Happy Wednesday!

Good morning everyone! Middle of the week - that is always a great thing! We had a great day yesterday. Started with a light sleep in - meaning Braelyn coming into my bed at 6:30am and cuddling with me until about 8:00. So I don't really sleep from 6:30 on, but it is nice to not have to get up and get out of the house by 8:00! We all trucked it to my Dr. appointment (which the girls did GREAT at), and then off to the grocery store to pick up some bread and lunchables for our park playdate. My girls have had lunchables one other time in their life - I just don't feel like they are real lunches - but it worked great for the park. Off the the park we went - the one that is in my back yard. I drove there however b/c it was like 90 degrees today and this little pregnant woman was not about to truck thru the field with a stroller and two kids in this heat - LOL! It was great to be at the park though and was nice to see some girls that I have not seen in some time! Braelyn and Selah didn't really play all that much though and since Selah had no morning nap she turned sour REAL quickly! We headed home by 12:15 and I had the girls in bed by 12:45! The both took great naps! Dinner tonight was out to Russ' (a local little dutch diner that most of the time disappoints service wise, but is good for kids). I swore we would not eat out again about a week or two ago, and of course we did - LOL! Home by 7:15pm and Selah put to bed by 7:30 (thanks for the inspiration Janet - LOL), and Braelyn got to take a bath in our jacuzzi tub and she went down then by 8:15! Good day!

I got to work on a LO yesterday that I had a lot of fun with.

Credits can be found HERE

It basically has to do with what I mentioned in a previous blog post about how this little babe in my tummy just swirls around. A wierd type of movement - like a flowing swirl - LOL! So the LO was fun to do for her baby book!

No real big plans for the rest of the week. Wed. and Thur. just work and normal life stuff. Fri. I think I am going with my mom and some other family to my aunts house on a lake - do lunch out there. Fri. night we go to "Taste of Holland" - a showcase of different foods from different local restaurants. Sat. morning we leave bright and early to go on our annual tubing trip!!! I am so excited. Sounds like there will be about 14-16 people with us - just adults - tubing down a river leisurely and then camping overnight in a campground. It will be a nice 36 hrs without the girls and with good friends! So our weekend will be fun fun!

Enjoy your day everyone!

Some new LO's

So I have done a few LO - these two LO's I kind of sat on for a week or two to wait to post until the kits came out. Shabby Miss Jenn Designs put out a bunch of new goodies - wow - she was on a ROLL!!! The great part is - I got some great LO's done with them!

Both of these LO's have been added into my galleries (link to the side of blog).

I have also started working on Braelyn's ABC album and I am LOVING how it is turning out. I have not gotten any of them into a gallery yet, but here are the four I got done so far.

I am using Janet Phillips ABC album template and doing it all with Shabby Miss Jenn Designs goodies. I love that I can use all different kits from her and yet the pages all kind of coordinate! I have so far been able to use one of Amy's Felties on every LO too - not sure if she will have enough for me to get all the way to Z though - LOL! Might have to put in some special requests to her for what I need! Have you seen all the new fabulous stuff put up at The-Lilypad too??? WOW - these girls never cease to amaze me! They have a FUN new collab that I NEED to do a LO with - so fun for birthdays or any celebration!

I am about falling asleep here now trying to finish this post - that is what I get for trying to do this at night. Busy day tomorrow for me of a Dr. appt. and then a park play date with the school group that Braelyn went to school with last fall. Should be fun to see everyone again!

I will leave you with just a few of my favorite pics from camping this weekend - we had a very good time - went a little better than our first trip a few weeks ago!

Seriously now - I am off to bed - wow - I cannot keep my eyes open any longer!

Have a great Tue. everyone!

My news!!!

So did anyone see this yet this morning??? I am still in shock about making the actual Lilypad team. I think like 40 gals tried out (only available to those already on one of the designers team, otherwise I am sure like 400 would have tried out!), and somehow someway I got chosen as one. Have no clue how b/c seriously these other gals are like UBER talented! I personally like my LO's for me and my family, but I don't necessarily think they are THE best out there by any means. Maybe I am partly excited b/c they chose someone who really scraps to preserve memories. Not that the others don't b/c they wouldn't do this if they didn't, but I know how important it is to have books upon books for my kids. From the first to the last. I don't think I have done any less for Selah as I have for Braelyn scrapping wise. And with this babe in my tummy - well she already has 3 LO's done and I have started her Baby Daze album that I have done for each child! Anyway - I am SOOO excited and honored to be a part of this team. I will get to play with EVERY single product at the Lilypad - which, come on now, that is a DREAM gig! The designers there are just AMAZING! Thanks for the opportunity gals!

