Raking Leaves

Wyatte was making a "snow angel"!!!



JUMP!!!!!!!!


JUMP!!!



Can you find him!?!?!?!?


Wyatte found some mushrooms while we were raking. He loves to be outside, I might have a woodsman on my hands!


Helping Grandma pull the tarp.


Playing peek a boo in the blankets hanging on the line.


Isn't she soooo cute! She has a ton of fun!!!


Wyatte was hitting the tree and making the leaves fall down himself. Oh to be 3 again!


Aubrie watching us all work!


Wyatte took at breather with an apple from Grandma Kris' tree!


Nevaeh enjoying an apple after we were done raking.


Aubrie and I trying a back carry! I loved it! She loved it! Now I just need to make sure that I am doing it right! I got to rake and everything with her like this!

snacks!!!

Yesterday Wyatte asked me if he could help me make a cake. I told him sure, looked around for a cake mix and only found carrot and spice cake mixes--which I know the kids don't really like--then on the top shelf of the stairs...(Yes for those of you that haven't ever been in my mom's house, these are the underside of her stairs. She lives in a three story house, the underside of the stairs in the basement is a coat closet of sorts. These are the stairs that lead to the third story! My dad built these in to hold all the kitchen stuff that we didn't have room for because we have a pretty small kitchen here. He did that almost right after we moved in. I think it was one of the first things that he did, along with building my bedroom, but we were talking about the stairs!!!)

Anyways, on the top shelf there was a white cake mix! So Wyatte and Nevaeh and I made the cake. I had already decided that it was going to be a jello cake and asked Wyatte what color jello he wanted to use. He said purple, and luckily we had some grape jello in the cupboard. While the kids were napping I pulled the cake out of the oven, poured the jello on and stuck it in the fridge! NUM!!!

Kirk (my brother) has been wanting "Nibbles" for a long time, but didn't think that we had everything in the house to make them. Well mom dug around yesterday and found it all. So this morning Kirk got that all made up (oyster crackers with dry ranch dressing mix, oil and a few other things) They are kinda like goldfish crackers only not cheddar flavored and not shaped like a fish!!! So we have cake and nibbles!!!

Mom had a bunch of venison ground up and found a recipe for summer sausage that she wanted to try, so that is cooking in the oven right now as I type! So now we are up to cake, summer sausage and nibbles!!!

I made some pumpkin bars for our young marrieds group last Friday and made WAY too much frosting for it, found a couple extra cans of pumpkin on the stairs and so, tonight probably we are going to have pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting! LOTS OF SNACKS!!!

OH and Uncle Paul is coming home today from college for the weekend!!!!!!!!!!!! YEAH FOR US!!!

Beautiful!

Aubrie

enjoying some time with Grandma Linda

first picture of her sitting up

too much sun at McDonald's!

smiling pretty for the camera!

Mommy was trying to get a picture of her first tooth, but I don't think you can see it!!!

just out of the tub!!!

trying sooo hard to stand up! She did after this, but I was too nervous to be far enough away to take a picture!!!

enjoying her time in the johnny jump up

getting some time outside!

standing up at Grandma and Grandpa Hoard's

smiling at the pretty girl in the mirror at our ECFE class.

Aubrie and Mommy last Thursday at the Grand Rapids Fire Hall, we were waiting for Wyatte and Nevaeh to get off the fire truck they got to ride!!!

My baby is 7 months old today. Scary how fast the time flies. Does it ever slow down?

She is crawling all the time now, she doesn't scoot at all anymore hardly. She has started pulling herself up on the furniture. She loves to stand. If you hold her hands and walk behind her she will walk for quite a while. She loves to eat food. Applesauce, sweet potatoes, carrots, and more that I can't remember. She just started eating the Gerber snacks that melt in her mouth and she loves them. I break them into 3 pieces because she can eat them sooo fast!!! This way they last longer! She will cuddle with me now, but only when she is very tired. She loves to be held while you are cooking. She loves to be in the johnny-jump-up. She loves the water, loves to be in the tub. She hates to have her hair washed. She hates sitting still long enough to get dressed. She still hates the pacifiers, but loves her thumb. (Funny story about that in a little bit!) She doesn't like wearing a hat, or a coat for that matter. She doesn't like it when Mom (me) walks around, or by her with out picking her up. She loves to be under the table. She isn't scared of the vacuum cleaner at all! She still loves to eat paper! She will pick up anything and put it in her mouth. I could go on and on and on about her. Can't imagine she is only 5 months away from her first birthday.

