Good morning! Coming from home this morning! So nice to not have to be up and at work already! I took the day off today b/c I have some big lab work that needs to be done at the hospital and then my Dr. appt. right after that! I am 28 weeks already, which for me means drinking the nasty orange glucose drink and also getting my Rhogam shot. I have negative blood type so I have to do all these shots (well two really - one at 28 wk. and one after birth) and extra lab work. The logistics of this lab work and getting to the Dr. in a certain time limit is NOT fun! I need to fast for 2 hrs. starting at 10:30. Then at 12:30 I need to drink my orange nasty drink. Then within 40 min. I need to be to the hospital (about 15-20 min. away), and then they need to draw my blood by 1:30 at latest. I need to hang out there for about an hour or so to have the blood tested and then they need to make up the rhogam shot for me to take to the dr. My appt. is at 3:30 and I need to get the shot to them if I am early b/c it needs to stay at a certain temperature. Ugh. Anyway - I am sure I will grab some food to eat on the way to the Dr. b/c I will be STARVING! So that is why I just decided to take the day off. I figured it gave my mom the morning off too - she will have my kids for their afternoon naps so it should almost be like she doesn't even have them today! Maybe I'll get my groceries right after the Dr. appt. so I can do that without kiddos too!

Past weekend Fun Stuff:

Fri. night we went blueberry picking! One of the best things about Michigan Summers is the fresh strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries. This was actually my first time blueberry picking. Kyle did it for a job when he was younger - like .22 cents a pound he made. So here are some pictures I posted quick - one of Kyle picking (he did outpick us all!) and one of Braelyn eating more than picking! Both girls had pretty nasty diaper/bathroom issues after eating that many blueberries in one sitting! We went with my sister and her family (6 of them) and then my parents hopped along for the night too. After picking we headed to our state park for a hotdog cookout. It was like 8:45 before we ate, but the kids did great! We didn't get home until 10:30!

Sorry about the sideways picture - too lazy to flip it!

Scarfing down on the big plump blueberries!

Saturday was another busy day. We had a funeral for our friends' dad in the morning, got home from that at around 1:15. We chucked the kids in for quick naps and then went out to Grand Haven for a "Spread the Music" benefit day. They have this raffle that you "buy" ping pong balls and then they release these ping pong balls from a helicopter and whichever 11 make it closest to the flag on the ground get prizes. Of course we did not win, but Braelyn had a ton of fun at the little "carnival". After that (5:00) we headed downtown Grand Haven to Snug Harbor for dinner. The kids were JUNK from no morning nap for Selah and then a rushed afternoon nap so we could get to the carnival. We ate dinner quick and headed home so the kids could be in bed by 8:00. It is so hard in the summer to get kids in bed on time - and they so need it. During the week we do pretty good, but weekends are another story!

Sunday was a GREAT church service about WORSHIP which I loved and we got to sit thru it kid free. Braelyn went down to summer sunday school and then Selah did great in nursery! Maybe that is really why I enjoyed the service so well. After church we head to my mom's for good Sunday lunch. Fresh corn on the cob from 72nd Street - MMMMMM! I think our corn season here in MI will be fairly scarce b/c it has been SOOOO dry. The bottom of the stalks are brown already and they aren't much more than knee high. :( Kids took great naps on Sunday afternoon and Kyle and I caught up a bit on our "Bible Reading in a Year". I have to admit we aren't doing so well in the summer months with this. We are all caught up on Psalms, Proverbs, and New Testament. Old Testament - well that is another story. I find it so hard to read it and it is always the biggest section to read each day. So we will catch up on it eventually, but I figure the whold point of doing this challenge is just to get me in God's Word each and every day so that is going to be my goal! Played outside a bit when girls woke up and then did our pizza and movie thing! During dinner we watched "The Wild", and then once kids were in bed we watched "stranger than fiction". Both of these movies were OK to say the least. I didn't LOVE the wild compared to most disney movies. The Stranger than fiction was mildly interesting and a few funny parts. I actually missed the very end due to falling asleep. I am not sure if he died or not - LOL!

I did a bit of shopping online this weekend digitally speaking. A couple things from the Lilypad sale - if you missed that you missed out!!! I got the Christina Renee and Shabby Princess collab kit too. I have new stuff to play with from Amy Martin too - GREAT stuff! Anyway - so I have a TON of new things to play with and I feel a touch overwhelmed. I am feeling overwhelmed with my "responsibilities" on teams even though the gals I work for are so so so very kind and patient! None of them really have MAJOR requirements, but I am the type that if you give me something for free I feel like I need to PIMP it up and put it out there to advertise for them - after all that is why they have teams! So I hope to get some serious scrap time this week.

