Wrapping Up Summer

This summer has been amazing... this is the first summer where we have had two (mostly independent) eager boys ready to explore!  not held down by diapers or fears of the water... these kids were ready, so good thing I can still kind of keep up with them.

We had our first solo camping trip ever... it was different to go with just our boys, and not family and friends, but it was so much fun!!  We took a long weekend at Lake Easton, and we will definitely go back!  Kyle took the boys fishing and we went hiking, kayaking, and exploring... even stumbled on a car show full of really neat old cars.  Food was simple, we made our own time, and Kyle and I found ourselves just observing what great little guys the boys have become!

All they wanted to do is fish... so that's what we did!!

She loves to swim

Getting ready for school has been fun... many open houses, meet and greets, and last minute shopping trips, but we are ready!  Learned my lesson on buying pants too early... Blake already grew out of the jeans I bought him a month ago!  Luke is ready for preschool, he doesn't have a choice this year, he must go!  but its going to help that he has a friend in his preschool class.  I anticipate a little resistance from him, but I am pretty confident that it will all work out.  I have a 5 year old going to kindergarten that is insisting that he can walk himself to school and get to his class all on his own, and he doesn't want any help from me (yeah right) and my 3 year old is going to be screaming, holding on to my leg and begging me not to leave him haha!  Talk about an emotional roller coaster.

The boys got a really fun last minute surprise from Grandma and Grandpa Rogers just in time before school starts!  They got to take a special trip to San Diego and went to SeaWorld and the Zoo!!  They had so much fun!  They swam in the pool, saw so many different animals, and Luke got his first plan ride... this is number 3 for Blake.... I didn't ride on my first plain until I was like 13, little stinkers!!  They loved it!  One little last minute hurrah before school starts!  I don't have many pictures from their trip, but the Rogers family sport their Seahawks support no matter where they are!!

It was so hard to let them go, this mama had a pretty rough time at first, but Kyle took time off from work so I wasn't wallowing in my own sorrow, and we celebrated our anniversary!  We spent 4 days doing things that we haven't done in years; things that are too hard to do with kids.  We went on an all day drive to Mt Rainier National Park, and saw some amazing things... can you believe that we have never been there and its like an hour from our house... AND everyone that was there was from a different country and they were on vacation... really??  I had no idea that people came here for vacation!  We also went to Seattle with Tyler and Liz, and again, played tourist in our own backyards haha... I have never seen the Ballard Locks... Crazy, I know, and I cant wait to take the kids there!  We contributed to the gum wall, drank Starbucks, hung out with the Troll, and saw the UP house.  LOVED IT!!  Okay, my husband loves me very much but he is refusing to take the Duck Boat Tour with me... OMG I know, I'm a nerd, but I sooo want to do it!!  Anyone wanna come with me?  Apparently, ill have to leave my husband at the bar.  Or maybe of I take him to the bar first, I will be able to get him on the Duck Truck!  HAHAHA  We went to ipic, love that place!!  And we filled in the rest of the time in with walks with the dog, buying some new furniture (seriously needed) and grocery shopping lol :)  It was really neat to spend that one on one time with Kyle, but I was sure excited to get the boys back! 

We saw a family of Black Bears... we were so close!!

Paradise Hike

 

 

 

School starts for Blake this Friday and then Luke starts preschool next Thursday.  Back to reality and the grind!  Also, time to start thinking about baby stuff... hes going to be here soon!! 

Crazy Fast Summer

This summer has sure been memorable... I realize that its coming to a close since I just flipped the calendar on the fridge and I was able to write the first few "school related" activities.  4 week countdown has commenced, and I am starting to realize that its time to get my butt in gear.  School supplies have been purchased for Blake, but I still need to get Lukes under control.  Clothes shopping needs to start, starting to think about school lunches and what to pack him, and I need to get a lunch card set up for those days that he wants to buy, and just getting them back onto their 7:30 bedtime schedule.

We have been going fast this summer... like crazy fast... there have been movies, parks, swimming, bike rides, walks, camping, BBQ's, fishing trips, birthday parties, outings with friends, hikes, and who knows what else... one thing that I completely regret is that I have been basically without my camera for most of it.  I guess you can say that I'm living in the moment, and enjoying it, but I still wish I would have taken my camera more.  I have my phone, but I rarely grab for that either :(  I just went and grabbed my camera and put it on the counter... if its out, I bet ill use it...hopefully!! 

Its time to enjoy the last few weeks before our crazy-super scheduled- new beginnings life starts up.  We have one little camping trip scheduled that's just us, and it will be fun to spend some time together, and really enjoying the boys before the baby comes, and then, that's it... summers over... Time to get ready!!!