On to my funny story!!! A while back, (when we were still in the camper...) Aubrie was done nursing, she was pj'ed up, she had a dry diaper, she didn't want to sleep with John and I, so I laid her on the bed that I had made up for her out there. And she was still crying. I was going to let her cry it out, but couldn't stand it any more (it had only been about 2 minutes!!!) I walked over there to snuggle with her or talk to her to get her to relax enough to fall asleep. Well, I noticed that her pj sleeve was over her thumb and she was trying to suck it. So I pulled the sleeve up so that her hand was out, she put her thumb in her mouth and was asleep in seconds! John couldn't believe that all she was crying about was the fact that she couldn't get her thumb in her mouth! It was pretty funny to us!

I mentioned to the doctor the other day that she sucked it and wanted to know when I should start discouraging it. She told me not to worry about it. Most kids quit on their own. I worry about it a little because if you know me from when I was younger, I sucked me until I was 11 or 12 I think. Granted only to put my self to sleep or when I was scared, but I did end up needing braces. Oh well, if it comes to that, then braces it will be!

At Aubrie's 6 month check-up, yes it was a few weeks late, but hey... She was 16 pounds 4 ounces, and 27 inches long. So she hasn't quite doubled her weight yet, but the doctor wasn't worried (she is in about the 50th percentile...). Aubrie got another round of shots, and I think they bothered her more this time because she is more mobile, but we survived the couple of cranky days. Lots more TLC!!!

Private...

Pretty soon this blog will be going private, if you want to be able to see it you are going to have to create a user name and password and sign in. This has become necessary due to some goings on in life lately. Can't trust the people that you know, so we are going to try this and see what happens. Maybe we are going to have to go to emailing pictures when I think they are cute. Sorry for those of you out there that don't know what is going on, but I am not going to share it on here. I have loved being able to share our lives with everyone for a long time, but am not willing to put certain things at risk, and apparently this does that.

disrespect

UPDATE: This post is not about my father's relationship with Karen, or have anything to do with his marriage, or my feelings about that relationship. It is about something totally different. This is going to be my new disclaimer. Just so there is no confusion.....

I just have to say that I have some new found disrespect for some one out there. You most likely know who you are, enough said.

Reason I left the ER with Wyatte

Someone asked how come John told me I had to leave when Wyatte was getting his stitches, and here is the reason...

We were living in AZ at the time, I was about 7 1/2 months pregnant with Wyatte when John came home from work early and told me to take him to the ER. He had sliced his finger lifting a transmission (he worked at at tranny shop down there...) and his boss said he needed to go in and check to see if he needed stitches. So I drive him to the ER, sure enough they said he needed a couple of stitches. They started with the novacaine, then they started sewing him up. I remember watching the first 2 stitches then starting to get a little queasy!!! The rest is all from what John told me later... The nurse finished the stitches, and went to get some paperwork so we could leave. I got up and headed to the sink, John thought I was going to be sick. He asked if I was ok, no answer. Then I went limp and headed to the floor. John jumped up and caught me just as the nurse was walking back into the little room. They laid me on the bed in the room, and checked my blood pressure and heart rate. Then I came too. I had fainted!!! We went into the ER for stitches for John and had to stay an extra 45 minutes almost because I had fainted and was pregnant. They had to make sure that my blood pressure went back to normal and all the other stuff was ok with the baby!

So now you know why I couldn't be in the ER with him! John didn't want me to pass out again. I did go back into the room with Wyatte this time, and I could tell that I didn't quite feel right, but made it though for my little boy.

Stitches

For those of you that are wondering, Wyatte got his stitches taken out yesterday. He did great. He was a little scared at first, but I think it was because he remembered them putting the stitches in. He cried for a little bit, but it was over before he even really thought they started! He does have a funny looking scar down there, but who is ever going to see it?!?!?!?! He still doesn't really seem to be affected by it at all. He did tell me on the way home from the clinic yesterday that his butt did hurt some, but by the time we were home he had forgotten about it! He did wince a little bit yesterday when I wiped him after he had a BM, but I think that is a little bit of a routine that he has started since getting the stitches in. We do still clean him with a wipe just to be sure, and use the antibiotic ointment. He still has a couple days of antibiotic to drink too, they said to keep taking that until it is gone, so... So far so good!

