Getting caught up...

Make a Smilebox photobook

Ohhh where to begin.... I have so many things to say that I will try to separate them the best I can. My family was here to visit the begining of July. My brother Ryan, his significant other Katie, and his daughter Eden arrived by plane as well as my uncle Dan. My mom and dad, Robert, arrived by train. The boys and I went to Union Station, downtown Kansas City, to meet their arrival. The funny thing was that the boys had no idea they were coming to visit. My mom wanted to surprise them. It was so awesome to be standing at the platform, with my boys, looking at everyone getting off the train and for them to notice that the 2 people walking towards them were their grandma and grandpa. It made me well up with tears.

It was a full house but we had a great time. They were all here for 4th of July as well as Aden and Eden's birthdays. We had a big party to celebrate. Uncle Dan had to return home to work after the weekend.
We also made it to the zoo (which included my sister-in-law Brylie and her kids Creed and Roman). It was hysterical when we went into the petting zoo area and the sheep where coming up to the babies in the strollers and trying the find food. Katie was trying to be brave and feed the goats and sheep but they kept swarming her and she would run away.

We went to Smithville Lake and played in the water. The kids had a great time. It was hard to see everyone leave but I guess it was necessary for them to return to their lives.

What a ham!!

Make a Smilebox postcard

It was such a joy to get these pictures taken. She was cooperating very well. I know it only gets rougher with the photo sessions from here!! lol

Our beautiful baby Breelyn!!!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Having another girl in our house has been such a joy!! Breelyn is actually 4 almost 5 months now. She is talking... ok babbling a whole bunch. She is sitting up quite well and she loves to watch us eat. She stares at our plates of food. I think she might be a good little food eater. She is a pretty mild-mannered girl. I think she is just a typical girl but I have no idea because of my experience with boys! The little boys sure do enjoy her! They both are so loving and caring to her. They love to sing her songs... like "itsy bitsy spider" and "you are my sunshine" it can just melt your heart.

Ok...ok... I am way overdue to give an update!!

I thought it was time to publish a post about our finally finished basement. When we bought this house last year, it had an unfinished basement. We figure it to be an additional 1200 square feet. We went to work on it soon after we found out my family was coming to visit before Christmas. Janin and his dad did most of the work themselves. We had a family member help with the dry walling. It was a lot of very late nights and lots of noise in my final month of pregnancy but so worth it. We now have an additional bedroom, bathroom, entertainment room, slide/play structure for the kids and storage areas. I can't say enough about how great it is to be married to a man who can do things like this. He is such a helpful, creative, handy person to be married to.

When we moved into this house, Janin had the idea to build a slide for the kids in the basement. Originally it was going to start in the boys room closet upstairs and then they would slide from their room into the basement. It ended up not going to work. So he and his dad build a play structure with the slide and a fireman pole for the kids to use all year round! It is awesome!!! I would also like to note... my awesome husband decorated the basement bathroom all on his own!!

Girls Pajama Party!!!

Breelyn and I had a pajama party in mommy's and daddy's bed. Yes... I am the cheesy mommy who bought matching jammies. Janin thought I was pretty silly having matching jammies but she is my only daughter (Janin says for now) ha ha. I have waited a long time for a little girl. I absolutely love having my precious boys but now I am not the only female in the house.

I enjoy times like these so much. I love when your children are still babies and they look at you with such adoration.

Belated Valentine's Day update!!!

Valentine's Day was a lot of fun. It was just my three kids and I. We made cookies to decorate with lots of pink frosting and candies. They were both more interested in licking the frosting from the bowl then decorating and eating their cookies. It figures :-)

I was taking "naked bottom" pictures of Breelyn and Aden wanted in on the action. He is such a ham... I swear. Deegan would have also wanted to be in the pictures but he was busy driving his cars on the fireplace bench. Something he does daily.

My awesome husband surprised me and took me for a massage and to a hotel overnight. Janin's sister, Tami, and my brother-in-law, Lawrence, stayed here with all 3 of our children. How lucky are we??? It was nice to get to have a normal adult conversation with my husband without being interrupted by three midget-humans that look like us. It was strange to be without our children overnight, but enjoyable all the same.

it's times like these...

