The surprise is......

What does this picture say to you???

If you guessed by the pickle and ice cream that we are expecting, you are correct. Baby #4 is on the way!!! We couldn't be more happy! I am about 8 weeks along. My due date is Jan. 30th, but I dont look at EDDs because I have gone over my due date 2/3 times... I have found a wonderful midwife and am so excited to be experiencing this again! My symptoms are typical that include exhaustion and constant nausea. My house is suffering, but I'll get there one room at a time. I will be starting a small series on coping in times like this. I am not sure exactly what I will be blogging, but I am sure I will figure it out. Anyone have any suggestions? What about dealing with the fatigue during the first trimester? Well, got to go work on a room. Have a blessed day everyone!

Prayer Time Interruptions

     We've finally had enough.... Every time we have prayer time before a meal we are constantly interrupted with new thank yous and prayers... Don't get me wrong... I love that the children are participating in prayer time, but when it takes us a while to get through it because we had to stop and take new requests, something has to give... Well, the Lord presented me with a solution...


      I was thinking about the problem and I heard that still quiet voice say to me "Take request before you pray and stop the interruptions." Brilliant! The first time we did it was successful. By simply writing down what the children wanted to pray about has all but stopped the endless interruptions. 


     The first few nights I started a new sheet of paper for requests and I started to get bothered by several lists laying about the counter. Then it dawned on me... I have a laminator...Why not just laminate a paper and reuse it every night. Brilliant again!  

     Now we are working on patience. Skylar get antsy and thinks we are not going to say her prayer request so she interrupts. We are working on that part.  So if you are having the same, small, but annoying issue that we were having, this may be the solution for you as well. I pray lots of blessings in your parenting endeavors!










Things To Come: 

Book review on Large Family Logistics
A surprise
My first series on coping with life when there are challenges.
And More...


Stick around, wont you?

Birthday Blast

Making fondant with Skylar the day before the party

A couple of weeks ago we had the big kids birthday party and it was so much fun! It was a Race Car and Mermaid themed party. 

Here are some photos from the party.

The set up: Burlap birthday banner, tissue paper poms, Art stations(car painting and mermaid headbands)

Long View

Skylar and Hayden with their cakes that I made. 

The food at the party was fun as well, but they were all covered in plastic wrap because of the plague of flies, so you cant tell what they are in the photos because of the plastic... Oh well, I can at least tell you what it all was. We had Starfish and Race Car sandwiches, Race car apple slices /w grapes( apple slices with grapes as tires held on by toothpicks, Oyster cookies( vanilla oreos with the cream colored pink with a yogurt covered raisin, and Ocean water and Coolant Punches. I got a lot of these ideas from Pinterest. If anyone wants to know where or how I made anything you see just let me know. Over all it was a lot of fun and I cannot wait until next year... Im thinking Circus or Carnival themed. :)

Ice cold Lemonade on a Hot Day

     Nothing is better than some ice cold lemonade on a hot day... Not many people can argue that point. Here in Arizona we have plenty of hot days to consume a lot of lemonade. Lemonade doesn't taste very good with out the sugar and ice... At that point you just have lemon juice, bleh... 


     Well that is exactly what we got when our upstairs AC unit went out on Saturday. By the time the sun went down yesterday evening it was already 90* upstairs and still 100* outside... no amount of fan blowing, windowing opening was helping. So we added a little sugar and ice and decided to camp out in the living room downstairs as a family.We watch Beauty and the Beast, had popcorn, and snuggled with each other. Then we blew up the air mattress and made up the couches and camped out in the living room where is was 15* cooler than upstairs. It was some pretty good lemonade. :)


      I was reminded that sometimes routines are messed up and we have to adapt and overcome the challenge. No I didn't sleep well, but I got this beautiful Sunday to rest and enjoy what God has given me. I also greatly appreciate these common day luxuries and I do not know how I would get by without them. Well, there you have it... Life gave us some lemons and we made some lemonade with it. Pizza and Iron Man tonight and another night camped out in the living room at least :) Lets make the most of it.  

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