us to the neighborhood. It is nice to feel like we are putting down roots. Granted we have been in this area for awhile, but now we have a home. And after moving all of our stuff, we are in NO hurry to do it again! We have room to grow in this home. It's a great feeling. 

Here are a few pictures of my favorite rooms in the house...

Our dining room! 

Drakey's room

We love our large, fenced-in backyard. 

And a laundry room! Upstairs!

Our nice big living room. Plenty of
space for Drake and his toys!

Here are some fun facts about our time that we lived in the apartment.

*Our apartment was Unit 3.

*Lili was 3 years old when we moved in.

*We celebrated 3 Thanksgiving Days while living there.

*Lili attended 3 different schools.
*We brought our 3rd baby home there.
*We have owned 3 cars during those two years.
*Cadee and Lili have been in 3 different grades.
*It took about 3 months from the time our offer was accepted on the house to when we got our keys!

Celebrating our first Christmas with Drakey in our first home made it a memorable year for our family. We will never forget it.

Trick or Treat!

Our kiddos got all dressed (and bundled) up for trick or treating this week! We had fun walking through the neighborhood and listening to the girls tell their jokes in exchange for candy. 

Would you give treats to these goons? :) 

Cadee, the pirate!

Lili, the candy corn witch

Da-na-na-na-na-na-na-na- BATMAN!!
After we were on our way, we were really wishing we would have decorated Drake's stroller to look like the Batmobile! 

Bubs

Hubby and the girls were gone all last weekend. Drakey and I got to hang out and relax, on our own schedule. While I did miss my whole family being together, it was quite a treat to not have to worry about feeding 3 other people, being too loud, entertaining the girls and sharing the bed. 

We snuggled... ALOT!

I also got to hang out with
some of my besties.

When they got back, I could tell that Bubs really missed them all. He has spent time reconnecting with each of them this week. Here are some adorable pictures I took to capture the moment!

(A little over-exposed..)
The three of them- back
together at last! 

Seeing his sisters run at him
after getting off the bus

Blowing raspberries and giggling at Daddy.
Love those chunky little leggies!

This picture perfectly captures the cuteness of their relationship: Lili- completely infatuated, smitten and in love with this little guy. Drake- smiles everytime she's near.

Drakey and I are happy to have Daddy and the sisters home. We missed their silliness and lovies.

Picture Time

Three most recent pictures of your kids! Ready...annnnd.... GO!

This is how Cadee Grace enjoys her fro-yo. Plopped on the couch....at Orange Leaf. Chillin like a villain.

Lili girl taking a break from her treat to throw up her dueces and pose for me.

Drake and I had a play date today with Des Moines Moms Blog. It was more for me than it was for him. But, we had fun! And he looks so darn cute in his little hat.

Coolest Idea in the World

I am all about being sentimental. I love scrap books, family heirlooms and anything that makes a memory. I would absolutely love to be an awesome mom and have a big ol' scrapbook for each of my kids with memories from each day of their life. "This was your first trip to the zoo." "Introducing: Your baby sister/brother!" "You and your best friend at the football game." "You made it on the dance team!" "Graduation day!". However, let's be real. I do not have A- the time to devote to scrapbooking. I am not the most creative person, so it takes me awhile to create a page or two. And B- I don't have the space to work on a scrapbook without someone begging to help me (COUGH-Lili). And I certainly don't need another mess that needs to be cleaned up by me. 
I love this idea that a friend heard about and passed on to me. I started an email address for all of my children. And every so often, I will send them an email about what is going on in our lives. I am a fast typer. So this seemed like a no-brainer! It's a great way to tuck away those memories and to do it quickly, so I can get back to making more memories with them. One day, when they are grown and can appreciate this time capsule of memories, I will tell them about it, and give them the password so they can read each and every one. 
I hope it makes their life sweeter.

School Time

My kids thrive on routine. The summers are fun, chaotic, messy and so tiring. Full of trips to grandma's and play dates with friends. I love being able to enjoy the summer at home with all of my kids (can't say just "girls" anymore!). Everything from the lazy morning cartoons, to the giggles that fill our home, to the picnic lunches. I appreciate the fact that I can stay home and not miss anything.
That being said, I so appreciate the routine that school brings. I can tell that my girls were starting to miss some sort of routine. (I can say "girls", because Drakey didn't care one way or the other!) They seem more calm and easy going. Not saying that it's been easy. We've all been struggling to peel ourselves out of bed in the morning! And to catch the bus instead of sit and watch cartoons on the couch! And to put the toys away and get to bed at the end of the day! 
Even though I fiercely miss my girls throughout the school day, I've come to realize something. Not only do public schools need Christian students in them to be an example and a source of kindness and respect, but also, they need Christian moms in the school system. Helping out, sending notes of encouragement and treats to make them feel like they are doing a great job- despite the naughty notes home or the rough day/week/month they have had with so-and-so. Those teachers and the staff need to know that they are appreciated. And that I am on their side too. I love being a stay at home mom to school aged kids. I may not have a degree or be working outside of the home, but I hope that I am making a difference for my girls' teachers. They are such a blessing. I pray that their spoonful of sugar overflows just as much as mine does!

