A Savvy Year In Review - 2010

January

We ring the new year in...

Begin our 3^rd month of living with my inlaws after selling our house...

Our marriage walks down a pretty dark road...

You all rally around us and pray (I’m still moved by the love and encouragement when I read those comments)...

Kinley & Raya start walking...

And we finally find our new home.

February

We celebrate 7 years of marriage...

Our marriage starts to heal…

We start to completely remodel our fixer-upper...

And I decide to take all 5 girls shopping for my new jeans.

March

I turn 29...

I confront Target about the worst display ever...

The girls have spring break...

And we look forward to warmer weather.

April

Reese and Charlotte turn 4...

I get on a Mommy Soapbox...

We continue working on our new home – it feels like it will never be done...

And I realize that I’ve lost my cool.

May

Eric turns 32...

We finally move into our house...

I rejoice…and rejoice…and rejoice...

And I have an awkward conversation with the AT&T lady about our non-working internet.

June

Ella turns 6...

A Local Mother Has Mental Breakdown In Local Dressing Room (me being that mom)...

I find out we are expecting – we are surprised, but that quickly turns to excitement...

I end up miscarrying...

And you all seriously help carry me through with your sweet comments and love.

July

We celebrate the 4^{th ...}

The girls and I spend every day at the pool...

I admit that we might be addicted to summer...

And I tell you all why Eric is the one.

August

Summer starts to wind down...

I carry around 45 extra pounds...

The Dr tells me that I will probably have trouble getting pregnant again...

I get a positive pregnancy test :)...

And our sweet Ella girl starts 1^st grade.

September

I have a really, really rocky 1^st trimester...

I start baking Pumpkin goodies...

Reese and Charlotte start preschool...

And I tell you all that we’re expecting!

October

Fall shows up for good...

I confess I might be addicted to Target...

We enjoy crisp, cool days at the park...

And we have an ultrasound that shows a healthy babe growing inside.

November

Kinley and Raya turn 2...

I share a story about our chaos with (in)courage...

I start decorating for Christmas...

We have a relaxing Thanksgiving...

And we find out that we are expecting A BOY!

December

We play in the snow...

Spend Saturdays at home just being together...

You all help us figure out what we are going to name this little guy...

And we have a great, relaxing, much needed Christmas break.

Whew! So here we are.We are looking forward to a new year, and finding out what God has in store for us – like a sweet baby boy :)!!

I hope you all have a great New Years!!

(please excuse us while we add/tweak some things on the ol' blog) 

Perfectly Crafted Snowflakes...

I thought this was really incredible so I thought I'd share. A good friend of our family, who is also our pastor, and a person you should follow on twitter, told me about these. These are pictures of actual snowflakes under a microscope...handcrafted by an amazing God...

Isn't that incredible?? I just loved it! Those pictures are from this website, just in case you're wondering :).

Hope you all are having a great Thursday! Anyone have big plans for New Years? (please say we're not the only ones staying in!)

But...

I need to get to those dishes that are piling up...

but there are some little girls waiting to go pick out new nail polish at Target.

I would start taking down the Christmas decor...

but the kiddos love the lights too much - I can't bring my self to do it.

I would finish cleaning out the closets...

but the snow is calling our name...

I would start folding these 4 baskets of laundry...and then maybe even tackle the other 2 loads still sitting in the girls rooms...

but then I couldn't sit under a warm blanket with my loves and watch Dora...

The floor needs mopped in the worst way...

but I'm busy playing hair salon with my ladies (my hair is just a tad bit knotty now).

I could start trying to get all that coloring off the walls...

but playing hide and seek with these savvy little women is just way more fun!

The housework will have to wait today, and I am totally fine with that :).

I Think We Will Call This Detox

Holiday Detox.

It's kinda like they are still running on the adrenaline from the holiday weekend, only there is not nearly as much to do.

And energy, with no outlet, equals crazy.

But I kinda like the crazy, it keeps things interesting.

So we have hung around here most of the day after deciding to not head to Ikea during naptime with a friend and our 9 kids - we'll save that special trip for later...you know, like when I need to go into labor.

We fixed some hot chocolate and broke out the Easy Bake Oven....

I realized that Ikea might have been easier when I thought the "Easy" Bake Oven was on fire for the 2nd time. It wasn't, but it sure smelled like it was!

My sweet, innocent little babes played with new toys...

stole some markers from their sisters...

and wrote on my walls...

Again.

Raya keeps walking by it and saying, "is that markers? Raya colored??" It's hard to be mad when I hear that little voice ask those questions :).

So now I'm off to fix dinner, and vacuum up the playdoh under the kitchen table - is it me or does that stuff get everywhere?? Hope you all are having a great day!

Good, Good Times...

lots of gifts opened...

even more food consumed...