So that was my excitement form last Fri. already - Kyle was actually proud of me and he doesn't even understand why it is such a big deal! :)

No pics of fair last night b/c although I took my camera, I found out the battery was dead. Ugh. Totally bummed, and yet we had a good time with friends and family just enjoying our time! Braelyn LOVED the little rides and the animals.

That's my day today - heading out to pick the kiddos back up, put them down for naps after lunch and then maybe I will scrap a page again - I have so much inspiration now! I have also been reading for 1/2 hr each day minimum since I have so many books to read all the sudden! I am sure I might clean something and then make dinner and packing camper tonight!

Toodaloos!

Thanks girls

Thanks for all of your encouragement girls! I am hoping to do a bit of reading - which is totally not me, but I am giving it a go. Last night at the library I picked up "Power of a Praying Parent". A good start b/c hey - who can't use a good prayer said for them every day right?! I am waiting on the Sacred Parenting book from my sister - I will get it next time I see her - sounds like a good one also. I think my parenting is fairly decent, it is just my attitude about it that sucks. I am trying to wake up every day and tell myself that it is fun! Janet told me sometimes we have to fake things for a while to make them become a part of us. She explained that we basically teach our kids in that way. We make them brush their teeth, eat, etc... - all kind of fake until it becomes a natural part of them - a natural tendency. So I think I got some great advice and as bad as it sounds - I am going to try and fake things for a while - LOL!

So - this LO I finished up may be a little hint for some of you in regards to my latest scrapbooking excitement.

Credits Here

Playdate today and fair tonight - that's it from me! Hope you are all having a good start to your week.

No more eating out!!!

How was everyone's weekend? When I look back at mine I say it was good. At moments - not so much though. Fri. night we decided to go to Main Street Pub in Allendale. Not a GREAT experience food and service wise, but it did not help that Selah was a nightmare. Kyle and I are basically thinking we will never eat out with kids again! I know we say that all the time, but honestly - it is just NOT worth it. It is pure stress and you can't enjoy your meal, nor can the poor people who are burdened by sitting by us. I do need to stress that my kids have grown up with eating out - at least once a week. You'd think they would be used to it. Selah is just at a BAD age when it comes to sitting and eating and being quiet. The girl has a loud annoying voice. I mean that in the nicest way that i can. LOL. She is just a stinker lately and I am not sure how to deal with it. Any suggestions from you great mothers out there would be greatly appreciated and NOT taken in a personal or bad way at all. I know many of my faithful blog readers are great patient mothers (Nina, Janet, Tammy, Kimmy, Sarah, & Lynette - JUST TO NAME A FEW). My main prayer lately is knowing how to deal with my children and having the will power to stick with a technique. I feel lately like it is out of control and I don't enjoy motherhood at this stage. I know that that is a horrible thing to say, but I am at least being honest. Mothering is HARD. No one really told me this before having kids - I should have known before having my third. Don't get me wrong - my kids aren't hellions - our house is not at all like the homes I see on SuperNanny or Nanny911. Kyle and I tend to balance things and agree on things pretty much together, which is a HUGE help! I just feel like maybe I can change something to help my kids change. They fight a bit when I am just home with them. Not when they are with other people luckily so even my family might not believe me on this one. Our main problem is in the morning before I head to work and then on days I am home with them. Anyway - enough of my ranting - got way off track there. So Kyle and I will be taking advantage of curb=side pickup a lot more now I think. We don't eat out every night by any means, but it is nice on either Fri. or Sat. to not have to cook and clean up the floor under the highchairs for a change!

Sat. we worked a bit on a list of things we had to do. Mow, fill bird feeder, water garden, etc...
After Selah's nap we headed out to the hospital lab to get Selah's blood drawn to check her hemoglobin - maybe has low iron. We should get the results today I would think. She just might need to get on iron drops. Then we ran a bunch of other errands like shipping something, Sam's Club run, etc... Home for afternoon naps and then headed to my mom's for a family reunion. Good times with cousins and family! The kids were in their glory playing all night!