Six Years

Six years ago today, I said "I do" to my best friend. I did not realize how

this would change my life. I did not realize the emotions I would experience. The love I felt when he said "I do" and he became my husband. The bittersweet feeling of moving away from my parents. The anxiety of finding out we were pregnant again. The pride in my hubby for working his butt off to earn 2 degrees, while working and taking care of his family. The fear of not being able to find a job in this economy, and not having a home. The pride, again, in Hubby for finding not just any job, but a job that he excels at. The excitement as we found a place to live. The joy in finding out we were pregnant again. And now, the eagerness as we look towards the future.
Marriage has its ups and downs. It's not all rainbows and butterflies. But it's the tough times and rough emotions that really do make us stronger. They make us depend on each other and cling to what we know. And we know, without a doubt, that we love each other and that we are in this together. My life is so sweet because of this man making me his wife. Promising to love and cherish me for a lifetime. He has been an amazing shelter for me through life's storms. I cannot think of anyone else I would want beside me through it all.

6 years, 2 more babies, 3 addresses and 2 college degrees later! I am excited to see what the next 6...12...50 years will bring. 

I love you, babe.

Routine

Our little guy is such a grunter! My goodness. We think it's hilarious. He will be sleeping in his swing, in our arms or in his bed and he will just start grunting as he wiggles and flails his arms to try to wake up. In the night when he is hungry, he won't cry right away. He will lay in his bed and start grunting. Then kicking and grunting. And if I don't get him within 10 minutes or so, then he will cry. I am amazed that his grunting doesn't wake the whole house up! He is so loud. It cracks me up.
We are starting to settle into a bit of a routine around here. Lili and Drake are usually up first in the mornings. Although, Drake eats, and goes back to sleep. Lili lounges on the couch with some breakfast until she fully wakes up. Cadee rolls out of bed within an hour of her sister getting up. I'm glad I have at least one babe that likes to sleep in! Baby Brother wakes up to play and wiggle around 9. Then he will start to fuss when he's ready to eat and doze off again. The girls and I will do some chores and play for the rest of the morning while Drake drifts in and out of dreams. Then he's ready to be changed and fed and talked to again. The girls will entertain him while I get lunch ready. After lunch, it's rest time for all! (I know, I'm so lame.) It's good for the girls to have some down time, usually just a movie, and I DEFINITELY need the time to relax and snuggle. When the movies are over, the girls will play or we will run errands. Drake eats every 1 1/2 to 2 hours. So, fit that in somewhere. Daddy comes home around 4. We loooove this time of day! When we are seeing Daddy for the first time that day. It's so nice to have him home. It became very obvious to us how important this time of the day was when Hubby went on a business trip last week. I never realized how much I looked forward to him walking through the door, until it didn't happen for a few days. While Hubby has everyone's attention, I will sneak off to put away laundry or use the bathroom by myself (Moms, you know what I mean). By then, it's time to start dinner. After dinner, Drake eats and sleeps and poops some more. Then he has some really good awake time, sometimes a bath, then bedtime for all.
We are getting used to Drake and his schedule. I have to say, it's going rather smoothly. *knock.on.wood* He's a good baby. There were a couple weeks where he was rather fussy and having tummy troubles. But, after cutting out caffeine and chocolate from my diet, he seems to be doing better. It is definitely testing my self control.. Haha but, I know moms that have to cut out ALOT more from their diets for their babies. So, I think I have it pretty easy.
Being a Mama of 3 is alot of work. I won't lie. But, it is so worth every correction, every 12 minutes it takes to load everyone in the car, every headache, every hour of sleep I'm not getting, every load of laundry I fold and put away, every dish I clean. The sweetness of my job far outweighs the hardships. I am one blessed lady. 

"Mama-razzi"

Love me some PicMonkey! Here are some pics from the past week. It was pretty hard to narrow it down since I have officially become the "Mama-razzi". 13 pics a minute has to be a record.

Wednesday

Just another Wednesday. Full of sunshine and smiles. 

Cannot get enough of that grin!

Lili had to get "Bruh-ber" in on this too!

Sweet, sweet little Blondie.