Sleeping baby

This boy is one year and 9 days old and guess what? HE SLEPT ALL NIGHT! I am so excited and rested. Sadly I woke up at 6 am and he is still asleep. 

This baby can sleep with me forever as long as he sleeps all night. 

Oh and that hand. What is he doing with that hand?

Pamela

Being Stuck

I love this boy. You know the one with his head stuck under the cabinet. Some days he seems so grown up and will be heading to college soon . Other days I worry he will live in my basement eating peanut butter and jelly forever. Sometime I laugh with him he gets stuck under the cabinet or coming down the stairs. Sometimes I just push him out of the way. Okay , I may be joking on that last part. 

Pamela

Watermelon is the New Turkey

This may be the last watermelon of the season. So of course I use it to make more watermelon jelly. I normally save the leftover for the chickens but some little munchkin thought he needed it. 

Now that I think about it just 2 hours after eating this watermelon this child slept for 9 hours straight. He has never slept more than 5 hours. This was huge. Hmm, maybe watermelon is his turkey. Okay, going to buy another watermelon today. 

Pamela 

Feeling Beachie

The statements: 1. I __ when I ___ 2. Apples___ are my _favorite __ fruit, I am thrilled to know we have a apple tree on our property and have planted another one. I see lots of apple desserts in my future 3. _Fresh cut grass __ is my favorite part of summer, if I could bottle that smell. 4. Mountain Dew_____ helps me relax. I know it should wake me up but i think it does both for me.

Puppy Love

I think they are settling in. Gracie will climb on the couch for more snuggles but Howie will only put his paws on the couch. And let me tell you when his paw touches you, you feel it. I cannot believe how much I am enjoying these two.

I know creepy photo bomb of my daughter on the porch. One of the best features of this house is that it has a big wrap around porch. The kids can ride skates on the porch no matter the weather. 

Pamela

Girl Fight

I always laugh at how much my boys wrestle. And some days I just stand back and allow it. The giggles that come from them wrestling is contagious. Then the girls start wrestling and we all laugh. It normally starts because someone made fun of what the other is wearing and ends with someone on the floor saying how pretty the other one is long enough to be released. 

And yes that is Grace in the background picking up the baby whose feet could not touch the ground for the last week. 

Pamela

Making Jelly

This weekend Grace and I had a booth at the the Moline Small Business event. It was a event for crafters and small businesses. 

  I am going to be sad next month when the farmers market is over. I won't lie, the money is nice. More than that I enjoy the time I spend with this girl. I enjoy watching her make friends with the other kids. 

 My amazing husband is not in this picture but I will miss all the late night jelly making time. 

Pamela

Feeling Beachie

The statements: 1. I am _so excited for the small business fair that I am involved in this weekend.___ 2. I don’t like to _promote myself or stand up for myself so this is really pushing myself.__ alone 3. Would you_quit work____ if you could? 4. Cooking with_children___is something to be __with patience and extra ingredients in case they mess up.___

What Dad

Big Brother

I love this boy and refuse to allow myself to believe that he is turning 18 soon. 

I refuse to believe this is the last year of schooling I have with him. He talks about going away to college and I wonder how his brothers will handle him being gone. 

Who will wrestle with them. It is hard for me to believe one day I will have three teenage boys wrestling in my living room. I do not think I will ever be ready for that.

Ok, she looks weird here. But she cannot stand him playing with the boys. She has to be involved in the wrestling. 

Pamela

Happy Birthday

I saw a picture of a woman in labor today and I could smell it. I could smell the hospital. I could smell that precious new baby smell. I cannot think of anything more pleasurable than those first few moments after birth when you get to hold your new born. Some times I remind myself to just take a moment and stop and take him in. Listen to his giggles. Listen to his cries. Watch his little waddle because soon he will be running faster than I can watch. 

I love how he needs me. How he snuggles into me to let me know he needs to nurse. I love how he reaches for Faith and Michael when they are close. I love how he practically runs up the stairs and if I see him he giggles. 

Feeling Beachie

The statements: 1. The beach is _calling me, warm and sunny and oh the sound. Please just for a few hours.____ 2. Smartphones are __addicting and helpful and full of problems and making us anti-social and I cannot live without mine.__ 3. I like to _sing. I am not good at it but I love to sing___ 4. My dream ___gift___________ would be __to allow my husband to retire and stay home full time. Give him time to fish and hunt and help with math and finish college and rest his back and his lungs and not worry about deploying or his health. ___________

He is Not Allowed

Just so you know I am not planning a first birthday party for this blessing because I want to live in denial that my baby boy is turning a year old next month .

Pamela

Struggling

I am reading a wonderful book and one of the things it says in the first chapter is "do you like your child". That statement brought me to tears. Do I like my children? I love them but do I take the time to like them. 