1 birthday cake for Jesus...

5 little girls who had more excitement than they knew what to do with...

lot's of family time...

ton's of laughs...

1 mama who is not ready for dad's 3 day weekend to be over...

same mama wishing he could be off just a few more days...

more fun with friends and family coming this week...

1 check up this morning for the baby boy...

can't wait to hear that little heartbeat...

could wait to get on the scale after I ate too much yummy food this past week :).

Hope you all had a great Christmas! Who's ready to hit the 75% off sales at Target with me :)??

From Us

Well friends, I'm outta here for a couple days to celebrate and spend time with family. I am looking so forward to relaxing and soaking up the holiday!

So from our little family to yours...

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Much love to you all!

All The Random Facts You Can Handle

I have no Christmas presents wrapped...

I am sorta tired of the crowds...which is weird cause I really love to people watch...

Today Reese and Charlotte argued over whether or not God was in control of if you color inside the lines or not...

We have been missing a pink sippy cup for 2 days...

I found it this afternoon...

Our Christmas tree apparently holds more than just ornaments.

My hormones. Are taking over. You may already know that.

I'm craving crushed ice, but my iron levels are fine. Frisch's in my opinion has the best ice ever, I'd like to buy it by the bag.

Sneezing without warning while pregnant is not good. The ol' bladder is making it known that it's been jumped on by a lot of babies.

I just wish it wouldn't make it known in the check out line at Target.

I've basically finished off the Lemon Bars I made this weekend.

I might be more excited to give the girls their gifts than they are to actually receive them.

We kept Christmas small and basic this year. And by "we" I mean "our budget".

Raya and Kinley have started saying "I-ove-you". It's all one big word, and it melts me completely.

I think that's it for now :).

Till later!!

In Which I Pray That No One Throws Up In Aisle 9

It's not really the holidays here till the stomach flu takes a trip through our house.

Well that and not until the tree takes a nose dive onto the floor.

Then, you really know it's the holidays in our home!

Our tree has seen the floor a few times - and the ornaments, well, I think they've just learned to hang on for dear life.

So...

I'm doing lots of laundry, especially the sheets that have been thrown up on at 3am. Isn't that the worst? It's no fun when the kiddos are throwing up, period - but it seems SO much worse in the middle of the night! So I'm doing all kinds of laundry today...

And maybe we'll just relax and read some books or watch a movie...

But 1st I have to go to the store. I only have 3 diapers left, and we need some more tissues, hand sanitizer, and 7up. The ones who have had it seem to be better - and now we kinda wait to see if/when it strikes anyone else...here's hoping it doesn't!

So we're off to Target. If you hear "clean up in aisle 9 by the Lysol section", you'll know that's us.

Send help, and Starbucks. :)

Saturdays At Home

They are some of my favorite days. We decorated a little more, started our holiday baking, and even cleaned out some closets.

I had an interesting conversation with the girls today...

Me: girls, get in the playroom and clean out all the stuff that's on the floor...and go ahead and move the crayons and markers downstairs.

Girls: Uuuggghhh...why??

Me: because that is going to be your brothers room, and in a month or 2 we are going to have to clear it out completely to decorate.

(Blank stares.)

(Crickets chirping.)

(They looked me like I had 2 heads.)

And then there was a collective...

Girls: Ohhh, the baby.

Me: yes, my loves. Your brother. I know that sounds really different than what you're used to!

I just laughed. It even sounded funny to me right after I said it :).

So, everything around this ol' house says its Winter, and that Christmas is on it's way...

Is there anything better than Christmas lights lit up at night in your home? I just love it.

We did indeed get into some sweet baking today - although my savvy helpers bowed out after rolling about 25 peanut butter balls. They did their best.

I made buckeyes, 7 layer cookies, and lemon bars. Yum!

I did however get into an unhealthy pattern with the buckeyes...

Make one, eat one, make one, eat one, make one, eat one...

Now I'm coming down off a sugar high, and the little guy is kicking like crazy. Just felt one, oh I just want to squeeze him...and kiss his little face.

Sigh.

Well I'm off to catch up on blogs and head downstairs to take my vitamin...and maybe eat another buckeye.

Hope you're having a great weekend, friends!

And Now, I Sit.

Whew, it has been a busy snow day.

Yep, we had another one.

So we baked, and played with the neighbor kids, and made some ornaments.

I just went upstairs not long ago to check on my napping babies - only when I went up there they weren't napping, they were laying in front of the door with their pants off.

I don't know.

And they had thrown all the wipes out the door.

Insert me waving the white nap flag here.

SO, I can't thank you enough for all the name ideas! I am going to look through them again tonight and start making my list - and then you all can check it twice - and then at some point, hopefully, we will make a decision!

