Halloween

Here are some pictures of my Dynamic Duo and their fabulous friends. We went trick or treating with some of the families in our Community Group at our leaders house. There were a ton of kids running around and it was complete mayhem. It was the guys turn this year to take the kids out trick or treating, so during that time, us girls had a little peace and quiet. The guys didn't last as long as us girls did last year. Sam kept telling Neal that his legs hurt and he couldn't walk anymore. Gabe kept telling everyone "I look awesome in my costume...I'm strong" (with him flexing his muscles) It's so fun to see them having so much fun and getting so excited. It's ridiculous the amount of candy we have in this house. I know we will never eat it all, I'm already sick of it. After we put them to bed, both boys came out of their room about 5 times each saying their tummies hurt.

Happy Halloween!

The Super Friends

Kids Artwork

I need some ideas on storing all the pages of art projects that the boys come home with every week. I've taken out some of my favorites to display in their room and on the fridge, but can't find a good system for storing the rest...ideas? tips?

Upstairs

While the guys were working on the floors downstairs, I was hard at work upstairs. I painted the inside of the closet AND the ceiling! I was so proud of myself for completing the project without asking Neal for help. My neck is going to be killing me for the next few days, but I was glad to finally have something to do to help. If we only had another week of uninterrupted time, we could finish all this stuff. The next step on the closet is getting the shelves put in, then we are hiring someone to do all the painting on the outside of the room. Our house is going to be in complete disarray for the next few weeks, but I know it will be worth it. You might not be able to tell much from these pictures, but you should get the "jist" of where we are going with it.

Goodbye horrible Linoleum...

hello, lovely hardwoods! As of this very moment, my kitchen is 1/4th hardwood floors! Neal and our friend Marcus (in the pics below) spent the past two days getting the floors started. After 3 trips to Lowes yesterday, they finally got going around 4, and then continued to work all day today. I'm so very excited about my hardwoods. I have loathed that horrible, WHITE linoleum for the 7 years we have been in this house and now it's almost gone. I will never have to clean it again. I will happily and lovingly clean my hardwoods, not only because they are beautiful, but because my husband is working so hard at installing them. He also found an amazing deal on all the wood, so we are saving a ton of money too!

Marcus let both of the boys hammer some nails into the floor and they thought that was awesome...they love Marcus because he "fights" with them, throws them around and does really crazy stuff!

Fun and Free

Go check out Carly's blog and give some ideas of some fun, free stuff that you do with your kiddos.

So You Think You can Dance

(that is the longest title ever)

Kandice, Julie, Nicole and I had so much fun last night at the SYTYCD tour. We went to dinner at Sunset Grill and had yummy crab cakes and delicious creme brulee. Then we went on to the show. We were surprised at the number of guys we saw and surprised that we weren't the only 30ish year olds there. It was an awesome show, they did all our favorite dances and some new ones too. I wanted to get a picture of the four of us, but we never had a camera at the right time. My belly picture on the post below was right before we left. It was fun getting dressed up for a night out on the town and I got to wear my favorite cowboy boots for the first time this season. I love them...it's probably bad to love boots this much, but I do. When I first got them, I wore them around the house and made Neal talk to me about how awesome they are. I should have taken a picture of the boots!

28 weeks

Here is another belly shot. I was so good at documenting my pregnancies with Sam and Gabe, I'm determined to do the same with Luke, so this is me at 28 weeks. It's also one of those pictures that I look at and realize I don't look like I think I do!

Thanks for all your suggestions for Gabe's "issue". I've started a heavier daily regime, so hopefully we will make a dent! :)

On a lighter, less poopy note, Neal is taking Thursday and Friday off to continue working upstairs! Hopefully, after 4 full days of him being able to work, we will make some serious headway.

When I dropped the boys off at school today, Sam cried for the first time all year. He was ultra sensitive all morning, but has been fine this afternoon. I'm not sure what that was about, but I hate it when I leave either of them unhappy. Gabe is getting better at the drop off, but when I picked him up, his teacher said that he was upset most of the day (except when they were at gym). It kills me to hear that he didn't have a good day and my first thought is always, I just need to keep him home with me. I get over that really quick, because I know it does him good to be away from me and in that environment, but it still makes me so sad...big parts of my heart walking around in the big world without me...ugh!

Nothing Post

Sorry it's been so long since I've posted. I keep thinking I'll wait and post when I have pictures or something fun to say...that keeps not happening, so you are getting a nothing post with no pictures! Here are some random thoughts...