Children's Museum

30LB King in Alaska

Salmon made it to our BBQ :)

I might need this jail at our house for these two...

Drive-in fun!!

See, not many pictures... but I'm working on it!!

Whats In A Dad

There have been many moments lately where I turn the corner in my house and then I just stop and smile.  My husband definitely has this dad thing down...  I love it when I catch them doing funny things together or sharing a sweet moment.  He shows the boys things, and takes the time to make them part of whatever it is that he is doing.  The other day I went looking for Luke and Kyle and found them curled up, reading a book in bed in the middle of the day :)  I seriously almost cried, it was the cutest thing!  Any guy with the right "equipment" can be a dad, but it takes a real man to raise a son... and since we are going to have 3, our daddy has his hands and heart full.

He isn't just a dad who only participates when its easy, this man can do it all, and I am sure one lucky mama to know that I am not just a mom staying at home to raise these boys, we are a team, and he knows when I need help and I know when he needs me.  just as it should be :)  There isn't anything that he cant do, and I know that as my kids grow up, he's always going to be their hero. 

 

And, I think that he's a pretty great hubby too :)

Then There Were 13

We love our girls... besides them being a really good egg producers for our family, they are also our friends.  The kids run around with them, they will come sit on our laps and eat out of our hands.  We love that we have been able to let our chickens free range... they have their own coop and sizeable run on the side of our home, but when we are here, we love to let them run free.

Last Friday, they were doing what they do best...foraging in my flowerbeds... and Blake and I were sitting at our bar, and we saw them run across the yard in a panic, but we didn't think much of it... they have done it before when our neighbor turns on his welder or if Kona gets a wild hair and decides to run at them.  We actually laughed and thought they looked funny.  Not long after, Blake went outside to feed his favorite chicken, Gonzo.  He couldn't find her.

Gonzo never leaves our back yard.  She has never wandered down our dirt road or into our neighbors yard.  She has never tried to fly over a fence or run away from us.  The kids and I looked for her for 2 hours.  I was in and out of my neighbors properties, in every nook and cranny of our property and I was starting to really wonder what had happened to her.  All the chickens come running to me when I call them, and it was very unlike her to just be gone.

As we were walking home up our dirt road, I saw it... I knew what had happened.  There were two HUGE black hawks circling my remaining girls in the backyard, and I just ran towards them.  The kids and I were able to get the chickens all locked up in their coop, while my kids screamed at the Hawks to " leave my chickens alone or my daddy will shoot you"  I couldn't believe how low they were... but after that, I know exactly what happened to her.  They circled our house for about 30 minutes before they moved on, and I am terrified that they will come back looking for their next meal!!

I started second guessing myself, could a hawk really pick up a chicken?  Just YouTube it... yes they can!  Crazy!!  My girls have never had to worry about predators... but all that has changed now.  Our poor chicken.  She was our favorite... She was our ugliest, smallest, but most loving chicken.  The boys went out to hold her every morning, and when I would go out to sit on the back steps and watch the boys play, she would just come and sit in my lap (I usually had food) haha.  But now she is gone, and we have learned a very valuable lesson.  Super sad, my kids really miss her, and my remaining 13 girls haven't laid more then 3 eggs a day since she was taken.  Their obviously also mourning the loss of their dear friend...

Rest in peace our sweet Gonzo, the smallest, sweetest chicken with a face that only a mama could love!!

A face only a mother could love

 

Gonzo and Twin 1 sleeping on the ladder

Her first day in the coop :)

 

Tests, Tests...And More Tests...

With Blake, we had very little testing done.  Since everything looked good on paper, they didn't see any need for further testing.  Also, the 20 Week ultrasound should have shown his heart condition, but they didn't catch it.  So, with Luke, we added some more tests and a 20 week fetal eco... Yay for a healthy baby... tests weren't too bad, but still more then I had the first time. 

With this baby...OMG...I swear, all I do is go in for urine tests, blood tests, genetic counseling, and ultrasounds.  I did opt for these tests because we figure better safe then sorry, and I do not want to be surprised again, but its mentally exhausting.  I am always worried that they are going to find "something" wrong or that something is going to come back "abnormal" The day before, I get myself all worked up, usually to the point of tears, and I just dread it.  But then I go in... with my little ones in tow, armed with snacks, juice boxes and ipads just trying to get it all over with. 