Thanks for your prayers and thoughts!

P.S. there are a couple other new posts so keep reading!

A beautiful day out side!

This is one of my favorite pictures of the trees. I have tried to get a good one before, but never quite got one. This is just beautiful to me! I love Minnesota in the fall!!!

This is the view off of my mom's deck and out the kitchen window. Isn't it beautiful!?!?!?

Just a couple of other shots of the leaves in the yard. These aren't the most colorful ones out there, but they are gorgeous!!!

The next few are of Aubrie, or me trying to get a good shot of Aubrie!!! Only one kid and I can't really get a good one! In my defense, she was more interested in eating the grass and leaves and cedar seeds then letting me take a good picture!!!

This one is my favorite though!!!


Wyatte kicked his ball down this hill, and then was too scared to go get it. John arrived just in time to "race" him down the hill for it, and of course Wyatte won!!!

"But Daddy I need help this ball is way too heavy!"

He did finally make it to the top though!!!

A few random pics from the last week or so..

No, she isn't just sucking her thumb! There is a leaf or a piece of grass or something like that in there too!!!

Nevaeh getting an airplane ride (the kind where you are on the floor and the kid is on your feet, then they fall on your head!!!) Wyatte got one too, see below!

Me, Katie and Lin at Elizabeth's wedding. Her three bridesmaids!

Wyatte's first stitches...

For those of you that have Facebook, you already know that I am glad that he only had to get three stitches. For those of you that are a little behind the times (just kidding, lol!!!) this is a surprise to you!

Anyways, last night was the 1st night of our new Bible study small group, and I was super excited to start (we are doing the "Believing God" by Beth Moore. Anyways I got there and we have a little time to visit before we start and I let everyone know that John was home with the three kids by himself for the first time (for a whole night anyways...other nights I have left him home for a little while before my mom gets home or something, but I was going to beat her home last night.) Aubrie had been feed and usually sleeps from a little after I leave until I get home, so I really wasn't worried. I left around 6 20 PM and like I said visited for a little while, we had just started the video when the cell phone rang. It was my mom's house. I ignored the call as I walked to the door because I didn't want to disturb the video by talking, and called John back. He told me I needed to come home because Wyatte fell in the bathtub and John thought we needed stitches. So I calmly packed my stuff up and headed home. On the way there I called him back and he told me that Wyatte had been climbing (out is what I heard) and fell on the faucet. YES, you read right, he sat on the faucet. And had a tear in the skin next to his bum hole.

So we get to the ER, and get checked in and Wyatte says he has to go to the bathroom. While he is gone Dr. H comes in and asks me what happened. I explained it to him, and he had the same reaction that you did! He squeezed his own bum together and raised it off the chair he was sitting on. Wyatte came back from the potty, and laid on the bed, and got his bum looked at and Dr. H decided that he needed a couple/few stitches. John tells me I need to leave (if you don't know why ask...)and they got started. I started bawling when they were shoting Wyatte full of the Novacain or what ever other numbing medicine they gave him and couldn't stand it. So I went back in. He did so well, John was holding his hands and told him when ever it hurt just to squeeze harder on daddy's fingers. When I got in there he was turning John's fingers white. So three stitches later we left the ER with a boy with a very sore butt, and an exciting story to share with everyone else! He slept all night (I did give him some tylenol) and is still sleeping right now. Keep him and us in your prayers today and for the next few days as we make sure that the stitches stay clean and don't get infected. Please also pray that he has an easy time pooping, because I don't want him to have to go through any more pain than he already is.

This is a picture of them getting ready to start the stitches and the only one that isn't totally gross. Just to give you a glimpse of what we did last night. (no that is not poop on his bum either, it is iodine!)

Not Me! Monday

Ok, so here goes again!!! I totally did not forget that Monday came after Sunday!!!

I did not color my hair twice in the last couple of days because I didn't like the way that it turned out the first time! That would be a waste of time and money right?!?!?!