*I'm getting big. Every time I eat a meal, I feel like a whale, no matter how little I eat. I guess my stomach is getting smushed. I'm starting to make noises when I try to get up or move.

*Neal is still busy working on the closet upstairs. It's slow going since he can only work on the weekends. He is in the process of "taping and floating", whatever that means. All I know is that has to be done before we can paint and put shelves in. I'm getting sick of every weekend consisting of a huge project that takes up all Neal's time. I know he's getting sick of it too! I'm trying to talk him into taking a day or two off work this week to just finish it all. We'll see...why is it so hard for them to take off work? Even when they are sick. Are your husbands that way? When I had a job, I took off work for no reason at all, just as long as I stayed within my allotted days.

*I can't wait for the upstairs room to be complete, so I can move the boys up there and get it all decorated and organized. Then, I will be able to pull out all the baby stuff and get Luke's room decorated and organized. I can't wait to go through all those teeny tiny clothes, and little footy pjs! I know once I get going in his room, I'll have a list of projects that need to be done before he comes. It won't be anything as big as adding a closet though. I already know I want to recover the glider cushions and put new curtains up. I'm going to use Gabe's baby bedding, so I already have a lot of stuff to decorate with. I wanted to give him a whole new room, but we decided to spend that money on making upstairs the big boys room.

*I've started Beth Moore's Believing God Internet Bible study with my sis-in-law, Laura. I'm already really enjoying the first week. Although, printing out 27 pages of homework for that first week was a little daunting. I'm finding it very good and challenging. I'm praying I can stick with it and actually finish!

*Fall is here...almost. We have had beautiful weather the last few weeks, a few days here and there that are chilly enough for long sleeves. Open the windows weather. Tomorrow and the rest of the week it is supposed to be in the 60's! Yipee! I hope it will be cold on Halloween.

*Sam is going to be Batman and Gabe is going to be Robin. I'll be a whale!? just kidding. I'm not dressing up. We hang out with our community group at our leader's house and take the kids trick or treating. This year it's the guys turn to take them out, so us girls will get to hang around the house and pass out candy.

*I can't believe I didn't post this at that top...on Wednesday night, Kandice, Julie, Nicole and I are all going to see the So You Think You can Dance Tour!!!! We are going to dress up and go out to eat at a real, nice restaurant before the show. I can't wait. I'll be sure to take pictures and post about it.

*I haven't had caffeine since September 13th, when all of Luke's heart stuff came to light. I'm really missing Dr. Pepper. I've looked everywhere for caffeine free DP, but can't find it. I even got online, I found out that I can order a 24 pack for $10+$5 shipping. Is that crazy?? I'm actually thinking about doing it. I like caffeine free Coke, but it's just not Dr. Pepper.

*Gabe is constipated...really constipated. I'm trying everything in my power to get that child filled with fiber...bran muffins, fiber one bars, extra fiber bread, apples, fruit, water, natural apple juice, suppositories, even some natural vitamin supplements that I crush up in his apple juice. It's slowly getting a little better, but yesterday was a bad day. Any ideas???

Sam-ism

Sam was talking to Gabe yesterday, when he noticed that I was watching and listening to what he was saying, he tells me "Mommy, you need to worry about yourself!" I felt so chastised!

a few more from the farm

Random

I really don't have anything exciting to say, but I feel like I should post since its been awhile. I took the boys this morning to Kandice's family farm. They have an annual pig roast and it was my first time to go. The boys went with KK last year, the weekend I had my first miscarriage. I can't believe it was just a year ago. It feels like ages, but then it doesn't seem like it was that long ago. I can't believe I've been pregnant two more times in that year. Anyway...it was so fun, going to the farm, watching the boys go down the hill slide and Sam go on the zip line, his face was so much fun to watch when he was doing it...pure, unadulterated fun. My favorite part was all the FOOD! The company was good too...Kandice's sisters and Callie all came up from Texas and I always love getting to hang out with them and catch up.

Neal was going to go with us, but then decided to start on the upstairs renovations...so I let him off the hook! I've been so ready to get that room started and done with. He had some friends come over to help and they got a lot done. The closet is all framed up, they've wired for the ceiling fan we are adding to the room and did some other electrical stuff. They will work on it again tomorrow. We still have a lot to do before I can do my part, but hopefully, in a few weeks, I'll get to start organizing and decorating. I'm trying to decide what color to paint up there. It's a pretty big room, the boys quilts on their beds are patchwork with navy, red, white and lighter blue, so really I could do anything. I think I have decided to do one wall red. Anyone have a paint color that they absolutely love? I'd love some recommendations...I hate going to the stores and looking at all those colors...it's so overwhelming.