Sunday was great - we went to early service to hear Kyle's Grandpa (who is a Reverend) sing special music. He is 87 ans still sings just beautifully. This guys voice is amazing. Just him speaking gives me chills. Very low clear voice. Selah went to nursery and Braelyn came into church with us. She asked after the singing if it was time for Sunday School. I told her that service doesn't have a Sunday School during the service, so then she asked to go by Selah. I couldn't resist so we actually got to sit thru the sermon in peace. It was about blessing those who persecute us. A good example was how the amish community that had 7 children murdered within the last year or so - they blessed the family of the murderer. An amazing and hard thing to do. So it was a great sermon and a good reminder in life! After church we actually came home - home by 10:30am - soooo unusual! My parents didn't have Sunday lunch and Kyle's mom was having us at night. We did a steak and potato dinner (my fave) and then the girls napped and we listened/read the bible for 2+ hours to get caught up on our old testament part of our Bible in a Year challenge. We are still three weeks behind on the old testament, but totally caught up on New Testament and Psalms and Proverbs. Not bad I guess, but would love to be totally caught up! Around 4:30 we headed to Kyle's parents who live on a little lake. The kids love to swim and we had a very good dinner and time with family. Again - the girls were good with their cousins playing and swimming! I LOVE having all our family so close! So blessed!

Not much going on this week. Work today, play date tomorrow at park, maybe the county fair at night b/c it's the only night we could make it and it happens to be kids day. Wed. packing up for camping, and Thur. we head north about a 1/2 hr to camp with friends! weather shows some rain, but we hope it is not too bad - maybe just at night b/c we do need it ever so badly here!

I feel like my posts are just so boring - basically just giving you a rundown on our life. I guess that is why I called it Everday Life - LOL! No pics today - maybe tomorrow - took quite a few this weekend. I have two LO's in progress too so those should be posted soon too!

I do have some exciting scrapping news that I am not sure I can post yet!!! Huge thing to me and hopefully I can share soon and tell you why it is so big for me!!! Stay Tuned!

Last, but not least. If any of you have a GREAT parenting book you think I should read please do tell. I am hoping to read during naps while camping since no computer time there - so if you have a suggestion that I can pick up from library that would be great!!!

More Doctor appointments

This morning we had the girls' Doctor Appt.s! Both did pretty good. Braelyn loves the Dr. She sits so nice and answers all the questions - such a big girl! Selah didn't LOVE it, but she did pretty good despite getting poked to check hemoglobin and then two more pokes for shots. She did great for the weight and height part though.

Braelyn:

weight - 32 lbs

height - 38 inches 60% for both.

Selah:

weight - 23 lbs. 4 oz.

height - 32 inches - 40% and 55% respectively.

Did lunch with my mom after the appointment and then came home and I vaccuumed out the car while the girls played for a bit outside. Then they napped and I cut my Mother-in-Law's hair. Tonight we are going to Baker Book House to pre-buy the Casting Crowns CD coming out and I have a few books I am looking for. I have a GC yet from teaching Sunday School that I will use! Then we will do dinner - maybe Red Lobster or Olive Garden - we'll see. I think Kyle will say Red Lobster - I say Olive Garden - we'll see who wins!

Hope you all have a great weekend - looks like here we are going to have some perfect weather - not too hot or humid, but just comfortable high 70's!

Here's a few pics of the girls at the Dr.!

Ciao!

Hi!

So my Dr. appt. went really well on Monday. It was kind of nice to just sit and look at a gossipy People magazine in a quiet waiting room with no kids! I had to sit and wait for my RhoGam shot for about an hour - which still put me at my appt. in plenty of time. I did have to run thru Taco Bell though since I had just fasted for 2 hrs (which turned into more like 4 hrs by time it was all said and done). So besides getting two pokes in one day - it ended up working out. I got a great clean bill of health - I am such a healthy pregnant woman and soooo glad about that! Great blood pressure, no gestational diabetes, great hemoglobin level - all that good stuff! So all is well - now I start going every two weeks so that will make these last 12 weeks go quickly!





So the swingset is built!!! I have to get pictures of it! We were given an older swingset by my cousin b/c his kids were done with it. It was in rough shape, but had all the parts. Kyle and I got some new wood for it and kind of re-built it yet. We did some re-vamping and Kyle still has to build a ramp, but it is functional!!! The girls love it - they were playing on it the whole night!





Here is a new LO from me - mostly Lilypad goods from all the fabulous stuff they just came out with! The pictures are all ones that Braelyn took with her new Fisher Price Digital Camera. I barely even fixed the pictures up - just did a fun little page of what her world looks like! What a fun concept to see thru the eyes of a 3 yr. old!


Here are the credits.

Well, I better start working here - I had a great night last night with some friends - good conversation - and the kids stayed overnight at in-laws since MaryJo watches them anyway on Thur.! Kyle want out fishing with a guy from work so I was without a sitter and the girls were getting together and I didn't want to miss! Mother-in-law to the rescue! I count my blessings each and every day for great parents/grandparents for my kids and I! So it was like Heaven waking up this morning with no kids screaming and asking for cereal - a nice little break! Kyle even stayed in bed a bit longer because it was so quiet! I miss them though already - can't wait to pick them up after work!

Have a great day everyone!