I'm off to shower...yes for the 1st time today...and yes, it's almost 5pm. Better late than never, right??

Happy Thursday!

Help Name The Little Guy

Please?

We have started throwing some names around, and while we have a few we like, we can't come to a conclusion. Not that we need to immediately.

There is actually 1 in particular that I do really like. That one, could be the one. But not as of right now, because we can't completely agree on it.

Big surprise. Names are so easy to agree on, right?? Wrong - so wrong in our situation. Although we had completely agreed on Kinley before we hit the hospital. We are usually trying to land on a names(s) while we're signing release papers because we haven't made a decision. So far that has actually worked for us - apparently we do well under pressure. You know, in most situations.

Am I rambling? Yes? Sorry.

My moments of trailing off in a conversation and forgetting where I was going with it have only increased with the pregnancy. I'm talking about names one minute, and then the next thing I know I'm telling you about a bad perm I had in the 6th grade, or about how my best friend in college used to call me Jan.

See? Rambling is a condition.

Annnyway.

I would love your opinion. What are some boy names that you really like? Please, do tell!

A Savvy Snow Day

The girls had just a little bit of fun yesterday in all the newly fallen snow...






Can you tell???

Weekends Are Good, Snow Days Are Better

It's just a nice surprise isn't it? The weather forecast was correct - it did snow, a lot.

This weekend was great, but super busy! I needed today to catch up a little. We had errands to run, things for the kids, a friends baptism, and 2 Christmas parties.

I love holiday parties. Aren't they the best?

We had our house church here last night for a Christmas dinner/party. I'm pretty sure that's the 1st time we've had that much food in this house since we moved in - I probably could go days without eating anything and be ok. But don't worry, I won't.

We also had a little chocolate fountain going that just didn't go as planned. I tried to make it work, but the fountain clearly hated me. We ate it anyway.

For the record, there is currently nothing I won't eat. I don't know if its a boy thing, or just the pregnancy, but I'm usually a picky eater...not anymore. I've never been this hungry.

Moving on.

This group has been a huge blessing to us, and has confirmed that this is the area we were supposed to move to - it couldn't be more clear.

We laugh, we pray, we eat, and we share our lives...

I feel at home with these people. We are super lucky to have them.

So now I'm off to finish some laundry that's been calling my name all weekend. And after lunch, its time to suit up and head outside for a snowball fight...that's all the girls want to do.

I'm hoping to get lot's of snow pics - you know, if I don't end up being a target for the snowballs.

Happy Monday!

The Forecast Says...

Lot's of snow is heading our way...

So the girls are gearing up by trying out their snow gear...

I almost wish they made those boots in my size...well, in black or gray...or chocolate brown.

Here's hoping they can get outside to play tomorrow before our Christmas party - the little ladies are wishing for "a whole lotta snow!"

Hope you're having a great weekend!

It's A Little Much, Isn't It?

Maybe just a little?

But funny, don't ya think?

Not to mention completely appropriate.

I started to tear up in the store when a friend and I were looking at the newborn boy clothes, I think at that moment it finally sank in that this is real. We are going to have a son. And I already love him just as much as I love my girls.

The hormones, are taking over.

As we looked at all the cute brother/sister shirts I told her that "I don't think I want to buy big sister shirts, I'm afraid to buy anything yet...because...well...sometimes I let myself worry that something, you know, bad could happen." I can't help it, I know I shouldn't worry. I know without a doubt that God is in control, and that He will provide that peace if I would just ask.

This was wonderful, she turned to me and said without hesitation, "Kate, even if something did happen, and those chances are very slim, the girls still are his big sisters, he's a part of your family now. Enjoy it!"

Don't' you just love how friends can bring things into perspective, when you've let your mind run away with useless thoughts??

So anyway, can you tell I worry about this little guy just a little? And can you tell me to stop!? :) I'm not the only pregnant mama that worries like this, am I?

So now I'm off to take the girls shopping...for maternity jeans. You know, ones with a band tight enough to grab onto my growing belly, and not ones that I have to keep pulling up all the time!? I'm hoping it doesn't go exactly like this jean shopping experience did :).

Hope you all had a great week! Aren't we all glad it's Friday??

Baby Boy Belly Bump

Try to say that 5 times fast.

Half way there, friends...

That's all 1 pound of him...

And that's all 10 more pounds of me.

Ahem.

Maybe it's the graham crackers and peanut butter? The yogurt covered pretzels? The Target popcorn? The chips and spicy hummus from Trader Joes?

Mmmm.

Someday I will tell the tale of my 70ish (alright 80) pound weight gain with the twins.

The preeclampsia. The swelling. The cankles. Those puppies could've been featured on Discovery Health.

Oh well. Totally worth it!