Hope you are all having a good weekend! Give me some ideas on paint colors if you have them!

Back to Christmas...

Great gift ideas? Anyone? See my Christmas post below...

I'm a Princess

*Gabe asked me this morning if I was a princess...I told him yes!

*When I asked him if he was thirsty, he replied with an enthusiastic "Yes, I sure are"!

*He calls corndogs...horndogs

*Helicopter is pronounced "ha-copper"

*When we ask him what Robin (Batman and Robin) says he replies "Holy Fart, Batman" (Holy heart faliure Batman)

Christmas

It might seem a little bit early to start thinking about Christmas, but I am such a planner and am always anxious to get my Christmas Snowman Friends out as early as possible to enjoy them as long as I can. I also like to get as much of my Christmas shopping done, as early as I can. That way we aren't totally strapped for money the month of December. My mother-in-law was thinking the same thing, I guess, when she asked what the boys might want this year for Christmas. Last year was such a toy frenzy, I'm hoping this year we can knock it down a notch. I was trying to come up with some great ideas for them, but am coming up short. Sam's pretty easy, Gabe is the one that is a little more challenging. I'll probably have to take him to Toys R Us one of these days and just let him loose to see what he really likes, without Sam's influence.

Do any of you have any great toy ideas? Something your kids love? Some magical, amazing toy that keeps them occupied for hours on end that none of us can live without?

A mommy quandry

I was really sick Tuesday night and all day yesterday...up every two hours sick to my stomach, if you know what I mean...Luckily, my superhero husband stayed home to take care of me and the boys. Sam was in school, but Gabe doesn't go on Wednesday's. Yesterday evening and last night both boys had diarrhea, but they are both acting totally normal. Today is a school day for both of them...I'm still zapped of my energy and would love to spend that time they are in school in bed, recovering some more. But even though they look and act like they are feeling fine...I can't really send them to school, especially in light of how sick I was and that they have one of the symptoms I had. I've gone back and forth in my head the past hour...If I sent them maybe no one would know. Or, if I sent them, would I get a call an hour later saying that they were both throwing up and all the teachers and other moms would hate me. I had one friend tell me to keep them home and another tell me to send them. I figured the most mature mommy thing to do would be to keep them home. I don't want the other moms to hate me! So, I'm sitting here on my couch with two boys running around saying "lala head" and laughing hysterically. I only woke up and hour ago and I don't think I'm going to be able to move from my position for awhile. I'm just going to have to resign myself to a pj day...with lots of animated movies and little boy gibber jabber. What would you have done?

My Man

1. Who is your man? Neal
2. How long have you been together? Since my freshman year in HS...15 years
3. How long dated? 2.5 in HS and 1 in College, we broke up when he went to college.
4. How old is your man? 30, 19 days older than me
5. Who eats more? Typically, he does...but I'm pregnant right now!
6. Who said "I love you" first? he did
7. Who is taller? he is
8. Who sings better? oh, he does, for sure!
9. Who is smarter? he is, he can figure anything out and then do it really well.
10. Whose temper is worse? mine
11. Who does the laundry? I do, but he pitches in
12. Who takes out the garbage? he does, I have nothing to do with that unless he is out of town.
13. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? he does
14. Who pays the bills? that would be me
15. Who is better with the computer? he is
16. Who mows the lawn? Cory
17. Who cooks dinner? I do most of the time, Neal is a great griller and makes a mean meatball.
18. Who drives when you are together? he does
19. Who pays when you go out? he does
20. Who is most stubborn? we both are
21. Who is the first to admit when they are wrong? me
22. Whose spends more time in front of the mirror? me
23. Who kissed who first? Neal kissed me first
24. Who asked who out? he asked me out the day after my 16th birthday
25. Who proposed? he did
26. Who is more sensitive? ME!
27. Who has more friends? I do
28. Who has more siblings? we both have one brother
29. Who prays at the dinner table? Neal
30. Who wears the pants in the family? I'd say we both do, but I always defer to him!

Heartburn

I hate it. It's 3am and I'm sitting in the living room with my heart burning. I'm sure the pizza and ice cream I ate for dinner are not the cause of this terrible pregnancy induced symptom. With each pregnancy, it has progressively gotten worse, so I can't imagine how many nights I'll be sitting out here when I'm in my third trimester. I've got my bottle of Rolaids in the side table drawer, Freshmint is the only flavor that don't make me gag.

I hope you are all sleeping well, snug in your bed. I'm going to start laying off the pizza for dinner...I'll just have it for lunch!