I have a big to do list too this week and in the next 12 weeks to be specific.

This week - get the swingset built (well - really a to do for my hubby, but I will help where I can)

In the next 12 weeks:

paint Selah's room - this room will become Braelyn and Selah's room! I want to make it something cute for them. Right now it is just a neutral goldish color. We need to fit Braelyn's Full size bed AND Selah's crib in this room too!

Clean out both rooms/closets. Re-organize them both.

Take house off of market and slowly over the next year or so finish the basement. Re-list the house when the market gets a bit better. I think we will plan on staying here longer now! I am both excited about that and bummed. Kyle and I really want to work at having no debt so we can bless other things/people. We believe that debt is not what God calls us to and so one way for us to be out of debt is to build and sell houses. But at this time I feel that God is calling us to stay put and I am content with that in this time in our lives. We will be a touch scrunched in this house with 3 kids and us, but that makes for a close family right?!

Well, I feel motivated so hopefully the nesting instinct of pregnancy is kicking in and will actually make me do somthing. I am a somewhat LAZY person. I would much rather be scrapping than cleaning and orginizing. Although amazingly yet my house is quite clean and orginized!

OK _ that was a longer post than anticipated! Off to shower and get ready for my appointments! Have a great day everyone!

Check out this fun kit!!!

I know, I know.... I am such an enabler! I have another fun LO to show - and this kit is DYNAMIC! 2 Mystery designers have teamed up to do a collab kit that will be over at the Lilypad this weekend!

LO found HERE. OK - enabling over!

Worked my half day today - went good. I am so lucky that my mom watches my kiddos on Mon. and half day Wed. and then my mother-in-law takes Thurs. My girls LOVE going to both grandma's houses and I think it is great for them to be so close to their grandparents! Last night I got my hair highlighted and cut! I am a BLONDE folks! Check this out (wish I could black and white this photo so I would look a bit better - or where is that 'gorgeous' action when I need it?)

So I like it! I change my hair quite often so it's nothing shocking to me. I like the shorter bangs - and I might just cut them a bit shorter on my own - we'll see - I usually wear them to the side and might be fun to wear them down - hmmm...decisions!

And I promised some pics from camping - here ya go!

And now time to make enchiladas for dinner and then I think we will try and head to 7-11 to get free slurpees b/c it's July 11 - 7-11! Tonight I am having some gals over for scrapping - and Kyle is taking Braelyn out to Gander Mountain! Have a great Wed. evening and Thurs!

Audrey Neal LO

Just hopping on quick to show off a LO I just finished up with some of Audrey Neal's new stuff!!! Not only is this some of my favorite stuff of hers to date, but it is all on sale for $1.00. Seriously - a BUCK - how can you pass that up?! This LO was done using the quickpage from the Mediterranean Holiday papers/pack - it was just perfect for my photos! You can find Audrey's store HERE.

The pictures are of a little robin sitting in our yard that Braelyn was enamored by! She is always saying she wants to hold the birds in our yard and the ducks and what not. Well - here she got as close to a wild bird as she will probably ever get. I had to keep telling her not to touch it - LOL! I am thinking he was just starting to learn to fly and had not quite gotten a hang of it! There he sat - starring back at her! Fun stuff!

My day has been good. I cleaned this morning and the girls played nicely. Then we had lunch and the girls took naps and I scrapped. I did this LO and one more that I can share tomorrow!!! Tonight we are having chicken on the grill and then I go at 8:00 to get my hair done. It needs it BAD!!! Highlights and cut - I am thinking bangs of some sort - we will see.

Have a great day everyone! TTYS.

Hello Monday! For some odd reason I actually was looking forward to today. Nothing going on other than working, but after the weekend camping I needed a "break". Work to me is a bit of a break b/c the girls go to their grandmas - who love them so - and I get a break from "kid" stuff.

Camping went okay. I got there on Fri. at 1:30pm and I think that ruined it for me for some reason. Everyone else was already settled and I felt like I was only going to be there for such a short time and there was so much to do. I was just grumpy and so were my kids! Selah in particular was a "bear". Cried alot and naps were hard. Camping with little kids and nap schedules is a bit tough I think - so much to do, but so little time to do it between naps! Anyway - we made it thru it and we will go again in about 3 weeks to a yogi bear campground nearby - with some friends who have a little girl Braelyn's age which will be nice too!