Comfort Crockpot Mac And Cheese

That's what I call it around here. Because it is just so good right out of the crockpot - and it is, well, not the healthiest dish I make in this savvy home.

But it is good my friends, really good. So lets set the calories aside on this one. Promise? Ok.

I make it for parties we have here, and it is a crowd pleaser to say the least. Once in a while I make it for just our family - usually when Eric is out of town or we have a super busy week and need leftovers.

But just know, anytime is a good time to make it. Trust me.

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons of Oil
1 lb of macaroni
2 13 ounce cans of evaporated milk
3 cups of milk
2 teaspoons of salt
6 cups of cheddar cheese (I use sharp)
1/2 cup of melted butter

(I snagged the pic from this recipe site, my camera battery was dead. Please forgive me. This recipe came to us from my mother-in-law.)

Directions:

I spray the crockpot with cooking spray to help with the clean up, you don't have to though.
Put oil in the bottom of the crockpot
Cook pasta till almost done.
Then add all ingredients except butter and stir.
Add butter on top, do not mix.

Cook on High for 3-5 hours. I have found that the time can vary depending on how much time you have or need before its done. I have cooked it on low for longer amounts of time.

Alright, that's it! It's easy, and delicious. It does make a good amount, so I never double it, we always have lot's of leftovers.

Oh, and the kiddos loovvee it :).

I Can't Seem To Form A Thought...

I have tried, but it's not working to well!

I think I'm just overly tired from Eric being out of town the past 4 days. He's not home much as it is, but I had forgotten what a reassurance it is that even if he's not home at 5pm, he will be home from work at some point every night - which then makes me feel that its less likely for someone to break into our home and steal all of us girls. :)

Apparently in my mind, that stuff only happens when the husband is out of town.

Needless to say, I haven't slept well.

It could also be because I lay in bed and watch Everybody Loves Raymond re-runs until the late hours of the night when he's gone. It's addicting, and really funny. My favorite episode is when Debra gets arrested after Amy's wedding shower. Anyone remember that one?

I shoudn't be watching tv to try to make me sleepy, a book would work way better - it always makes my eyes feel so heavy after a while. I know that's what Raya would do, she's my little book lover...

Or I can get up and fix some graham crackers with peanut butter, dipped in milk - my current pregnancy craving, that I also had when I was pregnant with Reese and Charlotte. Mmmm...

I accidentally posted this pic last night after hitting publish on a post that wasn't finished. Oops :). I think that's the pregnancy - no sleep - Everybody Loves Raymond watching - to many graham crackers - brain. Is that a condition :)?

Anyway, hope you all had a great weekend! Happy Monday!

New Beds, New Chaos...

But we like the chaos - you know, most of the time :).

We took the fronts of Kinley and Raya's cribs off, so they now have little toddler day beds. We figured they were ready, and that they will obviously will be switching beds soon anyway seeing as one of the cribs will need to go to the new little guy.

It's going well...

They stay in their beds just like we tell them too...

Or not.

And you know what they do when they're not in staying in their beds?

Dumping the humidifier.

Putting Vicks Vapor rub all over everything.

And emptying the dresser - then putting all those CLEAN clothes in the DIRTY laundry pile. So then I don't know whats clean and whats not - which goes to prove my suspicion that they really are trying to make me crazy.

It's a conspiracy.

So here's hoping that they do a little better this weekend, maybe they will give me a break and just stay in bed when I put them there? I know, I know - that wouldn't be any fun :)!

It's a good thing they are so stinkin' cute when they come to the door in those little footed pajama's - How can I be mad at that??

Hope you have a great weekend!!

It's Snowing...

and I love it!

But guess who loves it just a tad more...


Yep, the little ladies are thrilled :).

So...

We're having a boy! I am so thankful for all your sweet words - you do know that most of you will have to help me out with this boy thing, right? You're ok with that? Good.

I knew I could count on you.

Let's just wait on the whole "he's going to pee on you every time you change his diaper" talk, ok? You can spring that on me later on down the road.

Considering we don't even have a neutral crib sheet in the house, I'm going to be on the hunt for some good deals...in blue :). I can't help but smile when I say that.

I also couldn't stop thinking of an old commercial yesterday. One of my best friends that I roomed with before I got married used to think it was SO funny, so I thought I'd share...



Yep, still funny.

So, I'm off to pack all the girls in the car for preschool, and some morning errands. Well, I guess it's not all girls anymore - because I have a little guy in my belly!

That cracks me up for some reason, I laugh every time I say it! It just seems so surreal, and completely out of our savvy little world :).

And speaking of savvy, I need a subtitle to the ole blog don't ya think? So everyone put your thinking caps on, I can use all the suggestions I can get!

Happy Wednesday!