 This one has been struggling. Well I thought it was her who was struggling then I realized it is me who is struggling.

Preparing for Winter

My house is slowly preparing for winter. I am so excited to stock my shelves. It has been a learning experience with lots of mistakes. But you know what it has been worth it because of time I have spent with my husband. 

Pamela

These Two

These two crack me up. She is either in pajamas or has to be dressed amazingly to do the dishes. 

He on the hand would dress up daily if I let him. I am tempted on nosy days to let him.

Pamela

My Baby Daddy

This man, this man is the father of my children. He is my best friend. I love how he plays with the children and reminds me to calm down and enjoy each day. 

Pamela

Daddy can Cook

I am curious, do you think my husband cooks ribs very well.

The kids really think so. 

Pamela

Sleeping

This boy loves to sleep. He loves to sleep on his momma. 

He almost always sleeps with one leg pulled up. I do not know how this is comfortable but he does. 

Have I told you that he sweats, it is gross. But you know what? I do not mind  because one day he will be too big to snuggle with.

Pamela

Napping

Just relaxing, just napping, just enjoying his momma. I love this little boy even if he is growing up way too fast. 

He still takes most of his naps in my arms. I am enjoying it while I can. 

Pamels

Slow Down Little Boy

Good morning mom, I know I am growing with each blink of your eye but please know I will always be your baby boy. 

At least this is what I keep telling myself every morning when I see him doing something new. 

Pamela

Win-Win

We have had a abundance of zucchini and squash from our garden. I have given it to anyone I can. We have froze it, shred it, canned it, and dehydrated it.

The one thing I have not been able to make much of is spaghetti sauce. 

The other day I stopped by the butcher shop and noticed they had FREE zucchini. So I asked if I could bring in some to give away. When my husband took the box back they had a box of tomatoes for FREE. It was a win win. He came home and we made spaghetti sauce. It takes a ton of tomatoes to make spaghetti sauce. That makes me wonder what they add to the cans of spaghetti sauce to sell them so cheap. 

  This journey has been fun. I am already planning out what we need for the garden for next year. I want to attempt ketchup next. Would you believe we easily go through 6-8 bottles of ketchup a month. 

Pamela

Artwork

Everyone needs artwork on their diapers. So Hope has written on his diapers.

And she works on her multiplication on his diapers. 

Pamela

Energy Drinks and Babies

You know because staying up half the night to nurse is hard work. 

Or is it that he is preparing to keep me up tonight. Maybe I should drink the energy drink to keep up with him. 

Pamela

Three In the Bed

I love how close these thrre are. I love how the sleep together to make each other feel safe. I don't know when I will think they are too old for this but it won't be any time soon.

Pamela

Gardens and Thankfulness

Our garden is bountiful this year. Okay maybe only half of it but our garden is bountiful. 

And for that I am do grateful. 

Pamela

One Job

They had one job and they failed. I love that Grace noticed this before anyone else.

Pamela

Strong Bonds Part 2

So where were the kids durning our marriage retreat? They were with us. Would it be nice to leave them with family YES. But sadly military life does not allow you the luxury of living close to family. I will say we have gone to two marriage retreats with kids and both have had amazing child care. The Childcare makes each child feel special and loved and wanted. They were so patient with my children. 

 Not only did my children have amazing Childcare but our retreat was held at Great Wolf Lodge. So when we did not have class we could play in the water park. Dad took the bigger kids out in the evening to play some of the bigger games. 

 In saying all this I would be wrong if I did not take a moment and Bragg on Great Wolf Lodge. They were amazing. This truly is a place you can stay and not leave for several days. Of course they have amazing water parks but did you know they have amazing resteraunts and arcades and a bowing alley.  Did you know that every evening they have story time and several other free events.

Oh and when mom needs a break they have a spa for mom. My large family easily fit into our room. The staff is amazing and patient with the kids. Each person acted like they wanted to be with us. 

  Oh and the safety is unlike you will find anywhere else. A million and one life guards.  Life guards who are focused on a job not talking to each other. I am always amazed at how comfortable they make me feel. While I totally feel it is the parents responsiblity to watch there children, I realize I only have two eyes. 

  And when you have a wardrobe malfunction they have just what you need. Not only did my husband replace his swim suit but it did not cost a small fortune. 

  I am beyond grateful to those who organized this event, paid for this retreat. I am also grateful for a hotel that made my family feel safe and comfortable. 

Pamela

Rest When Needed

Sometimes traveling even for fun is exhausting.

Now add in long hours in the car the day after working a 24 hour shift and staying up late to take advantage of all the hotel has to offer and you are going to collapse. 

And you know what? I am okay with that. I learned a long time ago that it is okay to take time to rest. 

I learned that everyone wakes up with better attitudes and we can enjoy one another again. 

I also learned that tired children make for a much quieter dinner when you stop to eat. 

Pamela