Zachary's Prediction

Zachary has been predicting for days that I'm going to have a girl. We'll see in about a month if he's right!

Lets go fishing for daddy's fish!

Well, we all caught the major cold bug. Unfortunately, for me it turned into a sinus/lung infection and for the boys, double ear infections and pneumonia. But, after a week of being home-bound, we're doing better. Mike cleaned out our pond yesterday and got it up and running again, so today he wanted to get fish to go in it. The boys were excited all morning to go get fish.

So we went to PetSmart and got about 20 cheap goldfish. The boys were fascinated as the employee pulled out his big net, and scooped again and again into the tank to pull out the fish and flip them into the bag. When we got home, we put them in this bucket and Mike put the bucket in the garage. Then we proceeded to make lunch while the boys played with their toys in the garage. The door was open, so we could hear them as they were only a few feet away, and everything seemed good for about the 3 minutes they were out there, and then Mike went out. The next thing I know, I hear Mike yelling, with a stressed chuckle in his voice, 'Melissa, get out here! I can't decide whether to be mad or laugh and you've got to see this!' So of course, I go racing out there thinking, oh no....what did they do now? Well, apparently the boys learned a LOT from watching the PetSmart employee with his little net digging out the fish.
The boys got into their play bin and got out their mini LaCrosse sticks (to copy big brother Matthew who plays LaCrosse) and were using the sticks as the 'scooper' and they were scooping the fish out of the bucket! There were several fish flopping around on the garage floor.

Mike quickly scooped up all of the fish and tossed them back in the bucket and we avoided any fish casualties. And we were both very impressed by their creativity in copying the PetSmart guy!

Kid-Free Weekend!

Thanks to my parents, I am going to be KID-FREE this weekend! This will be the first time since they were born that I will have a weekend to myself. Mike is working, so it is pretty much just me! But, unfortunately, it is packed with things to do. So much for renting about 9 movies, and laying on the couch in my sweats all day! But that's okay...it will still be nice to have a break and do activities just for me! Thanks Papa and Grandma! I hope you have fun!!

Disney Live!

Last night, my mom and I took the boys and our neighbors Jessica and David to the Rose Garden to see Playhouse Disney Live. I wasn't sure if the boys would like it, but they loved it! All 3 boys did fantastic!

The boys absolutely loved Mickey Mouse, Tigger, and the Little Einsteins' Rocket. All day long they have been asking if the 'mouse is sleeping' because we didn't see him today. Too cute!

In Due Time

Well, I went to the doctor today for what I thought was my 15 week checkup. Last time I was in I had an ultrasound, and they said that based on the baby's size, my due date has shifted 3 weeks later and is now August 10th. Which means I'm only 12 weeks. Ugh. And, that means 3 weeks more of being pregnant in the summer heat. BUT, it is all good. I got to hear the baby's heartbeat today which is beating strong. AND, my doctor, who I absolutely LOVE, had told me at my last appointment that he was going to drop his OB insurance as of August 1st due to the high insurance premiums so it was a good thing I was due July 22nd. Well, after the nurse told me of my August 10th due date, I got a bit nervous (okay, I slightly freaked out) that he wouldn't be able to deliver the baby. When he came in, he told me that he wanted to be the one to deliver our baby, so he had already checked and extended his insurance for one month just for us! Did I mention that I LOVE him? So he said that we'll be his last baby delivery and he is really excited. I was so touched that he did this just for Mike and I because I know it can't be cheap. Everything is going to work out just fine and I just need to remember that God has his own plans, whether July or August, and I just need to be flexible. : )

Ready for summer

Well, the boys are ready for summer. They can't stand not being outside in this cold weather to play. So Papa bundled them up and took them out to do some pruning. Don't you love Zach's boots with Papa's stocking cap?

You probably can't see it, but Zachary is holding his own pair of mini pruning shears.
And the next morning, the boys disappeared outside (they climbed through the doggie door) and we looked and Tyler was wearing Papa's slippers and no coat, and Zachary was wearing Grandma's shoes and his hat on backwards and holding Tyler's hat.
The slippers were so big on Tyler that he couldn't walk back inside, so Papa had to go rescue him from being stuck in the yard!

Status Quo

It has been a long time since I posted anything! And I really don't have anything new to report. Everything is status quo around here. We are adjusting to Mike's new graveyard schedule, and I am adjusting to pregnancy life...Saltines, lots of naps, a new wardrobe. I am really trying to enjoy this time as it will definitely be my last time being pregnant. I know that even though it doesn't seem to be going fast now, July will be here before I know it! We will find out the first week of March whether we are having a boy or girl. The boys are just hysterical...new words and crazy ideas every day. I love this age (minus the occasional tantrum). Matthew is doing so great at basketball this year....I am so proud of him! LaCrosse is right around the corner for him, and then next year it is on to high school sports! Kathryn is really enjoying her kids groups at our church, and she is anxiously awaiting baseball season. The boys and I are heading to Grandma and Papa's house this weekend so that mommy can get a little R&R and help chasing around the munchkins while daddy gets some much needed sleep.

Oh to be a cat....

Soon-to-be Sommer #7

Well, as many of you know, I have struggled the last 10 years or so with infertility. So this post is probably going to come as quite a surprise to you. Mike and I are expecting another baby, without the help of medical technology! And thank goodness, only ONE this time. Let me tell ya, this is a (shocking) miracle!!! Just 3 months ago, I spoke to my doctor about having a hysterectomy due to my endometriosis just being so incredibly painful and I knew that although I had always dreamed of having another child, it just was not going to happen. So imagine my surprise a few months later when I thought, hmmm, I don't feel well.... I thought, there's no way I could be pregnant, but, I'll take a test just to be sure. And lo and behold....I'm pregnant! And not only that, I'm 11 weeks pregnant!!! We had an ultrasound today to confirm that there is in fact only one (whew!) and my due date is July 22nd.

