Ramblings

Christmas was wonderful...probably the best we've ever had. The kids got along great, the toys were "just want they wanted" and we (Tyler and I) feel very blessed to have such cute kids! The X-BOX Kinect is very fun and kept Trevor from going crazy (it's been raining so much here that we just don't go outside). It's amazing to just stand in front of the TV and play the games...no controllers needed. It's a great workout and I'm not worried that Trevor will become a couch potato. We love it!
Tyler got a good start on the '39 Ford Coupe he is restoring and the Deacons he has invited over to help haven't chopped off a single finger...in fact I haven't even seen blood. I am getting bigger every day and this baby is kicking harder too...I do love to be pregnant but now I'm starting to remember that when I'm bigger, I'm uncomfortable and sometimes can't sleep. And I have that wonderful thing called Labor and Delivery looming ever closer on the horizon.
I'm excited for this new year for many reasons and having this new baby is one of them. I love to have a fresh start on things I want to accomplish (I don't always meet my goals but at least they are there in my brain). My main goal for this year is to have this baby and survive well. My mom thinks that is a cop-out but I'm not motivated enough for anymore right now. Oh, I got a cricut expressions for Christmas that I'm very excited to start using for lots of projects. This blog is a bit random but I thought I would share some of the ramblings of my brain. Hope you are all healthy, happy and warm!

As Promised

One of our projects this last summer was painting our house (I hated the gray and green...who would ever put those together!?) and I didn't have a picture for the longest time. As promised in a blog like four months ago here is a picture of the final product.

After

Before

In other news that's a little more Christmas-y, we are totally enjoying the Season and can hardly wait for the big day when Santa comes. Trevor is literally bouncing off the furniture and walls and the other two are following his lead in the excitement category. As much as I want to pull my hair out these days, Christmas time with little ones around really is magical. Their innocence and pure joy at things like lights on houses and decorations on the tree is something that brings the Christmas spirit into our house faster than anything I've ever experienced. I just hope my furniture survives.

So Surprised!

On Sunday we got home from a very fun Thanksgiving in Utah but I think I've decided after much stress, worry and a very long time in the car that we won't be driving over the mountains in a blizzard ever again! Our trip on the road both going to and coming home from Salt Lake was very scary. However, we made it home safe and sound and right on time for me to get to my ultrasound appointment Monday morning.
I was so surprised to find out we are having A BOY! I knew for sure it was a girl because of the symptoms I had at the beginning of this pregnancy but the little guy was very willing to show us I was wrong! He is very active, both the doctor and the technician were saying, (though I specifically ordered a passive child) and I'm wondering what that might mean...? More that anything though, I am very grateful to have learned that he is healthy and growing right on target. I like hearing words like "normal" and "healthy" and "going well". For now, we are excited to start getting ready for another little guy around here, which we are all very excited about!

Our most excellent night

The costumes were great, it didn't rain (mostly) and it wasn't very cold outside. Halloween was a very exciting day at our house and I can very honestly say that I'm glad it's over. The kids were adorable and very funny, but I think we are all still recovering from the lack of sleep the entire week because the littles were so excited.

We had a mermaid (she picked it out herself), an Indian (he wouldn't even consider anything else because he got to carry around a bow and arrow), and a Tigger (he didn't have a choice because it was the only costume in the box that fit...it was a perfect fit for his personality, however).

Another look at our beautiful mermaid...fins and all

He wanted a close up of his lost tooth

And he is just adorably cute!

The most original costume...a Chinese Devil Clown...his very own creation and yes, he is the dad of the family. (He actually won the best costume award at his office)

I was a queen but there were no pictures (who wants to see a chubby pregnant woman, anyway?)
We didn't coordinate or match in any way but still had a blast! We LOVE Halloween!

Halloween, here we come!

This has been a very exciting, high energy, and crazy week at our house. Not because of any monumental happening or changes to our daily lives...only because of Halloween. Trevor is buzzed all the time, and by buzzed I mean living all parts of his life at 110%. He talks loud and fast, runs everywhere he goes, and can't sit still to save his life. Listening to and obeying his mom are the hardest tasks required and he's at a 50/50 average. I'm going CRAZY! Cambria and Ethan, of course, follow his lead and so by bed time I'm ready to crawl into bed myself (mind you, bedtime is 7:30 at our house). Yes, at our house I'd say we are excited and ready for Halloween.

Carving pumpkins was the start to our week and Cambria went right in for the slimy stuff while Ethan preferred using a spoon...carefully. Cambria's comment to Tyler..."You're the best picker ever." (talking about picking out the guts of the pumpkin)

This is the first year Trevor actually got his hands down in the pumpkin and got the guts and seeds out. It didn't last very long but he did get quite a few seeds out (I think his personal motivation for getting his hands dirty was so I could make him roasted pumpkin seeds).

Cambria was very excited to do her pumpkin and while see was the only kid willing to get her hands dirty she was also the most talkative. Her best comment..."Look mom, I got a gut". (interpretation: look at the guts I'm getting out of the pumpkin)

Some of the finished product. I still have to carve Ethan's little pumpkin on the right and Tyler needed to finish his haunted house. Here are our pumpkins!

We're Expanding!

I've been so excited to share our news but due to unexpected delays I had to wait. So now I can tell everyone that I'm having a baby! :) At first I thought it was twins because my stomach grew very fast and I was really sick, but after our first ultrasound we found there was just one. The kids are very excited and Cambria is sure it's a girl. I'm 13 weeks and my due date is April 21st. So many of my future blogs will probably be about pregnancy...I will try however, not to just focus on that. After all we have a soccer star in the family as well as the cutest 2 and 3 year old kids ever!

Why is it?

Why is that all boys have their funny bone connected to things that happen in the bathroom? Ethan thinks it is VERY funny to sit on the toilet and not urinate into the bowl but see how far he can get on the bathroom floor. He also thinks it's hilarious to poop--into the toilet, into his pants, where ever it may happen to come out. He giggles so much that he can't get control of himself again. Of course, if it happens that he had an accident and pooped in his pants, I'm fuming and he's just laughing at me. So far we haven't had any incidents of urinating in the corners of our house like Trevor did, but time will tell. Like I mentioned before...I HATE the potty training stage.