Today was the last of my tests... I had my 20 week Fetal Echocardiogram. Everything looks great... no heart defects to report, no extra crazy chromosomal defects to speak of, and baby has all its digits... I cant promise that being born into this family, he will be normal by any means, but at least all his parts are where they should be and his organs are doing what there supposed to be doing at the moment. No more testing until the gestational diabetes tests, but that's not for a while, so I am going to enjoy a few weeks of not having to go all the way into Tacoma, find parking and search for new addresses... and I am going to enjoy this healthy baby... at this point, his health has been confirmed as much as possible, and there isn't anything else I need to worry about... except getting his room together :)

Three's A Charm :)

Being a mom of all boys, I now understand how important that job is.  God has entrusted these boys to us to raise them into men... strong, caring, smart, driven, and successful men who will love and appreciate their wives someday.  Men who will fight for their beliefs, who will devote themselves to their families and men who will demonstrate bravery and courage in all aspects of life.  What a privilege we have been given.  To raise these boys in a world where most believe they are entitled takes a strong heart to love them, a strong back to carry them, a strong voice to call them (usually by their first and middle name), and strong mind to teach them right from wrong.  I think that mostly, it takes a strong role model.  If my boys are anything like their dad, they are going to be amazing. 

I believe in letting my boys see us upset, have disagreements and be able to solve them (all appropriate of course) and to see us laugh and play with each other.  When you see parents play fight, be silly, and show affection, your teaching them how to interact with their spouses someday.  Life shouldn't be all about business, its about creating memories and forming habits.  Showing love, receiving love, and keeping an open mind is all I ask... especially in this crazy-ever changing- world that we live in :)

We must be doing okay raising these little boys so far because god has given us another little boy to love!  He is 20 weeks, growing strong, wiggling all over in mamas tummy, and making me extremely hungry!  His brothers already talk to him and kiss him, and cant wait to meet him.  They also come up with some crazy names for this little man!  Good thing that Daddy and Mama get the final say!  We cant wait to meet you little man... this just got real!

I bet my unborn child will appreciate me sharing a picture of him showing off his crown jewels haha

The 3rd Time Around

Well, this pregnancy has been quite a bit different from my last two.  The biggest blessing is that I don't have to get up at 4:30 to get ready for a desk job where I sit there all day and then sit in traffic on the way home.  I have been much more active and healthy this time around, but I think the biggest thing is that I can keep moving instead of my locked into a desk and I think it has made all the difference in how I feel and maintaining a healthy weight. 



Photo courtesy of Blake :)  My little photographer!!  19 weeks!!


Oh, I have cravings... mostly sweet things, but the other night I did have a bowl of ice cream and then I dipped my salty potato chips in it and it was heaven!  I love sugary cereal like frosted flakes, coco puffs and ...oh, I love me some fruity pebbles! YUMMM...I want some Fruity Pebbles right now, can someone go pick some up for me please?  They should really start to sell those at Costco in 5 gallon buckets!  I think that I'm gonna contact Post Foods and make that happen!

Emotions... like I have any control of those HAHA!  Oh, I can cry at the drop of a hat, I mean, I could probably watch Jerry Springer and find a reason to start crying.  Oh, and I like to watch Ellen most days, and that show is an emotional roller coaster, let me tell you what!  I laugh and cry and laugh and cry more... there needs to be a disclaimer before that show! My kids think that I'm going wacko because they bring me a picture that they drew and my eyes well up and I lose it telling them how thoughtful they are... holy cow, its pathetic! 

Preparing... yeah, not worried about getting things "ready" at all!!  Seriously, I know by now that all I need are diapers, onsies and my boobies when the baby is born... not too worried about having things set up or a nursery in place.  Maybe that will change when we find out the gender... NEXT WEEK at my 20 week apt :)

The biggest thing that I have learned this time is that I need to pay a little bit more attention to myself then I am used to.  At my last dr appointment, I was basically yelled at because apparently you can tell by your blood pressure weather or not you are dehydrated... apparently I was right on the cusp of needing an IV... I begged her not to send me over to the hospital, and I promised that I would suck down some water... well, I didn't mean to lie, but when we were at Friday Harbor  a couple weeks later, and all the heat and all the walking around and then waiting in the damn hot sun for the ferry, I about passed out.  I barely made it up the stairs on the boat and I stumbled into the bathroom because I thought I was going to puke.  I sat down on the toilet just to catch my breath and then splashed some water on my face... whoops!!  needless to say, I now have a water bottle Nazi monitoring my H2O intake... It totally just got away from me, that's something that I could have handled before this little bun in the oven, but now, forget it!  Apparently, my emotions aren't the only thing out of whack!! 

We almost half way... 21 weeks or 140 days to go :)