This baby is truly a miracle! My twins are definitely miracles too, but with the help of medical technology and in vitro fertilization, but this baby is au naturale and such a blessing! Mike and I have had about a week and a half to adjust to the idea, and although we are still in shock and not quite sure where in the world this baby is going to go, we are absolutely ecstatic!

Christmas Memories

Happy New Year! We had a fabulous Christmas with friends and family. We hope you enjoyed your Christmas also. I am so blessed to have my family. I love them so dearly. I thought I'd share a few photos from the big day.

In case you can't read it, Mike's shirt says 'I'm sick of being my wife's arm candy.' Too funny!

Stay tuned for a big announcement and pictures next week......

Snow, snow, snow!

Boy, Salem has really been hit by snow! We got 2 inches early on Sunday, and we loaded up and went outside to play. Then it all melted, then it started snowing again that evening and got about 4 inches, along with some ice and just plain ol' nasty cold weather! It is too cold to even be out, and we are expecting a few more inches tomorrow! The kids have missed 3 days of school so far, and I would suspect will be off for the rest of the week, which means a 3 week Christmas vacation!!! Here are a few pics that I was able to snap of the boys during our few minutes outside Sunday morning.

Choo Choo!

This is a great example of the chaos at our house right now. The two big kids (and by this I mean Mike and Matthew) running the trains around the track, the two little kids jumping on their backs, and then Kathryn trying to read to everyone for her homework.

We have a train whistle that goes with the train set and Zachary hasn't quite figured it out, as is apparent in this video. But it is so cute!!!

Christmas is coming!

I cannot believe Christmas is only a few weeks away! And as you have read previously, I am in the Christmas spirit! Last weekend we took the kids to Storybook Land in Albany and they had so much fun! We got to see Santa and get candy canes to eat on the ride home!

Then Sunday we went to get our tree. We took our neighbors Tom, Jessica, and David and got two trees to pile in the back of Mike's truck.

This is Tom holding the tree while Matthew cuts it down. He loves being the one in charge of the saw.

All bundled up

David and Tyler supervise to ensure that Matthew is doing a good job cutting

Kathryn, David and Zach

Group photo time!

This is the final product. As you can see, presents do not go under our tree. Trains and cars do! Which the boys love! Mike left the train unplugged so that the boys couldn't mess with the controls to get it going, but, today we had a major train crash. Tyler plugged in the tree, and figured out the controls for how to make it run. I can't even do that!!!

They have the whole little village set up!

Including airplanes, which Tyler just loves!

As soon as my computer cooperates, I have a great video to post of Zachary 'blowing' the train whistle!

Persistence

Both boys were born with both of their parents' persistence. Like tonight, for example. We were driving to look at the lights in Keizer, and Zachary took his shoe and sock off. Of course he couldn't get his sock back on, and he kept telling me 'sock off, sock off'. Which I acknowledged and said we'd fix it as soon as we stopped. But no, he has to tell me, constantly, for the next 15 minutes that his 'sock off' in a voice that keep getting higher and higher and closer to near panic. The kid is so persistent! And here's a good example with Tyler. I only recorded a few seconds and this exchange went on for minutes, and happened multiple times throughout the day. Oh boy, what fun times we have ahead! = )

What was I thinking???

For those of you that know me well, you know that in the past I have been a bit of a Christmas scrooge. I get really set in my routines and I don't like 'messing up' the house by bringing in a tree, and putting all of these decorations up. But....I have gotten a lot better once the boys were born. It is so much fun for them and for Matthew and Kathryn so I have relaxed quite a bit. In fact, I even let Mike put the blow-up Snowman (well, lady, I think) and her two kids in our front yard! (I'll try to post pictures of that soon) I even went so far as to put in the boys' Christmas lullaby CD in the beginning of November. I know, I know....you are about to faint with shock. So, you might be even MORE surprised when you read on and find that I bought a little tiny tree that I am going to take to work. Not only that, I spent the evening decorating it. What is wrong with me?!? I am feeling the Christmas Spirit!!!

Here is Tyler, posing with my little tree. Which, by the way, will be planted on the side of my house come December 26th and may look something like an arborvitae.
I started off easy. Dressing up the bottom with ribbons.

Then I decided that I wanted to make some sort of rope decoration. I thought of popping popcorn and spray-painting the corn red, but the tree is so tiny that I thought the popcorn might overpower it. That, and I didn't have any red spray paint.

So, I got out the froot loops. I made a beautiful red and green froot loop necklack-type thing, but it was way too big for the tree. So I gave the string to the boys. Which they ate. Sort of.

They actually made quite a mess. Froot loops were all over the house. And look where else.

Yes, in the air vent. Lovely. So, back to square one. Beads. I raided Kathryn's room and separated out all of the white, red, and green beads from her stack. Tomorrow she will put all of the beads on some fishing string and we'll drape it around the tree. See how helpful the boys are with separating out the beads? (yah right, you should've seen the mess)

So I decided in the meantime to go with ribbon to dress it up. Here is my semi-finished project. I even got a green felt cloth to set it on when it goes to my desk.

I will post the final picture soon.