I did finish up this LO - really only had my computer out once for a short time - glare from sun sucked for scrapping. No wireless internet either. This LO has a ton of fun stuff on it that I want to highlight quickly! First of all the ever so sweet Nancy Comelab must have wanted to brighten my day and gifted me her newest paper pack - WOW!!! Secondly, the hanging tag is Amy Martin's Featured Product of the Week this week! If you have not participated in this challenge - YOU MUST!!! You have a chance to win $10.00 to Amy's store (and who couldn't use that? Especially with these new products that just came out!!!), and word has it that not that many people are participating so your odds are up right now!!! Thirdly, Janet Phillips put out her July Grab bag and I HAD to use a few of the goodies RIGHT away! I bought the SUPER SIZE grab bag this month and it was SOOOO worth it - not all just templates here girls!!! I love how she makes scrapbooking EASY and enjoyable with her templates and goodies! You can't beat her tag line either on her instructions included - "most important to spend time with those you are scrapping" (something to that effect - I don't have it infront of me at this time). the grab bags are only available thru tomorrow so go GRAB it!

OK - I will try to post tomorrow when my life slows down a bit ans show off some pictures of camping. Despite the not such great time I did get some good pictures!

Have a great day!

Baby be a shakin!!!

I don't think I have shared this with you guys yet! This little babe that is dwelling in my tummy is a mover and a shaker! Wow does she ever MOVE. ALL DAY. LOTS. WAY MORE THAN BRAELYN AND SELAH. HONESTLY - MORE THAN YOU THINK. It is crazy people! I am amazed when I watch my stomach just a moving. I LOVE it! She either really likes it in there or she really hates it in there and is trying to get out. Right now I hope it is the former! We aren't quite ready for her to come out yet! So what is the difference??? Most likely just their personalities! Again - it is amazing how you can almost sense that already - each of their different personalities! OR - is this baby more active b/c I eat a ton more sugar and sweets in this pregnancy than I did with Braelyn or Selah. With Braelyn - man - I was like a classic first time pregnant woman - so so healthy - everything for babe!!! Selah's pregnancy I was a bit more relaxed, but still pretty health conscience. Now - heck - I eat plain HORRIBLE. I love sweets and ice cream. It doesn't help that I am pregnant over the whole summer - never have been before - that ice cream is too tempting! So, while I think the movement in there is great, I must admit that she literally makes me nauseous. Her movements are different - very graceful if that makes sense. She kicks and punches too, but the ones that make me nauseous are the ones that she like runs her whole hand or foot all the way across my stomach lining - weird! So, the nauseous part isn't so fun - but it is totally amazing! I just thought I would fill you in a bit about what has been going on with our third addition to the family! She was feeling a little left out!

Just so that I can somewhat stick true to my promises - here is a picture of me and the babe - and go figure we are overlooking a ROW of candy!!! My nickname used to be Candy Mandy b/c I LOVE candy!!!

What candy is my favorite you ask??? Well these are what I get when I hit this local candy store!!! I get them in bulk! Mmmmmmm!

A new LO with the fabulous new kit by Shabby Miss Jenn Designs - out today I believe!

I captured this photo as Braelyn was talking to Daddy on the phone one morning. She was dressed in her princess dress and Dad called and she begs and begs to talk on the phone ( to anyone!) She is so serious about it too - I love it!

I'm off this morning to the Dr. with B and then up north camping!!! Can't wait to join Kyle and Selah! Have a great weekend everyone!

A Camping we will go....

So I am just checking in here quick this morning. The last two days have been CRAZY! Not the 4th of July we wanted/expected, but a holiday nonetheless! Our camper is packed and ready to go. Kyle will take it with Selah tonight and get it set up (about 1 1/2 hrs. away). I will take Braelyn back to Dr. in morning for her re-check and then we will head up from there. At this point Braelyn is going with me, unless the Dr. says NO WAY. Yesterday you wouldn't have even known the girl had been deathly sick the day before. She slept ALL day and night Tue. so I think she really got re-energized. I TRIED to keep her laying low though. Kyle and I were crazy busy Wed. just cleaning and packing the trailer - I forgot how much work that is when you first go. Our next camping trip should be much easier b/c everything will pretty much stay in it! So there are our plans for the weekend!

I hope you all had a great 4th of July - lots of fireworks and food and all that good stuff!