Ohhh my little Deegan!!! He is growing and changing ohhh so much. He keeps me on my toes, causes me to clench my teeth and makes me laugh until my side hurts. He told me the other day... after I took the "broken" poptart out of the package and handed it to him, " ahhhh mom (big sigh) that's not supposed to happen". I just laughed !!! He is becoming such a young man at almost 3 years old. On a different note... I decided (MOM) it was time to pull out the old wooden spoon for discipline. I have been trying many approaches with him with no success. I have not gotten to this point with Aden so this is new for me. I haven't actually had to spank him with the spoon... he has gotten very close but just leaving it on the counter and reminding him it is there is all that has been necessary, SO FAR!! I have to hold back the smile sometimes when I show him the spoon because it brings me back to my childhood. Today was Deegan's day. He pooped in his underwear, again, and I found myself soaking the underwear in the toilet in order to get them cleaned off enough to go into the washer. I can't keep throwing the nasty underwear away! lol This was going on while Breelyn was crying because I had riped the bottle from her mouth in order to keep Deegan from pulling his dirty pants off himself. Later in the day... Deegan got up from his nap and came running out of his room as happy as a clam. All I could do was double over in a hysterical laughter. Pink marker all over his forehead, hands, legs (and later discovered, his bed) and he was no wiser to the fact. So sometime after he went for his nap he had a van Gogh moment. My little Deegan, what a precious boy he is!

Having a girl is such fun!!

In most professions, Friday's are the best days of the week. However, in my profession, Friday's are the most challenging. The week is coming to an end and the children are very impatient with each other and I am impatient with them all. lol! I started this Friday with "baby dress-up". I thought a photo session with my daughter would be enjoyable to begin the day. My very own real life doll to dress up. Thanks to Aunt Katie and Uncle Ryan for the cute outfit.

I also thought the older kids would enjoy making cookies out of play dough. Play dough is one of those things that you curse because of the mess but love because of the hours of enjoyment. It is good for them to create and explore with play dough.

Looking forward to the weekend because daddy is home and family time is always so awesome! I am hoping to get Janin's brother Jody and family over here maybe!!

In closing I am including a picture of Breelyn with her awesome bib on!

A little late but....

Grandma and Grandpa were so thoughtful to send us a gingerbread house kit to construct as a project in the kitchen. The boys and I had such fun putting it together and decorating it. I think more candy went into their belly rather than the house but it was fun none-the-less. We did it late but they didn't realize it was past Christmas. I just laughed when Deegan would say, "one more lick mommy and that's it!" Then a second later he would say the same thing, wanting more white icing on his finger to lick.

Life would be boring without times like these...

I sit on my couch and gaze out my window at the snowflakes falling while the sun is shining. My older kids are in the basement playing and shrieking with glee... until a fight breaks out over sharing, of course!!! Baby Breelyn is sleeping and I am still in my jammies. I am reflecting on how blessed and grateful I am! God has been good to me!! I have a wonderful husband who stretches himself very thin at times to lend a hand and help me out. He loves me through all my crazy times and is my very best friend!! I have great kids that bring such joy and make me laugh and cry all at the same time. I have great friends and family that support and care for me. And most importantly a God that has carried me through everything and loved me through it all. Thanks be to God!!!

A few days ago Aden decided he needed a hair cut. Not sure where the idea came from. He has never done anything like this before. I noticed a pile of hair on the couch and asked him what it was. He looked pale and a bit embarrassed and admitted it was his curly locks. I tried to keep a straight face and explain that only the barber cuts hair. He got the point. To his dismay... I took pictures of the hair cut. This is something I would expect from Deegan but not my Aden... lol!!

Happy New Year....

So here we are... a new year has arrived. Yes, the diet begins... after all, I am in 2 weddings this year. One of my best friends, Jen in Chico California and my brother, Ryan's in Las Vegas in July. Jen's is in May so I have to get this baby weight off and quick!! So Weight Watchers here I come... tomorrow of course.

Today began the addition of another child in our home 5 days a week. Her name is Aleksis and she is 4 years old. She lives across the street and I am good friends with her mom. It worked out well to have her come with me while her mom, Brenda, works as a teacher during the week. I was needing to make a little money while staying at home and she needed a new place to care for her. She is a good girl and it should be fun having my own little daycare here, between my 3 kids and Aleksis. It will be busy and hectic but a blessing as well. I hope it will help me to be more structured with my day. I think I am gonna have to be more on a scheduled in order to manage everything. I still have to take Aden to school 2 days a week as well. I hope to be able to have some "learning time" with the 3 older kids a few days a week. This is my wish and with lots of patience and prayer... I hope to succeed!!