I did not forget to get an anniversary card for my husband of six years... only men do that right? The sad thing is, he actually remembered to get me one :)

I did not quit my paper route a week early due to my last Not Me! Monday post...

I did not over schedule our week. So much so that I have been way more tired since I quit my paper route, than I ever was when I was getting up at 3 in the morning.

I did not walk to the house from the camper (where my husband, youngest daughter and I are sleeping while we live with my mom...) in just a shirt every day this week, because I had to pee so bad that I couldn't take the time to put on my pants. Give me a break, it was early in the AM each time!

I did not secretly reward my oldest daughter with candy each time she went potty or poop on the toilet. I also did not give her brother a piece of that same candy when she had an accident. That also totally did not work! She can now stay dry 90% of the time!!!

I did not forget to show up for yet another WIC appt. Why can't I remember them?

I am not one of the people that checks MckMama's blog about a gazillion times a day to see how her and her family is doing. That would be spooky.

I did not relish in the fact that I do not work at Target right now, and don't have to look at CHRISTMAS stuff already in the stores.

I did not let the kids pick out their own halloween costumes, and then regret it when they both picked out the most expensive ones there!!! I should know better by now right!?!?!?!

I did not send left over steaks and stuff with my husband for lunch, with no utensils to eat it with!!! Whoops!

Last but not least... I did not enjoy the date that my husband I had for our 6th wedding anniversary! I did not relish the fact that we could have a normal conversation with out three kids trying to get our attention. I did not eat so much popcorn at the theater during the movie that I was too full to go out for supper. I did not wish we lived in a little bit larger town so that we would have had something else to do besides eat after our movie. I also did not enjoy how excited all three of our kids were to see us when we picked them up from our date!!!!

Gretta's funeral

http://grandgrace.org/remembering-gretta-wyman

This is the web address for the funeral for Gretta Wyman. For those of you that have the time to watch this it is beautiful. Lesley, Gretta's mom, is one of the strongest people that I know for getting up and being as honest as she was and trusting God that he was and is going to use her life's testimony to bring others to him through the loss of Gretta. It is a long service, but please take the time to watch it. You will be blessed.

check out below...

There are a few new posts, not just one, so keep reading!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Aubrie update

I guess you can't really tell from these pics, but Aubrie has/is figuring out how to crawl. Really crawl! She has been scooting across the floor by pushing with her foot and pulling with her arms. But today while I was cooking supper she picked her knee off the floor and then put it down and then picked her hand up and moved that forward and did it over a couple more times and then went back to scooting and then to crawling and then scooting and then crawling! You get the picture right!!! So now I really have to keep an eye on her! She could move pretty fast before, but now she can book. She doesn't have it down all the time, she still gets frustrated, but she is getting the hang of it. She is growing up soooo much faster than my other two. I suppose she sees Wyatte and Nevaeh moving all over and wants to keep up with them, but give me a break. I want my baby to stay a baby.

Oh, and she finally pooped! Not that you all really care, but she went over a week with out pooping and I was getting worried... So she had a big one today!!! The joys of starting solid foods..........

6 years...

So I know alot of what I have said about John in the past hasn't been very good, but I think we are (I am) turning another corner and making some progress in understanding each other (him) better. On that note...

I am happy to tell you that we went out for the first time in over a year WITH OUT KIDS!!!!!!!!!!! It was our 6th anniversary yesterday and we actually got to go to a movie together, with no kids. John's parents watched Aubrie, and John's niece/sister's family watched the other two. Wyatte and Nevaeh had a ton of fun playing with cousin's Noah and Asher. I don't have any pictures of that, or of Aubrie and Grandma and Grandpa, but you can trust me that they all enjoyed them selves!!!

I also don't have any pictures of John and I together on our anniversary, but maybe you can count the pics that I am sure will get taken next weekend as some anniversary pics!!! For those of you that don't know I am in a wedding next weekend. A bridesmaid, so I will be totally dressed up, and I have some clothes picked out for John too! The nice thing about having some "fancy" brothers!!! So stay tuned for those!

What I do have pictures of though...

I got bored with my hair and did this in the last couple of days!!! I LOVE it, for others it is taking a little time to get used to! I am also planning on getting it cut, but don't really know how yet, and am going to wait until after the wedding to do it. So that I don't have to try to do something with it for the wedding when I am not sure exactly how to style it normally!!!