I am going to go pick up the newest digital scrapping magazine (Better Homes and Gardens - Ultimate Guide to digital Scrapbooking). I have been eyeing this magazine and have heard decent reviews so I need some good eye candy and reading material for the camping weekend. I imagine with Braelyn needing to stay low key I will be sitting at the camper alot while she naps and Kyle fishes! The camping resort does have wi-fi so I will most likely take my computer too, but I know Kyle will be so annoyed if I do b/c he does not understand why I need to take it EVERYWHERE. I just think it would be nice to do a few LO's while I am just sitting anyway - KWIM?! Sat. really will be my only full day there though b/c Sun. is really just packing and heading home again. I imagine I won't get there until about 1:00 tomorrow.

Sarah had asked in my last post comment section what a tonka toaster was. Here ya go for those of you who have never had one (also called Hobo Pies by some).

This is the Tonka Toaster hot iron. You put two pieces of buttered bread in this with any toppings and sauce you want. We typically do pizza toppings, although my mom and others in my family like to do dessert type sandwiches with blueberry dessert or cherry or whatever you heart desires. You stick it in the fire a couple minutes each side and Whallaaa!!! Nummy nummy tonka pie! Hope that explained it!

Toodles - you all have a great weekend. Hopefully I can check in Sunday night and show some pics!

::WARNING:: Pouter ahead

Yep - I am literally just checking in to pout - LOL! I do do it with a chuckle though at least. I figure not too many people are going to read this on the 4th of July b/c you are all busy with holiday activites so I figure I will just pout quick and get it done with! This is mostly for me - just to get it out.

Braelyn woke up this morning with a fever. I gave her ibuprofin and she got better quite quickly (so I thought). I got us all ready and went out to the bank drive-thru and to drop off our CD's and DVD's we took out from the library - had to go in the library versus dropping them in the outdoor drop box b/c I didn't want to drop CD's in that box - KWIM?! So I get the girls into their stroller and Braelyn is SHAKING - like uncontrollably. We rush in - drop off the items - I grab like 10 books - literally just grabbing them off the shelf b/c Braelyn is still shaking and starting to cry. We get in the car - go home and I give her some tylenol = she throws it up instantly. I chuck Selah into bed and get Braelyn all washed up in the bath and lay her on her bed wrapped in her towel and cover her with her blanket - in a little ball. Still, she is shaking. I am getting a touch nervous b/c in my 3 years and two kids history I have NEVER gone to the doctor with my kids for anything but well-child visits. I KNEW something was wrong. She fell asleep and was very lethargic. I called the Dr. office and they said to bring her in - 11:45. So we get ready and packed into the car - drop Selah off at my mom's (where I was supposed to be all morning helping clean up the camper we are using this weekend?) and off to the Dr. we go. Blah blah blah..... No strep, let's get a chest x-ray. We then head to the hospital radiology building to get the x-rays - Braelyn did great. Still very sleepy at that point. I go to my mom's b/c I HAD to clean out the camper so Selah took her nap and Braelyn napped, woke up, napped, woke up, spit up, etcc... My mom cuddled with her alot which was nice. Dr. calls finally at 4:15 with results. Braelyn has PNEUMONIA. BUMMER. Poor girl. She is miserable. So I go to pick up the prescription and we head home. My families BIG fireworks party is tonight - so I went for the first part - dinner (tonka toasters on the fire), and now Kyle is there to set of the fireworks - BIG ONES. He is so bummed that his own daughter and wife don't get to see them. He is keeping a few here to do a little show for us tomorrow night though at least! And luckily I live close enough to my parents that I heard them and could see a lot of them from here. So both girls are sleeping. I am praying that Braelyn sleeps well tonight. I really am blessed that my kids have been so healthy up until this b/c I am WHOOPED from all the busyiness of it. Even though she slept there was wash to keep up on and all that!

About camping. My other pout. We might not be able to go. The Dr. really suggested NOT going. I have to take Braelyn in for a re-check on Fri. so I for sure will not be going until Fri. afternoon. Kyle and Selah will go up Thur. night after work as planned - my sister-in-law and brother-in-law will be up there too so he will hang with them. Hopefully B is feeling a little better and I can take her - but she will HAVE to hang low - no real playing - poor thing. So we will see how things go here in the next few days. Tomorrow night we were supposed to go to a cook out with all our friends and kids - more BIG fireworks and that will not be happening for us either unfortunately. We need to get Braelyn well. So go figure that the one time my child does get sick is over a holiday where we had a TON of plans. I think that is just what always happens - do you agree moms???

Anyway - any tips or pointers are appreciated - never dealt with this before! I just hope Braelyn feels good enough tomorrow to drink and keep things down. I do not want her to get de-hydrated!

OK - pout over! I hope you all have a GREAT fourth of July! I think ours will be VERY low key now and I will keep you posted!

::WARNING:: Pouter signing out!!!